The knight captain’s son, Dorssen Kataberia, was powerful, and my arm was in serious pain. He ignored me, tightening his grip instead. He was always the silent type, so I hadn’t exactly expected a response. It was just that it hurt quite badly, and I really wished he’d let go.

“You’re hurting me. Please, release me. Don’t you see the absurdity in you, the son of Knight Captain Doruna, a man sworn to protect the weak, forcefully restraining a frail girl like me?”

Finally, he twitched slightly. As I thought, knightly codes were the same in this world. The moment he loosened his grip, I wrenched myself from him and stood.

“You, a frail girl? Don’t even joke.” My younger brother, Berne Darshi Armelia, snorted. His chocolate-brown hair and sharp eyes always made him stand out in a crowd, and on the whole he resembled our father. Now, he looked at me with eyes of ice, a corner of his lips twisted in sarcasm.

He really ticked me off.

That said, no matter how screwed I was, I had zero intention of letting my irritation take control. I wouldn’t make things worse for myself. “I’ll admit, I was not exactly kind to Ms. Yuri Neuer, daughter of a baron,” I said.

“That was easy.”

“Quite. After all, you instigated this mock trial, taking up everyone’s precious time. Thus, I shall endeavor to show sincerity.”

“And why did you bully her?”

Alas, his question set me off. “Why? You’re asking me why?”

My tone was somewhat icier than usual. For a second, Prince Edward’s fury faltered. He knew the reason for my ire. Or perhaps, after being bewitched by the game’s protagonist, his brain had turned to mush—the lovestruck fool. At least, this was how Iris’s memories framed the situation. She had massaged the facts in her mind to give Prince Edward a little credit.

For my part, I had no patience for this farce. Ultimately, this entire showdown was simply a way for Prince Edward and his merry band to unleash their pent-up frustrations. It was also a way to legitimize Yuri’s victimhood. If I accepted this lying down, I was doomed.

There was nothing more I could do, though. All that was left was to see if I could avoid being effectively exiled. The details of my fate would depend on my negotiations with my father. In any case, I would never again set foot in high society, nor would I return to this academy.

“In any case, I doubt I shall ever see any of you again. Would the good prince allow me to say my goodbyes? Everyone, thank you for all you have done for me thus far. I cannot begin to express how grateful I was to attend this academy as a student and to be treated so well by so many of you. Take care.”

I finished my speech with as much grace as I could muster and made to leave, but Prince Edward stopped me.

“Iris, wait!”

Couldn’t he read the room? Honestly, what had I ever seen in him?

“Before you leave, apologize to Yuri.”

Seriously, why did I love him, even for a second? Ugh. I gave it a second to make sure I hadn’t misheard him, and an awkward silence filled the air. “You wish for me, the daughter of a duke, to apologize to the daughter of a baron in public?” I said primly, though I wanted to shout.

It wasn’t just pride fueling my anger. I might have been “just” a duke’s daughter, but every one of my actions impacted not only my father’s name but all of noble society. If I apologized, the House of Armelia would in effect be bowing its head to a baron’s house. It was absolutely unheard of for the leader of a country to stoop in such a way. It would destabilize the ranks of every noble from marquis to earl. It might even instigate a full-scale revolt from those newly minted “nobles” and threaten the balance of power throughout our nation.

He really was a lovestruck fool. And was this really any way to address one’s former fiancée? Put your hand to your heart and think carefully! I thought.

The crowd seemed to share my sentiment, and the bed of nails beneath me softened as a number of them murmured in sympathy with my argument.

I couldn’t let this chance escape.

“I shall not apologize. It was the preservation of my dignity that led me down this path, and even if it leads to my destruction, I shall not bend.” My implication: I was prepared for this outcome.

“Ms. Yuri. What more do you wish to steal from me? You’ve taken my fiancé, my position…” Here, I started to tear up, envisioning myself in the role of a tragic heroine. Oh! Alas!

As I did, the mood of the crowd swung ever further in my favor. The girl who had once been seen as an utter villain became, to them, the victim.

“No, all those things that make me who I am are mine alone—my dignity included. To apologize to you would be to crush myself under my own boot. So, no, I will not apologize, and I will not let you take anything more from me.”

Nailed it. Ah, that feels good.

Thus, riding on cloud nine, I left the dining hall for good. Prince Edward still appeared dissatisfied, while Yuri looked on in blank confusion. I exited the building and left campus, trusting in my father, who had a habit of being prepared for the oddest situations. As expected, he had already sent someone from home to retrieve me.

What a luxurious carriage… The Armelian coat of arms sat in gold upon a wine-red body, and I boarded it alone. More people would be sent later to gather my things and either bring them back to our estate or dispose of them.

This was my goodbye to the academy. I would never again return, no matter if my fate followed that of the story and I was stripped of my status and locked away, or even if I managed to wrangle some other option. My father would wish me to distance myself from this place.

I sighed. The act was over. Thus far, I had only followed the narrative as I knew it. There was no plot left for me to chase. Most pressingly, I was about to face the last boss, so to speak: my father. Honestly, I was even more nervous than before. As the carriage gently set off for the Armelia mansion in the capital, my feelings couldn’t help but grow heavier.

 

***

 

The Armelia mansion was our family home, situated in the capital. In it resided my father, who could never be away from the capital due to his position as Prime Minister, and my mother, who had followed him there. Constructed of reddish-brown bricks and adorned with white pillars, it was far more extravagant than one might expect of a second home. From knowledge of my past life, I was aware this was quite the mansion, but the main house in our territory exceeded this one in more than a few ways. I entered and walked through the entrance hall, treading upon red carpet as I made my way to my room.

I’d been thrown out of the academy. I was mortified. The shame naturally quickened my pace. Upon reaching my lovely white and pink room, I breathed a sigh of relief. I sank into the sofa and felt just a bit at ease. My battle with the last boss was imminent. I needed to destress.

My personal handmaid, Tanya, burst in with tears in her eyes. “My lady!”

“Oh, Tanya. I just got back.”

Tanya was born a commoner, but she had mastered etiquette and had refined features to match. Not a hair of her complicated braids was ever out of place, and I often thought her appearance could make any heart keen. The simple navy-blue uniform suited her to a T.

“How can you be so calm? I’ve been tearing my hair out in frustration!”

Seeing her tear up for my sake warmed my heart. At the same time, I felt quite guilty to have caused her such worry.

Tanya was born in the slums, like so many others. As a child, I’d often sneaked out into town, and in the course of my adventures, I had brought her into my household. Back then, the weight of the title of a duke’s daughter had weighed heavily upon me. It had been difficult to find anyone to simply chat with, given my family’s place in noble society. Not even those within my household could serve that role. So when I picked a commoner girl up off the streets that day, it had been for the awful, selfish reason of wanting someone to talk to. However, Tanya had been so grateful to me that she ended up becoming a perfect servant. It would not be an overstatement to call her my sister.

“Well, calm yourself, Tanya. It’s not yet time to drown ourselves in sorrow.”

“Of course. Forgive me. The master should be returning this evening.”

Tanya was a quick thinker and adaptable, to boot. Her tears vanished into thin air as she regained her composure and delivered the information I desired.

“I see. Then get me a drink to settle my nerves, would you?”

“Yes, my lady.”

She made to leave the room, but I opened my mouth to stop her. “Tanya?”

“Yes, my lady?”

“Thank you.”

Very wordy, I know. But it was all I could think of. Thank you for worrying about me. Thank you for crying for me. So many emotions crammed into those two short words.

“If I may be so bold, my lady: I serve you, not House Armelia. Thus, I shall never forgive Prince Edward for betraying you, even if he is of the royal line. And no matter what may happen between you and your father, I shall always be on your side.”

“I’m a lucky girl, aren’t I?”

“Not at all. I’m the lucky one here. And I think you would do well to remember that those within this household who share my position feel the same.”

I had, in my youth, actually elevated six commoners into our household. Ever since I was a little girl, I’d been considered quite the oddball. Instead of presents, I’d ask my parents to take in orphans such as Tanya. At first my parents resisted, but seeing as I never asked for anything else, they eventually gave in. Every year since, I’d invited another orphan around my age off the streets and into our home.

None of this information was provided in the game. Perhaps even though my previous life’s memories hadn’t yet awoken, they had still influenced my actions. In any case, my chats with my friends were precious because they allowed me to momentarily forget the burden of my title. As the years went by, outside pressure had forced us to draw a clear line between our roles as mistress and servants. Even so, they were each invaluable to me.

“I appreciate you saying so, Tanya, but please, I want you to think of your own happiness first and foremost. That goes for the others as well.”

Tanya looked at me, puzzled. Her expression would, to an outsider, appear utterly blank, but our years together had taught me how to read her.

“It was my selfishness that dragged you into this rigid world,” I said. “If you wish, you may take your leave whensoever you desire. In fact, it might be prudent to reconsider your futures now—”

Unbelievably, Tanya cut me off. “My lady, please don’t say such things anymore. I should have died that day, all those years ago. But it was you, and no one else, who saved me. Ever since, my life has been yours. The day I leave your side will be the day I die…or the day you deem me unnecessary.”

“Well, then I suppose it’s until death do us part.”

I tried to make a joke, but Tanya didn’t budge an inch. In fact, she smiled happily. “There would be no greater happiness for me.”

“All right… I understand your feelings. I really am a lucky soul. But there is more than one form of happiness, Tanya. So please don’t forget what I said earlier.”

“As you wish, my lady.” Tanya reluctantly nodded.

If I was to be stripped of my status and banished to a nunnery, I didn’t want her to share my fate. She was too important to me. But I got the sneaking feeling she’d come along anyway. I really had to win over my father, didn’t I? For Tanya’s sake, to say nothing of my own.

My determination renewed, I sipped the tea Tanya prepared for me. Divine, as usual.

As I started to relax, another servant knocked on my door. “My lady.”

“Come in.”

This time, the head maid, Elulu, entered. She managed all the female servants, and as expected, her maid uniform was impeccable. “Pardon me, my lady. The master is calling for you.”

“Oh, already? I was told he wouldn’t be back until evening.”

“He returned early upon hearing of your situation.”

“Well…” I sighed. Ugh, where had that resolve gone? My stomach was all in knots.

“If you don’t mind my saying, my lady, I believe any reprimand from your father on this count would be unnecessary, to say the least.”

It shocked me to hear this from Elulu, who was normally so strict.

“The household is on your side, my lady. So hold your head high when you go to meet the master.”

In the story I knew, Iris was described as a villain. But as I combed through my memories, I confronted a different truth: one where she—I—had built a deep relationship with her family’s servants, one founded outside the strictures of class. In other words, I had berated the protagonist for being “merely a baron’s daughter” not because her rank mattered to me but because my love for Prince Edward had driven me to terrible jealousy. I was slowly beginning to feel less dissonance with the “Iris” part of myself.

Right. After all, right now, I’m Iris. I had to make “Iris” happy for my own sake.

My determination restored, I followed Elulu to my father’s study, Tanya close on my heels.

“We’re here, my lady.”

“Thank you, Elulu. Tanya, would you wait here as well?”

“As you wish.”

I’d arrived at the battlefield. The thick, heavy door loomed before me. I swallowed and steadied my breathing. Then I knocked.

“Enter.”

“Pardon me, Father.”

A grave atmosphere surrounded us as I sat across from him. An intelligent-looking man, his eyes glinted sharply as befitted the sitting prime minister. He always gave off a stern aura, but in the moment, that effect seemed to double. It was nearly impossible to remain opposite him.

“My apologies for making you take time out of your busy day,” I said.

“Oh? You understand the gravity of your actions, then?”

“No.”

A vein twitched in my father’s temple, or so it seemed to me. Frightening, to say the least.

“I do not believe I have caused trouble for my father the prime minister or my father the duke,” I declared. “The one I believe I ought to apologize to is my father as my father.”

“And why is that?”

“First of all, the most anyone could say I did against the girl was make a handful of snide comments toward her. More importantly, the girl and the prince were the ones who disrespected House Armelia by one-sidedly breaking off our engagement. As I have extricated myself from the situation, they can’t do much more to besmirch our name. Furthermore, at the academy, I left my former peers with the impression that there were extenuating circumstances, so we should not expect any waves from that crowd. No matter how Prince Edward whines, the most anyone could in their rights deliver to our door would be a warning.”

“I’ve already been informed of the events at the academy.”

“Of course. Also, as to apologizing to my father the duke…weren’t you initially against my engagement to Prince Edward?”

“What makes you think that?”

“Because with the prominence of our bloodline, my marriage to the second prince could have destroyed the balance of power in the royal family. I needn’t remind you that you are the duke and prime minister, while Mother is the only daughter of a prominent general. Marrying the first prince would be one thing, but if I were to marry the second, the country might one day see a civil war.”

Here, for the first time, my father made an expression: a sadistic sneer, so comical you could almost hear the background sound effects. I’m sure that wasn’t his intention, which made it all the more frightening. “Assuming that’s all as you say, why do you think I approved your engagement to Prince Edward?”

I ran through a multitude of possibilities and settled on the answer that seemed to fit best. “Because either result was good for you.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“If I were engaged to the first prince, then my brother would serve him and solidify his foundation. If I were engaged to the second prince, then my brother would join the first prince’s camp. In that case, I would be in a position to observe the second prince’s movements while hoping to take the reins, were he to prove troublesome for the kingdom. The former option would require no work and be extremely simple, strategically speaking, so I suppose you did prefer that one.”

The trouble was, in YAMP’s story, the first prince was hardly in the spotlight. In fact, the game was written as if it assumed the second prince would succeed the throne. Reality was not so simple, however. The first prince was the child of the king’s wife, who had passed away, while the second prince was his illegitimate child by his current and only concubine. One might think that meant the first prince was still next in line for the throne, but things seldom go as one expects.

The king’s concubine was the daughter of a marquis currently amassing power, while the former queen had been the daughter of an earl. Thus, in terms of hierarchy, the concubine outranked her. However, the king had fallen passionately in love with her and ignored a multitude of objections in order to marry the late queen. This was the reason for the current strange balance of power. Noble society, built upon this strange balance, was clearly at a tipping point.

None of this balancing act, which was my reality, had made it into the game. The writers had instead opted to simply say the first prince was studying at a foreign academy, and that was it. I’d not thought much about it, but reality was far harsher. Also, since my father served the country, not the royal family, he maintained a neutral position in regard to their squabbles. His support of the first prince was a decision based on a law stating that the first prince inherited the right of succession. However, if the first prince turned out to be a fool, my father would abandon him for the country without a second thought. After all, a foolish king would throw Tasmeria into chaos.

“That said, my brother is utterly devoted to the second prince,” I continued. “In which case, you would have inevitably done your best to break up my engagement with him. So aren’t you happy, Father?”

Even after this incident, my father would have found a way to force our engagement, had he wanted it. Our ducal house certainly had the power to do so. If my engagement was well and truly broken, it only remained so because my father wished it.

“Bwa ha ha ha ha!” My father laughed elatedly, though he sounded rather like a villain to me. If a third party saw him, they would surely shrink back. “You’re right. I did hope you two would break it off. To that end, I repeatedly told your brother to distance himself from the second prince, but that numbskull completely forgot himself. He’s a tawdry sycophant now, alas. Are you truly all right with this, though, Iris? I was so sure you had feelings for the second prince.”

“Love is a fever. Once it cools, that’s it. I’m glad this happened early on.” What I endured would have caused even a love of a hundred years to frost over.

“Hm. But, Iris, to the masses, this appears to be your failure. Thus, I must have you take responsibility.”

“I see…” So I wouldn’t be able to avoid being stripped of my status and exiled to a nunnery, would I? Tanya would likely try to accompany me; I’d have to do my best to convince her to stay with the house.

“You will return to our domain and be placed under house arrest. It is far from the capital, though, so I’m afraid I’ll have no way of knowing whether you obey my orders.”

“Huh?”

Was he saying I could do whatever I wanted? Wait, so no nunnery?

“It would also be a waste to have you simply sit around all day, so I’ll be appointing you the acting lady of the land. Don’t disappoint me with your governance.”

Acting lady? In other words, he wanted me to govern our domain in his place? What would one even call this? A windfall? Pearls before swine? No, neither’s right!

