Chapter 33
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A villainess locked away in a desolate tower—I had possessed her body. Chapter 33 "I have no excuse."
Liam's head bowed before Blaire Grand Duke.
"I've narrowed down the documents requiring approval as much as possible, but due to an interview request from the Imperial newspaper regarding follow-up inquiries to 'Safety Regulations of the Grand Duke's Castle,' I haven't even completed half of them. I sincerely apologize."
As the desolate dawn light began to break through the window, Blaire Grand Duke turned his gaze away from the faint moon beyond the glass, ignoring the lingering exhaustion that still clung to him. His lips twisted slightly as he looked up at the mountain of documents piled before him.
"It's fine. Is there anything else to report?"
"We're currently supplying food and necessities to the residents of Salt bordering the frontier under the name of the Blaire Grand Duke House."
"What's their reaction?"
"The Royal Family of Salt appears to be simply watching from the sidelines without interfering."
Blaire Grand Duke, who had been listening quietly to the report, suddenly asked an impulsive question.
"Then what about April Salt?"
"...Yes?"
"Have there been no updates since then?"
Liam, who had been lost in thought for a moment, finally understood his question and nodded. Besides, there was news about April that, while not critical, needed to be mentioned in passing.
"...As it happens, she inquired about hiring a personal guard."
A twitch. One of Blaire Grand Duke's eyebrows lifted. In case of unexpected circumstances, I had changed my appearance using the family ring and followed her trail. However, I couldn't simply ignore April Salt after she'd been pickpocketed, so I ended up helping her—and now we've become entangled like this. Though I wore the family ring, that item doesn't completely transform one's appearance into an entirely different person; it merely alters distinctive facial features and aura. That's why I kept refusing, worried she might grow suspicious, so I half-heartedly accepted her proposal... but I never expected her to be so serious about the employment. Liam, noticing the Grand Duke's apparent displeasure, continued speaking.
"Upon brief investigation, it seems she mistook me for a mercenary who came to the Grand Duchy seeking work. How should we handle this?"
Those green eyes, which had been still, turned toward Liam. After a moment of inexplicable silence, Blaire Grand Duke's lips opened once more.
"Tell her we'll conduct an investigation first, given that her identity remains unclear."
"Understood."
Of course, April Salt did need a personal guard. Whether intentional or not, she was a talented individual who brought enormous wealth to the Blaire Grand Duchy. But the problem was that her current position was ambiguous to define clearly. With Salt not yet announcing the disappearance of the Second Princess, any information about April leaking out was something that absolutely could not happen. However, since April herself had brought up the matter of hiring a personal guard first, it seemed I needed to devise an alternative plan. Click. The door closed, and alone once more, Blaire Grand Duke sank deeply into his leather chair. 'Is it exhaustion?' My brow furrowed involuntarily. It shouldn't have mattered what April Salt did, yet the image of her when she'd been pickpocketed kept nagging at me. 'She must have been quite frightened.' Like her timid-looking face suggested, April seemed bold on the surface yet harbored considerable fear and lacked courage in her own way. If I hadn't helped, she might have injured herself trying to handle it alone or caused some disaster. Snap. Kaian realized the pen he'd been habitually gripping had broken and lifted his eyes.
"I need to clean this up."
Yes. This constant irritation stemmed from the fact that the Grand Duchy's security had deteriorated so badly during his absence that pickpockets now brazenly operated in broad daylight. Having reached this conclusion, Kaian rose from his seat. The reason he was mobilizing the Security Force to restore order to the Grand Duchy despite being so busy was nothing more and nothing less than his responsibility for the residents' safety. ...Or so Kaian told himself. * * * "Money really is a wonderful thing."
I uttered those words as if enchanted. To be honest, since arriving in this world, I'd lived a life where I rarely handled cash directly, and I wondered if I'd somehow forgotten the satisfaction that money brings. But in this moment, I found myself reflecting anew on a profound lesson. 'Materialism.' "Indeed...."
Bonita also nodded blankly in agreement. On the day I collected a substantial sum from the Pascal Merchant Guild, I seized the opportunity to hire workers needed for Poleta leather processing. Laborers who wandered seeking work each season were more common than I'd expected, and I selected those with skillful hands to employ in Lady Rainy's sewing workshop. Once the necessary personnel and funds were properly secured, everything began to flow smoothly. Lady Rainy, who had initially expressed reluctance at the sheer volume of leather to be processed, now happily threw herself into all-nighters, motivated by the generous bonuses overflowing from the project. And so, now. The small storage shed that had been crammed with foul-smelling raw Poleta leather was utterly transformed. All of this was essentially the result of abundant funds.
"My goodness...."
The awestruck voices of the maids who arrived a moment late echoed through the space.
"So this is the pattern that emerges when an expert processes Poleta leather."
"This doesn't seem like the Poleta leather I knew before... wouldn't it be perfectly suitable to present to the Imperial Family right now?"
Though their praise was somewhat exaggerated, I found no reason to contradict it. Just as they said, the processed leather neatly stacked inside the storage shed displayed beautiful and distinctive patterns with every fiber of its being. It was entirely suitable for immediate sale to the nobility.
"This is all thanks to your generous support in every way, Young Lady," Lady Rainy said, bowing her head as she stood before the storage shed. She who had initially lacked confidence in the venture more than anyone else now even expressed a desire to specialize in processing Poleta leather herself.
"But... are you truly certain about this?"
"Why?"
Perhaps thinking it was the whim of a thoughtless noblewoman, Lady Rainy carefully opened her mouth once more.
"The quantity seems rather large. While the leather's condition is good, I worry its appeal might fall short for use as curtains...."
"Ah, that's no problem at all."
I shook my head firmly. I shook my head firmly. Naturally, curtains made from Poleta leather could not compete with the lightweight, flowing curtains that were currently favored by the masses. 'But their purposes are entirely distinct,' I thought. My curtains were designed for those who worked at night and slept during the day.
"Shall we run a test first?"
Since I had never properly used them before, the first test was to be conducted in the small storage shed where the leather was stacked. Under Bonita's direction, the maids began hanging curtains on every window. Once Bonita confirmed that even the small transom window on the door had been completely covered, she signaled, and the thick curtains descended all at once.
"Oh...!"
"My goodness."
Despite the bright daylight outside, the interior shielded by the blackout curtains plunged into complete darkness.
"It's just like nighttime."
"Exactly. How can it become this dark?"
As exclamations of amazement escaped from those left in the peaceful shadows, I silently exulted within. 'A complete success!' Compared to the crude blackout curtains I had once cobbled together from discarded leather scraps during my miserable days in Salt, the quality was incomparably superior. Moreover, Lady Rainy had even provided detailed instructions on how to handle these curtains, so there would be absolutely no issues with practical use if I distributed them as they were.
"Bonita."
"Yes, Miss."
My trembling voice, brimming with excitement, received a swift response.
"Would it be possible to see the head maid?"
"The head maid? What brings this about...."
"Well, there's something only the head maid can help me with."
At my response, Bonita's eyes widened in surprise.
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