Chapter 14
Why doesn’t Ludger want to take my money?
Ah, could it be because of his pride?
“…Does His Highness not want to take a friend’s money?”
Out of pride?
In truth, Northern Light isn’t my territory, and I don’t have any responsibility to it.
If this matter didn’t affect Ludger at all, I might not have gotten involved.
‘But Ludger, you shouldn’t be like that.’
He was a lord. He has a responsibility to set aside his pride and save the people of his land!
The butler shook his head vigorously.
“It’s not because of that. The Duke is concerned for Lady and is setting boundaries. After all, this is Northern Light.”
“….”
“Since we’re on the subject, the Duke wishes to return to Eckhart as soon as possible.”
So that I don’t get on the Emperor’s bad side by helping out.
A hollow laugh escaped me.
Why would I fear the Emperor when I intend to stab the Crown Prince?
Still, I couldn’t reveal my true intentions here.
‘My goal is rebellion!’
If I spoke the truth, I might be banished from Eckhart.
Normal methods wouldn’t work. I had to think outside the box.
Instead of sharp tactics, an unconventional idea came to mind.
“What about this? I’ll throw the money away, and the butler can pick it up.”
“Where are you going to throw it?”
“On the ground?”
“You’re going to scatter all that money on the ground?”
“….”
The butler looked at me with a pitying gaze, as if wondering if I really needed to go that far.
“It will take all day to scatter that much money, Lady.”
I even had to admit, that was a ridiculous idea, but it wasn’t entirely bad!
How desperate I must have sounded to suggest something like that!
* * *
In the end, I surrendered to the butler and returned to my room.
I had no intention of giving up, so I seated Shanette and began planning.
“How about this? I’ll buy the supplies and send them to the North instead.”
“I think the Duke will just send them back.”
From the sound of things, if I tried to send something secretly, it would be stopped at the gate.
Even sending anonymously would be suspicious and likely refused.
Ugh!
This shouldn’t be such a complicated issue from the start.
If Ludger just accepted the money I wanted to give him, the problem would be solved!
“Why are you refusing? I want to give it to you!”
Honestly, I couldn’t understand.
Why choose the difficult path when the easy solution is right in front of you?
Shanette cautiously spoke up.
“If it’s something that would put the Duke in an awkward position, wouldn’t you reject it as well, Lady?”
No, that’s not true.
If Ludger’s sacrifice was necessary for me to achieve my revenge, then I would have done it without hesitation.
For the sake of avenging my parents, I would do anything.
It made me realize how little humanity I had left.
When I discovered that Cesar had betrayed me.
When I wanted to cut off the head of someone more precious than my life.
I lost my heart and smile. Once lost, those things couldn’t be regained, no matter how much I stabbed at Cesar’s heart.
“You see me as a good person.”
“Of course! You’re going to such lengths to help our territory.”
Shanette misunderstood.
I wasn’t moving for Northern Light’s benefit—I was acting solely for my successful revenge.
I was not a good person, as she thought.
She may come to despise me once she learns the truth.
‘It doesn’t matter.’
Even if the whole world were to despise me, I wouldn’t regret succeeding in my revenge.
“Shanette.”
“Yes, Lady.”
“If you were Ludger, what would you have done?”
“I would have accepted Lady Eckhart’s help. And I would have tried my best to repay it.”
Shanette agreed with me.
Then, there was a different way to resolve this—offering a bonus to Shanette in the guise of gratitude for her service.
Next, Shanette could return home and purchase supplies using the bonus.
How she used the bonus was up to her, but her determination for the task was essential.
“Would you help me?”
Shanette seemed to understand the seriousness of my request and swallowed hard.
“I’m ready, Lady Eckhart. Just tell me what you need.”
I explained the plan to her.
Quick-witted Shanette immediately grasped the situation, especially the part about potentially facing Ludger’s disapproval.
It might not end with mere reprimands.
Angry Ludger could even expel her. I made sure to explain it thoroughly.