I was so confused that nonsensical phrases kept popping into my head. But first, I asked the question weighing most heavily on my mind. “Isn’t this role reserved for the eldest son?”

“I could bestow it on him, but he wouldn’t go. He seems quite stricken by that ‘illness’ you spoke of.”

True. It was my brother’s infatuation with Yuri that had led him to become so close with the second prince, the man he had been instructed to hold at arm’s length. No doubt he would spend any future extended holidays here in the capital, seeking more flirtations. Concerningly, since Yuri was with the second prince now, that should have been all the more reason for him to distance himself from them. Perhaps my brother hoped to elevate himself by ensuring his beloved’s happiness with the prince. What nonsense.

“I understand,” I said at length. “I will make our domain into one that will not be shaken, no matter what happens in the capital.”

My father nodded, satisfied, and dismissed me from the room.

 

***

 

Once Iris exited the room, Louis de Armelia, her father, reflected on their conversation and chuckled. A great deal had happened, and all in a single day. First, Iris’s expulsion from the academy and the nullification of her engagement…all in step with established procedure. The truth was, he could have stopped her at any point once he learned of her actions during the term. He hadn’t, however, in order to have her engagement nullified.

That was for the best. Even if his daughter hadn’t acted like a lovelorn fool, he would have claimed she was sick and had the engagement nullified by his own power. Either way, once that was done, he had intended to make her step back from noble society by entering a nunnery. She had been so besotted with the second prince that he had been sure she wouldn’t listen, but such was the way of willful girls.

However, at this evening’s meeting, Iris had seemed calm, even relieved, despite the humiliating final encounter with the man she loved. Not only that, she managed to express her arguments with incisive clarity.

Interesting… he thought.

The demands of his position meant he wasn’t often able to interact with his children, leaving his wife to spoil them instead. It seemed his daughter had grown into a well-bred noble, with no faults to speak of. His son, on the other hand, had grown overconfident and seemed to lack any kind of follow-through. The duke’s plan had been to whip his son into shape once he started his governing duties.

Plans aside, his daughter had spoken with surprising insight into key elements, and even guessed his thoughts with pinpoint accuracy. How tragic, he thought at first, that my daughter should possess a keener eye for the flow of the world than my son. At least she knew her worth.

All in all, it was as if, in the blink of an eye, she had become a totally different person. However, during her speech, he’d reflected on prior cases of her odd behavior. The most prominent example of this was her disinterest in expensive presents; instead, she repeatedly negotiated for permission to take in common-born orphans.

The duke had initially assumed Iris desired a set of servants trained to attend her needs from an early age, and thus he had given his consent. Her repeated failure to treat the orphans as her staff had seemed quite strange, but he let it pass for a time, until the day he insisted on a shred of decorum. Her expression today had brought him straight back to that time.

She does nothing with these orphans. What a waste, he’d thought. And now here he was, appointing her acting governor. What a whimsical impulse. Fortunately, Sebastian was currently governing in the duke’s place; he would prevent Iris from making any truly irreversible mistakes.

All in all, it would prove interesting to see exactly what Iris could accomplish.

As the duke continued to mull over their exchange, his wife, Merellis Reiser Armelia, entered the study.

“Dear, must Iris really…?” She didn’t yet know what he’d told their daughter. Thus, concerned, Merellis had come to ask about her.

“No, I changed my mind. She is to return to our territory and assume duties as acting governor.”

“My! But isn’t that too much responsibility?” Her tone leapt for joy upon hearing Iris wouldn’t be confined to a nunnery, but her concern quickly found a new roost.

“She showed promise today. It could be fruitful to test her.”

“Really? I understand she was far too straightforward in today’s incident, so entrusting her with such a task… It worries me.”

Today’s incident… In other words, the nullification of her engagement due to her quarrels with a baron’s daughter. Iris had come straight out and admitted to her “snide comments.” The duke snorted. Iris could have used her position as a duke’s daughter to gain allies, solidify her foundation, and manipulate popular sentiment, if she’d so wished. And yet she had resorted to the most frivolous, straightforward tactics imaginable.

As a result, she’d been chased into a corner with no chance to defend herself against things she hadn’t even done. She had allowed herself to be used by the other children who disliked the baron’s daughter. They had masterfully manipulated the situation, incriminating Iris for events she had not in truth been involved with. Louis couldn’t help but wish Iris had picked up a bit of Merellis’s worldly wisdom. He disliked how his wife coddled their children, but she was strict with herself and her conduct was such that, as her husband, Louis never had reason to interfere with her affairs. At present, Merellis seemed to blame Louis for foreseeing the fallout and doing nothing to stop it.

“Iris must have learned something from this incident,” Louis mused. “She really has changed. She spoke as if she truly understood her position.”

“Well… Hee hee! You still seem so calm. I suppose she didn’t hit upon your true intentions yet, did she?”

Louis smiled wryly. There was one thing Iris had failed to pick up on: the reason he had permitted her engagement. As prime minister, he of course would have preferred she be betrothed to the first prince. However, he’d assented to her union with Prince Edward simply because his daughter wanted it. People called him the Icy Prime Minister, but in the end, he was just another father inclined to be sweet on his daughter.

Ultimately, as Iris had stated, he had resigned himself to thinking of the engagement as a means to control the second prince. Once it was approved, he had abandoned the notion of hands-off neutrality and taken to following the royal family’s every move, adjusting his long-term plans in accordance.

I was so convinced that with my power, I could shape the world how I wished… I hardly deserve to judge my son. The corner of the duke’s lips turned up in a sneer. In reality, the battle for the throne had grown privately vicious, despite his efforts. Eventually, Iris would be thrown into that whirlpool.

Thus, he had decided to have her step back from noble society before she fell too deep into the current. Of course, once the commotion died down, he’d planned to have her return home. But Iris’s performance today made him rethink this decision. She was no longer a little girl to be coddled and protected. In fact, the duke even dared hope she could overcome the rapids on her own. He was excited to see just how she would proceed.

 

***

 

Upon receiving my father’s orders I, Iris, moved to the duchy of Armelia. Today was my first day back.

The duchy of Armelia was situated southeast of the capital, about a week’s carriage ride away taking the straightest road. To the east was the sea, and to the west rose mountains. Its lands were vast, second only to the capital, and it overflowed with natural beauty. Its port and bountiful agriculture put it in a unique position to trade with other countries. Furthermore, the careful policies of generations of dukes had long maintained public order.

Before entering the academy, Berne, my mother, and I had spent our days here outside of the social season. Ever since I moved away, however, I had spent even my extended holidays at the country estate, so it did feel quite nostalgic to be back.

The bright rising sun illuminated the land as I did my early morning yoga. Morning exercise wakes up the body and is good for your health. And, well, I’d grown a little chubby. The grand position of duke’s daughter meant I could eat as much luxurious, high-calorie food as I wanted, so of course I’d put on weight. Thus, on top of exercise, I had also decided to diet.

“Good morning, my lady—eep!”

“Oh, Tanya. Morning.”

Obviously, she had come with me to the duchy. Since I wasn’t to be banished to a nunnery, I assumed this was fine. But what had her so riled up?

“‘Morning,’ nothing! My lady, what in the world are you doing dressed like that?”

“Dressed like what?”

I looked at my clothes: a hastily thrown-on servant’s hemp pants and top. Perfect for exercising, no? “I’m thinking of exercising every morning to keep up my health. I chose something easy to move in, but was that a mistake?”

“You’re…exercising?” Tanya looked at me, puzzled. I suppose it was odd, to say the least, to see a daughter of the peerage stretching and moving in such a way.

“Yes, I read in a book that if you don’t keep your body moving, it’s bad for your health. Thus, I’ll be doing this every morning. Try not to be surprised every time.”

“Understood… Forgive me.”

“It’s fine. Now that I’m sweaty, could you draw me a bath?”

“Of course.”

Once Tanya was done, I bathed and then had breakfast. Since I had just exercised, I had quite an appetite. I still remembered to maintain a healthy nutritional balance, though.

“I’d like to speak to Sebastian about the future. Could you set up an appointment for me?”

“Right away.”

Tanya quickly did as I asked, and just before noon I went to see Sebastian.

 

***

 

Sebastian was our family’s butler. He was the top servant of the household, and my father had entrusted him with governing the duchy. As he entered the room, his aura reminded me of Elulu’s. In other words, his tailcoat was in perfect order and he radiated strictness, yet his clean, efficient movements put one at ease. Truly a model butler, and a silver fox if I might add.

“Sorry to summon you like this. I know you must be busy.”

“Not at all. I am your hands and feet, my lady. Please feel free to summon me at any time.”

“Oh? Then let’s get down to it. Could you bring me all the finance reports from the last three years, as well as summarize the current governance structures in a report?”

“As you wish. But what will you be doing with all of that?”

“Reading, of course. Somehow, I’ve managed to be appointed acting governor by Father. But I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t the slightest idea of how well the duchy’s economy fares, to say nothing of the state of the city. So could you give me one month?”

“One month, my lady?”

“Yes. I believe that is how long I’ll need to read all the material and perform my own observational analysis.”

“Understood. However, a great deal will need to be prepared for your observation excursions. About a week, perhaps.”

“On the contrary, I intend to observe from an anonymous standpoint in order to gain a more accurate understanding of the situation. This will require as few assistants as possible, which I will appoint myself. This is to say, there’s no need for you to waste your time, Sebastian.”

“Forgive me for my presumption.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll be leaning heavily on you in regard to finance in the future. Please feel free to speak your mind.”

After Sebastian left, I summoned Tanya.

“Tanya, call up Lyle, Dida, and Rehme, will you?”

“Yes, my lady.”

A few minutes later, three people followed Tanya into the room. I had known each since I was a child—more orphans I’d taken in. Lyle had beautiful blond hair and a noble face, but his muscled body was made for fighting, and he was the equal of even the royal knights. Thus, I employed him and Dida as my bodyguards. Dida’s brown hair extended to his shoulders, which he tied into a tail. Compared to Lyle, he was quite physically delicate, and a bit of an aloof weirdo, but he was just as reliable.

Rehme, the girl with glasses, loved books with a passion and was our family’s librarian. When I say librarian, I mean that she was in charge of the duke’s private collection, which rivaled that of a public facility. Because of this, her job was terribly important.

“Long time no see, everyone,” I said.

“Oh, Moneda, don’t be like that. It really has been a long time. How are things lately?” I asked.

“How are things? Quite fine.”

“Good. I should have expected as much of the guild’s vice-treasurer. I assume you also know of the most recent developments in my life, as well?”

“You got me.” Moneda gave me a wry smile. Merchants were, in my experience, uniquely able to acquire all the latest rumors and up-to-date information. Naturally, they kept close track of the nobility, their biggest spenders.

“As you know, then, due to recent events, I’ve returned to the duchy. Incidentally, Moneda, how is the guild doing lately?”

“Fine, as well.”

“Oh, really? I heard your trade with the royal capital has slipped quite precipitously.”

His calm expression froze over. I could hardly hide my smile at the sudden change.

“Now, now. If you let your emotions show, you’ll have people fishing in your pockets before long.” I gave a stately chuckle to try and ease the tension in the room, but Moneda’s expression remained stiff. “Moneda, I’m sorry. It was just a hunch. But it seems trade has indeed slowed between our duchy and the royal capital, then.”

When the state of the capital was uncertain, of course trade declined. When selling to nobles, it wasn’t rare for a merchant to visit their estate and bargain directly. In fact, this was the most typical method. But these visitations brought risks. If a merchant grew too friendly with a client, that noble’s enemies would begin to suspect and avoid their business, which no merchant would desire.

Yet, the recent trade decline was still only just barely visible. Only those who stared at ledgers every day could have seen it.

Oh, but I really didn’t have any proof as yet. This was a bluff, and nothing more. But with the world in such a moment of change and being so difficult to predict, it was smarter to be careful. If I were a merchant, that’s how I would conduct my affairs.

 

***

 

“You got me again,” said Moneda slowly. “Just for my reference, what gave you reason to suspect?”

“It’s a natural supposition, if you only consider present conditions. That said, Moneda, I didn’t come here to tease you.”

“Then what is it you want?”

We were back on topic, except this time there was something different in the air. When we first started speaking, we had been on equal ground, or perhaps you could have said he had the initiative. Now, however, he recognized that I had the upper hand. Perhaps it was a sign he would listen to my request.

“Moneda, would you like to move even greater sums of money?”

“Are you trying to hire me?”

“Yes. But not as an employee of the duke’s family. I want you to serve the duchy.”

“What does that mean?” he asked cautiously.

“I’m planning to reform the way this territory is run. Separating the government from my family will be part of that. In other words, I want you to manage the territorial budget and commerce.”

“Why would you want me for that? It’s not like your family is lacking in human resources.”

“Because you know the lay of the land. And because in the mid-to-long term, an incredible social revolution is bound to take place. Thus, I have no need to cleave to common conventions. Of course, I do require my men to be of some quality—which you, as a young vice-treasurer, have proved you possess in spades. Most of all, I trust you. And is there anything that requires greater trust than moving money?”

“Ha ha ha! A majestic plan you have there. If you mean it, the duchy should become quite an exciting place in the future. Pardon my asking, but do you have the authority to appoint me to such a position?”

Ah, he didn’t trust me. Perhaps he thought this was my father’s idea, and I was just the messenger. Or that I was trying to poach his talents as a means of making a name for myself. It was time to play my final card.

“Of course. I was appointed acting governor, you see.” I passed Moneda the letter of appointment I had been given by my father upon my departure. There had been no public announcement regarding my new service. I didn’t plan to make one, either. It seemed more effective to deploy the news in important situations like this.

Moneda stared at the letter in shock, as if unable to believe its contents. Not only had my father bequeathed all his duties to me, but my rank was also now equivalent to that of a feudal lord’s, believe it or not. Basically, no matter what my father and brother now said, I was in a position to simply push through their arguments as I saw fit. These essential points were explicitly written in the letter, so it was no wonder Moneda was shocked. I still couldn’t say what my father had been thinking. However, it was proving quite useful, so I was at least grateful.

“Thank you very much.” Moneda carefully resealed the letter.

“So, what do you say?” I asked.

“I happily accept.”

“That was quick. I thought you’d consider it a bit longer.”

“The ability to make quick decisions is an important part of being a merchant.”

“Well, I’m grateful.” I smiled. “So, I’d like to discuss the future in more detail. When can you come to the estate?”

“Please give me three days. I’ll need to hand over all of my current responsibilities.”

“Excellent. Then we shall expect to see you on the morning of the fourth.”

“As you wish.”

Ah, that was a weight off my shoulders. I had secured Moneda by my side, and I had three days to confirm details with Sebastian. With that out of the way, my group left and at last returned home.

 

***

 

Moneda watched Iris from the window as she exited the merchant guild. On his face was a smile.

The merchant guild brought merchants together, hired personnel, mediated between members, and so forth. All merchants were required to join the guild, and the guild ate up as much of their money as it could in the form of taxes in exchange for protection and the like.

As vice-treasurer, Moneda’s job was to manage the taxes the merchants paid to the guild, as well as the funds for the guild’s management. It was a busy job, but he enjoyed the challenge. Life was fulfilling, until the return of Iris Lana Armelia. The daughter to the lord of Armelia had taken him in as an orphan off the streets, just as she had a handful of others.

Honestly, at first, he’d considered her return an annoyance. He was grateful to Iris, of course, but work was a different matter; he never mixed business with private affairs. He knew, thanks to his contacts, that Iris had returned because of a broken engagement, and he couldn’t imagine she would call on him for anything but some supremely bothersome request.

How wrong he had been.

“Oh, really? I heard your trade with the royal capital has slipped quite precipitously.”

He never could have imagined her saying such a thing—let alone figuring it out herself. A handful of people could tell, of course, but only if they studied the ledgers every day. The Iris that Moneda knew did no such thing. She spent her days in the royal capital surrounded by noble sons and daughters. There was no way such words could come from her coddled mouth.

Now, he knew better. If he underestimated Iris, he’d be eaten alive. A nervous energy had come over Moneda, like he was facing a frontline veteran of many battles. He had been too slow. She had already taken the advantage. Even when he accepted his first loss and tried to retake the field, she revealed her request like a perfectly timed strike. He could only lament his loss in that regard.

