Chapter 29 – Work, Wealth, and the Desert Flower Merchant
A week had passed.
I assigned a new job to Catherine’s mercenary group, who had now settled comfortably in the territory.
“Those of you who can handle paperwork, help the clerks with document sorting for now.”
“Understood. But please remember—our main skill isn’t organizing papers. It’s breaking noses. We are mercenaries, after all.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got other work for you too.”
Catherine called her remaining mercenaries. Even through their clothes, you could tell how solid their muscles were. Very nice.
I led them to the site.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
“Is this some kind of team bonding thing since it’s our first job? Oh! Are we going swimming? There’s a great river in the forest!”
They were lively and loud—until we arrived.
“Uh… it is a forest, technically, but…”
“Idiot! A forest isn’t the same as a mine!”
“Wait, we’re not seriously going to dig, are we? Like, inside the mine?”
“I knew something was off when she said to wear clothes that show off our muscles…”
Who said that? I’ll remember you.
Their faces went pale fast. I sighed and decided to clear up the misunderstanding.
“Hey, I’m not that evil. You’re not prisoners, for heaven’s sake. You think I’m gonna hand you pickaxes and make you dig all day?”
“Yes.”
“Wow. What exactly do people say about me?”
“They call you the ‘money-crazy marquis.’”
…Fair enough.
“Well, I could make you dig if I didn’t have enough laborers, but that’s not the case. Here—take one each.”
“‘Hiring new miners… open to all residents of the territory after interview’? What’s this?”
“Exactly what it says.”
I opened the mine to the public—anyone without land or a job could apply.
“This kind of notice would actually get people to show up?”
“Yep. About five hundred already did.”
“F-five hundred?!”
“Yeah. Your job is to keep them safe, monitor their work, and encourage them when needed.”
“When do we start?”
“Tomorrow.”
They looked overwhelmed. Probably not what they’d expected from a mercenary gig.
One of the sharper ones asked, “Why not just hire professional miners instead of untrained locals, my lady?”
“This is for the people’s benefit. Job creation is the best welfare there is. Of course, there will be some who try to pocket a diamond and run off.”
If only everyone worked honestly. But reality wasn’t that kind. When people suddenly held a diamond worth a lifetime of luxury, bad ideas came easily.
Just like the head maid at the Duke’s mansion once did.
“I could stand here all day yelling instructions, but they’d just ignore me. They’ll probably call me a ‘spoiled lady pretending to work.’ That’s why you are here.”
“So that’s why you called for all the muscular ones?”
“Exactly. The moment they see your arms, they’ll drop any thoughts of stealing gems.”
Diamonds were precious, yes—but here, even a healthy tooth was worth more. No dental implants in this world.
“I plan to build facilities near the mine soon too—a dorm and a dining hall.”
Before long, a small mining town would form, and the territory’s economy would come alive.
‘Transportation is limited in this era, and magic tools are too expensive for everyday use. The key is making sure people can live and eat comfortably within the territory.’
When I’d visited Cartiman’s office, I hadn’t just gone to waste time. I’d studied his documents, thought about strategy.
How to manage the land. How to turn 1 gold into 1,000.
And now, it was time to put those ideas into motion.
“Alright, everyone. Let’s work hard while we’re still young. Move it!”
***
A few more days later, I was still in bed when Tangent and Catherine walked in.
“You’re here already? Unless it’s urgent, come back in an hour. I plan to stay in bed that long.”
I burrowed deeper into my soft blanket—but Tangent shoved a piece of paper in my face.
“What is it this time? A marriage certificate? Don’t. Please. I’ll lose my mind.”
“My lady! Look—our story is all over the weekly magazine!”
That woke me right up. She wasn’t holding a random paper—it was the weekly magazine.
The bait I’d carefully prepared—seasoned with a pinch of scandal—had finally been cast out into the world.
“Let’s see…”
<Breaking News! The Improved Relationship Between the Houses of Asser and Dante!>
Apparently, Duke Cartiman Asser and Marquis Aileen Dante had secretly married according to an old engagement oath made in the temple. (Excerpt omitted)… Some speculate that the sudden marriage might be connected to the release of a new magical device…
“They did a great job writing this.”
They’d raised questions about the Duke but stayed tactful—ending with, ‘It might not be true, but imagining is free, isn’t it?’
Perfect.
“Tangent, how do you think nobles will read this?”
“Well, objectively, your reputation’s low and the Duke’s is sky-high. A rushed marriage like this? It fits perfectly. They’ll all believe it.”
“Exactly. They’ll think Aileen Dante’s invention was so valuable it made the stubborn Duke bend.”
