Chapter 68

"True!"

"But there's no one around you either, Rozelia."

"…I'm a kid. There's nobody my age here."

For some reason, saying it stung a little.

In the end, the two of them lapsed into silence, then started laughing softly, and silently agreed they were probably better off back in their seats.

---

After spending a long while talking with Lady Bilson and watching the partygoers cluster off in their own groups, Iberin made her way back.

She'd been keeping an eye on the empty space around Lyssel for some time.

It had been nagging at her enough that she'd hurried to wrap up the conversation.

"Lyssel."

"Did the conversation wrap up?"

"Yes. Want to come down and greet some people too?"

"I'm all right. If you came up because of me, you can go enjoy yourself a bit more."

"I'd rather be with you, Lyssel."

But then it happened.

Ether, who'd been quietly holding his post, stepped out in front of her.

Iberin assumed he must've been bored too and reached to pull him into her lap, but the boy stuck out his hand first and said,

"Would you dance with me?"

"…You're asking for a dance?"

"Yes. I practiced a lot so I could dance with you, Mommy."

So that was why he kept whispering with Pons every day — the boy had been learning to dance.

Iberin happily took his hand.

"H-hold on!"

Lyssel and Rozelia stared at Ether in dismay.

Ether just grinned and stuck his tongue out.

"Let's go!"

The moment Ether and Iberin stepped onto the dance floor, every eye in the room found them.

The stares weren't any easier on her, but Ether — putting on a brave face — held her hand and tipped his chin up boldly.

"Now that I think about it — your first dance is with me, isn't it?"

Iberin said, matching her steps to the lively tune.

"Yes."

"That's an honor."

"It's more of an honor for me."

He'd clearly thrown himself into the lessons; his movements flowed beautifully, even if his small body couldn't quite keep up.

His footwork was so adorable that even the nobles deep in gossip turned to watch.

When the song ended and they came back, Rozel, Kal, and Lyssel were lined up waiting.

---

Four dances back to back left her a little winded.

She wouldn't have managed it before, but with her health restored, this much was fine.

She did still tire easily, so it took some effort.

Anyway, it looked like the guests had had enough of a good time.

Standing around for hours was wearing, and dinner was coming up — people would start filtering out of the hall soon.

This was the moment.

Iberin and Lyssel caught each other's eyes.

Lyssel gave a small nod and stood, taking his place at the front of the dais again.

The music shifted, and every gaze swung to him.

"I hope you've all enjoyed yourselves. We did what we could in preparation, so I'd be glad if you've had a good time."

A round of applause answered him.

"The party will continue, but before dinner I want to address the small miracle I mentioned in the invitations."

The moment everyone had been waiting for.

Lady Bilson, in particular, had her eyes shining like she genuinely couldn't stand the suspense.

Iberin rose too and stepped forward, and Lyssel quietly opened the jewelry case in his hands.

Light bright enough to blind everyone in the hall flooded out.

"Aaah!"

Startled, nobles cried out and dropped to their seats — but nothing happened, just the searing light pouring out.

What's going on?

The guests buzzed.

A moment later, when the blinding light receded, what remained in Lyssel's hand was a gemstone.

A few of them still looked at it with an expression of what is that, but most recognized it for what it was.

"Ijet!"

The shouted word landed like a thunderclap, and every guest drew a sharp breath.

Lyssel, still calm-faced, lifted the necklace and looped it around the back of Iberin's neck.

His long fingers brushed her skin,

and the moment the cool gem settled against her, she couldn't help the small twitch of her shoulders.

The feel of her hair being swept aside was strange.

"Done."

"Thank you."

Lyssel pulled his hands back, and Iberin smiled brightly as she swept her eyes over the assembled nobles.

"…I-ijet…"

The nobles couldn't even breathe — they could only stare, dazed.

---

Ijet had revealed itself.

The Imperial Family owned it, but apart from one special day a year, it was never used, never displayed.

If even the Imperial Family treated it that carefully, the ducal houses didn't dare flaunt their ijet either; their pieces were treated as family heirlooms, passed down generation by generation.

And now Lecashe Grand Ducal Family had just put it on display.

"Hah…"

Most of the people here were seeing real ijet for the first time in their lives.

Every gaze was locked on the gem at Iberin's throat.

The light, bright enough to fill the entire vast hall, had every bit of the majesty that earned it the title divine stone.

So nobody knew what to do with themselves.

The faint-hearted nobles staggered and dropped into their seats as if they'd just come face to face with a god.

"You all seem to know what this is."

"…"

Everyone had gone mute — not a single answer came back.

"Is that ijet?"

One of the nobles, faster to recover than the rest, asked in a trembling voice.

"Yes."

"…A small miracle."

"That's right. I wrote that line to show you this."

The noble swayed like he might pass out from dizziness.

