Ran gasped. A guillotine was shining in front of me.
"Kill, kill, kill!"
The people gathered in the square were shouting.
No, no, no, no.
I have to talk, but I can't speak. I couldn't move a muscle. My tongue seemed to stick to the roof of my mouth.
Eustaf looked down at herself with cold blue eyes.
"We will execute the death penalty in the name of Eustaf Laván de Lazia, who is now the owner of the flame."
No, it's not.
I'm not Ran.
I'm, I'm--
The people who caught her from both sides dragged her neck into the hole. Don't look down. Turn it upside down so you can see the blade of the guillotine blade.
"Execute."
The blue blade's coming down fast-
"...!!!"
Ran woke up from her dream.
"Ugh, ha, ha, ha, ha······."
It was a dream. ·····.
When she touched the back of her neck, she felt sweaty. She seemed to have been struggling in her sleep and sweating.
I still didn't feel realistic, so I stared blankly into space, and Ran stumbled and woke up from her seat.
'I'm really stressed out.'
She drank the prepared water thinking so.
When I first opened my eyes here.
I couldn't figure out the situation at all.
Her face is a completely different face, and the person who claims to be her mother is crying with a distorted face.
'I've come to realize that it's in a novel.'
Still, it didn't feel real.
It hit me that Eustaf came to apologize.
"Was it about a month after I came to my senses...because I didn't have the concept of time. Has it been a while?"
When I heard, he was coming to apologize, I thought, "Oh, is Male Lead coming?" It felt like something was unrealistic.
I was shocked when I actually met Eustaf. It was not the face of an ordinary child at all.
It doesn't contain feelings of apology or guilty, but a completely expressionless-emotional face.
Looking back on that time, I still don't feel good. Lan clasped her arms tightly as if hugging herself.
"I'm sorry, Noonim."
When I saw Eustaf, who bowed deeply with such words, I felt like I was awakened. The traces of blood-stained medium that had not been hidden were visible under the sleeves.
I made him like that.
That's what she wrote.
But looking at that face right now, it's a novel, and he'll be happy to meet the female lead later, so hang in there.
'I can't say that.'
Ran sighed. So, I desperately tried to protect Eustaf somehow from then on.
'You still haven't earned Eustaf's trust.'
Ran bit her lips. What if Eustaf hits herself in the neck two years later?
'No, no, no, it's gonna be okay. I can work hard for 2 years.'
I found the Mana Stone, and I will continue to work hard.
"He'll save my life. Come on."
Comforting herself like that, Lan touched her neck again. I sneaked up to the window and opened the window, and there was a crack in the distance.
'Nice'
Today is the day to meet someone from Golden Rose. 'You said you were a branch manager?'
Ran took a deep breath.
Please don't sign a fraudulent contract.'
That's what Ran prayed with her hands together.
********
Covering the dark circles, the maid said anxiously.
"You've been going through a lot lately."
"I'm in the beginning, so I can't help it."
Ran smiled, answering like that. These days, Ran's popularity in the duke's castle has been on the rise day by day.
As soon as she became a Patriarch, all the systems began to return to normal, which was the first thing employees could feel.
After changing clothes, Ran left the room. There were four drawing rooms in the castle.
One is the drawing room that serves as a meeting room for several people as a group. Usually, I met a person with a low status here. This place was just called Meeting Room.
The second was the silk room, the third was the emerald room, the real for VIPs, and the fourth was the pearl room, the drawing room for solitude.
Though upper-class, Ran has designated an emerald room, a drawing room for VIPs. It was a shocking move, but it didn't matter.
It's that important.
The emerald room was beautifully decorated with green colors to match its name.
'It's also a room where the Duchess serves guests.'
It is also the perfect room for the beautiful Tiara owner.
"Hello, it's an honor to meet you."
When Ran entered the room, the sitting person stood up from her seat, took off her hat and greeted her gracefully.
'Woman'
Ran blinked with a little surprise, and was surprised for the second time when she saw her opponent's appearance.
She was a wonderful beauty that seemed to purify her eyes just by looking at her. She was as clear as a birthplace with colorful blond hair and gold eyes that resembled her mother. Above all, pointed ears caught my eye.
Maybe she's in her mid-thirties now?
Ran said with a friendly silence and a smile.
"I didn't expect the leader of top to come in person."
The leader top of the Golden Rose is the Half Elf.
When Ran said, "Oh?" the woman opened her eyes wide and laughed.
"We shouldn't look down on the Duchess of Lazia's intelligence network."
Externally, the Golden Rose upper state was known as a man. It's probably because it's hard for a woman or even a heterogeneous person to work.
But when the upper power grows, in a few years she will be out of the shadows and in the front.
'I'm just aware of that.'
However, with this bait, she made the first shake so that her opponent could not look down on her information network.
"I'm Ran Romia De Lazia."
Ran introduced herself and offered her a seat.
"May the blue flame bless you. I'm Leverage Liberty."
As you many already know, Levery drew a clear line with red lips.
Small Mana Stone Pieces and Letters Enclosed by the Duke of Lazia. Levery asked the wizard if it was a real mana stone, and the wizard bit the bubble and asked where it came from.
This is a revolution.
The changes in the world that the Lazia Mana Stone will bring and the enormous benefits of it are depicted on its own.
You can never miss it.
That's why she came here herself. She also looked into the Duchess of Lazia in many ways.
'Although she's a closed-door operative,
However, the government cannot help but reduce its debts and reveal the aspect of a successive battle. Levery looked at the girl in front of her eyes, who had become Lazia's Patriarch, even though not a drop of blood was mixed.