But the shock of his defeat was nothing compared to the shock of her request. Reform the government? In the mid-to-long term? He could hardly believe his own ears.

Interesting, he’d thought. If Iris had suggested the same thing in the years past, he would have called it a pipe dream. But today, she made it all too clear it was something she could pursue because, against all odds, she had the power to do so.

This was not just an outlandish idea. Iris was acting governor, and this was no dream. She had the ability to appoint people to office. There was nothing else to discuss. From here, things would move quickly. He had accepted the job.

As Iris left, Moneda went to prepare his underlings to take over his responsibilities. What sort of scheme would Iris suggest when they next met? He couldn’t wait to hear it.

 

***

 

My meeting with Moneda over, I finally returned home. No place like it! For a moment, perhaps.

As I went over the documents Sebastian had given me, Sei knocked on the study door and entered. “Pardon me.”

“Oh, Sei. Yes, what is it?”

Sei was my footman and one of the other orphans I’d taken in. His job involved making his master’s requests reality, as well as assisting the butlers.

“I’ve brought more documents for you from Sebastian. If you can find the time, please read over them.”

His reply made me chuckle. “Sei, there’s no need to be so formal.”

“My lady, I…” Sei tried to say something but then sighed, his face falling in disappointment. “It doesn’t suit me, does it?”

“No, you’re just a bit too tense. You have to relax, or you’ll make the other party nervous as well.”

Sei had always been an adorable boy. He was a bit introverted and scatterbrained, but his smile was wonderful. I hadn’t seen him in ages, since he had to stay behind while I went off to the academy. Perhaps that was why when we were reunited earlier, I was so shocked.

He really had changed. They say time does that to people, but I couldn’t help but feel like something was out of place. It was as if he’d grown cold, or oddly stiff. At first, I thought he was trying to distance himself from me, his disgraced mistress, but he treated Tanya and the others similarly, so that wasn’t it. Even Tanya was surprised.

Upon further investigation, I was told it was because he was training to take Sebastian’s role once the man retired—the impeccable butler, his skills perfect in every way. And that was no exaggeration. I could understand why Sei would set Sebastian as his ultimate role model. But he was so focused on his training that it made his persona a bit uncomfortable for everyone around him.

“Why don’t you try easing up? If you’re always so tense, you’ll make your coworkers nervous. And that’s just exhausting for everyone involved.”

Either way, everything in moderation, right? While I did believe it was important to have some sense of focus and urgency during work hours, if you overdid it, you could lose sight of what was around you and make basic mistakes. I had a tendency to forget my surroundings too, so perhaps it wasn’t my place to lecture him, but I repeated the words a friend had said to me in a previous life regardless.

“Thank you for the advice.” Sei smiled ruefully and bowed, then left the room.

 

***

 

Was I just being meddlesome?

I sighed and went to look over the documents Sei had brought when again there was a knock at the door. This time, Sebastian entered.

“Pardon me. I have more documents for you, on top of the ones I sent with Sei.”

Sebastian placed the papers on my desk. They were reports on the villages surrounding the southernmost village I had visited, as well as on the eastern port town and its neighbors.

“Ah, thank you.” I flipped through them, scanning as I went. “By the way, Sebastian…”

“Yes, my lady?”

“How has Sei been lately?”

“Unfortunately, I am not privy to his private life.”

“I wouldn’t ask you about that. I’m talking about at work.”

“Has he made a mistake?”

“Not at all. From where I stand, he’s doing his job just fine. But he seems so oddly wound up. I know he’s on the clock, and it’s important to have some focus. It just feels like he’s forcing himself.”

Perhaps I’m being selfish in wishing he could remain as I knew him, I added in my mind. I grinned in self-chastisement. I really was selfish. Nothing stayed the same forever. Maybe I had just hoped to come home and see everyone just as they were, to be reassured that some things wouldn’t change. How unbelievable, after what happened in the capital.

Was that my problem? Was I looking only to relish my memories, clinging to the past?

However, Sebastian nodded. “You aren’t mistaken. Sei is certainly pushing himself in some respects.”

“You think so, too?”

“Yes. There was a change in him a little before you came home. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say he endeavored to change?”

“Why would that be?”

“He’s worked at the estate for a good while, so it’s been decided that he should be promoted to butler.”

“I see…” I nodded thoughtfully.

“There is quite a difference between a footman and a butler. A footman’s job is to follow their master’s orders, while a butler ensures their master lives a carefree life, working to fulfill their master’s needs without ever receiving instructions. Furthermore, as part of their duties, a butler must manage the other servants’ activities and give them orders. In your family’s case, I am here, so Sei would not need to manage the estate or the mansion. However, he would be required to give orders to the other servants, to which he seems as yet unaccustomed. Thus, Sei seems to be under the impression that the first step is to be an exemplary servant.”

“Uh huh…”

“He says he wishes to be a butler like myself, which is flattering. But there’s no need for him to change so immediately. You might think I’m tooting my own horn, but it took me decades of experience to get where I am. Thus, it’s only natural that he can’t immediately replicate my demeanor.”

That was true enough. Sebastian managed the duchy of Armelia, the estate, and our servants. He was my father’s right-hand man and an irreplaceable resource. But as he said, it had taken him a long time to master it all.

“Sebastian, do you think Sei has the right stuff to be a butler in your mold?”

“That is for you, his future mistress, to decide. But I would never promote someone with no promise.”

“Hee hee… You’re right. So what Sei needs is experience, huh?”

Giving orders and managing daily schedules so work goes smoothly… Now that I think about it, a butler’s job really is tough. I smiled. “Thank you, Sebastian. You can go back to your work.”

He bowed and took his leave.

“Good. This product will be our main starting point for the launch of our greater corporation. First, Sebastian: Draw up a contract with the village that cultivates the cacao. Lyle and Dida, I want you two to sort out how many people you’ll need to secure the road between that village and this estate and keep it maintained, then report back to me. You remember the state it was in during our trip, yes?”

“Yes, my lady. We’ll get right on it.”

Sebastian, Lyle, and Dida rose from their seats.

“Merida, cook up some more of these test products. I’ll come see you later to share more recipes I’ve thought of. And Tanya, I need to write a letter to Mother.”

“Your mother?”

“Yes. There’s no one better at advertising than her. If I ask, she’ll surely add these desserts to her tea parties and spread the word about them to her friends.”

“Understood.”

“Moneda, prepare the documents to register this corporation with the guild. And bring Sei with you. If you can, secure a larger kitchen for us to make these desserts. For the next three months, I want to prioritize getting this business off the ground. I realize I’m asking a lot of you two, but could you help with that as well?”

“Of course,” said Moneda. “I could never pass up such an intriguing opportunity.”

“Thank you. Rehme, I have a few questions I need answered, so could you stay behind? I’d like to review the average price of similar and related products at the market.”

“Of course. Ask me anything—I have it all memorized, especially from the last fifteen years.”

“Perfect. Well, everyone, you have your tasks. If any problems arise, please be sure to come to me so we can discuss them.”

 

***

 

And that was how my company, the Azuta Corporation, began.

Supported by talented people working wonders in their fields, our products were ready for sale in the blink of an eye. My mother was also surprisingly supportive of the test batch I sent her and immediately brought samples to her tea parties or gave them away as gifts. In no time at all, the nobility could talk of nothing but chocolate. We were drowning in requests and orders; business was booming.

Hooray for knowledge from my previous life!

Moneda suggested we escalate to mass production, but I rejected the proposal. Because our demographic was ultimately the nobility, I believed it was better to keep the product rare to add value, rather than to recklessly try and expand. Also, in an effort to solidify our brand image, I implemented a new policy: We printed every chocolate and box with a lily insignia. We had to be prepared for competition. For now, though, none had yet surfaced.

In addition to the product line for nobles, we had also begun work on the less high-end version. However, because it would still be a quality product, I was searching for cafés that could serve it as a chocolate cream in crepes or on dipped fruits. I’d already secured one location as well as the supply chain, so it would be open for business soon.

Sei was constantly running around, always busy. He still came off a bit stiff but not nearly as much as before. The workload had blown away all his previous nervous energy, or so I liked to believe. That said, I wasn’t sitting back and relaxing either. Now that the corporation was off the ground, I was preparing to revolutionize the government while still managing the Azuta Corporation’s operations.

My schedule was crazy, but it was a bit nostalgic. It had been like this in my previous life, too. Enough reminiscing—it was time to move on to my first bit of business: a meeting with Sei.

“The documents in your hands speak for themselves,” he said.

“The noble line is as popular as ever, isn’t it? How are we on hiring employees?”

“Rest assured on that front as well. Many chefs are coming to us, thanks to the novelty. Now that chocolate’s so popular, they want to learn how to make it.”

“I see… In that case, please introduce the mandatory vacation system we discussed previously. I’ve also spoken to Merida, and the person who passes her test will be entrusted with the first shop selling our second line of chocolates. Could you arrange a meeting so she can inform me of her choice?”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Furthermore, I’d like to move away from dealing exclusively with the royal capital and transport our products to other cities. For that, we’ll need trade routes and personnel… Why not start up our own shipping department, then? Tanya, get me Rehme and Moneda.”

Tanya quickly summoned them.

“Moneda, how does a merchant normally go about securing trade routes?” I asked.

“Well, smaller and mid-sized merchant companies often transport their own goods. For larger ones, they either hire guards and transport it themselves, or get underlings to take care of it.”

“In that case, a shipping department could prove valuable. Rehme, get me a map and point out the flattest, most weather-stable roads, please. Then calculate the time it will take to reach each territory. Speak to Lyle to see how many guards we would need and incorporate that into the projected costs.”

“Yes, ma’am! What are you thinking now?”

“Ways to advance the current transportation industry, you could say. I’ll write my plan on paper later, and then we can look at the costs and see if it’s feasible. Now, Sei, get to writing a draft of that employment system we discussed earlier and arrange things with Merida. Rehme, I need that map. Tanya, call Sebastian for me, would you? And Moneda, stay here. Let’s iron out the details on this bank.”

Amazingly, they all instantly picked up my rapid-fire orders and got to work. I probably needed to think about hiring more assistants. The corporation was expanding slowly, but there was a clear lack of staff. Sei would likely collapse at this rate. It just wasn’t going well for him. But I had other things to worry about.

“Okay, Moneda. How far did we get regarding banks last time?”

“The adjustment of the cost of goods, the centralization of funds, and the creation of trust, my lady.”

Now that I was starting to focus on reforming the duchy’s government, I’d also started educating Moneda on the theory of banks. Currently, money flowed through the marketplace, but there was no mechanism to control it. Also—and this was something I found most surprising—the commoners either stored their money in dressers or left it with the merchant guild. I was told the guild had a convenient system in which the money one left with one branch could be withdrawn from any other. However, because these transactions weren’t the guild’s main focus, they got no more complicated.

“So, any questions so far?”

“No. I find myself quite surprised you thought up something like this, though.”

Well, technically I hadn’t. I refrained from saying so, however, and passed the comment off with a smile. “For the moment, I’ll need you to purchase a building to be used as our bank. Then, in the next few days, use my name at the merchant guild to get the guildmaster and your old mentor to agree to a meeting with their most important members.”

“Understood.”

My next few weeks were filled with the business of establishing a bank. Acquiring a building, furnishings… There was so much to do.

Then the day of the meeting arrived. The location: the Armelia branch of the merchant guild. I was reminded of how grave I’d thought the building back when I met Moneda there.

“Everyone, thank you all for making time in your busy schedules to see me.” I started with a greeting. Everyone here had their schedules planned down to the second, so I truly was grateful they’d gathered to meet me.

“No, no. We’re excited to meet the president of the corporation that’s been the talk of the town lately.” The guildmaster’s eyes glinted sharply.

I-I should have expected this… The pressure’s jacked up to the max. I smiled blithely, hiding my anxiety. “I’m here today not as the president of the Azuta Corporation but as the acting governor of Armelia.”

“Oh ho… Acting governor, you say?”

“Yes. If it weren’t for my position, I doubt I would have been able to entice you all here. My company is yet a fledgling.”

“Oh, you’re too humble. I’ve heard many tales of your exploits,” said Moneda’s mentor.

“My… I’ll take that as a compliment, then. Now, to the topic at hand…” The air froze. Ugh, I was scared to open my mouth. If I messed up a single word, I was done for. “First, I’ve established a regional bank, and I’d be delighted if you all would use it.”

“A bank?” The guildmaster frowned.

“Yes.”

“Forgive me, but what is that?”

“Put simply, it’s an evolution of the finance division the merchant guild currently operates. It fulfills three main jobs: depositing, drafting, and granting loans.”

“Depositing…? And did you say loans? I’ve never heard of such things… What do you mean?”

Now the ball was in my court again. I smiled. “Let me explain what I mean by deposits first. In the past, the merchant guild’s finance division has accepted money from businesses and individuals alike to keep safe. The bank would handle this for you. This would free up the budget you’d previously allocated to hire security. A boon for you, no? Furthermore, the bank would be able to handle transactions between separate accounts. This is what I mean by a draft. For example, if two parties have money deposited in the bank, and one wishes to pay the other, the bank may transfer the appropriate sum, and no one need walk around with their money vulnerable.”

Depositing would work just like it did in Japan. You created an account and then used it. There was no standard ID system here, though, which would make withdrawing difficult at a branch other than the one that held the documents used in setting up the account. With that in mind, business-focused checking accounts would help circumvent the ID issues. It was also common for people to move to the countryside, in which case we could also offer bank checks or bills as proxy funds in case there was no nearby institution. Or, since I was considering starting a census, I could use that as an opportunity to create IDs for everyone. On the back of every ID would be a personal stamp to be used as proof of authenticity. There would be no need to copy everything from Japan, after all… That said, these were just my rambling thoughts at the moment. I could refine the system later.

A census would take a great deal of time to organize, though. It could always be initiated after the bank was established—or much later. Regarding the stamp, since this world had no kanji, maybe it would need to be crests like the nobility used. I’d have to ask Moneda for more details, like how things had identity checks and so forth had been conducted until now.

Drafting, meanwhile, would work the same as in Japan, with transfers only possible at the branch where the account was set up at. There was no system for that, either. Perhaps, separate from the client’s deposits, the bank could also hold on to their ledgers and use those to resolve any snarls? It would have to be expensive as it would involve handling fees, so likely only certain types of people would start such an account.

Incidentally, I intended to hire all the people who currently called themselves security guards for the merchant guild. A bank needs security, and if I was going to start a shipping department, well, I’d have plenty of work to provide. Of course, they’d have to be trained hard by my family’s excellent guard company first, otherwise their skill levels would be all over the place. That would be a solid initial investment.

“I see,” said the guildmaster thoughtfully. “But is this really safe? The funds you’d be handling are precious. There can be no hint of risk.”

“Of course. They will be placed under the protection of House Armelia. I can guarantee the quality of the guards we employ. If by the slimmest chance someone does attempt funny business, they will be swiftly dealt with.”

“Hm. And this loans business?” said Moneda’s mentor.

“Loans will be provided from the bank’s gathered capital. Basically, it’s a gift of money that must be paid back in turn. Naturally, this will come with strict conditions. But if you ever find yourself in need of money for a new business, the bank can provide those funds.”

“That sounds interesting.”

“You can deposit money with the bank whenever, and you only need withdraw the amount you require. Transactions will be made easier across the entire populace. Also, you will be able to borrow money whenever you need it. Because the bank’s funds will be guaranteed by my house, as long as we don’t go under, our vast wealth will cover all financial risks. What do you say? Of course, as governor, I’ll make sure to pass on the profits to you. After all, I am infringing on your domain.”

That said, the most I could do was insure their faith in the bank. I couldn’t make any direct investments in the businesses of the people in front of me, not with the money paid to my house through taxes. In fact, if my corporation hadn’t succeeded, I would have been forced to use almost all the tax money on maintaining the duke’s estate, as per usual. Fortunately, I could now invest it in this new public service. All in all, it was not necessarily a mistake to say my corporation was paying the dividends.

“What do you want from us in return?”

