‘Damn, I just remembered.’
The Countess of Olsen.
She is the matriarch of the Olsen County, renowned for its mineral resources, and has taken on the role of the head of the family since the count’s passing.
In about three years, she will discover a rare mineral and become incredibly wealthy from the mine.
Diana had even sought her out multiple times to obtain jewels to adorn her shoes but ultimately failed to secure her cooperation.
‘I didn’t remember her because she was only briefly mentioned as the first negotiation failure for Diana!’
I smacked my forehead as the realization hit me.
No wonder she seemed so familiar. There’s no way I’d remember a character that had nothing to do with Diana.
Now that I’ve recalled, it’s hard to believe I ever forgot her.
‘And if I remember correctly…’
The fight over the mine’s ownership should end with the Countess of Olsen winning. The countess had a personal reason why she couldn’t give up the mine. Though it wasn’t widely known, since it was a very private matter.
‘But at this rate, she’s going to lose the mine to the Marquess of Merry.’
After an imperial decree is issued, the Marquess of Merry will propose splitting the mine equally, but the Countess of Olsen will stubbornly refuse to hand over any part of it.
Eventually, the emperor, growing tired of the conflict, will side with the Marquess of Merry, resulting in the Olsen family losing the entire mine.
‘Given that the Marquess of Merry had more influence in the social circles than the Olsen family during this time, public opinion was also on their side.’
It was obvious that to everyone else, the Countess of Olsen seemed like she was being unreasonably stubborn.
You could tell just by looking at the comments in the opinion section right now.
– The Countess of Olsen’s stubbornness is something else.
– Seriously, I wouldn’t want to get involved with her.
– But isn’t that mine supposed to be enormous? The Marquess of Merry probably doesn’t want to give up on it either. If they manage to develop it, it’ll be a gold mine!
– I think the Marquess of Merry will win.
– Honestly, doesn’t the emperor want to side with the Marquess of Merry? They’re part of the emperor’s faction.
– Our emperor isn’t like that!
– There’s a rumor that the emperor reads this newsletter~
– Your Majesty, the last comment was written by our house’s parrot, I swear.
“Hmm…”
I hummed softly as I rolled my eyes.
‘A fight over a mine, huh? If things go as they originally did, the Marquess of Merry will end up taking the mine…’
I grinned widely.
“I can’t let that happen.”
❖ ❖ ❖
With a task now at hand, I quickly finished the pile of work in front of me and immediately sought out Vivi.
“Madam, did you call for me?”
“Yes, Vivi. I need to send a letter to the Countess of Olsen. Please prepare some high-quality stationery as soon as possible. Preferably, the kind infused with floral water.”
“Pardon? To the Olsen County?”
Vivi asked, clearly confused.
“The Olsen County… isn’t it the place that’s been getting a lot of bad press lately because of the mine incident?”
“That’s right.”
At my calm response, confusion flickered across Vivi’s face before she finally nodded, still looking bewildered.
“Yes, Madam. I’ll prepare the letter right away. When do you plan to visit?”
“This weekend.”
“…This weekend? But that’s tomorrow!”
“Yes, I’ll be going tomorrow.”
‘The longer this tug-of-war drags on, the more unfavorable it will become for the Olsen County.’
This was never a fight the Countess of Olsen could win in the first place.
Still looking somewhat flustered by my determined attitude, Vivi hurried off, promising to prepare the letter immediately. Watching her retreating figure, I jumped to my feet.
“No time to waste.”
I left the study and quickly crossed the corridor.
“Let’s see, wasn’t the library on the east wing of the third floor?”
The grand ducal library was so vast that it was hard to believe it was a private collection.
Thanks to Ian, who had little interest in people and spent most of his time buried in books and documents.
‘I’m sure there’s information about the mines in that region somewhere in there.’
As I was practically running up the stairs, I happened to run into Ian, who was just coming out of his study.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?”
“Oh, I need to find a book in the library. If you don’t need it right now, could I use it for a bit?”
Ian looked slightly puzzled for a moment before nodding.
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Thank you.”
I was about to pass by with a customary greeting, but suddenly, I stopped with a “wait a minute.” Ian was still standing there, watching me.
“Your Grace, about this weekend’s lesson.”
“Yes, I was just about to bring that up. If you wish to go on another outing, I can make arrangements…”
“Let’s skip it.”
“…What?”
“I have something to take care of. Let’s meet the week after next. Is that okay?”
What I’m doing with you isn’t important right now.
Ian stood there with his mouth slightly open, as if buffering, blinking rapidly.
“The lesson…”
“Missing one week won’t be a problem, right?”
It’s not like missing one session will ruin the entire plan.
Before he could say anything, I checked the time and started tapping my foot impatiently.
“Sorry, Your Grace. I’m a bit busy right now. See you next week.”
With a bright smile, I dashed up the stairs again. I could feel Ian’s bewildered gaze following me.
Why does he look like that? Like a raccoon that just had its cotton candy washed away.
❖ ❖ ❖
Despite my sudden letter, the Countess of Olsen responded with a positive reply. Although, her tone and the overall atmosphere of the letter were far from enthusiastic.
‘Even though she becomes a wealthy magnate in three years, right now, she must be desperate for any noble connection she can get.’
Of course, I can’t say for sure that my status as a duchess didn’t influence the quick approval of my visit.
The next day, as soon as the sun rose, I made simple preparations and headed straight for Olsen Manor.
The manor was located on the outskirts of the capital, a 30-minute carriage ride from the duchy.
Usually, the outskirts of the capital offer a serene landscape blending with nearby forests, but the road to Olsen Manor had a dark and dreary atmosphere.
When the carriage finally stopped in front of the manor, I understood why the ladies said, ‘I wouldn’t even pass by Olsen Manor in a carriage.’
“Wow… this is gloomy.”
The garden’s trees and grass were wildly overgrown, as if left untended for years, the cobblestone path was uneven, and the paint on the exterior walls was half peeled off.
It was astonishing to see how much the estate had deteriorated in just the two years since the count’s passing.
As I got off the carriage in front of the main building, a grim-faced butler with graying hair greeted me.
“This way, please.”
‘How did they manage to hire a servant who looks this gloomy?’
Or maybe he became gloomy after staying here?
I was sure that if the weather had been just a bit more dreary, the place would have looked like a haunted mansion straight out of a horror movie.
The interior of the manor felt even gloomier and darker than the outside, due to the thick curtains drawn over all the windows.
‘To think that this house will turn into a dazzlingly splendid mansion in three years thanks to the Countess…’
You never know how things will turn out, but based on its current state, it’s hard to imagine that kind of transformation.
“This is the drawing room.”
The butler stopped in front of a heavy door, took a step back, and bowed slightly. Two attendants, with faces as dark as the butler’s, opened the doors.
As I entered, the Countess of Olsen, who had been sitting in the drawing room, stood up to greet me. Her face bore dark circles under her eyes, her cheeks were sunken, and her hair looked like it had been made of ashes, covering half of her dark green eyes, which were filled with wariness.
‘…This isn’t an ordinary sight.’
It seemed that persuading her wouldn’t be an easy task.
♧♧♧
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