His handsome face somehow seemed a bit mischievous.

“The House of Siegfried can fully support the Lady’s dreams. As a member of our family, you would be able to do anything. Of course, we would also do our best to support your path as an Elemental Palace Lord.”

‘So this was it after all?’

After making such a complicated conversation with someone I properly talked to for the first time today, the conclusion finally came out.

“Financial support is a given. I will help ensure maximum tax benefits for your business and design optimal sales strategies for all products. You can enjoy both freedom and rights. Unlike the palace that restricts the freedom you cherish, we will not constrain you.”

I had already received recruitment offers from Lady Alens, the Palace Interior Minister, and threats – no, proposals – from Marquis Guermont, the Military Affairs Minister, to become his successor.

The Alchemy Tower Master and Justice Tower Master I recently reunited with also seemed desperate to recruit me.

“We could have a mutually beneficial relationship. What do you think, Lady Mylar?”

So I had expected that Uncle Amrus… no, Duke Siegfried, the Minister of Economy, would make a similar proposal to me.

‘Though I still don’t understand what quality of mine everyone’s so excited about.’

The reason Eden sought me out today was probably under Duke Siegfried’s orders.

Since he didn’t have time to contact me directly about the famine preparation issues, he must have sent his son instead.

“I’m sorry, Young Duke.”

Still, I think it’s better to decline politely.

I looked at Eden and said.

“My duties as the heir to House Mylar come first. I have responsibilities as the next Elemental Palace Lord succeeding my father, and in that capacity, I need to distribute plenty of red sugar beets that are easy to store in preparation for the great famine. Besides, Duke Siegfried…”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Unlike Lady Alens and His Grace Marquis Guermont, he has the Young Duke as a successor, so the succession issue is already resolved.”

Actually, I was a bit puzzled.

Isn’t this child… the heir to Duke Siegfried?

Unlike the two ministers without heirs, Duke Siegfried has such a clever son.

“I believe you’ve misunderstood my words, Lady.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Eden slightly raised the corner of his mouth and smiled.

Unlike Crown Prince Briton’s warm smile, this one somehow felt rigid and cold like glass.

“You will face two choices in the future. One is about the field where you’ll pursue your ambitions, and the other is about your marriage.”

“……”

“Regarding the former, it seems you’ve already made your choice. Following Marquis Heisen Macerne Mylar’s will to become a great elementalist and rebuild House Mylar. Lady Alens and Marquis Guermont offered to make you their successor, but they’ve essentially failed. Because your determination is firm.”

His tone was like reading a report.

‘When did he investigate me so thoroughly and organize his thoughts like this?’

“And what I’d like to propose is about marriage.”

“……”

“……”

“…Pardon?”

I flinched belatedly and asked Eden again.

“Didn’t I mention it earlier? That there’s a more rational choice than His Highness the Crown Prince. And I judge with 98 percent certainty that you haven’t made a definitive decision on this matter, so I believe I still have a chance.”

I stared at Eden with blank eyes.

Then, I opened my mouth.

“So when you say there’s a more rational choice than His Highness the Crown Prince… you’re not referring to yourself, Young Duke?”

Right, there’s no way…

“That’s correct.”

***

3 years ago.

Ravens were flying outside the magnificent Siegfried Castle.

Nine-year-old Eden Siegfried opened the letter from Galnem with an unnaturally cold and calm expression for his age.

Of course, the sender was the Academy, not his father.

Since his father’s presence in Galnem needed to be kept secret, the letter was sent in report form through the Economics Academy.

“……”

As he held the blank letter over a candle flame, hidden letters slowly emerged.

It contained several new theories his father had discovered.

These theories were about increasing industrial productivity, and they were so logical and flawless that Eden unconsciously smiled.

Including currency exchange rates in the graphs – those curves were truly artistic.

This would become a great asset for the Albreon Economics Academy.

Eden’s eyes stopped at the end as he finished scanning the paper.

<Assistance – Arinel Mylar>

‘Again… this child.’

The previous letter also credited Arinel Mylar’s help in discovering the theories.

‘I heard she’s a year younger than me, is she really that clever?’

Duke Siegfried had once explained in a letter about Arinel Mylar, saying she would bring great advancement to Imperial economics.

Though it seemed the Fourth Prince had already set his sights on her as a potential daughter-in-law, his father liked Arinel as much as his own son and suspected that if she strongly made a different choice, he would respect that.

Eden felt curious about her but also mixed with peculiar emotions.

He too was called a genius of the century at the Economics Academy, as Duke Siegfried’s son.

But helping with his father’s theoretical discoveries… that was an entirely different realm.

‘They say even with intelligence, you can’t surpass experience, but this is absurd.’

These were Duke Siegfried’s words urging Eden to be diligent and humble.

Eden furrowed his brows as he traced the name Arinel Mylar with his finger.

Arinel Mylar, a name that rolls off the tongue well.

Once his father completed his grand project with the Fourth Prince, they would meet, right? Perhaps she would become his rival at the Economics Academy.

Or if she refuses the Fourth Prince’s son as his father hopes, she might become his match in a political marriage.

Though still young, Eden Siegfried considered love an extremely inefficient emotion. However, he viewed political marriage positively for its efficiency aspects.

“……”

Eden completely burned the letter in the candle flame.

He had memorized the theories, so he just needed to explain them to the Academy administrators.

“Let’s prepare.”

At Eden Siegfried’s words, the aged butler gave orders to the servants.

The servants brought and draped over Eden an expensive marten fur coat that blocked the cold wind.

He walked down the long corridor of the magnificent Siegfried Castle.

Arinel Mylar, Arinel Mylar. That name kept floating in his mind.

Despite never having seen her face.

“Everything is ready, Young Duke.”

Eden boarded the luxurious House Siegfried carriage.

Would she be as precisely beautiful as the theories she helped his father complete? The probability of that was, surely not. No more than 35 percent at most.

Her personality? Most Academy researchers were eccentric, and his father too – being shut in researching such subjects inevitably made one eccentric. The probability of a genius having a normal personality.

Let’s be generous and say 10 percent.

‘Arinel Mylar.’

Then what would be the probability of someone like himself – handsome, intelligent, and rational – falling for her?

Though it’s nonsense, let’s calculate it.

There it is.

0 percent.

Impossible.

That was Eden Siegfried’s one-sided assessment of Arinel Mylar.

***

Let’s get married.

At Eden’s brazen and confident gaze, I almost choked.

Uh… what? What did he say?

I must have heard wrong?

“House Siegfried will respect Lady’s wish to continue Marquis Mylar’s will, and do our utmost to support your advancement. And I promise to provide you with a much freer daily life than at the Imperial Palace.”

“……”

“And I can statistically assert that I have a 98 percent higher probability of living a healthy, long life compared to His Highness the Crown Prince, and the Siegfried Grand Library has many books about being a good husband. Therefore, I can definitively say the probability of me becoming a good husband is over 89 percent.”

Eden spoke in a cold and analytical manner, yet his words were absurd to the listener.

Where did those probabilities even come from?

I stared at Eden in disbelief for a while before opening my mouth.