Chapter : 09
“Lady Urania, should I leave this here?”
“Yes! Please put it over there.”
A week had already passed since the preparations for the Winter Flower Harvest had begun.
At first, she’d been anxious because it was something she’d never done before. But once she actually started, it turned out not to be all that difficult.
She simply had to check the inventory, replenish anything that was running low, and prepare food supplies and other necessities.
At least the employees listen to what I say.
Fortunately, with the servants’ help, she organized every type of supply into a proper system, making everything much more efficient.
As she sorted through the remaining inventory, however, something suddenly caught her attention.
“…What? Why is this so expensive?”
For a moment, she rubbed her eyes, thinking she had read it wrong.
But the number written on the paper hadn’t changed.
The problem was the flour.
Compared to the other food supplies, its listed price was nearly three times higher.
“Um… Ruby?”
“Yes? Is something wrong?”
“Has flour… always been this expensive?”
“Well, this is the North, after all. And since the wheat-producing regions had a poor harvest this year, the price has gone up considerably.”
“What?”
Her eyes widened.
“What do you mean the wheat-producing regions had a poor harvest?”
According to the novel, the wheat shortage had already been resolved by the protagonist.
Even when she had lived in the village, there had been so much flour that there was more than enough to go around—and that village wasn’t even a wheat-producing region.
“Who’s supplying the flour?”
“It’s not an individual merchant. The Gite Family manages the distribution.”
“Where can I meet someone from that family?”
“Huh? Um… they’ll be delivering the remaining shipment of flour today, so you’ll probably be able to meet them then. They should be arriving any—”
“Were you looking for me?”
Before Ruby could finish speaking, the voice of an unfamiliar man came from behind.
Turning around, Urania found a middle-aged man looking at her.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace the Duchess… no, I suppose I shouldn’t call you that. Would you mind telling me your name instead?”
“Huh?”
“I don’t think I should use… that title so casually.”
Look at this bastard.
So he’s refusing to acknowledge me as the Duchess?
She had neither any reason nor any desire to be treated as the real Duchess.
The true Duchess, Lylit, would eventually return anyway.
But this situation was different.
“My name is Urania. And yes, you’re right. You shouldn’t use that title carelessly.”
“I see. It’s a pleasure to—”
“But at the moment, I’m serving as the Acting Duchess.”
“And that position was personally appointed by Lord Rikain himself.”
“…I see.”
“I don’t mind. But I’m not sure how Lord Rikain will react once he hears about this.”
How dare he look down on the position of Duchess.
Whether she wanted the title or not didn’t matter.
Right now, she was the Acting Duchess, and it was her duty to uphold its dignity.
“Haha… I understand.”
Although he smiled outwardly, the corners of the nobleman’s mouth twitched ever so slightly.
His pride had clearly taken a hit.
“Anyway, why were you looking for me?”
“It’s about the price of the flour.”
“Is there a particular reason it’s become so expensive?”
“As I mentioned, our primary supplier suffered a poor harvest this year.”
“Which region, exactly?”
“You wouldn’t know it even if I told you.”
His dismissive tone irritated her.
“I might know the region. Why are you so certain I wouldn’t?”
She answered with just as much attitude.
“The Bederita Region.”
Perfect. You walked right into that one.
“Let me ask you one more time.”
“Are you absolutely certain that Bederita had a poor harvest?”
The nobleman’s expression instantly stiffened.
“As far as I know, that region did not experience a poor harvest.”
“I believe Your Grace must be mistaken.”
“No.”
“I’m not the one who’s mistaken.”
“You are.”
“Do you have any proof?”
“It’s difficult enough to get news from that place.”
“For that matter… do you even know where it is?”
He’s really determined to get under my skin.
“Well…”
“What’s all this commotion?”
A familiar voice suddenly interrupted from behind.
“Gite Williams greets the Head of the House.”
The nobleman bowed immediately.
Urania hurriedly lowered her head as well.
“From what I heard, there seems to be a problem with the flour prices.”
“It’s nothing serious.”
“Since Acting Duchess Urania is new to this work, she simply lacks experience.”
The moment those words left his mouth, something inside Urania snapped.
“Excuse me.”
Her icy voice caused the atmosphere to freeze instantly.
