Chapter 119

Perhaps being cautious, Berylia did not open her mouth easily.

But Johann could guess completely.

The fact that she came to him first like this must have meant that she had a problem.

And Johann knew the content of her trouble very, very well.

By now, somewhere on her body, there must be a mark as a sign of being his bride.

She must be a bit perplexed.

‘But… I didn’t know you’d react so quickly.’

He thought she was going to spend a few days doing nothing, panicking and worrying.

Johann said, rejoicing inwardly.

“I will instruct the chef to prepare the meal.”

“No, Archduke.”

With her usual calm face, Berylia cut off his words and answered.

“I really have no thoughts today. I’m here for business.”

She was a woman who always came to see him only when she had business.

Was there something she wanted?

Even so, she was somehow not mean at all, just funny.

She was a woman who wanted to use and eat him up if possible, he wanted to see how else she would behave.

“Hmm…”

Johann’s black eyes gleamed as if they were red.

“Then let’s not have dinner together today.”

He smiled, kind eyes curving, and pointed to the sofa in the living room.

“Please sit this way.”

“…….”

It was then. His eyes caught the pale red corners of Berylia’s eyes.

Johann, whose smile had dried up in the corners of his eyes in an instant, grabbed her chin for a moment and made her look at him.

“Did you cry?”

“!”

Pwak—

As if in a moment of bewilderment, Berylia shook off Johann’s hand.

Belatedly, Johann raised his eyebrows and apologized.

“I was rude, I’m sorry.”

The raw expression that had been revealed for a second returned to a polite and pleasant-looking face.

“Be careful, Archduke Marquis.”

Berylia, who had dealt with him rather casually so far, warned him as if it were unpleasant this time.

It was unacceptable rudeness to touch her face.

Johann bowed very politely. It wasn’t that he was really sorry, but that he didn’t want to receive her hatred.

At that polite apology, Berylia sat down without further rebuke.

Johann sat across from her and stared at her.

It was annoying. The pale red corners of her eyes kept entering his vision.

Then he whispered as he touched his own chin with his long, sensitive-looking fingers.

“Why are you crying alone… it hurts my heart.”

If she had cried in front of him, it would have been fun.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

When Berylia asked in a small, barely comprehensible self-talk,

Johann smiled deeply as if nothing had happened.

Then he smoothly turned the topic around.

“Then let’s hear it? Why did you come here?”

“I’m here to make a deal, Archduke.”

“Gee, I have no intention of making a deal with Her Majesty.”

Without even listening, Johann cut her off.

Berylia looked at him as if a little stunned.

“Because I don’t do business with friends.”

“Then, as a friend, I would like to ask you a favor. Do business with me.”

Johann let out a low laugh. It was really pleasant to see that such a force was still alive despite having just cried alone.

If she came out like that, he had no choice but to listen. He reclined comfortably on the sofa and spoke.

“Then, shall I listen?”

Beryllia, as always, went straight to the point, without diverting or obscuring her words.

“I want ‘Margot’s Pendant’, a holy relic in the Archduke’s personal temple.”

‘Margot’s Pendant…’

As with most other holy relics, it was an object with the characteristic of one-time use instead of exerting powerful power.

It would break after exerting its power.

Therefore, it was not a holy gift that could be given simply because she wanted it.

In addition, the power of ‘Margot’s Pendant’ was both safe and infinitely dangerous.

Because that relic had the power to ‘completely’ erase the user’s presence for 30 minutes.

So whatever the user did during that time… It was something no one knew.

Under the protection of the ancient angel ‘Margot’, it was able to penetrate any barriers, no magic could detect the presence of the pendant’s owner.

The user was absolutely safe, but depending on how it was used, it was a holy relic that exerts dangerous power.

Usually this class of relics were protected in the Magic Tower, and in fact, trading was prohibited.

Johann bought the ‘Margot’s Pendant’ at the black market for high-ranking nobles for his collection.

He, of course, paid a very high price.

No matter how noble, most of the nobles would have never touched that amount of money in their lifetime.

“Your Majesty… you only want the most precious things I have?”

“I’ll give you enough compensation.”

“How.”

“With money.”

“How much?”

Johann briefly exchanged words with her, and then examined her psychology.

‘Are you going to compensate for this huge treasure with money?’

It was as if Berylia was going to the luxury department store and speaking like a chaebol, saying, ‘Give me everything from here to there.’ 

“I’ll give you anything you ask. Ten times the price you bought.”

“!”

“If that’s too little, then twenty times. Any number.”

The corners of Johann’s eyes frowned as if in absurdity.

He was confused for the first time since she came.

It was such an incredibly hot batting.

In fact, with that amount of money, wouldn’t her personal assets be severely damaged…?

While making a guess, something flashed in Johann’s mind.

‘The Terra Mine.’

It was said that as soon as Berylia took over the mining rights for the Terra Mine, she immediately used her lab’s mining technology to make profits.

Those profits were already generating enough to dominate a country.

The Terra Mine, which had infinite potential but was dormant due to lack of mining technology, had now found its master.

