Shadow Queen - Chapter 57

“See you next time.”

Khalif said farewell in front of the central library and moved away. Instead of nodding, Elena led a tired body to the fourth floor recording room.

“…”

Normally, she would move around the library without slowing down the tension, but Elena was so tired of the discussion that she could not do what she had to do. Not knowing that today someone’s gaze is on her back.

Elena opened the door to the recording room and went inside. And at the corner of the stairway at the end of the hall, a man was watching with his face hidden.

“Who the hell is she?”

The man was Ren.

***

Ren hasn’t been able to get rid of the chewy feeling since the three-way encounter. No matter how much she thought about it, there remains a doubtful part of Emilio’s relationship with Lucia in the upper part of the Castol Corporation.

Ren, who was chasing Lucia’s track record with his own persistence, found Lucia, who had broken up with Khalif and entered the library, and quietly followed her. Then he ended up seeing Lucia enter the archives.

“What are you doing over there?”

Ren folded his arms and pondered. Although he was far from a studious person, he had an innate brain. It’s all because of that cleverness that he can persist in torturing and questioning someone. However, it was difficult to guess this time even for the head, who was proud of his cleverness.

The Friedrich Family Archives. A place to store old things that are  nothing special and meaningless. It was a record room, so it was neglected so that no one of the current students could find it. He couldn’t understand why she went to such a place.

Kkiiiik.

It was not long before the door to the archives opened. Ren quickly turned the corner and hid himself on the stairs to the fifth floor.

Tak tak tak.

The heel of the shoe grew louder, and soon the owner of the sound turned around the corner of the stairs.

“…!”

Ren’s eyes were wide open, as most things did not surprise him. He could not help but doubt it even when he saw it with his own eyes.

‘Veronica?’

Surprisingly, Veronica was the girl who turned around the corner and went down the stairs. Ren appeared on the landing, making an appearance only after Veronica disappeared down the stairs.

“What’s this link without context?”

Ren’s interest in Lucia was nothing more than pure interest. Sian intervened in the middle and offended his sarcasm, but it wasn’t so much of annoyance. Rather, the more he sold Lucia, the more he became interested in the mystery question. What he saw today, however, was a huge shock to the level of interest that went through.

“Do you have anything to do with Veronica?”

Ren’s face, which was muttering as if he was asking questions, looked more excited than ever. It was not anyone else, it was Veronica. From this moment when Veronica had been proven to be involved, Lucia was not just an interesting one. She was a prey that needed to be dug up to the end and discovered.

“When will she come out.”

Ren waited for Lucia to come out of the recording room. For quite a long time until the early evening was over, and it was late at night. Although it was late, Lucia did not come out.

“What is this cheap feeling?”

Ren felt something strange that he couldn’t pick up and went down the stairs to the recording room. He was not polite enough to knock, so he grabbed the door handle and opened it.

“Is anybody there?”

The recording room was empty. Far from anyone in there, he could feel the warmth that meant it was vacated for a lot of time. Ren scattered his head roughly.

“What, when did she get out of here? I would have known if she came out.”

The only way downstairs from the four-story hallway where the archives are located was the stairs where Ren was located.

“Did I miss you?”

In other words, Ren missed her, but that didn’t make sense. Ren was a monster that had never missed the chief of the swordsmanship department since admission. In the first year, the family’s knights were overwhelmingly strong enough to take a step back. Without such superior talent and genius, he would not have been praised as the best prosecutor along with Hurelbard.

“A real ghost?”

Lucia disappeared as if evaporating from such a Ren. Without any trace of being there.

“Or stronger than me?”

Ren laughed as if he was in vain while developing his thoughts.

“Well, there’s one more reason for me to be excited.”

Although he missed Lucia, Ren whistled leisurely, let alone being impatient. It’s hard to find the tail, but it’s a moment to find the body as soon as it’s caught. Ren, who finished his business, was about to leave the recording room when he saw the portraits of the Friedrich family’s past owners hanging on one wall.

“That’s an ugly face. Hey, because of you… Do you know how shit my life is?”

Ren’s thickening emotions were of life and hatred. Since independence from the great house, he has been forced to make unilateral sacrifices for the great house. They made it mandatory to sacrifice by signing a 100-year treaty on the condition of independence.

“I’m not obligated to keep my grandfather’s treaty, am I? A hundred years? Give it to a dog.”

Ren’s face staring at the portrait became more brutal.

“I’m going to destroy everything my way.”

