A short while later, Duke Cartellani arrived with Count Zamel.
Count Zamel was startled when he saw the dug-up ground.
“What is the meaning of this?!”
“I think it’s best to first check what’s going on before asking that.”
“Your Grace!”
“Step aside.”
Duke Cartellani shoved Count Zamel aside and stomped on the trapdoor with his foot.
With a crashing sound, the door broke apart.
Tearing the broken door open, the Duke descended the stairs with Elia in his arms, accompanied by his knights.
As they entered the dark space, the Duke spoke to Dmitri.
“Campbell, take out the light staff.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Campbell pulled a white rod out of his pack and handed it over. The light staff was a portable torch made by the Mage Tower.
The Duke pressed the button located at the end of the staff.
With a soft buzzing sound, a bright light shone from the staff, illuminating the space.
As the Duke looked around the area holding the light staff, his expression hardened.
It was because the underground storage contained the goods Count Zamel had promised to give them.
“Count, what’s the meaning of this?”
Count Zamel hurried to explain, flustered.
“T-This is… the food storage for our territory.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“But for a storage facility, it sure contains a lot. It looks like there’s more than enough for what you promised us.”
The warehouse was incredibly large.
And it was filled with food and supplies needed for winter preparations.
There were salted meats, dried fruits, honey, root vegetables, nuts, and also essential winter items like wool, fur, and winter boots.
Most importantly, there was charcoal for making fires.
Grinning, Elia looked at Count Zamel.
“Mister, keep your promises. You lied.”
“Lied? What are you talking about?”
“I remember exactly how much food you promised to the Duke. It’s all here, isn’t it? And all the winter supplies too.”
“What nonsense is that…?”
“Shall I list it for you?”
Elia confidently recited the entire list of items Duke Cartellani was to receive, not missing a single word. Count Zamel looked at her in astonishment.
“You memorized all of that…?”
Smiling pleasantly, the Duke held up the contract toward Count Zamel.
“Keep your promise, Count.”
Now that he had signed the contract, there was no way out. Elia stepped down from the Duke’s arms and looked at the Count.
“Mr. Campbell, take out the herbs.”
“Right away!”
Campbell opened his pack and pulled out all the herbs they had gathered from the mountains.
As the herbs piled up, Count Zamel’s face turned pale.
Elia pointed at the herbs with her index finger and spoke firmly.
“Also, keep your word about buying these at full price.”
“Isn’t this going too far?”
“Too far? That’s something the Duke should be saying. Do you even realize who kept you safe from the monsters?”
“Well…”
Elia put her hands on her hips and declared boldly:
“It was our Duke who fought off the monsters and protected you. And instead of being grateful, you try to cheat him?”
“…”
“Elia, don’t use words like ‘cheat.’ That’s not nice,” the Duke gently chided.
Then he turned to Count Zamel.
“Count, since you’ve angered our little one, you’ll have to take responsibility. I suggest you look after your own safety from now on. This will be the last deal between us.”
“Your Grace, what do you mean by that…?”
“I believe our family has been too generous with yours. You broke the trust, and from now on, we will no longer trade with you.”
“Cutting ties with us? Then you’ll be the one in trouble.”
“We’ll manage. We have a clever little one with us.”
As the Duke praised her, Elia scratched the bridge of her nose in embarrassment.
“Campbell, load the supplies.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Campbell began packing the food and goods into his bag. Since the contract had been signed, Count Zamel could do nothing but stomp his feet in frustration.
Elia held out her hand confidently.
“Pay for the herbs.”
“Ugh…”
Count Zamel ground his teeth.
“…Butler, pay her.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Having tried to take advantage and ended up losing instead, Count Zamel looked utterly defeated.
Elia was thrilled that she could return home with her hands full. Now, the Duke’s household would be well-prepared for the coming winter.
“Come here, Elia.”
The Duke scooped Elia up in his arms.
Having tried to stab them in the back and failing, Count Zamel would now have to beg the Duke for forgiveness.
