There was simply no way to win against such pure-hearted sincerity.
In the end, Cedric lost.
“…If you didn’t understand, then forget it.”
He turned his head away, avoiding her gaze, his ears and the skin beneath his eyes flushed red.
But I did understand.
Truly, Iris had caught the meaning.
Still, she could see how her response might have sounded absurd to Cedric. The idea that
he
was the main character of the world?
But that’s exactly why Iris treasured him.
The man only she knew—the main character of
her
world.
The fate coiled at your feet… I will protect it with my life.
“Now, let’s get back to work.”
Smiling radiantly, Iris took Cedric gently by the fingertips.
Cedric glanced at his wife, who still smiled so innocently, utterly unaware of his heart, and let out a long sigh.
“…Haah. Yes, ma’am.”
Lady
Liliana Valentine
was dragged away by the Cultivation Bureau on charges of
spirit tax evasion
.
And not just at any time—right in the middle of an extravagant spiritual tea ceremony surrounded by her adoring followers.
People were shocked to hear the news.
“You mean
that
angelic Lady Liliana evaded taxes?”
“And not just ordinary evasion—they say it’s tied to a criminal cultivation syndicate!”
“Heavens… I never would've guessed.”
After all, Liliana had been celebrated as the beloved youngest daughter of House Valentine—a prodigy of the sword arts, no less.
“So what happened to her? She’s been committing crimes behind the scenes, hasn’t she?”
“She was taken straight to prison, of course. Even House Valentine couldn’t shield her this time!”
“A Valentine, in prison? Still… I’m sure she’ll be out in no time.”
“Well, it
is
House Valentine, after all.”
As expected, Liliana was now confined in a noble-only prison—a specialized facility designed to handle high-status cultivators.
But despite the family name, she hadn’t been released in quite some time.
Had she acted a little faster, investigated the situation, and dealt with the tax issue earlier, Liliana might have avoided confinement altogether.
But all opportunities had long since slipped through her fingers.
The evidence of her
spirit stone laundering
was irrefutable, and no matter how noble her bloodline, the weight of her crime was too heavy to overlook.
Especially since Liliana had fumbled the entire operation clumsily from the start.
Not only had she carelessly left behind spiritual traces and records, but she had also been caught dabbling in unrelated criminal matters.
And so, Liliana sat in her cell, doing nothing but waiting—eyes fixed on the door, longing for her family to come save her.
“Why haven’t they come for me yet? How long am I supposed to stay locked up in this place!?”
Even a noble-only prison was still a prison.
Liliana, who had grown up surrounded by love and luxury, was finding it difficult to endure even this much discomfort.
“And Iris unni is the worst! Didn’t she say she’d take care of this for me?”
Frustrated, Liliana huffed and puffed, her shoulders trembling with outrage.
She always knew Iris was unreliable when it came to practical matters, but she hadn’t expected her to completely
drop the ball
on something
this
important.
“This is all her fault! What am I supposed to do now…?”
Of course, Liliana felt
no
responsibility for greedily hoarding enchanted jewels and causing the whole situation in the first place.
But those thoughts of Iris didn’t linger long.
After all, Liliana had more capable family members than Iris—her father and brother.
Unlike the supposedly useless Iris, those two were the pride of House Valentine—one the current Clan Lord, the other the brilliant heir.
“If I just wait a little longer, Oppa and Father will come save me for sure.”
If it was a problem Iris could’ve solved, there was no way those two couldn’t handle it.
“Lili. Your brother is here.”
Soon enough,
Orchid Valentine
arrived to visit her.
Liliana dashed over, her voice trembling as she pleaded with Orchid.
“Oppa! Why are you only coming now?”
The formal iron bars between them made her brother feel even more precious and distant.
“Can I finally leave? You came to get me, right?”
“...Lili.”
Unlike usual, Orchid hesitated to answer.
“Well, you can leave, but...”
“What do you mean? Then hurry up and get me out! It’s so stifling here, and the food tastes awful. I want to go home right now.”
Overflowing with frustration, Liliana stomped her foot and whined like a whirlwind.
“Lili, it’s like this.”
Orchid’s expression showed clear discomfort as he looked at her.
“I think you’ll have to stay a little longer.”
Liliana’s face contorted in despair.
“Stay here longer?”
She stared at Orchid in disbelief.
“You’re lying, right?”
Orchid sighed and tried to console her.
“It seems the tax evasion case you got involved in has some complicated circumstances.”
Indeed, Liliana’s tax evasion case was far from simple.
‘If only it had been just tax evasion.’
She was charged with buying the national treasure known as the Tear of the Sun, and was even entangled with a major crime syndicate’s tax brokers.
To make matters worse, Liliana had clumsily leaked evidence, making her look undeniably involved.
She didn’t cooperate properly with official documents, so even Valentine’s name couldn’t clear her.
“Don’t worry too much, Lili. Oppa will handle it somehow.”
Still, kind-hearted Liliana would likely understand and endure the situation. She had always been the obedient and sweet little sister who followed her brother’s words.
“So you’re saying I can’t leave?”
