“Aren’t you angry?”

At Ross’ question, Ran wrapped her fingertips around the teacup. The cup for black tea is wide, so the tea cools down quickly.

Ran asked, holding the moderately cooled cup.

“Why do you sound so mad?”

“Well…”

Rarely did Ross hold his words back. Ran said whilst drinking her tea.

“I want to be a family with Yus. It may be said that it’s too much to be a good sister and brother, but I want it to be like that.”

Ran looked at Ross.

“But I don’t intend to force it. I’m just trying my best in my own way. You know Yustaf was harassed by my mother—“

She spoke sheepishly.

“I’m not saying I’m going to pretend that I didn’t harass him too. I did in the past, but I want things to go a little differently now.”

Click.

Putting down the empty cup, Ran poured herself another tea. The sweet aroma of the tea swirled up with the steam.

“That’s why I’m not angry. It’s all up to Yustaf.”

Ross had a face like someone who saw something really strange.

Ran picked up some papers from the pile of documents beside her and put them on her desk.

She knew the financial situation was the worst. So, what about the work that has been pushed back?

In fact, Elizabeth, the administrator, may have wanted to catch up on the backlog of work.

‘She didn’t show it. She’s a great administrator.’

In addition, most of the proposed work are in need of funds. Like the bell tower that has been requesting for repairs for several years now…

‘I think the repair of the bridge comes before this. No, the road covered by a landslide three years ago hasn’t been restored yet, right?’

First of all, the goal is to split up the mountain of documents.

‘Let’s cheer up.’

Ran took a deep breath and quickly began to sort out the documents. Speed reading is one of the skills she has.

With the mountain of documents, it was fortunate that she can read quickly.

Besides.

‘The format is terrible.’

There is no basic format for the documents. At this point, it was more like a letter to the lord than a document.

‘I have to fix this first.’

She will need to specify a default format.

That alone will drastically reduce the amount of time to look at the documents.

Fluttering.

The speed at which she was flipping documents made Ross wonder if she was really reading all of the paperwork meticulously.

By the time he was getting tired with her pace, the sound of knocking on the door was loud.

Both Ross and Ran raised their heads in surprise.

Ross put his hand on his sword and the doors opened.

“Ran!”

It was her uncle, Baron Lindbergh, who came in shouting.

“Uncle.”

Ran got up from her seat.

“What are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t meet you at all. I was worried about you.”

Baron Lindbergh huffed his way inside. Ross blocked him.

“You cannot see the lord without permission.”

“I am her uncle! Besides, I am more concerned that a brash guy like you is here!”

“Uncle, he is a loyal knight.”

Ran covered for him, so Ross was taken aback. Baron Lindbergh snorted.

“Loyalty means nothing.”

Ran said to Ross.

“Make a seat.”

Ross stood aside without saying a word, and Lindbergh plopped into his seat triumphantly without being told to come in.

It was such rude behaviour that couldn’t be considered an act of a vassal.

But, without saying anything, Ran sat down and asked.

“So, what is the matter?”

“I’m going to give you a different escort.”

“A different escort?”

“Yes! Not a disloyal one like that guy, but a real knight that I recommend.”

Lindbergh said something so obvious, she could see through it.

“No, Sir Ross is enough. There is no need to increase my escort.”

Lindbergh frowned and said in a low voice.

“Ran.”

“Yes.”

“Did you know that your mother owes me money?”

Baron Lindbergh spoke outright and pulled the letter out from his arm.

“She had bought a necklace. Because she borrowed the money suddenly, it was very difficult for me too.”

He handed the paperwork to Ran, and she opened it with a blank face.

It was an IOU.

It was said that her mother borrowed 10,000 verats from him. Interest is 10% per month.

That is to say, the amount increases by 1,000 verats every month. It was a huge usury.

With 3,000 verats, it would be possible to change all of the knights equipment to new ones.

‘I should be glad that she only borrowed 10,000 verats.’

Indeed, it would be difficult for Baron Lindbergh to cough up more than 10,000 verats in cash.

Because the money for the baronage is about 15,000 per year.

First of all, verat is a unit of money, and unless you’re of nobility, people rarely used it.

‘A 10,000 verat necklace.’

Ran recalled her mother’s extravagant accessories.

‘I remember Marie Antoinette’s diamond necklace.’

She ends up in a huge scandal with the necklace she had never worn around her neck.

“According to this IOU, the repayment date is due at the end of this year.”

“Yes, but didn’t your mother end up in a big accident?”

The baron had a rather dark face.

“It’s a lot of money for me too. That’s why I’m telling you specifically, just in case you don’t know.”

He gave a slight dry cough and made a blatantly mocking remark.

“But you are my niece. That’s why I’m thinking about writing off the debt.”

“You mean indemnity?”

Ran looked at him with puzzled eyes. Baron Lindbergh said, fiddling with his well-groomed moustache.

“I want to be a real family with you.”

“We are already relatives.”

She didn’t want to say family, so she chose a different word. But the baron, who was unaware of the distancing, said with a smile.

“I mean, I want my son to marry you.”

Oh my god.

Ran swallowed what almost became a laugh.

“If it’s your son, you mean cousin Robbie?”

If that’s the case, Ran knew him because she has seen his face a few times.

Proclaiming his ‘manly’ qualities, he enjoyed outrageous activities like drinking and sex.

In other words, by Ran’s standards, he is a human worse than garbage.

‘He’s probably gambling right now.’

