TIDSF 13

Chapter 13

Moneypan let out a long breath.

“There’s nothing more above that.”

“Then I can no longer proceed with negotiations either. Let’s go somewhere else.”

Doniche declared firmly.

—If he tells you to leave, just go. There are other routes.

Moneypan stared at Doniche for a moment, then stood up without hesitation.

“Alright.”

Step, step.

He hugged the raw stone to his chest and walked toward the door.

The door opened, and no one tried to stop him, even as he completely left the reception room.

‘…There really is another route, right?’

He kept his back straight and walked at a steady pace.

“…”

Thump, thump.

His heart pounded fast.

Just as Moneypan reached the stairs—

“Damn it, sir. Come back.”

A voice called from right behind him.

‘Whoa!’

Moneypan turned around calmly, hiding his surprise.

“Oh my. Didn’t we just agree that the deal was off?”

“I admit defeat.”

Doniche, looking quite disheveled with messy clothes and hair, raised both hands beside his ears.

“The Chairman wants to meet you.”

“…?”

A look of puzzlement appeared on Moneypan’s face.

‘Chairman?’

There’s someone the Association President refers to as Chairman?

“Are you going? This is your last chance.”

It was an unspoken threat—think carefully.

‘We… succeeded, right? Your Grace?’

Cold sweat dripped down his back.

He couldn’t tell if this was a good sign or not. Still, Moneypan maintained his persona and gave a casual nod.

‘Just remember the 5%.’

That was all he could—or rather, was allowed to—say.

Recently, rumors were circulating around Rogas.

That the young Duke and a stable boy climbed the mountains daily.

That they came back with armfuls of something they mined.

That the ducal household was so poor they had to forage for herbs.

That there were auroras appearing in the capital sky.

For people busy with daily life, these were fleeting stories.

“Good morning, Your Grace.”

“Mmm.”

I rubbed my eyes at the sound waking me and sat up.

Albus limped over and helped me down from the bed.

Honestly, the bed was too tall for me to use comfortably.

“I’ve prepared your bathwater.”

“Thanks.”

“I apologize again for the lack of a proper servant.”

“It’s fine. I ordered them all dismissed, remember?”

I shook my head at Albus’ uneasy tone and headed for the bathroom.

The entire bathroom was filled with steam.

I dipped into the steaming water.

It had been one month and three days since Moneypan left.

‘The auction must be over by now.’

He should be returning soon.

In the meantime, I had dismissed every servant in the mansion.

Though Albus strongly objected, once I revealed how the staff had been negligent and even abusive toward me—no, toward “Eve Altard”—he turned pale and dealt with it swiftly.

Oh, Albus still had surprising strength.

After getting rid of the remaining servants, I roamed Mount Rogas, collecting useful items and built a makeshift greenhouse.

It was the start of reviving the Rogas estate.

After bathing and washing up, I stepped out to find the bed already tidied.

Albus sat me in a chair and began drying my hair as if it were second nature.

“Albus, how are the crops doing?”

I asked while letting him handle my hair, receiving my usual report.

“We’re growing Krutan, frostberries, and Blizzard mandarins. They’re all doing very well. We might even be able to harvest the Krutan next week.”

“Great. Once we succeed in growing them, let’s start farming the idle lands too.”

“Yes!”

Frostberries and Blizzard mandarins were fruits that only grew in the North.

According to the original story, they wouldn’t even be discovered until a year or two later.

‘Sorry to the second protagonist, but I have no choice.’

To save this household, I had to seize them first.

Krutan was too hard, frostberries were more than sour—they were bitter, and Blizzard mandarins grew deep inside icy mountain caves in the North.

Because of various reasons, their value and usage hadn’t been discovered yet.

But I was preparing to cultivate them.

With the right method, any crop could be grown and cooked properly.

Frostberries became sweeter in warm, sunny environments, so I built a greenhouse.

Blizzard mandarins? I made a “coldhouse” instead of a greenhouse.

That made mass production possible!

And Krutan—well, if you knew how to cook them, they grew quickly and easily anywhere.

“How’s Grandpa?”

“He’s been drinking the herbal decoction you prescribed every morning and evening…”

Albus trailed off.

‘Did something go wrong? The blend should be correct.’

Even if I knew it would work, I was still nervous.

“There’s definite improvement!”

I relaxed instantly.

Judging by Albus’s dramatic pause, he’d be great at door-to-door sales.

“He’s coughing less, and these days, he’s even resumed some work. He’s even going for short walks.”

“Mm.”

I grinned widely, and Albus smiled back.

“It must be divine intervention.”

“Huh?”

“Lately, Your Grace reminds me of the late Lady Evelyn. She also had a knack for discovering strange, unknown things.”

‘Oops.’

I’d forgotten to act like a child.

I had to keep up the persona of a “normal but special kid who has dreams and mysterious knowledge.”

I couldn’t exactly say, I died, and 30 years later, I woke up in someone else’s body.

If anyone found out I had returned, that bastard of a brother definitely wouldn’t sit still.

“Mmm… I keep having weird dreams about a pretty lady.”

I wiggled my fingers innocently and murmured,

“I just… tell people what I saw in the dream…”

Albus chuckled and nodded.

“Thanks to you, I’ve seen hope for the first time since that day.”

“Really…?”

“Yes. Everyone’s been tearing us apart like hyenas. The young master who left the estate kept making excuses and took all the businesses in the name of ‘helping.’ Even the Imperial family reclaimed land and mines…”

“…”

“When we were pushed up north, creditors demanded repayment for the debts incurred during business expansions. When we couldn’t pay, they seized what little we had left—businesses, land, even the knights’ personal funds. But the estate of Rogas itself was too deeply in debt to recover.”

No wonder!

I thought the debt was impossibly high for just one noble family.

Now I got it—it wasn’t just the family’s debt, it was the entire domain’s.

“Hm?”

Albus’ expression shifted oddly as he looked out the window.

Following his gaze, I saw a carriage with no crest entering the empty front gates of the duchy.

“Someone’s here. Breakfast is in the dining room, so please eat. I’ll go see who it is.”

“Okay.”

Albus bowed and quickly left.

I walked leisurely to the dining room.

It was one of the few places Albus and I had cleaned, so there were no cobwebs. The savory smell of Krutan soup tickled my nose.

‘Smells delicious.’