My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 136

§ 136 – Princess Elena (1)

Across from Cyan, a voice echoed.

He turned to see a woman sitting gracefully.

Her golden hair shone like sunlight.

Her elegance and poise were palpable.

“It’s been a while, Princess.”

Elena, the princess of the Empire.

At Cyan’s greeting, Elena gave a slight nod.

She then picked up a teacup from the table.

As her dark eyelashes lowered, the subtle fragrance of tea filled the air.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen you since I was… ‘escorted’ out of the territory. Has it been almost three months?”

Elena smiled brightly at Cyan.

Perhaps it was the contrast between her radiant smile and her cool demeanor.

The contrasting atmosphere was quite enchanting and charming.

A sight that would make any man’s heart flutter.

“……”

However, Cyan couldn’t bring himself to feel that way.

He spoke, trying to mask his true feelings.

“Anyone who heard that would think I actually chased the Princess away.”

“Oh my, wasn’t that the case?”

Elena asked, feigning surprise.

As if genuinely unaware, she widened her eyes and looked at Cyan.

“……”

Cyan was momentarily speechless at Elena’s reaction.

Back then, Elena had visited Ruben.

But there was trouble between Leah and Elena, and of course…

To be precise, it was Leah’s one-sided nagging… well, anyway.

Even the Royal Knights and Ruben’s soldiers had clashed.

He had told Elena, who was causing trouble all day, to leave Ruben.

Of course, Elena hadn’t directly caused the trouble.

As a result, Cyan had, in effect, sent away Elena, a member of the Imperial Family.

But.

“You’re mistaken. How could I possibly chase away the Princess?”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t Cyan who had forced her departure.

Elena had left of her own accord.

At Cyan’s excuse, Elena nodded lightly.

She didn’t offer any objections or rebuttals.

She simply brought the teacup to her lips and sipped.

“I see.”

And that was it.

‘……Damn it.’

Cyan muttered inwardly at Elena’s reaction.

“You’ve seemed uncomfortable since earlier… Are you perhaps unhappy with the seating arrangement?”

Was she even being serious?

It wasn’t just uncomfortable; it felt like sitting on thorns.

How could he be comfortable reuniting with someone he had embarrassed!

Especially when that person was a member of the Imperial Family.

He really wanted to get up and leave right now.

But he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

‘To unlock the perk and provide a place for the Dark Elves to live…’

Now that he had accepted the Dark Elves as residents of his territory.

He needed to expand the territory and build houses for them.

Food, clothing, drinks, and so on.

Even with a rough calculation, it would easily cost millions of gold.

But the money he currently had was…

[Current Gold Holdings] – 82,000G

82,000 gold.

Cyan forced a smile and opened his mouth.

“It’s not that I’m uncomfortable with the Princess’s presence. However, my body hasn’t fully recovered yet…”

“Ah…”

Elena let out a small exclamation.

She lightly put down the teacup.

“I heard you did something big this time.”

The incident that had turned the entire northern region of the Empire upside down.

Of course, not many people knew about it yet, as even within the Imperial Palace, they were keeping it quiet.

Only the high-ranking nobles of the Imperial Palace knew about it.

But the Princess was more than qualified to be among those high-ranking nobles.

That’s why Elena knew.

What had happened in the north.

What impact that event had on the Empire.

And what would have happened to the Empire if Cyan hadn’t been there.

A new star of the Empire.

Currently, there were even talks like this going around.

“His Majesty seems to be showing great interest in you, Duke.”

Elena quietly observed Cyan.

He seemed somewhat dim-witted.

He didn’t look like the person who had resolved the incident in the north at all.

The Scoundrel of the Marquis family.

A useless good-for-nothing.

These were the rumors surrounding Cyan.

But the reality was completely different.

He was not only favored by the Crown Prince, Conrad.

But now, he was even receiving attention from the Emperor, Valuaga.

Had there ever been such a noble before?

Elena immediately shook her head.

Let’s just say that the Crown Prince’s favor was understandable.

But the Emperor’s interest was on a different level.

The Emperor rarely showed interest in anyone.

At least, that’s how the Emperor had been in Elena’s observation.

Of course, he was interested in and well aware of the major and minor affairs of the Empire.

And the circumstances of numerous noble families.

But that was only as part of his duties as Emperor.

There were hardly any beings that he had ‘personal’ interest in.

Perhaps… it was the first time.

Even Kai Elandur and Panat Lorschild, who were called the stars of the Empire.

The Emperor didn’t have ‘personal’ interest in those two either.

Cyan had an audience with the Emperor.

What did the Emperor see in Cyan?

Elena looked at Cyan and slowly opened her mouth.

