Chapter 71

A quarter of a year passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, I was as busy as could be, experiencing firsthand the saying that one is too busy to blink.

Elder Gorda, being an excellent engineer, started by efficiently allocating manpower.

Their original purpose was to maintain the facilities of this fief.

Perhaps thinking along the same lines as me, Elder Gorda, with his characteristic dwarven sense, deployed the engineers and released the laborers.

Of course, with the reality that they alone couldn't handle the workload, I generously supported them with artifacts, alchemical tools, or additional manpower to maximize the work speed.

Where did all these things come from, you ask?

The groups gathered in the fief are mostly large magic towers, alchemical schools, temples, and merchant guilds. What more could they lack?

The amount of money they have is far more than a single fief can hold, and thanks to the continuous bribery and under-the-table work by various organizations, there was no shortage of funds.

"Let's do it this way..."

"There's a good plan for that aspect."

I spent several days and nights in deep discussions with the dwarves, repeatedly deliberating on the fief's development. The higher we set the starting point, the better.

If we create a place or facility that makes people want to live there, the merchant guilds that have set up around the area will desperately try to build similar-level buildings on their own land to avoid falling behind in business.

What about the magic towers and alchemical schools?

Being a group of prideful individuals, they will naturally try to meet the standard, even if it means forcing themselves to do so.

By blocking their attempts to establish mere branches, we can instantly improve the quality of the fief.

It was a decent challenge in its own right.

Of course, it didn't matter if they didn't move as I expected.

I had nothing to lose.

Indeed, thanks to the dwarves' special technical skills, the makeshift shelters made of planks were almost all dismantled, and temporary housing began to be built.

However, the problem started elsewhere.

It was the friction caused by the increase in population.

Naturally, when the population suddenly increases, various conflicts arise.

As a citizen of the fief, there should be no discrimination, so I have been carefully deliberating to reach fair conclusions, but life doesn't always go as planned.

After several sleepless nights of hard work, I managed to put out the major fires, but now all I want is to sleep.

"Damn. Fighting would be easier."

-Being a leader is inherently difficult.

"I can understand why the kings of the Joseon Dynasty had short reigns."

Saying this, I flopped onto the large bed, and the soft sensation enveloped my body.

It was an ergonomic bed recently created by the alchemical school, and its size was grand, befitting royalty.

At this level, it would be considered a high-end bed even on Earth.

I want to sleep deeply.

Lying in the dark room, covering my eyes with my arm, I sighed.

"Hmm..."

Suddenly, a small girl's voice echoed in the room, where no one should have been.

Reflexively, I sat up and soon noticed something curled up under the blanket in the center of the bed.

"..."

I froze, my expression subtle, and stared at the small, wriggling something for a long time.

29. If you have a child, you must take responsibility.

Person.

But the figure was so small that it was clearly not an adult, as the small curves on the blanket indicated.

"Did I enter the wrong room?"

-That's impossible.

While thinking it was impossible, I narrowed my eyes and immediately lit the magic stone lamp.

The dim room lit up, revealing the shape.

In the center of the bed, large enough for 7-8 people to sleep, someone was clearly wriggling!

It wasn't uncommon for someone to barge into my room.

After all, bribes don't always come in the form of money.

So-called sexual tributes.

About two months had passed since I returned from the dwarven village.

The organizations that confirmed the continuous cultivation of moonleaf decided I was a valuable business partner.

This was one of those instances.

In a world where the monarchy is deeply rooted, this wasn't a rare occurrence, but it was different for me.

I have no interest in sleeping with women I don't care for.

What, you think I'm picky?

It's a side effect of the indoctrination I received in the corridor.

The warning of the traitorous saintess is heavier than I thought.

For the first saintess to have such poor language filtering.

It started with famous courtesans brought from other fiefs.

Hainse Fief had almost no such businesses.

The culprits who pushed young and beautiful girls into my bedroom varied, and there was no need to investigate who they were.

I simply sent them away silently.

But later, more influential figures, such as the children of noble families, mages, and scholars' apprentices, began to visit me at night.

