Time skip : two months

It was night time and I was sleeping peacefully.. not until I heard some sound coming from my balcony..

I sat straight up and noticed that the glass-door to the balcony was opened.. I remember closing them though..

I guess it's time... to meet my ace..

What if it's not him but an assassin sent by the falcon's house?

Maybe I can ignore him and go back to sleep but then again ignoring him isn't a good idea in this situation.

The nearest guards are in the hallway.. It's not like I can't shout.. But when I do shout for help he'll just come and cut my throat.

Let's play it cool.

"Are you an assassin?" I asked directly to whoever was behind the curtains.

"......."

No response came..

"I know you are hiding behind those curtains" I said.

A man with muddy brown hair and black eyes came forward he was covering his mouth with a mask and his hood was off his shoulders.

It's him.

The hidden heir of Winderwurt duchy and the owner of falcon's trading house.. My ace.

He's hidden his appearance but I could just tell it with a glance..why?.. Cause he was my favorite character, Xenoc Winderwurt. He's the obssessive villain of this story and at that time I had a thing for obssessive characters.. And as to what he did was.. I don't remember much of it.. But I know that it has something to do with kidnapping Mirabel.. Why I am so sure?.. Cause that's the same plot for yandere characters..

"So.. Why did your master send you here?"I asked him looking straight in his eyes.

" How are you associated with the chrysanthemum trading house?"He tackled my question with another.

"What makes you say that?"

"Duke Salvair is one of the investors of the chrysanthemum trading house" He said while narrowing his eyes.

How did he get that information? Then again Falcon trading house is good at handling informations.

"Hmmm.. I see.. But it has nothing to do with me though"I tilted my head.

"Don't play dumb with me lady Salvair" He whispered to me. I got sudden chills from that.

Crap.

Let's see even if I run now he'll be able to catch me.. I don't even have anything to attack him with.. How about a pillow?.

I looked at him in the eyes and smirked.

"That's right. I'm the owner of the chrysanthemum trading house" with that I caught him off guard for a moment and smacked him with a pillow.

I ran as quickly as I can.

My hand was about to reach the door knob when something pulled me from behind.

It was him.. His hood came off and so did his mask but still his real appearance was masked with magic.. He was glaring at me.

His hands were on my throat and I couldn't even breath. I was suffocating.

"Don't you dare take me for a fool" He said annoyed.

"Wind-er-wur-t" was the only word that escaped my mouth.. His face became pale.. He took his hands off my throat and I fell to the ground gasping for air.

"That wasn't very noble of the noblest" I said to him still holding my hand on my throat.

"How do you -"

"Does it really matter?.. Come on.. Chrysanthemum trading house is a big competitor to the falcon trading house.. You know that and you went around trying to dig up dirt on it.. So I did the same"

"Looks like you've gone crazy after the annulment"

"What about you? What kind of a gentleman dares to use his force on a woman?"

"I treat both genders equally"

"...." I'm speechless.

"Anyways since we know about each other how about we make a deal" I said as I got up and sat on the bed.

"What kind of deal are you referring to mylady?"

"The falcon trading house will face quite a disastrous lose if the chrysanthemum trading house were to take over the textile industry.. Isn't that right?"

He wasn't responding but his twitched face said it all.

"So.. The Chrysanthemum trading house won't be meddling in the textile industry"

"And what will I have to do in return"

"Stop digging dirt on me, stop planting spies in our house and Don't kill me"

"What if I don't follow it?"

"Then I'll do the same thing.. Besides I know your personal information as well.. It's true that you know mine as well still..Which one weighs more?.. The fact that the future heir of Winderwurt duchy is behind one of the brilliant assassination guilds of the empire or the lady of the Salvair duchy is behind an ordinary trading house? "

And I hit the nail.. Lady Salvarina scores fellas..

He looked at me.. More like observed me..

I'm getting uncomfortable with his gaze.. It's the same gaze that scientists give to their labrats..

" So.. What do you say?.. Deal or not? "

" Deal "He said coldly and began to leave..

" Oh and next time don't come through the window.. Moreover in the middle of the night! "

He didn't say anything and just left just like that.

...What a jerk..

The next day morning ~

" mylady! You look really exhausted! "Mary said as she was setting my breakfast while I was still sitting right up on my bed wondering what universe I'm in..

" Did you not sleep well yesterday? "

" No I did-*yawn*n't "

" Why? "

" I dreamt some lunatic trying to choke me to death "

" Oh my lady! Don't worry.. It might be due to all the stress from working"

"Yeah yeah.. I guess" *yawn*

"Oh dear.. Let me get you some tea"

"Sure ~" *yawn*

After drinking Mary's tea I felt refreshed.

The morning preparations went on as usual.

Now I was pondering over something.. The thing is that I'm powerless.. I mean it's true that I have the Salvair knights whose second to the Windwerwurt knights and on par with the imperial knights.. But it became useless yesterday when that lunatic attacked me.. I need to have power of my own.. But what kind of power?

Swordsmanship is a no.. Since I remember quiting it feeling tired.. Wait a minute.. I'm missing something really important.. Magic!

Magic exists in this world. Salvarina doesn't have mana.. So she can't use it.. But it's different cause I'm possessing her body.. From all the isekai stories I read so far.. I should be the op here that is I should have plenty of mana.. Why didn't I realize it before?

What should I do with my mana?.. Hmmm..

I could learn how to cast spells but there are like hundreds of spells.. It'll take time.. I need something quick and efficient.. Let me go through Salvarina's memories to get something..

Aha! Summoning!

Spirit summoning is the best way to acquire power. With my abundant mana I'll be able to summon the spirit king and form a contract with him.. Then I'll be invincible..

Alright.. Now to summon them.. I have no idea how to summon them..

"Mary?"

"Yes, my lady?"

"Do you know where I can find books related to magic?"

"Oh.. well there might be some in the library"

"We have a library?"

"Yes, my lady"

Ah.. Now I remember.. Salvarina used to spent a lot of time there.. She was a bookworm.. What she used to read wasn't any novels.. It was all related to politics, geography, history, ancient languages and what not.. She really wanted to be the empress.. She really loved that trash prince didn't she?.. I wish she could find someone who really loves her in her next life.

"Thanks Mary. I'll be going there now"

I can't wait to try it..

♠️