190 – Scene 190# Outbuilding
*
It’s awkward… .
It was the first impression of meeting her.
Hildegard Wolfbert.
She is the wife of Gail Wolfbert and a woman from the Lohengrin family, a wealthy nation of Valia, a powerful country that exists across the sea.
A rare foreigner in the Meikahel Empire, which adheres to the seclusion policy, and a unique case of becoming the hostess of the prestigious Wolfbert family.
Not only that, she was known as a competent woman who read the situation and raised the reputation of the Wolfbert family with her outstanding behavior.
This is the general perception of her.
However, I know the true identity of Hildegard.
She pretends to be a noblewoman on the outside, but she is actually a smuggler known in the underworld. He is also a tycoon who has accumulated wealth, although not as much as the Ruelberta family, by smuggling various items through his connections in Valia.
In the underworld, they called her ‘the vixen of the swamp’.
But it wasn’t just her reality that made me feel uncomfortable with her.
I opened my mouth, being careful not to show emotion.
“… Gail hasn’t come yet.”
“If it were the head of the house, he wouldn’t come.”
“What do you mean? I came after receiving an invitation from Gail.”
“Actually, it was not from the head of the household, but an invitation from me.”
Hildegard said coquettishly resting her chin.
“Earl Ruelberta, I really wanted to meet you at least once.”
“I will go back.”
I turned around without any regrets.
Because the heart to be here even for a moment has disappeared.
But as I was about to leave, there was a large shadow blocking my way.
“Let’s listen to my mother’s story first. count.”
“Get out of the way. Patrick.”
“It will take a while. so-.”
By the end of that, Patrick was frozen.
“Is it something like you blocking my way now?”
“… !”
I only showed ‘rage’ for a short time, but the momentum was as strong as killing. To the point where even the brave Patrick took a step back without even realizing it.
“Stop offending me any further and get out of here.”
“I’m sorry I lied to you. count.”
When I turned my head, Hildegard was putting both hands together and pretending to apologize.
“But I thought you wouldn’t meet me if I didn’t do this.”
“… I believed Gail’s invitation to talk head to head. I have nothing to share with your family who destroyed that trust in this way.”
“Yes… yes I have absolutely nothing to refute… . It’s a theory.”
Hildegard did not seem to be discouraged at all even though he felt my blatant ‘anger’.
No, I was just pretending not to be discouraged.
Even though he didn’t receive ‘anger’ head-on like Patrick, the aftermath remained if you look closely.
Cold sweat formed on her forehead, and the two hands that did not stop trembling were tightly held together.
However, seeing that she did not faint, it was enough to guess what an unusual woman she was.
Hildegard put a hand on his chest and said.
“However, would you like to know this much? Today, I’m here to build a new bridge between the two families, Wolfbert and Ruelberta. It will never be a bad story for the Count. Could the Count please listen to my story with great generosity?”
I kind of wanted to refuse.
She is a reluctant woman, befitting her nickname of ‘the vixen in the swamp’.
However, when she talked this far, the atmosphere became impossible to refuse. If I refuse, it will make me look like I’m narrow-minded.
Perhaps Hildegard was deliberately targeting her.
I stared at Hildegard.
She was the owner of a look that could not guess her age.
It was because she was young enough to look like Patrick’s older sister, not Patrick’s mother.
And what was unpredictable was her intentions as well.
As befits a descendant of a merchant family, Hildegard is a woman who always moves for profit.
Therefore, in the original work, she was always on the winning side.
When the imperial family was dominant, on the side of the imperial family, when the Ruelberta family was dominant, on the side of the Ruelberta family. And when the Ruelberta family fell, there was a history of actively standing on the side of the warrior.
If it’s good, it’s an excellent way of life, if it’s bad, it’s a bat-like woman who sticks to the advantage.
That’s why I wasn’t sure whether Hildegard was an ally or an enemy at this point.
I don’t know why they called me while impersonating Gale… .
“… good. I would like to hear the story at least once.”
“Thank you for your understanding. Zhang Liang. Are you there?”
“Yes.”
As soon as my consent fell, the store owner, Zhang Liang, who had been waiting outside the door, appeared.
“Then, I will guide you two to the annex.”
outbuilding? Did this restaurant even have an outbuilding?
Zhang Liang approached the folding screen in the corner of the room. There was a large landscape painting drawn with brush and ink.
I wondered if there was a hidden door behind the folding screen, but it wasn’t.
