Zorin’s Ambition, Value of Beauty

[Armed Palace, Royal Guest House]

Seated and listening to the Deva spy kneeling before them, Prince Lumis and Lord Ymnes gathered more information about Prince Vritra's plans.

The spy revealed that Duranzia was eager to form an alliance because they feared being crushed by the Military Kingdom of Serathen. Additionally, it seemed that Serathen was already targeting the Sword Nation of Gladius.

"Hrmm, interesting…"

Lord Ymnes nodded in approval; this was crucial information. Without wasting any time, the old man opened a portal, ready to gather more substantial information from other parts of the Central Continent.

"My prince, please don't act hastily. Wait for me to gather enough proof and secure some political support from my contacts in the Central Continent before you make any moves. I find it hard to believe that dark prince would be so careless; our spy probably overheard everything because Vritra wanted him to. We cannot afford to make another mistake…"

Sigh~

"We're still recovering from the last one."

After giving his warning to Lumis, Old Ymnes stepped into the white portal and vanished.

Now, only the Deva royal and his spy were left in the large chamber. The spy stood there with a sour expression; he didn't like being treated like a fool, but he also didn't dare to question the old Deva's wisdom.

『Tch, look at Lord Ymnes acting like I'm not skilled enough to hide my presence from Asura scum like that dark prince, Vritra. He seems to overestimate that unholy creature, though I can't imagine why. Personally, I believe we, the members of the Blueworld household, can put him in his place.』

The Deva spy clenched his teeth in anger.

He was Zorin Deva.

The spymaster of the Blueworld household.

His job was to gather intelligence and ensure security for the young master.

He was responsible for finding out vital information about possible allies and enemies, like Duranzia and Prince Vritra, as well as keeping an eye on local sentiments and secretly protecting the young master.

But despite all his efforts, Lord Ymnes had outdone him in every single task, making Zorin feel like he wasn't fit for the job given to him by the family head.

… Grr

Just thinking about it made him boil with anger.

"So, Zorin, do you have any other information?" Lumis asked with a plain face.

The spymaster smiled, placed a hand on his chest, and lowered his head in reverence──just knowing that his prince still needed him melted away all his anger.

"Yes, my prince, I do have more news to share. I only held back because of Lord Ymnes."

Hearing this, Lumis raised an eyebrow.

"Hm? What do you mean by that? What can you say to me that you can't say in Ymnes's presence?"

The prince's plain-faced expression became a bit irritated.

Zorin noticed this and quickly pressed his head to the ground and spoke hastily.

"Th-, That wasn't my intention, Your Highness! I'm just trying to say it's something related to what happened in the dark prince's chambers, and I think it might be useful to you."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"After the dark prince recovered from the fatal wound you gave him with your incredible strength, he started sleeping with one maid after another."

"I don't see how that involves me…"

"My prince, one of those maids was the head maid, Esmeralda Kirkwood. She's the one who acts like a mother to Princess Luciana Duranzia, the lovely maiden who seems to have caught your attention."

"Hmm, I understand…"

The discussion should've ended here, of course.

Lumis knew better than to act on such news without first consulting his personal advisor and guardian, Old Ymnes.

If the old man gave an order, the prince always made sure to listen without questioning him.

But Zorin had different ideas. He was eager to prove that he was truly superior to that old man.

"D-, Don't you see, my prince!"

He quickly crawled over to where Lumis was sitting.

"That dark prince has insulted you multiple times and even called you a womanizer in front of these humans. Is that fair? Especially when he's the real womanizer!

"Think about it──you haven't slept with a single woman here, choosing to keep your purity, while he indulges with maids like the lustful creature he is! It's pure hypocrisy! Prince Lumis, at least consider informing the princess about this.

"I've heard King Felmus is trying to get her to persuade him into allying with Duranzia. Imagine if he demands the delicate flesh of the fair Princess Luciana. My prince, you must act."

Zorin's words were too convincing for Lumis to ignore.

The prince got up from his bed, walked to a nearby window, and stared outside, unsure of what to do.

"I… I can't believe King Felmus would go this far."

He clenched his fists tightly, though his face remained calm. It wasn't that he didn't want to lose his temper and lash out, but was it worth disobeying Ymnes? That was the only thing holding him back from making a rash decision.

『I should be careful what choice I make…』

Lumis lowered his head and sighed heavily.

━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━

Later that night…

The fireplace was lit, casting a warm glow across Prince Vritra's chambers. He sat comfortably on a sofa, enjoying a cup of red tea prepared by "his woman" the elegant and stunning Esmeralda.

