Chapter 7

6.

"Hmm, hmm. Hmm."

Rachel was humming a tune while processing documents.

Marcus looked at her with a puzzled expression and asked,

"…What’s so enjoyable?"

"Work!"

"You find work enjoyable?"

"Of course. Working is the best thing in the world!"

She had been in this state for a few days now.

Marcus couldn’t understand it.

‘I really can’t figure out what’s going on in her head.’

That day,

the name, which had been buried deep in his memory, came out of the Duke’s mouth.

He recalled their conversation from a few days ago.

‘…I don’t know.’

‘I can bet my pinky that you know. Are you really not going to tell me?’

It was the first time he had seen the Duke so resolute and confident.

The Duke knew.

About the illegitimate child of the previous Duke.

There were only three people who knew about this: the late Duke and his wife, and the Duke.

The Duke and his wife would never have revealed this to her.

‘Why are you looking for your half-sibling now?’

‘Why not? I have to bring them back. I can’t tolerate my sibling living outside.’

‘Is that the only reason?’

‘If not, what else could it be?’

Ordinary people would either leave their half-siblings to live like mice in fear or, in extreme cases, even kill them.

They would worry about the family’s reputation or the succession.

To the Duke, who had already become the Duke, a much younger half-sibling was not even an obstacle.

‘Then is it really out of pure intentions?’

That day, he made a promise with the Duke.

‘Please make one promise for me.’

‘A promise? Marcus, who do you think is your master now?’

‘…Please consider it as respecting the late Duke’s wishes.’

‘…Alright. Fine.’

The Duke’s territory was still unstable.

If the illegitimate child appeared now, the situation would become even more chaotic.

So, he promised to reveal the half-sibling’s location after things had settled down.

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t understand why she was humming tunes and working diligently all day.

“By the way, how’s the official notice going?”

“The notice has been posted in the village, and we’ve hired people to spread the word. It’s only a matter of time before it reaches the entire territory.”

Over the past half year, the taxes in the Duke’s territory had doubled.

This had led to a complete economic collapse, so she issued a notice to exempt the next quarter’s taxes.

She also announced that she would normalize the tax rate.

“Impressive. I didn’t know you could manage people like that.”

“Most people are illiterate. They can’t read the notice even if it’s posted.”

“Ah.”

Literacy is a privilege of the few.

If you’re not part of the middle class, you don’t have the time or money to learn to read.

‘…I should consider establishing an academy in the future.’

She had no intention of running the territory loosely.

The land where her favorite character would live must be more prosperous and livable than anywhere else.

‘I can’t tolerate even a single scratch.’

Not a single finger or heart should be hurt.

She wished for her favorite character to be happy in this life.

To achieve her grand goal, the family that would support her and her own strength were necessary.

So that no one could ignore her.

“Hmm…”

How should she go about it?

‘…Money! I need money!’

While stroking her chin in thought, she asked Marcus,

“By the way, have you finished appraising the seized items?”

“Yes. I’m trying to find a place that can give a good price, but it won’t be easy. After all, this kind of thing needs to be done in secret….”

Rachel fell into a pensive mood at Marcus’s words.

If the unpleasant incident in Agnus became public, the Duke’s reputation would be tarnished.

A Duke who fell for a mere town mayor’s trick.

It would be a perfect title for a laughingstock.

The seized items needed to be disposed of quietly.

“Just give a reasonable discount. I wasn’t expecting to get the full value anyway.”

No matter how good the quality, they were still second-hand.

The price of items like jewels and saplings can vary depending on their condition.

“Still, disposing of them should secure some budget for the Duke’s residence.”

To properly manage the territory, social activities were also essential.

While it’s said that a wealthy family can last for three generations even if they fall, the current Duke’s family was in a situation that didn’t match its prestigious name.

“Phew. I think I’ve finished today’s work for now?”

“Please wait a moment. I’ll check.”

Marcus quickly scanned the documents she had processed and nodded.

“I’ll pass you.”

What, an audition program?

Passing and failing?

Rachel chuckled at Marcus’s arrogant remark and stood up.

“Alright. Shall we go out for a bit?”

“Where are you going?”

She stretched her stiff body and said,

“Where? I’ve finished the paperwork. Now I need to go and see the territory’s atmosphere myself.”

“I think it’s better not to go out yet….”

“Huh?”

“Um. It’s a bit….”

Marcus’s already haggard face showed concern.

But only for a moment.

“No. It’s nothing. Experiencing it firsthand might be a good experience.”

