Chapter 28. You Need 7.5 Billion?
Gilta’s face turned stiff. It wasn’t something listed in the budget, so he hesitated to speak.
“I’m the mistress of this castle. I need to understand the situation properly if I’m to figure out a solution.”
After a brief pause, Gilta sighed a beat too late and finally confessed.
“The former Grand Duke spent an enormous amount of money to rescue the people of the duchy who had been taken to Kurcia.”
“People of the duchy who were taken to Kurcia… don’t tell me, are you talking about the imperial citizens who were offered as slaves right after the Kurcian Empire unified?”
“That’s correct.”
After unifying with the Kingdom of Ophiel, Kurcia had attempted to wage a massive war to check the Requies Empire, which had close ties with Ophiel. But due to their weakened military from a recent epidemic, they had to settle the war by proposing several unfair terms.
One of those conditions was to offer young and healthy imperial citizens to Kurcia.
Hundreds of commoners were suddenly dragged off to a foreign land.
There was no way to bring them back.
“The Grand Duke couldn’t save every imperial citizen, but he did his best to bring back those who were born and raised in Blandetche.”
“So since he couldn’t rescue them, he paid smugglers to bring them back?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Of course, there’s nothing money can’t buy.
“How much does it cost to bring back one person?”
“Three hundred million gold per person. Since it’s not a legal method, the price goes up every year.”
I felt like I’d been hit in the back of the head.
Three hundred million?
It was an absurd amount.
“Then how many people are left to bring back?”
“Twenty-five.”
That meant 7.5 billion gold was still needed.
I almost blurted out whether we could just give up on the remaining people.
Of course, that was something I could never say.
This was the will of the late Grand Duke and the duty Herthian had inherited.
If we gave up on the people of the duchy now, no one would acknowledge Herthian as their rightful lord.
‘Still, 7.5 billion is way too much!’
I was boiling inside.
It felt like Herthian was cleaning up the emperor’s mess.
Just thinking about the emperor lounging around the palace, unaware of how much his son was struggling, annoyed me.
“If we budget about 1.2 billion per year to bring them back, that’s four people a year. So we’ll need at least six years to get everyone home?”
“Yes, my lady.”
That meant repairs on the grand castle could only begin six years later.
At that point, I’d rather wait for a divorce. Though honestly, I’d probably freeze to death before then.
“I’ll have to make money.”
That was the only way.
I had to get out there and earn money with my own two feet. The sooner I did, the sooner I could bring our people home.
“But… as you can see, our land is barren. We don’t have any notable local specialties.”
“Even if we don’t have special products, we have me. That’s good enough.”
“…You, my lady?”
“I have a bit of foresight.”
Gilta’s eyes widened.
“There’s no need to be that surprised. I’m not a prophet or anything. It’s just that sometimes I get sudden glimpses of near-future events.”
Just because I strayed from the original story didn’t mean I should throw away the knowledge from the book. I had to use it to its fullest to make money.
“First, summon a merchant and get as many herbs as possible.”
“What kind of herbs, my lady?”
“I’ll give you a list. Get them as quickly as you can. Understood?”
Gilta stuttered at the sudden request.
“B-but my lady, we already have enough herbs growing in the castle to treat the residents. Why buy more?”
“I plan to do business with herbs.”
“They’re common herbs. They won’t fetch a high price.”
“I have an idea.”
***
As soon as I parted ways with Gilta, I headed straight to the castle’s basement.
The warmth of the place always felt comforting, but I didn’t have time to enjoy it. I quickly began harvesting herbs into the basket I’d brought.
“My lady, what are you planning to do with all these herbs? Didn’t you also ask the merchant to bring a bunch?”
“These are for a different purpose. Hurry up and help me pick them.”
The herb garden here had a wide variety, which meant I could create many combinations of medicine.
After trimming and grinding them, I returned to my room and spread paper across my desk.
I wrote down treatment methods based on what I had studied at the academy and my past experiences of taking countless medicines. I carefully recorded everything I could remember about symptoms and cures.
By the time I finished, I had essentially written an entire book.
“What are you writing so intensely?”
“Herthian?”
It was already nighttime.
I’d lost track of time while writing. I glanced at the clock and gave a sheepish smile as I closed the book.
Herthian entered the bedroom wearing only a robe, as usual, and came up behind me at the table.
“Please, don’t mind me and continue.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded with a smile.
As I resumed writing, he came up behind me again with something in hand.
“May I brush your hair?”
He was holding a small wooden brush.
It looked strangely cute in the hands of someone who usually only held a sword. I gladly handed over my hair.