Of course, I chased them all away.

Not just for a day or two, but every time I wanted to rest, this happened, so I finally made a decision.

If it happens one more time, I'll end all deals.

It was a strong reaction, but it was quite effective.

After that, no one came, and I had some sweet rest time...

"Perhaps these people think I don't bring in women because I'm a pedophile?"

-Huh.

Her meaningful smile made me stop thinking, and I immediately pulled the blanket off.

The figure under the blanket finally revealed itself.

"Phew..."

As expected.

The girl with sparkling red hair was incredibly cute and adorable from the outside.

She wore a white dress that gave a clean and pure impression.

She was only about 5-6 years old, with chubby cheeks and small, wriggling hands.

A little girl with a level of cuteness and charm that would make most people stop and say, "How cute," if they saw her on the street.

Her small stature made it clear she was a child, but these people must have mistaken my lack of interest in women for being picky or a pedophile.

"Mmm..."

The girl, who had been deeply asleep, slowly opened her eyes.

Her clear, sparkling red eyes, as if looking into something deep, met mine.

"Little girl, who are you?"

She's just a child, what could she know? I thought, planning to find and punish the bastards who mistook me for a pedophile, and asked gently.

"Umm..."

The girl, rubbing her eyes with her tiny hands, looked up at me with a dazed face for a long time.

She then seemed to recognize me and opened her eyes slightly wider.

And she smiled brightly.

"Kya!"

"Choke!"

-Not good for the heart...

I staggered, and Perserk, hovering in the air, landed on my shoulder.

"These damn bastards are still pushing innocent children as tributes?! Amy!"

Angry, I finally shouted.

I clearly told them not to bring anyone in, so how could they just ignore it?

As if waiting for my call, Amy burst into the room.

Since I returned, her workload has decreased, and the dark circles under her eyes have faded.

"Your Highness! What's the matter...?"

Amy, who rushed in, widened her eyes at the sight of me with a fierce expression and the small child on the bed.

"Your Highness, surely not!?"

"Don't say nonsense. I clearly told you not to bring anyone in."

Amy, looking at me with suspicious eyes, widened her eyes.

"I... I didn't bring anyone in! Did Your Highness bring her...?"

Her expression was genuine, as if she truly didn't know what was happening.

If it wasn't her, it must have been one of the servants who took a bribe and brought the girl in without her knowledge.

If not, the child must have sneaked in on her own, which wasn't a good situation either.

"Did I look that ridiculous?"

Seeing the girl giggling and waving her hands at me, Amy's face turned pale, and she quickly picked up the girl and moved away from me.

"I... I'm sorry, Your Highness... I should have been more careful... I made sure no one was here before you entered..."

She had even taken advantage of the slightest moment.

The girl, smiling at me, stretched out her hands.

Then, she clapped her hands and laughed.

"Aba!"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

At the girl's call, Amy, I, and Perserk froze.

Her pronunciation was clumsy, but I wasn't stupid enough not to recognize what she called me.

Clank...

The wardrobe on the wall slowly opened, and a small girl with blue eyes, who looked very similar to the red-haired girl, cautiously peeked out.

"..."

My silence lasted longer than expected.

* * *

The night with the two moons shining passed, and the sun rose again.

"Kyaa! Miss! You can't run around like that!"

"Kya-ha-ha-ha!"

The joyful laughter of someone made me wake up involuntarily.

Lying on the bed with a dazed face, I soon covered my eyes with one hand and sighed.

"Wow, I really didn't expect this."

I could only think I was stupid for not using my information-gathering ability on the girl from the start.

If I had, things wouldn't have spiraled out of control like this.

-Well, I think you should feel more guilty about it.

Perserk, flying to my side, shook his head and said.

"How can I change a name once it's given?"

As I grumbled, the quiet bedroom door suddenly burst open, and a small, adorable girl with long red hair ran in.

Wearing a white dress with a more sophisticated design, she looked around and soon found me.

Then, with a bright smile that wasn't good for my heart, she ran towards me.