54

"Senior, when are you going to see my father again?"

"Tomorrow. Why?"

"I want to ask you to find out if there is some land in the capital to put a building on."

"Are you going to speculate?"

Khalif's eyes were full of greed. Since Khalif trusted Elena's judgment and choice almost at the religious level, he wanted to be put on this opportunity if she bought land.

"What do you mean, speculation? I'm not good in that area."

"Then why are you suddenly looking for land? The land is expensive there."

"I'm going to build a salon there."

"Salon? What is that?"

Since this period was before the salon culture was established, Khalif did not know much about salons.

"It is a place of discussion that breaks down barriers of gender and status. It is the birthplace of culture and intellect, a place for socializing, a place for literary figures, writers, artists, and thinkers to present their work, and an exhibition space."

"…!"

Elena was going to open the first, biggest and best salon in the capital of the empire. The Salon is the conglomeration of art and culture that Elena dreamed of. It is a space where literati, artists, nobles, scientists, and other prominent people can come and go to engage in dialogue and debate, and a place where artists can display and sell their works. It is also a place to display and sell the works of artists. It can also serve as a ballroom where people can enjoy performances and dance while having a meal with drinks.

The salon is a center with cultural ripple effects that can dominate the continent.

'L will be at the center of culture as the hostess of the salon.'

Elena's unconventional ambitions made Khalif speechless.

"Salon? It's shocking. I can't say anything. How did you think that?"

"This isn't the end. It's too early to be surprised."

"What else?"

"The salon itself has meaning, but we also want to give meaning to the first architecture that represents the salon. It's going to be the size of a cathedral and built in a new architectural style that we've never seen before."

Khalif was surprised and worried.

"Isn't that too much greed? It's the size of a cathedral. Let's say it is. Where can you get an architect with a new architecture?"

"Where? He's next to you."

"Who is the person next to me… Don't tell me you're thinking about Randol?"

"Yes, I'll leave everything from the salon's design to architecture to Randol."

Khalif's mouth dropped open. That's how unconventional Elena's statement was. This is because it was an adventure to entrust Randol, who is blessed with genius but has not yet achieved anything externally, with such an unexpected amount of construction.

'As Lucia said. I don't think Randol can't build it again.'

Since Khalif was closer to Randol than anyone else and had tried to communicate with him, he had a vague but trusting feeling that he could pull it off. Seemingly convinced, Elena said with a smile.

"Please give it to Randol. It's an opportunity to promote himself to the world. Break the mannerisms and surprise the world with his own techniques."

"I'll tell him. He'll be happy."

Khalif was flattered by this. Randol had always been determined to build a structure of his own construction, but the opportunity had come sooner than he had expected. He was itching to share the news.

"If he can afford it, ask my father to look for a site near the land to buy."

"I heard you're not speculating?"

"It's not speculation. We're going to create a complex cultural space that can be linked to salons."

"What? Complex culture? What on earth are you thinking about? I can't keep up."

In recent times, Khalif has been admiring Elena. The groundbreaking and catch-up ideas were so witty that he could not follow it even if he died and woke up.

"Why are you coming after me? Don't follow me."

"What?"

"I'm just doing what I'm good at. You should do what you're good at."

"What I'm good at… That's right."

Khalif smiled and nodded in agreement. Elena spoke face to face.

"Salons are not designed and built by themselves. From beginning to end…"

"You're also working with an art broker, right?"

"Yes, your role will be more important than anything else."

"Nice! It's nagging to say more. I know too. How important my role is. I'm actually living with responsibility."

Elena smiled. He was always grumbling and playful, but she knew better than anyone else that he was always serious and committed to his field.

"And this. Give it to my father."

Khalif was handed an envelope with a letter.

"What's this? Can I see it?"

"It doesn't matter if you look at it, but it's not much. I'm going to buy some land in the capital slums, and I've checked the area on the map."

"Why buy there? No, how can you think of buying a slum land? That's the end of life. It can't be sold again or bought. You'll be bitten by a water ghost."

Khalif had completely dissuaded Elena from buying the slum land. The slums were the cheapest land prices in the capital, as beggars, wanderers, tramps, and vagrants lived in the capital.

Therefore, in the past, several aristocratic investors had attempted to buy land in slums at a low price and develop it.

But the result was all a failure. Even if the poor were kicked out, other poor people soon came and filled the seats. Even if the building was built at a cost, common people were reluctant to come because there were vagrants and itinerants.

"I know."

"You're going to buy the slum land, even if you know it? You, just talk to me. Is there any gold in there?"

Khalif's eyes were filled with expectations.

He was wondering if there was anything.