***

Final exams were over. Although there may be some differences between faculties, the first semester of the academic institute was running toward the end as grades were disclosed. Students in the faculty who ended early returned to the family for vacation. This is because, as vacations are given for over a month, they even have enough time to visit local provinces.

However, not all students leave the academy. Many of the students from the common people remained in the dormitory. There was no time to relax as the academy’s grades soon determine life after graduation.

Elena stayed in the dormitory. It was very surprising considering that students from the aristocracy returned to their families. It wasn’t her will that Elena was left at the academy. It was completely Leabrick’s will.

Veronica was forced to take two years off for health reasons. She unintentionally delayed graduation. Leabrick hoped that Elena would accumulate grades that she had never had before through the seasonal semester. This is because it was possible to graduate early if she filled her allocated credits regardless of her school period or if her grades were good grades.

Elena took the seasonal semester when she was left at the academy. Not only major but also liberal arts were included, which made it feel tighter than this semester. But Elena didn’t care. She still had a lot of work to do at the academy. This was more free of charge than entering the Grand Duchy and being watched by Leabrick.

“I don’t really have anything to do with that.”

Elena’s plan worked better than she had planned. In L’s name, she arranged for Khalif to meet the great masters of the era.

Khalif, who communicated with Randol and became aware of the role and importance of art brokers, helped future masters focus on their work and maximize their artistry. The masters, who thought they had already been indebted to L, were fascinated by the role of the lyricist of such art, and they held Khalif’s hand without hesitation.

It was more than Elena expected. As the first and best art broker, he studied in any field of foundation, architecture, literature, etc., which he did not know well to help the masters. Working so hard that he had no time to sleep, Khalif tried to understand various fields.

“Efforts and enthusiasm are important, but Emilio played a big role in Khalif’s growth.”

Emilio, the head of the Castol Corporation, focused on the upward movement between the capital and the trilateral alliance. At the same time, when the opportunity reached him, he met with young Khalif and gave him the experience and insight he had accumulated. Khalif’s growth has also had a positive impact on masterpieces.

The great literary artist Vargas’ work <The Mermaid> was published in the literary world as early as two years with the help of Elena and Khalif. <The Mermaid> is a story about the love of humans and half-humans. It brought about creating a revolution in the literary world, capturing human desires and desires for pleasure.

Furthermore, the sale of books using the commercial and distribution networks of the Castol Corporation resulted in unexpectedly large revenues. In addition, rumors spread that it would quickly start selling to foreign countries such as the Kingdom of Royère and the Trilateral Union through translation work, so many famous literary writers and great literary men came to their feet. It was not only because of the empire, but because of their desire to sell their work to other countries.

“The salon is being built smoothly.”

Emilio succeeded in purchasing the land on the road crossing the capital at the main gate of the Imperial Palace. It would not have been easy to buy because the sale was so scarce and there was no trading, but he showed the ability to do it without difficulty. On the ground, the architect Randol was laying the ground for a salon that might be his first work.

Randol was planning to implement a dome-shaped roof using a construction method that had never been seen before. It was trying to build a more elegant building by taking advantage of its harmonious and balanced architecture, which was differentiated from the current Gothic style, which is dominated by sharp and high spires. Elena, who had already seen the design drawings brought by Khalif, could not help but admire the high-toned style and classy grandeur.

“The capital’s center will be busy.”

Confident of success, Elena started investing more aggressively. Emilio was asked to purchase additional salon land. And the surrounding buildings were also asked to be purchased even if they were priced higher than the market price. It was judged that the size of land was necessary to change the street area around the salon.

Randol revised the design drawings to suit the site that was more than twice as wide as the original. Although the design diagram of the salon to be completed is not a cathedral, it has the shape of a building that is comparable to that of the cathedral.

The salon’s interior facilities will also have structures that have never been seen before. In addition to the reception room where the discussion room could be held, the venue for the master’s exhibition of works, opera theaters, and small ballrooms were planned to be separated. Elena has all the elements that will become the center of salon culture.

When the extension was confirmed, the construction period also increased. Khalif said that even if construction starts right away, it would be enough for two years. This year was longer than Elena thought. However, she did not rush. This is because she knew that it would be completed much sooner than expected.

“The reason why Randol was revered as a real genius was because of the phenomenal speed of construction.”

Elena didn’t know how that was possible. However, Randol knew how to use an efficient construction method that would reduce the average completion period of the current building by nearly half.