The mansion of the Duke of Bryden was shrouded in darkness, with only the moonlight pouring in through the windows illuminating the second-floor hallway. A man walked along the corridor.
He turned a corner with practiced familiarity and opened a heavy door. It was the study of the Duke of Bryden, where tall bookshelves lined the walls.
The man, with his golden hair and strikingly handsome features, was none other than Ian Bryden. Without hesitation, he approached the desk. Taking a key from his pocket, he unlocked the bottom drawer and pulled out a stack of documents.
These documents were filled with details about the lottery business, from its current status to plans for future expansion.
Ian quickly skimmed through them. Most of the documents were ones he had already reviewed, but there were a few he hadn’t seen before—particularly those related to the business’s expansion.
Among them, one document caught his attention. It detailed a method of selling lottery tickets specifically to nobles, distinct from those sold to commoners.
“A different sales approach for nobles…”
At the bottom of the proposal was the seal of Baron Chester, indicating it was his idea.
“Chester… It’s Chester again.”
Ian’s brow furrowed.
He was reminded of Evelyn Chester, now a deputy maid of the imperial palace.
According to Marriott, Evelyn was the one who had manipulated events to have her dismissed.
And that wasn’t all. Evelyn had also disrupted Ian’s other plans. It was Evelyn who stepped up to the podium during Caesar’s birthday banquet, derailing his schemes, and it was Evelyn who thwarted his attempt to poison the princess.
How could a mere baron’s young maid manage to interfere with all of this? It couldn’t be a coincidence.
Her rapid promotion to deputy maid at such a young age was unusual as well. There had to be something between Evelyn and the Emperor.
“When I tried to approach her under the guise of the debutante, she ignored me and disappeared without a word.”
Now that he thought about it, the one who had called Evelyn away that day was none other than the Emperor’s aide. It all left a bad taste in his mouth.
If it weren’t for that maid, if only his plans hadn’t been disrupted every step of the way, the person sitting on the throne wouldn’t be that fool crown prince—it would be Ian himself.
“Of course, I don’t intend to give up just yet.”
Ian’s gaze returned to the documents. He realized that the expanded lottery system would operate differently from before, with changes to the drawing process and the method for claiming prizes. As he confirmed each detail, a sly smile spread across his lips.
“There’s a card I need to play.”
And while he was at it, he thought, it wouldn’t hurt to make things difficult for Evelyn Chester. It could also serve as an opportunity to test her abilities.
Ian carefully put the documents back in their original order and locked the drawer with the key. By the time he left the room, it was as if no one had ever been there.
No one would have suspected a thing.
****
Caesar recovered completely after just one night. It was as if he had simply shaken off a cold, looking refreshed and even a bit more relaxed.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Despite his assurances, I couldn’t help but worry when Caesar declared that he would resume his usual swordsmanship training starting today.
This wasn’t just a common cold—it was a rampage. Since the cause hadn’t been resolved, it could happen again at any moment.
“I’m fine,” he said confidently.
“But… what if you suddenly rampage again?”
“I won’t.”
“How can you be so sure? It’s not like rampages come with a warning!”
I grumbled out of concern, but Caesar just smiled mischievously.
“By the way, about the suggestion you made to Baron Chester…”
I knew he was deliberately changing the subject, but since he’d been sick the entire previous day, I decided to let it slide.
“What suggestion?”
“The business idea. You suggested offering a differentiated service for the nobles, didn’t you?”
“It wasn’t really a suggestion… it just came up in conversation.”
“Well, everyone thought it was a good plan, and now it’s moving forward. It looks like it’ll be implemented soon.”
“Really? That’s great!”
“There are still a few details to finalize, though.”
Caesar, now dressed in his training uniform, strapped his sword to his belt. Although it had been a while since he graduated from using a wooden training sword to his personal blade, the sight still felt unfamiliar.
“After training, I’ll be attending a meeting about it, so I’ll be back late.”
“Alright. I have things to do today as well.”
“Things to do?”
Seeing Caesar’s face grow worried again, I quickly added,
“I’m going to visit the princess.”
“Ah…”
Floria was living in the same position as she had before Caesar ascended the throne. And unless something extraordinary happened, she would likely remain that way forever, especially since the empress had allied herself with us.
Caesar’s expression grew complicated as he finished preparing.