“In regard to establishing the bank, nothing. All I want is for the flow of money within the duchy to improve. Oh, but would it be all right to take all your financial officers with me to the bank? There will be a lot for them to memorize, and this way I can be assured of their skills. Also, I’m in the process of preparing the bank’s main office, but I haven’t gotten to branch offices yet, so I’d be ever so grateful if you could lend me a section from each of your guild’s branch offices in which to do business.”

“Sounds simple enough. Not only are you providing the initial investment, you’re also offering to take over a debt-ridden division of our guild. We’ll gladly help you out.”

Yes! Things were looking good for the bank.

“On to the next subject, then. Perhaps the main subject, for you businessmen.”

The air that had relaxed once again tensed up. Of course this wasn’t the end. I’d gone to the trouble of getting all these busy people together. It would be an incredible waste to not say more.

“Related to the bank we discussed earlier, I’ve decided that the taxes paid by the duchy’s people are to be used to maintain the duchy’s roads, as well as the establishment of another academy.”

“An…academy? Like the one in the royal capital?”

I frowned. “I would never waste taxpayer money on a social hub under the guise of an ‘academy.’ What I want to create is a place of learning, with entry-level classes that teach reading and writing, all the way up to higher education on specialized subjects. Citizens will be required to take the entry-level classes, which will be founded using taxpayer money. What I want you all to engage with, however, is the higher education.”

“Engage how?” asked one merchant.

“Speaking frankly, I want you to invest,” I said. “Money is fine, but I will also gratefully accept donations of furniture and materials.”

“Why don’t you just ask for a ‘loan’ from this ‘bank’?” another merchant asked.

“Trust in the bank is held up by my family’s money and the duchy’s taxes. An excessive loan would destroy the balance of deposits to expenditures, and it would be a quick way to demolish the bank’s finances.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” said the guildmaster. “So, all you want is for us to support the creation of this new academy?”

“I want to open it as soon as possible,” I confirmed. “The people of this duchy are a vital, precious resource to my family. It would be such a waste to not polish them until they shine.”

“Hm. Care to share any more specific details on this academy?”

“Please examine the documents you’re about to be handed.”

My companion, Sebastian, distributed the papers to everyone. I’d been preparing them for the past several weeks. Thanks to that, I’d hardly had time to even sleep.

“First, the greatest offering will be the medical classes. I’m also considering classes on governing and finance.”

“Medical…classes?”

The businessmen all looked at me in surprise. I’d expected as much. In this world, doctors were retainers to royalty and the nobility, and they treated patients in their homes. Their knowledge wasn’t widely shared. But every businessman realized the value of that knowledge.

Normally, no one would ever sacrifice a hefty paycheck to reveal trade secrets. Key word: normally. Even I was shocked I’d managed to hire the people I had. I’d thought I’d have a cozy group of two or three of my family’s doctors to start with, but somehow, my mother heard about my plans and pulled some strings. She was startlingly connected. Suddenly, I had doctors showing up who wanted to take it easy in the countryside, or who were thinking about training a successor, and they had quickly accepted the jobs. One day, I hoped to get my mother to use her powers of negotiation in the business world as well.

I’d also brought on researchers and farmers to teach agriculture. Study and practicum, you know? My parents used their connections to the fullest in order to entice the many scholars I now employed. I also hoped that Rehme would consider being a teacher.

“But doctors are so valuable because of their rarity. If their population increased, wouldn’t their value decrease?”

“What are you saying? There aren’t even enough to go around now.”

Commoners could visit a town doctor if they lived in a town. These doctors weren’t properly educated, however, and their work could hardly be counted on. The surrounding areas, however, didn’t even have access to such quacks. It wasn’t uncommon for the countryside to be totally reliant on shady mystics for their cures.

The southern village I’d visited on my trip had exactly this problem. Some of the church’s missionaries provided checkups for free to the poor, but their skills were no better than those of snake oil salesmen. The doctors worth their salt tended to stay in towns. Worryingly, charity missions also seemed to be in decline.

But back to the topic at hand.

“I’m not talking about mass production. But if we can create an environment where common folk are able to visit a doctor, then surely companies that handle doctor’s tools and develop medicine stand to make a profit. Also, if researchers can develop new treatments, then medical companies can expect even bigger profits.”

The businessmen in these fields began to fidget before my eyes. Good. I’d caught their attention.

“Meanwhile, classes on governing and finance—especially the financial ones—would train people in order to better Armelia’s future. You all have some investment in this, don’t you?”

“I can understand the governing classes, but how do the finance classes impact us?”

“Please turn to page three of your booklets.”

Gasps popped up around the room.

“My word…”

“This is an excerpt from the Azuta Corporation’s ledgers.”

“This is a ledger?!”

Everyone stuck their noses in the pages.

Would you believe there was no such thing as double-entry bookkeeping in this world? It was so convenient! How had this even been possible? Some say it was one of humanity’s greatest creations.

What was even more unbelievable was that there was no unified system, either. One company might use single-entry bookkeeping, while another used transfer memos and separate merchandise accounts. It was chaos. If I wanted to push a capitalist society, this couldn’t last.

“This way, you can easily see what goes in and what goes out. And over here is what is called a balance sheet, where you can easily determine your assets, debt, and net income, as well as an income statement, which displays earnings and costs. With these, you have a quantitative review of a company.”

There was nothing wrong with steering the ship based on a merchant’s instincts and experience, but considering what was to come, it was best to standardize things now. Although, I would be lying if I said I didn’t yearn for greater clarity in part because of my previous life’s job in finance.

“When you accept a loan from the bank, you’ll be required to submit this document. But most of all, once the tax system is reformed and the poll tax is gone, you’ll use your ledger to accurately report how your profits have gone up in order to pay your taxes accordingly. If you employ a clever tax expert, you’ll be able to condense your assets and reduce your taxes. I think this should be a great help to all of you.”

“You have the authority to reform the tax system…?”

“I do. I’m not just the acting governor. As is written in this document, my authority shall be equal to the feudal lord’s in regard to governance of the duchy until the day I step down.”

“And if one enters this academy you want to start, one can learn this form of bookkeeping you use?”

My feeling had been that if these merchants were smart, they’d realize the value in doing things my way. And it seemed I was right. “Yes, of course.”

The merchants sighed greatly upon hearing this.

“Good heavens… The carrot is great, but so is the whip…”

“Indeed,” I smiled. “But there are other treats to consider as well. For example, in the agriculture classes, I’m planning to have research done on our vegetables and grains in order to improve our local produce. Once that’s done, I’m willing to give exclusive rights to any developments to the companies who invest today. Well? Sounds tasty, doesn’t it?”

“Oh, yes. Tasty indeed.”

“The rest of this conversation is reserved only for those companies that wish to invest. I wouldn’t want to waste anyone’s time if they don’t intend to be involved.”

Only two people stood up at my suggestion. Oh, my. I had been sure about half the room would leave.

“A lot of you are still here,” I said after the dissenters left. “I hate to ask, but are you sure?”

“Lady Iris, the people you see before you are proud to be the cream of the crop,” said the guildmaster. “The potential for great profit naturally comes with perilous risk. It’s our job to use our brains to determine the risk-return ratio and make appropriate decisions. But most of all, when presented with the possibility of such enormous profits, only a fool would let the opportunity slip by.”

“Ah… You have a point.”

“If you were just some idle noble’s daughter, I’d cast this aside as a pipe dream. But you’ve already started a successful corporation and brought it to our level in such a short span of time… No, you’ve outpaced us. Thus, we’re betting on your skills.”

“And I couldn’t be more proud of you all,” I said. “Not only are you the cream of the crop, you’re also helping to elevate our land.”

I smiled, the joy rising in me unfettered.

 

***

 

“Lady Iris…you have guts, that’s for sure,” Moneda said on the carriage ride home. It was just me, him, and Sebastian in the carriage. Outside, Dida sat with the driver.

“Hey, now. I was quite nervous, you know.”

“It didn’t look that way at all. In fact, I had no idea you were going in there to hold a business negotiation with those men.”

“Then why did you think I requested for you to summon them?” I asked.

“Well, to announce the bank’s establishment.”

“And I did that.”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying…”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. I really had been nervous the whole time, like I was walking atop a tightrope. I’d taken a full three weeks to prepare those booklets, packing them to the gills with information. This was an entirely new enterprise, after all. My mind had raced, wondering what questions they might have or interjections they might make.

“But honestly, why don’t you use a bank loan to start the academy? You could delay the road maintenance.”

“Distribution is an integral part of commerce. If the flow of goods is great, then the flow of money will naturally follow. In that case, solving the road problem first and using the business to spread wealth to the people means it will become easier for children to attend the academy.”

Of course, the entry levels would be completely free. However, I didn’t expect that alone to get workers to happily attend. The problem was amplified in more rural environments—some would find it too difficult to physically attend the academy. In that case, using a public works project like road construction to get money into the countryside and stimulate the rural economy would be a worthwhile compensation.

“Those businessmen were smart. They realized that road maintenance was one of the carrots. With that, trade will improve, and during construction, necessary tools and food for the road workers will need to be supplied. Depending on their industries, their pockets should swell immensely. And with those swollen pockets, they’ll invest, earn favor with the ducal family, and secure rights to new products in development. That’s how I baited them. I just had to be strong enough to hold my ground and not be eaten alive.”

“My lady, you thought that far ahead?” Moneda murmured.

“What, did you think I’d put no thought into this?”

“No, I’d never suggest that.”

“Really? Then, Moneda, as soon as we get back, I want you to begin operations at the bank headquarters. The paperwork will be just as we planned. Also, secure the funding for road maintenance. I hate to break it to you, but don’t expect any breaks any time soon. It’s going to be quite busy.”

“I could hope for nothing more.”

“Same to you, Sebastian. Discuss with Rehme and decide on the order of construction, then plan out a more efficient road system. Also, estimate the costs of construction and prepare an application to the appropriate authorities.”

“As you wish. I have already spoken to Ms. Rehme and finished estimating the costs. All that’s left to do is submit the application.”

“I should have known, Sebastian. Submit it to me, and I’ll look over it immediately. If everything is in order, I’ll pass it on to Moneda and we can get started right away.”

 

***

 

Sebastian watched Iris, her fists clenched and body tense.

His family had served House Armelia for generations, and he’d been entrusted with taking care of his master’s estate as well as governing the duchy in his stead. Because Armelia’s lands were so vast and bountiful, it wasn’t that difficult a task.

But once Iris became acting governor, that peaceful life had been turned on its head. In a word, life was busy. Busy, busy, busy. He’d always managed all his duties in tandem, to the point that his fellow servants often asked him if he ever slept. In the face of Iris’s workload, however, he couldn’t help but be overwhelmed.

When she’d first returned home, he’d assumed she’d push all her duties off onto him. Yet the first thing she did was request him to submit financial and government reports. She had subsequently read through them at amazing speed and then went on a trip to see the land for herself. After that, she started a corporation that instantly took off, and she was still firing on all cylinders trying to reform the country’s systems.

When did she sleep? Did she even sleep? The amount of work she did and the precise instructions she gave out weren’t just shocking; they were downright impressive. Thus, if it was for her sake, Sebastian didn’t mind in the least putting his old bones to work. It will be exciting to serve this woman and see what sort of future she brings about, he thought.

His only worry was that lately, she seemed nigh emaciated. Even now, as he observed her as closely as he could without overstepping his bounds, he saw that her body had undergone a transformation. He’d heard her dresses had stopped fitting, requiring her to summon a tailor. She claimed she was on a diet, but this was something more. He feared it was exhaustion.

Armelia’s future was, without a doubt, resting on Iris’s shoulders. Day by day, her presence grew in his eyes. Sebastian had to support her so that she never stumbled. And so, quietly, he willed his fire to flare as strong as hers.

 

***

 

It had been about six months since the bank was established. During those six months, I had started my first public works project servicing the duchy’s roads. I liked to think it was going well. At the bank, merchants had created accounts under their businesses’ names and deposited money. Then their employees made personal accounts, and more and more people followed suit. The bank had, in other words, become quite a vital part of the city. As a result, Moneda was incredibly busy. His current problem was figuring out how to expand beyond our capital.

We had also secured funding for the academy, which was currently under construction. I planned to open it as soon as it was done. That said, we had prioritized the construction of the academy of higher education, so the day commoner children could all attend elementary school was still a ways off.

My workload hadn’t lessened in the slightest. In fact, it was exploding. It was possible I was overworking myself, so I rushed to find officials I could trust to take on the burden of reforming the government. I’d already had to reassign all of my family’s servants involved in this endeavor to help out in other areas.

Our current branches were the Borsa, Agio, Abitante, Architetto, and Codice. I sat above them all as the acting governor.

Borsa was responsible for taxation, crunching the numbers on proposed budgets for the other departments and weighing the reality of their ideas, as well as distributing funds once approval was given. I was also discussing reforming our tax revenue with them.

Agio worked like the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology in Japan. They determined what was taught at the academy, calculated the costs of running it, and managed its employees.

Abitante was the branch in charge of managing the citizens. They were currently running around the duchy trying to organize a census. I was considering putting them in charge of social welfare as well.

Architetto was in charge of constructing roads and public facilities. In other words, with the great road project underway, it wasn’t an overstatement to say they were the busiest branch.

Codice was, as the name implied, in charge of devising our legal code. They were currently systemizing our customs and building them into full-fledged laws.

 

***

 

It was time to admit I was exhausted. It was time for a bath, if nothing else.

“What is it, my lady?” Tanya asked.

“I find myself with some free time for once, so I’d like to take a bath and soak for a bit. Could you prepare one for me?”

Tanya got right down to work. She’d been so overprotective lately. Did I look that tired?

“You seem happy today,” she said. “Did something happen?”

“Oh, can you tell? Hee hee, I finally got my hands on something special.”

Six months of ceaseless work and research had finally borne fruit. And today, I got to test it out right away by having a warm bath to heal my tired soul. Ahhh, the beautiful scent of roses… I left the bath in high spirits and went to where Tanya was waiting to dress me.

“Excuse me, my lady. I need to do your hair… Oh!”

Tanya took a look at my hair and froze. Amazing, no? That girl never changed her expression, so the effect had to be quite potent.

“Your hair is so pretty… It’s like it’s shining,” she murmured. “Pardon me for asking, but how is this possible?”

“Hee hee. I used this.” I produced a small bottle. Inside, it was filled with a light-yellow liquid.

“What is this?”

“It’s called conditioner. It makes your hair softer, shinier, and more luxurious.”

Conditioner didn’t exist in this world, either. Everyone washed with soap, and that was it. Do you realize how much this had pained me? For the first three months, I had been so busy I hadn’t had time to think about it. But once I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Soap alone damages hair. I knew this, and it hurt to have to bear with it. My hair was a beautiful platinum, inherited from my mother, and thus the thought of damaging it stressed me out even more.

Luckily, in my old life, I had been obsessed with making my own soap, shampoo, conditioner, toner, and other such things. Less luckily, in this world, making them took too much time for me to do it regularly. If I was going to dedicate that time, I wanted to produce the ultimate product. Thus, this one was scented with the roses cultivated on my own estate.

“This is amazing, my lady…” Tanya whispered under her breath as she gazed at my hair, transfixed. As I thought, beauty products could capture people’s hearts in any world.

“Would you like some too, Tanya?”

“What? I couldn’t… Really?”

“Once the process is completed, it will be easy enough to make more.”

It had taken a long time to make the first bottle, but now that I had the recipe, it would be a breeze.

“Then perhaps a little…”

Tanya happily accepted the bottle. That made me glad. She’d helped me so much. But it didn’t end there. The female servants who saw my hair endlessly interrogated Tanya. Is she using something special? If she is, where does she get it?

Tanya firmly kept my secret, but when I saw this, I happily told the truth. One after another, the female servants begged me to share. Once they realized the conditioner’s effects, my merchants assured me it would sell tremendously well. Thus, the Azuta Corporation quickly started producing more. It went without saying that my workload increased.

 

***

 

I sent some conditioner to my mother, who apparently loved it and told everyone she knew about it. This solidified its place in the market for nobles as well as commoners, although it was a bit expensive. My mother really was an amazing PR machine. I started to secretly call her my Head of PR.

Of course, the larger my corporation grew, the more work I had to do. My number of employees also steadily increased, and they had as much authority as I could give them, but it had only been a year since we started. There was a lot I still wanted to be directly involved with, so it couldn’t be helped. I had to be careful with my health.