“I’ve already made up my mind. Even if I can never step foot in Northern Light again, helping my family and neighbors will be enough.”
Shanette replied with a smile.
She confidently believed in her decision, even if she would regret never returning to her homeland.
Compared to Shanette, I calculated with pure selfishness, thinking:
‘…Shouldn’t I consider Northern Light a little more?’
My desired result is the same.
By helping Northern Light, I can move closer to my revenge against Cesar.
Depending on what I prioritize—revenge against Cesar or aiding Northern Light—it felt as though the expression I wear in the end would change.
Like Shanette, I wanted to save the land and savor only the joy, smiling wholeheartedly.
* * *
Shanette made her decision.
All that was left was to execute the plan.
However, the next day, an order came from Shanette, or rather from all the servants of the Northern Light family.
“All servants are informed. Lady Eckhart’s proposal is to be rejected by everyone.”
Disobeying an order and recklessly proceeding would result in a different level of punishment compared to ignoring a warning. Disregarding the lord’s command would not just result in simple punishment.
I had no idea how my plan had been discovered by Ludger and the butler, but ultimately, Shanette couldn’t assist me.
* * *
The closest land to Northern Light, Refs.
The two territories shared a river.
The river’s waters were scarce, flowing through barren land.
Especially the river in Refs, downstream from Northern Light, often dried up, exposing its bottom.
This year, unusually, heavy rainfall had concentrated on Northern Light.
As a result, Refs’ river swelled, filling reservoirs and significantly increasing crop yields. In fact, the excess crops began to rot, becoming a concern.
‘Northern Light has suffered great damage.’
The heavy rain brought fortune to Refs, but for its neighboring Northern Light, it was a disaster.
I felt uneasy.
‘After receiving Northern Light’s help years ago…’
Unlike this year’s bountiful harvest, a few years back, the reservoir had run dry, causing immense hardship. Northern Light had stepped forward then to provide agricultural water.
Thanks to that, we avoided a poor harvest.
A neighbor who once offered aid was now in trouble.
The lord of Refs checked the letter.
[Due to successive natural disasters, Northern Light is struggling. If you have any remaining food supplies, please consider selling them.]
It was an opportunity to repay the favor.
Naturally, I sent a reply agreeing to the transaction, but shortly after, an envoy from the Emperor arrived.
“His Majesty wishes for the problems of Northern Light to be resolved by the lord himself.”
The command was clear: do not offer assistance.
It seemed the same message had been sent to other neighboring territories as well.
‘Troublesome.’
If the initial letter had been sent without a response, it might have been different.
But the timing was unfortunate—having already sent a positive reply.
If the transaction were unilaterally broken off, the trust in the territory would be compromised.
The troubled lord of Refs met with other lords facing similar dilemmas.
“You’ve received the message too. What will you do?”
“Our territory has already resolved it.”
“Surely you’re not rejecting the deal?”
“No. Pulling out now would damage our territory’s trust. We’ll accept the transaction, but set an impossibly high price that Ludger will refuse. Making sure the Duke rejects it.”
The neighboring lord proposed an absurd price, ten times the average amount.
Refs’ lord gave a bewildered look to the audacious neighbor.
‘Ten times.’
Even after returning to his territory, those words lingered in his mind. It was the simplest solution, but one he couldn’t bring himself to take.
No other clever option came to mind.
In the end, Refs conveyed the same message to Northern Light.
“We must charge one hundred thousand marks per sack for storage.”
It was ten times the average price.
Truth be told, the storage fee was just a flimsy excuse. Refs couldn’t help but lower his head, consumed by self-loathing.
He couldn’t even bear to look at Ludger.
“Is that so?”
But Ludger’s voice, calm as always, showed no hint of distress.
Refs clenched his eyes shut.
His exterior remained stoic, but his inner turmoil burned fiercely. As a lord, he knew the feeling all too well.
‘Disgusting.’
Refs felt as if he might vomit at his own ungratefulness.
Unable to defy the Emperor’s command, he had pushed his benefactor into a pit of despair.