“Be gentle, please.”
“Leave it to me.”
With careful hands, he began brushing my hair. His fingers occasionally grazing the nape of my neck gave me an odd sensation.
Although I finished writing shortly after, I liked the feeling of him brushing my hair so much that I closed my eyes and stayed still.
“Could you tie it up too?”
I wanted him to keep touching it a little longer. He silently took a ribbon and gently tied my hair. The feeling was so soothing that I slowly drifted off.
“You even look beautiful with your hair tied up.”
His whisper lingered faintly in my ears.
***
The room was filled with bright roses—hard to find in the northern region.
Lily changed into her afternoon dress, enjoying the rich scent of roses.
“Where’s my sister-in-law?”
A question Lily had recently made a habit of asking.
Her personal maid leaned in with a conspiratorial whisper, clearly expecting the question.
“She’s trying to bring back the people the empire gave away?”
“I heard she even summoned merchants from the empire.”
Lily clicked her tongue.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with both my uncle and her, wasting money to bring those people back. She’s not even from this land, so why’s she obsessed with things Herthian didn’t even ask her to do?”
She couldn’t understand it.
Why try to bring back people who had already settled down in Kurcia?
And it wasn’t even for free—it cost enough money to buy hundreds of luxury dresses.
“Maybe it’s because of you, miss?”
“Because of me? Why?”
“I heard you scolded a woman who brought a Kurcian child the other day. Maybe the lady is trying to challenge your authority by bringing even more foreigners.”
Even if she was the Grand Duchess, the real mistress of the castle—at least to the long-time staff—was Lily.
If Lily’s position weakened, so did theirs.
It was obvious they’d lose everything to Anette’s maids if they just sat back and watched.
“You’re right.”
And Lily believed the words entirely. Though she didn’t show it, she had been growing uneasy about Anette managing the household.
“I need to get rid of the fake sister-in-law before the real one shows up.”
***
Touring the vast and barren duchy was more fun than I thought.
From the carriage, I could see the snow-laden trees lining the roads.
“If not for the cold, I’d love to see this view every day.”
When I lived in the capital, I used to wait eagerly for snowy days with Rian. Maybe that’s why I liked spirea trees—they reminded me of snow.
Since my father never let me go out when it snowed, it felt extra special now. A single snowflake landing in my palm was enough to make me smile.
“My lady, are you sure you shouldn’t return to the castle? If the lord finds out, I’ll be dead.”
“I told him I’d be touring the territory. As long as you don’t say anything, it’s fine…”
I gave him a pointed look.
Unable to resist my gaze, Gilta reluctantly took the lead.
“But only for an hour.”
“Deal. Let’s go, Bonisa.”
I headed to the border with Bonisa, a stronger maid than the rest.
There was a small village nestled in the snowy field, surrounded by a long fence.
Beyond the fence were several large tents.
I took a deep breath, soaking in the scenery.
Wearing plain clothes instead of a cumbersome dress made me feel fully recovered.
“Bonisa, don’t call me ‘miss’ or ‘my lady’ here, okay?”
“…Can I call you sister?”
“Sure.”
The camp near the border was set up to monitor surprise attacks from Requies, the enemy nation. Since it was next to a village, it was also a convenient place to get supplies—essentially a mixed-use area.
But for the villagers, it wasn’t an entirely unwelcome presence.
“Two orcs are coming down the mountain!”
“Just deal with them and report later.”
Kurcian knights usually took care of monsters or wild beasts descending from the mountains.
‘So it’s a symbiotic relationship.’
Several knights returned covered in orc blood. One soldier limped in—apparently the orcs weren’t such easy prey.
He casually crossed the fence, looking for someone.
“Ma’am, do you have a clean towel? Just one will do.”
The villagers didn’t seem uncomfortable around the Kurcian knights.
“Wait there. I’ll bring it to you.”
I took the towel from the older lady and walked over to the camp. The knights didn’t even glance at me as I crossed the fence.
Inside the small tent at the end were three low-ranking soldiers, including the one who had asked for the towel.
“That lady passed it off again, huh. I told her to just give it herself.”
I handed him the towel. He roughly snatched it and began wiping his face.
“Tell her to wash it before returning it. Orc blood’s poisonous.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Aren’t you leaving?”
Noticing I was still standing there, he got up and pulled back the hood of my robe. Bonisa gasped and grabbed my arm to pull me back.
“You…”
He wasn’t the only one shocked. His eyes went wide as he saw my face.
‘Don’t tell me… did he recognize me as the Grand Duchess?’
