#51. Active Role (1)
Sasha entered the Memory Palace, going in and out of several buildings.
She looked through traces of many lives but didn’t find what she wanted.
But Sasha didn’t give up.
‘It has to be somewhere. A way to overcome this situation.’
She dug through her memories until her head hurt.
Finally—
“This is it!”
The fruit of her effort was sweet.
Sasha opened her eyes wide, shouting in excitement. Her round eyes sparkled with determination.
She quickly called for Ivan and Yelena.
Hearing Sasha say she had found a solution, they arrived at her office right away.
“You called?”
Sasha, facing the two people she trusted most, spoke seriously.
“I need your help.”
“Just say the word!” Yelena said heartily, ready to agree to anything.
“What kind of help do you mean?” Ivan asked, pushing up his glasses.
Even though he tried to act practical, it was clear he’d help Sasha with whatever she asked.
The two, who already liked Sasha before, had grown to completely trust her after a year of working by her side.
Seeing their eyes filled with trust gave Sasha strength.
She smiled.
“There’s something I must secure right away. I need it in my hands as quickly as possible, before it’s too late.”
“What is it?”
“If you tell us, we’ll find it right away.”
Both looked at her curiously.
Sasha wasn’t the type to push her people without reason. She knew they had been away from the estate and working hard, so she had given them rest.
So, if she was calling them back after only one day, it meant this was truly urgent and important.
What could it be?
Sasha studied their expectant faces and asked,
“Do you know Carto?”
Both Ivan and Yelena looked puzzled. Sasha explained more.
“It’s a plant. Its root doesn’t spread long like others but grows round like an egg.”
“A round root?”
“Yes. The stem grows about as tall as a person’s waist. Its leaves are broad and round. When you peel the thin dark-brown skin of the root, the inside is purple.”
They both thought hard.
But no matter how much they searched their memories, they didn’t know what Carto was.
At last, they sighed.
“Sorry. I don’t know of such a thing,” Yelena admitted, scratching her forehead awkwardly.
“I don’t either,” Ivan added, looking gloomy.
“Madam, I know nothing of this ‘Carto.’ Forgive me.”
His voice carried clear disappointment at not being able to give Sasha a satisfying answer.
Sasha quickly shook her head.
“No, that’s fine. It happens.”
But their faces didn’t brighten.
Frowning, Ivan spoke.
“But we’ll do our best to find it as quickly as possible.”
“Yes. I’m sure you can. You’re both very capable.”
She winked playfully, finally easing their stiff faces.
After they left, full of determination, Sasha fell into thought.
Carto was a crop like Earth’s potatoes or sweet potatoes.
Cooked, it had a soft texture, a gentle sweetness, and was both filling and nutritious.
Even in barren soil, it grew quickly and easily—perfect as a famine-relief crop.
If she could spread Carto, it could be the solution to the coming drought.
But its preparation was a bit unusual, so in her past life it hadn’t become common until she herself spread it.
In this life, since she’d never heard of it, perhaps it had been forgotten during the thousand-year gap between lives.
Maybe it had gone extinct—or evolved into a plant different from what she remembered.
Alone, she didn’t have the time or energy to search for it.
That’s why she asked Ivan and Yelena. They were reliable.
‘But if neither of them knows it… did the Carto species disappear entirely?’
It was especially surprising Ivan didn’t know. He usually had a head full of knowledge—even trivial things.
So if even he didn’t know, maybe Carto really had vanished.
‘If that’s the case, it’ll ruin my plans.’
Sasha bit her lip.
Two weeks passed since she had asked them to search.
Still, there was no news.
Looking for a plant forgotten by everyone was like chasing a ghost.
Sasha too searched through books whenever she had time, but she found nothing.
It seemed she’d have to accept that Carto might have gone extinct in the past thousand years.
‘Then I’ll need another way. A different solution to survive the great famine.’
She had to decide quickly.
If she wasted time doing nothing, she’d only regret it when disaster struck.
She sighed again.
It was already late, but she couldn’t sleep.
Still, she had to rest if she wanted to work tomorrow, so she slowly went to bed.
Just as she was about to drift off—
Knock knock.
“Hmm?”
At this hour?
The sound didn’t come from her main door, but from a small door near her bookshelf.
“…That’s connected to Pavel’s room.”
She had never used it before. Surprised, she shuffled over and opened it.
“Sasha.”
It was Pavel, in comfortable clothes.
“Pavel?”
Puzzled but not stopping him, Sasha opened the door wide.
“Come in.”
He stepped inside. It wasn’t his first time in her bedroom, but entering this way felt strange.
Since moving to the main estate, they had slept separately.
Pavel was healthier now, no longer waking sick or plagued by insomnia.
Sasha, busy as acting family head, and Pavel, busy with his heir studies, often had mismatched sleep schedules.
So when Sasha suggested they sleep separately so as not to disturb each other, Pavel reluctantly agreed.
Because of that, this was his first time coming to her room at night.
“Were you asleep?”
“No, I was just about to.”
Still, Sasha didn’t send him away but led him to the sofa.
“Something on your mind?”
“…Huh?”
When Sasha answered blankly, Pavel suddenly stood, serious.
He waved his hand in front of her face.
“It’s written all over your face. You’re worried about something right now.”
Of course no words were literally written there, but Sasha instinctively touched her cheek.
She smiled awkwardly.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Yeah.”
At his firm reply, Sasha scrunched her nose.
Lately, the Carto problem had been weighing heavily on her—but she hadn’t realized it showed.
“Sorry.”
“For what?”
Pavel looked confused, not understanding why she apologized.
“I thought I ruined our time together, making you worry for nothing.”
“…Don’t apologize.”
“Hm?”
“Don’t ever apologize to me.”
Sasha tilted her head.
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t need to feel sorry with me, no matter what. We’re…”
He hesitated, rubbing his flushed neck, then finished,
“…married.”
“…What?”
Sasha was speechless.
“They say family doesn’t apologize over little things,” Pavel mumbled, eyes lowered.
Still not meeting her gaze, he added,
“Instead of that… just tell me why.
If you’ve got worries, let me hear them. Better than sighing alone, isn’t it?”
Sasha stared at him for a moment, then finally spoke.
“Actually… I’ve been troubled lately. There’s something I must find, but I can’t. It’s frustrating.”
“Really?”
“Yes. A plant called Carto…”
She explained in detail. Pavel listened intently.
“I see. Then I’ll help you.”
“What? No, you don’t have to. You’re busy.”
Sasha knew well how packed Pavel’s heir studies kept him.
She worried he wouldn’t rest properly if he helped her.
But Pavel was firm.
“Let me help.”
“Pavel…”
His serious face said he wouldn’t back down.
Even if she didn’t allow it, he’d still find time to search.
Sasha sighed, giving in.
“Just don’t overdo it.”
“I won’t.”
Still uneasy, she reminded him a few more times.
“I already asked Ivan and Yelena too. You don’t need to push yourself. Just look into it when you’ve got time—or not at all.”
But deep down, her worries didn’t fade.
‘We have to find it quickly. This is troubling in many ways.’
She decided to set aside her tangled thoughts for now and focus on Pavel.
“Thank you. But…”
She tilted her head, noticing Pavel’s slightly damp hair—he must’ve just bathed before bed.
‘Could it be…?’
Like a child bringing a pillow to their parents’ room, Sasha asked,
“What is it? Couldn’t sleep?”
“No, that’s not it.”
Frowning, Pavel fidgeted, pulling something from his pocket.
