ushernet Chapter 60.1
Chapter 60.1
The Mirror Therapy Project (1)
‘So... so that’s why you’ve been calling yourself “neutral,” Elisha von Havana!’
Looking back, it all made sense.
Before her marriage, the Marchioness Elisha von Havana had been surprisingly close with the Crown Prince Canbraman.
They had frequently exchanged glances during balls, hunting events, and swordsmanship training.
Back then, Entir had assumed it was only natural. They were distant relatives who had grown up together, after all.
Blinded by love, he had convinced himself that everything was perfectly normal.
The idea that the Crown Prince and his wife were having an affair was too horrific for him to even consider.
‘And every time she returned from the imperial palace, she’d demand intimacy...!’
Elisha and Entir didn’t have a particularly active marital relationship.
But on rare occasions, they would share a bed — typically during their honeymoon period or whenever Elisha returned from a visit to the imperial palace.
‘All this time... all this time, I...!’
As all the puzzle pieces fell into place, Entir’s dream of happiness crumbled.
His once-sweet dream of a blissful marriage had turned into a nightmare called reality.
“Graaaaaaah!!”
He let out a cry of despair.
“Ah... ahhh...”
What made it worse...
What truly crushed him...
...was the fact that, despite knowing the truth, despite having truth and justice on his side, he was powerless to do anything about it.
The people he was up against were a Swordmaster and the Crown Prince.
And what was he?
Just a nouveau riche merchant with lots of money.
If he tried to bring this issue to light, he’d be branded for insulting the Imperial Family. Worse, his wife would kill him before it even reached that point.
“......”
With every passing day, Entir withered away.
The Marquisate of Havana, located in the southern part of the Empire, was a warm and prosperous land.
But for him, it felt suffocating and freezing cold.
He had to force himself to smile at his children, knowing not a drop of his blood ran in their veins.
He had to grovel in front of his wife, pretending to be her obedient husband.
It was unbearable.
One day, a new opportunity came his way.
“I’ve been assigned to lead an expedition to the Western border. I’ll probably be stationed there for two years.”
“An expedition?”
“The Emperor collapsed from old age, and Bardenheim, the capital of the Kingdoms’ Alliance, is making suspicious moves.”
“It can’t be helped, then. Do what you must.”
“Please support the supply lines, darling.”
“Supplies? Won’t the imperial army handle that?”
“You know very well that the support from the Imperial Family is always lacking.”
“...Of course.”
It was a moment of unexpected salvation.
He had his justification.
He didn’t hesitate for a moment.
He left the Marquisate of Havana.
“Perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
No more suffocating mansion.
No more pretending to love children who weren’t his.
He followed the scent of money like a bee drawn to flowers.
He headed for the North.
***
Solaris, the largest city in the Imperial North-Central region
Inside one of the Bishop Trading Company’s branch offices, a tense scene unfolded.
“...You’re not ordinary adventurers, are you?”
Entir’s eyes sharpened as he gazed at the three adventurers standing before him.
The mood in the room was grim.
Six of his hired bodyguards lay unconscious on the floor.
He was alone.
Surrounded by three strangers.
Yet, Entir remained composed.
“What do you want? Is it money? Or are you trying to prove your skills to become my bodyguards?”
Even now, he maintained his calm, smiling faintly.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Sloppy work.”
He clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“Your clothes are too clean. You’ve got Church pendants to pretend you’re faithful, and you’ve gone to great lengths to mimic the Central dialect. But...”
His gaze grew sharp.
“You can’t fool me. You’re Northern.”
Silence.
The three men didn’t move a muscle.
They didn’t deny it.
“Actually, I’ll take it back.” Entir chuckles.
“You’re not just ordinary adventurers. And you’re not ordinary Northerners, either.”
He glanced at them with an almost amused look.
“My wife is a Swordmaster, you know. She taught me a few things. I can’t sense mana, but I can feel it. You guys aren’t just adventurers. I’d bet you’re at least A-rank adventurers.”
His words carried an undercurrent of dread.
His eyes, unlike his calm demeanor, were filled with depth and unease.
“You’re not here by accident. You were sent by Renslet, weren’t you? The Frost Knights, right?”
The moment he said it, Entir’s lips curled into a grin.
“I didn’t expect the branch manager here to have this kind of connection. I guess I left him here for too long, huh?”
He glanced around, his mind sharp as ever.
“Alright then. Why have you come to see me? How did you know I’d be here?”
His fingers inched toward his hidden bell, ready to summon every guard in the building.