“That’s how it is. Sorry, Lili.”
Tears slipped down Liliana’s gentle eyes.
“What is this? What does this mean…?”
“Oppa’s busy with heir duties, so he can’t focus only on you. Just wait a bit longer…”
“Wait a bit longer?”
Liliana shouted in anger.
“Why! Why can’t you get me out right now?”
“There’s nothing I can do. The world works like that—”
“Iris unnie fixed things immediately!”
Contrary to Orchid’s expectations, Liliana was accustomed to Iris’s convenience.
Even with difficult problems, Iris always solved them smoothly without any fuss.
‘But Oppa can’t be worse than Unnie. Oppa is a genius after all.’
Although this was his first time in such trouble, he’d faced similar crises before.
He probably just didn’t want to bother dealing with it.
“Lili, the situation is different this time.”
“But you’re the heir! How can you be worse than Iris unnie at this?”
Liliana openly compared Iris and Orchid.
‘Worse than Iris?’
Irritation surged through Orchid. How could he be worse than the Iris he usually ignored?
‘Why is Lili acting like this? This isn’t like her.’
This was the first time Orchid had seen such behavior from Liliana.
The Liliana he knew always listened carefully and acted sweetly toward him.
Sometimes, she even tried to help maturely, despite her young age.
‘…Yeah, Lili must be having a hard time.’
Like a good elder brother, Orchid decided to overlook her words.
“Lili, if you speak like that, no man will ever truly love you. I'm only saying this because I’m your brother.”
“Forget that—just get me out of here already!”
But Liliana, who had been confined in prison for far too long, wasn’t in the mood to respond with her usual coquettish charm.
Brother Orchid clearly doesn’t understand how serious this is.
“If Big Sis Iris can’t deal with it right away, then bring her here so she can fix it herself!”
Just imagining what would happen once she was released—being mocked by the other noble daughters—made her want to scream.
“You know how much I’ve been suffering. How can you say something like that? Iris never treated me this way!”
Iris again!
The name slipped from her lips as easily as breathing. At that, Orchid finally lost his temper.
“You’re the one who’s less capable than Iris, and yet you think you have the right to raise your voice?”
“I’m… worse than Big Sis?!”
Liliana stopped mid-sentence, her eyes going wide.
“What are you talking about? She’s an adult, way older than me! Why are you even bringing her up?!”
“She’s only two years older. You should start showing some maturity already.”
“…That’s so unfair.”
Her brother and sister had both grown up with their mother’s guidance. She hadn’t. Comparing them was unjust.
And I’m the one enduring all this suffering right now!
And yet, here he was, not even trying to get her out—just scolding her like a criminal.
“If Mother were still alive, she would’ve taken care of me. I miss her… I miss Mother so much…”
At her teary complaint, Orchid flinched for a moment—but his irritation surged back even stronger.
Liliana always acted this way when things didn’t go her way, throwing tantrums and invoking their mother’s memory to bend people to her will.
She never even met Mother properly, and yet…
That hypocrisy enraged Orchid.
“Enough! You’re the one who caused this mess—don’t take it out on me. Iris never would’ve let things get this bad.”
He snapped in exasperation.
Even if Iris
had
ended up in prison, she would have calmly handled the situation from within—quietly and thoroughly.
Not sat around waiting for someone to rescue her like some pampered young mistress.
“You’ve been nothing but a burden on the family. And after I entrusted you with the clan seal, this is how you repay me…”
“You gave me permission! You could’ve stopped me from the start like Iris would have!”
Liliana shot back, her tears now falling freely. She had never heard such harsh words from her brother before—and it hurt.
“Whatever! Just get me out of here! Iris would’ve already broken me out by now!”
Her crying grew louder and shriller.
The sound alone grated on Orchid’s nerves.
Was Lili always this exhausting?
He already had a mountain of responsibilities waiting as the next clan head—and this was his first time dealing with something as complicated as a spiritual tax crime. He had no idea where to even begin.
And yet here was his little sister, treating him like a villain.
Iris would never have acted like this.
Suddenly, an image of Iris—now married into the Duchy of Leontheim—flashed in Orchid’s mind.
Of course, at first, Orchid had been furious that she left without fully resolving the spirit-tax issue.
But that anger had long since cooled.
Is this what it means to be bound by blood?
Even after her sharp words, even after she walked away, Iris still left behind an ache of longing.
If only Iris were here right now…
No matter how difficult the task, Iris never raised her voice or lashed out at him.
She just quietly offered her help with a calm face.
She had always yearned for affection, and even the smallest kindness brought her joy.
A quiet, enduring child.
‘Come to think of it, she was really kind.’
Liliana was only two years older than him, yet unlike Liliana, Iris would step in to handle matters when Orchid was struggling.
Though she wasn’t as capable as him, she was still occasionally useful when things got tough.
‘I bet Iris isn’t faring well over there either.’
A girl who couldn’t even get along with her own family would have an even harder time dealing with others.
She wasn’t good with words, nor did she have any feminine charm, so it was obvious she must have suffered under her husband’s harshness.
