MTD 13

On a leisurely afternoon in Galnem.

I sat on a stump that served as a chair, watching Uncle Zimmer chop wood.

With each swing of Uncle’s axe, the firewood splits with a crack.

Broad shoulders and impressive muscles… It’s a feast for the eyes.

‘But seeing how well he chops wood, he seems to have good motor skills, so why does he get injured so often?’

“Uncle.”

As I swung my legs alternately while admiring Uncle, I hopped down from the stump with a thud and touched the ground.

Uncle looked at me and smiled warmly.

“You said your family lives in the city, right Uncle?”

At those words, Uncle Zimmer’s hand holding the axe paused for a moment.

“…Yeah.”

“Don’t you miss them?”

I knew quite a lot about Uncle Zimmer.

Because Uncle had once told me about his past.

Uncle’s wife had died right after giving birth to their child, he said.

Uncle has one son, who is being raised by other family members, he had told me.

“…My son?”

“Yes. You said you haven’t been to the city since you started living here.”

Uncle Zimmer put down his axe for a moment and sat next to me.

Strangely, even though Uncle was drenched in sweat, he didn’t smell of it.

“I miss him.”

Uncle Zimmer said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“But there’s nothing I can do right now. I just hope that he trusts me as much as I trust him.”

“You know, so… I…”

It might be a bit presumptuous, but I shared my thoughts.

“I think it would be good if you went to see him at least once. If I were Uncle Zimmer’s child… I think I would miss my dad a lot.”

Uncle Zimmer’s eyes wavered at my words.

“Do you… miss your dad too, Arinel?”

“Hmm… No. My Dad passed away when Mum was pregnant with me, so I don’t even know his face. But Uncle Zimmer is a good person, and it makes me a bit sad that you’re living apart from your family like this.”

“…Arinel.”

I spoke to Uncle Zimmer as if encouraging him.

“I’m alone because I don’t have a family, but it’s not good for you to live alone like this when you have a family. It’s lonely, isn’t it?”

Uncle Zimmer stared at me for a long time.

Well, there were quite a few awkward parts, but Uncle Zimmer is a good person.

If he had raised his son directly, he probably would have been a good father.

“So, I really hope you get to meet your son, Uncle.”

Uncle Zimmer’s brown eyes held me for a long time.

I couldn’t tell what Uncle was thinking, but his gaze was warm.

“You know what? We’ll meet soon.”

At Uncle’s words, I asked with wide eyes.

“Oh, have you already set a date?”

“…Not exactly.”

“Come on, what’s that? Mom used to say if you don’t make plans, it’s the same as not doing anything at all.”

Uncle Zimmer smiled faintly at my words as I furrowed my brow and admonished him.

“It’s true, Arinel. It won’t be long now. And…”

Uncle Zimmer leaned his upper body slightly toward me.

His face came quite close, about two spans away, along with his shadow.

For a moment, clouds covered the sun and cast a shadow.

“You too, Arinel, will get to meet him.”

Unable to understand what Uncle meant, I asked again.

“Me, meet your son?”

Uncle nodded.

“Yes, we promised, remember?”

* * *

As I tilted my head with a puzzled look, Uncle said.

“When Arinel was eight, you treated me for the first time.”

“Ah…”

“And you were so curious about my story, asking all sorts of questions.”

Suddenly remembering that time, I felt embarrassed.

“But why is that relevant?”

“Don’t tell me you don’t remember the promise you made to me?”

Uncle Zimmer made a face as if he was disappointed, then pulled something out from his chest.

It was a crumpled old piece of paper with my carelessly drawn scribbles on it.

I blushed instantly as I recalled the past event.

Uncle Zimmer recited exactly what I had said back then.

“‘Is Uncle’s son as handsome as Uncle? If so, I’ll marry Uncle’s son.’”

“Uncle!!”

With my face flushed, I reached up to snatch the paper from Uncle, but being a little kid, my jumps only reached his chest level.

Uncle Zimmer laughed loudly and put it back inside his chest pocket.

To be honest, I feel a bit wronged.

It was Uncle Zimmer who first proposed, ‘Arinel, will you marry my son?’

It was the first thing Uncle said after staring at me while I was applying crushed herbs to his wound.

Of course, I thought it was a joke and casually answered like that, and then Uncle suddenly pulled out a paper and told me to sign it.

That’s when my impression of Uncle changed.

