Estelle began to feel a strange discomfort as she watched the woman named Cazerose.
However, separating that emotion, she politely smiled and greeted her counterpart.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cazerose. I am truly glad to assist someone of noble blood from the royal family.”
“I feel the same. It’s quite a delight to meet the famous noble lady from the Rhapsody Region in this manner. I hope you will help me a lot from now on.”
Although the lingering unease was quite bothersome, it would be foolish to display such feelings here.
Her counterpart was a princess of the Dragona Empire, a being who bore the imperial bloodline.
She was in a position that could not be compared to Estelle, a mere noble from the outskirts of the Sacred Empire, and most importantly, this woman named Cazerose had been directly appointed by the emperor to oversee this task.
In other words, the success or failure of this matter largely depended on her cooperation.
Thus, Estelle realized that, regardless of her feelings, it was essential to cooperate with this woman before her. Moreover, given the clear superiority of her counterpart’s status, she had no choice but to maintain a humble attitude.
‘Though I don’t like her from the get-go… it’s wise to cooperate to the best of my ability. I can’t let my personal preferences mess up Mr. Santana’s plans.’
*
As the woman in front of her politely showed respect, Cazerose felt an unusual discomfort that wasn’t typical of her.
‘What is it?.. Why do I feel something uncomfortable when I look at this person?’
From her perspective, it was her first time meeting Estelle, and since they were approaching each other as collaborators right from the start, there was no real reason to feel uneasy.
However, at this moment, Cazerose couldn’t shake the feeling that the woman named Estelle did not sit well with her.
‘I’ve never felt this way before… I’ve never experienced innate repulsion towards someone without a reason…’
As a person of the cloth, Cazerose aimed to bestow kindness and love upon everyone, regardless of their status or appearance.
Even when facing sinners, she trained herself to hate the sin but not the sinner.
Yet… at this moment, she felt a negative emotion towards Estelle, who was far from being a sinner and whom she hardly knew apart from being a powerful figure from the Rhapsody Region.
It felt as if she encountered an ‘enemy’ linked to something she would not concede.
Cazerose pondered if this discomfort arose from her lack of spiritual cultivation and quietly started to calm her heart to rid herself of this nonsensical feeling.
‘Oh Lord… please cleanse this wicked emotion embedded in your servant’s heart…’
Quietly offering her prayers, Cazerose began to regain her composure.
After a moment, feeling slightly more at ease, she started to discuss the upcoming matters with Estelle.
From her perspective, they were irrelevant affairs related to the support from the Dragona Empire, of which she didn’t know the exact details.
Regardless, Cazerose was determined to fulfill Estelle’s requests as far as her responsibilities allowed.
This conclusion was simple.
Despite the discomfort caused by the woman before her, Cazerose was certain of one truth.
The baffling talk that had come out of Estelle’s mouth earlier was likely coming from…
Mr. Santana.
‘As far as I know, only Mr. Santana would conduct such a vague transaction in Bohemia and the Heretic Alliance. Therefore, my task is to ensure this transaction goes smoothly. And with that, get as close to him as possible…’
Unlike her days as a junior paladin, hiding her identity to dodge her mother’s eyes, Cazerose now found herself in a situation where her status no longer needed to be concealed.
Ultimately, she strongly wished not to harm the man she loved because of the difference in their statuses.
‘At this point, keeping it hidden would be pointless… I’ll make sure to reveal the truth to Mr. Santana.’
Thinking this, Cazerose expressed her willingness to accompany the shipment and to manage it herself in Bohemia.
“Is that alright? There’s no need for you to go that far…”
“No, since this is the first transaction, and I wish to see everything through perfectly as the person in charge, I believe it’s right for me to accompany it. Will that be alright with you, Your Majesty?”
With those words, Cazerose subtly glanced at the emperor.
In response, Emperor Rozebeta lightly nodded in agreement.
“After all, you’re the one responsible for this matter. Do as you see fit.”
“Yes, thank you, Your Majesty.”
Cazerose expressed her gratitude for the emperor’s approval…
Watching her, Estelle couldn’t help but try her hardest to conceal her displeasure.
‘It’s unavoidable, but she really is an uneasy woman. I have to be as cautious as possible…’
*
Following Estelle’s visit came the unofficial negotiations between the Dragona Empire and the Heretic Alliance.
After they ended, at nearly the same time, the banquet was nearing its conclusion when Estelle quietly left Castle Sophia.
“Then, I’ll visit again with the items next time. Until then, see you again.”
“Yes, thank you for your continued support.”
With smiles on their faces, both women exchanged polite farewells.
However…
Even at the final stage of this journey, there were still two common problems lingering for both of them.
One was… amidst their formalities, both struggled to shake off the strange discomfort they felt towards each other.
It was undoubtedly unfavorable to feel such emotions while needing to cooperate on tasks together.
The other was… the uncertainty that still lingered regarding Santana’s method of trade.
While it was evident that the resources made available through this agreement would increase, Santana very likely had something else in mind.
Yet, with their shared knowledge, they ultimately failed to uncover the truth, leading them to a common conclusion in their minds.
‘I need to ask Mr. Santana when I see him…’
*
Knowing what lies ahead is undoubtedly a significant advantage.
However, even if one knows the future, failing to utilize that knowledge properly is akin to a pearl necklace on a pig’s neck.
In that regard…
As someone who understood the concept of capital management, I was well aware of how to convert my weapon of foresight into money.
Having previously made significant profits based on this knowledge during my paladin days, I found this method’s effectiveness confirmed in this world as well.
Yet… the risk of this approach is immense if one is unaware of what’s ahead.
I’ve always found it quite ironic that the dangerous ‘weapon’ began for someone else’s stability.
In modern society, for countless individuals, this method serves to share the temperature of the Han River…
And that is…
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