“…”

What?

Why is he saying it so meaningfully?

She tilted her head, feeling a vague unease.

‘♡Heart-pounding territory inspection~ Start!’

The excitement on Rachel’s face disappeared in an instant as the carriage jolted roughly.

The rough ride made her feel like her tailbone was breaking and her buttocks were bruising.

She realized anew how blessed modern life is with well-paved roads.

‘Damn! I need to repair the roads when I have money.’

She wiped away the tears that were starting to leak from her eyes and asked,

“Ann. Does your butt hurt?”

“Me? I’m used to it, so it’s fine. Compared to other carriages, this one is much more comfortable.”

“Eek! This is comfortable?”

“Yes. The carriages that workers ride in can make you feel like your neck will break after just 10 minutes. Compared to that, the Duke’s carriage is heaven!”

She couldn’t believe it.

Her tailbone was aching, and her buttocks were throbbing, but this was supposed to be comfortable!

The thought that life in this world was a comprehensive disaster made her feel gloomy.

“Miss… Miss. We’ve arrived.”

The carriage stopped, and Rupert, who had volunteered as her bodyguard, opened the door.

Since it was a secret inspection, she was dressed as a middle-class lady.

Following the trend of middle-class people imitating nobles, it wasn’t unusual to have a couple of bodyguards.

So, people’s gazes only briefly swept over her.

She could blend into the street without drawing much attention.

The first place her steps led her to was the market.

“…Buy flowers! Buy flowers!”

A woman with brown hair and brown eyes, her face beaming with a smile, was offering a flower to passersby.

When the passersby walked by with annoyed expressions, the child behind her pouted and said,

“Everyone is so mean. Why won’t they buy even one flower?”

“…They’re all struggling to make a living.”

“I wish an angel would appear and buy all the flowers for my sister.”

“Hehe. I wish that too.”

Rachel couldn’t just walk past them.

She watched the woman soothing the complaining child and said,

“I’ll buy them all.”

“Eh…?”

“How much in total?”

“W, wait! How many…?”

The woman hurriedly counted the flowers in the basket and said,

“Just 3 silver! They’re usually 5 silver, but I’ll give you a special discount for buying so many.”

Rachel took 10 silver from her pocket.

“T, that’s too much….”

10 silver was a sum that would be hard to earn even if she sold flowers for a whole week.

Rachel smiled faintly at the flustered woman and said,

“Because the flowers are beautiful.”

Actually, it was because the woman and her sibling looked so beautiful and touching.

I want to live like this with my favorite character.

“Thank you!”

“Wow! Sister, you sold them all! You must be an angel.”

“Nikki, you should thank her!”

“Thank you! Please buy my sister’s flowers again!”

Rachel waved goodbye to them and moved on.

“Ann, Sir Rupert. This is a gift for you.”

She handed a bunch of flowers to Ann and Rupert.

“I’ve never received flowers before. Thank you.”

“Sir Rupert, don’t you have a girlfriend?”

“Unfortunately, I’m too busy with training. A girlfriend? What for.”

Oh…

Sir Rupert, you must be lonely.

“Ann?”

“I don’t grow those things. I’m too busy making a living. But the scent is really nice!”

She chatted with her companions as they strolled through the market.

The situation was still not good.

‘Just as Marcus reported.’

Most of the essential items, which affect the cost of living, had increased by 20% compared to last year.

‘The economy is completely in ruins.’

Even the items on the stalls were not of high quality.

One reason for this was the withdrawal of large merchant guilds due to the high tax rate, making it difficult to supply goods.

“Hey, did you hear that five families in the lower village packed up and fled in the middle of the night?”

“I heard! I’m thinking of abandoning everything and running away too, just thinking about this quarter’s taxes.”

“Damn. What is the Duke doing? This never happened during the previous Duke’s time. Damn….”

Rachel stopped in her tracks at the merchants’ conversation.

“Wait. The Duke said the taxes for this quarter would be waived, and the notice was posted.”

The merchants frowned and said,

“What are you talking about? Those new tax collectors are going door to door collecting taxes!”

What?

Rachel turned to look at Rupert.

Rupert’s face was also stiff with shock.

“There they are!”

One of the merchants pointed in a direction with an angry expression.

“Squeal! Don’t do this!”

“You have to pay taxes if you earn money!”

“Let go of my sister! Let go!”

Two men were dragging the woman who had sold flowers to Rachel earlier, taking her somewhere.

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