The Kingdom’s Greatest Fool? No, I’m the Ruler From the Darkness ~The Hidden Face of the Fat Prince~ - Chapter 13: Fading Hope

Chapter 13: Fading Hope

At the Braveheart family’s mansion, Leia Braveheart had just stepped out of her father’s study.

Her face bore traces of fatigue and concern.

“No good…”

She muttered softly.

She had consulted her father about helping Eleanor’s family.

But the response, as expected, was predictable.

“I’m sorry, but significant aid to the Frostheart family is difficult right now.”

Her father’s words echoed in her mind.

The Braveheart family itself had been struggling financially in recent years.

A new construction technique developed by a businessman named Marcus Gray was gaining popularity, reducing demand for traditional methods using earth magic stones.

“I can’t help at all…”

Leia stood by the window, gazing down at the garden.

The autumn breeze swayed the trees, and red-tinted leaves fluttered to the ground.

The scene was beautiful, but her heart was heavy.

“Our own house is starting to falter.”

That was the reality.

The Braveheart family’s income largely depended on mining and supplying earth magic stones.

Demand from the construction industry had been substantial, but Gray’s new technology enabled buildings of equal strength with half the magic stones.

Moreover, the spread of air conditioning had increased comfort.

Combined with the popularity of baths and refrigerators, traditional construction was increasingly seen as outdated and clunky.

Nobles and others favored high-profit, modern, stylish architecture for luxury residences.

Leia headed to the study and faced a mountain of documents.

She was involved in the family’s operations and understood its finances.

The numbers were brutally clear.

Revenue was down 20% from the previous year.

At this rate, serious trouble could arise within a few years.

“I should consult Alexander.”

She made up her mind and sent a messenger.

Alexander Granblue, her childhood friend, was a trusted confidant.

And he was known as a shrewd businessman.

—

A few hours later, Alexander visited the mansion.

They met in the garden’s gazebo.

“I understand the situation.”

Alexander said, frowning.

“It’s indeed a concerning trend.”

“What about your house? The demand for fire magic stones?”

“Similar situation.”

His reply surprised Leia.

The Granblue family, the kingdom’s largest supplier of fire magic stones, was supposed to have stable revenue.

“Unbelievable.”

“Silver and Gray’s technological innovations are transforming the market more than expected.”

Alexander sighed.

“Fire magic stones for cooking are now used at a third of their previous rate due to Gray’s magic stone stoves. Same for heating.”

“But your family has diversified operations, right?”

“Yes, so we won’t collapse immediately. But our main business is definitely taking a hit.”

Leia fell silent.

If even the Granblue family was in this state, the times were truly changing.

“And Eleanor’s family…?”

She asked cautiously.

“Very dire.”

Alexander’s expression darkened.

“Mine restoration is stalled, and debts keep mounting. Baron Silver’s loans are a double-edged sword.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s providing funds, but in exchange, he’s taking mine shares as collateral. At this rate, most of the Frostheart family’s assets could end up in his hands.”

Leia gasped.

“That’s…”

“Yes, essentially a takeover.”

A heavy silence enveloped them.

“Can’t we help somehow?”

At Leia’s question, Alexander showed a complex expression.

“I’m doing my utmost. But my family doesn’t have spare funds either.”

“I want to help Eleanor…”

Leia’s voice was soft but filled with strong resolve.

She and Eleanor sometimes clashed, but their friendship was deep.

“I feel the same.”

Determination flashed in Alexander’s eyes.

“She’s my fiancée. I’ll protect her no matter what.”

At those words, a sudden pain pierced Leia’s chest.

“Of course… your fiancée.”

She looked away.

Feelings she’d hidden for years surfaced again.

Her love for Alexander.

She’d admired him since childhood, and over time, it grew into romantic love.

But his heart belonged to Eleanor.

The day their engagement was announced, Leia cried alone.

Since then, she’d buried those feelings deep within.

“Leia?”