I thought he was a grumpy uncle who didn’t communicate well, but he turned out to be unexpectedly fun and naive.

So instead of signing, I drew a doodle and gave it to him… and he’s still keeping it?

“Please give it back quickly.”

“I can’t return such an important contract.”

Uncle didn’t seem likely to take out the paper from his chest again.

Watching him chop wood, I briefly thought he might be a normal person without any shortcomings. But seeing him cherish that scribble as a ‘contract’ until now…

Indeed, Uncle seems to be a bit, no, quite lacking as a person.

“Sigh, you’re not going to show that to your son and tell him to marry someone named Arinel, are you?”

Uncle looked at me as if I was asking something obvious.

“Uncle, please. If you do that, your son will be disappointed.”

I wanted to say he might look down on his naive uncle, but I softened my words in case it might make Uncle Zimmer sad.

“No, he’ll definitely be happy.”

“He won’t even consider a girl from this rural place that you’re telling him to marry.”

Rough hands and dirt-stained arms and legs, surely incomparable to the delicately raised city girls.

Of course, Uncle’s family might be poor in the city too, but if Uncle’s son takes after Uncle, he’ll be popular.

“What? What’s wrong with Arinel?”

Uncle Zimmer spoke with a serious and sincere expression as if teaching me something important.

“There’s no child in the world as cute and lovable as Arinel.”

* * *

“……”

Having dreamt of Galnem village after a long time, I sat dazed for a while.

Why didn’t I notice back then how suspicious Uncle Zimmer was?

As a reader of romance fantasy novels in my previous life, I should have been suspicious of such a handsome man living in the countryside, chopping firewood.

‘Moreover, who would have thought that Uncle’s son living in the city would be Crown Prince Briton.’

As I recalled Briton’s face, looking like a prince from a fairy tale, I shook my head.

Right, as he said, there’s still a lot of time until marriageable age, and the future is uncertain.

“My lady. It’s Adam.”

Adam’s voice was heard from outside.

After roughly fixing my hair which had become messy from the nap, I answered Adam.

“Yes, come in.”

Soon, Adam entered my room and began his report.

“There are a few pieces of news. First, Hugo Brint Bank has changed the trustee asset manager. It’s probably the same old story, but they won’t play tricks like last time. I gave them a stern warning.”

Well, that’s how it should be.

“Well done, Adam!”

“Also, the Military Department, Economic Department, Ministry of Justice, Pension Office… Anyway, many institutions are showing interest in your movements. We caught a few guys loitering in front of the Marquis’ residence and threatened… I mean, questioned them, and they revealed where they came from.”

I tilted my head with a puzzled expression.

“In me? Why?”

“Well, they just said they received orders from above to observe you closely. Is there anything that comes to mind? Any grudges against those places or…”

At Adam’s words, I puffed up my cheeks as if it was absurd and replied.

“Grudges? You seem to have forgotten, but I’m eleven years old.”

What kind of grudges could a little kid like me have against such important institutions?

To begin with, the only people I know are Uncle Zimmer and the people from Galnem village.

“I apologize. You’re like a little adult that I momentarily suspected… Hmm.”

I glared at Adam, my eyes narrowing.

“Anyway, even if you are the prospective Crown Princess, it’s unusual to receive attention from such institutions, so I think I should look into the reason.”

Adam smiled awkwardly as he diverted the subject.

***

After Adam left the room, I organized the Marquis family’s inheritance.

First, the land rental income of the Marquis family is only five thousand Brin.

In Korean money, it’s about 5 million won of income.

There’s a large sum in Hugo Brint Bank, but it’s tied up, so it’s of no use right now.

‘And I don’t even know what the substance in the safe is.’

The problem is the expenses.

In just a week, repair costs amounted to five thousand Brin for materials. Including food expenses and miscellaneous costs, it’s said to reach thirty thousand Brin.

For now, the palace will pay the employees’ salaries, but I don’t know when I’ll have to pay them myself…

‘Sigh. Cars and houses, it’s always the maintenance costs that are the problem…’

I let out a deep sigh.

‘At this rate, we won’t even last a year before going into the red.’

“The most important thing is… money, dear.”

Suddenly, I’m reminded of Uncle Amrus.

I wonder if he’s read the letter I sent.

“My lady.”

Tap, tap, as I was tapping the desk with the tip of my pen, Adam’s voice was heard.

Adam approached me with an inexplicably joyful face.

“News has arrived from the Imperial Palace.”

“……What?”