The Abandoned Heiress Gets Rich with Alchemy and Scores an Enemy General!

by Miyako Tsukahara, Satsuki Sheena, piyo

Genres: Fantasy; Romantic Fantasy

Synopsis

A Tsundere Love Story!

Chloe is an alchemist of (self-proclaimed) rare beauty. She used to be the esteemed daughter of a duke, but three years ago her engagement was suddenly annulled and she was stripped of her title and privileges! With nowhere else to go, she became an alchemist’s apprentice until she was rich enough to have her own alchemy shop in the royal capital! Now a penny-pincher, Chloe goes out of her way to purchase Julius, the former general of an enemy kingdom dubbed the Black Prince for his cruel nature and cold-heartedness! She purchased him to be her bodyguard so she can more efficiently gather materials for alchemy, but his personality is just awful! And yet, Chloe finds herself slowly drawn to Julius despite his incessant teasing...

What kind of love will bloom between this gorgeous alchemist and her snarky, tsundere general?!

 

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Release date: January 31, 2023

Publisher: Cross Infinite World

Print pages: 271

Sample

Arc 1: The Abandoned Heiress Purchases a Slave Swordsman

 

◆ Julius Craft, the Black Prince

 

MY life could be summarized in one word: unlucky.

However, there was little point in clumsily explaining this fact to the blonde-haired, dull-blue-eyed man in front of me. He sat impudently with his legs crossed. It goes without saying, but I must have him understand my situation, even a little.

In the back of the room was an alchemy furnace. A ray of sunlight from a window with its curtains drawn illuminated the room. There was a red couch and an office desk. The room also had a cute mushroom-shaped lamp and a trunk with infinite storage that was filled with materials.

Most of the items in this room were purchased with my own money.

The man sitting on a sturdy, black leather chair, looking slightly dirty, was also purchased with my money. He was a little underweight, but still had a well-built body. His golden hair looked like an ancient golden ornament that had been neglected. It had grown unevenly and looked slightly coarse, but still served as a reminder of its former beauty.

His right eye was covered with an unhygienic bandage, resembling an eyepatch. His long golden eyelashes framed his beautiful, dull-blue left eye, as it gazed at me with boredom. He sat brazenly with his legs open. His long legs couldn’t be covered by his tattered black overcoat. His tight-fitted pants were wrapped with several stiff belts, and his worn-out boots were caked with mud.

A pair of magical handcuffs were around his wrists as he dangled his arms between his legs. The cuffs were shaped like a mobius strip, a red ouroboros that had no keyhole. A handcuff for slaves, it could only be removed if I, his master, applied magic to it.

He sat slightly slouched. His bad posture and lazy attitude seemed to imply he didn’t retain even a shred of his former noble life.

“Listen well. From today onwards, I am your master. Now, what’s my name?” I said, standing in front of him with my hands on my hips.

I could see myself in his dull gaze. My slightly curled, strawberry-blonde hair came down to my shoulders. I was wearing a lacy headkerchief and my eyes were a slightly darker shade of pink than my hair. My skin was white. I was wearing a pair of knee-length knickers under my red apron dress and a pair of brown boots. Calling me “pretty cute” was an understatement.

I am the unluckiest woman in the kingdom. My name is–

“Chloe Sagrid, was it?” the man replied. He had a moderately low voice that was pleasant to the ears, but also had a hint of bottomless intensity.

“That’s right, Mr. Julius Craft. Oh, should I call you sir? Is that better? If you prefer, I can call you sir, you know.”

“You sure are mouthy. I don’t care whatcha call me.”

“Did you just say I talk too much, again?” I scoffed. “Well, Mr. Julius. I’m your master, and you’re my slave. I bought you with my own money, so you’re my slave from now on. You’re a good purchase! I didn’t think I could buy you, the Ever-Victorious General, the Black Prince, with just five million gold. I could make all that back with just one divine elixir, you know? Alchemy’s great; I can turn a huge profit and the materials needed are free! It’s a perfect business model.”

“And? You purchased me with five million gold, so now what? What exactly are you planning, young lady? Are you going to take over the kingdom? Take revenge?” He had a cruel smile on his face.

I sighed at him. “Mr. Julius, revenge isn’t profitable.”

He doesn’t understand me at all. Revenge isn’t profitable. There may be instances where you might turn a profit, but it’s still very rare. Money is the most important thing in this world. I can do anything with it, so it’s the only thing I trust. Money talks. In other words, I won’t do anything that isn’t profitable.

“See, I’m Chloe Sagrid,” I continued. “In this kingdom of Astria, I was the only daughter of the noble Duke of Sagrid, who reigned over a duchy. But do listen. The story is a real tearjerker.”