She stood before him, admiring the shiny black necklace around her neck.

Vritra took a satisfying sip of his tea.

"So, do you like it?"

He asked in a calm, steady voice, as his eyes stayed fixed on hers. He wasn't just waiting to hear her thoughts; he was also hoping to catch a glimpse of appreciation in her lovely blue eyes.

Esmeralda couldn't take her eyes off the necklace──it was so beautiful. She hadn't realized that the color black could shine so brightly.

"I-, It's beautiful, God Vritra. Thank you…"

She bowed her head with a soft smile.

"That's good to hear," Vritra replied.

"God Vritra?"

"Is there a problem? Perhaps you don't really like it?"

Not wanting him to misunderstand, Esmeralda took a sharp step forward and waved her hands dismissively.

"No, of course not!"

It was almost like she was a lawyer defending her client in court, the way she argued against the idea. Afterward, she relaxed a bit, placing both hands on the necklace and staring at it with a solemn expression.

She appeared both deeply grateful and very sad.

"It's just that this is the first time I've received such an expensive gift. Before I was taken in by King Felmus, when I lived with my family in our small village before it was taken over by the Vayetran Church, things like this were luxuries we couldn't afford.

"I really didn't need them back then, nei-, neither do I need them now. You see, my father always said that the value of a gift lies in the intent behind it. While I've received many gifts from noble men during my time as a maid, I've turned them all down because their intentions were never genuine. Even His Majesty has done his best to protect me from them.

"I-, I guess I'm talking too much."

Her head dropped a little more, and she looked even sadder.

Vritra had a slight frown on his face.

『To be honest, if this cutscene had a skip button, I'd use it the first chance I get. But of course, I can't tell her that.』

The young Asura shook his head while smiling mildly.

"Of course not. Make your point."

Esmeralda's eyes lit up.

"I... well, what I'm trying to say is that I can't truly understand the heart of a transcendent being like yourself, God Vritra.

"I don't really know why you gave me this gift, and I wouldn't dare question you. I… I choose to believe it's for the same reasons you showed an ordinary servant like me kindness and even massaged my shoulders.

"In the end, you seem like a genuinely kind person. I just hope I haven't said anything out of line."

Saying all of this made her feel like she had finally lifted a heavy weight off her chest.

Prince Vritra's reaction to her words was calm and unaffected, but inside, he was already deep in thought.

『Interesting… I know she has most of these traits in her background, but it feels like her character is developing more than it should.

『Does this mean that because I, the villain and an anomaly, am giving her the kind of attention usually reserved for a heroine, she's developing more? Yes, that must be it! It's like in a movie.

『Take the damsel-in-distress trope, for example. Normally, the heroine gets captured, and the protagonist has to save her, which strengthens their bond. But what if the roles were reversed and a side character got abducted instead?

『That would shift the focus of the story to them, making them a main character. So…』

Right away, Esmeralda's status popped up in front of him.

[Fate Value: 130]

… Tch!

『Of course her Fate Value is still the same. I wouldn't say my theory is completely off, but this system doesn't give me clear answers on these things. It claims to be all-knowing, but it only provides information based on what I've encountered. In other words, I can't learn about something unless I have a physical reference for it.』

With a small sigh to calm himself, Vritra smiled at the beautiful woman before him.

Then, he got up from the sofa and walked over to her.

"This necklace…"

Vritra placed a gentle hand on Esmeralda's collarbone. It made her feel a slight tingle, but he was just trying to reach the necklace.

"It's made from a Black Diamond Cobra. That alone is worth enough to buy a noble an entire barony, build infrastructures, and even hire knights to manage it. That's the real value of the necklace──not my intentions, feelings, or whatever you want to call it. I didn't put any emotions into giving you this gift; I just wanted to give it to you."

Esmeralda felt the words hit her like a spear through the heart.

"I… I understand, God Vritra…"

She had poured everything into all she said earlier, but in the end, she reminded herself that she was just a human, and not even one with an impressive background.

"But…"

Vritra gently held her small chin and lifted her pretty face slightly.

"I won't say you're not worth as much as these black diamonds around your neck. In fact, you're worth more than them… yes, that's the real reason I gave it to you. A beautiful woman deserves beautiful things. You're not ugly, so why would you think you're not worth as much as diamonds to me? After all, diamonds can't make me a good cup of tea."

Shortly after speaking, Prince Vritra chuckled.

As Esmeralda looked deeply into his eyes, she felt her heart come alive in his presence. She might even admit she was more captivated by this man than ever before.

"Th-, Thank you, God Vritra."

No other man had ever had this kind of effect on her.