I Reincarnated as the Daughter of a Runaway Sub Heroine - Chapter 71

“Masquerade?”

“It’s a place where people in masks mingle freely. Since they don’t know anything about each other, they dance and have fun regardless of their identities. However, I’ve heard that secret deals also take place behind the scenes. There, one can hide their true identity. I’ve heard that stolen paintings are traded there.”

“If you wear a mask, how are you supposed to find those people?”

“They said to hand that over to the person guarding the entrance and say you came to sell a painting. They’ll guide you from there.”

It was an unexpected harvest. I didn’t get any information about Jakar, but I did obtain a clue about the counterfeit currency criminals.

As my eyes sparkled, Rene smiled and said, “You can take it if you’d like. I don’t need it anyway.”

I smiled back at Rene. “Thank you. I want to buy that painting, but how much should I pay?”

I pointed to the painting of the noblewoman I had been looking at earlier.

Rene thought for a moment and then broke into a hearty laugh. “I’ll give it to you as a gift, so just take it. That painting will be happy to go to someone who appreciates its true value.”

Then, suddenly, Rene waved his hand toward my back. “Hey, sir! Come here and take the painting.”

When I turned around at Rene’s words, I saw Derek and Bell peeking through the slightly opened door, not sure how long they had been there.

Ugh, I knew this would happen!

Derek bowed his head and approached silently, taking the painting with him.

I looked back at Rene. “Come to the Grand Duke’s residence in the capital once a month. You can ask people for the location.”

Rene’s eyes widened momentarily.

“Excuse me?”

“I will formally support you, so move your studio to a better place. And about those paints. They may be cheap, but they change color once they dry. From now on, only buy the best paints. I’ll give you enough money every month, including living expenses, so don’t worry about costs.”

“B-but that’s too much for just providing a few pieces of information!”

I burst into laughter.

“Do I seem like someone who can’t handle money? I’m not supporting you just because you provided information; I want to support you because I like your paintings.”

Leaving Rene, who was left with his mouth agape, I exited the studio. A delayed voice rang out, shouting, “Thank you! Your Grace!”

* * *

Inside the carriage, Bell was examining the painting closely.

“Is this really a well-painted piece? I can’t tell at all. It looks like the coloring is done carelessly, and the composition seems strange.”

When I only smiled at her comment, Bell turned to Derek with her question.

“What do you think, Derek?”

Derek immediately shook his head. In fact, he had no interest in anything other than swordsmanship and food.

This time, Derek asked me, “But why are you suddenly offering support?”

“It’s an investment for the future.”

“An investment?”

“The painter’s work will eventually skyrocket in value compared to now. If I start supporting him and acquire the paintings now, they will be worth a lot of money later.”

Derek let out a small sigh of relief.

“I was worried you had some other motive.”

“Oh, if you’re asking about my thoughts on Republicans, I actually support them.”

“Support them?”

“I basically agree with the ideas of the Republicans.”

“What?!”

Derek and Bell shouted in unison. I covered my ears for a moment, then uncovered them.

“It’s more ideal for a capable person to be a leader than for everything to continue through hereditary succession like it is now.”

“Don’t ever say that outside. That’s treason!”

Saying that a king could be replaced at any time was indeed treasonous.

“Why would I say such things outside? I have plenty of worries.”

I scoffed and then muttered to myself.

“Wouldn’t it be great if the grand duke position was term-limited? Work for a few years, and then you can live a sweet life afterward. Damn it! Am I supposed to work my whole life and die?”

“Miss, use nice words, pretty words!”

“How can I say pretty words when I’m about to die from overwork?”

I shot a glare at Bell and let out a small sigh.

“But no matter how good the system is, it can’t work like that.”

“What do you mean by ‘that’?”

“They were probably planning to release counterfeit currency to first bring down the Grand Duke’s authority. What do you think would happen if the Grand Duke, who was protecting us from monsters and the Ram Empire, suddenly disappeared?”

Derek muttered, “Well, there would be chaos.”

“Exactly. This place would plunge into unprecedented chaos. Then people would blame all of this on the incompetent king and nobles, and ultimately, the republicans’ claims would gain power.”