“Lady Iris?” Oddly enough, Sebastian called out to me in a slightly panicked tone.

“Oh, Sebastian. What is it? Wasn’t our meeting this afternoon?”

“About that. I’ve just learned that Her Grace is due to arrive this afternoon.”

“What? Mother? She didn’t mention anything in her most recent letter.”

“It is what it is. Your orders, please.”

“R-right. For now, have the servants clean the entrance hall, the dining room, and my mother’s room. I know you do that already, but go over them again. Then, change the flowers decorating the entrance hall. Roses, like the scented product I sent to her. And…for dessert, let’s have our newest creation, fondant chocolate. Make sure the rest of the meal goes with it. Fondant chocolate is quite rich, so I’m thinking something refreshing.”

“Understood.”

“Also, let’s have an herbal tea for teatime. The Azuta Corporation’s tea department should be able to fill you in.”

The “tea department” was a new moniker. Previously we’d had the noble department and the commoner department, but that hadn’t sat right with me, especially as we were in the process of opening a tea shop for the nobility as well. To wit, our chocolates were now separated into the tea and confectionery departments.

Oh, but the noble department still existed in some capacity. The nobility loved to be treated specially, so I had introduced a membership system. I was subsequently bowled over with frenzied requests from nobles wanting to join. Only members were allowed to visit special shops set up in the royal capital and our city. There, they could view all of our corporation’s products. In other words, not just sweets, but also the beauty products we’d started to create. The original beauty lotions that incorporated a client’s favorite smell were an especially good seller.

Anyway, if my mother was coming, I needed to reschedule some appointments. Lately, Tanya had been acting as my secretary, and she was a tremendous help, but I was on my own at the moment. I rearranged my schedule. I looked at the hack job I’d made of it and thought, I’m sorry, everyone.

I really was sorry that their workloads had become so much heavier. Therefore, I continued working until the last minute when I was notified of her arrival, checking numbers and all that.

“Her Grace has arrived.”

“Thank you, Sebastian.”

I quickly headed for the entrance hall, which was even shinier than usual. I joined the servants, who surrounded me as I greeted her.

“Welcome home, ma’am,” they chorused.

“Welcome home, Mother,” I said.

In the doorway stood a stunning beauty with luminous platinum hair. She really was gorgeous. Called the “Flower of High Society,” she still enjoyed a great deal of admiration from other nobles and held quite some sway. For this reason, I couldn’t wish for a better Head of PR for the Azuta Corporation.

“It’s good to be home. Sorry for the sudden intrusion, Iris dear.” She was, at heart, a kind woman. And though she acted warmly with her family, she held herself quite differently in the outside world. She was the Flower of High Society, after all—the perfect noble.

“No, I’m glad to see you after so long, Mother.”

“Oh, what a darling thing to say. We haven’t had a chance to sit and talk since you came back, so I really am delighted we have this chance.”

“Are you certain we’re not keeping you out of turn? The season’s not over yet.”

“It’s fine. I’ve seen to all my official duties, and I’ve notified my close friends of my absence… Oh, I suppose I was invited to House Kataberia’s tea party, but I had no intention of going.”

That’s my mother for you, I thought to myself. House Kataberia was the house of the knight captain; my mother was clearly still angry at his son, Dorssen. He had held me down on the floor during the second prince’s dining hall “trial.” I liked to think their family’s faces were all white as sheets now. After all, my mother’s attendance greatly elevated a party’s status. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if that was entirely true, but it was what people said.

Official duties aside, when a family hosted a gathering, it was judged based on who attended. Thus, it made quite a difference if the Flower of High Society showed up…or didn’t. And even if she did attend, the hosts were left worrying about when she’d leave. If she continually left their events early, people would say they had no class. Evening balls and tea parties were a gauge of a peerage wife’s influence. Even royal events outside of official gatherings tested the queen’s pull.

In other words, my mother was a key factor even for the queen’s events. As long as she attended, no one would be rude. Seriously, her very existence was like a cheat code.

That aside, screw you, Dorssen. Maybe that made me nasty. But I wasn’t sorry.

 

***

 

“Oh, Iris, dear. Are you already working?” In the morning, my mother poked her head into the study where I was, indeed, working.

“I’m sorry, Mother. It’s time for breakfast, isn’t it?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m more concerned about your health.”

“I’m fine. I haven’t taken ill, not in the least. Besides, I’m having a lot of fun.”

“Really? All right, then…” she trailed off.

“If you’d like, please eat breakfast without me,” I said. “I’m going to be here a while longer. I’ve ordered chocolate croissants today.”

“Chocolate croissants? I haven’t heard of those.”

“They’re a new Azuta creation. Flaky bread rolls with ribbons of chocolate inside.”

“Oh, that does sound delicious. But it’s not often I get this chance, so I’ll wait for you.”

“All right. I’ll do my best to finish quickly.”

Tanya deftly poured my mother some tea. The perfect secretary, that was my Tanya. I looked over each of the reports my departments had given me that morning.

Ah… Still so much to do. The road project was going well; work on the academy of higher education and the city’s elementary schools was progressing, too.

“Sebastian, this calculation is off. Get it fixed. Also, this budget application is rejected. Their estimation of funds is too optimistic. Tell them to cut it where they can. If they want to go with this number, then they’ll have to present it with evidence that will convince Architetto. Oh, speaking of Architetto, how are the town halls coming along?”

“Their mission to construct town halls across the duchy is proceeding well. Materials for both the roads and the halls can be consolidated and transported simultaneously, which will lead to overall reduction in cost and increased efficiency.”

“I want to know more. Have them submit a report to me. Also, tell Abitante to prioritize that census. I want the city done before the road project finishes. In the future, this will be our most important asset. If we want to move ahead on other jobs, then we must have this census.”

“Understood.”

Was that the end of the documents I was looking at? There were more I needed to take my time investigating and going over… Oh, no, there were two piles left. As I split up the rest of my work, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

“Pardon me.” In came Sei, the man to whom I’d entrusted my corporation.

“Your Grace, Lady Iris, good morning. I’ve brought the Azuta Corporation morning report.”

“Give it here. I’ll look at it.”

He placed a mound of papers on my desk. It was difficult to decide if there were a ton or a few—there were a lot of papers, but never as many as I wanted. I quickly flipped through them. Anything that looked important, I stuck a temporary label on and kept moving. Once I was all the way through, I doubled back to the labeled sections. Thank goodness I was a fast reader.

“All departments seem to be doing well, for the most part. This new product in the beauty department, though—bring me a sample later. The container, too. Also, there are several raw materials I’d like to test out. Tell the development team I’ll be by later.”

“If you tell me what they are, I can prepare the materials in advance.”

“Really? Then here, gather the things I’ve written on this memo by this afternoon. And while I’m at it, I’d like to check on each store’s books, so bring them to me. I’ll look them over later.”

“Understood.”

That was enough for my morning responsibilities, I supposed.

I stood. “Mother, thank you for waiting.”

“It’s fine. This herbal tea really is delicious.” She smiled at me brightly. I’d made her wait so long, too. She was such a kind soul.

“I’m glad you like it. It’s one of my tea department’s most popular items.”

“Of course. I’d love to drink this at home.”

“Is that so? Unfortunately, we only serve it at our tea shops at the moment.”

Black tea was the main variety in this country, so when I added herbal tea to the menu as an experiment, it turned out to be a huge hit. People wanted to buy the leaves, but our production department wasn’t able to keep up with demand. I’d have to think of something. Maybe I needed to visit the tea department in the afternoon.

“I see. Well, please let me know once it’s available for purchase. I’ll serve it at my next tea party.”

“You’re too kind.”

That was my Head of PR for you.

And so, I had breakfast with my mother and enjoyed a leisurely teatime. It had probably been a long time since I’d experienced such peace.

“By the way, how are things at home?” I asked.

“Hm? Same as usual. Nothing’s changed. My dumb son refuses to come home even for school break. He’s probably busy trailing behind the second prince and that woman.” Mother’s tone grew cold toward the latter half of her report. Her beauty made the impact of her ire perfect.

“M-Mother…”

“I just want you to know, Iris, that I shall be on your side with this. I believe I also have a bone to pick with Lord Berne.”

H-her tone was ice cold! She was totally in high society mode. That chilling smile sent a shiver up my spine.

“Honestly, if he weren’t my own son, I’d have crushed him already.” On her lips was a smile, but her eyes were nigh murderous.

You’re scaring me, Mother! I hastily changed the subject. “Th-that reminds me, how are things in the capital and the palace?”

My mother sighed, and the air about her once again became gentle. Relieved, I let out the breath I’d been holding. I-I hadn’t changed the subject because I was scared, okay? I was genuinely curious.

Of course, I knew what was going on with both parties to a certain extent. But the amount my mother knew was consistently mind-boggling. I knew, for example, that the first and second prince were in a deadlock in terms of vying for succession. Such was to be expected. The current king was healthy, so there was no advantage in making a big move as yet.

As for the princes… The first prince was supposedly studying abroad, but the veracity of that statement was highly suspect. It had never been officially stated where he went to study, after all. But he hadn’t surfaced at all since he left, so I had no idea of his whereabouts. The second prince seemed to still be at the academy, but I hadn’t bothered to look into him at all, so I couldn’t have told you more.

 

***

 

After submitting his report and exiting the room, Sei went to relay Iris’s instructions. He looked at the papers he held and smiled wryly for a second. His situation had changed quite a lot over the years. By some miracle, he had been rescued from the slums and now served the duke’s family. Yet even all that—being brought into the household, being apprenticed to Sebastian—now seemed like distant memories.

Everything had changed once Iris became acting governor. The business, her decision to appoint him at its head… Ever since, his work as a butler had simply vanished. He’d become her eyes and mouth, holding meetings with various managers, greeting clients, and more. He was buried under the work.

Once he delivered Iris’s instructions, Sei made to return to the hall he’d just left.

“Oh, Sei. Good morning.”

“Good morning, Tanya.”

He passed by Tanya, one of his fellow orphans. She worked as Iris’s hands and feet as her handmaid, and now her secretary.

“How is it going?” she asked.

“The same as always. What about you, Tanya?”

“Same here, I suppose. By the way, do you have plans later?”

“I was going to take a small break before going to pick up our lady.”

“In that case, how about some tea?”

It wasn’t every day one got an invitation to tea from Tanya, so Sei agreed and they moved to the servant break room.

“Here you are.”

Sei plopped down, and Tanya poured him a cup. It was a light yellow-green herbal tea that the corporation had been pushing lately.

“This is a lemongrass tea. It’s very good for exhaustion.”

“Thank you. Let’s see if it works.” Sei took a sip and let out a relaxed sigh. “It’s good. Do I really look that tired?”

“No. But you are, aren’t you?”

“Ha ha ha… Yeah, you’re right. But how I feel isn’t important. Compared to our lady…”

“I’m concerned about her, too. I haven’t seen her rest at all lately.” Tanya sighed, troubled. To her, Iris was a savior. Her loyalty to Iris exceeded that of any of their fellows; if Iris asked Tanya to give her life, she gladly would. Being so extraordinarily loyal to Iris, she was especially sensitive to her lady’s health and given to endless worries.

“I agree. When I see her, I realize I have to work much, much harder.”

Sei’s workload had indeed blown up since Iris returned. He didn’t resent her for it, however. In fact, he was excited to be invited along for the challenge of seeing just how big the corporation could grow. Most of all, seeing how hard Iris worked, he felt a natural urge to do better himself.

“You shouldn’t model yourself after her. She’s an addict.”

“Ha ha ha, you’re too right. Oh, I should get going.”

“Our lady is speaking with Her Grace at the moment. I doubt she’s been able to finish her work.”

Right, Sei silently agreed. Now the odd tea invitation made sense. Tanya was trying to be kind and give Iris more time with her mother. “I see. Then I should wait a bit longer,” he said. “Do you think it’s possible Her Grace came to visit because she was worried about her daughter?”

“I suspect that’s the case. Sebastian periodically sends her updates on the estate, after all,” said Tanya.

Sebastian alone was entrusted with managing both Armelian estates. Even after being charged with assisting Iris in reforming the duchy, he still sent detailed reports to the duke.

“I understand that he does it for Lady Iris’s sake,” said Tanya. “But to me, she’s more important than the duchy. I just hope she uses this chance to take a good break.”

“Indeed. Oh, Tanya. Could I ask for a refill?”

“I’d be happy to.”

Sei settled back into his seat. He’d go once he relaxed a bit more. It wouldn’t do to interrupt Iris’s rare break.

Just then, Dida popped his head into the room. “Whoa, if the two of you together ain’t a sight. Haven’t seen this in years.”

“Long time no see, Dida.”

As one of Iris’s guards, Dida had been busy running all over the duchy on her orders, and as such, they hadn’t been able to cross paths lightly.

“Care for some tea, Dida?”

“Is that the new tea everyone’s talking about? Sure, sure.” Dida studied the tea curiously, then took a sip and grinned. “Ah, that’s the good stuff. I like it a lot better than plain black tea. The princess just keeps churning these new blends out, too. Amazing.”

“Ha ha ha, true. By the way, Dida, what have you been up to lately?”

“Me? Patrolling the roads with the new guys Lyle’s been training.”

Iris had ordered the bolstering and expansion of her Safety Patrol. Lyle and Dida were in charge of training the new recruits. The duke’s guards were famously skilled, so there were no better people to whom the job could be entrusted. Lyle and Dida were particularly famous for rejecting invitations to join the royal knights in favor of staying with House Armelia.

“How are the patrols going?” Sei asked.

“Pretty good, I’d say. The views are nice, too. The recruits always complain about how tough the big guy is on them, though.”

“Ha ha ha, that’s a good thing. And what brings you here today?”

“The big guy called me in. No clue as to why. Been a while since I’ve been home, though. Might be all right to go a little wild. Tanya, you should come help me train.”

“No, thank you.” Tanya was actually a skilled martial artist. Apparently, she had been trained quite rigorously by Iris’s mother’s family as a child, all in the name of protecting Iris. “The techniques I trained in are for instant kills. For murder. We differ at our cores, so it wouldn’t work.”

“Ha ha ha! What a scary handmaid. You think I’d lose?”

“No, I didn’t say that. I just mean that our styles are too different.”

“Well, I guess you’re right. Oh well. Guess I’ll have to put up with the big guy again.” Dida took one last swig and then stood up. “Thanks for the tea. Later.”

“Take care,” said Tanya.

“Take care,” echoed Sei. “I think I’ll go do some work and give Lady Iris a bit more time. Excuse me.”

Sei had so many things to think about that his brain felt a bit fuzzy. But after this break, his mind was cleared, at least for the moment. Breaks are important, he realized. Lady Iris needs a good break, too.

 

***

 

After breakfast, I enjoyed some herbal tea with Mother. When I asked about the royal capital, her expression fell a bit.

“Things haven’t changed much there. But it’s a bit odd inside the palace.”

“Odd how?”

“That woman has grown bolder. She’s pushing things. It’s mostly all to do with that baron’s daughter, but the king shares some of the blame for becoming so cowardly after losing dear Sharia. This is why Iria and I opposed his remarriage.”

“That woman” referred to the king’s new queen, Ellia. Mother had always seemed to dislike her. Conversely, she had been quite close with the late Queen Sharia. Iria, meanwhile, was the king’s mother—in other words, the queen dowager. She was the highest-ranking woman in the kingdom. Though currently retired from political life, she spent her days in the detached palace. Her influence, however, remained significant.

Incidentally, she’d always had a soft spot for my mother. Iria thought of her like her own daughter, apparently. Despite the queen dowager’s retirement from royal life, my mother still visited her.

“You said the baron’s daughter is stirring the pot… I thought Queen Ellia opposed the engagement of Ms. Yuri and Prince Edward.” Considering her desires for Prince Edward’s ascension to the throne, I would have thought Ellia would want him to marry someone of higher status.

“That baron’s daughter… What was her name again?” Mother asked.

“Yuri Neuer,” I supplied.

“Ah, of course. Ms. Yuri, you see… She’s quite skilled at stroking one’s pride. It’s no wonder that ball of vanity known as Ellia fell for her.”

“Mother, you’ve met Ms. Yuri?”

