NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 60.1
The Mirror Therapy Project (1)
‘So… so that’s why you’ve been calling yourself “neutral,” Elisha von Havana!’
Looking back, it all made sense.
Before her marriage, the Marchioness Elisha von Havana had been surprisingly close with the Crown Prince Canbraman.
They had frequently exchanged glances during balls, hunting events, and swordsmanship training.
Back then, Entir had assumed it was only natural. They were distant relatives who had grown up together, after all.
Blinded by love, he had convinced himself that everything was perfectly normal.
The idea that the Crown Prince and his wife were having an affair was too horrific for him to even consider.
‘And every time she returned from the imperial palace, she’d demand intimacy…!’
Elisha and Entir didn’t have a particularly active marital relationship.
But on rare occasions, they would share a bed — typically during their honeymoon period or whenever Elisha returned from a visit to the imperial palace.
‘All this time… all this time, I…!’
As all the puzzle pieces fell into place, Entir’s dream of happiness crumbled.
His once-sweet dream of a blissful marriage had turned into a nightmare called reality.
“Graaaaaaah!!”
He let out a cry of despair.
“Ah… ahhh…”
What made it worse…
What truly crushed him…
…was the fact that, despite knowing the truth, despite having truth and justice on his side, he was powerless to do anything about it.
The people he was up against were a Swordmaster and the Crown Prince.
And what was he?
Just a nouveau riche merchant with lots of money.
If he tried to bring this issue to light, he’d be branded for insulting the Imperial Family. Worse, his wife would kill him before it even reached that point.
“……”
With every passing day, Entir withered away.
The Marquisate of Havana, located in the southern part of the Empire, was a warm and prosperous land.
But for him, it felt suffocating and freezing cold.
He had to force himself to smile at his children, knowing not a drop of his blood ran in their veins.
He had to grovel in front of his wife, pretending to be her obedient husband.
It was unbearable.
One day, a new opportunity came his way.
“I’ve been assigned to lead an expedition to the Western border. I’ll probably be stationed there for two years.”
“An expedition?”
“The Emperor collapsed from old age, and Bardenheim, the capital of the Kingdoms’ Alliance, is making suspicious moves.”
“It can’t be helped, then. Do what you must.”
“Please support the supply lines, darling.”
“Supplies? Won’t the imperial army handle that?”
“You know very well that the support from the Imperial Family is always lacking.”
“…Of course.”
It was a moment of unexpected salvation.
When the Emperor collapsed due to old age, the Kingdoms’ Alliance saw a chance to act.
Countless messengers and carrier pigeons flew in and out of Bardenheim, the alliance’s capital.
The Western border of the Empire grew restless.
The Crown Prince, who was serving as regent, assigned Elisha von Havana to lead the Western expedition.
Elisha accepted without hesitation.
“I’ll be back.”
“Be safe. Stay healthy.”
And just like that, the woman he hated and feared the most had left for the battlefield.
The suffocating feeling that had plagued Entir’s heart began to fade.
‘This is my chance!’
He would not waste it.
The moment she left, he seized the opportunity.
He began to reclaim control of his trading company’s branches.
Until now, those branches had been infiltrated and taken over by his wife’s family.
He reassigned all of Havana’s people.
The Marquisate’s agents didn’t even complain. Why? Because the new postings were in prime locations like the Imperial Capital and the wealthy southern provinces.
It was a flawless maneuver.
‘The heavens are helping me! The head of Sigma has been purged! The Mongar Orcs are on the move!’
With the Imperial intelligence agency Sigma in turmoil and the Duke of Doom leading an orc subjugation campaign, Entir had the perfect chance to lay the groundwork for his rebellion.
He quietly built up an anti-royal faction.
He gathered support from nobles who had grievances against the Imperial Family.
He poured his wealth into their cause.
‘Revenge. I will have my revenge. I’ll destroy that cursed wench and her lover!’
But there was a problem.
He needed more time.
The expedition to the Western border wouldn’t last forever.
Once his wife returned, she’d figure it all out.
The Shadow Duke of Doom would eventually return, and when he did, his anti-royal faction would be crushed.
If the Crown Prince ascended to the throne, his revenge would be no more than a hopeless dream.
‘I need more resources! Stronger forces! More influence!’
Just a little more!
A little more time, and everything would be ready!
So, he risked everything.
***
One day, an intriguing rumor reached his ears.
“Arad Salt? You’re telling me they’ve discovered a new spice in the North?!”
More rumors followed.
“Mary’s Blessing? Fertilizer that allows crops to grow even in the Northern cold?!”
“This is the most beautiful porcelain I’ve ever seen! And it’s hard to break, too?! The North made this?!”
These words were like a siren’s call for a merchant like Entir.
He had his justification.
He didn’t hesitate for a moment.
He left the Marquisate of Havana.
“Perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
No more suffocating mansion.
No more pretending to love children who weren’t his.
He followed the scent of money like a bee drawn to flowers.
He headed for the North.
***
Solaris, the largest city in the Imperial North-Central region
Inside one of the Bishop Trading Company’s branch offices, a tense scene unfolded.
“…You’re not ordinary adventurers, are you?”
Entir’s eyes sharpened as he gazed at the three adventurers standing before him.
The mood in the room was grim.
Six of his hired bodyguards lay unconscious on the floor.
He was alone.
Surrounded by three strangers.
Yet, Entir remained composed.
“What do you want? Is it money? Or are you trying to prove your skills to become my bodyguards?”
Even now, he maintained his calm, smiling faintly.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Sloppy work.”
He clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“Your clothes are too clean. You’ve got Church pendants to pretend you’re faithful, and you’ve gone to great lengths to mimic the Central dialect. But…”
His gaze grew sharp.
“You can’t fool me. You’re Northern.”
Silence.
The three men didn’t move a muscle.
They didn’t deny it.
“Actually, I’ll take it back.” Entir chuckles.
“You’re not just ordinary adventurers. And you’re not ordinary Northerners, either.”
He glanced at them with an almost amused look.
“My wife is a Swordmaster, you know. She taught me a few things. I can’t sense mana, but I can feel it. You guys aren’t just adventurers. I’d bet you’re at least A-rank adventurers.”
His words carried an undercurrent of dread.
His eyes, unlike his calm demeanor, were filled with depth and unease.
“You’re not here by accident. You were sent by Renslet, weren’t you? The Frost Knights, right?”
The moment he said it, Entir’s lips curled into a grin.
“I didn’t expect the branch manager here to have this kind of connection. I guess I left him here for too long, huh?”
He glanced around, his mind sharp as ever.
“Alright then. Why have you come to see me? How did you know I’d be here?”
His fingers inched toward his hidden bell, ready to summon every guard in the building.