Princess Shu

A few days later, the internal budget ledger was completed earlier than Valia expected. She followed Paul politely up to the Marchioness’ office on the third floor.

In the Gel Empire, noble couples will adopt offices similar to each other’s, in that the couple will each have the same size and similar interior for their offices. Due to this custom, the Marchioness’ office was similar to any other office. On one wall of the spacious office, there was a bookcase full of documents, and there were still-life paintings and landscape paintings hung in the empty space. Valia liked this antique-styled office.

She sat in a chair that made her feel much obliged. The smell of old paper in the office seemed to tell the history of the room. Valia rolled her eyes around. Then, servants came into her office one after another, each person holding documents tightly in their hands.

“What’s all this?”

Asked Valia when she saw the documents that were placed on the desk. Paul answered politely.

“Yes, Madam. These are the summary for the inventory of property for House of Garth.”

‘All of these?’

Valia opened her eyes wide. A single building did not just end with a single document, it had to be at least two, and at most four or five. However, considering the sheer volume laid before Valia, the number of documents piled up on the desk was unusual. And as if that was not enough, the servants even brought in a small safe.

“What’s…this?”

Valia barely endured saying ‘again’ in the middle and asked Paul.

“What’s in this safe are secret documents. Only His Grace and Madam can see it.”

‘It’s a secret document but I can see it too? Is it normally like that?’

Valia was proficient at Gel’s imperial court etiquette and imperial genealogy, but she was not sure how noble couples managed their property documents. She decided to open the safe for now.

The key that Paul gave was in a jewelry box. It felt as if there were some great secrets in it. Valia grabbed the key with a slightly trembling hand and opened the safe.

Clack.

The safe door opened with the sound of a lock turning. As it were secret documents, Paul and all the employees had turned around their heads so as not to see. Valia picked up the document on the far left. As she has become the lady of the house, she felt like she had to read it.

‘Oh my gosh.’

She gasped and gulped the air.

‘This trading company belongs to the House of Garth?’

The document that Valia picked up proved the ownership right for a family trading company. 

What is this?

Valia had never heard of the owner of the trading company being Marquess Garth even in her past life. Her heart was pounding. She turned the document back with a trembling hand and pulled out a second one. She did not gulp the air as loudly as before but she could not help the trembling of her pupils.

‘…It feels like I saw the secrets of the business world.’

The documents that filled the not-so-small safe were all proof of ownership of banks, mines, and trading companies. Valia carefully put the documents back in and locked the safe. The lock returned to its original position with a clicking sound. She put the key in the jewelry box properly and said.

“Put the safe and the key back.”

Valia looked at the safe and jewelry box the servants were carrying and sipped tea.

‘This is more than whatever rough guess I had in mind.’

The House of Garth was originally known as a wealthy family, and unbelievable financial power was behind its numerous merits and achievements. How else would it have such power? The House of Garth was not a contributor for the country’s founding, after all.

“What are these documents? Is it special?”

Valia looked at the documents that were separated from the existing property documents and asked Paul.

“This is the list of property that you brought with you during your marriage, Madam.”

‘I brought property?’

Valia slightly frowned.

‘But I don’t have any.’

The only property Valia had was the house her father left behind along with some pension. It was an infinitely large amount of money from Valia’s point of view, but it was an amount that many nobles would sneer at. However, Valia did not take any of the property, she wanted to give it to Carl, the grandfather who had sacrificed a lot for her.

‘Then, what is all this?’

It was nothing compared to the House of Garth, but even at first glance, it was quite thick.

‘Is it because it’s foreign property?’

As the documents became more complex, it might be possible that they became thicker. Valia lifted up the documents, then, she opened them and frowned. Paul, who was looking at her complexion, became flustered at her reaction. He asked her.

“Are you feeling unwell, Madam?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Valia answered calmly.

She carefully but thoroughly examined the documents. What was written on the documents was not a house in the Lisa Kingdom, but the proof of ownership of buildings located in Gel’s capital. There were multiple houses recorded in the document. And even in order to build just a single manor in the capital, a large amount of money had to be paid due to the soaring land prices. 

Valia thoroughly examined the proof of ownership documents, wondering if they were fraudulent. Overshadowing her efforts, the documents were either real or had to have been precise counterfeit documents. Valia was not capable of distinguishing between what was real and what was fake, she searched through the documents half confused. She was already confused because of the manor, but now there were even land transfer documents she had to keep in mind.

Valia’s eyes became round.

‘…Philemon?’

