TVWD 08

Chapter : 08

“Heh heh, I’m surprised, my lady. I didn’t know you had such skill in horsemanship.”

“It’s an honor to receive praise from Sir Pellet.”

I smiled at the knight from a deeply loyal family.

“Everyone, rest today. My affairs will take a day or two.”

After taking a short rest in the morning, I immediately summoned the steward.

The stewards in the capital and in the estate are different people, though both are loyal to our family.

“Marc, will you bring the accounting ledger?”

However, the subordinates hired below are not always so reliable. Some are careless, and others deliberately infiltrate noble families.

Those people occasionally manipulate the ledgers, create double accounts, and cause corruption within the family.

Around this time, someone might steal a portion of the ledger and later present it to the Crown Prince.

Our family has been implicated in various cases of treason, and this is the fastest way such incidents can occur.

“Here, here. This part isn’t correct.”

Inspecting the ledgers was something my father had asked Marc to do, but Marc hadn’t noticed anything unusual. So I had to check and point it out myself.

“Ha… It’s my fault. I’ll verify immediately, my lady.”

“This isn’t just Marc’s problem. Don’t blame yourself too much.”

I already knew who the culprit was, but I deliberately let Marc discover who had falsified the ledger.

“Make sure that person doesn’t take anything from our family.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The steward understood my meaning: prevent anyone from leaking family information and find out who’s behind it, his eyes flashing sharply.

“By the way, my lady, is your throat unwell?”

“No? Why do you ask that all of a sudden, Marc?”

“You kept touching your throat, so I wondered if you might have a cold.”

“…I usually wear a necklace, but I didn’t today. My throat feels empty without it.”

“I understand. I’ll recheck the ledgers.”

Marc bowed and left the room, and I muttered quietly to myself.

This is only because the Crown Prince once swung a sword at me over such a matter.

After finishing the ledger inspection, I had my next task.

“Sir Joshi, give me a few knights. I have somewhere to go. Marc, Solaro, the family’s gem appraiser and accountant.”

Sir Joshi is the captain of the estate’s knights.

“We’re heading to Mount Westy. We’ll depart tomorrow morning, so prepare accordingly.”

“Understood.”

They carried out my orders without objection, and I could head to my destination without incident.

Mount Westy has a gem mine, producing blue diamonds among other gems. My father unknowingly sells them to the Ikel family, but Merina discovered this mine.

I vent my frustration on Merina, but if I find it first, there’s no problem.

“Solara and Jewel will come by carriage. But since we have to climb the mountain, be prepared for that.”

Moreover, this won’t be the last time I buy information about the Blue Bird. The information is expensive, so I’ll need plenty of personal funds.

Once I find the gem mine, my father will entrust it to me, allowing me to secure capital to purchase information.

“…My lady, how did you even know there was a mine here? And more than that, this isn’t a mine—it’s more like the gems grow naturally?”

Upon arriving at the mine, Jewel, the gem appraiser and jeweler, along with Sir Joshi and Solaro, were all astonished.

Deep within the cave, raw blue diamonds were exposed.

“I happened to read a book on geology and realized there might be a mine in our family estate. After further investigation, I figured it would be about this size.”

“I knew you were capable, my lady, but… this is remarkable.”

“Not only skilled in horsemanship but knowledgeable in geology as well… truly, you are the next—”

“-No, Sir Joshi.”

I cut him off with a smile.

I do all this for the family and for Calvin.

If no unforeseen complications arise, I will die naturally without being implicated in treason. Then the marquisate will naturally pass to my younger brother.

“Jewel and Solara, calculate the value of these gems and the mine. Sir Joshi, send extra guards just in case.”

“Understood, my lady.”

Developing the mine would require additional personnel, but my father would handle that.

“Thank you for your efforts, Marc. I’ll return to the capital today.”

“My lady, you should rest and head up tomorrow.”

“I have too many things to do. I need to get to the capital quickly. Thanks for your concern, Marc.”

Before my regression, I barely participated in the season’s parties and didn’t order many dresses.

But now, I had to attend as many parties as possible, so I placed numerous orders at the salon. To stop by the salon and jeweler, I had to leave today.

Except for a short nap at night, I rode continuously toward the capital, arriving at the estate around noon.

“The marquis is at the palace, and madam went to the Maritney marquis’ noon banquet.”

So Mother went to Stella.

“My lady, you’ve arrived so quickly! Madam said it would take a week, but you’re here in four days.”

“Yes, I came a bit fast. By the way, Cassie, prepare some bathwater. I need to wash up before going to the salon.”

“My lady, your eyes look like a rabbit’s. Shouldn’t you rest?”

“I’m fine, Cassie.”

I had been much busier in the past several times.

If I don’t slightly twist the events, my death always happens around the same time each year. There’s less than a year left.

This time, I never want to return to this moment again.

I urged Cassie, washed up, and headed to the salon, catching a brief nap in the carriage.

“…My lady! My lady!”

“Huh? Have we arrived already?”

“No, it’s just that there’s a fire over there, and they say we should turn back.”

I rubbed my eyes and looked outside the window, quickly realizing the place.

“Stop! Stop!”

“My lady!”

As the carriage halted, I ran down a familiar alley.

Sure enough, a fire was raging where the information guild was located.

“What’s happening now?”

In a few days, I was supposed to obtain information about the Blue Bird, and now the guild is destroyed.

“Move aside! Out of the way!”

Soon, a squad appeared to put out the fire, and fearing they might question me, I quickly boarded the carriage.

“Let’s head to the salon first.”

The building that housed the information guild was burning, but had someone set it on fire because they disliked the guild’s information?

I knew the location of the ‘Spiderweb’ guild from my previous life, so I could find it easily—but most people wouldn’t.

The Spiderweb guild operates very secretly, making it difficult for just anyone to approach.

“Phew…”

“My lady, you must be shocked. That fire was enormous.”

“Indeed, Cassie. Let’s stop by the café later and get a cold drink.”

Cassie, knowing I always buy something delicious when we stop by a café, smiled brightly.

Upon arriving at the salon, I ordered one of the knights guarding me to investigate.

“Sir Merri, find out the cause of the fire, any casualties, and if there are survivors.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Let’s go, Cassie.”

Perhaps because it was the social season, the salon of the famous madam in the capital already had several guests.

“Oh, my lady! What brings you here without notice?”

“It’s been a while, Madam Ant. I came to try on the dresses I left before. I’m in a hurry—can I try them now?”

“Oh my… the fitting rooms are full with reserved guests. You’ll have to wait a moment. Is that alright?”

I nodded lightly.

“Then please come this way, my lady.”

Madam Ant led me to a lounge reserved for special guests.

“Huh?”

But my feet feel as if they’re tied—why can’t I move?

“Madam, I seem to be stuck. I can’t move.”

“My lady, there’s nothing on the floor.”

Cassie bent to check my dress.

“That’s right, my lady. There’s nothing here. Then why is this happening?”

“Sorry, I was in a rush.”

A clear male voice cut through the chatter of the ladies.

A blue-haired man I hadn’t noticed before smiled at me—but I didn’t know who he was.

Even searching through my memories and noble records, there was no such man.

“Sir Bernstein!”

A woman in the salon called him, resolving my doubt.

“You’re Sir Silla Bernstein, right?”

“You’re the Magetower Lord, aren’t you?”

Magetower Lord?

At those words, I couldn’t help but look directly at the blue-haired man.

He appeared in the original story but was never fully described, had no connection to Merina, and I had never seen him in my life.

For someone I’ve never seen in all my lives to appear now means my life is twisted differently than usual.

For the first time in a long while… my heart races.