‘It’s true.’

She was getting more and more fun.

‘Does that mean that she is now the wealthiest monarch on the entire continent?’

But what he wanted to put in her hands was…

Worth more than that.

Power over money.

In the world that Johann himself would have, he and Berylia wouldn’t have to buy anything with money.

The whole world would bow down before her. Of course, it was only possible by his side.

“Say as many words as you want.”

Johann smiled gently. The friendly eyes were curved as if they were genuinely happy.

“Oh, I think I’m going to fall in love with the Queen’s wealth.”

“I’ll reward you with that wealth. Sell me ‘Margot’s Pendant’, Archduke.”

“It’s a bit difficult…”

“Why…?”

Berylia’s eyes shook for a moment, like water that had a stone thrown in.

There was no way Johann’s wicked eyes could have missed that brief moment.

He read Berylia’s earnestness.

‘I haven’t figured out what she’s going to use Margot’s Pendant for, but…’

One thing was accurate—

She was in a predicament far greater than when she wanted the ‘Fragment of Zephyross’ tombstone’ in the past.

Although she had a confident and calm expression and attitude, her earnestness was evident from the fact that she had already offered to pay up to twenty times the price.

In this state, she was more likely to accept whatever he wanted.

Johann was not one who would miss that opportunity.

Widening his black jaws, he prepared to swallow her.

“Because what I want from Her Majesty the Queen is not ‘just’ money…”

“….…”

“Didn’t I say. I don’t do business with friends.”

Johann said seductively.

“Actually, I can give it to you. Out of pure favor.”

Berylia looked at him cynically.

“Archduke, I do not believe in unconditional favor.”

……It didn’t work.

“For the fragment of Zephyross’ tombstone, it’s worth giving as a gift as a favor. But I know for sure that it isn’t the case for this.”

‘She’s really quick, and I like it.’

“Is there something you want?”

“Actually, there is…”

As if he was hesitant, Johann touched his lips, then glanced at her.

“But it’s hard to give.”

“What is it? I’ll listen and judge.”

‘Strangle your husband and marry me.’

‘And give birth to my child’

‘Stay in my trap for the rest of your life.’

‘Writhe in my grasp, cry only in front of me.’

……He seemed to know very well what expression she would make.

Of course, he would be thrilled to see that expression on her face.

Though, not yet.

“I’d like something else instead.”

Johann smiled and showed just three of his fingers.

“Three meals.”

“……Archduke.”

Berylia called without realization. The price of such a holy thing was only three meals?

“Right now, an auction for a meal with Her Majesty will cost tens of billions of ferring.”

“…….”

“I’m turning the holy relic into the time of the highest-ranking one in Spinel and Aktoum.”

Johann looked at her, resting his chin on his interlaced hands.

“I think it’s worth that much, the meals with Her Majesty the Queen.”

“….…”

Berylia looked into his eyes quietly.

What the ‘jewels’ with different colors on both sides were thinking, Johann was very excited about.

As if she had finished her judgment, her lips parted.

“It’s good.”

As if Johann had been waiting, he spoke quickly.

“Then, please write a contract. A contract that you will eat with me three times.”

“…It’s the first time I’ve written a contract to eat.”

“If Your Majesty the Queen merely takes the holy relic and shuts your mouth, isn’t it only me who loses?”

“I’ll write it.”

Despite Berylia openly sporting a troubled expression, Johann swiftly pulled out a piece of paper and placed it in front of her.

It was a very ‘colorful’ paper with the sentiment of writing a love letter.

“…Do you usually write contracts on papers like this?”

“It’s my preference.”

……Was the madman attribute inherited from the Aktoum family?

Seeing Johann looking happy, Berylia reluctantly picked up the pen and wrote the contract.

With an excited expression, Johann pointed to the last signature line with his index finger.

“Write a promise to Johann Marquis, use ‘With love’.”

“…I’ll say that it’s friendship.”

“Then please use ‘With affection’. Don’t nobles use that kind of expression? Please.”

He was so annoying.

Beryllia roughly scrawled ‘With affection,’ then gave him the contract as if he was a beggar.

Johann looked very proud.

“Somehow, I didn’t even serve tea, so please have a cup of tea before you go.”

“No. I’m busy.”

Berylia coldly refused and made Johann promise that the holy relic would be handed over to an imperial servant within three days. Then she exited the drawing room.

And where she walked out, Johann found something in an envelope.

“?”

When he opened the envelope, there was a check of some sort. The amount was not fixed.

‘……She left it on purpose.’

It meant that she would not accept favors that she did not know.

“You are so accurate that the calculations are thrilling.”

Slightly upset, Johann looked out the window with a chilly face.

Berylia was preparing to return in her carriage with her escort.

Meanwhile, Melfis, who approached him like a shadow, asked,

“Where does she plan to use ‘Margot’s Pendant’?”

‘Right.’

Johann looked out the window with darkened eyes.

“I’m curious about that too, I’m going crazy…”

Berylia’s carriage leisurely passed through the gates of the mansion.