"Ha, where's the veins of gold in the capital? I'm just buying it for charity."

"Charity? Are you serious?"

"Yes, do you think I'm lying? What's the point of making money? We have to help people in need."

Disappointed, Khalif once again put the letter in his arms. If he was interested, he would have opened it, but it seemed that he was not interested in buying the land in the slums. He'd lose his money as soon as he invested. Elena felt sorry for not being able to tell the truth.

'I'm sorry, senior. I couldn't tell you honestly. But I can't help it. If I tell you, I think you'll live in that land.'

It was not that Khalif could not be trusted. But Elena knew very well that human greed could sometimes cloud reason. If Khalif were to follow Elena's lead and buy or sell the land of the poor, that too would be a target.

'I have to be prepared in private, if I don't buy it as quickly as possible with an agent, Leabrick will notice.'

Sooner or later, there will be a tremendous development boom in the capital. The Grand Duke would spend astronomical amounts of money to crush the slums and create Noblesse Street on the land, the largest development project in the capital since the founding of the empire, where only nobles and royalty can enter and leave.

'Whatever you imagine, it's more than that.'

The money spent by the Grand Duke to build this Noblesse Street was equivalent to a year's budget of the Empire. The fundamental power of the Grand Duke to make such an astronomical investment was amazing, but the success of Noblesse Street was largely due to the merits of Leabrick, who had carefully prepared for its success. She anticipated that the imperial family would collapse and the empire would revolve around the nobility, so she tried to build a city for the nobility, and the result was a great success.

'The Grand Duke's success is my misfortune. I have to keep an eye on it.'

Elena was going to ruin her investment. She'd eat them little by little and eventually destroy them thoroughly. If the Noblesse Street Development Project succeeds, it would be nearly impossible to ruin the Grand Duchy, no matter how much Elena flies.

That first maneuver is truly a success. One step ahead of Leabrick, she had bought up the land in the slums that would become the main base for the development of Noblesse Street. Knowing the future, it was not that difficult for Elena. There could be a certain margin of error, but she had a rough idea of where the development would take place, having frequented Noblesse Street when she was queen.

'There is one thing to watch out for. Buying with L's possession, but having an agent so that the tail is not stepped on.'

Elena was well aware of Leabrick's relentlessness. If she knew the fact that Elena had made the first move and sold the land, she would try to find L by any means necessary. L was a person who existed only in documents and signatures. For the time being, there was no way that it would be discovered that she was Elena, but for the sake of later, it was necessary to have an agent to conclude the sale and block Leabrick's pursuit in advance.

'It's easy after I buy land from poor people. I can sell it back to Leabrick.'

Elena already had a perfect plan in her head. To use the plan of the Grand Duke to extort money from the Grand Duke. It was in line with Elena's vision of the Grand Duchy's downfall. The rest, as Elena had written in her letter, was for Emilio to act as an agent to buy and sell the land in the slums. There was no need to worry, as he was experienced enough to not make mistakes.

"Well then, that's it for today's conversation. Oh, I have an appointment with my father and I'm going to concentrate on my schoolwork for a while. Please don't look for me."

"Yeah, I think I'm going to be as busy as you are with the way I am. Good luck."

It was when the conversation ended and Khalif tried to open the door to leave the study room.

Knock, knock.

"…!"

The sudden knocking of the door drew Elena and Khalif's attention to it. It was not common to be visited by others because a self-study room and a discussion room could be used for personal purposes without interference from anyone who applied.

'No way, Ren?'

She had such a question reflexively, but she soon erased it from her head. She stopped by the four-story recording room, disguised herself, and came down to the two-story study room. The movement was so short that it was unlikely that Ren would have been discovered.

"I'll go out."

Khalif, who was standing in front of the door, turned and pulled.

"Who are you… Hyuk!"

As soon as the door was opened, Khalif, who saw the man standing in front of him, swallowed his breath in vain.

"Y-Your Grace?"

"…!"

Is there any student attending an academic institute who didn't know the face of Sian? In response to Khalif's surprised reaction, Lucia also rose from her chair.

"It was you again."

Unlike the two who were surprised, Sian's reaction was calm. You couldn't see any emotions except alternating with an expressionless look.

"How did you get here?"

"I happened to see you on this floor. I searched the reading room to see if I could ask you how you were doing. So I've come, and you're here."

Khalif's eyes were wide open. Even when he chewed it over, he could only hear that Sian came first with an interest in Lucia. After seeing Elena with his back against Sian, Khalif questioned her in the shape of his mouth without a sound.

'Did you know His Highness the Crown Prince? Why didn't you tell me earlier!'