If I Were Reborn, I Wouldn’t Marry You - Chapter 100
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 100
As the House of Noyen released rye onto the market, the Emperor began distributing the relief grain he had purchased in coordination with their timing.
Because the Emperor had spread rumors that the grain was imported from a Foreign Country as promised, Viscount Perington—who had been holding out waiting for me to sell all my rye first—found himself in a very difficult position.
Now it was no longer a situation where he could sell at premium prices by holding firm.
Viscount Perington’s side believed I still possessed most of the quantities I had purchased.
‘It’s a game of nerves to see who dumps their stock first.’
I released the small remaining amount of rye onto the market at a very low price.
Caught completely off guard, Viscount Perington’s side began selling off the grain they had stockpiled.
I carefully controlled the sale of my remaining inventory, waiting for Viscount Perington to sell all his grain at rock-bottom prices.
When his ambitious plan failed spectacularly, Viscount Perington—who had never possessed much talent for legitimate business to begin with—lost all judgment entirely.
He moved so exactly as I intended that I even had to conduct secret investigations to check if there might be some hidden agenda.
In the end, Viscount Perington recovered less than twenty percent of his investment.
‘He must have realized too late that grain couldn’t arrive so quickly given the distance to the Foreign Country he claimed to import from.’
But by then, all the grain Viscount Perington had hoarded was already sold.
There was no point in regretting it now.
‘At this rate, House Perington itself will be shaken to its foundations.’
If the Crown Prince had invested his personal funds to raise secret funds, he would suffer greatly as well.
‘The Crown Prince must be doubly bitter, since the Emperor entrusted him with resolving the drought with great expectations, yet he could only stand idle.’
After three years of preparation, I was so satisfied with how everything turned out that I broke into a broad smile.
* * *
“Ah, hello. Thank you so much for the invitation. This is a gift for visiting.”
Emilian recited the greeting that was clearly coached into him, stumbling over the words.
“Welcome, my dear. How delightful to see you.”
Mother greeted Emilian warmly with a smile.
Mother had been absolutely delighted when she heard that Leonhardt had secured the Marquis Noyen’s allegiance in exchange for rehabilitating Emilian.
In fact, when Marquise Noyen asked if she could stay in Roderick before Emilian left for the Academy, using the excuse that he wanted to spend time with his newly made friend, Mother had permitted her to stay for the full six months if she wished.
‘She’s curious about how Leon will establish discipline.’
That made sense, because while the Marquis and Marquise Noyen had said that Emilian’s ability was “Intimidation,” making it difficult for him to make friends, Leonhardt barely used his ability at all.
Especially within Duke Roderick’s Mansion, he was quite careful to prevent his ability from manifesting even unconsciously.
As a result, the people of Roderick were gradually forgetting what Leonhardt’s ability even was.
‘These days, he’s treated almost like a precocious, dignified youngest child.’
Mother in particular was quite fond of Leonhardt, and whether due to the rose-tinted glasses of a prospective mother-in-law, she even thought he was gentle-natured.
‘She doesn’t do it in front of Leon, but when he’s not around, she sometimes calls him the baby rabbit Prince.’
Truth be told, I was curious too about how Leonhardt would handle Emilian….
I glanced at Leonhardt, who stood facing Emilian.
From what I could see, even though Leonhardt wasn’t using his ability right now, Emilian was watching his every move.
‘He’s only six years old. What a coward!’
As I deliberately shook my head and gave him a look of disdain, Emilian met my eyes and made a pitiful face.
Leonhardt, standing with his back to me, seemed to notice that Emilian’s gaze was directed toward me, and that we had just engaged in a silent conversation.
Leonhardt’s previously relaxed momentum turned razor-sharp in an instant.
His control over his ability had grown more refined—he now directed it solely at Emilian—yet the boy’s expression was far too transparent.
Emilian seemed embarrassed to be frightened by Leonhardt, who was three years his junior.
He attempted to open his eyes with some semblance of resolve, but his naturally gentle temperament couldn’t sustain it for long.