Perhaps being called Valentine only made things worse for her.
‘Iris must be missing her family too.’
How hard it must be for her, so far from home.
‘The reason Iris endured such a difficult marriage was...’
Because she didn’t want Liliana, who grew up motherless, to suffer the same fate.
‘But Liliana...’
Orchid shook his head watching her.
‘I really should write to Iris.’
What it means to cherish family.
No matter how far apart, blood relatives share a bond that deepens longing.
Especially if someone struggles to adapt and feels isolated.
He decided to fulfill his duty as a caring older brother and also handle Liliana’s troubles, since Iris knew her well.
‘I’m sure Iris would be overjoyed to receive it.’
Maybe she would even shed tears of gratitude.
‘Because she knows the kindness and favor I showed her.’
Orchid immediately wrote and sent the letter, expecting a reply soon after.
Unfortunately, no reply came from that heartfelt letter.
More precisely, it never even reached Iris’s hands.
A maid cleaning asked another,
“Valentine? Should we burn this right away?”
“Yeah. The mistress said all letters from Valentine are trash.”
“Might as well use it for firewood.”
Because it was all burned. visited Cedric’s study to address the safety issues in the Duke’s castle.
Fortunately, Cedric was in his study, working with Vincent.
“Am I interrupting?”
Iris asked cautiously, carrying a tray with tea.
“If it’s urgent, you can just leave the documents and go.”
“No, it’s nothing urgent.”
“Master, do you really think so?”
Cedric, somewhat arrogantly, glanced at the piles of unresolved matters before him.
Of course, none of those were urgent for Cedric—his urgency was with Vincent.
Vincent averted his gaze quietly, though his eyes were filled with thoughts he dared not voice.
Cedric, eyes sparkling like a child discovering a new cultivation manual, turned to Iris and asked,
“What brings my lady here today? Have you come because there’s something you wish to do with me?”
“No. I’m here to reinforce the castle’s winter defenses.”
The northern winters were harsh and unforgiving.
Though they had long adapted to the brutal cold, familiarity did not mean safety.
If I strengthen the castle’s fortifications as much as possible, the people will be able to endure this winter in safety.
Iris handed over a document detailing her winter reinforcement plan.
Vincent, glancing over it beside her, spoke with a voice full of gratitude.
“Heavens—our mistress is already worrying about the safety of the castle’s people!”
“It’s nothing grand. I merely supplemented the previous plans.”
“That alone sets you apart from the young lord, who’s been putting off the snow chain issue for days.”
“I only rejected it because it was nonsense.”
“Snow chains?” Iris asked.
“Ah, the madam may be unfamiliar with the term,” Vincent began, eyes gleaming with the zeal of a sect elder explaining a rare artifact.
“The north is far colder than other regions. Wagon wheels freeze and cause major accidents during transport.”
“So the idea is to use snow chains for traction?” she asked.
“Exactly! I’ve heard the capital sometimes uses them during the harshest winters.”
“That makes sense. Ice paths are dangerous.”
Iris blinked slowly, deep in thought. As the mistress of the domain, she wasn’t unfamiliar with such matters.
But…
When she arrived, the northern stronghold hadn’t adopted the use of snow chains.
Could this have been one of the incidents triggered by my marriage here?
Yet Vincent seemed to have been researching this for some time. He even had injury and fatality statistics caused by wagon accidents during each winter season.
“I’ve said it this morning and I’ll say it again—tomorrow the merchant lord is coming to meet the young master. If you dodge him again, I won’t stand for it.”
“He’s already here?” Cedric grumbled.
“How could you say
that
? He’s a merchant lord offering to supply the north—show some respect!”
“Hmph. That guy’s face just puts me off.”
Cedric raised a brow, looking utterly unbothered.
“You can’t judge a person based on appearance alone.”
Vincent turned to Iris with pleading eyes.
“Madam, please say something to him. We can’t afford to let this deal fall apart again.”
According to Vincent’s report, snow chains were the most effective solution for the northern roads in winter.
And indeed, the capital does use them as part of its cold-weather strategy.
Their effectiveness had already been proven.
Then why did people stop using them later on?
Iris’s gaze moved to the merchant group offering the deal—or more precisely, the name of the merchant lord leading it.
Though the name of the merchant house was different, she recognized the man behind it immediately.
Oliver Hansen, Baron.
A con artist who had orchestrated a massive fraud in the capital before fleeing to an island in the Eastern provinces.
It was a story Iris had only vaguely heard before her regression, when she was still just a peripheral player in the capital's merchant world.
Technically, this hasn’t happened yet.
Still, it had caused a massive stir at the time.
Several noble clans in the capital had been swindled out of their investment funds.
Of course, since I never experienced it directly, I can’t be hasty in my judgment.
The name of the merchant house and the product differed from what she remembered.
She couldn’t come to a conclusion without meeting the man in person.
“Would it be alright if I accompany you when you go to meet Oliver Hansen?”
Chapter 28
Translator's Note:
🎧 Check out the audio versions on my YouTube channel:
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