Chapter 50 - Number of Battlefields
"Dahlia, are you okay?"
"Do I look worrying?”
"Three parts exhaustion, four parts confusion, and three parts trying to maintain a composed face, perhaps. You probably haven't been through enough battlefields yet."
Gabriella’s voice caught Dahlia in the hallway, causing her to laugh despite herself.
When this woman said it with such a graceful smile, Dahlia couldn't help but agree.
"Do you have some time? There’s something I’d like to confirm."
At Gabriella’s words, Dahlia moved to the office. As soon as she sat down, a warm cup of tea was brought to her.
"I was a little surprised when you agreed so readily to what we discussed earlier. I thought you were done dealing with Orland & Co.”
"There’s a material called 'fairy crystals,' and to my knowledge, Orland & Co. is the only one that has them. I think other major trading companies that deal with nobles might have it, but I don’t have any connections with them yet. I urgently needed at least one of them..."
Dahlia realized she might have become too fixated on the fairy crystals, possibly becoming blind to other considerations.
Reflecting on that, she explained to the woman before her.
"So that’s it. If it were me, I would have taken the money, shut down the rumors, and demanded Tobias be sent out of the royal capital. But Dahlia, you accepted it all, turning it into a 'favor.' I didn’t stop you because it might be more interesting that way."
"Uhm, what do you mean by interesting?"
"Now you can ask for a mountain of difficult materials over the next three years. They’ll be prioritized at the cost price."
"Oh, I see."
"He said that without specifying the type or quantity, so I’m sure Ireneo is prepared for what’s coming."
"Oh..."
Dahlia now realized how impulsively she had acted without considering the consequences. While she might have been fine as a magical toolmaker, she had been far too careless as a company head.
"Well, the rumors can spread, but let’s see who's words carry more weight—theirs, or our guild members’ who already spread the word."
"Gabriella..."
"I’ll make it clear, Dahlia, I’m not doing it for you. If our guild members are exploited, it's only natural for the guild to properly disclose the facts. That responsibility will fall on Tobias, not Ireneo, and it doesn’t involve you."
That was certainly outside Dahlia’s jurisdiction. She felt at a loss for words, unable to express what she might want to say.
"Then... over the next three years, you can aim to put Orlando & Co. under your thumb.”
"Please stop joking, Gabriella."
Finally, Dahlia spoke, and the woman before her simply smiled with eyes like a cat’s.
"I had forgotten about the broken engagement until today and just remembered it."
"That’s a good thing. But you handled the engagement annulment calmly. You did well."
"Did I? Oh, but I never slapped him or yelled at him, did I? I’m not sure how one is supposed to react to a broken engagement due to infidelity.”
Dahlia wasn’t even sure if there was such a thing as a "normal engagement annulment."
She had never heard of a "model engagement annulment" either.
"Well... If I were like you, Dahlia, and my fiancé broke the engagement due to infidelity, I think I’d cry a little while telling a mutual friend.”
"Right..."
She hadn’t cried, but she did go to Irma to vent, so Dahlia understood that well.
It wasn’t easy to bear things alone. Having someone to talk to was a relief.
"After that, I’d visit the neighborhood ladies who love gossip, hold back my tears as I seek their advice, and then let a few tears fall here and there. During this, I wouldn’t complain about the couple. Instead, I’d say things like, ‘I wasn’t good enough’ or ‘I loved him so much, and now I’m just sad.’ Word spreads quickly that way."
"I see..."
Indeed, gossip would spread about three times faster that way, and she would likely receive much sympathy.
"After that, I’d stay at home and enjoy dieting—skip meals, exercise, and avoid going out for a while. Once I’ve lost five or six kilograms, I’d step out with dark circles carefully drawn under my eyes. If colleagues or acquaintances ask me about the broken engagement, I’d respond with a restrained, ‘I’m fine.’ Repeat that enough, and the story spreads even further."
"...I see."
Those two methods could certainly spread rumors far and wide, albeit with a bit of a time lag.
At that point, it seemed less about gaining sympathy and more about the other party being blamed.
However, incorporating such an intense diet into the plan was undeniably an all-or-nothing approach.
"Then, after a little time has passed, I’ll thoroughly investigate the other person’s relatives, acquaintances, business associates, and even the lover’s connections. I'll make sure the rumors about the 'horrible broken engagement' and 'cheating' spread to those around them. Not by me, of course, but by people who sympathize and, by chance, talk about it in places like cafes, restaurants, barbershops, doctors' offices, shopping districts, and schools, saying things like, 'That’s terrible.' There are plenty of places for gossip to spread."
"Wow..."
The words escaped Dahlia in a strained voice.
It sounded like it would take a lot of effort and people to pull off, but it would certainly be a nightmare for the person on the receiving end.
She wanted to say that it would serve them right, but a small part of her felt some sympathy.
"If you go that far, I think it’ll damage the other person, unless they’re truly living in delusion."
"...What if they are living in delusion?"
"If they can’t stay where they are, they’ll probably run off together or even commit suicide. But once you’re sure they’ll never be in your sight again, you’ll feel much lighter."
"Is that so..."
"If you really loved someone, Dahlia, even a powerless woman would do something like this easily."
It wasn’t her usual graceful smile; it was a slightly shadowed, yet still beautiful smile.
A sharp, painful emotion crossed Gabriella’s blue eyes.
In that instant, Dahlia suspected that this might be Gabriella’s personal experience, but she silently drank her tea instead.
"Dahlia, how about a new romance?"
"I haven’t thought about it. But I’ve made a friend I can enjoy spending time with."
"...I’ve heard about the other person. Though it’s not something I can speak convincingly about, you should keep this in mind: Nobles are not suited for peaceful marriages. They’re good as lovers or patrons, though.”
"I considered what people might say, but I chose it myself. I just want to remain friends."
"I see. If it's your choice, I won’t say anything. But remember, if a nobleman falls seriously in love with you, it can get troublesome. They might use all their power and wealth... like this, for example."
On Gabriella's left hand was the simple engagement bracelet she always wore, with a gold band and a blue stone.
When she rolled up her sleeve, another bracelet appeared—one with a gold base and aquamarine stones surrounding it.
In the center, there was a diamond of remarkable size, shining with an almost terrifying brilliance.
Seeing it up close, Dahlia couldn’t tell exactly what was imbued in it, but she could clearly sense it had a powerful magical enchantment.
"That’s impressive...!"
"It apparently means I'm always watching you. The bracelet can roughly tell where I am, so I figured there was no escaping him."
Gabriella smiled wryly, but the magic in that bracelet was unsettling.
Dahlia was a little curious about the nature of the enchantment though.
"It looks expensive..."
"When I had it appraised, it was said to be about the same value as the mansion I live in now."
"Wow..."
Dahlia blurted out something unrefined, but Gabriella answered easily.
She had it appraised? And, how much is the house worth? Dahlia thought but couldn’t bring herself to ask.
Even if Gabriela answered, it might be even more intimidating.
"I'm sorry, could it be that this happened because my father introduced you... to the man?"
"Oh, I didn’t phrase it well. I’ve loved him for a long time, but we argued because I thought he didn’t trust me enough, wanting to know where I was all the time. Well, now I think his obsession is kind of cute."
"Obsession... cute?"
The always well-groomed, calm-faced Viscount Jedda, with his white beard.
With only that memory in mind, Dahlia just didn't think the word 'cute' fit him.
As if reading her thoughts, Gabriella smiled knowingly.
"Yes. It's probably the number of battlefields we've been through."
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