Chapter 51

The person in charge of public facilities and equipment in the Kingdom of Sanluan has recently been feeling a subtle sense of unease.

This is because the usually strict Chancellor has been somewhat more generous with the "approvals" for withdrawals from the national treasury.

Of course, all of these expenses are necessary, such as repairing the cracked cobblestones, renovating the water channels that bring precious fresh water from the springs, repairing the church's chapel, and replacing the kingdom's aging ships. All of these are things that must be done eventually, given that the country relies on tourism.

So it's not really strange, but it feels like the first time the Chancellor has been this generous or lenient with approvals.

"But if something happens and we don't do this, it will be my responsibility."

With this in mind, he instructed his subordinates to carry out the renovations and replacements using the approved budget.

The water channel management, port construction, and food storage departments all felt, albeit at slightly different times, that "this year, the Chancellor is being more generous with expenses." However, since they had submitted the requests themselves, they gratefully used the budget. Only the Minister of Finance and the Chancellor had a full overview, so the lower-ranking officials did not notice the overall change in withdrawals. The Minister of Finance and the senior officials had already agreed with the Chancellor's plan.

As a result, the national treasury, while not completely empty, had less funds, and the remaining reparations payments were postponed again. The fact that there had been no requests from the Allied Nations also contributed to this. The Chancellor's opinion that "the Allied Nations might be feeling overconfident because they have received full reparations from the Empire" had subtly made the Queen relax.

Around this time, the riverboat that Berthine had ordered was completed in Chui's workshop.

"Miss, all that's left is the painting. After that, my job is done."

"You finished it much earlier than expected. Thank you, Chui. So, all that's left is to put up the wallpaper, add the furniture and supplies, and paint the angel statue. It's beautiful!"

"Thanks to you, Miss, I was able to do a good job."

"Thank you, Chui."

The crew had already been recruited. All that was left was to train the staff for the noble guests, which Berthine would handle.

After a week of training, she decided to take the boat to the deepest part of the river herself to see how the hotel construction was progressing. Dorothea looked at the name of the ship written on the hull with a gentle expression.

"Miss, what a beautiful ship. You named it after your mother, didn't you?"

"I named it in memory of my mother. It's really beautiful, isn't it, this ship?"

"It's beautiful and a wonderful name."

On the day of the maiden voyage, the Carina sailed into the Saran River from Chui's workshop via the waterway.

The passengers were Berthine, Dorothea, Diego, and César and Ignacio, who were heading to the deepest part of the river to assess the situation for the construction of a main road.

Berthine had invited the two of them when she heard about the request for the road construction during a report on the sales of hiri.

"Since the state provided a subsidy for the construction of the riverboat, would you like to come with us, Your Excellency and Ignacio, if it's not too much trouble?"

"I'd really like to. I wanted to see what kind of boat it was."

"Can I come too? I love boats!"

Ignacio's usually calm voice was a bit higher.

On the day of departure, Ignacio had arrived early and was looking around everywhere.

The interior, designed for nobles and major merchants, used luxurious materials for the floorboards and was polished with beeswax. There were many built-in lamps on the walls.

"Wow, this is luxurious. This riverboat is like a dream, Miss Berthine!"

"Ignacio, you've always loved boats, haven't you?"

"Yes! Boats are great. They're full of dreams!"

Ignacio, who was looking around the boat and exclaiming with excitement, seemed like a boy.

"Would you like a drink before dinner, which will be delicious?"

"I'll have one."

"Your Excellency, is this really a dream-like and enjoyable job?"

Berthine smiled as she watched Ignacio, who was chatting with the relaxed-looking César. The bartender was a young man, and all the staff were recruited from Ibito. The crew who would operate the boat were people who had previously operated ordinary riverboats. They were also in navy uniforms, and their movements seemed a bit sharper.

The Carina glided smoothly into the center of the Saran River, blending into the flow of the great river. Two masts were rigged with white triangular sails, but they were folded for the downstream journey, and a few small birds were perched on the ropes, resting their wings.

"Boats are great because they don't make the loud noise that carriages do, Ignacio."

"All you can hear is the sound of the river water hitting the hull, Your Excellency."