“There’s something I’d like to ask you, Duke.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“I heard that you volunteered for punishment for the sake of the Dark Elf Forest Keeper.”

“That’s right.”

“May I ask why you did that?”

At Elena’s question, Cyan tilted his head.

He wasn’t sure what Elena was getting at.

Perhaps sensing Cyan’s confusion.

Elena continued.

“The Dark Elf Forest Keeper has committed an unforgivable sin against many people, especially the people of the northern Empire.”

“It wasn’t Asrandiz who committed the act.”

“It was his son who committed the act. And if it hadn’t happened, if it weren’t for you, the Forest Keeper would probably be…”

Elena didn’t finish her sentence.

But Cyan knew what that unfinished word was.

“But it didn’t happen, did it?”

“Nevertheless, the Northerners’ hatred for the Dark Elves remains unchanged.”

And whatever the case may be.

From the Northerners’ perspective, the Dark Elves were no different from the mortal enemies who had killed their families.

The Northerners shuddered at the mention of Dark Elves.

And the Empire, representing those Northerners.

From the Empire’s perspective, the Dark Elves were criminals.

“What is the reason why you stood up for the Dark Elves despite that?”

Cyan looked at Elena for a moment.

Her eyelashes were calmly lowered.

The clear eyes shining through them were solely focused on Cyan.

“Are you asking if I really needed to embrace the sins of the Dark Elves?”

“To be honest… yes.”

Elena’s gaze, which had been fixed on Cyan, shifted slightly downward.

She didn’t show any particular expression.

But the emotion in Elena’s eyes.

There was a clear rebuke and doubt in it.

A hint of rebuke for why he had protected them.

Doubt about why he would embrace them and incur the resentment of the Empire’s citizens.

Well, it was understandable from Elena’s point of view.

And Elena’s thoughts weren’t wrong either.

Even Conrad was quite surprised and expressed concern.

The reason why he accepted the Dark Elves despite that was…

Well.

I don’t know.

“Because they were similar to me.”

I wanted to keep it at this for now.

Elena slowly raised her gaze.

There was a clear question in her clear eyes.

“Similar to you…?”

As expected, Elena asked suspiciously.

Cyan gave a small smile instead of answering.

Then, he took out something small from his inventory.

“What does this look like?”

Elena looked at what Cyan was holding out.

A round, golden coin.

“A gold coin… isn’t it?”

Cyan nodded slightly.

“That’s right. Then, do you also know how much value this one gold coin has?”

Elena’s elegant eyebrows twitched slightly.

Could she possibly be that ignorant?

Even though she was a princess who lived without worrying about money, she knew that much.

“It has a value of 1 gold. To be exact, I can say that it has the value of a normal family of four’s daily living expenses.”

Cyan seemed slightly surprised at Elena’s answer.

He hadn’t expected Elena to know this much detail.

Most nobles don’t truly understand the value of gold coins.

To be exact, they don’t know how much value it holds for ordinary people.

Because they don’t have any reason to care about commoners.

If you ask 10 nobles, 8 of them would be like that.

But even more so if it’s a princess…

Elena, who seemed to genuinely embrace her duty as a princess.

Honestly, he had thought it was a bit naive and just a facade.

It seemed like Cyan had underestimated Elena.

Cyan nodded slightly and leaned his body slightly forward.

He wondered what he was doing for a moment.

Cyan stuck the gold coin into the cake on the table and took it out.

A gold coin covered in thick whipped cream.

“Then, how much value do you think this has?”

“Well, it’s still 1 gold.”

Elena answered immediately, as if stating the obvious.

“The gold coin is stained with whipped cream.”

“You can just wipe it off.”

“I see.”

Cyan nodded once again.

And this time, crunch!

He folded the gold coin in half.

Elena’s eyes widened.

Cyan calmly continued his question.

“Then, how much value do you think this has?”

Elena looked at Cyan without saying a word.

To be exact, she looked at the gold coin that Cyan had folded.

The gold coin folded like a piece of paper.

Elena paused for a moment before answering.

“……It’s still 1 gold.”

“It’s folded in half and can no longer be called a gold coin.”

“You can unfold it again. You folded it with your bare hands, so you can unfold it again, can’t you?”

“Haha…”

Cyan unfolded the folded gold coin with an awkward laugh.

Then, the gold coin regained its original shape.

But only for a moment.

Tsutsutsutsu…

Soon, black energy rose from the gold coin, and it crumbled!

The gold coin lost its shape and turned into gold dust in an instant.

“……!”

Elena’s eyes widened even more than before.

Elena didn’t know much about Aura [a life energy or magical power].

But what Cyan had just done.

She could tell right away that this was not an easy task.

Even if she didn’t know, the Royal Knights patrolling outside on the terrace…

If she told them to do it, 4 out of 10 wouldn’t be able to do it.