Alexander’s voice brought her back.

“Sorry, I was lost in thought.”

“Got an idea?”

“No… just…”

A terrifying thought crossed Leia’s mind.

(But if Eleanor were gone, would Alexander turn to me?)

The moment she realized that thought, self-loathing overwhelmed her.

Wishing misfortune on her best friend.

She couldn’t forgive herself for such a vile idea.

“It’s nothing.”

She said quickly.

“Maybe we’ll learn something at Baron Silver’s party tomorrow.”

“True. I’m investigating him too. If we find something, it could change things.”

Alexander stood.

“I should head back. See you at the party.”

“Yes, take care.”

Leia saw him off and sat alone for a long time.

Her heart was a mix of self-disgust and an unquenchable love.

“Such awful thoughts…”

She sighed.

“I’m disgusted with myself.”

Leia looked up at the sky.

The red evening sky seemed to mirror her heart’s turmoil.

“This feeling must never be known.”

Friendship and love.

Caught between these emotions, she suffered.

Her friendship with Eleanor was genuine.

That’s why she couldn’t forgive herself for wishing her friend harm.

“Tomorrow… I have to act normal.”

Leia quietly resolved.

She couldn’t let emotions sway her.

She’d do what she could as a friend.

Even if her heart felt like it was tearing apart.

Night’s darkness spread over the garden.

It seemed to gently envelop the darkness in her heart.

—

Eleanor, with a weary expression, closed a stack of investigation reports.

Outside, rain began to fall, the dark sky reflecting her mood.

“Nothing… nothing found.”

She murmured quietly.

Was her intuition wrong?

She’d been certain there was a connection between Baron Silver, Hugo Black, and Prince Victor.

“All that investigation money wasted…”

She gave a bitter smile.

The funds spent on the investigation further strained her family’s finances, but she’d thought it a necessary investment to find answers.

Yet the results were empty.

The investigation reports confirmed the backgrounds and identities of all three men.

• • Leon Silver was recorded as an illegitimate child of a fallen noble, raised by a merchant.

• • Hugo Black was verified as an orphan raised in an orphanage, formerly a mercenary.

• • Prince Victor… needless to say, he had been in the public eye since birth.

“There wasn’t even a hint of them interacting…”

The investigators found no evidence of any direct connection between the three.

No business dealings, no personal contact—nothing was uncovered.

“They might be the winds of a new era.”

Eleanor lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

“The decline of old nobles who relied on magic stone mining and magic… it might just be the flow of time.”

That thought depressed her.

The idea that centuries of Frostheart family tradition and glory could be erased by new business practices was unbearable.

But reality seemed to suggest just that.

A knock sounded, and she raised her heavy body.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Alexander appeared.

His face showed concern.

“Eleanor, are you alright?”

“Yes, just a bit tired.”

She tried to smile, but it came out strained.

Alexander sat beside her and took her hand.

“I heard about the investigation results.”

“Nothing was found. My intuition must have been wrong.”

Alexander gazed at her silently before speaking quietly.

“Not necessarily. A lack of evidence doesn’t mean there’s no connection.”

“But…”

“It takes time. If they’re hiding something, a surface-level investigation won’t uncover it.”

His words were logical, but they weren’t enough to lift Eleanor’s spirits.

“We don’t have time. Creditors will come knocking soon.”

“It’ll work out. My family is…”

“Your family’s struggling too, isn’t it?”

Her words left Alexander momentarily speechless.

“Indeed, things are tough. But…”

“Face reality!”

Her voice suddenly rose.

“The value of magic stones keeps falling. Your family, Leia’s family—they might end up on the same path as us.”

“You don’t need to be so pessimistic.”

“Pessimistic? I’m being realistic.”

Eleanor stood and moved to the window.

The rain had grown heavier.

“I’m considering investing in new industries. If we adapt to the changing times…”

“Adapt?”

She turned, glaring sharply at Alexander.

