Father received the paper with the amount on it. Forgetting his usual stoicism, he opened his eyes wide in surprise. He also showed me the amount, and I almost laughed out loud when I saw the number.
It was ten times the amount I had expected. Although not haggling at all was quite unlike a merchant, it showed a determination to the point of life and death. As expected from the chairman of the Selor Company. His approach was quite different.
“I understand. Since you’ve come this far, I’ll sell you this dragon stone.”
Father nodded and handed over the dragon saliva stone, saying that such an amount could not be ignored.
“Thank you.”
Chairman Selor took the Dragon Spit Stone and bowed his head. Then he turned to me and bowed deeply again.
“Lady Romelia, my son has indeed committed an unspeakable act this time. He tells me that he also did something unseemly when he bought your other goods. I sincerely request that you allow me to reevaluate them.”
Chairman Selor also mentioned the unreasonable purchase prices and tried to correct them.
But I flatly refused.
“I’m afraid that’s impossible. These were closed transactions.”
Although I knew my weakness had been exploited, I had agreed and signed. What’s sold is sold.
“However, we cannot leave such deals as they are.”
As the chairman, he probably couldn’t overlook his son’s impropriety either. Most importantly, it was always very expensive to owe favors to nobles. This had to be resolved tonight.
“I understand. Then, as compensation, could you prepare some ‘magic pigments’ for me?”
I named a kind of hard-to-get magic artifact.
At first glance, it looked like ordinary sand. However, it had a special property: if a magician grabbed it and threw it into the fire, the color of the flame would change. It was an item used to measure a mage’s skill.
Magic artifacts were usually very expensive items to begin with, and these “magic pigments” in particular were extremely rare and difficult to obtain. However, if it was the Selor Company, they might be able to obtain some.
“Anytime is fine, but could it be sent over?”
“Understood. I will have it delivered tomorrow.”
Chairman Selor didn’t ask why I wanted such a thing and readily agreed.
As expected from the most important shop of the kingdom. An item that was hard to obtain even for ordinary companies would be prepared by tomorrow.
Indeed, the goods arrived the very next day. As a merchant, Chairman Selor was undoubtedly first class.
I got what I wanted, and Father received an unexpected fortune. With these funds, the administration of the territory in crisis could probably be revived.
The days of successive feasts were finally coming to an end, and I heard that Prince Henry and the Saintess Elizabeth had announced their engagement at the end of the feast.
Although it was no longer my concern, I was quite curious to know what kind of conversation had taken place between Elizabeth, Ekaterina , and Ludmila. But there was no way for me to find out now.
So I left the capital and returned to Gram, the capital of our ancestral Grahm district.
When I returned to my real hometown Gram, I was busy going around in circles.
First, I had to hurry and make clothes. I had barely managed to borrow formal clothes in the capital, but to be honest, I disliked such clothes. I needed practical, sturdy clothes, so I went to the tailor and had about ten outfits made in styles I liked.
Next, I went to the workshop and had custom-made armor, helmets, swords, and so on made.
The master craftsman was surprised to see me, a woman, wearing armor, but I lied that it was becoming fashionable among the nobles and got away with it.
Then I sent people to investigate several people and thoroughly examine the documents I had borrowed from Father’s room, busy every day.
Speaking of busy, Mother and Father were also very busy.
Especially Mother, who spent every day crying, her wailing and screaming audible incessantly. She seemed unable to accept returning to the countryside from the glamorous capital of Lionel.
The servants who had been assigned to comfort her looked rather haggard, but that was their job, so they had to put up with it.
Father was busy every day calculating how to spend the huge amount of money he had received from the Dragon Spit Stone. But from the financial records, Father seemed to have little resistance to the money in front of his eyes. Although I felt that more long-term considerations were needed, as his daughter, it wasn’t my place to interfere, so I kept quiet.
Still, there was no conversation between us as a family. Mother holed up in her room, seeing father only at meals, where they would exchange perfunctory small talk without any real discussion.
At a loss as to how to deal with them, the preparations were finally almost complete. The clothes ordered from the tailor would be delivered tomorrow, and the supplies ordered were ready. All that remained was to talk to Father.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
“Father, there is something I would like to discuss with you.”
I went to Father’s side as he enjoyed his afternoon tea and spoke up.
“Actually, I was thinking that I’d like to go to a charming place on the border to relax after the long journey.”
It was a lie, of course, but not such a strange act. Since Prince Henry had broken off our engagement, I had no foothold in high society. So it wasn’t strange to want to live peacefully in the quiet countryside.
“Where do you want to go?”
Hearing Father’s words, I answered immediately.
“Cashew in the east.”
I named the place I had already chosen.
“I see, do as you wish.”
As expected, Father agreed. For the troubled daughters, moving to the borderlands voluntarily was probably welcomed as convenient.
“Yes. However, Father, I don’t want any restrictions on my freedom there. I won’t cause you any trouble. Please let me act freely in Cashew as compensation.”
I pleaded a bit petulantly like a willful daughter.
“…Understood, fine.”
Father agreed completely, which took me by surprise. He considered me in his own way, didn’t he?
I had received approval for what I wanted to do in Cashew. I would formalize it in documents later.
“Romelia, when will you leave?”
“As soon as possible. Could I have an escort for the trip?”
I answered Father’s question promptly and requested an escort as well.
Cashew was on the border, not yet reached by the Demon King’s army. But I had heard that the monsters had increased lately. Considering that bandits might be around, an escort was essential. I also wanted to take a detour to see the land. With an escort, I could explore the area along the way.
“I understand, I will arrange it.”
Father agreed with me completely.
“I should also say goodbye to Mother.”
I mentioned Mother’s name. If things went badly, I might never see them again. I didn’t make it three years ago, so this time I should say goodbye properly.
Father agreed, so I immediately went to Mother’s room.
I went into Mother’s bedroom, her wailing could be heard outside. I sighed and steeled myself.
“Mother, it’s Romelia. I’m coming in.”
I knocked and entered the room.
The spacious bedroom was a mess, with clothes, shoes, jewelry, underwear, handkerchiefs and more strewn about.
“Oh, Romelia. What am I going to do? It’s the end of the world.”
That was the first thing she said when she saw me. Mother really had a gift for spotting the tragedies and disasters in this world.
She felt that servants were cold to her, friends looked down on her, merchants sold her inferior goods, even her pets didn’t approach her, and all of creation shunned her.
Then she would lament endlessly, absolutely refusing to meet my eyes.
I could let her pass normally, but this might be the last time.
“Mother!”
Tired of the endless lamentations, I clapped loudly.
Mother was startled by the sudden sound and finally looked at me, eyes wide open.
I placed both hands on Mother’s face and looked at her intently.
It had been so long since I had really looked at Mother’s face. She probably hadn’t really looked at me for a long time either.
After studying Mother’s face closely, I lowered my hands from her face and wrapped them around her back, hugging her.
Mother tensed and froze in surprise at the sudden embrace.
“I’m leaving for Cashew tomorrow. This is goodbye.”
I poured my meager love into the farewell.
Goodbye, mother. A pitiful woman who loved no one but herself. And I didn’t love Mother either.
Even though I didn’t love her, I still hoped she would stay healthy.
“Goodbye, take care.”
I left the room and the crying continued inside.
Without looking back amidst the cries, I began my journey.
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