After all, they didn’t have the military strength to deal with the monsters that came down from the mountains in winter.
Once the looting started, they would be wiped out in no time. If only he had done better earlier instead of trying to betray them.
In the end, Count Zamel had to draft a new contract.
It stated that if either party failed to uphold their promise, the deal would be nullified, and the breaching party would owe compensation.
In short, it meant that if the Duke’s family took care of the monsters with force, the Count had to pay an appropriate price, and if he broke that promise again, not only would he owe compensation, but the Duke’s family would no longer get involved with monster extermination.
Elia looked on with satisfaction as Count Zamel signed the contract with a bitter face.
* * *
“Elia, you look like you’re in a good mood.”
“Aren’t you, Your Grace?”
“Of course I am. If it weren’t for you, we’d have had a very difficult winter.”
“That’s right! The young lady is a lucky charm!”
Dmitri beamed and gave her a big thumbs up.
“Young lady, you’re the best!”
The knights joined in praising her, and Elia shyly rubbed her nose.
As soon as they returned to the estate, the Duke summoned Norman. In his presence, Campbell began filling the warehouse with the supplies they had brought.
“Your Grace, this is…?”
The Duke looked at Elia.
“These are the goods our little one recovered from Count Zamel. This should be enough to get us through the winter, right?”
“Of course, Your Grace!”
Norman looked between the Duke and Elia with a face full of gratitude.
“Butler, here. This is the contract Count Zamel gave us.”
After reading the contract Elia handed over, Norman immediately became furious.
“Count Zamel deceived His Grace?”
“Yes.”
“What a wretch! He should be burned alive!”
Elia was a little startled to see the usually calm Norman get so angry.
“Norman, mind your words. You’re scaring Elia.”
“Ah, my apologies, Your Grace.”
Norman bowed and looked at Elia, his eyes welling up with tears.
“Thank you, young lady.”
“O-oh, you’re welcome.”
“Norman. Take this as well.”
At the Duke’s signal, Campbell took out several pouches filled with gold coins from his pack—payment for the herbs they sold.
“This is…”
“Money Elia earned for us.”
“Your Grace…”
“I’d like to use it to buy things Elia needs. Will you take care of that for me?”
“Don’t worry! I’ll make sure to furnish her room properly and get everything she needs!”
“And please ask a furniture maker to craft a dining chair that fits her size.”
“Understood.”
From that point on, Elia began thinking seriously about creating a main source of income for the Duke’s household.
The branch had told her that the Monster Mountains were rich in rare herbs.
“If we just harvest and sell those herbs, the Duke’s family won’t have to worry about money.”
The problem was that the mountains were too dangerous. Ordinary people couldn’t enter them.
And she couldn’t very well send knights to become herb gatherers either.
“I’ll have to train professional gatherers.”
People with strong bodies and good combat skills would be ideal for the job.
As she sat by the window thinking, there was a knock on the door and Meril entered.
“Young lady, the new furniture has arrived.”
“New furniture?”
“Yes, the current furniture in your room doesn’t match your height, so the Duke had new ones made.”
She had heard about that.
“I don’t really need new furniture…”
“What are you saying? Furniture is important!”
“Is it?”
“Of course! If you don’t like it, you can always swap it for something else.”
Meril sounded very serious, so Elia quickly shook her head.
“No, I like it.”
Even though she was someone who would eventually leave, it warmed her heart that they cared so much.
“I’m going out for a walk.”
“Don’t go too far.”
“Okay.”
She left the house to give them space to rearrange the room.
She thought she’d go visit the training grounds.
Watching the knights train was always fun—especially when they went shirtless in the middle of winter.
Their sculpted muscles were a work of art.
[Elia, your face just now was downright wicked.]
“I’m lonely, that’s all.”
She hadn’t experienced proper love even once and had died three times already. It was understandable that she felt bitter.
She hadn’t even been on a proper date before she died.
The people she had loved with all her heart had only repaid her with betrayal.
