Chapter 64

"I'm surprised too."

"But, if you think about it, it might be natural."

"Natural?"

I turned my gaze to Zoe, who was nodding to herself.

She nodded quietly and replied.

"Master always says that people are treasures."

"Ah."

"If treasures are mentioned, children are even more precious."

"…I see."

I chuckled.

Although it might not be the case, I began to feel that Zoe was right.

People are treasures, and so are possibilities.

Both apply to one's own children.

"Good thinking. Here."

I took out 100 Reen from my pocket and tossed it to Zoe.

Leaving her, who hastily caught it and bowed, I turned to Audrey.

"Audrey, you don't have to do any serving or such until you fully recover from childbirth."

"Understood, thank you. And…"

"Hmm?"

"We've received word that Anya will be arriving soon."

"…I see."

I chuckled.

It was a bit earlier than expected.

I immediately understood that it was because they had hastened the arrival after learning of Audrey's pregnancy.

This is a common issue when dealing with nobles, especially royalty.

When the other party is royalty, the male side can't help but consider the possibility of infertility.

However, since Audrey is pregnant, I must be fertile.

This means they can send Audrey's sister here with peace of mind.

"I need to bestow a treasure on her sister too."

"Thank you!"

Audrey nodded, looking extremely pleased.

☆

The next day, I gathered all the servants and subordinates in the courtyard.

Maids, eunuchs, and subordinates like Don.

I gathered as many people as possible.

About half of them looked anxious, unsure of the purpose of this sudden gathering, and the courtyard was buzzing with unease.

But that changed when I appeared.

Standing in front of the gathered people, I positioned myself to address everyone, and they immediately fell silent, focusing on me.

"You probably know, but my wife, Audrey, is pregnant with our first child. It's a joyous occasion."

"…"

"This is a good opportunity to reward you all with a bonus."

As I raised my hand, servants started bringing out boxes from the mansion.

These boxes contained the 100,000 Reen I had received from Byron not long ago.

When the boxes were opened, most of the servants started murmuring.

"I'll distribute this among you. Zoe has evaluated your work and divided you into three ranks: A, B, and C. Rank A will receive 300 Reen, Rank B will receive 200 Reen, and Rank C will receive 100 Reen."

"!!!"

The servants' anxiety vanished in an instant.

A loud cheer erupted, audible even from hundreds of meters away.

It was no wonder.

An adult male earns about 10 Reen a month.

Even the lowest Rank C would receive a year's worth of salary, and the highest Rank A would receive two and a half years' worth.

Seeing their understanding, I decided to push further.

"Two people in Rank A will receive an additional bonus. One is Evelyn. You all know her; she worked as a maid in my mansion, and I recommended her to a magistrate because she was capable. She has done well in her new role."

After a brief pause, I continued.

"The area under Evelyn's governance is so safe that people don't even need to lock their doors at night. Because of this, a new term, 'wise appointment,' has been coined to describe a good magistrate. I will give Evelyn 10,000 Reen."

"!!!"

Most people's eyes were filled with envy, but some looked as if they were watching a distant world.

10,000 Reen is a sum that one might earn in a lifetime, if at all.

They probably felt it was out of reach.

Being a magistrate also seemed distant to them.

As expected.

"And the other one—Gran, step forward."

"Wh-What? Yes, sir!"

The young eunuch stepped forward, surprised to be called.

"You seem to have been paying attention to the land prices around the mansion and have memorized them all."

"Yes, sir! In case His Highness needed them."

"Good job. Remembering what your master wants and taking the initiative without being told. I'll give you 1,000 Reen."

"!!!"

The loudest cheer of the day erupted.

While the story of the capable magistrate receiving 10,000 Reen might be hard to relate to, the idea of receiving 1,000 Reen for remembering what I wanted to do was more tangible. As a result, most people cheered loudly, and their eyes gleamed with a predatory look.

"That's what I'm saying. If you serve me well, I won't treat you badly."

"Long live Prince Thirteen! Long live Noah!"

The cheers echoed for a long time.

---

Name: Noah Ararat

Minister of Justice

Gender: Male

Level: 15 + 1 / ∞

HP: C + D Fire: E + A

MP: E + D Water: C + S

Strength: C + A Wind: E + F

Stamina: D + D Earth: E + D

Intelligence: D + D Light: E + C

Spirit: E + D Dark: E + C

Speed: E + D

Dexterity: E + D

Luck: E + D

---

The "+" in Speed had increased by one level.

☆

After the speech, I returned to my study in the outer garden.

Don, who had come with me, entered the room and looked impressed.

"Truly impressive, Your Highness."

"Hmm?"

"The look in everyone's eyes had changed. Especially towards Gran, they were filled with envy."

"Did you see it that way too?"

"Since you say so, it must have been as intended. Truly impressive."

"I plan to do this regularly."

"Have you thought about punishment?"

"Yes, I have."

I smiled.

"The ideal would have been to execute a traitor with the Inner Law right after that. The contrast would have been powerful—but there were no traitors."

"You had already thought of that, hadn't you? Truly impressive."

"More importantly, I have a task for you."

"Of course, anything."

Perhaps because he had received 300 Reen in Rank A, Don seemed more energetic than usual.

"I've decided to send the surplus food from Almeria to the north."

"Food?"

I nodded and told Don about Lucy Tsari's request.

At first, he was surprised, but as he listened, he began to nod in understanding.

"I understand. However, if we send it, what if a natural disaster strikes Almeria and causes a famine…?"

"That's why I called you. Have you heard of a place called Doss?"

"I believe… it was a land that was flooded and then entirely purchased by Your Highness."

"Yes. It has been left untouched since then, but floods also bring fertile soil."

"…I see!"

"Exactly. We'll develop that land. It's untouched and has a large amount of fertile soil. If we develop it on a large scale, it could increase Almeria's harvest by 10%."

"I see! That should be fine."

"I want you to take on this project. It's a major undertaking. Will you do it?"

"Me?"

"I was undecided until now, but your response just now made up my mind."

"…?"

Don looked at me, puzzled.

"I'll fund the development with my personal money. Since you can talk about 'setting an example' after what just happened, I don't think you'll embezzle funds."

"But there's a possibility of failure."

"I don't mind if it fails."

"Really?"

Don was genuinely surprised.

"People make mistakes. As long as it's a mistake made while being loyal to me, I won't blame you, no matter what."

"…"

"What's wrong, why the strange look?"

"No, I'm just savoring the incredible fortune of serving such a great master."

Don's expression was genuinely moved.