“I’m not interested,” he said dully. “But I suppose you’re going to run your mouth anyway.”

“Now, now, don’t be like that,” I tsked at him. “You’ve got all the time in the world, haven’t you? As long as those magical handcuffs are on you, you can’t do anything at all.”

Julius clicked his tongue in annoyance. 

How uncouth.

“In any case, I was the only daughter of the noble Duke of Sagrid. Well, I assume it’s only natural that you, a general of the Dystiana Empire, aren’t aware of the noble families of the Astria Kingdom. Well, the Sagrid household had collapsed.”

There was a pause. “Explain,” he said.

“Oh my, you seem very interested in me, indeed. Are you intrigued by this young maiden alchemist of rare beauty?”

“You? A young maiden?”

I was satisfied with his snide remarks. Had he not talked at all, I would’ve been troubled, as I don’t possess enough money to house a large man that won’t communicate at all.

“Well, I’m twenty, so I suppose I’m just an alchemist of great beauty,” I conceded.

“Beautiful? Don’t get ahead of yourself there.”

“And you say I talk too much, Mr. Julius. There’s a reason behind the Duke of Sagrid’s downfall. I think I was thirteen or so. My mother passed away, and my father had remarried. My father had actually been having an affair with my now stepmother for quite some time, and they already had a child. Suddenly, I had a sister one year younger than me, though we came from different mothers. During this time, I was engaged to the prince of the kingdom, Cyril Astria.”

“Cyril Astria…the first prince,” he guessed.

“You’re correct! You’re quick to catch on!” I applauded him. “In any case, I thought I was going to marry Cyril, but three years ago, there was a graduation ceremony for the aristocratic academy. I was suddenly publicly condemned during the ceremony, and my engagement was canceled on the spot.”

“Canceled?”

“Yes, you’ve heard that right. I have no idea why, but I was arrested in public and thrown into prison! I had my life spared, but my family had fallen, and I was thrown outside of the royal capital, all alone.”

“You look like you wouldn’t hurt a fly. Just what kinda heinous crime did you commit?” he asked, eyebrow raised.

“How rude! I didn’t do anything! My sister Aliza apparently uncovered all the Duke of Sagrid’s wrongdoings. It seems like my father had been involved in some shady business under the table. From kidnapping young girls to human trafficking to loan sharking to murder. Even selling bad drugs to people! It was like I was trapped in some kind of twisted dramedy! I had no idea what was up or down anymore.” "

Was your father really involved in all that?”

“No idea.” I shrugged. “I was suddenly told all of this and thrown into prison. I was then tossed into a random alleyway. My father was executed, and my family had crumbled. I had no idea what was going on. But even so, I must survive. So, as you can see, I became an alchemist and became wealthy all by myself. I’m now a very popular alchemist. Boy, am I glad I’m able to use magic! Nowadays, it’s much more profitable to become an alchemist than a sorcerer.”

For the first time, something lit up in his eyes. Like a cruel flame, it silently flickered in his gaze. “Are you sure you aren’t looking for revenge, Chloe? I can kill every person that you hate.”

“You completely missed the point of my story. That’s not what I want, Mr. Julius. You truly don’t understand, do you? Revenge isn’t profitable,” I replied.

“And is that sisters of yours, who trapped you in this situation, living without a care in the world?”

“Without a care indeed. She’s the crown princess now. It seems like she safely married Cyril—there was a parade announcing t

Was your father really involved in all that?”

“No idea.” I shrugged. “I was suddenly told all of this and thrown into prison. I was then tossed into a random alleyway. My father was executed, and my family had crumbled. I had no idea what was going on. But even so, I must survive. So, as you can see, I became an alchemist and became wealthy all by myself. I’m now a very popular alchemist. Boy, am I glad I’m able to use magic! Nowadays, it’s much more profitable to become an alchemist than a sorcerer.”

For the first time, something lit up in his eyes. Like a cruel flame, it silently flickered in his gaze. “Are you sure you aren’t looking for revenge, Chloe? I can kill every person that you hate.”

“You completely missed the point of my story. That’s not what I want, Mr. Julius. You truly don’t understand, do you? Revenge isn’t profitable,” I replied.

“And is that sisters of yours, who trapped you in this situation, living without a care in the world?”

“Without a care indeed. She’s the crown princess now. It seems like she safely married Cyril—there was a parade announcing

“Mr. Julius, if you listen to my orders like a good slave, I’ll take this off. For now, please bear with this. If I let you, the Black Prince, loose, the kingdom will have my head for sure this time.”

“You were thrown into prison over accusations that may not even be true, and you were stripped of everything you have. You’re certainly an unlucky woman,” Mr. Julius said.

“You were betrayed by your own empire and became a slave. You’re quite unlucky yourself,” I retorted.