The two men standing side by side on the deck, looking at the river, were a heartwarming sight.

"The drinks are ready."

"Ah."

"Let's have one."

The two men, who had been relaxed until now, entered the cabin with surprisingly quick movements.

The drink served was a strong one, a distilled spirit mixed with star fruit wine.

"Looks delicious."

"Here's to it."

The two men drank it down in one gulp and asked the bartender for another.

"Isn't Ignacio from the same hometown as Your Excellency?"

"Yes, but to be precise, it's not the Calisto region, but the neighboring one. Your Excellency was so famous by the age of fifteen that no one in the surrounding area didn't know him."

"Stop it, Ignacio."

"Oh, I'd love to hear more. What was he like at fifteen?"

César glared at Ignacio, who chuckled, and Berthine's interest was piqued.

"Given Your Excellency's appearance, women from twelve or thirteen to twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old would flock to the Calisto region's festival to see him. We, the less attractive guys, would all badmouth him."

Berthine couldn't help but laugh at the words coming from the usually expressionless Ignacio, who wore glasses. Incidentally, Ignacio was also quite handsome. César had a wild, well-structured face like a black-haired lion, while Ignacio, with his glasses, had an intellectual and handsome appearance.

"There was one particularly intense woman."

"Ignacio, that topic gives me nightmares."

"Oh, please, tell me more."

"A certain woman would come to Your Excellency's house every day and ask him to marry her... Haha."

"That was a nightmare. When my father started to be swayed and said, 'This girl is fine,' I was really panicked."

"What was she like?"

"Do you remember Bianca? She looked just like her. But when Your Excellency said, 'I won't marry for at least twenty years, it's impossible,' she quickly married another man."

While Berthine was impressed by the rare story, the two men were having another drink. Behind them, a round table was set with a white tablecloth, flowers in glasses, and arranged cutlery.

The dishes were quickly and skillfully served.

"Let's eat."

At Berthine's call, the three of them sat down, toasted briefly, and started eating. The main dish of the evening was a large piece of pork skin, boiled in water with several types of herbs to eliminate odors. The pork was thinly sliced and arranged in a fan shape on the plate, to be dipped in a sauce of choice. The sauce, a mix of lemon juice, black hiri, coarse salt, and honey, was particularly delicious. The gelatinous skin, sweet fat, and juicy red parts of the meat were all tender and melted in the mouth.

"Lemon and hiri go well together! The honey adds a wonderful aftertaste."

"Delicious. I could eat this endlessly."

"This herb salt is also delicious."

A sauce made of coarsely ground white hiri, minced garlic, chopped parsley, and olive oil also enhanced the flavor of the meat and was delicious. Eating freshly baked bread in between made it feel like a full meal.

While eating, Berthine asked, "Why did you reject the passionate woman?" Ignacio, a bit tipsy, answered for the troubled-looking César.

"Your Excellency doesn't like women who cling. Your Excellency doesn't like—"

Before he could finish, Ignacio noticed César's "cut it out" look and hastily looked down at the meat, putting a piece in his mouth with a serious expression.

"I don't like clingy women."

"Is that so?"

After a leisurely meal, they used the bathroom, and Berthine and Dorothea went to sleep in the second-floor bed, while the three men slept in hammocks on the first floor. Late at night, the two men in separate hammocks from Diego were talking about their upcoming mission, but Ignacio changed his tone slightly and spoke.

"Your Excellency, working tirelessly for the country and its people is admirable, but please also seek your own happiness."

"Ah."

"They say a year for a woman is different from a year for a man."

"It's impossible until that matter is resolved."

"Ah... I see. Still, the Sanluan royal family is foolish."

"Midway through, the queen of that country must have lost her way."

"Lost what?"

"Many things. I don't think she was always as greedy as she is now. Gradually, she lost sight of the challenges in her life. In the end, she will lose the wealth she pursued. It's ironic."

"Yes, it is."

The two fell silent, closed their eyes, and went to sleep. The only sound in the quiet night was the river water hitting the hull of the ship.

There are one year and eight months until Prince Claudio's fifteenth birthday.