“Madam?”
Before any other sound could escape, Vincent quickly agreed.
“Of course, my lady! It would be a great comfort if you accompany me.”
“Thank you.”
Iris gave a faint smile and nodded gently.
Just past noon, Viscount Oliver Hansen arrived at the Leontheim Duke’s castle carrying a set of snow chains.
The Viscount entered politely, bowing his head in greeting.
“Greetings, I am Viscount Oliver Hansen. It is an honor to meet you like this.”
The moment Iris finally looked up and met his gaze, a memory stirred in her mind.
[The Emperor’s steward summoned Viscount Hansen to a shadowed chamber.
“Surely you understand the importance of your role in this northern plan?”
Viscount Hansen nodded firmly.
“Of course. The plan is flawless.”
The steward inspected the snow chains Hansen had brought.
“Well done. Though counterfeit, they are indistinguishable from the real thing.”
“No one will notice. These goods are, after all, partly legitimate products.”
“Legitimate products? You…”
“Don’t worry. Unlike in the capital, these chains will deteriorate quickly due to the northern climate, causing more accidents in just a few days.”
Oliver confidently explained the mechanics of the fake snow chains.
“No one will catch on. No one has ever brought chains of this quality to the north.”
“Indeed. His Majesty will be most pleased.”
The imperial steward nodded approvingly.
“If you succeed this time, you will have the Emperor himself as your strong backing. Remember that well.”]
The shameless face of Oliver overlaid the scene in her mind.
“Our guild’s snow chains are renowned even in the capital for their quality. Please, inspect them yourself.”
Oliver proudly presented the counterfeit chains.
Even to Iris, their quality was indistinguishable from the genuine article.
‘I could stop this deal right here,’ she thought.
But that wouldn’t be a good solution.
‘The Emperor will simply devise another scheme.’
If she didn’t stop it properly this time, such incidents would only repeat.
More importantly, even if she blocked the Emperor’s trickery, the chronic issues in the northern territories would remain unresolved.
‘According to Vincent’s report, no other guild besides Oliver’s can supply snow chains.’
Last year had been especially harsh, and wagons had even failed to enter the Leontheim lands.
Stable trade with other regions made snow chains indispensable.
The casualties from wagon accidents at every winter’s start were too serious to ignore.
‘My actions carry the weight of the lives of the duchy’s people.’
Iris was not sure if her judgment was right.
Then a thought flashed through her mind.
‘Most northern accidents happen because the wheels freeze.’
Then, must it be snow chains specifically?
Maybe she could solve this matter more effectively with her own abilities.
Iris looked at Oliver and asked,
“How many prototypes can you leave behind?”
“Of course.”
This was the first time the usually silent Duchess Iris spoke.
‘Could it be she’s noticed something?’ Oliver’s shoulders twitched ever so slightly as he asked as casually as he could manage,
“May I ask, my lady… what exactly are you hoping to do here today?”
“I wanted to take a look at the supplies that will soon be distributed throughout our cultivation domain.”
Hearing Iris’s calm and clear voice, Oliver let out a faint chuckle inwardly.
On the surface, Iris still looked like a delicate and refined noble lady—hardly the type to uncover a scheme like his.
Even Leonteim’s seasoned steward was fooled completely. There’s no way some sheltered noble girl caught on.
Just one brief inspection wasn’t enough for someone like her to suspect anything.
Oliver, confident in his deception, nodded smugly and turned to the merchants waiting behind him.
“Bring out a few of the prototype items as a gift for the Marchioness.”
After the incident where Iris had rescued Rue, the affection the household staff felt toward her had grown immensely.
“See? Madam is nothing like the rest of those Valentine people.”
“Right? I can’t believe we didn’t see how kind she was sooner.”
“I really want to serve her better from now on.”
It was then that Iris summoned the servants to the Lady's office.
What could this be about?
She rarely gave them direct tasks, so they answered her call with wide-eyed curiosity.
But what they received was a baffling request.
“Rubber trees… ma’am?”
The servants read through the list Iris had handed them, their expressions turning puzzled.
“Yes. Do you think you can acquire them?”
“Yes, technically it’s possible, but…”
“We’re not sure why you’d want rubber trees, my lady. They’re not even good for firewood.”
Rubber trees were native to the magic beast-infested regions near Leonteim’s borders.
They were infamous in the north for being utterly useless—too dense to burn, and they bore no fruit.
Back in the day, arcane scholars once tried to uncover their hidden potential…
Because they grew in regions saturated with demonic qi, rubber trees developed a unique spiritual system that set them apart from ordinary flora.
At one point, there was even a theory that they could replace spirit stones as a power source.
Of course, in the end, they discovered that the spiritual energy within the plants couldn’t be harnessed.
Since then, no one’s paid them any attention.
Northern rubber trees, in particular, were so unnaturally tough—likely due to their unusual spiritual structure—that they couldn’t even be used to make cart wheels.
“Well… since you’ve requested it, we’ll try to gather some.”
“The gardener’s cousin works in logging—I’ll reach out and see if he can help.”
“Thank you.”
Iris gave her thanks and returned to reviewing her plans.
This is still a gamble.
Even before her regression, no one had ever successfully done what she was attempting.
If this didn’t work, she’d need a backup plan to replace the snow chains.
Still, they say these materials can last for a few days at least…
“And on your way out, please deliver these letters to the capital.”
Iris had written to various merchant sects, requesting technical assistance.
“Sender: Iris Valentine… no, that won’t do.”
What those merchant lords likely cared about wasn’t the name
Valentine
, but the name marked by the Emperor’s decree—
Leonteim
.
Without hesitation, Iris spoke firmly.
“Make sure the name reads ‘Iris Leonteim’ when you deliver them.”
Chapter 29