He stood up from his chair. He was so tall that I had to look up to catch his eye, and he looked a bit dusty.

“As long as that collar is around your neck, you must obey my orders,” I told him.

“I’m aware. If I go against you, a deadly pain will run through my body, leaving me barely able to move.”

“Glad we are on the same page. Well then, I, Chloe Sagrid, command you, Julius Craft,” I started as I reached my hand towards his collar. I wanted you to be seated a bit longer, but oh well. “Firstly, you must not leave my side. You must be close enough that you can always hear my voice. Secondly, you must not do anything I dislike. Are we clear?”

As the words left my lips, a golden lock appeared in the middle of his collar. This meant that the contract had been created.

He furrowed his brows. “Your commands are a little abstract.”

“Well, I want you to listen to my commands, but I also don’t want to restrict you too much. Uh, I guess I want you to be like a harmless roommate or something,” I replied.

“How naïve of you. You’re a fool who doesn’t understand what kind of man you purchased.”

“I’m well aware of my purchase, Mr. Julius. Now, go take a bath. I’ll show you the bath that I’m so proud of.”

He clicked his tongue. He was intense, but not scary. As a person who was thrown into the royal capital’s alleyway with just the clothes on her back, I’d gotten rather tough myself. I led him upstairs.

Chloe’s Alchemy Shop was in the middle of the royal capital. A two-story house, the first floor was dedicated to the shop and my

alchemy furnace. The second story was my living quarters. On one side of the hallway from the entrance was the alchemy furnace. The other side housed the stairs to the second floor. My room had a bath, but Mr. Julius’s room was a storage space. I’d have to clean his room later. I led him further inside, past my room, that only had a bed, to the bath.

The dressing room had a laundry basket and a towel. A linen towel was lying on top of the wooden flooring, and a star-shaped lamp sat on the bay window. There were no partitions between the dressing room and bath, but the bathing area was a step below and surrounded by white tiling.

“Now then, please take your clothes off, Mr. Julius,” I commanded him as he stood in front of me.

“Unfortunately, it seems as though I’ve forgotten how to do that as well,” he said with a grin.

“Liar. You’re lying. But I’m a benevolent master after all, so I suppose I can help you.”

You’re testing me again. I’m not naïve enough to think that you’re actually a very kind person. However, we can surprisingly hold a conversation, so I guess that’s good enough.

I extended my arms towards his overcoat. I started working on the belts. They were so stiff that pulling or pushing didn’t make them budge. As I kept trying to undo his belt, he stared at me silently.

“Forget it, I’ll do it myself,” he said with a sigh.

“If I said I’ll do it, I’ll do it. Do wait a bit more,” I replied.

“If I wait any longer, the sun will set. I didn’t know alchemists were so weak.”

“That’s why we use alchemy. To cover for our lack of physical strength.”

If I was physically stronger, I wouldn’t be here doing this.

He quickly removed his overcoat, which fell with a thud. He was completely naked underneath, except for his underwear. He didn’t have much fat on him, and his muscular body was covered with small scars. From old to new, some scars looked gnarly, most likely because they had healed without being treated properly. As he quickly removed his underwear, I pushed a large towel onto him.

I don’t want to look down there. I mean I can, but as a courtesy, I won’t. Perhaps Mr. Julius had gotten tired of teasing me, because he wrapped the towel around his waist. Phew. Since I promised to bathe him, I took off my boots and socks.

“Now then, let’s get you all clean, shall we, Mr. Julius? If you take a refreshing bath, it might even refresh your mood! Take a look at this rotating hot spring stone! With one of these in your bath, you’ll constantly have a spring of clean hot water, and the dirty water will be instantly purified.”

The bathtub was supported by four cabriole legs and was filled with milky white water. This was all thanks to that rotating hot spring stone.

“The amazing thing is that this water is actually taken directly from a hot spring! It’s from the famous springs of the Rugal district c

alled the Snow Moon and Flowers Springs! I can sell these stones for a good price, but it’s a bit of a pain to gather the necessary items,” I explained.

I pushed his back as if to urge him to use the bathtub. With only a towel around his waist and a collar around his neck, he obediently got in. His body displaced quite a bit of water, and it went down the drain. More water had overflowed than I’d expected, and water splashed onto my clothes. I guess I can change later.

As he stayed in, the water started to turn murky. However, in an instant, the stone had worked its magic, and it became clean once more. Amazing purification abilities, but the downside was that this only lasted about a month. I had yet to make one that lasted forever.

“Let’s wash your hair now. I’ll take off this bandage,” I said.

“Do as you like,” he said with both eyes closed. He seemed to be comfortable.

