# Chapter 67: 67
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—Radis…!
Yves Russell, who had gone to her room to look for her, stopped dead when he saw that strange scene.
The maids of the mansion were crowded on a sofa in the living room, studying a book with great attention.
In the center of the group was Radis, who was the one reading the book with Berry. She looked up at Yves.
-Marquis?
Startled by his voice, the maids quickly turned away from the book and stood up.
While Yves tried to find the right words, the maids arranged the seats and left the room, as if they were a receding tide.
Still bewildered, Yves spoke.
—Did I interrupt you?
Radis closed the book he was reading.
—Well, it couldn't be helped.
—What were you reading?
—It's a book April lent me after hearing about the play. They all wanted to read it, so I was reading it aloud to them.
Yves took the book and looked at the cover.
Seeing it so rudimentary, it looked like a clumsily made copy.
The title was 〈Dame Angela〉.
It seemed to be the original novel of the play that Radis and Yves had seen together.
Holding the book in his hand, Yves narrowed his eyes and looked at Radis.
Come to think of it, I heard that he learned fencing.
When he first investigated Radis, he remembered that Allen's report mentioned something about it.
Although at the time he didn't pay attention to it.
-Anyway!
Yves put the book aside and continued talking.
—I didn't come here to talk about this. I want to give you a gift as a token of gratitude and apology, Miss Peldaño, and it would be wonderful if this could cheer you up and motivate you for the future. What would you like? Is there anything you want?
-That? No, it's okay. I didn't do anything.
—You were really upset back then. It's my way of apologizing, so tell me what you want. Whatever!
Radis was about to reject it, but the word anything captivated her.
Yves smiled when he saw her expression.
Yes, yes, think about it, Miss Step… No, I mean, Miss Golden Goose…!
That day, when he exchanged glances with Olivier in the theater, Yves felt a certainty he had never experienced before.
Yves Russell had been trying to break down Olivier's impenetrable barrier for a long time.
The Marquis detested social gatherings to the point of being sick of them, but he diligently attended all the imperial banquets and traveled to the northern region so frequently that the threshold of the teleportation gate was worn out.
His last effort was to organize Olivier's birthday banquet, into which he invested a great deal of money and resources.
However, Olivier reacted coldly to everything.
What's with that resentful attitude?
Yves had spent more than a thousand gold coins on a banquet that lasted only one night, but not a single word of gratitude left the prince's lips.
Damn ungrateful.
In comparison, he barely had to lift a finger to get Radis out of the Tilrod house and show her in front of Olivier.
I didn't even expect his reaction to be so big.
That night at the theater, Yves felt for the first time that he had managed to get one step closer to Olivier.
However, the road ahead would be difficult, and Radis' help would be essential.
Therefore, you need to keep that unnecessarily effective golden goose happy.
At this moment, Radis opened his lips after thinking about it carefully.
—I…
Yves received his words with enthusiasm and spoke.
—Tell me what you want. A new dress? Jewelry?
—No, I already have enough of that. What I need is a sword.
His enthusiasm died down immediately. Yves looked at Radis with a growing blank expression, then looked at the books stacked next to her.
You have had false illusions after reading that novel, eh?
Radis hesitated for a moment, but continued speaking.
—If possible, I would like an iron sword reinforced with mana. A normal long sword would be fine.
Yves glared at the book for a second, then nodded.
—Aha, reinforced with mana.
—And… the simpler the shape of the handle, the better.
—Oh, did you read about that in the book?
-Sorry?
Seeing Yves Russell's expression, Radis shuddered.
There was a reason why Radis was hesitant.
He knew that mana-reinforced iron was extremely expensive.
In his previous life, he would never have been able to possess such a sword if it weren't for Robert, who noticed that he could wield mana and gave it to him as a gift.
But you told me to tell you what I wanted...
Radis' shoulders shrugged and he added in a low voice.
—Or a short sword is also fine...
Yves nodded.
-Alright.
-Really? No problem?
—It's not the kind of gift I imagined I'd give, but I was the one who said you could ask for whatever you wanted.
Yves left the room still in disbelief.
—You must have really enjoyed the novel. God, how can such a disconcerting person exist?
It seemed like Radis had learned some swordsmanship in the past, perhaps enough to defend himself.
However, having read a novel with a protagonist who was a knight, it wouldn't be strange to think that that was the reason why he wanted a sword now.
It was a pretty typical way of thinking for a girl.
—It seems like the author did quite a bit of research, considering she mentions mana boost and the shape of the hilt. By God, it's just... Right now, I'm willing to buy even a jewel worth one billion rupees from him. But a sword? A single sword…? Will he use it?
Yves headed to his office, pressing the bridge of his nose as he fell into thought.
Valiz