“Yes. She seems to be doing the rounds and greeting people, so we met by chance. The moment you were out of the picture, the second prince took her on tour.”

“I see…” I said. “And what did you think after meeting her?”

“What does it matter? I’m on your side, Iris. But even if I weren’t, I wouldn’t care to get too close to her. I simply can’t deal with people who don’t consider reality.”

“You mean she’s too optimistic?”

“No… It’s hard to describe. But you never have to be near her again, so don’t worry.”

Mother didn’t seem to want to tell me more, but now I was curious. The truth was, I’d never interacted much with Yuri, so I didn’t know much about her. Well, if you didn’t count what Prince Edward had told me.

“Th-then, Mother, do you know what the first prince is like?”

“Oh, have you never met him?”

“No…” I couldn’t remember him at all. If we had met, well, he was part of the royal family. I assumed I would recall.

“Prince Alfred did retreat from the public stage quite early, didn’t he?” Mother mused. “And right after that he went abroad.”

“Why so early?” This timeline seemed odd to me.

“When Sharia passed, I’m afraid a good deal happened. I’m not saying it’s his fault. He’s a wonderful person. He reminds me of your father, in fact.”

“Really?” I said, hiding my wince.

“Why, yes. Oh, but not in his looks. It’s his air—his presence. He’s still in the kingdom, you know. Maybe you’ll meet him one day.”

“I see, he’s in the kingdom…” I froze. “Wait, what?!”

Wasn’t he abroad?! How did she even know that?

“Oh, you didn’t know? Well, this will be our little secret, then.” Mother smiled.

Whoa, whoa, whoa… You can’t just lay that line on me so easily! I gathered myself. “Why in the world hasn’t he revealed himsel—”

“Oh, how I’ve missed you, Merry! Iris!” My grandfather flung open the door, interrupting me.

Wait, what?

“Grandfather! What are you doing here?” I gasped.

“I heard Merry had returned, so I figured it was a good time to show up.”

Berne did his best to mount a counterattack, but nothing fazed Mother. Not even the second prince and his followers could slander her. The queen dowager would never allow it.

“Your actions lately have disappointed me, Berne,” Mother went on. “Your father agrees, of course. If you don’t shape up, I can’t guarantee you won’t be disinherited. Your sister is doing quite excellently as governor, so we would have nothing to fear, should it come to that.”

For the first time, she smiled at Berne. But this smile instilled fear, not happiness.

“Wouldn’t that be fortunate for you? Then you would be able to spend all your time with that baron’s daughter you so adore. Oh! But without your position, you’ll have nothing to offer her, so perhaps she’ll simply abandon you.”

“That’s…impossible,” Berne spat. “Why was Iris even appointed acting governor? As an insult to the woman who will one day be queen? She should be stripped of her titles and exiled—immediately.”

“Why, I cannot say what the future holds,” said Mother. “For now, this would-be queen of yours is but a baron’s daughter. And it is unthinkable for a mere baron’s daughter to raise a hand to a ducal house. If it weren’t for the second prince and your habitual besmirching of our family name, we would have long since crushed House Neuer with impunity.”

Huh. Here I’d thought they were holding back because of the second prince, but apparently Mother and Father had been thinking about Berne’s feelings as well. That made sense. The person they wished to punish was still dear to a member of our family, and it would be shameful to engage in a public battle with one’s own kin.

“The authority your father bestowed upon Iris makes her his equal in Armelia. Thus you, a boy not involved with the Armelian government, have no right to demand such things. We have no need of someone who not only fails to understand his own place but refuses to work for his family.”

“I don’t accept this! Let me meet with my sister.”

Uh…what? I was sitting right here. I thought he’d been ignoring me this whole time, but I supposed I was wrong. Had he even forgotten what I looked like?

“And what would you do then? Demand she relinquish the governorship? You haven’t the right to even utter those words. Nor do you have the right to call Iris your sister.”

Mother exhaled derisively and took another sip of tea. I glanced over at Tanya and saw confusion in her eyes. She likely wondered why I wasn’t already raging about my disrespectful brother showing up and blithely throwing about news of my ex-fiancé’s engagement party.

I, too, had long thought that the moment I saw Berne I’d berate him, insult him, even slap him. But now that he was actually before me, I felt…nothing. I was just empty. At this point, he was as insignificant to me as a pebble on the side of the road. After that fateful day, we had become total strangers; I had erased his existence from my heart.

Oh, but I did agonize quite often about whether he might come back with his foolish notions and try to take over the duchy, and had found myself wishing he’d stay away.

“Pardon me. My lady, it’s time for your meeting with Sei.” Tanya called out to me amidst the awkwardness. Was it that time already? I hadn’t been able to relax at all, thanks to Berne’s intrusion.

“Mother, I need to leave. Please, try to enjoy your day.”

“Indeed, I will. Oh, Iris, dear, could you take this foolish son of mine away with you?”

“Huh?” She was talking about Berne, right? But why?

Mother smiled gently. “Show him how hard you work and shut his mouth for good. If he continues to complain, then you can kick him out. Tanya, I’ll expect your help if it comes to that.”

“Understood.” She’d do it without issue, too. Ah, well. I supposed I could always shoo him away if he got annoying. Whatever!

“You heard the lady,” I said in a clipped tone. “Let’s go, Berne.”

“Huh? Are you…Iris?” Berne gawked at me in disbelief. He really had forgotten what I looked like.

“That’s right. Who else would be taking tea with Mother? Now I’m busy, so get a move on.”

I headed directly for the study. Inside, Sei was already waiting for me. He frowned upon seeing Berne following close behind me, but he quickly changed gears and handed me his report. I scanned through it.

“The confectionary department is dropping a bit,” I said.

“Over time, shops selling similar products have started to appear,” Sei explained. “And their price points are much lower than ours—to attract sales, apparently.”

“There’s no reason to lower our prices just for that. The consumers will continue to buy our product as long as it is of quality.”

“Some have suggested we lower what we spend on ingredients.”

“No. Even from a cost standpoint, our price is fair. Rather than lowering it and ruining our relationship with the farmers, we should maintain our relationship with them and secure quality stock.”

When managing a business, one must pursue profit. However, as governor, I didn’t want to diminish the profits of my farmers. It would be one thing if we sold our products at outrageous markups, but I believed we charged a fair price.

“Investigate whether there’s a reason other than price differential for the revenue drop. Take a look at our competitors’ products and review our own. Now, how is the progress on next week’s cake?”

“We are all set to begin distribution next week. At first we were unsure if the people would be interested in ‘birthday cakes,’ but cakes have been normalized in part thanks to the tea shops, so advertising has gone well. We’re currently drowning in orders.”

The slogan for our campaign read: “A special cake for a special day.” Namely, birthdays and wedding anniversaries. People could preorder a cake, as well as choose the shape and cream from a number of samples. They could even order decorations.

“That’s good to hear. Please inform me as to what sort of questions our customers have.”

“I have those right here.”

Sei handed me a document, and I scanned it. “Most of these seem to be about how to preorder and when we’ll start selling. Excellent. If this works, it should bring up the confectionary department’s sales a bit. How is our inventory?”

“As you instructed, we’ve lowered prices on older designs. That’s been clearing out inventory fairly well.”

“I see. Ideally, we’ll have no leftovers. Continue to follow the sales numbers and lower our production so they just barely match. In particular, we’ll be able to sell seasonally limited items at a premium due to scarcity.”

“Understood.”

“The beauty department continues to impress, I see,” I murmured. “Still unable to keep up with demand for hair conditioning packs, huh?”

“Indeed. All the stores are sold out.”

“Increase production slightly on all beauty products, then. How is our series expansion going?”

“With all speed on both counts, my lady. To the latter, the honey and rose series are currently on sale. Next up will be the lily and lavender series.”

These “series” were a line of products like shampoo and conditioners that all included a certain item, such as honey or rose. We also sold customizable packages and containers.

“I see. Be sure to keep renewing our warning campaign. We want people to stop using these products if they happen to be allergic, and they should understand that each series will best suit a different sort of skin and body type.”

“Understood.”

“And bring the reports from the shops to me later—both the financial and seasonal reports. I’ll look them over this evening.”

Sei bowed, his obedience implicit, and then left the room.

My, Berne’s been quiet, I thought, but I turned to find Tanya had gagged him with a handkerchief. Oh, dear… How long had that been going on? It surely wasn’t necessary. Berne’s eyes were wide, and he seemed to be in awe. I gave Tanya a look that said Release him, and she immediately did so, though clearly not happily.

“Are you trying to catch flies with that mouth?” I asked. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Iris, you run a corporation?”

“Indeed. It was my idea and my creation, so it’s only natural that I run it.”

Before Berne could summon a response, there was a knock on the study door.

“Come in,” I said.

Moneda swept in. His brow furrowed for a moment when he spotted Berne, but he promptly ignored my brother. “I have a few things I’d like to discuss,” he said. “I checked with Tanya, and she said you would be free now.”

“That I am. Now, what is it?”

“I have the price surveys for the duchy. As you can see, the price of goods is rising slightly.”

“Very slightly. Yet simultaneously, the value of currency is slowly dropping.”

“Yes. So, as to when to raise our interest rates…”

“I don’t believe that’s necessary yet. We may be seeing inflation, but only a small amount. Right now, it’s important to keep the price of goods on the streets stable. When consumption increases, companies will borrow more money from the bank to expand their businesses. If we increase our interest rates, we risk killing the momentum they worked so hard to build.”

“You have a point.”

“Hold another meeting with your people at the bank and talk this out,” I instructed. “Explain the balance as I did, and if they still wish to increase the rates, ask that they formulate a reason I can accept.”

“Understood. Thank you.”

“Um, Iris…” Berne mumbled.

“What is it?”

“The bank is that financial institution the guild recently established in Armelia, right? Why are you making decisions regarding how it’s run?”

“We have lost over ten seconds to your pointless question,” Moneda said coldly.

Well, I supposed that wasn’t entirely unwarranted.

“You think every little query of yours deserves a response?” Moneda went on. “Do a little research on your own and you’ll find the answer easily enough. It is unthinkable for a man in your position not to know. And you say you want to succeed Duke Armelia?”

I waited for Berne to yell at Moneda for his impudence, but my friend seemed to have struck a nerve with my brother. Berne stayed silent.

“This time, just once, I’ll make an exception,” Moneda said once he saw Berne cowed. “It was your sister who suggested the bank and saw to its establishment. Thus, of course I come to her with questions. Now, Lady Iris, I’ll take your advice to the next meeting. Is that all right?”

“Of course. I look forward to your next report.”

The second Moneda left, Sebastian took his place. “My lady. I’ve come to summarize the latest government meeting for you.”

“Yes, I’ve been waiting for this. How are things at Borsa?”

“They are discussing easing tariffs. The duchy’s most profitable products are grain, livestock, cacao, and a variety of other fruits. However, other territories are presently unable to match our production. Furthermore, our research efforts continue to produce higher quality seeds of grain, and our stockpiles are full to bursting. Even if we did ease tariffs, they believe it wouldn’t have a meaningfully detrimental effect on our economy.”

“I see… And are there any merits to an easement?”

“As of now, our territory has no means of producing or refining its own metal. Therefore, Borsa believes we could see incredible benefits from being able to import metal more cheaply. We are also increasing sea trade per your instructions. Many of the products brought in by ship are fruits that cannot be grown within the duchy, and we believe selling them in our domestic market could significantly increase local profits.”

“Understood. That said, we must proceed with caution. Consider the current trend of inflation as you go forward.” I nodded. “All right. First, submit the minutes from the meeting on the income tax draft to me. I’ll instruct you later on the right timing to introduce it.”

“Understood.”

“Now, as to Abitante. Once the census is complete, have them move on to a survey of landownership. I want to see who owns what and clarify property rights. Just like the census, this will be an official document that will be compiled and left to future generations, so you must be thorough.”

“Of course. Abitante officers are presently informing the people of this survey. They have been told to explain that they are asking for your cooperation in official government business. It won’t be long until a full analysis is under way.”

“It will be quite valuable. Now, what about the operating ratios of each region’s elementary schools?”

“Quite increased, my lady. Attendance is free, after all. There are still regions where a school hasn’t yet been opened, which will likely be an issue in the future.”

“Have Architetto look into it. What about textbooks?”

“They’ve been divided into multiple levels. However, children from ages seven to twelve attend the same classes, and officials are discussing separating them by age and level of knowledge.”

“Excellent. Make the age of admittance universally seven. Regular attendance will allow a student to advance one academic year. Although, could they introduce a system of tests at the start and end of each year, and allow especially well read or gifted students to pass into higher levels?”

“I will suggest that right away.”

“All right, then just summarize the income tax draft meeting for me. Oh, right. Mother’s instructed me to show Berne my work. Take him with you to Borsa and have him consolidate the tax yields from each region.”

It was exhausting having daggers glared into my back. I wanted Berne out of my study already. Besides, he had always been the top scorer in all his classes at the academy. He was more than capable of simple calculations.

“Get going, Berne. Put the number one brain at the academy to good use,” I said.

“Of course…” He rose unsteadily and followed Sebastian, the life gone from his eyes.

Ah, I could finally relax.

“Are you sure about this?” Tanya asked as she poured me tea.

“Sure about what?”

“Involving that man in governmental affairs.”

“It’s fine. We’re not here to withhold information. Besides, even a deluded sycophant should be able to add and subtract. Sebastian will be with him, too, and he should catch any funny business. Obviously, I know I can’t show my brother much of Azuta… Ah, perhaps that’s why Sei only reported previously publicized information.”

Berne was my brother, but I trusted him barely as far as I could throw him. For that reason, I wouldn’t let him touch my corporation. However, the motto for my version of Armelian government was “transparent service.” Save for military matters and some other state secrets, we took no pains to conceal information from the public.

“Plus, Lyle will be here soon. His security force’s business is sensitive information. If my brother happened to leak anything Lyle had to say to the second prince or his entourage, it might cause trouble. I was looking for an excuse to get Berne out of the way.”

“Indeed. I should have expected as much from you, my lady.”

 

***

 

With all my meetings done for the day, all that was left was to settle in and check through my documents. I didn’t feel like eating dinner with my brother, and I was particularly busy, so I had Tanya bring me something light. She and Mother didn’t say anything, but they surely knew how I felt. Outside, it was dark, and the room was dimly lit by the light of my lamp. I really needed to start wearing glasses. Lately, as sad as it was to admit, writing had started to appear a bit fuzzy. I supposed it was to be expected after all the staring I did at pages and pages of tiny handwriting.

Someone knocked at the door, and I bid them enter. To my inward dismay, it was Berne.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

“You’re still working?” he asked.

“Yes, as you can see.”

“Is your schedule always like this?”

“It’s lightened a little since Mother and Grandfather came. In the beginning, I was up and at it every hour of the day.”

It felt like forever since the last time I had talked with my brother like this. We had been separated for two years, but even before that, he’d spent all his time with his nose up the second prince’s butt, so we’d hardly said two words to each other.

“I see…” Berne muttered.

“May I ask you something now?” I said.

“What?”

“Why did you support the second prince on that day?”

“Why?” Berne frowned. “Because of what you did to Yuri.”

“Because I criticized her and spread rumors, then. So, you knew the effect your actions would have, but you went through with it anyway?”

“…”

“If you want to be prime minister in Father’s stead one day, you need to think more about cause and effect—not just the major consequences, either, but all the rippling side effects of your actions. I don’t know much about what you get up to in the royal capital. I don’t want to, either. However, I know people don’t like it. Presently, no one wants to hand you the governorship, and don’t even dream about being prime minister.”

Grandfather had said as much once, when he let a small thing slip: “Louis is doing fine work. Berne, on the other hand…”

“It’s a vassal’s duty to execute the wishes of the royal family,” Berne said stiffly.

“The prime minister’s role is to move the country in accordance with the king’s will,” I allowed. “However, it is also their job to risk their own neck to warn the king when he might be making a mistake. You speak of executing the royal family’s will. Have you no other emotions?”

Berne said nothing. I could have left it at that. But I couldn’t stop thinking of House Armelia and our long line of proud prime ministers. I valued our role in the kingdom—the power, and the responsibility. If I wanted to preserve those, I needed to correct my brother’s course.