“Are you saying we should abandon centuries of family tradition?”

“That’s not what I meant. Just…”

“Stop talking so weakly!”

Eleanor couldn’t suppress her irritation.

Deep down, she had similar thoughts.

But hearing them from Alexander made them feel too real.

That scared her.

“Eleanor, I’m worried about you.”

Alexander approached, his eyes filled with love and concern.

“Don’t worry about me!”

She rejected him impulsively.

Fresh from beast-slaying, her body still carried the scent of blood and grime.

“I don’t want you smelling this beast blood on me.”

“I don’t care about that.”

“But I do!”

Eleanor was surprised by her own emotional outburst.

She wanted Alexander’s comfort, yet she was saying things she didn’t mean.

“What are you and Leia sneaking around about?”

“What?”

Alexander was visibly confused.

“Are you two mocking me? The former belle of high society, now covered in beast blood to earn money?”

“I’d never think that!”

“Really?”

She knew her anger was irrational, but she couldn’t stop.

Pent-up stress and fatigue had broken her restraint.

“Eleanor, calm down.”

Alexander tried to place a hand on her shoulder, but she brushed it off.

“Don’t touch me. Leave. I want to be alone.”

“But…”

“Please.”

Her voice trembled.

She felt tears stream down her cheeks.

Alexander nodded sadly and left the room.

As the door closed, Eleanor collapsed to the floor.

Overwhelming regret consumed her.

“What have I done…”

She covered her face with her hands.

Alexander was the one person who supported her unconditionally, yet she’d pushed him away.

After a long time, she stood and began walking through the mansion.

She wanted to clear her mind before dinner to calm herself.

In the corridor, she heard voices from her father’s study. It was a heated argument.

“Absolutely not!”

It was her brother, Raymond’s voice.

“There’s no other choice!”

Her father’s voice was weary, tinged with resignation.

Driven by unease, Eleanor opened the study door.

“What’s going on?”

Inside, her father and brother stood facing each other.

A single document lay on the table.

“Eleanor…”

Her father’s voice held surprise and shame.

“What’s this document?”

She approached and picked it up.

Reading its contents, her face drained of color.

It was a contract to sell Sophia as a contract slave.

A deal with Hugo Black.

In exchange for 500,000 gold coins, Sophia would be his property for three years.

It was clear that Sophia’s chastity would be taken.

The contract’s intent was unmistakable.

“What… what is this?”

Her voice trembled with anger.

“Eleanor, listen calmly.”

Her father said weakly.

“There’s nothing to listen to! Selling my sister… Sophia’s still a child! To want someone like her, Hugo Black must be a perverted deviant…”

“I’m against it too!”

Raymond cut in.

“This option is absolutely unacceptable.”

“There’s no other way!”

Her father retorted sharply.

“In a week, the interest payment is due. If we can’t pay, we lose everything. The title, the castle, the land… everything!”

“Even so, selling Sophia…”

Eleanor gripped the contract with trembling hands.

“Why did it come to this? Isn’t there another way?”

Her question was met with silence.

No one had an answer.

“Just 500,000 gold coins…”

Eleanor muttered.

There was a time she thought it a trivial sum.

But now, those 500,000 gold coins felt impossibly heavy.

“Tomorrow, we have one last chance.”

Her father said quietly.

“I’ll ask Baron Silver for more financing…”

“That’s dangerous.”

Raymond warned.

“Taking more loans will put our house completely under his control.”

“Do we have any other choice?”

No one answered their father’s question.

Eleanor, with trembling hands, placed the contract back on the table.

“I… need time to think.”

She said weakly and left the room.

Walking down the corridor, her heart was filled with turmoil. Her irrational anger toward Alexander, her family’s crisis, and her sister’s fate.

Everything seemed to crush her spirit.

“There has to be something I can do…”

She murmured quietly.

But her words lacked the conviction they once held.

She felt hope slipping away little by little.

Outside, the rain continued to pour relentlessly.