"That's not all."

"Sorry?"

"…There's a bit more of the raw mineral."

"Sorry?"

"And Lecashe intends to cut and sell it."

"…What?!?!"

The nobles cried out like they couldn't possibly be more shocked.

"S-sell? Ijet?"

Even Lady Bilson's voice had a quaver in it.

Nobody in this room could've imagined someone daring to say they'd sell ijet.

"The quantity won't be large, of course."

"Th-this isn't a question of quantity."

"Either way, it'll be sold to someone."

"M-me!"

The swaying Lady Bilson shot her hand straight into the air.

"Sell it to me! I think this is exactly why I took such a liking to Your Highness!"

"Pfft."

"S-something like this, even my father would forgive me — no, he'd praise me for coming to Lecashe without saying a word!"

Lady Bilson stamped her feet, forgetting all noble decorum.

The other nobles, who'd been gauging the room, started edging forward to plant a foot in the door themselves.

"Is there some sort of standard for the sale?"

"…A standard, you say. I'd like the buyers to be people who, ideally, will benefit our territory. And I'll be setting that standard from among the nobles attending this party."

The nobles at this very party!

"Oh, by the gods…"

One noble pressed his hands together and let out a long, fervent sigh.

That meant any of them could be included.

The nobles patted themselves on the back for their own curiosity, beside themselves.

Watching nobles getting worked up like the ijet was practically already in their hands, Lyssel quietly drew Iberin back a step.

"I won't be deciding the buyers right this moment, so please calm yourselves and enjoy the party."

A clean stake in the ground.

---

With that last word, Iberin and Lyssel left their places.

The remaining nobles spent a long time talking about the ijet, then turned their thoughts to how exactly they were going to win Lecashe's favor.

Someone who will benefit the territory.

If Lecashe had been a developed place, the criteria might've been narrower — but with nothing here yet, the phrase was wide open in every direction.

The nobles' minds churned.

About thirty nobles in the room.

For a party hosted by a Grand Duke or duke-rank house, that was an extraordinarily small turnout.

How much ijet there actually was, nobody knew, but they assumed it couldn't be a lot.

Maybe two or three out of thirty would get their hands on a piece.

In terms of odds, that was actually pretty good.

Better than one in a hundred, anyway.

"Ahem!"

A count — the next-highest rank in the room after Lady Bilson — cleared his throat loudly and excused himself first.

"I think I've overstayed — I'm a touch tired. I'll head back and rest."

That was the polite version of I'm going home to figure out how to win the Grand Ducal couple's favor.

One by one, the other nobles drifted out of the hall after him.

It was around dinner time anyway.

Lady Bilson was one of them.

She vowed to herself she'd pull every resource her house had behind her and get her hands on that ijet, no matter what.

It was something money couldn't buy at any price — staking everything she had felt cheap by comparison.

---

She could feel the rustle of the nobles behind her as she walked away.

"Hweeeh."

The moment Iberin cleared the door, she let out a strange, drawn-out sigh and slumped against Lyssel's arm.

"All right?"

Lyssel looked her over and asked. He could tell it wasn't pain so much as the strain of the moment finally letting go, so he patted the hand clutching his arm.

"I almost died from the nerves."

"You looked spectacular for someone that nervous."

"Same goes for you."

Rotte and Pons had appeared from somewhere and were in their own flurry.

"What happens now, I wonder."

"They'll be agonizing over what to bring and how to pitch themselves."

Based on the mood as they'd left, nobody was likely to say it's Lecashe, I refuse to bow.

"Well — this'll be fun."

The maneuvering ahead actually had her looking forward to it.

"I liked Lady Bilson, you know. She seemed solid. I'm curious what she'll bring."

It had only been a brief chat, but she hadn't seemed like any ordinary marquis's daughter.

It felt like she'd show up with something nobody could've imagined.

"Even so, looking into her reputation would be wise."

"Oh — right. That matters too."

Iberin agreed with Lyssel.

Whether they'd come with good intentions or bad, these were people who'd shown up for the party.

She'd prefer the ijet went to those who'd come with the good intentions, ideally.

"More importantly — you must all be hungry?"

"The meal is ready."

"I'm so excited for tonight. The ijet was one thing, but I really want to see how they take to the eggs and the Cheongyangs."

Iberin's face lit up with anticipation.

Maybe because they were foods she loved herself, she really wanted to see them spread.

"When I was talking with Lady Bilson earlier, I think she'd take to them."

And as Lady Bilson had said, if she could just chip away at the prejudice against ingredients grown on Lecashe land, they'd sell one way or another — that thought kept her hopeful.

---

The next day.

The party had wrapped up.

The nobles came by one after another to make their final farewells.

"Thank you for inviting me — I had a wonderful time."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"…And, well, about the ijet."