The Viridescent Crown - Chapter 3

No one raised a disagreement. No, no one could believe what happened in front of their eyes.

“Then the meeting will close with Ran becoming the temporary head.”

After Lindbergh spoke out loudly, everyone exhaled as if they had been released from a spell.

Ran also lost strength from her shoulders. She said, pulling the ring off her finger and handing it back to Yustaf.

“There is no need to call me head. You don’t have to say greetings to the blue flame. I’m only a temporary head.”

Ran said so and looked at the vassals.

Everyone is looking at her with either suspicious faces or a strange expression.

Not all three families swear allegiance to them.

‘Wilde is definitely on Yustaf’s side.’

Baron Lance is a man of integrity so he wouldn’t betray the duke.

‘All that’s left…’

Ran turned her gaze to Count Illuminati.

The count, whose reddish brown hair looked like a lion, is now in his early 40s.

A man of unknown character.

That’s how she described him in her novel.

Count Illuminati, the duke’s assistant, was also the closest relative to succession as well as Baron Lindbergh.

However, he is not a person who is outright craving for power like their uncle.

‘It would be nice if he could be a strength to Yustaf.’

Ran thought so and smiled at him, but there was no reaction from the count.

‘Huh, but I’m the original author? Don’t I know all he basic settings?’

Thinking so, Ran smiled.

“Then let’s wrap up this meeting. I’ll set aside time for those who want to stay and talk.”

Ran said so and closed the meeting. But no one moved.

Everyone has something they wanted to say to Ran.

She spoke slowly, swallowing a sigh.

“Then, we will meet one by one in the back meeting room.”

Yustaf got up from his seat and said.

“Let’s go together.”

Ran nodded.

The small audience room at the back of the conference room is a place designed for more intimate conversations, it was decorated with soft tones.

Ran sighed, sat down on the cream sofa, and offered him a seat too.

“Sit.”

Yustaf sat down and crossed his legs. Ran swept a look at him from his legs to his face.

‘He is truly a male lead.’

Even though he’s more handsome than she imagined, it was like she thought.

She doesn’t know how he did it.

“How did you do it?”

“What?”

“I mean, you wearing the blue flame.”

“Hmm, I told you. I’m just being recognised as a temporary head.”

At Ran’s words, Yustaf narrowed his blue eyes.

“If that’s possible, there wouldn’t have been anyone who died while wearing the blue flame.”

“I’m part of the Lazia house. I’ve been registered…..actually, I wasn’t sure.”

At Ran’s words, Yustaf’s movements stopped for a moment.

“It was a gamble.”

“A gamble to burn to death.”

“There seemed to be no other way.”

If she borrowed his uncle’s hand, then certainly she would be in a hostile relationship with Yustaf.

Even if he doesn’t, the people around him will.

Yustaf seemed to still have doubts, but he soon returned to his expressionless face.

“So what are you going to do now?”

“First of all, I have to pay back the debts. Because the financial problems is the most urgent.”

“What about me?”

“Please go back to the academy and finish your graduation.”

“If I refuse.”

“What do you think I will do while you’re away?”

Ran laughed lightly and said.

“It’s okay you can leave Sir Ross behind.”

“You mean to my sister.”

“I’m saying it’s okay to put him on a surveillance role. So that you don’t have to do anything in vain.”

Yustaf looked at Ran for a moment. Perhaps this is an intention to separate Sir Ross from himself.

It’s not easy to get a reliable escort.

‘Of course, the Imperial Academy is protected by magic.’

That’s why the duke’s wife was not able to reach out to him.

“All right.”

Yustaf nodded. He’ll leave Ross here, he can take someone else with him.

“But there is one thing.”

“Yes?”

“Why are you doing this?”

At Yustaf’s words, Ran gave him a strange smile.

Because she’s sorry that she was so hard him in the original novel?

She can’t say such a thing.

“Because we’re family.”

What was answered instead was not a lie.

Until the real heroine arrives.

Until she comes and falls in love him and makes him happy.

She wants to do her best to cheer for him.

‘And I should look for the second male lead.’

Why did she make the male leads to suffer.

At the time, she was fifteen and in her second year of middle school and she must have grown up with a black dragon in her heart.

Ran slowly regretted it in her heart.

‘But before that let’s deal with the debt first.’

It was only after a long time that the heroine discovered it, but Ran decided get and use it in advance.

It was a mine on the ice wall.

Mana stones.

There are wizards and magicians in this world. Well, as you can tell from the story of Ivrea, the great sage who raised the ice wall, sealed the door and built the mansion.

Wizards are so common, that as long as you had a title higher than a count then it was normal to have one or two wizards.

