Favored by the Family That Will Become the Strongest! - Chapter 65

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

“Hmm, I’m not sure she’ll suit you at all. Looking at those she gets along with, she strikes me as having quite refined taste.”
“But…? If that’s the case, wouldn’t there be no reason for her not to suit me?”
“Ha, that’s amusing.”
As Ardin laughed as though he’d truly heard something entertaining, a hairline crack appeared in Sellian’s otherwise calm expression.
“By the way, perhaps it’s all that good sleep, but my skin looks better too.”
At his words, several nobles took on even more enchanted looks. Ardin’s appearance had always been exceptional, but today in particular he seemed to shine with unusual radiance.
And Cain, seated beside Sellian, couldn’t hide his grimace. Noticing his expression, Ardin let out a low chuckle and tapped Cain’s shoulder.
“You seem to be in good spirits, Cain.”
“…Good spirits?”
“Yes—isn’t your cousin the disciple of Malacar, who refined the Side-Effect Suppressant from the Magic Tower? That’s quite the blessing for House Rothwell, wouldn’t you say? She’s going to be incredibly wealthy.”
That irritating bastard. Cain’s eyebrows twitched with displeasure.
Ardin must certainly be aware of it—that Diena and he weren’t on good terms. It was the sort of gossip circulating among the other nobles these days.
And for good reason…
“But it’s strange. I naturally assumed Diena would entrust the Distribution Rights for the Magic Tower’s Side-Effect Suppressant to the House Rothwell ducal family…”
Because of those damned rights. Ardin slowly turned his gaze. There sat Barcan, his expression dull, staring off into empty space.
“So she gave the distribution to House Cardian instead?”
Cain’s jaw tightened at the same moment.
“I appreciate your concern. Since it’s a family matter, it’s difficult to explain what happened. But my father is thinking of bringing the rights here soon enough.”
“…Is that so?”
Ardin’s mouth curved into a slight smile.
Cain ignored him, narrowing his eyes as he watched one side of the banquet hall. He saw Duke Castleton approaching close to Barcan.
* * *
The Side-Effect Suppressant business received tremendous response before it even properly began. Letters from nobles began pouring in before Diena. She selected a few from the mountain of accumulated correspondence and began to read.
Most of the letters could be ignored, but there were some she absolutely had to check. Diena frowned as she opened a letter bearing a familiar seal.
[Diena, how are you doing? It’s been quite some time since you left the family, so I’m sending this letter. That person is worried since you’ve been away for so long…]
Diena skimmed past the unnecessary words and turned to the final paragraph.
[I hear you’ve given the Distribution Rights to the Magic Tower’s Side-Effect Suppressant to the House Cardian Merchant Guild. How could you do such a thing? Return to the family at once and hand over the rights to our house.]
The letter was from House Rothwell. It was a personal letter written in her aunt Edelin’s own hand.
‘So that was the real purpose.’
Diena crumpled the letter without hesitation and tossed it into the waste bin. She then pulled out another letter and began to read. It was from Malacar.
It contained a sales ledger with a staggering amount and Malacar’s letter enclosed with it.
[Incredible, Diena. Just as you said, treating Prince Ardin at the winter banquet had a significant promotional effect.]
He then told her about what Ardin had done recently in the Grand Conference Hall.
[His Highness mentioned in the high noble council meeting that the Magic Tower’s Side-Effect Suppressant seems to work better than the Temple’s version. There’s been an enormous reaction among the nobles. Even a strange rumor has been spreading—that using the Magic Tower’s Side-Effect Suppressant improves your skin.]
Diena laughed softly.
‘That’s definitely just a rumor.’
She’d heard that noble ladies’ letters had started arriving at House Cardian recently; now she understood why.
From the imperial perspective, it was a comment designed to keep both the Magic Tower and the Temple in check, but either way, it worked in Diena’s favor.
More people were showing interest in the Magic Tower’s Side-Effect Suppressant because of it.
‘Prince Ardin turned out to be far more honorable than I expected.’
In truth, she’d been a bit worried about being suspected of using her Special Ability while treating him, but it seemed he’d attributed everything to the Magic Tower’s Side-Effect Suppressant. As a result, Diena herself had become even busier than anticipated.
Countless Side-Effect Suppressants lay before her, and she began infusing them with her Special Ability.
A sharp breath.
Then immediately she covered her mouth with her hand.
“Cough, cough!”
She’d been using her Special Ability so frequently of late that fatigue had accumulated, and her body was beginning to strain. Diena looked down at her hand. She could see blood trickling from it, crimson and wet.
‘I overdid it.’
Still, a few days of good sleep should be enough to recover.
Malacar had thrown himself into research right away, though immediate success in refinement was unlikely. Even so, it would be far faster than in the past life.
‘I told him how far my research had progressed in my previous life, after all.’
As she recalled Malacar’s face—the way he’d looked at her like she was some sort of monster—she felt a pang of guilt.
“Diena, you thought of this? So you truly are a child of genius as I sensed? No, but how is this even possible—!”
“How did you come up with such a brilliant idea? It’s as if you thought the same way I did.”
…Well, that’s because Malacar’s thinking was correct.
‘Master is someone I can trust, so I should be able to tell him that I’ve returned to the past. I should mention it to him soon.’
Though she and Malacar had conducted the research together, it wasn’t solely her achievement.
‘Anyway, Master will announce it as his own development.’
Watching Malacar apologize for taking credit for her discovery, Diena’s conscience pricked repeatedly.
“I feel terrible about taking your achievement as my own. If the day ever comes when your Special Ability is revealed, I’ll return all the glory to you.”
‘But Master, that glory is yours anyway…’
Moreover, the way Malacar looked at her—as if beholding a genius of the age—was becoming burdensome. His initial misunderstanding had been deepening over time.
Diena carefully folded the letter and set it aside. Then she reached for the final correspondence.
‘It’s arrived.’
The sender of this letter was Duke Castleton. Diena’s eyes brightened as she unfolded it.
[To Lady Diena, the spirit you displayed at last winter’s banquet and the awakening scene of Lady Bianca reminded us anew of the standing of the Five Great Houses. Truly an impressive sight…]
It was a letter with a long preamble. But Diena patiently read the entire thing.
The purpose was written in the final section.
[I apologize for making such a request after so long without contact, but I wish to purchase the Magic Tower’s Side-Effect Suppressant. Name your price and I’ll pay it.]

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————