The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 78
When the news first broke that Chaield had withdrawn funds from the banks, Gidima had fumed, declaring that Keltman wouldn’t collapse just because of “those damned people’s money.”
But now, as his economic advisor, Median, provided additional updates, Gidima’s face turned an alarming shade of red, as if it might explode.
“Say that again. What did you say about the banks’ situation?”
“Well… there are countless people lining up to withdraw their deposits. The line has already reached the neighboring village.”
“Do the banks have enough funds to cover it?”
“They don’t. The banks have implemented temporary measures, limiting the amount each person can withdraw, but that’s only fueling further discontent.”
“Damn…”
Gidima looked down at the report and sighed deeply. Only two days after Chaield’s executives had visited the banks, he realized what the Monster Duke had been aiming for from the start.
He had been targeting instability.
Gidima couldn’t comprehend how people could panic so much over Chaield withdrawing its money.
“This is infuriating. Of course the banks are running out of money when everyone is withdrawing at the same time! They just need to wait and withdraw what they need when they need it!”
“Well, uh…”
“Is this because of that cursed article? Didn’t I already order the Haile Times to be confiscated?”
Median kept his head bowed, silently pleading for mercy. If he spoke his thoughts aloud, he’d surely lose his head.
“Your Majesty, as a king, you might have the luxury of withdrawing your money whenever you wish, but ordinary citizens don’t. It’s only natural for them to want to secure what little they have.”
The Chaield family, experts in finance for generations, would have understood this instinctively. But Gidima, standing before him, was oblivious.
Median remained silent, his submissive demeanor easing Gidima’s anger slightly.
“That scheming family of bankers… If they want to play dirty, we’ll respond in kind.”
“Your Majesty, I’m confident you’ll come up with a brilliant strategy.”
“Of course, I will.”
Gidima downed his glass of strong liquor. The black lacquered goblet reflected the screen of a folding screen behind him. Now was the perfect time to use the information they had obtained from Count Gargoyle to shake the Haile Empire.
“Median, summon the necessary people. We have information that can destabilize Haile, and we’re going to use it.”
Gidima firmly believed that the state secrets passed on by Count Gargoyle were entirely true.
These days, my self-esteem had been riding high. Predicting what Kyleian Chaield would do in Keltman had been a stroke of brilliance, even by my standards.
“I didn’t expect such a strong reaction. It was worth all the effort I put into drawing those graphs.”
Following the Harmonia necklace incident, the Haile Times was experiencing yet another golden age. Money? They were making plenty of it, of course.
According to Vanessa, Pringles, the editor-in-chief, was so financially secure now that he was even planning to revive his long-dreamed Traiha Times, which had been on hold due to budget issues.
“Expanding to other continents? I really picked the right newspaper to partner with.”
On top of that, preparations were underway for the Imperial Lily Medal ceremony, and spending time with my favorite people made my days a constant boost to my confidence.
“Amel, why are you smiling so much? What are you thinking about?”
“This is my first outing with you, and I’m really enjoying it. If I’d known how beautiful this place was, I’d have asked to come here with you sooner.”
“Amel, do you like this street?”
“Yes. The flowers are lovely, the fountain and trees are charming, and I bet the river under the bridge looks even more beautiful at night.”
I was strolling through Chaield’s main streets with Claire, visiting various boutiques. If someone asked why I didn’t summon the tailors to us instead, my answer would be simple.
The last time I summoned Monsieur Garton to the Chaield estate to make a dress, the experience of being ignored left me slightly traumatized.
To prevent something like that from happening again, I decided I needed to familiarize myself with this world’s trends personally. It was also a good opportunity to learn more about Chaield’s fashions and the preferences of its ladies. But most importantly…
“Vanessa, didn’t you say the spicy pasta place you mentioned is around here?”
“Oh, it’s right over there. It’s the best for relieving stress!”
This area was packed with the restaurants Vanessa had casually bragged about. Apparently, she’d been treating herself to meals on Chaield’s dime whenever she ran errands for me.
The chefs at Chaield’s estate were top-notch, but their insistence on only serving healthy food left something to be desired. Taking Claire’s hand, I looked up at her with sparkling eyes.
“Claire, can we have lunch there? Please?”
“…There are so many people watching. Wouldn’t it be better to eat back at the estate?”
“But that wouldn’t feel like a proper outing with you. Please?”
“…”
Claire sighed and stepped into the restaurant. The curious onlookers around us whispered among themselves, fascinated.
Well, of course they’d stare. Seeing Lady Claire of Chaield’s ducal house walking down the streets was a rare spectacle. It felt like being a monkey in a cage, but the thought of tasting spicy pasta was more important to me.
The restaurant seemed to have just opened. The owner, wide-eyed, guided us to a table before promptly securing the premises to keep other customers out. His polite demeanor and attention to detail made me optimistic about the food.
“Claire, aren’t you going to sit down?”
“Hold on… You six, guard the entrance. Two of you, head to the roof. Another two, wait at the shop across the street. How many are stationed near the carriage?”
… I hadn’t realized we had so many guards tailing us. Vanessa, clearly worried about being sent away, quickly handed me a menu.
I placed my order and sipped water, my excitement growing. Once Claire finished giving instructions, she glanced at Vanessa but said nothing.
“Madam, I’m surprised you didn’t chase me out this time.”
“Don’t get too comfortable. If someone tries to throw a dagger at Amel, I’ll need someone to take the hit.”
“Of course, I’ll gladly take it for her.”
Despite the slightly grim tone of their conversation, the atmosphere was pleasant. During the meal, Vanessa and Claire discussed the dress I would wear for the Imperial Lily Medal ceremony.