“Having emotions and being moved by them are two different things,” I said. “I was driven by terrible jealousy to trouble Yuri the way I did, and I reaped the consequences. I lost all my allies, and I was expelled from the academy. Back then, you stood with the crowd who condemned me. Yet I have to wonder if you aren’t on track to end up just as I did.” I looked back down at my papers. “That’s all from me. Do you have any other questions?”

“No…”

“I see. Then you’re dismissed. I still have work, so I can’t chat.”

Berne left, and I heaved a deep sigh. I was so tired. When Berne was around, I kept seeing the shadow of Prince Edward and his hangers-on.

There was another knock at the door. Who could it be this time?

“Pardon me,” my next guest said as he entered.

“Oh, Sebastian. What is it?”

“I noticed the light was still on in this room. My lady, you need to sleep.”

I waved him off. “I just need a little longer. I want to go through this report from the academy of higher education. It’s about the agricultural research you spoke of today. These people are amazing. Their methodology is so thorough, and they always get results. It’s a joy to watch.”

“You did quite a bit of good, bringing all those lone minds together to discuss and experiment alongside each other. I, too, am excited to see what they come up with.”

“Indeed. All these things I never knew, could never imagine… When I see it written down, I’m continually surprised.”

“So there are things you don’t know, then?” Sebastian mused.

“Oh, Sebastian. Of course there are. Financial topics aside, I’m absolutely useless when it comes to agriculture and medicine. That’s why I created an institute for higher education and research—to leave these things to the experts.”

On my own, I had plenty of limits. It was best to leave certain paths to the pros.

“And over here is—”

“The report from Borsa,” I said. “I’ve already read it. We need to investigate more.”

Considering its nature, we had to think about the effects over the long-term. Just looking at the report jumbled my brain. Right now, what I really needed was someone to discuss and argue about these things with, so I could get my own thoughts in order.

“Of course.”

“By the way, Sebastian. How was Berne today?”

“He accomplished every task given to him with aplomb.”

“I see…”

“Just between you and me, while we were at Borsa, he asked about you. ‘Does my sister always work this much? Why is she working so hard?’”

“A bit rude…”

“I suspect he was simply shocked. At the academy, Lord Berne basked under the title of ‘prodigy.’ Yet it was all he could do to keep up with the conversations held in your study. It must have made an impact to see you at work, surrounded by your papers.”

“You understand him well.”

“I’ve watched over him since he was a young boy. His expressions are simply read.”

True enough. Sebastian had served our family since before my brother and I were born, and he had watched over us as we grew. In some sense, he was like another parent.

“And I’m sure you noticed him staring at you.”

“I did.” Thanks to that staring, I was more exhausted than usual.

“That was because he was observing you as keenly as he could. When he left the room, he was so shocked that he could hardly stand.”

“Well, hopefully he learned something.” If my mornings knocked him for a loop, then I truly would have loved for him to spend a day learning from Father.

“I believe he did.”

Was that what Mother was after? Berne was prideful and couldn’t hide his thoughts. I worried that when he returned to the capital and rejoined the second prince, his brain would once more turn to mush. But as long as he attended the academy, he would have to return to the capital.

“Thank you for this chat, Sebastian. It was enjoyable, and I’m feeling a little hopeful now.” I yawned. “But you’re right, I should get some sleep.”

 

***

 

A few days later, Berne and I went to visit the higher-level academy. I was there because of the report the other day; I wanted to see what it was like for myself. I wasn’t sure why I’d brought Berne along. I supposed you could say I had some small hope that he would learn something new.

Also with us were my grandfather, Tanya, and Lyle. The academy was in a corner of the city. It was about as large as the duke’s mansion. The building was of simple construction, made from sturdy stone. Class was not yet in session, because it was quite noisy inside.

“Why am I here…?” Berne, however, was being annoying.

Was Sebastian being too optimistic? I wondered as I resolved to ignore him.

“Why is there even an academy for commoners?” he went on.

Now that infuriated me. “If you’re feeling so condescending, Berne, I encourage you to attend a class,” I said lightly. “I’ll square it with the headmaster. But you’re forbidden to mention our family name. Grandfather, I’m sorry, but could you mind him?”

Here, no one would recognize him or Berne. Grandfather nodded, and he dragged Berne into a random classroom. Ah, peace and quiet.

“Lady Iris, why did you bother bringing him?” Tanya also seemed to be a bit irritated, her tone thorny.

“I’m starting to wonder why as well.”

But it was no use dwelling on the past. Moving forward, I proceeded into the headmaster’s office.

“It’s good to see you again. Is this the first time we’ve met on campus?” I asked.

Sitting across from me was the academy’s highest administrator, Headmaster Luka Samosa. He came off as an easygoing, good-natured old man. The second son of a noble, he loved academics and research to the detriment of all his noble responsibilities and had eventually been disowned by his family. Thus, Samosa was a surname he’d come up with on his own. I didn’t think I could have found a more suitable headmaster.

“It is good to see you too, my lady,” he said. “I believe the last time we met was when you appointed me headmaster.”

“Oh…was it? So, how are you finding your work?”

“It’s wonderful. Quite a blessing to be able to meet the young people taking paths I’ve previously tread—and pushing beyond the point I made it to. It is a gathering place for those who aspire to great heights, after all.”

“I’m glad you seem so satisfied, Headmaster Luka. Have you had any difficulty running the academy?”

“The word headmaster is just a title. It is the people you employed who truly run this academy, which allows me to focus on teaching. I am tremendously satisfied.”

“I see… Then please, tell me about the lives your students live.”

“Pardon, ma’am?”

“Please. Strip away all formality and give me your honest thoughts.”

“My, my… What purpose might that serve, I wonder.”

“Ah, well… It’s just the sad wish of a foolish woman forced to give up her schooling, one who hopes to revisit those days she lost.”

“In that case, my lady, allow me to talk your ear off.”

And talk my ear off he did. He told me about the experiments, the debates. This academy placed a high value on practical skills, so theory-driven courses were balanced out with rigorous practicums. I also learned the many forms of debate they taught. Luka really seemed to be enjoying himself. If this was an indication of how much he saw in our academy’s future, then I could be happy.

“But most of all, our success is driven by the passion of our students. They attend out of a thirst for knowledge, rather than because anyone forced them. This has led to an overall increase in devotion to their subject matter. At first, there were tensions between the rich and poor, but the demands of our institution are far too grueling to allow anyone to fuss over such things for too long. Now, rather than an academy, it’s like we’ve become a research machine. Lately, even priests of the Darryl Church have attended.”

His last words surprised me. Priests, here? Those of the Darryl Church usually cut themselves off from the material world, and they were practically never seen outside Church activities. Then again, that had changed quite a bit since the pope joined the noble sphere. For the normal priests, however, things were the same… Or so I’d believed.

“Why, that’s odd to hear,” I said.

“Indeed. They come for the medical classes. They claim to seek the knowledge to save forsaken children, and they study quite hard.”

“Goodness…”

I chatted with Headmaster Luca for a while longer before excusing myself just as first period ended. As I walked down the hall, I spotted one of the aforementioned priests. He was wearing his vestments, so there was no mistaking him.

“Father, are you a student here as well?” I called out to him, and he turned to me with a blank look. “Pardon me,” I said, “but I’m still debating whether to attend this academy. Thus, I’ve come for a tour.”

“Oh, I see. This place is wonderful, you know. It’s full of opportunities and teachers to help you learn as much as your heart desires,” he replied.

“Really… If you don’t mind me asking, why is it you come to this academy?”

“I’ve always freely offered my services as a doctor to the people of the city. Unfortunately, there were just so many cases where I lacked the knowledge to be of meaningful help. I was feeling powerless and then I heard about this place.”

“You have a good heart, Father.”

“No, this is only the natural obligation of one who serves God.”

He had a nice smile. I’d meant what I said about his heart, too. The Church was a shield for the people. A hand of salvation for the poor. They offered meals to those in need and cared for the sick. However, at present, only a small arm of the Church still devoted themselves to these services. It was especially bad in the royal capital, in my opinion. Once we’d started treating the pope’s family like nobility, this change had been inevitable.

I continued walking until I spotted my grandfather and Berne. Grandfather seemed to be as fine as when I’d left him, but Berne appeared a bit tired.

“Looks like they chewed you up and spat you out,” I said.

“What in the world are these classes?” he muttered.

“Oh? Were they that surprising?”

He fell amazingly quiet at this.

“The subjects here are all directly tied to daily life, like medicine and agriculture,” I said. “It’s for that reason that everyone studies so intently. They want to make their own lives better and enrich the lives of those they care for. You asked why this place exists, and now you’ve experienced it for yourself. Having a clear goal gives the students great motivation to achieve.”

“Iris, why did you build this place?”

I frowned at him. “All you ever ask is why. But fine. The more people who study here and gain knowledge, the more that knowledge will spread among our people. It might take some time, but in ten or twenty years, the Armelian standard of living will surely rise. As governor, I believe it’s necessary to look toward that future.”

Berne fell silent again, considering this. He stayed quiet even on the way home. I just hoped he had learned something.

And with that, it was time for me to get back to my normal life as well.

 

***

 

After staying with us for a few more days, my brother gave up on changing our mother’s mind and left. The royal engagement party would be held as planned without issue, even if Mother and the queen dowager didn’t attend. However, without them, it would be difficult to call the party a success.

In the following weeks, the baron’s daughter became Prince Edward’s fiancée in truth. As usual, the first prince refused to step into the public eye, even at this development. Furthermore, this year, the second prince would graduate. I heard a lot more about him and his exploits than of the first prince, who remained hidden.

The second prince’s allies were all the most “noble” of nobles. In other words, they came from long bloodlines and attended numerous tea parties and balls. Perhaps that was why I heard about them more. Incidentally, most of their families were in desperate financial straits. They spent profusely and had no real income to speak of. I came by this information via the Azuta Corporation. Basically, the unflattering truth was that the second prince’s allies were a bunch of penniless mendicants coasting on their vaunted past.

In contrast, the first prince’s allies were mostly made up of new houses that had risen in the ranks thanks to their noteworthy contributions to the kingdom, or nobles who focused on local enterprises. It was for this reason that even in the palace, the attention-seeking second prince’s allies were doing their best to make their presence felt. I could only hope it wasn’t causing Father too much stress. Speaking of which, Mother said she would be returning to the capital soon, now that the engagement party was over and done with.

As for me, I was still as heinously busy as ever. It would be lonely without Mother around. I found myself wishing we could relax together a little longer.

 

***

 

“Huh? This document…”

“What is it, my lady?”

“Oh, I was just surprised. It’s so well structured. The writing is clear and forward, and the inclusion of comparative data makes for easy reference. Who put this together?”

The document in question was a report on equipment to be purchased for the academy. It calculated the total cost of each individual piece combined, which was a fairly simple task. Yet the report before me went above and beyond. First of all, not only did it record the items I had specifically requested, it compared prices set by different companies based on buying routes and shipping cost. Everything I would have asked for after the fact had already been delivered to me.

“A temporary hire at the merchant guild, my lady. His performance has been highly rated.”

“Hm… Is this person also capable of accounting?”

“I couldn’t say if they’re practiced, but they are from the merchant guild. I suspect they would pick it up quickly enough.”

“Then have them handle this.”

I passed him a record of the duchy’s tax revenue. I was currently trying to unify all records going back ten years into one document, but it was slow going. What was really sucking up my time was determining our future policy. However, collecting past records and preserving them would help in estimating future tax revenue for the whole duchy, so I wanted to get the job done as soon as possible. My goal was to compile reports from the villages and towns, consolidate them to calculate the duchy’s revenue, then deduct from that total the expenses of running the government as well as the money my household spent.

Previously, reports had been accepted and, if there were no issues, filed away. However, while these records were periodically confirmed and recorded, they were not organized; hence my current workload.

“I shall deliver this, then.”

“Find out his name for me, too. If you find yourself with some time, that is.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Sebastian took the documents and exited the room.

There are some interesting people out there, I thought idly to myself as I stared at the pile of papers on my desk.

 

***

 

Three weeks passed, and I still couldn’t forget that temporary hire at the merchant guild. They displayed such skill that I got excited just thinking about the next time they’d submit a report. However, it was now slightly late, and I couldn’t help feeling disappointed. I felt two weeks should have been more than enough for the amount of work I put before them.

“Pardon me.” As I was doing battle with my own pile of papers in the study, Sebastian entered. “The tax revenue record is finished, so I’ve brought it to you.”

“I see. I’ll look at it later.”

“No, I believe you should look at it immediately.” He sounded so serious, and a bit shocked.

Apprehensive, I took the documents. The stack was thick and heavy. The moment I saw the words on the first page, I couldn’t look away.

“What…is this?” I was so surprised I could hardly speak. My fingers itched to flip to the next page, and I devoured the contents. “And the initial record I handed you?”

“It’s over here.”

I quickly compared the two. “Good heavens… Sebastian, you verified this before coming to me?”

“Yes. That’s the reason I insisted you read it.”

“What’s the name of the person who wrote this?”

“He calls himself Dean.”

“I see. Could you summon him? Right away, if you please.”

“Of course. I’ll be right back. Just a few minutes, my lady.”

Sebastian exited the room. After he left, I heaved a deep sigh. Then, I looked at the front page of the document again.

Fraudulent Budget Applications. The subject line bowled me over. The text went on to list subsidiary aid given to each village and town that submitted a shortfall in their budget estimate. From those, it highlighted an application from one specific town. There was nothing especially suspicious about this single request. It had been approved, as had past applications from the same town. However, when one gathered every application this town had ever submitted, they were requesting financial aid far more frequently than any other town in the duchy.

For example, the first highlighted application requested aid with produce. In their application, they claimed nothing had grown that season and thus they required financial assistance to survive. It wasn’t rare for the ducal house to provide such funds at times like these. Historically, feudal lords had been generous with their citizens, within a certain price range.

The thing was, the nearest town to the one submitting the request, which shared an agricultural region, didn’t make any similar claims. Furthermore, the author had investigated the town’s agricultural exports, specifically as they were used to pay taxes, and had found the suspicious town grew nothing its neighbors didn’t also grow. Not only that, the author had found multiple expense claims in the town’s budget that seemed shady at best.

It had been many years—perhaps generations—since any central Armelian official visited the outlying towns to inspect their goings-on. So long as an application was bureaucratically sound and the estimated budget fell within reasonable bounds, it was approved. For myself, I had allowed my government to focus exclusively on new developments, and we had failed to see the fault at our feet. The report went on to include past cases of this town’s fraudulent claims that were now too old to truly confirm one way or another.

While I looked over the report again, I heard a knock. Sebastian entered with a man about my age, or perhaps a little older, in tow. His blond hair and emerald-green eyes were stunning. His physique complemented his good looks, and I imagined a girl with more time could have stared at him for hours.

“Nice to meet you,” I said. “My name is Iris. Iris Lana Armelia. I’ve been appointed acting governor of these lands.”

“It is an honor. My name is Dean. I’ve been working for you on the recommendation of the merchant guild.” He gave me a friendly smile, but I sensed something off about it. It was as if he wished to mask his true personality.

“I have my sources,” she said. “You’re helping the prime minister clean up after Ellia and Edward’s messes, aren’t you?”

The debt accumulated during the Tweil War thirty years past still haunted the kingdom of Tasmeria. They had been managing to gradually pay it back, so barring disaster, there was no real financial threat. Despite this, Queen Ellia and Prince Edward seem determined to sink the kingdom between the constant gratuitous acts of frivolous charity, Ellia’s baroque dresses for official events that she might never wear, as well as the lavish presents Prince Edward bought for his new fiancée.

Once, the prince and his fiancée had vacationed at a resort and the girl had said, “This place is so wonderful! Wouldn’t it be wondrous if everyone could enjoy it?” and in his zealous urge to please, Edward had tried to fully recreate the resort in the capital. If he’d meant it as a joke, no one was laughing.

Thankfully, the prime minister Duke Armelia had staunchly opposed this project and shut it down. This enraged Edward, and he became entirely unreasonable until the commission of Yuri’s dresses was grudgingly approved. But paying for her dresses out of the royal family’s coffers was unheard of. In Iria’s opinion, Ellia and her coddled son were becoming too arrogant for their own good.