However, the Duke of Lazia does not have a wizard. The reason was simple.

It was because the great sage Ivrea forbid the wizards from entering within 10km of the ice wall.

Old taboos and rules of silence were still perfectly handed down. So when they say a duke without a wizard, that was a reference to the Duke of Lazia.

However, nobles without wizards also wanted to see the benefits of magic, and so magical crafts were designed and supplied.

There is a stone that contains mana, therefore it’s called mana stone. Using that, the magicians devised a magic crystal without the constant need to inject magic into it.

But, the interest in magical crafts soon waned. First of all, the purity of the mana stone is not very high, so it depleted a lot of the mana, considering the maintenance cost, it was better to hire a wizard.

As a result, it was said to be a failure, but the dim lighting, which requires very little power from the mana stone, lasted quite a long time therefore some people used it instead of candles.

Only the existence of magic craftsman who managed to make magical goods continued.

‘But the mana stones in the ice wall has a large amount of reserves, and the purity of them is incredibly high.’

In short, what was impossible so far is possible.

It was like being coal or oil to a firewood fuel market.

‘Besides, as the original author, I can go a step further.’

The mana stone, which rises in a hexagonal shape just like a crystal, is as transparent as ice due to its high purity.

The ice crystals that the heroine first finds are colourless and transparent. However, there are not only transparent ice crystals in the mine.

‘There is red and blue mana stones.’

These mana stones was the reason that the great sage Ivrea kept the wizards from coming near the ice wall.

The magical power from this mana stone has a completely different quality and shape to the transparent mana stones, and it alters the magic power accumulated by the wizard.

In other words, at the moment of contact with the mana stone, the wizards cannot use magic, so if they are not careful, they will become a useless person.

That’s why they had a strict warning not to approach the ice wall.

‘Humans can handle it.’

In the magic system of dwarves and elves, races who live in the west end, things like the mana stones are also used.

‘In other words, we can interact with other races.’

Ran smiled in her heart. Minerals that only dwarves and elves can handle, were traded at a fairly high price.

‘We can’t create a large-scale food business in the north anyway.’

We have the oil industry secured, but intermediary trade won’t be bad.

‘But the first step is the mine…’

Thinking about it, Ran sighed.

‘Where was the location.’

At that time, her thoughts were interrupted when Yustaf spoke.

“Sister.”

“Sorry? Yes.”

“I’m going to get ready to go now.”

“The academy, you’re going to graduate right?”

“Because you’re the head now sister.”

“Only temporary.”

“May you overcome the blue flames.”

“No.”

Frowning, Ran raised her hand.

“That greeting is too much. The blue flame is yours. I’ll suffice with a normal greeting.”

Ran added quietly.

“And we’re family.”

At those words, Yustaf looked straight at Ran and said.

“I have never thought of you as family.”

Well.

Her heart was stabbed.

Ran smiled awkwardly and said, “is that so?”

Yustaf left the room in a casual manner, as if her reaction was nothing.

Ran sat down helplessly.

Not yet.

If things go on like this, the moment she stops being the temporary head, she may be driven out by Yustaf.

But even if that’s what happens.

‘I have to do what I have to do.’

But she may have to save some funds separately…..

Ran thought so and gently pulled the string to let the next person in.

* * *

After the week-long funeral procedures were over, it was the day that Yustaf returned to the academy in the capital.

Ran knew well that the moment Yustaf left the mansion, she would be watched every step of the way.

‘By Sir Ross.’

Ran sighed when she saw him say something eagerly to Yustaf several times.

Finally, only after Ross moved away from Yustaf, Ran was able to approach him.

“Have a safe trip.”

“Yes. Goodbye to you too, sister.”

Ran looked at the blue flame around his neck, then looked at Yustaf and smiled.

“Please graduate at the top of your class.”

She didn’t say it in a serious manner, but he replied hesitation.

“If that’s what you want.”

“Is that something that can happen just because you want it?”

At Ran’s question, Yustaf laughed and went into the carriage.

Ran stepped back, and the footman politely closed the carriage door. The footman raised his hat to say goodbye and whistled.

The horse started to run briskly, and the carriage quickly moved away. It wasn’t until he was in the distance that Ran sighed and turned around.

“Sir Ross.”

“Yes.”

Hazel-coloured eyes looked straight at Ran, as if they had something to say.

“While Yustaf is away, I want you to be my escort.”

“I understand.”

It was already discussed with Yustaf, so Ross bowed his head without much response.

“All right.”

Ran sighed again.

“Then let’s get to work.”

tl note:

black dragon: from researching it can symbolise Or represent the lurking shadow of the psyche or destructive power.