The moment he lowered his guard, Leonhardt withdrew his ability, looking somewhat deflated himself.
‘Good grief.’
Emilian appeared pathetic, yet the reformation plan itself seemed to be progressing well enough, which was a relief.
* * *
House of Marquis Noyen was a storied knight family and the center of the southern nobility.
To bring such a house under control while merely setting a single child straight—this was almost effortless.
From the moment Leonhardt proposed this matter to the Marquis and Marquise Noyen, he had been quite optimistic about the outcome.
Before his regression, he had spent considerable time in the military and had frequently subdued subordinates who refused to obey.
But Emilian Noyen was different.
At nine years old, unless one was an extreme exception like Miela, a child had already lost much of their inherent cuteness.
‘Objectively speaking, that’s true.’
Yet Emilian Noyen met Miela’s gaze and twisted his lips into a smirk.
A nine-year-old brat, no less.
‘What is he doing?’
Jealousy seized Leonhardt, and without thinking, he partially released his ability.
It was essentially a brief loss of emotional control that caused his ability to leak out, but even that was enough to terrify Emilian Noyen.
In that moment, Leonhardt flinched.
Ah. What had he just done?
‘Sigh. To a child, no less…’
Leonhardt, feeling somewhat deflated, withdrew his ability entirely.
Miela was exceptionally lenient toward children, the weak, and animals, and Leonhardt had been influenced by her to act the same way.
Though his feelings toward Emilian Noyen were not particularly favorable, the boy was nine years old, and Leonhardt had no intention of acting on his emotions.
But Emilian Noyen would not let the matter rest.
In more ways than one.
* * *
“Your Highness, the Young Marquis spent another night conducting experiments and is sleeping in late….”
Emilian Noyen’s personal attendant, sent from House of Marquis Noyen, came discreetly to report his master’s indulgence.
“Sigh.”
Leonhardt rose from his seat with a familiar exhale.
Emilian Noyen’s curriculum progress, neglected in his heir education, was comparable to Leonhardt’s—who was three years younger and had begun his studies far later than typical Imperial Family members.
Though Leonhardt deliberately maintained only a slightly better pace than his peers to avoid drawing attention, considering the age gap, his progress was seriously behind.
For this reason, Leonhardt found himself attending the same classes as Emilian Noyen.
Of course, Emilian Noyen was not pleased about it.
Whether it was the fear I instilled in him on that first day that proved effective, Emilian Noyen at least pretended to be diligent during lessons with Leonhardt.
Anyone capable of learning such difficult Magical Engineering could hardly be called unintelligent.
He simply lacked interest and motivation in fields he didn’t wish to pursue; once he began attending classes properly, his academic performance was respectable.
The Marquis and Marquise Noyen even borrowed the invisibility artifact from Duke Roderick’s Warehouse to alternate observing classes, and shed tears of emotion afterward.
By all appearances, Emilian Noyen’s reformation was proceeding quite smoothly.
But there was one significant problem.
Emilian Noyen, who lacked the perception to sense others’ hostility and was far too carefree to sharpen his edge against anyone, had only one obsession: Magical Engineering.
So I hadn’t completely forbidden experiments related to Magical Engineering, but often when momentum built, like today, he would conduct experiments all night and oversleep.
Like most Magical Engineers, Emilian Noyen was a night owl with a strong tendency toward morning drowsiness; on nights when he slept late after experimenting, he would invariably hide somewhere to sleep.
It was his scheme to squeeze in a bit more rest while his attendants searched for him.
This hadn’t happened for a while at Duke Roderick’s Mansion where Leonhardt resided, but this pattern had begun reappearing recently.
‘He adapts quickly to strange places.’
Even when the attendants finally found and woke him, he was so difficult to rouse that Leonhardt typically had to intervene personally in such cases.
“So where is he today.”
Leonhardt asked with a sigh.
“That is….”
The attendant, who would normally have answered before being asked, hesitated at length before speaking.
“In the Young Lady’s bedroom, Your Highness.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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