“…Were you just talking about me?”
“Who else would I be talking about?”
“How dare you speak so rudely—”
“The Bederita Region is having a record-breaking bumper harvest.”
“The biggest harvest they’ve ever had.”
“The knights are risking their lives fighting monsters.”
“And because you couldn’t squeeze money out of them anymore, you decided to gouge people with flour prices instead?”
At that moment, even the old matriarch’s expression turned cold.
“Is that true?”
“N-No! Absolutely not!”
“I personally handled flour deliveries from Bederita until just a few weeks ago.”
“So what exactly isn’t true?”
Back when she had still been working as a maid, purchasing flour for the baron’s household had been her responsibility.
Among all the suppliers, Bederita flour had offered the best quality for the price.
“Y-You lowborn wench!”
“How dare you lie here!”
“Lord Rikain, don’t believe a word that common girl says!”
“‘Lowborn wench?'”
“Hey! Watch your mouth!”
Bang!
In an instant, the old matriarch’s sword was pressed against the nobleman’s throat.
“Urania.”
“Is what you said true?”
“Yes! It’s true!”
“Grandmother, you know this yourself!”
“I was still working as a maid just a few days ago!”
“Head of the House!”
“What could a former maid possibly know?”
“I, Goute, swear upon the heavens that I have never committed such a despicable act!”
“You know how much my family has contributed to the North all these years!”
For a brief moment, Urania’s heart sank.
The matriarch had never liked her to begin with.
Would she really believe someone like Urania over a long-standing noble family?
“Goute.”
“Y-Yes, Head of the House!”
“Did you really think I didn’t know?”
“…What?”
Huh?
What does she mean?
“I already knew.”
“I’ve known for months that you’ve been inflating your prices.”
“And by an outrageous amount.”
Wait… she already knew?
Then why did she let it continue?
“Even so, I tolerated it because I knew how much your family had done for the North in the past.”
“I showed you mercy more than once.”
“And yet…”
“You even dared to pull the same trick during the Winter Flower Harvest?”
“H-Head of the House, I—”
“I’ve heard enough.”
“Haikin.”
“Yes, Head of the House.”
“Take him away.”
“Understood.”
The moment she finished speaking, the knights seized the nobleman and dragged him out.
“Urania.”
“Y-Yes! Head of the House!”
The matriarch’s stern expression made Urania stammer involuntarily.
But the next words immediately eased her tension.
“Thank you.”
“…Pardon?”
Thank her?
“I’d already been thinking that it was time to deal with him.”
“You simply gave me the perfect opportunity.”
“It was nothing.”
“I only did what I was supposed to do.”
“On my way here, I spoke with the butler and the maids.”
“They told me you’ve been doing an excellent job.”
The news has already spread?
“Have you finished your work?”
“I’m almost done!”
“In that case…”
“Would you join me for a cup of tea?”
“Tea…?”
The old matriarch looked at her with a small smile.
“I simply wanted to have tea with you.”
“Just the two of us.”
“…Urania is having a private meeting with Grandmother right now?”
“Yes. I just heard it from one of the servants—”
Thud.
Before the knight could finish, the Duke jumped off his horse and sprinted toward the office.
He had been far too careless.
He never should have left Urania alone.
Once someone fell out of the Head of the House’s favor, she never looked at them again.
Naturally, there was no way she’d think kindly of Urania.
He could already picture it.
The matriarch mercilessly berating Urania…
While Urania silently endured it with tears streaming down her face.
The mere thought made his heart ache.
After running as fast as he could, he finally arrived at the office where Urania and the Head of the House were meeting.
“Open the door.”
“The Duke has arrived!”
Creak…
The door swung open.
Inside, Urania and the Head of the House were calmly drinking tea together.
“Oh, Duke?”
Though…
It was nothing like the scene he had imagined.
“What is it, Duke?”
“I heard you were out training today.”
There wasn’t even the slightest trace of discomfort between Urania and the matriarch.
If anything…
They looked completely at ease with each other.
For a moment, he couldn’t process what he was seeing.
“Interrupting ladies’ tea time is terribly rude, Laindart.”
“I certainly don’t remember raising you that way.”
…What in the world is going on here?
