4. Zahid Dyfenril

The carriage, powered by an accelerated magic stone, sped down the road.

“I’ve taken care of everything as you instructed.”

Shulva handed me a report as he spoke.

“And I submitted my resignation to Julian.”

“Did my brother take it quietly?”

“I already have a new job lined up, so what choice does he have?”

A faint smile played on Shulva’s lips.

“And when I told him we should go back to just being friends, he was thrilled.”

Hearing that, I couldn’t help but grin.

My brother, Shulva, and his attending physician, Peter, had been friends since their time in the countryside.

So, naturally, a friendship-based relationship would be more comfortable than an employer-employee one.

“Well, in any case… I’m sure everything will go just the way you want.”

Shulva smiled faintly.

I responded with absolute confidence.

“Of course. Starting today, I’m going to be Zahid’s fiancée.”

Meanwhile, beside me, Ethan was furiously scribbling something down in his small notebook.

AM 9:00 – Departed. Rosie is overconfident about becoming a fiancée. One successful investment and she thinks the world is easy.

As he wrote, Shulva leaned in and whispered to me.

“He struck a deal with Julian earlier. He’s supposed to report everything that happens.”

“Oh, I heard about that too. So that’s why he’s recording everything by the minute.”

Ethan pushed up his glasses and continued writing.

AM 9:01 – Caught spying on Rosie and Shulva. However, not reprimanded. Will continue.

And just like that, he was caught within a minute.

It wasn’t even worth addressing since he posed no threat.

Finally, I’ll get to see him today.

The mere thought of how much Zahid must be suffering right now already made my heart ache.

After traveling for a while, we stopped once for a meal, then made a detour to a flower shop to buy a large bouquet.

And finally, when the carriage arrived at Dyfenril’s ducal estate—

“Ah, you must be Lady Rosie Noart?”

An elderly butler greeted us.

“We received your letter in advance. It must have been quite the journey for you. There was no need for you to come all this way.”

His polite tone couldn’t fully hide his discomfort.

“Would you mind waiting for a moment? As you may know, there’s a meeting today to determine the duke’s fiancée, and Lady Elizabeth is currently attending it.”

As he led us inside, he continued speaking.

“The young master… is quite unwell, so he won’t be able to receive guests personally.”

With a sharp motion, Ethan pulled out his notebook and began furiously writing.

PM 2:23 – Butler is desperate to kick us out but can’t because we’re from the Noart Count Family. The young duke is hidden away somewhere and isn’t even being shown.

He pressed down so hard on the paper that the butler managed to catch a glimpse of what he was writing.

The butler cleared his throat and spoke with forced courtesy.

“The meeting should be over soon. Lady Elizabeth, who is currently managing the estate, will greet you personally.”

“Oh, is that so?”

I replied casually, still holding the oversized bouquet.

“Then I’d like to wait in front of the meeting room.”

“Pardon? It would be improper to leave a guest standing—”

“Ah, I see. Then I’ll sit in front of the meeting room. I don’t mind the floor, but if you bring me a chair, I won’t refuse.”

“No, what I mean is—”

“Oh? Then I’ll go see if there’s a place to sit in front of the meeting room and decide from there.”

“…Well, since the parlor is along the way, we’ll pass by the meeting room regardless. I suppose we can go that route.”

As our conversation continued, Ethan buried his nose in his notebook, scribbling away.

PM 2:24 – Rosie used her signature move, ‘Pretending Not to Understand,’ to maneuver her way to the meeting room.

And then, just as we arrived at the meeting hall—

“Does this even make sense? Huh?! Who the hell are you people?! HUH?!”

A sharp, furious scream echoed down the hallway.

“What?! Rosie Noart?! All of a sudden… suddenly, Rosie Noart?! Who the hell are you?! What the hell is going on?!”

What do you mean, ‘what’s going on’?

It’s called majority vote.

I strode forward and flung open the meeting room doors.

PM 2:35 – Rosie attempted a dramatic entrance by forcefully throwing open the doors. However, she lacked the strength.

Managed only to create a small enough gap to squeeze through. Shulva had to open the door for her.

She was clearly trying to look cool but just ended up looking pathetic, struggling with the door.