Zhang Liang put his hand on the folding screen and blew magic into it. Then an amazing thing happened.
drooling-
Fog came out of the painting in the folding screen, and the flat painting began to look three-dimensional.
“Then I go in first.”
Hildegard put his foot into the painting without much hesitation and went right into it.
There was no time to admire the magic that happened in an instant in front of my eyes.
Because it was my turn next.
“Count. I… !”
“You stay calm here.”
Helga, who was about to follow quickly, hesitated at my dissuade.
No matter how you look at it, it wasn’t a place for her. It was clear that Hildegard wanted to talk with me alone, seeing as Patrick was also silently watching.
‘great… .’
Calmly, as Hildegard had done, I took a step towards the painting.
Then the view changed.
The painting in the folding screen is a Korean-style pavilion that does not go well with a Chinese restaurant. Just like Gyeonghoeru in Gyeongbokgung Palace, the pavilion located on the water was truly antique.
When I came to my senses, I was standing in the pavilion in the painting.
While gazing at the quiet surface of the water where lotuses were blooming… .
“Your eyes are as pretty as jewels.”
At some point, Hildegard, who came next to me, was admiring me while looking into my eyes.
“Those obsidian eyes… . It’s just like Millium.”
“… Do you know your father?”
“Everyone knows. Maybe I know more about Millium than you.”
Hildegard turned around with an inexplicable smile.
“This annex of the Oriental Pearl is a sub-space created with artifacts containing ancient spells from the East… . You could call it a barrier of some sort. No one will overhear our conversation here.”
“Well.”
“Have you ever been to this annex, Count?”
“no. It’s the first time.”
“Hey… . You’re calm for a first time. Normally, I would be surprised or embarrassed.”
In fact, as a human being, I couldn’t help but be surprised at this magical change.
He just got used to being a Tristan and keeping his expressionless.
“Then let’s sit down.”
There was a table in the pavilion as if it had been prepared for us. It’s probably just made, along with steaming food.
Hildegard and I sat across from each other at the table.
“Welcome. count. I just wanted to treat you to a meal.”
“Don’t talk nonsense, start with the main point.”
“… That arrogant tone is the same as Millium’s. But good.”
Hildegard sipped the tea next to him and said,
“First, let’s talk about Tangmar’s ownership. We are willing to pay the right amount. If you don’t like money, I can do something worth it.”
“Equivalent value?”
“Well. okay. for example… . Please tell me if there is a country the Count wants to trade with. ‘I’ will open the sea road that connects that country instead.”
I was surprised by the condition she offered.
Officially, the Ruelberta family is the only family in the empire that can trade with foreign countries. Trade is carried out only through the safe sea route, but the route is very limited. Because the distant sea was infested with pirates who only aimed at trade ships.
Although the Luelberta family had a strong power in the empire, there was one thing that lagged behind the Wolfbert family, and that was the maritime power that could fight at sea.
Ruelberta’s powerful enlisted force, the Steel Lion Regiment Aslan, was also a land force centered on cavalry.
In contrast, the Wolfbert family, which took control of the navy early on, had most of their enlisted men familiar with naval warfare.
Hildegard has prepared an independent smuggling route by sweeping away the pirates based on his outstanding maritime power.
It was only natural that, with the help of Hildegard, if trade could be made with a farther country, huge profits could be made.
I leaned back in my chair.
“It’s not too bad under those conditions.”
“Aren’t you surprised? The hostess of the Wolfbert family is doing business with foreign countries without the knowledge of the head of household.”
“I already knew what you were doing behind the scenes.”
“Is that so… .”
Hildegard smiled quietly.
Indeed, it is a ‘vixen in the swamp’.
I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
then… .
“It’s not a bad condition, but what are you going to do if I refuse?”
I decided to check her remaining cards.
Certainly, if it was Hildegard, it wouldn’t end like this.
And my predictions were right.
“Cuckoo… . Like a greedy man… If that’s not good enough, I can do what the count wants instead.”
“… Is that what I want?”
“Yes. For example, the person the Count considers the most thorn in the eye… .”
Hildegard paused for a moment before opening his mouth.
“I might be able to help you get rid of the emperor.”
“… … .”
I quickly erased my expression with ‘Patience’.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he took a sip of tea and said,
“That is a very interesting story.”
“But if you fail, treason… . Considering the risk, it could be seen as greater than the value of Tangmar.”
“… I also have something on my side. Is that what you mean?”
“I like that the story is fast. There is one thing I want to ask of the Count… .”
Hildegard spoke of the most dangerous of all the proposals he had made to me today.
“Please remove Gale.”