The kingdom’s budget was split between the royal family’s and the government’s funds. The royal family’s funds were meant to support their lives and private activities. The government’s funds were, as one might expect, used to run the kingdom.

For example, in the case of the queen dowager, her everyday wardrobe was paid for out of the royal family’s funds, while the dresses she wore at official events were considered necessary expenses for the government and covered by the related funds.

Furthermore, she paid her servants out of her own pocket—in other words, from the royal family budget. However, the officials that served her as the queen dowager were paid by the government’s funds. The difference was incredibly difficult to tell, but basically it came down to whether they served Iria in her private life or were clerks to one of the kingdom’s top officials, the queen dowager. Her handmaids were the former, and officials were the latter. Custom might also dictate where an individual’s salary originated, but this was the general rule.

However, whatever custom might be, Yuri was still only a royal fiancée. There was no precedent for spending either the royal family’s funds or the government’s funds on her daily activities.

“Yes, they’ve been making a right mess of things financially, and within the palace as well,” said Alfred, calm as could be. “Especially the queen’s family and their people. Thanks to them, anyone of merit has been chased off, hence our current straits.”

“And our once-reliable king. Not only did he lose all vigor after your dear mother Sharia passed, now he’s taken ill.” Iria sighed. “Fortunately, the news of the king’s infirmity hasn’t yet leaked to the outside world, but it’s only a matter of time.”

“Indeed.” Alfred smiled softly. “It’s with this understanding that the queen’s family is gathering influence.”

“Alfred,” Iria said sharply, warningly.

“Yes, I know. I’m not planning to die just yet. I will stay behind the curtain a while longer.”

“As long as you understand,” she said sternly.

“Until our final preparations are in place, I will continue to operate in secret,” he promised.

“You mean by gathering allies and preparing to excise the corruption.”

“I can’t hide anything from you, Grandmother.”

Alfred confirmed nothing, but his answer satisfied Iria. She could trust he would get the job done. “Oh? But what of your secret adventures with Rudy?” she asked. “Leticia misses you greatly. Can’t you share anything about what you’re up to?”

Leticia was Alfred’s sister. She was younger than Edward but wise beyond her years. The queen dowager had high hopes for her, similar to those she had for Alfred.

“Perhaps one day.” Alfred smiled mysteriously again. He didn’t plan on divulging any more.

Iria allowed him to have this secret, at least for now.

 

***

 

“Hee hee…”

Alone in her tearoom, Iria reflected on her conversation with Alfred. It made her so happy that she couldn’t hide her smile. Despite Alfred’s reticence, she had a keen understanding of where he was spending his time. He visited many places across the kingdom but often returned to the duchy of Armelia. This, fortunately, aligned with Iria’s goal: to wed the duke’s daughter to a member of the royal family.

It all stemmed from her love of Iris’s mother, Merellis. The moment Iria first set eyes on that woman’s lovely, doll-like face, she had wished Merellis was her own daughter. However, Merellis had at the time already been engaged to the previous duke’s eldest son, Louis. She’d loved him since she was just a girl, and so Iria had cried but gave up on her dream. The last thing she wanted to do was force the issue and lead Merellis to hate her.

She didn’t completely give up, however. If Merellis gave birth to a daughter, Iria knew she had to get her engaged to one of her grandsons, no matter what. She later heard from Louis, Duke of Armelia, that they had been given the gift of a daughter—the girl Iria had hoped for. They had named the child Iris, a combination of Iria and Merellis.

Iria worried that she might have gotten ahead of herself, as she hadn’t even seen the girl’s face yet, but the day Merellis brought the young Iris to see her, she fell in love all over again. The child was the spitting image of Merellis, save for the deep blue eyes she’d inherited from Louis, but these lent a certain grace to her features.

Iria had to have her for a granddaughter. Politically speaking, it would be better to have the girl marry Alfred over Edward, Ellia’s son. Unfortunately, with the passing of Alfred’s mother, Sharia, Alfred and Leticia had become embroiled in a number of hardships, and while Iria was distracted ensuring their safety, Iris had become engaged to Edward.

Iria had once roundaboutly asked Iris if she wished to join the royal family, but she had never specified by what means. She’d been sure that even if she said nothing, Merellis would never approve of Iris’s engagement to Edward, the son of a woman Merellis despised. But that belief was turned on its head when Iris fell for Edward. Iris’s doting parents had assented to the union, determined to let the girl do as she wanted. In the end, it had meant Iris would become Iria’s granddaughter, which was her ultimate ambition, so she had reluctantly accepted it as well.

Then the engagement was broken.

When she heard the news, Iria despaired that her plans had once again failed. But, upon re-examination, it proved an excellent opportunity. This time, she would ensure Alfred and Iris married, and she would have that lovely girl for her granddaughter.

They said history repeated itself. Well, she wasn’t about to let that happen. Iria swore that no matter what, she would succeed this time.

And so, she began to make her moves. First on her agenda was returning Iris to high society. Even if Iria’s dream did come true, if Iris remained an outcast, there would be trouble ahead.

Iris hadn’t shown her face once in high society since her expulsion from the academy. If she tried, she would be laughed out over her broken engagement. Now, however, she was the successful governor of a duchy and president of a popular corporation. If anything, it highlighted Edward’s failure in letting her go. All that was left was to create an opportunity for Iris to return to the social season.

Perhaps it’s time to get off my rear, the queen dowager thought as she raised her tired hips from her seat.

 

***

 

“And they lived happily ever after. The end. That’s it for today’s story.”

I closed the book. The crowd of children looked at me with sad eyes.

“Nooo, more! More!”

“Read this picture book next!”

Aw, so cute! In the corner of my mind, I thought, I must have the goofiest grin on my face right now. I did my best to suppress the urge to read them another book. “I’m sorry, but I really do have to get going now. I promise I’ll be back, so forgive me.”

“Awww…”

“When will you be back?”

The sad voices of the children made me want to stay forever. “I’m not sure when, but I promise. Okay?”

“Okayyy…”

“Read us another book next time, too!”

“Of course.”

I bid farewell to the orphans and Mina, then took my leave.

Ugh, I didn’t want to go home. If I ever retired, perhaps I’d work at the orphanage.

Lately, I had been giving such ideas serious thought. After having my engagement to the royal family broken, marriage was not something I could realistically hope for. The dream of marital bliss lay in pieces within me.

One day, I would have to retire from my corporation and governance. When that time came, I wanted to spend my life living quietly, surrounded by children. That would be my ideal. Children really were good for the soul. I had zero experience raising them, so I was sure it would be difficult. But at the very least, with them, I was sure my heart wouldn’t feel as cold as it did now.

Discrepant interests, negotiations… Such difficulties came with business and politics. Exchanges with the kingdom and other territories took most of my mental energy. I was no saint, but I didn’t want to fail to protect what was important to me because I faltered. Sometimes, that meant turning my heart to stone and cutting off what needed to be cut off, or using who needed to be used. I had to protect my duchy, my citizens, my dear parents, and all the people who so graciously worked for me.

It made me tired. Not in body, but in mind. I think it was written in some book: Lonely is the head that wears the crown. I wasn’t a ruler on that level, but I had the final say in decisions that changed the fates of countless people. Whatever my title, the responsibility still lay with me.

At times, the weight threatened to crush me. But I had taken on this burden, so I had to succeed.

One day, however, I would grow old. I couldn’t keep this up forever. I’d have to find a suitable replacement. And when that time came, I’d live a quiet life surrounded by children…

I was getting ahead of myself. But that was just more reason to work hard now, so I could have the peaceful future of which I dreamed.

 

***

 

It had been half a year since my grandfather left the duchy of Armelia. Berne and the second prince graduated without issue, and Berne was studying under my father to learn his duties. The prince’s other sycophants had also returned to their families to learn their trades. I heard even Prince Edward was learning his duties within the palace. He and Yuri weren’t yet officially married. There had been no announcement of when it would happen, but it would surely be soon.

One day, I returned home and headed for my study. First, I glanced over the reports from my corporation and then turned my attention to government issues.

“Welcome, Lady Iris.”

Just then, Dean entered. Ever since I’d collapsed, I’d stopped inviting Dean on my trips into the city even when there was a lull at work. I made sure our days off didn’t coincide, so that no matter what happened, one of us was around to handle things.

Okay, that was an excuse. The truth was, I had been distancing my heart from Dean.

“Hello, Dean. Let’s hear your report, then,” I said cordially.

“Of course. As expected, with the lowered tariffs, exports and imports have increased. Profit is up across the board for all companies.”

In the past six months, we had lowered tariffs and replaced the poll tax with an income tax. The introduction period had been quite chaotic, but as we went, we revised and fixed various issues.

Being a long, thin stretch of territory, the duchy of Armelia enjoyed a multitude of rich port towns on its eastern seaboard. There were other kingdoms across the sea and on our borders, which was a risk in times of war, but for now, our profits exceeded any risk. Plus, being southeast of the royal capital meant they stood between us and hostile Tweil. Compared to that threat, what we faced was nothing.

In any case, thanks to our lowered tariffs, trade with foreign kingdoms was booming. Previously, goods had been taxed going in and out of the duchy, as well as between local towns. We had done away with the export tariff and lowered the rate at which we taxed imports. In the future, I planned to adjust the rates depending on world events and the type of goods.

At present, businesses had increased the variety of products they handled and were consequently seeing higher profits, which made me excited for the business income tax to be introduced, which differed from the personal income tax. The Azuta Corporation had also begun selling to other kingdoms, and we were gradually building up our catalog.

Furthermore, with the increase in the flow of goods had come an interesting discovery: silk.

In my old world, I believe it was in the age of Rome that silk entered Europe and became a highly sought-after luxury good. But for some reason, silk still hadn’t come to Tasmeria. The material imports were mostly hemp, hides, and cotton. When I one day mused on the fact that, for us, cotton had preceded silk, I started to wonder if silk simply couldn’t be produced in this world.

However, once trade expanded, I finally got my hands on it. One day, I hoped to produce it locally using silkworms. Although, even if I knew the origin of silk, I honestly had no idea how it was turned into cloth. It would probably take a long time to figure out. For that reason, when tax revenue stabilized, I wanted to offer the patronage of the duchy to anyone willing to conduct a thorough battery of experiments to learn the secrets of silk.

I heard a knock, and in came Sebastian. “Pardon me, Lady Iris.”

“What is it?”

“I have a delivery for you.”

I looked at the letter he handed me, and my eyes went wide. The crest on the seal was that of the royal family. I opened it and quickly got to reading.

“Why was this sent to me…?”

It was an invitation to the palace for a party celebrating the kingdom’s foundation. This was an official event, so normally, every noble who could physically make it would be in attendance. Keyword: normally. I, however, had not only been expelled from high society, I hadn’t once attended—let alone been invited to—a single event since leaving the academy. That was to be expected, and it made this sudden invitation all the stranger.

“If I may, Lady Iris… This is an invitation from the royal family. It is not possible to turn it down without extraordinary cause.” Sebastian eyed the invitation with a similar level of suspicion.

“Right… I suppose I’ll have to prepare myself for the worst.”

“Do not worry about the duchy. Dean is here, and if anything untoward should occur, I’ll be sure to send a messenger.”

I steeled myself. “Good. Thank you, Sebastian.”

A few days later, I left the duchy and headed for my family’s mansion in the capital. I hadn’t been here in three years, so the experience was overwhelming.

“Welcome back, Lady Iris.”

Every servant was at the door to greet me. Leading them was the head maid, Elulu.

“It’s good to see you again, Elulu,” I said.

“Yes. For me, there could be no greater joy.”

“You’re so dramatic.”

I walked past the rows of servants and headed for the salon. There, my parents and brother awaited me.

“There you are,” said Father as I entered.

“Welcome home, Iris, dear,” said Mother.

“It’s been too long, Father, Mother, Berne.”

“You seem healthy, at least. Be sure to relax while you’re here.” My normally strict father looked at me with a soft expression. That alone was enough to light a spark of happiness in me.

“I will gratefully take you up on your offer,” I said, taking a seat.

“Dear, I heard from Sei that you have a new product,” said Mother. “I can’t wait to see it.”

“It’s not available to be sold yet,” I demurred. “However, I’ll be showing off a test version at the next party. Please look forward to it.”

“Oooh! Can’t you show it to me later in secret? Please?”

“Let’s save some excitement for tomorrow,” I said. She agreed to wait, if somewhat sadly.

“Iris…are you really attending the party tomorrow?” Berne asked during a lull in my exchange with Mother. He almost looked worried.

“Do I have a choice?” I asked sincerely. “It was an invitation from the royal family.”

“But Prince Edward and Ms. Yuri will be there.”

I was taken aback by his statement, and an awkward silence fell. “What a surprise…” I said.

Berne looked at me curiously. “What is?”

“You actually sound worried about me.”

His expression darkened a bit. “Well, I realize it’s too late to claim I care, but…”

“It’s all right. Thank you.”

 

***

 

After the family reunion, I relaxed in my room. The last time I was there, I had been terribly nervous as I waited to negotiate with my father. I had also been so incredibly busy preparing for what would happen afterward that I didn’t remember this room much. Perhaps that just made it more nostalgic.

As I sat there, Elulu entered. “Lady Iris, the Master is calling for you.”

“My father, huh? I’ll be right there.”

I went to his room to find him sitting in a chair, surrounded by documents. It reminded me of myself.

“There you are,” he said.

“Yes, pardon the intrusion.”

“So, I hear you’re doing well as governor.”

“I’m glad someone thinks so.”

“Don’t downplay your work,” he chided. “Anyway, I really must apologize about this.”

“‘This’ being the party?” I asked lightly.

“Yes. Merry and I tried looking into it, but those who oversee the royal family’s activities and official events insist it’s an honest invitation.”

“What could they be planning, inviting me?” I asked. “There can’t possibly be any advantage for them.”

“No, it will just be hell for you,” he said frankly. “The nobility are wretched toward those who have been singled out for ostracization.”

“Well, I’m prepared for that,” I said, and I meant it. “Since I can’t run away, there’s no use in crying.”

Father nodded. “Fortunately, the confusion surrounding the king’s absence might provide a bit of a distraction.”

I frowned. “The king isn’t attending the Foundation Day celebration? Is something wrong?”

This was a celebration central to the soul of Tasmeria. Only the gravest of conditions could possibly prevent him from attending.

“Six months ago, His Majesty collapsed.”

“No…”

The solemn news made me gasp. The king would be absent at the worst possible time. The chaos brewing in the kingdom was now bound to worsen.

“At the time, his condition wasn’t critical. But at present, it’s worsened to the point that anyone could tell from a glance that he is sick. I suspect his absence at tomorrow’s celebration will alert the entire kingdom.”

That was to be expected. News of the king’s absence would spread like wildfire.

“I suppose you’re right, then. The word on everyone’s lips will be of His Majesty’s absence, not some duke’s daughter. If I can survive tomorrow, my existence will recede once more into the back of their memories. I will promptly return to the duchy and trouble them no more.”

“Yes, indeed…”

“Though, Father, I’m sure your life will be even more stressful after the party. Try to take care of yourself,” I said.

“Same to you,” he said, harrumphing. “I heard you collapsed once already.”

“It was just one day. Since then, I’ve incorporated breaks into my routine.”

“I see. The body is the capital necessary for work. Let’s both try not to abuse our most vital resource.”

“Yes. Thank you for your concern.”

The next day brought perfect weather, so I took my usual yoga routine into the garden. Tanya seemed to have given up on chiding me for doing yoga in a hemp top and pants, but it seemed she never guessed I would do it outside. When she found me, she was in a right panic.

I’m sorry, Tanya. But good weather is so rare in the capital that I just had to!

Just then, Mother also found me and expressed interest in my routine, so I promised to teach her the next morning. The celebration would take up all our time for the rest of the day, so I needed to start getting ready.

I promptly showered and began my preparations. Tanya helped me into my dress, put on my makeup, and did my hair. Incidentally, the test product I mentioned the day before was the dress I intended to wear. I’d had it constructed from the silk I found. Ah, silk… It had a lovely luster.

“You look so beautiful, my lady…”

Tanya, too, was taken in by the dress, and she murmured under her breath.

All right, my armor was fitted. My mind was steeled. It was time to head to the battlefield.