Though the bathtub felt a little too big for me, it seemed too small for Mr. Julius. I went behind him and started to dampen his dry bandage with my shower head. This was also fitted with a hot spring stone, and warm water would come out with a push of a button. I hadn’t marketed this yet, as it was a bit of a pain to make.

“Let me know if you feel any pain.” I slowly peeled off the bandage over his right eye. Thanks to the water, the bandage slipped off with ease. There was a huge hole where his right eye should be. As it didn’t seem infected or swollen, I assumed this was an old wound.

“Three years ago, my eye was destroyed. I haven’t seen the wound, but since I’m still alive, I guess it healed,” he said.

“I can’t tell if you’re lucky or not. It’s a terrible wound, but it healed up very well. Maybe you have enhanced regenerative abilities?” I asked.

“Slaves can’t use magic thanks to the brand.”

The bath seemed to improve Mr. Julius’s mood. He had become very talkative. I looked for his brand. Behind his neck, under his nape, was a seal that resembled a skull of a beast with two h

orns. The mark of a slave. His long hair had hidden this seal.

“Regenerative abilities aren’t magic, though,” I pointed out. “It’s a normal human ability where the body tries to heal its wounds. You have a lot of scars, so I guess you’re rather tough.”

“I guess so.”

“I’ll make a beautiful artificial eye for you. Let’s add some kind of ability to it, too. What would you like? Would it make you happy if you can see through women’s clothes?” I teased.

“That would mean I can see through yours too.”

“Oh. Then that’s no good.”

I washed his hair. I shampooed and rinsed it many times until I felt that it was no longer greasy. I used a lot of foam for the wound in his eye, carefully cleaning it as well. He didn’t seem to be in pain, but he seemed slightly annoyed. I paid no heed. An unhygienic body would lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. If I were to fit in a specially made artificial eye for him, the area needed to be well cleaned.

“What color would you like for your eye, Mr. Julius?” I asked. “Since your left eye is blue, how about we choose a different color f

or your right? An odd-eye look kind of excites my inner child. How about you?”

“Not really.”

“Since your left is blue, how about we make your right red? How exciting. You can add any ability you want. I’m a popular alchemist around here, so an artificial eye that I make is extremely valuable. You should sound happier!”

“Chloe, I thought you weren’t going to do anything unprofitable?”

I froze for a moment, surprised that he called me by my name. I proceeded to use the shower to rinse off his right eye. The overflowing water flowed down the drain. Maybe I should take a bath after him. My clothes are wet anyways, so it might be best.

“The artificial eye is free. Your clothes and food will also be free. You’re mine now, so I’m doing what a master is supposed to do. In exchange…”

“You said that I’d need to work like a dog for you.”

“Indeed. That’s exactly right. You’re very strong, aren’t you? I heard you caused quite a fuss at the Slave Arena. I heard you made a name for yourself in the past war as well, though I’m not too knowledgeable about that stuff.”

Mr. Julius was formerly the general for the neighboring Dystiana Empire. Just hearing the name Black Prince Julius was enough to make everyone in the Astria Kingdom tremble—aside from myself, of course. The Dystiana Empire was massive, and smaller kingdoms like Astria were in constant fear of getting invaded. However, three years ago, when Mr. Julius was betrayed by his empire and sold to the Astria Kingdom, Dystiana had stopped its advances towards us. I wasn’t sure about the other countries, but at the very least, war had ended for our kingdom. I had only learned of these incidents from rumors, as I was in a pretty precarious situation myself at the time.

“You’re blonde and handsome, but you were called the Black Prince because of your black armor and the black dragon that you rode, right? You inherited the title and domain of Duke of Craft at a young age. But you were sold to Astria and ended up at the Slave Arena. We’re alike,” I said.

“Who and who’s alike?” he asked.

“You and me. We’re both unlucky.”

“Is that why you bought me? Out of sympathy?” he spat out.

Because he’d cleaned up well, though he still looked a little haggard, he had regained some of his former beauty. His beautiful golden hair, pale skin, and long eyelashes complemented his high nose bridge and thin lips. He had a glare, and his eye was of a dull color, but he resembled the rumored beautiful warrior to a T.

“That’s obviously not the case,” I asserted. “I bought you because you’re strong. I didn’t want someone that was just above average, I wanted someone that was very capable. Item gathering is rather dangerous, as you can imagine.”

“How dumb.”

“It’s not dumb at all, thank you. We’re both fallen nobility without a leg to stand on. If you just laze around, you’ll be out of money in an instant. I’ll make the money, so I need you to defeat the monsters! I’m counting on you to do your part.”

“Either way, I’ve got no choice but to do as you say,” he said dismissively. He sunk deeper into the bathtub and closed his eyes.

I’m his master, but as I’m washing his hair, I feel like I’m his slave.