Praising You For Surviving (Salute for Lucien) - Chapter 45

I quietly looked back at Kirhin. It doesn’t sound like something he just thought of. It must be a thought he’s been harboring for a long time. Feeling his concern, I opened my mouth slowly.

“That kind of happiness doesn’t seem to be my share. I’m not envious of that appearance. It’s just…”

I paused for a moment and chose an appropriate expression to spit out.

“It looks boring.”

Kirhin’s lips parted slightly. I patted the back of his surprised-looking hand and smiled brightly.

“And since you’re already associated with him, I can’t escape either. Now that I’ve become a person of the Bickman family, I want to be helpful to the family too. I’ll do whatever I can if there’s something I can do.”

“No. There’s a difference between us. I got involved because of my father, so I’m just thinking of doing what I absolutely have to do, but you’re trying to pursue more than that. You’re trying to get more deeply involved. We don’t need to go that far.”

His clear blue eyes are seriously downcast. I threw my gaze far to the scenery visible through the window beyond his shoulder.

“Are you afraid?”

Kirhin’s shoulders flinched. Watching the snow-covered green trees passing by, I moved my lips.

“Of what? That there might be problems for the family? That you might lose what you have now? …That you might die?”

A short sigh escaped. Kirhin was glaring at me with furrowed brows. I shrugged nonchalantly.

“If the business with the Rihasbin merchant group is dangerous, it’s already too late. I heard Count Balshwin is notorious for his cruelty. Will the excuse that you just got involved without any choice work?”

“Lucienne!”

Kirhin grabbed both my shoulders, suddenly shouting. The carriage shook greatly as he half stood up.

“Just how much do you know and to what extent? Why is that person’s name coming out of your mouth?”

Kirhin’s blue eyes wavered as he spoke rapidly. That alone was enough for me to know what kind of person the Count was. Of course, I already knew enough from rumors.

Since the Rihasbin merchant group was the oldest and largest in Freemont, it wasn’t difficult to find someone who knew about him.

In fact, most merchants knew about it, so I could easily get information through Maya. When she said she wanted to get some specialty items from Freemont, merchants recommended the Rihasbin merchant group, and naturally, I also heard rumors about Count Beitram Balshwin.

“You can only get Freemont goods coming into Edmus from shops with that pattern of flag. They’re places managed by Count Balshwin. All goods coming in from Freemont need his permission.”

“Is he doing exclusive trading?”

Even though it was a simple question, the merchant’s face turned pale. Waving his hands, he whispered in a low voice as if afraid someone might hear.

“It’s not like that. In the past, there were quite a few merchants in Edmus who went back and forth to Freemont. But now everyone has given up.”

“I guess the profit wasn’t good at all?”

“Most of them died.”

Merchants were found one by one, either missing or torn apart by wild beasts. People who initially thought they got into an accident soon discovered one common point.

They all ended up like that the day after returning from Freemont.

This was exactly what made Balshwin vicious. If they had died or disappeared while in Freemont, people would have thought they got into an accident while doing trade business over the rough seas, but they died the day after safely returning to Edmus.

Before long, people implicitly accepted that this was the Count’s warning, and no one tried to trade with Freemont—that’s how the story went.

I could finally paint the picture. Lars and Kirhin are trying to open trade with the Rihasbin merchant group while avoiding the eyes of the vicious Count Balshwin.

It’s certainly a dangerous business. The Count in the rumors didn’t seem like he would spare someone just because they were a noble. Kirhin’s long outing last time and Lars coming back with an injured arm were probably not unrelated.

The one who initiated this was probably Lars’s side. I could guess why he took the hand of Baron Bickman. The Rihasbin merchant group owed a debt to the previous Baron.

Then what is the reason he wants to do this dangerous business?

The biggest reward that can be obtained from this trade is, of course, money. But it didn’t seem likely that he chose this business simply to become rich.

Lars has a real purpose. Probably a high and deep real purpose that even Kirhin doesn’t know.

To find that out, I needed to go a little deeper. That’s why I brought up the story about Count Balshwin to Kirhin.