From an objective perspective, Floria’s current situation wasn’t bad at all. Compared to the usual fate of heirs who didn’t claim the throne—or even the tragic ending she faced in the original story, where her family was killed, and she was consumed by bitterness—she was much better off now.
Even so, I could understand why Caesar might still feel uneasy.
‘After all, we practically threatened her with her life. It’s not something he can just shrug off.’
“Once you have some free time, you should come visit too. The princess really misses you,” I said.
It wasn’t just a casual remark—Floria genuinely wanted to see Caesar. She was proud of her brother for becoming emperor and wanted to celebrate his success.
But since ascending the throne, Caesar hadn’t met with Floria alone, not even once.
“…Alright.”
After a long silence, Caesar finally answered in a small voice.
*****
Before we knew it, the heat of summer had arrived. The scorching sun seemed to drain the energy from everyone in the imperial palace, but not even the blazing weather could dampen Caesar’s enthusiasm. He poured all his energy into the lottery business.
Finally, the Sunday when the lottery would be sold across the empire arrived.
“A week from now, next Sunday, we’ll have our first winner,” I said, my heart pounding with anticipation.
Caesar nodded in agreement.
The two of us, along with Katana, my father Baron Chester, and Duke Bryden, were gathered in Caesar’s office to review the first day’s sales figures.
“I hope I win,” Katana joked.
Surprised, I asked, “Katana, did you buy a ticket? When?”
“Not yet, but wouldn’t it be nice if I did?”
Everyone chuckled at her absurd optimism. Even Duke Bryden gave a dry laugh as he said,
“My wife and I each purchased a ticket. Thanks to all the pre-launch promotion, it seems sales among nobles are quite strong. Coincidentally, I’ve arranged a tea time with several central nobles at my estate the day after tomorrow. I plan to gauge their reactions then.”
Caesar nodded.
“I’ve heard that gossip among nobles often starts at small gatherings like that. It’ll be a good chance to observe their response.”
Still, Caesar looked a bit uneasy.
“Nervous?” I asked.
“…A little. The scale is much larger than what we did in Summerhill. And the prize money will be dozens of times greater.”
My father nodded in agreement.
“At this rate, the prize money will be at least 1,000 gold. It could even reach several thousand.”
Several thousand gold? The mere thought made me shiver. It was a fortune that most people couldn’t dream of earning in a lifetime.
“The larger the amount, the greater the risk. It’s definitely worrisome,” I admitted.
To reassure me, my father patted my shoulder.
“You don’t need to worry about the prize money. Winners must come to the imperial palace to claim their prize. And Katana will personally verify that the ticket isn’t counterfeit.”
Previously, the tickets sold in Summerhill operated on a scratch-and-win system where buyers could immediately check if they had won.
But the empire-wide lottery used a different system, more akin to a lottery draw. Everyone would discover the results at the same time, one week after purchasing their tickets.
Numbers weren’t drawn publicly. Instead, a magic spell cast by Katana would reveal the results directly on the ticket a week later.
“What if someone steals a winning ticket?” I asked nervously.
Katana huffed indignantly.
“Do you think I wouldn’t prepare for that? The tickets are enchanted to verify that the person claiming the prize is the one who first purchased it. Of course, this excludes registered sellers.”
That explained why Katana had taken so long to enchant the tickets, even though she claimed it only took three minutes to add a traceable mark.
Those tiny pieces of paper were packed with magic. Without Katana, producing the tickets would’ve cost a fortune.
“Yes, everything is prepared. We’ve accounted for every variable,” my father said confidently. Both Duke Bryden and Caesar nodded in agreement.
‘I really hope this goes off without a hitch.’
The success of the first payout would determine future sales. If things went smoothly, sales would skyrocket. But if there were any issues, it would be hard to maintain momentum.
The following week passed uneventfully. Sales continued to climb, and no major problems arose.
I visited the market whenever I had free time to monitor public sentiment. The excitement among the citizens was palpable. Wherever two or more people gathered, they were talking about the lottery. The entire empire seemed to be counting down to Sunday.
Finally, Sunday arrived.
I couldn’t help but wonder: who would win? While I was invested in the project’s success, my personal curiosity was just as intense. If it were me, I would claim my prize the very day the results were announced.
But no winner appeared.
A day passed. Then two.
And by the fourth day, still no one had come forward.
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