There was a name familiar on the transferor’s signature—High Priest Philemon.

The moment one joined the temple, they would abandon the secular’s first and last names. Since they belonged to God, not to family, they were not given the last name, instead only new names were given. Therefore, even if one was a High Priest, it was a principle to write only names when signing. There was only one Philemon whom Valia knew.

‘Did the High Priest give it to me?’

This was a decent dowry for a woman from a well-to-do noble family. No, it felt a little lacking to say it was decent. She was still confused but somehow she understood. It seemed to be a dowry provided by the temple.

‘I will have to ask him when he comes.’

 Valia promised herself and closed the documents.

After that, she confirmed House of Garth’s inventory of public property and checked the internal budget ledger. What caught her eyes was a document signed with ‘approval for processing.’ She was even more curious that the date was just a few days ago.

“What kind of document is this?”

“Oh, this document is the budget plan that will be processed with His Grace’s internal budget.”

“His Grace’s internal budget? Is it a document that I should not read?”

“No. There is no document that you cannot read, Madam. However, since His Grace has already signed the approval stamp to proceed at his own expense…”

Valia tilted her head. She had pure curiosity. The internal budget to handle the work inside the manor was limited, so noble couples in Gel had the same amount of private expenses. 

They were free to do whatever they wanted with their private expenses. Usually, it was used for hobbies. Valia was curious about Schuden’s hobby. Spending money meant he was interested in it. Something like liquor or books. Or he could have spent money hunting.

Contrary to Valia’s expectations, what was written in the document was materials. She wondered if they had to do repair work because the annex was old. But even in that case, they would usually use the internal budget. Valia asked Paul.

“Paul, do you know what this is for?”

“Yes. His Grace said he is going to redesign the backyard.”

“The backyard?”

“He said he wants to block the rain. So, he will install covered walkways…”

“…”

Everyone in the office knew why Schuden made such a decision. Valia cleared her throat out of embarrassment. The quick-witted employees suddenly got busy.   

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

A few days later at the training ground, the Knights of Garth were sweating to assimilate the amount of training given. Befitting their title as the best of the best, the training was also extreme. As always, Schuden looked around them with a cold expression and returned to the barracks. 

“Your Grace, the sample of armor that was sent to production the other day has arrived.”

A knight in charge of administrative affairs reported. Schuden received the newly made armor. 

“The left arm part was a problem last time, now it has been newly produced. The big advantage is that one more joint is added, so now it is able to move more freely.”

“Having a lot of joints does not come without its drawbacks. It also means that the part where the enemy can stab has increased.”

“Yes, to make up for that…”

The knight briefed on a detailed report. It was Schuden’s job to gather reports and choose the final draft. The knight bowed his head and stepped out from the barrack.

Then, a male outsider came into the barrack with Shaun. Unless for escorting subjects or comrades, a knight would not show his back. The unknown man climbed the stairs first.

The man, whom Schuden had never seen before, was holding a box in his arms. The man did not look like he was a knight even at first glance, he greeted Schuden with courtesy as soon as he saw him.

“Greetings to Marquess Schuden Garth.”

Schuden’s gaze turned to the box the man was holding. The box made of dark-cherry colored solid wood evoked a sense of déjà vu in that it was something that was not suitable for the training ground. Schuden naturally held out his hand. The quick-witted man hurriedly gave the box to Schuden with two hands. It was before Shaun even introduced the man.

“Here, here it is.”

Schuden took the box. The back of the box was connected with a hinge, so he just needed to open it. Schuden opened the box with an expressionless face of courtesy.

“…”

Inside the box was a blue cloth. Schuden picked it up with one hand. He vaguely thought it was a piece of cloth, but the shape that fell down was nothing but a cloak. Doubts and speculations were swift like one body. Only then did Schuden find out that this stranger was not a servant from the manor.

“Where are you from?”

Shaun, who had missed the time to introduce the man, answered instead.

“This is Lance, the designer who made the military cloak. He is here to bring the cloak sample you mentioned last time.”

“So, you’re not from the manor.”

Schuden replied calmly. Lance looked puzzled even in the midst of nervousness. Shaun changed his expression a little. If he failed to grasp the meaning of ‘manor’ and its true meaning that his liege said, he could not say that he was the knight commander who went to the war with him.

“Just proceed.”

Schuden simply gave his permission. The knight standing next to him picked up the box. Schuden just gestured to Lance his permission to excuse himself.

“By, by the way, Your Grace! I have one more question!”