Aura manipulation skills superior to the Royal Knights.

“Then, how much value do you think this has?”

But Cyan was just calmly asking.

Elena stared at Cyan quietly before opening her mouth.

“……It’s still 1 gold.”

“Now, there isn’t even the form of a gold coin.”

“The form is gone, but the gold inside remains. The value of the gold dust is still 1 gold. What exactly are you trying to say?”

Elena frowned slightly as she spoke.

Cyan then gave a small smile.

“I’ve played all sorts of tricks on this gold coin. I smeared it with whipped cream, folded it in half to deform it, and even used Aura [a life energy or magical power] to crush it so that you couldn’t even recognize it as a gold coin.”

Cyan calmly lowered his gaze.

The golden dust piled on his palm.

It could no longer be seen as a gold coin.

“Yet, you said, Your Highness, that this gold coin is still worth 1 gold.”

Cyan’s gaze then returned to Elena.

“So, why is that?”

Cyan continued.

“Even this mere gold coin doesn’t lose its value despite all the tricks played on it. Why do you think people lose their value?”

Elena’s eyes widened again.

And this was a different kind of surprise than before.

“Do you believe that Dark Elves shouldn’t live because they can be tainted by dark mana and madness at any time? Do you think a person’s value disappears for such a reason?”

Cyan’s words struck her like a bolt.

“Even this mere gold coin has unchanging value.”

Her body froze stiff.

Her mind went blank, and Elena couldn’t say a word.

The gold dust piled on Cyan’s palm.

The gold dust that had lost the form of a gold coin.

But if you were to ask the value of this gold dust, it would still be 1 gold.

Because you can collect the gold dust, melt it down, and make it into a gold coin again.

Then it would become a gold coin with the same value of 1 gold.

Even if it’s smeared with whipped cream.

Even if it’s folded in half.

Even if its form is completely crushed.

No matter who plays all sorts of tricks on it.

This gold coin is still 1 gold.

“You asked me why I embraced the sins of the Dark Elves.”

Cyan slowly continued.

“You can commit a sin in a moment of mistake. You can be frustrated by an insurmountable wall. You can despair over something that can’t be done. Maybe… there are times when you want to end your life. But.”

Maybe because they looked similar to me.

Back in the family.

Young Cyan’s memories were only of contempt and oppression.

He was despised by the family for his miserable talent.

He had been oppressed by his status as a bastard.

That’s why I couldn’t move forward.

I thought I shouldn’t.

A good-for-nothing and incompetent bum of the Marquis family.

So, I can’t do it.

A guy like me doesn’t deserve to move forward.

There was a time when I thought that way.

But Cyan was able to realize.

Cyan was able to know through the many things he had experienced.

No matter what tricks and defilements there are.

No matter what anyone says.

“The essential value of a person is not damaged.”

Just like the value of this gold coin is not damaged.

So.

“You just need to get up again. And dust off the dirt on your body and move on again.”

But the person in question can’t think that way.

They are just tormented by guilt about themselves.

So, I wanted to let them know.

To Asrandiz.

To the Dark Elves.

Just.

“That’s all.”

Cyan carefully put the gold dust piled on his palm into his inventory.

And.

“······”

Elena still couldn’t say anything.

She had nothing to say.

No words came to mind.

Her mind went blank.

No thoughts come to mind.

Different…

The nobles of the Empire that Elena had seen.

The many lords Elena had faced.

He was different from them.

Too different.

The vessel that embraces people itself is too… different.

There was no pretense at all.

Words from the heart.

It was a vessel that could not be thought of as a mere lord of a territory.

He was not even thought of as a young master from a noble family.

This… this is truly…

That’s why Elena could understand at once.

Why Conrad cherishes Cyan so much.

And why the Emperor is interested in Cyan.

Elena stared blankly at Cyan’s face for a while.

And Cyan met Elena’s gaze.

‘Why is she like that?’

Cyan wondered what was going on.

After asking a question, Elena’s expression suddenly shifted.

Like she had been hit hard with a hammer.

‘Come to think of it, Her Highness also acted like that at the banquet hall last time.’

Are siblings siblings after all?

‘They only resemble each other in strange ways.’

I hope Charlotte wasn’t like that too?

Cyan just shrugged his shoulders once.

How much time had passed?

Elena seemed to have come to her senses as her eyes returned to focus.

But somehow, the eyes looking at Cyan were shining intensely.

‘This… could it be.’

Just as he was thinking that.

Elena slowly opened her mouth.

“If it’s not a bother, could I ask you for a favor?”

“If it’s about marrying me, I’ll refuse in advance.”

Cyan answered immediately.

“······”

Elena was momentarily speechless.