She is a great beauty, with her flowing milky hair, dark green eyes, and her appearance.
Appearance is definitely an advantage, but how can it be the Duchess alone?
'And she doesn't have the blood of Lazia.' It's not a normal bet.
Don't you even know you're the boss?
No matter how many times a Duchy is failing, she will be treated in a shallow way.
Levery was firm in her determined.
Ran offered Levery a seat and began to set her own tea. The fact that the Duchess set the tea is a sign of hospitality, but the owner set the tea herself.
"Is it strong enough?"
When asked by Ran, Levery replied, "I like it."
After generously putting luxury tea leaves in the port, pour enough hot water, and wrap it with a ticoi.
Ran said in a series of movements.
"I'm not good at turning around. So, let's talk right away."
"Tell me"
"I'd like to sell a Mana Stone on the top of Golden Rose."
Levery's eyes glistened.
"Our superiors are always welcome to deal with the Duchess."
"Anyway, I'm sure you've looked into all the Duke's debts. So, I'll give you the transaction amount. For six months, I give you exclusive rights to the top of Golden Rose. Instead, I want 1 million verats in advance."
Levery's face has hardened.
Ran lowered her gaze to her tea to hide her fluttering heart. That's why I made my own tea.
But if you do something, it looks like you're going to be depressed.
1 million verat.
It was a huge amount.
The annual profit of the Duchy of Lazia is 200,000 verat.
The duke's current debt is 800,000 verat.
'I say it loud on purpose.'
Ran poured tea into a teacup to hide her shaky face, wondering if she say it too loudly.
Crack.
The sound of water seems to stabilize the mind and body.
"Duchess is too much."
Levery, who was looking at the teacup, looked up at Ran.
As expected, this woman is unusual.
'She'd tell for as much money as I can.'
How much information does the duke hold?
In fact, Ran was just a word, but it was effective to shake her up early because she already knew who she was. Levery thought Ran was even aware of the financial situation at the top of the Golden Rose.
'But.'
She poured sugar syrup into the tea.
"Without a word, it's a pre-sale. You didn't tell me if the Mana Stone really came out of here, how it came out."
Ran sat down after filling her glass. I held back my desire to pour sugar syrup.
Sugar is a very expensive item. Very very expensive.
'People would laugh if they heard that your duchy who has to save sugar because it's expensive.'
She poured some sugar syrup into the tea and smiled.
"I'm thinking of naming the Mana Stone ice crystal. It's from the ice wall, so I thought a contradictory name would suit it."
It's branding, so it's definitely different from other low-cost mana seats.
Ice wall.
Levery had good ears. That thing comes out of this northern mountain range.
Ran continued.
"The Leader of the Upper has recognized its value, so she has come all the way to the North."
Yeah, the roads in the north are rough. Especially the way to the Lazian mansion on the ice wall.
Ran looked straight at Levery with her head up. Green and gold eyes faced each other.
"Trust is fundamental to success."
Levery looked at Ran without a word. As expected, this young Patriarch is unusual.
"What if you buy a million verats of trust in dealing with a Duchess?"
"Do you want a trust that doesn't weigh the theory?"
"If you think it's worth it, you can say you want to sign a contract. If not."
Ran shrugged her shoulders.
"The exit is over there."
Levery emptied the teacup. I felt refreshed when the sweet and warm tea went into my stomach.
Levery grinned as she put down her glass. Her beauty shone brightly.
'If she was a man, I'd use a beauty meter.'
But this isn't bad either.
"All right."
Levery said so and raised a finger.
"Please allow a one-year monopoly instead. Trust comes and goes."
She held back and nodded, saying, like Ran is right. "Okay, a year."
"Nice."
"That's nice."
The two women grinned face to face. Ran spoke in a light tone.
"Shall we talk about the specifics while we eat?"
"I really want to be with you."
Levery replied with a smile.
*******
Levery stayed at the Duchy of Lazia for a week. Of course, she went to the mine herself.
Ran also accompanied her.
Blaine led the Knights together. When she entered the cave, Levery exclaimed.
Ice crystal was everywhere. The huge mana stone stood in a hexagonal shape.
They filled the cave with reflections of candles, emitting reflective light, and reflecting it.
It was spectacular.
Levery admired the beauty and admired the shape.
"That's a lot of reserves."
"Yeah."
Ran nodded. I set the number of reserves to a huge amount.
She looked around the cave and came out smiling with a big smile.
"I hope we can start mining quickly before winter comes."
"I'm planning to."
Ran nodded.
'What a high-purity mana stone.'
Levery's head was spinning quickly already.
After writing the contract with a notary, Levery paid 10% of the down payment on the spot first.
"When I get back to the top, I'll send the other half and the rest in a month."
That's what Levery said and went back. Ran was exhausted after she went back.
"Oh, I'm really dying."
Ran stretched out on the sofa. Elizabeth, who brought in the documents, consoled Ran.
"Thank you for your hard work. Lord."
'Yes, I did a great job.'
Ran reached out and pulled the papers on the desk, saying so. Even though she brought the documents, Elizabeth said nervous.
"Wouldn't it be better for you to take a little break?"
"But it's urgent, didn't you bring it yourself?"
While muttering, Ran pulled herself up, saying, "Huh?"
"Nosebleed..."
She touched what was under her nose with her hands. There was just a blood trickling out.
"Lord!!"
Surprised, Elizabeth shouted, and Ross, who was standing, rushed to call the therapist.
'It's my first time having a nosebleed.'
Thinking so, Ran felt her vision twinkling as she lifted herself up.
"Lord!"
A screaming voice was heard, and Ran lost her mind.