As I spoke, I felt all the complicated thoughts I had been harboring start to clarify.

What they were aiming for was precisely this: to first bring down the Grand Duke’s authority and then create chaos throughout the kingdom to establish a foundation for new power.

“Ultimately, it will only be the powerless and poor who will suffer. Countless people will die and be injured. Moreover, who will actually hold the power they want to distribute? It will probably just be the wealthy disguised as commoners.”

Then, I suddenly recalled the content of the original story.

In the original work, the Grand Duke’s family fell in an instant. And I had always been curious about what happened after that downfall.

But now it seemed there was no longer anything to be curious about. The future the Republicans desired was precisely the situation depicted in the original work.

The collapse of the Grand Duke’s authority led to chaos in the kingdom, with republicans trying to seize power in that turmoil.

At that moment, something suddenly flickered through my mind.

Could it be that the narrative of the novel, which had changed because of me, was starting to flow similarly to the original again?

“Miss Ar?”

As I remained silent and stiff, Bell cautiously called out to me.

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

I quickly shook my head vigorously.

“No, it’s nothing. Anyway, that’s what I think. No matter how noble the ideals may be, innocent people should not be sacrificed for them.”

“Of course, that’s right!”

“Exactly!”

The two of them fervently agreed with my opinion. Looking at them with a smile, I soon turned my head toward the window.

Yes, nothing had happened yet. I just needed to prevent any bad events from occurring in advance.

* * *

That evening, I headed to the Montfort family’s estate. Even while riding in the carriage, I continued to think about the events of the day.

If, hypothetically, they truly wanted the Grand Duke’s authority to collapse, then their plan had failed. My father and I discovered the counterfeit currency too early and dealt with it. In reality, aside from a slight increase in prices, the Grand Duke’s authority hadn’t experienced any chaos.

So, what will their next move be?

Will they try to bring down the Grand Duke’s authority in another way? Or will they seek a new method instead of the collapse of the Grand Duke’s authority?

“We have arrived at the Montfort estate.”

Before long, the carriage came to a stop. As the coachman opened the carriage door, I saw Hyperion waiting for me in front.

He reached out his hand toward me and whispered, “Are you ready?”

I confidently placed my hand on his and replied, “Of course!”

When I entered the banquet hall, linking arms with Hyperion, the other nobles merely assumed we were staying in the same house and had come together.

“Welcome, Princess Arcadia, and Lord Arcansus.”

The Duchess of Montfort rushed out to greet us. Knowing that we were going to make an important announcement today, she looked at Hyperion and me with a meaningful gaze.

“Just a moment this way.”

She guided the Duchess and me, along with Hyperion, into a separate room. As soon as she closed the door, she exclaimed in an excited voice, “I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear your news! I’ve always thought you two were a great match, and now it’s finally happening. Congratulations!”

“You must have prepared for this party for a long time, and I’m so grateful that you’ve willingly made room for my children.”

At the duchess’s words, she burst into laughter.

“What do you mean, my lady? It is truly a great honor for me that you are making an important announcement here.”

In fact, from the perspective of the Duchess, having us make our announcement at her estate was a significant boon.

During the social season, various parties are held almost every day. Therefore, hosts had to be mindful of their guests. If guests didn’t come because of another event happening on the same day, all the effort put into planning could end up being wasted.

It was important for a banquet to have many attendees, but the quality of the attendees was equally crucial. Thus, hosts put in a lot of effort to invite royalty or prominent families, as common nobles tended to flock to places where they were present.

The mere fact that members of the Grand Duke’s family and the Duke’s family were attending today made this banquet nearly a success. If Hyperion and I were to make the significant announcement of our relationship here, it would become a major topic in high society.

After today, it was evident that the nobles would be eager to obtain invitations from the duchess. Being present in such a talked-about place would serve as a standard for evaluating their status.

“There hasn’t been any notification that members of the royal family will be attending today, so feel free to enjoy the banquet and then make your announcement.”

This meant that there was no one of higher status than us at this banquet, allowing us to enjoy it without hesitation.

After finishing our conversation, we left the room together.

At that moment, the duchess’s maid hurried over.

“My lady, Prince Persis has just arrived.”