And that kind of rumor worked as the best advertisement possible.
Sure enough, by afternoon, letters started pouring in—people wanting to buy my magic devices.
They might not trust me, but they definitely trusted anything backed by the Asser name.
“So basically, I’m the nobody, and Duke Asser is the luxury brand, huh?”
Catherine fidgeted nervously.
“My lady… don’t be sad…”
“Why not? It’s true!”
“Huh?”
I burst out laughing.
“Being looked down on doesn’t matter! Reputation doesn’t pay bills—money does! As long as the money flows, who cares? Start selling! Where’s Scar? Tell him to get to the Magic Tower and triple production!”
Catherine flinched at my sudden outburst, while Tangent just patted her shoulder.
“Relax. This is normal. Just your everyday lady moment.”
“Everyday? What kind of household is this?”
“Ours. You’ll get used to the money mania soon enough.”
“…Did I make a mistake joining you?”
“Too late. You’re already on this ship—no jumping off now.”
Their chatter was background noise while I wrote replies.
<Thank you for your prompt payment. We’ll ship your order soon.>
<Thank you for asking about restock. I can’t promise an exact date, but expect about a month’s wait.>
<You’re desperate for one, Marchioness Marie? If you prepay, I can prioritize your order.>
Everything was going so smoothly it was almost scary.
The day flew by. I barely had time to eat—just dipped some stale bread into soup while working.
Scar, sitting next to me filling out paperwork, clicked his tongue.
“My lady’s cheeks are getting thinner. Eat this too.”
“Why are you always feeding me? Are you my grandmother?”
“If I were, would you run away with me?”
“No.”
Didn’t matter—I found my mouth full of food again. It was from a well-known local bakery. So he wasn’t hiding his wealth anymore. But the syrup-glazed waffle was too good to complain about.
***
The next morning, as I waited for incoming payments, Scar suddenly mentioned a name I hadn’t heard in a long time.
“The Desert Flower? They contacted us.”
The Desert Flower Trading Company—the same one my father had borrowed money from.
“They’re asking for repayment?”
“Not exactly. It’s about the funds. As you know, the Desert Flower does deal in loans, but their main business is trade—and some trading houses also handle financial operations.”
In this world, only nobles or big merchants had enough money to act like banks, so merchant guilds often were banks.
“I know that. Go on.”
“The payments from your latest sales were supposed to go through them. But they say they can’t send the money to us.”
“What? Why not? Are they holding it until the debt’s repaid? We had an agreement—one year grace period!”
“That’s part of it… but it seems they have other plans. They said unless you personally visit them, they’ll… keep the money.”
“…What? Can they even do that legally?”
Scar just shrugged.
I clenched my teeth.
“They think I won’t come because I’m polite, huh?”
“My lady, your face is turning red.”
“They must’ve mistaken me for a pushover since I didn’t show up with a sword last time. Get ready, Butler.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I dressed neatly—enough to look like a proper noble—and headed to the trading company.
When we arrived, someone was already there.
A man—or maybe a woman?—wearing blue lipstick and strange painted symbols on his cheeks.
He adjusted his face in a small mirror before waving at me.
“Over here! Yoo-hoo!”
“My lady,” Tangent whispered, “that person looks insane. Let’s keep our distance.”
“No. There’s the thief.”
As I approached, the man’s eyes slid over me in a greasy way. I felt sick.
“You’re the head of the Desert Flower, right?”
“You recognized me? Most people don’t. Sharp eyes, customer.”
He grinned, showing gold between his teeth.
“How’d you know?”
“Information gathering is part of business. You’re Mr. Daham, aren’t you?”
“That’s right. Daham, president of the Desert Flower Trading Company.”
He smiled brightly, dimples showing on his bronze cheeks.
“Well, well. So you’re the collateral girl? I gotta say, you’re prettier than I expected. No wonder the Marquis left you as payment—smart move.”
He reached out to touch my face. I slapped his hand away.
“I came to collect my money. You gave us a one-year grace period, remember? It’s nowhere near over yet. There’s no reason to rush. Hand over my payment.”
“Sorry, sweetheart, that’s not happening.”
He raised his index finger and wagged it in front of me.
For a moment, I imagined breaking it.
He must’ve felt the danger because he quickly pulled his hand back.
“You see, your side hasn’t been paying interest. So we can’t release the funds that came in under the Marquis’s name.”
Then he poked a finger toward my chest.
“Five hundred gold a day. That’s the interest. So now your debt’s gone up by another three hundred thousand gold. Until you pay that, our collateral stays ours.”
I stared at him, frozen between laughter and murder.
Three hundred thousand gold?
…Over my dead body.