“Yes. You know the age difference is only four or five years. It’s the perfect time.”

Son of a bitch.

But Ran did not show such a face.

However, it is not the right time to make an enemy outright. After the duchy’s finances and affairs more stable and stronger.

Then.

Although she pushed ahead with the blue flames, there will still be forces dissatisfied with the fact that she became a temporary head.

Baron Lindbergh has spent quite a bit of money here and there, so there will be his employees inside the mansion as well.

‘Well it’s not just the baron.’

What’s fortunate is that she clearly knows who is loyal to the Lazia family, because she is the original author.

‘That’s a relief.’

Ran said, smiling embarrassingly.

“Uncle, thank you very much for your words. But, marriage…that’s too sudden. Besides, um—“

Ran scratched her cheek.

“Getting married like that because of the debt…that’s not right.”

It sounded like a girly thing to say, but he didn’t hear her cry.

“But it’s 10,000 verats. Do you know how much money that is? Besides, the duke’s house has other debts. It’s a problem you can’t handle on your own.”

Lindbergh leaned forward.

“You need the advice of a wiser man.”

“Advice from someone like you uncle.”

“Yes.”

Finally, Ran’s words worked, and Lindbergh nodded his head.

Ran looked at the piles of paper.

She still has a lot of work to do.

Ran smiled and raised her head.

“I would love to hear that.”

* * *

“Are you not sleeping?”

To Ross’ question, Ran replied vaguely, saying, “yes…” Realising that she wasn’t listening to him at all, he got closer and put his hand on the paperwork.

Only then did Ran look at him.

“Sir Ross?”

“It is late at night.”

“I’ll just look for a little bit longer.”

“Why don’t you see to it tomorrow morning.”

“I should do so.”

Ran rubbed her tight eyes.

She had lit the candles, but her eyes were tired from exhaustion.

Ross looked at Ran.

When Baron Lindbergh came to talk, he really wanted to cut him out. When she and he were alone, he thought there would be something to come.

‘However.’

She told Ross the whole conversation she had with Baron Lindbergh.

Of course, he didn’t believe all of it.

It’s always about building up trust, if you want to beat betrayal.

‘Until you told me about the secret hole.’

“Next time when my uncle and I talk, you can come over here and listen.”

She guided him to another room connected to the inner room, and pointed to the stovepipe.

“If you open that pipe, you should be able to hear everything.”

“Then, aren’t you writing and exchanging notes?”

At Ross’ words, Ran blinked and relaxed her shoulders.

“I guess, that is also such a way. But, I don’t mean to do that.”

“Why are you going so far?”

“Hmm, is it rather counterproductive? It’s because I want to build trust.”

“Trust.”

“Yes, that’s enough to be worth doing this.”

Ran continued with a shrug.

“Well, when Yustaf graduates, it will be easier then.”

This year is his last semester.

He will graduate in winter, and in the spring he will return to the mansion.

Then, if we work closely with each other, we can build up the trust.

Ross did not respond to Ran’s words.

The lord’s thoughts are her own.

He wouldn’t dare say it himself.

Ran put a bookmark on the documents and got up from her seat.

“Then I’ll take your advice and go to bed.”

Ross lowered his eyes, but did not say anything.

Back in her room, Ran was attended to by a maid and she changed her clothes.

Originally, she would have been moved to the heads bedroom, but she insisted she would keep using her own room. It’s only temporary anyway.

As soon as laid on the familiar bed, she fell asleep.

* * *

Imperial Academy.

As the name implies, it is an institution of higher education established by the empire.

The majority of aristocrats sent their children to the academy, because that is where the emperor’s usually receive education.

This leads to a graduation and creates academic relations.

It was Lazia who usually kept their distance.

Therefore, Yustaf who was the first of house Lazia to attend the academy, was the subject of attention.

There are three dukedoms in the empire.

Lazia of the ice wall.

Miro of the silverly white.

Uslar of the rose.

Among them, the most closed and exclusive was Lazia.

As such, there was a lot of curiosity and a lot of fantasies.

The place where the last great sage fell asleep.

Ice wall.

Beasts.

The door that actually exists.

And a family with history and lineage longer than the empire.

For nobles who value tradition and lineage, Lazia was special.

In fact, it was the blood of Lazia that the emperor, who first established the country, wanted to get.

The first empress of the empire, was also an accomplice to get Lazia.

Even having their own personal greetings sounded great.

However, Yustaf was not pleased with such interest. Greeting him “may you overcome the blue flames.” He was not happy and irritated.

It was a greeting to the head, and no one greeted him after he spoke coldly with a face of contempt.

In his last year of school, Yustaf, who had obtained a private room under the privileged of a duke, opened the letter in a relaxed mood.

It was a letter from Ran.

Since he came to the academy, she has sent at least one full letter a week.

It was a normal everyday letter.

When she wrote a small account of what was happening in the house, it seemed more like a report since she became the temporary head.

The story of his uncle, the story of the debts, the financial situation.

There was also complaints about dying of tiredness.

Yustaf read the letter without realising that he was smiling.

The last line was, ‘graduate quickly and come help me.’

‘Really.’

Is she really trying to acknowledge and promote herself as the head of the household.

tl note:

IOU: An IOU is often viewed as an informal written agreement rather than a legally binding commitment.
usury: the action or practice of lending money at unreasonably high rates of interest.
Indemnity: security or protection against a loss or other financial burden.