#52. Active Role (2)
“This.”
What Pavel handed over was a small box, clumsily tied with a ribbon.
Sasha’s eyes widened.
“For me?”
“Yeah.”
“Is it my birthday today?”
“No.” Pavel rubbed the back of his neck.
“Just… you looked down. And… I meant to give it to you anyway.”
Sasha’s curiosity grew at his embarrassed words.
She carefully accepted the gift box.
“Can I open it now?”
“…Yeah.”
She untied the ribbon and opened it.
“This is…”
It was the only thing Pavel had bought when they had gone out to the jeweler before—
a locket necklace, able to hold a portrait and a strand of hair.
When Sasha clicked it open, she froze.
Inside was a portrait of her face.
“Wow, it’s really well drawn.”
“When did you do this?”
“Whenever I had some time.”
Sasha’s head whipped up, eyes wide.
“What? Don’t tell me—you drew this?”
“…”
His silence was confirmation.
‘I thought it was done by a professional painter—it’s that good.’
Sasha stared at her portrait inside the locket, still amazed.
“I didn’t know you had this talent. I thought you’d never learned art properly. Wow…”
She murmured, forgetting Pavel was sitting beside her.
“But do I really look like this? It’s prettier than the mirror. It’s like a Photoshopped version…”
Pavel didn’t understand that last word, but one thing was clear—
every word Sasha spoke was praise for him.
He pressed his lips together, his cheeks faintly red. Praise from Sasha never failed to unsettle him.
“I’ll go now.”
Embarrassed, Pavel stood up quickly.
“Pavel!”
Sasha grabbed him before he could retreat to his own room.
“Thank you. I’ll wear it every day.”
She waved the locket necklace slightly in her hand. It suited her slender neck perfectly.
Pavel stared quietly at Sasha’s bright smile as she wore his gift.
“…Okay.”
For that, he didn’t regret spending what little rest time he had to prepare it.
Even with Pavel joining in the search, they found no trace of Carto.
Sasha was beginning to wonder if she should give up—
“Um, Lady Sasha. Could this be what you’re talking about?”
It was Nina, who had come to Sasha’s office during her break, carefully holding something out.
‘What is that?’
Sasha blinked at it.
In Nina’s dirt-stained hands lay something about the size of a grown man’s fist.
Its surface was rough, with a thin brown skin darkened with soil—not the most appetizing sight.
But Sasha’s eyes shone.
It was exactly what she had been desperately searching for.
It was Carto!
“Yes! Where did you find this?”
Nina giggled. “I got it from the stables.”
“The stables?”
Sasha tilted her head. She’d searched everywhere—farms, research labs, merchant warehouses—
and it had been in the stables?
Nina nodded eagerly.
“Yes! In my hometown, we used these as horse feed. So I checked the stables, and there it was!”
“…Ah.”
Sasha felt conflicted.
To think the answer was under her nose all along. Truly, darkness under the lamp.
“Um, Lady Sasha? Did I do something wrong?”
“No, not at all.” Sasha waved a hand.
But Nina still looked nervous, as if she feared she had displeased her lady.
Sasha smiled gently to reassure her.
“You did really well. Thanks to you, a big problem is solved.”
“Hehe.”
Nina beamed, happier with Sasha’s praise than anything else.
Sasha couldn’t help but chuckle. Seeing Nina so delighted swept away her tangled thoughts.
More relaxed, Sasha asked kindly,
“Don’t you want anything? I’ll give you a reward.”
“No, no, Lady Sasha! I didn’t do it for a reward!”
Nina waved her hands frantically. But Sasha softly held them and said,
“Don’t be shy. Say it. This is so important to me that I’d even give you land, if I could.”
Nina gasped, startled.
“Um…”
She fidgeted nervously, clearly torn. Finally, she glanced at Sasha and spoke hesitantly,
“Then… could I… call you Lady Sasha instead of Young Madam?”
“Hm?”
“Of course, you’re still Young Madam, and the acting head, and I don’t mean disrespect…
but I really want to call you Lady Sasha…”
Her strong voice trailed off into a whisper.
“Nina!”
Sasha quickly stopped her before she could fall prostrate to the floor.
“I’m not scolding you. But… are you sure that’s all you want?”
“Yes!”
“Really? You don’t want a higher salary, or a vacation, or—”
“No! This is what I want!”
“….”
Sasha was left speechless.
Nina had just brought her the key to ending the famine, yet all she wanted was the right to call her Lady Sasha.
This blind devotion was astonishing.
Sasha remembered once asking Nina why she followed her so earnestly.
“I fell for you at first sight! Seeing how elegant and strong you were, I thought—I’ll follow Lady Sasha for the rest of my life.
It felt like a revelation from God.”
Back then, Sasha had brushed it off. Kids Nina’s age often admired someone—
a teacher, a senior, an idol, or a character from a book.
Sasha herself hadn’t admired anyone since regaining her past-life memories, but she’d seen it enough in others.
So she’d only thought, I see.
But receiving such affection firsthand now felt strange.
Sasha gazed silently at Nina, whose face was growing more anxious by the second.
‘If I leave her like this, she’ll cry.’
Before Nina could make excuses, Sasha said,
“Alright. From now on, you can call me Lady Sasha as much as you like.”
“Yay!”
Nina cheered, her joy so pure that Sasha couldn’t help but smile warmly.
She hadn’t asked for such affection, but it didn’t feel unpleasant.
Nina’s devotion felt cute, even protective—and gave Sasha a sense of responsibility.
Even if she said she wanted nothing, I’ll triple her salary, Sasha resolved.
After all, Nina had found the key to solving not only the chronic poverty in Volkov territory,
but maybe for poor farmers across the whole country.
She decided to gradually provide more for Nina, so it wouldn’t shock her.
Then she called Ivan and Yelena.
Finding Carto didn’t mean the problem was solved.
In fact, now came the real challenge.
Something Sasha hadn’t expected—
In this era, Carto’s reputation was terrible.
So bad that even its name showed it.
“You mean this Carto you mentioned… is Devil’s Dung?”
Yelena asked in disbelief.
She couldn’t believe the crop she had worked so hard to find was something known as Devil’s Dung.
“I’ve told you before to watch your words in front of Madam,” Ivan chided gently.
“What else should I call it? Who would’ve thought it had a proper name!” Yelena scowled.
“…Is it really that bad?” Sasha asked carefully.
Yelena glared at the rough brown crop, swallowing hard.
No matter how she looked at it, it was indeed Devil’s Dung.
This is what Young Madam wanted so badly?
She couldn’t hide her doubt.
“You’re saying… this is edible? Really?”
For the umpteenth time, Sasha nodded.
“Yes. You can eat it. It’s very healthy and tasty.”
“…Hah.”
Yelena sighed. Sasha turned to Ivan.
“What do you think?”
“Ahem.”
Ivan didn’t openly speak against Sasha, but even his cough sounded meaningful.
Even for him, who usually supported Sasha, this was hard to believe.
He pushed up his glasses, his expression saying what he couldn’t put into words—
He looked at Carto with a face that practically screamed he wanted to throw it away.
Sasha blinked at their fierce reactions.