“The Rihasbin merchant group in Freemont and the Count are inseparable. I was curious. About what kind of business you’re doing. If it’s related to the safety of all the people in this family, don’t I have the right to know too?”

Kirhin, who initially seemed excited, now seemed at a loss for words, his lips just trembling. As he staggered from the shaking of the carriage, I carefully pulled his hand to make him sit. With clammy sweat seeping into my palm, I recalled the day I first met him when I held such a hand.

Kirhin, licking his dry lips with his tongue, finally raised his eyes to look at me and asked.

“Damian… He doesn’t talk about such things with you, does he?”

“He doesn’t seem to want me to know.”

“Of course. Me too. You, you’re too dangerous. There wouldn’t be any noble young lady who thinks like you.”

“I’m not ‘just’ a noble young lady, am I?”

At my nonchalant answer, Kirhin wrinkled his nose. His eyes became sharp.

“You are a proper noble young lady, Lucy. You proved it yourself. Going to this unbearably boring recitation meeting is proof of that.”

I can’t help but laugh at his words as he tried to comfort me even in this situation. I opened my mouth while grasping the book that was about to slip.

“For whatever reason, we’ve already gotten our hands on a dangerous business. Then, it’s not wise to let go of it now. We should only think about how to make this business successful. Because hunters aim at the one hesitating rather than the beast running fiercely somewhere.”

I can see Kirhin swallowing hard. Soon, he shuddered and dropped his head.

“He knew roughly too. That’s why he said to send you to a convent for a few years.”

…He said such a thing?

Trying hard to suppress the furrowing of my brow, I rolled my eyes.

“If you think that’s better, you can do so. But don’t think I’ll stay quiet. There are eyes and ears everywhere, you know.”

“Argh!” Kirhin messed up his own hair wildly. I turned my head away primly and looked out the window. In the distance, Penu’s mansion where the recitation meeting will be held is visible. It was a spacious and classic building, though not extravagant.

“Promise me just one thing.”

Kirhin spoke up after quite a long silence. His voice was heavy.

“The Count is really dangerous. Killing people is his daily routine, and he doesn’t care about the means to get what he wants. Whatever you’re thinking, you have to tell me first. Without hiding anything.”

Meeting his blue eyes that were not just serious but rigid, I nodded.

“I’ll always be careful. What I want is for you and the Bickman family to enjoy greater honor than now.”

“Forget about honor, I just hope nothing bad happens.”

Kirhin dropped his shoulders and rested his elbows on his knees. With a tired face, he stared blankly into space, then suddenly turned to me and asked.

“Is Laurel involved in this business too, by any chance?”

“Laurel? She doesn’t know anything.”

At least about Rihasbin.

She was busy digging into Nina’s background to secure her own position. Kirhin blinked and scratched the back of his neck.

“I heard she’s been increasing your literature classes recently. You seem to be getting quite close, that’s why I’m asking. You weren’t too fond of her at first.”

“There aren’t many people I can be comfortable with in the mansion.”

When I spoke somewhat sadly, Kirhin frowned and nodded his head. Soon, a groan escaped from between his teeth.

“I don’t know. I really don’t know. Oh, my head feels like it’s going to explode already.”

Seeing Kirhin clutching his head and shaking it in distress, I chuckled and opened the window a little.

Cold wind blows in. Penu’s mansion was getting closer through the snow-covered fields.

* * *

“Buy some delicious roasted chestnuts! Roasted chestnuts!”

“Our shop sells the warmest coats in Edmus. Just come and see for yourself!”

“I’m telling you, we just got a small quantity of silk from the Landrop region. Your daughter is unmarried? Then you must get it. Haven’t you heard the rumors? That lady from the Bickman family wore a dress made of Landrop silk to the poetry recitation meeting and her popularity exploded! Well, we didn’t make it, but it’s the same silk, you know.”

“I heard even the gentlemen who are known for their literary taste couldn’t help but admire her recitation skills. Where did she acquire such refinement?”

“That’s strange. Wasn’t her father, Baron Bickman, quite distant from books?”