Han Jihyuk dumped a pile of letters onto my desk. “These are desperate letters from people wanting to buy your building. They were asking for 90 million gold on a building you bought for 10 million.” I grinned and hugged the letters. I can smell the money from these letters, sniff sniff. “When are you going to sell the building?” “The price will keep rising. It’ll easily hit 200 million gold.” Han Jihyuk’s mouth dropped open. “What exactly... did you do?” “Hmm. Something like stock manipulation.” “Stock manipulation. Don’t you know?” “You actually have a conscience...?” “Do scammers have consciences?” Han Jihyuk could only close his wide-open mouth. “Well, it’s a bit different from stock manipulation. No one’s getting hurt.” I didn’t raise the prices in the entire area. Only my building, built right on the Blessed Land, was skyrocketing in value. “And it won’t crash either.” Because it really is the Blessed Land. “When it hits 200 million, you’ll sell?” “No. The buyer is already decided.” Han Jihyuk furrowed his brows in confusion. But he glanced at the time and shut his mouth soon after. “I have to meet the guy who asked me to replicate the Empress Dowager’s portrait.” “...Why is it that even when I slack off , I don’t get fired from the factory?” Because I’m one of the top 7 in the family’s ranking at age three. I can’t just fire the servant I brought from the jurisdiction. I waved my hand playfully, seeing him off. After Han Jihyuk left, I prepared {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} to go out. Today was the day I was going to see Alexis. I hadn’t seen Alexis for quite a while. Whenever I tried to go out on the weekend, the twins followed me. “Baby, where are you going?” “Balzac suddenly came, and I got surprised.” Balzac, with his beast-like intuition. “You’re wearing light clothes today. It’s cold.” “You always wear light clothes under your coat because it’s thick and uncomfortable.” Joshua, with his ghostly intuition. Avoiding those two was really, really hard. ‘But today both of them went out for training.’ I hummed happily, putting on my large backpack and went outside. Dionera was waiting for me. Dionera wore a white cloak with blue fur trimming that suited her well. I was going out with Dionera today. I couldn’t go out without a guard or servant, but I wasn’t allowed to take them to where Alexis was. So I asked Dionera for help. I told her to drop me off near where Alexis was, with her guard. “Near the Saint River, right?” “Are you sure that’s safe? What if it’s dangerous?” “I’ll be with my friend.” “Oh. When did you make a friend who’s a commoner?” I flinched and rolled my eyes. ‘I told Dionera I was secretly meeting a commoner friend.’ She was a kind girl who never doubted others. ‘But I’m the suspicious type.’ I whispered into Dionera’s ear so no one could hear. “It’s a secret that I’m going to meet my friend.” “Should the servants and guards keep this secret too?” Dionera took out a necklace from under her robe and showed it to me. “This is a blessing stone. My mother gave it to me.” “All the employees in our jurisdiction have a gold seal. They can’t let any unwanted information leak out.” “Being able to be sealed is a condition to work as an employee in our jurisdiction.” Dionera clenched her fist and said, “I’ll make sure no one leaks the secret about Erilot’s friend!” ‘Thank goodness for that.’ Dionera covered her cheeks and giggled. “I like it when Erilot calls me ‘unni.’” It was a short trip to the Saint River. Dionera dropped me off and said, “I’ll pick you up at 5!” After Dionera’s carriage left, I quickly moved. Pulling my robe deep over my head, I ran across the river. There was a building there. Alexis scrubbed his tray vigorously. After more than a month, he was getting used to the routine. When Erilot’s servant first brought him here, he thought it was a joke. Who would bring someone to prison to hide them? But they really locked him up. The first few days, he thought it was a joke. ‘They’ll take me out soon.’ He waited, but neither that girl nor the pink-haired one came. The prison routine was the same every day. Breakfast → Bible reading → exercise → lunch → labor → meditation → dinner → labor Someone unfamiliar would think the prisoners lived an easy life, but the intensity was brutal. Bible reading was torture for Alexis, who had never learned to read. Meditation was just as bad. Three hours of sitting still was agony. He couldn’t leave the table without finishing his meal. Labor continued until exhaustion. Repeated over and over, anger built up. I am the mistress of this estate; I’ll make sure you get angry properly. But Erilot didn’t come even after days. Eventually, Alexis resigned himself to the situation. “Hey, your posture’s off, so you can’t put strength in your hands! Don’t slack off!” The guard yelled at Alexis. Being in prison made even my mouth rough. I looked up because sweat was about to get in my eyes. Behind the washing room door, a small figure cloaked in black robes appeared. She smiled brightly and waved her hand. So blindingly cheerful. The atmosphere was completely different from the first meeting. Erilot gave two gold coins to the guard and stepped into the prison. She found Alexis