—

In his private chamber at the Granblue family’s castle, Alexander stood by the window, gazing at the rain-soaked garden.

Hours had passed since his argument with Eleanor, but his heart remained heavy.

“I made Eleanor angry…”

He muttered softly.

At a time when he should have supported and strengthened her, he had instead hurt her.

“Even her angry face is so cute—I must be hopeless.”

Alexander gave a wry smile.

He sensed the anxiety and fear hidden behind her anger.

The Frostheart family’s situation was worsening by the day.

In the midst of it, she was trying to bear her family’s burdens alone.

A knock came, and the butler entered.

“Lord Alexander, your father requests your presence.”

“Understood. I’ll go at once.”

He let out a deep sigh and headed to his father’s study.

It was likely about tomorrow’s party at Baron Silver’s or the Frostheart family’s situation.

Either way, it wouldn’t be cheerful news.

Entering the study, Duke Edward looked up from a stack of documents.

“Alexander, you came.”

“Is something wrong, Father?”

“The latest on the Frostheart family.”

The duke handed him a document.

As Alexander read it, his face paled.

“This is…”

“Yes. Their main creditor is demanding interest repayment within a week. If they can’t comply, all their assets will be seized.”

“That’s…”

Alexander was at a loss for words.

He knew the situation was dire, but he hadn’t realized it was this urgent.

“What can we do?”

“Unfortunately, securing the necessary funds is difficult.”

The duke’s voice carried resignation.

“Our own finances are strained.”

“There must be something…”

“Baron Silver seems to hold the key.”

The duke set down his quill and leaned forward in his chair.

“Whether he agrees to further financing will determine the Frostheart family’s fate.”

Alexander frowned.

He couldn’t shake his distrust of Baron Silver, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

“At tomorrow’s party, you’ll have a chance to speak with him.”

“Proceed carefully. Consider our family’s standing as well.”

“Yes, Father.”

Alexander received permission to leave and exited.

Walking down the corridor, his thoughts were consumed with Eleanor.

“I can’t tell her yet…”

Sharing this news would push her even further into despair.

Her behavior today showed she was already near her breaking point.

He returned to his room and began preparing for tomorrow.

Baron Silver’s party at his new palace.

A social gathering of nobles, but for him, it was like a battlefield.

It might be the last chance to save Eleanor’s family.

“We’ve only kissed so far.”

He suddenly recalled that.

Even after their engagement, their relationship had always been restrained.

Respecting Eleanor’s wishes, he had waited for her heart to be ready.

“She’s so dear to me. I want to marry her no matter what.”

That resolve never wavered.

No matter how dire things became, his love for her remained unchanged.

Seeing her face hardships head-on had only deepened his feelings.

“But she’s always so distant.”

Alexander murmured with a hint of loneliness.

Eleanor always kept a certain distance.

She showed kindness at times, but quickly reverted to her cool demeanor.

“Why?”

He asked himself.

Not fully understanding her heart created a small seed of unease within him.

“I’ve never heard any rumors of another man.”

He didn’t want to entertain that thought, but searching for reasons for her distance sometimes brought such doubts.

He quickly dismissed them, however.

There was no reason to doubt Eleanor’s integrity.

(Today, I got closer, I smelled of blood.)

The memory resurfaced.

She had said she’d just returned from beast-slaying, and the scent of blood might have contributed to her mood.

(Maybe it could’ve been her time of the month…)

He thought, blushing slightly.

If so, her emotional reaction made sense.

(She was extremely on edge.)

Whatever the reason.

“Tomorrow, I must support her.”

The palace party would be a significant pressure for her.

“Tomorrow, I’ll escort her well.”

Alexander renewed his determination.

No matter the circumstances, standing by her side was his duty.

“I’ll protect her no matter what.”

He swore quietly.

Eleanor, her family, and their future.

Outside, the rain began to lighten.

Tomorrow might be clear, he hoped.