Chapter 03
“Didn’t you say there was a financial officer? Why are we here…?”
“We don’t have the money to hire a professional like that.”
Ah, seriously—everything comes down to money!
“Besides, the estate isn’t complex enough to require one. After the previous financial officer resigned, my mother has been managing things herself.”
I buried my face in my hands.
“…Please tell me you’re joking.”
“Unfortunately, it’s the truth, my lady.”
As if telling me to accept reality, Shubel gently patted my shoulder with a sympathetic expression.
I brushed his hand off coldly and lifted my head.
“Then it can’t be helped.”
“You’re leaving?”
“No. If I’m going to invest, I need to meet the financial officer.”
Shubel blinked.
“Invest…?”
“Yes, investment. This is all basically a bribe. A gift to help us get along—so remember that.”
“Do people say ‘bribe’ that openly these days?”
“Didn’t you know? It’s the age of self-promotion. If you don’t say it, who will?”
We were chatting casually when—
“Her Ladyship says you may enter.”
Click—the door opened.
I glanced at the stern-looking maid, then quietly turned to Shubel.
He smiled serenely.
“We couldn’t afford soundproofing.”
I shut my eyes tightly.
‘Father, Mother… I never thought I’d resent money this much in my life…’
Sigh.
There was still a long road ahead.
* * *
“So then—should I call you Investor, or Daughter-in-law?”
I looked at the noblewoman sitting upright behind her desk.
She had an elegant and dignified air, but her clothing was simple—clearly, the household wasn’t well-off.
In fact, she was still dressed for winter, as if spring hadn’t reached her yet.
“I’d prefer if you called me Elysia.”
After briefly sizing her up, I sat on the guest sofa with a bright smile. Shubel took the seat across from me.
The Grand Duchess, who had been looking at documents the whole time, finally lifted her gaze toward us.
As if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
“Or how about Risha?”
“I’ve never met someone like you before.”
“I’m a bit special.”
“And shameless.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Watching her bold, unyielding daughter-in-law, the Grand Duchess of Runein, Bella Runein, shook her head.
“Go on, then. Let’s hear it.”
She sat down on the sofa.
Seeing that I had successfully cleared the first hurdle—getting her to the negotiation table—I smiled.
“I’d like to build a new train station.”
“Why?”
“Because the North is isolated. The current station is so outdated that modern trains can’t even enter. Even the Grand Ducal capital—which should be thriving the most—doesn’t have a direct line to the capital.”
“…”
“It’s very different from a hundred years ago, when the Thousand-Year War ended and the train station—an essential facility—was built right after the capital’s.”
“…That’s true.”
The noblewoman’s eyes deepened with a faint sense of regret.
But the one managing the North’s finances wasn’t easily convinced.
“I won’t deny there’s no direct train. But do you think that’s simply because the station is outdated?”
“I think there’s a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?”
“I said the North is isolated. I never said I would directly establish a line connecting it to the capital.”
“But you clearly said there was no direct train—”
“Yes, and that’s inconvenient. There are so many things I need to bring from the Seton estate. At this rate, it’ll take three years.”
“So you’re saying this station is just for your personal use, not for the territory?”
Bingo.
“It’s not entirely unrelated. It’s a public facility, after all—once it’s built, everyone can use it.”
“…Why say it in such a roundabout way?”
Because in the end, it meant expanding transportation infrastructure and increasing population flow.
“Mother—”
“Who are you calling ‘mother’?”
“Oh, come on, hear me out. As you said, the disconnection from the capital isn’t just a facility issue.”
There were probably political reasons behind it—something tied to the North’s decline.
“So even if we build a new station, people won’t flock here immediately. Someone might even try to sabotage it out of jealousy.”
“…Yes. You understand well.”
“But what if it’s just for my personal use? The whim of a ridiculously wealthy, bored heiress?”
“What?”
“There’s a saying in the capital: the Seton heiress has plenty of money but a head full of flowers—perfect for stirring up trouble.”
I tapped my head lightly as I spoke, and for the first time, Bella looked flustered.
“I’ve got quite the reputation. What was it again? That I redecorate my house every season, never reuse anything, change dresses five times a day…”
I gave a mischievous, villain-like smile.
“So I’m going to make those rumors come true.”
“I’ve heard of fulfilling wishes, but fulfilling rumors is a first.”
“I’m just that impressive. Anyway—”
I clapped my hands dramatically.
“Oh my, a new train station just happened to appear? And there’s even a direct train to the capital?”
Could anyone really ignore that?
Logistics lived and died by distribution. And distribution depended on transportation infrastructure.
The fewer stops, the cheaper the cost.
There was no way merchants obsessed with money and efficiency would let that slide.
‘I should know—I ran a trading company.’
Looking straight at Bella, I said:
“The new station will thrive.”
Without a doubt.
My certainty made Bella’s gaze tremble slightly.
Shubel narrowed his eyes, as if dazzled.
When I looked at him again, he had already returned to his usual languid expression.
“An opportunity,” he said.
“…Shubel.”
“Mother, your daughter-in-law is giving Runein an opportunity. I think I made a very good marriage.”
Our eyes met.
“Don’t you agree, my lady?”
Opportunity.
As he said, what I was doing wasn’t just building a station.
A transportation hub always attracts people. And where people gather, markets flourish.
As markets grow and population density rises, the territory prospers—and the lord’s power strengthens.
This was the beginning.
The opportunity lay in the station.
“But… will it really go as planned?”
The woman who had quietly watched the stagnant North couldn’t help but feel both hope and fear.
“There may be some initial change. But in the end, isn’t this just a stone you’ve thrown into a pond? How long will the ripples last?”
I smiled confidently at her cautious hope.
“I’m Elysia, Mother.”
Both mother and son looked at me.
“I’m the Empire’s top celebrity. People admire me, are curious about my life, and follow everything I do.”
What I threw wasn’t a stone.
It was a storm.
Just as Runein had become an inseparable mark on me, the name Elysia would turn this place into the eye of a storm.
The North would soon suffer from an influx of people—whether for better or worse.
Bella, still staring blankly at me, asked:
“…Why are you doing all this?”
A question anyone would ask.
This time, I didn’t smile.
“Because I’m part of Runein now.”
Yes, I was struggling to survive—but part of me thought:
Maybe this was repayment for the kindness you showed me.
‘Let’s get married.’
‘Shall we?’
I looked at Shubel, who was quietly watching me.
Our relationship began as a contract.
When Seton was on the verge of being torn apart, you protected it under the name of Runein.
You could have taken advantage of the situation—but you didn’t. You returned Seton to me whole.
‘So this time, I’ll help you. So that your Runein remains whole.’
A small stream can be blocked by pebbles.
But the sea cannot be stopped—not even by rocky islands.
No matter who tries to interfere from above, as long as more people use the direct train, it will become an unstoppable current.
To stir the stagnant sea that is the North—
And bring what lies beneath to the surface.
That was my first gift to Runein.