“Since the medal is named after a lily, all the previous recipients have worn white outfits. You’ll do the same, right, Amel?”
“That sounds like a good idea. I just hope I don’t stain it with something. There was a boutique I liked earlier—would it be okay to commission them to make the dress?”
“Of course. Do whatever you want.”
Claire’s face was brimming with pride, her thoughts echoing the sentiment.
“Our Amel… She’s finally talking about having a dress tailored.”
“But was there any designer that really stood out?”
Truth be told, dresses often followed trends, and the differences usually came down to material and minor details. Any shop operating on this prestigious street was sure to have competent tailors.
As a result, there wasn’t a shop with dresses that particularly caught the eye. The boutique I had noticed was run by a widow raising two young children on her own.
The shop stood out because it was more modest than the others, but what impressed me most was the honesty of the owner, who didn’t inflate the prices of her dresses.
“It doesn’t matter where I order the dress, so I might as well choose her shop. My visit could even help promote her business.”
Right then, the food we had ordered was brought out. The moment I took a bite of the spicy pasta, the reason I had come here in the first place, my mood soared.
“Is it because of the seafood? This tastes exactly like jjambbong!”
The familiar taste made me smile involuntarily. While Vanessa gasped and reached for water, claiming the dish was too spicy, my tongue welcomed the heat without hesitation.
“This is insane… It’s so delicious. Is it because I haven’t had spicy food in so long?”
Just as I thought things couldn’t get any better, Bruno, one of Chaield’s intelligence agents, approached Claire with swift, precise movements.
“What’s the matter? If it’s not urgent, I’d rather hear about it after the meal.”
“Lady Claire, it’s breaking news. Keltman has officially announced rumors that Chaield is planning a war.”
Clink.
The fork I was holding slipped from my fingers. War? It felt like a bolt from the blue. I had drilled love and peace into Kyle’s head—there was no way he’d do such a thing.
“Do you have a copy of the breaking news article?”
“Yes, here it is.”
Excusing myself, I began reading the special edition Bruno handed me. It seemed Gidima had revealed Haile’s top-secret information, likely obtained from Count Gargoyle.
“One of the Keltman-sponsored newspapers is distributing this special edition in the town square, and the rumors of war are spreading rapidly. We should return to the estate immediately.”
“The Duke planning a war? Is there any evidence supporting these claims?”
“Well… There is evidence, but…”
Bruno hesitated under Claire’s stern gaze, glancing nervously at me. A strong scent of impending doom filled the air. Could it be possible that Kyle was secretly preparing for war?
According to Gidima, Chaield had secretly started developing a dormant gold mine, based on information from Count Gargoyle.
Gidima alleged that this mine was meant to fund Chaield’s war efforts and that the recent massive withdrawal of funds from Keltman was part of securing resources for the war and preparing for a declaration.
“The money withdrawal was probably just to rattle Gidima… but why develop the gold mine now?”
The timing was suspiciously perfect, leaving room for dangerous misunderstandings. To make matters worse, Gidima had pinpointed the exact location of the mine. Rising from my seat, I asked again.
“Bruno, is what Gidima claims true? Is the Duke secretly developing a gold mine?”
“W-Well, Lady… That is…”
Bruno remained tight-lipped, refusing to reveal the full truth.
A few hours after Gidima publicly announced what he called the “Chaield war funding scheme,” a group of fiery young journalists formed a team and set out for the alleged mine.
Unlike smaller gemstone mines, a gold mine was impossible to keep hidden. Since Gidima had provided precise details about its location, it wouldn’t be difficult to investigate.
“All we have to worry about are the Chaield guards. If not now, when else will we get a scoop like this?”
“They really must be developing the mine. A few years ago, this place was completely deserted, but it’s changed now.”
“A fugitive like Count Gargoyle leaking imperial secrets? This is the scoop of a lifetime.”
“I’ll distract the guards. The rest of you sneak in and investigate. If you can secure proof that they’re rushing the mine’s development, even better.”
The group nodded in unison. Two reporters, acting as decoys, charged toward the mine with reckless abandon, drawing the attention of Chaield’s guards.
While the guards were distracted, the remaining journalists quickly slipped into an adjacent temporary building near the mine.
“The Duke’s executives must have had meetings and given orders here. There’s bound to be something.”
“We don’t have much time.”
The group quickly rummaged through drawers and bookshelves. Being a temporary building, there weren’t any complex locks to deal with.
As the scuffle between the guards and the decoys neared its end, one of the journalists grabbed something with trembling hands.
“I’ve found it! The development plan!”
It was the scoop of a lifetime. Their flushed faces and racing hearts reflected their excitement as they hurriedly exited the building and hid in the nearby bushes. They were eager to confirm whether the rumors of war were true.
“Let’s take a look at it here.”
“Yes, I agree. Now’s the time.”
“This is the kind of scoop you only dream about… Hurry!”
One of the journalists retrieved the development plan from his pocket. The high-quality paper bore none other than the Duke of Chaield’s personal signature.
Then came the page outlining the purpose of the gold mine’s development. The young journalists swallowed hard, reading each line carefully.
But then…
“This gold mine is a surprise gift for Amelia Diane to celebrate the first anniversary of her engagement to Chaield. The mined gold will be refined into jewelry and decorative items. The mine will be named the Amelia Mine, and all its assets and products will belong solely to her.”
“…”
“Gold… as a gift? Is that even possible?”
“Count Gargoyle leaked this and called it a state secret…?”
“What even is Chaield…”
It turned out the so-called “war fund gold mine” was nothing more than Kyle’s modest anniversary gift for his fiancée.