and entered the empty room. Inside, Alexis was scrubbing his tray hard. Only the top of his head peeked out. “You, what are you doing?” Alexis glared with a hardened face. “Did you eat your meal?” “You can’t get up from your seat unless you finish everything here.” Erilot placed her backpack on the table and began taking things out. “This is medicine. One for headaches, one for stomach aches, and another...” She was definitely going to yell. Ready to shout the moment they met again... But seeing her carry a backpack about the size of her body, no sound came out. “Also, here’s chocolate...” Alexis suddenly scowled. “When will you let me out—” Erilot’s eyes went wide. Then she reached out and touched Alexis’s forehead. Alexis flinched and stepped back. Erilot narrowed her eyes. “Does it hurt? Your face is red.” No wonder she couldn’t yell. She was asking about what no one asked, and caring for what no one cared about. “They’ll call the doctor here too. If you’re sick—” He stood up and slammed open the door. The guard, who had been dozing while standing guard, startled and opened his eyes. Alexis didn’t answer and swiftly left. The guard shook his head and muttered, “That temper of his.” I stepped outside and watched Alexis disappear into the distance. “Such a stubborn kid.” He was that stubborn even in Bing. Heuk. Son; habits from age three lasted into adulthood. When Alexis was out of sight, I glanced at the guard. “What if no one takes care of him when he’s sick?” The guard yawned widely. “I told them he’s been coughing since yesterday and that I’d call a doctor. But he refuses no matter what.” He hated doctors too. The doctor was the one who secretly took him away and made his life hard. The guard looked at me. “Where did you find this kid?” “In the rainwater drain.” “Rare place to find one. Everything about him is rare.” The guard crossed his arms and chuckled. “He’s worth teaching. Just by making him meditate three hours a day, he already mastered breathing techniques.” The guard—or rather, the training instructor—smiled proudly. Most would think it’s an ordinary prison, but a few know. ‘This is a soldier training camp.’ The number of soldiers at the royal palace or estates was limited. Even when raising troops, personnel were strictly checked. But did nobles truly only raise as many soldiers as allowed? They secretly trained soldiers at private academies. ‘Egritz Prison is special among them.’ The instructors were from the royal palace. Knights angry at the late emperor’s tyranny ran away from the palace and established it. ‘It was originally built for rebellion.’ So they made the training camp inside the crime city called Astra Estate. An instructor entered the room and plopped down on a chair. The instructor started crunching on some snacks. “When the young lady first came, everyone was terrified.” “Then a kid the size of your arm showed up, saying they’d entrust someone to me. How surprised I was.” The instructor chuckled, recalling it. “I wondered who they were entrusting, but they brought someone like that. Amazing.” It’s even more amazing in the novel. Alexis came here himself. ‘He accidentally came here trying to evade the Empress Dowager’s hunters.’ After training here for a long time and absorbing them, he becomes the empire’s top mercenary captain. “Why can’t you say this is a training camp?” That’s a condition for admitting their soldiers. They don’t tell trainees this place is a training camp. “They do tell later, after a few months of tests.” “If we teach even one bad thing, we’re all dead. The palace executes anyone the moment they snitch.” The instructor munched his snack and said, “We only open this to those who can handle it.” “How do you tell who can handle it?” The instructor poked his chest with a thumb. “It shows when someone is strong. You can see it.” “Why? You think that’s cool?” “...I’m the only one who’s been training here for the last four months.” Alexis was the only trainee. Everyone else who looked like prisoners were instructors. The instructor looked embarrassed and sniffled. I crouched outside the washing room, watching Alexis scrub his tray. ‘So this is how they teach balance.’ “Really not going to take medicine?” I was frustrated too. It’s easier if I talk. ‘The instructor is a bit stupid, but has sharp instincts.’ When Han Jihyuk went to bring Alexis here, he said, “Do you know where this guy is?” Han Jihyuk came back saying, “He was terrifying.” They had to make the Egritz setting this way. It was just to create a dramatic scene when the male lead finds out this isn’t actually a prison. “Do you think I’m a joke?” “Is it fun locking me up ?” “...It’s not like that.” This is your lifeline. “If you’re not going to let me out, then go.” By now I was angry too. I jumped up and glared at Alexis. Huffing, I left the washing room and walked down the hall. ‘You were supposed to endure hell for four years and finally be safely brought here.’ Do you know what kind of hell you went through those four years? I stopped dead and glared at the washing room. Then I ran back inside and threw something hard onto Alexis’s back. After throwing something, I left the washing room again. The thing rolling on the floor was medicine.