IMYL 7

Chapter 7

“The remaining roots,”
Brisa gave her instructions calmly.

“They’re hard and very dense, so if we sell them separately, they’ll fetch a decent price. If the guild can give us some of the rice bran or wheat bran they still have in storage, allow them to harvest the roots as well.”

In any case, the roots would have to be pulled out to plant the seed potatoes.

If they used manpower the guild master could mobilize, they would obtain rice bran and wheat bran while also conserving their own labor.

There’s going to be endless work from now on. We need to save manpower wherever we can.

The guild master asked with an uncertain expression, unsure how much of this he should believe.

“Miss, where did you learn all of this?”

At that, the maids burst into chatter once more.

“Our young lady is a genius!”

“She could read at three, and spoke five languages by the age of seven!”

“A princess personally taught her history, culture, refinement, and etiquette! She placed first in the academy entrance exam and graduated as valedictorian and salutatorian!”

Amid the praise, Brisa spoke dryly.

“The book Basic Understanding of Soil covers a lot about soil properties and farming methods. Volume seven of Types and Uses of Fruit Trees deals with olive trees.”

The guild master pulled out his notebook again, and Brisa continued.

“They’re books from the capital academy’s library. Both are originals written in the Kingdom of Sernin’s language, so they’d be hard for you to read.”

The maids’ praise was useless, but it was more than enough to earn the guild master’s trust.

“Old olive trees have especially beautiful growth rings, so they’re quite popular as decorative material.”

Brisa gazed thoughtfully at the lumber as she spoke.

“But they’re difficult to dry and process, so when you take them west, don’t ask for too high a price.”

“I see?”

The guild master’s eyes sparkled with confidence.

“The Duke of Nozen in the west has been purchasing various materials lately. Selling them there would be perfect. Thank you for the advice.”

“Then make sure to give us plenty of rice bran and wheat bran.”

“But that’s not even something people eat. It’s just piling up in our warehouse—we can give you plenty.”

“Really? Then give us all of it.”

“Yes! That’s possible! But what do you plan to use it for…?”

“Somewhere it won’t make you money.”

Rangsi quietly looked Brisa up and down.

Sharp mind.

Knowledge and execution.

Young as she was, she had more than enough qualities to be a lord.

Still, one question lingered.

But why keep those kinds of maids by her side?

Didn’t capable people naturally gather around someone capable?

Why were there only such unrealistic maids around her?

At the very least, shouldn’t she discipline them when they spout nonsense? Why doesn’t she?

Rangsi decided he’d ask when the opportunity arose.

Thanks to the knights’ sword aura, the logging was finished quickly.

I stayed at the site the entire time.

By the time we carefully pulled out the roots and turned over the soil, it was already afternoon.

The guild master left the marquisate with the lumber, grinning from ear to ear.

“Let’s see…”

I inspected the seed potatoes the Potato Squad had brought.

As expected from those with experience farming potatoes, the condition of the seed potatoes was excellent.

“All right. Now make ridges and plant the seed potatoes with the sprouts facing upward. Philip, show them.”

“Yes! Everyone, watch closely!”

Philip demonstrated how to plant the seed potatoes.

At that moment, a snort of laughter came from among the knights. It was a rough-looking female knight.

I looked at her quietly.

She spoke, almost defensively.

“No, it’s just… it’s funny.”

She had red hair tied back in a ponytail.

“Of all things, potatoes… making such a fuss over them.”

I sighed inwardly.

I had expected something like this to happen.

They were all Alpheus’s people.

With the maids already irritating them, it would have been stranger if no one objected.

“What’s your intention here, miss? Making us do pointless work like this when we’ve fought on the battlefield? Do you think we’re ridiculous? If so, just ignore us like before. We’re busy enough just training.”

Fortunately, only one maid remained by my side. The others had returned to the marquis residence to prepare dinner.

The maid foamed at the mouth and raised her hand to slap the knight.

“How dare you speak so insolently to the young lady—!”

I quickly stopped her.

If the two of them clashed head-on, the maid’s life would be in danger.

Meanwhile, the female knight—Wendy—twirled around and shouted to the other knights.

“We’re people who shared life and death with Lord Alpheus! This is turning our lord into a laughingstock! Don’t you see that? Unless she’s lost her mind like her mother, why would she suddenly tear up a perfectly fine olive plain to plant worthless pota—”

The world went silent.

The maid collapsed to the ground, gasping. She had fainted from hyperventilation.

Philip muttered,

“…That was too much.”

The other female knights standing behind Wendy clicked their tongues.

“She went after her mother.”

“Shows her character…”

In the atmosphere doused with cold water, Wendy flinched. She seemed to realize she’d gone too far.

I asked calmly,

“What’s your name?”

“W-Wendy Hight.”

“Wendy. From now on, you won’t plant potatoes. You may step away from all future knightly duties if you like. Train on your own as you please.”

In the frozen silence, Wendy’s eyes shifted quietly.

“However, even though I really didn’t want to go this far…”

I spoke solemnly, then paused.

Before saying it, hesitation inevitably crept in.

Was it right for a person to give such an order to another person?

Was it acceptable to be this cruel?

But one who stands above must be cruel when necessary.

“Since you didn’t plant potatoes, from now on you—”

My voice trembled with conflict to the very end.

But in the end, I delivered the punishment firmly.

“You will no longer be allowed to eat potatoes.”

At that moment, I saw everyone in the garden choke back laughter with drained expressions.

Even Wendy did.

She even seemed to forgive her young master inwardly.

Hah… picking a fight with a child like that…

It felt as though I could hear her thoughts.

Philip, holding a seed potato, spoke quietly.

“Well… seeing a grown adult lose their temper in front of a twelve-year-old lady… it doesn’t look good. I only realized that once I became a third party.”

He looked genuinely pained.

“I apologize again for my disgraceful behavior at our first meeting. It’s truly shameful. I hope everyone can forget it.”

“It’s fine.”

I nodded magnanimously.

“I’m recording it in the history books anyway.”

Of course, after some time passed—

everyone came to realize just how monstrously cruel my punishment truly was.

After planting the seed potatoes and returning to the marquis residence—

“Um, miss. Would it be all right if I spoke with you privately once we arrive?”

Rangsi asked hesitantly.

“There was something I wanted to ask you directly while reviewing the budget…”

“That’s fine.”

I followed Rangsi into the study.

It had once been my father’s space, and now it belonged to Alpheus.

I thought I’d naturally inherit it…

I swept the room once with lingering eyes, then pointed to the stack of documents on the desk.

“What are those?”

“I was organizing the marquisate’s budget. Five years’ worth. There wasn’t a single thing properly sorted, so I had to check everything one by one…”

My lingering regret vanished instantly.

When I left the marquis residence, I was ten years old and knew nothing about detailed budgets.

And according to the original story, this place had already become an inheritance that spelled disaster.

I sat haughtily in one of the chairs in the study.

“So you’re in charge of the marquisate’s finances now?”

“I handled all money and documents in the mercenary corps as well.”

Rangsi sighed and sat across from me, then spoke carefully.

“Um, miss… there’s something I want to ask, and something I’d like to request…”

“Ask first.”

“Yes. Actually, it’s from one of the budgets five years ago… There’s an allocation labeled Personal Confidential Matter — Related to Brisa. It’s an enormous sum—equivalent to two full years of the marquisate’s budget.”

Flipping through the papers, Rangsi pointed to an item and asked,

“There are no receipts, no detailed breakdowns at all. What on earth was this for…? The maids just keep saying they ‘don’t know’…”