As I stepped inside, I was met with the sight of Elizabeth’s twitching face, twisted with rage, and the elders of the Senate, who remained completely unfazed.

“Good afternoon, I’m Rosie Noart.”

I walked up and greeted them politely.

“I accidentally overheard a bit just now. So, I just became Zahid’s fiancée, correct?”

PM 2:36 – Rosie, after eavesdropping on purpose, suddenly started showing off.

Elizabeth shot to her feet and shrieked.

“How much did they pay you?! Huh?! How much did the Noart Count Family pay you?! How much did they give you to pull this?!”

I let out an inward smirk.

Much, much more than what they paid you.

If the entire Senate had been bought, the answer was simple.

If I simply bought them at a higher price, that would solve everything.

Especially now that the price of magic stones had skyrocketed—meaning I had an absurd amount of money.

That’s why I had already taken care of everything through Shulva.

The method was straightforward.

I just offered exactly one hundred times the amount Elizabeth had bribed them with.

Bribes are best countered with bigger bribes.

The Senate members all assumed it was Count Noart pulling the strings behind me.

And when the wealthiest man on the continent suddenly threw down an overwhelming amount of money, there was no reason for them to refuse.

Elizabeth, overcome with fury, stormed toward me.

“You! What the hell are you?! Just what do you think you’re doing?!”

“I’m Rosie Noart.” I answered politely. “As for what I am… well, I suppose I’m a child growing up very loved.”

As I responded in a composed manner, Shulva stepped forward.

“Good afternoon, Countess Sonoren. I’m not sure if you have the luxury of standing here right now.”

“What the hell are you talking about?!” Elizabeth snapped.

Without answering, Shulva reached into his bag and pulled out a newspaper.

It was from a few days ago. He opened it to page 17 and handed it to Elizabeth.

“Do you see who’s in the background of this photo?”

Elizabeth snatched the paper out of his hands.

The moment she laid eyes on it, her face contorted, and she shrieked.

“What the hell—?!”

The photo captured a bustling public square. And in the corner—

Clear as day—

Was her husband, arm-in-arm with her friend.

Their gazes locked onto each other. Practically clinging to one another.

“You… You absolute pieces of—”

As Elizabeth spat curses, Shulva responded coldly.

“So, Count Sonoren sent you to Dyfenril under the pretense of a major political maneuver… but really, he had his own plans.”

Elizabeth Sonoren.

She had left Dyfenril behind when she married Count Sonoren.

And per my instructions, Shulva had been digging into him.

“All that money you funneled to Sonoren ended up funding your husband’s dates, huh?”

“You bastard!”

Elizabeth turned on her heel and bolted from the room.

PM 2:40 – Successfully kicked out a deeply unpleasant woman.

Also, the way bribes and infidelity were used in this operation felt exactly like something Julian would’ve done.

A heavy silence fell over the meeting room.

I beamed and bowed slightly.

“Thank you for selecting me as Zahid’s fiancée. I look forward to working with you.”

The Senate members smiled and applauded.

Not that I believed for a second they were genuinely congratulating me.

These were the kind of people who would sell Zahid off again the moment someone offered a better deal.

They’re not even worth engaging with. Zahid will handle them soon enough.

After making just enough of a show of decorum, I turned to the butler.

“Well then, may I go see Zahid now? I did come all this way—I should at least see my fiancé’s face before I leave.”

PM 2:42 – Rosie is now hellbent on fulfilling today’s mission.

Why is she so obsessed with his face? How the hell was she raised?

Anyway, as Julian wanted, I’ll personally check if he’s ‘just photogenic’ or not.

“But… Young Master Zahid is very ill…”

“Oh my, but I am Zahid’s fiancée.”

I ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ cut him off crisply.

“And as far as I know, Dyfenril tradition grants fiancées near-equal authority to direct bloodline members during emergencies.”

“…This way, please. The duke is in his chambers.”

And so, we followed the butler down a long hallway.

Finally, he opened an ornate, yet eerily somber door.

PM 2:45 – Julian should give up hope now.

Damn it, who the hell took that photo?

He’s insanely good-looking in real life.

PM 2:46 – Wow. No matter how many times I look at him—he’s ridiculously hot.

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