Ominous Atmosphere
Lady Alyssa confided everything she knew about the internal matters between the McCreed and Glaberson families.
It seemed she had her own concerns regarding both families' recent movements.
Those concerns, however, were directed more toward the Glaberson family than her own father.
“To put it bluntly, Lord Lowell insists that all the mana ore buried in the Goehel Mines should be managed solely by the Glaberson family.”
“So, he really is the one who started all this.”
My suspicions were confirmed.
Of course, such an aggressive demand would never be accepted without resistance, and as expected, the head of the McCreed family, Lord Donold, had firmly rejected it.
“Needless to say, Father has no intention of entertaining his opinions.”
That was a relief.
If even Lord Donold had been on board with the idea, there’d be no doubt that the mine would have been taken over already.
Well, when I spoke with him at the ball, he struck me as a thoughtful and prudent man.
I never thought he’d stoop to meddling in other territories in the first place.
“Besides, the Goethel Mines lie within Tryon family territory. There’s no way the McCreed family could snatch it away, and most importantly, Father holds great admiration for Doyle—such a humble, sincere, and wonderful gentleman.”
… That last part was a little subjective on Lady Alyssa’s part.
But honestly, it’s all true, so I’ll let it slide.
At any rate, it was reassuring to know that Lord Donold was opposed to the idea.
—But judging by the look on her face, the story doesn’t end there.
“Previously, we held a meeting at this mansion with the head of the Glaberson family, Lord Daren, in attendance. But it seems Lord Lowell refused to budge an inch.”
“Pardon the simple question, but… why is Lord Lowell so fixated on the mana mines? The obvious motivation is profiting from the mana ore trade, but the Glaberson family doesn’t appear to be facing any financial troubles.”
That part had been bothering me too.
It didn’t seem like a personal grudge against the Tryon family, either.
When I raised the topic, Lady Alyssa’s expression instantly darkened.
It was clear now—this was the heart of the matter.
What do you think about this chapter?