Of course, she had thought about marrying Cyan.

A person cherished by the Crown Prince and personally interested by the Emperor.

In addition, Elena was able to solidify that thought from Cyan’s appearance just now.

So maybe…

If it were the usual Elena, she would have brought up the marriage story right away.

But not this time.

Because her brother… that is, Conrad, told her never to do that.

If you’re in your right mind, never do that.

And Conrad advised her about the affection between men and women.

It is important to slowly build a relationship and build friendship first.

Conrad had advised so.

That’s why I wasn’t going to bring up the marriage story out of the blue this time.

“Could it be… was it really a request to get married?”

But what is this now…

Elena was speechless once again at Cyan’s absurd expression.

Is this what it means to be rejected without even confessing?

Well, considering the appearance he showed in the past, it could be…

But still!

“······”

A dazed expression.

And this time, a strange feeling for some reason.

Elena opened her mouth without realizing it.

“Why? Everyone wants to marry me. Everyone has stepped down due to my brother and His Majesty’s opposition.”

“I think we’ve only met twice now.”

“Does it matter how many times we’ve met to get married?”

Doesn’t it matter?

Cyan hadn’t been married yet, but he still knew this much.

‘But didn’t we have this conversation last time?’

I think so.

‘Anyway….’

Cyan shook his head inwardly.

“Anyway, I’ll refuse any marriage stories in advance. Anything other than that is fine.”

“Okay. Then I won’t ask you to marry me.”

Elena said with a small sigh.

“Can I visit your territory?”

“No.”

“Aren’t you being too firm?”

This was such a sharp answer.

Isn’t this the extent to which you haven’t even thought about it!

Elena was speechless once again.

No, to be honest, what is the reason for refusing?

It’s not like I’m suddenly asking you to marry me.

It was just a request to visit the territory.

To be more honest, shouldn’t it be welcomed if the princess is going to visit?

“Absolutely not.”

But what is the reason for refusing like this?

Elena’s expression went blank.

Cyan shook his head without a shred of doubt.

That’s because.

‘Ruben is going to be a mess again!’

If Elena comes to Ruben, the terrible situation was obvious!

First of all, Leah wouldn’t leave Elena alone.

Leah is the leader of Arnaise’s Charlotte’s younger sister.

Elena, a descendant of Charlotte, could also be said to be a distant descendant of Leah.

And based on past experience.

Leah doesn’t like Elena as much as Aria, the saint.

It was obvious that she would be nagging Elena.

The Royal Knights, who couldn’t stand to see that, would step in again.

In the end, there would be a fight with Leah.

It was clear that it would be a mess.

In the process, Leah would be nagging me every day to kick Elena out.

‘Absolutely not.’

Just thinking about it made my head throb.

And not only that.

The princess is the noblest being in the Empire.

She is also the princess whom the Crown Prince and the Emperor cherish so much.

Such a woman roams the territory of Ruben?

Even if I don’t know, all the territory residents will be very nervous.

They would not be able to do their jobs properly and would be uncomfortable every moment.

The territory may stop operating for a while.

Then the gold earned may stop as much.

So, I have to stop it.

I don’t know why Elena is trying to come to Ruben, but I had to stop her from coming to Ruben.

“You can at least think about it.”

“Hmm….”

Cyan paused for a moment.

And.

“No.”

“Really….”

Elena said, raising her eyes.

“You said you would grant me any other request other than marriage?”

“I’ll correct it. Marriage and coming to the territory. Anything other than those two.”

“I want to eat the sweets I ate last time. I keep thinking about the taste of those sweets, and I can’t eat the food at the Imperial Palace.”

“As soon as I return to Ruben, we will make the sweets and deliver them quickly with a special express carriage.”

“The freshly baked sweets are the most delicious.”

“We have an excellent magic scholar named Jerry in our territory. He is currently researching heat preservation tableware, but we will send it to you first as soon as the research is completed.”

Elena pursed her lips.

Then she stared at Cyan silently.

She didn’t show any other expression.

However, Cyan couldn’t shake the feeling that Elena was angry.

A moment of silence.

“Then I have no choice.”

Elena shook her head as if she had no choice.

Cyan sighed in relief inwardly.

‘I think you’re feeling a little upset….’

But I couldn’t help it.

If Elena comes to Ruben, it won’t be just a matter of feeling upset.

Even if I get a little hate, it’s better to end it here─.

“20 million gold.”

Elena’s voice suddenly came.

“I was going to persuade His Majesty well and give you 20 million gold as compensation for this… but I have no choice.”

Stunned.

Cyan’s thoughts stopped.

And at the same time.

Ting!

《That, that, that woman is crazy!!!!!》

The notification window of the Mobile Lord, which was going crazy, popped up.