Chapter 4: The Duke’s Daughter Faces off against Her Brother

Chapter 4:
The Duke’s Daughter Faces off against Her Brother

 

IT HAD BEEN TWO YEARS since I received the memories of my past life. The Azuta Corporation’s profits were, as ever, tremendous. Competing companies had started to crop up, but what was even more amazing was that in the span of a little over a year, my corporation had become a household name. Government reform was moving steadily along as well. The bank had also become popular, and the road work was nearly finished.

The academy’s higher education courses had opened up, attracting quite a lot of students. Even the town quacks were attending the medical courses in earnest. As expected, children of merchants were attending the finance classes and learning about double-entry bookkeeping as well as basic economics. The agriculture classes were also increasing their head count, little by little.

And let’s not forget the opening of the elementary school. The children from the orphanage were students there, and the last time I went to visit, they actually read me a picture book. Furthermore, those extortionists and human traffickers the guards arrested that day were being worked to the bone doing “hard labor.” We didn’t have nearly enough taxes to just let them sit in a jail cell all day.

My days passed by in a blur; the world turned, and the seeds we’d sown started to sprout. Yes, time moved on. And yet, for some reason, my mother and grandfather remained. Don’t get me wrong, it was fine. Mother used her excellent taste to advise and propose ideas for the Azuta Corporation’s developments, and thanks to Grandfather’s training, the security force grew ever sharper.

It was fine…but it made me wonder if everything was all right with them. I mean, they had their own social circles and lives to lead. I couldn’t just throw them out or anything, though. I supposed as long as they were fine with how things were too, there was nothing to worry about.

 

***

 

That is, until one day, when our peace finally broke.

“Mother! What is the meaning of this?!”

As I was enjoying a relaxing tea break with my mother, someone suddenly intruded: my brother, Berne. He hadn’t changed a bit since I last saw him.

Mother gave him the cold shoulder. She refused to even look at him. “Our teatime is being disturbed. Remove him.”

Oh dear, her tone had changed again. Internally, I began to sweat. The servants, overwhelmed by Mother’s intensity yet unable to lift a finger against the duke’s eldest son, wrung their hands in panic. That is, all except for Tanya. She alone stepped forward to remove my brother. Before she could, though, Berne stomped forward and opened his mouth, ready to declare war.

“Don’t try to cover this up,” he snapped. “Tell me the real reason.”

“I explained myself in my letter,” Mother said. “I’m not feeling well, so I’m spending some time in our country estate. For that reason, I simply cannot attend.”

“Hmph… Yet here you are, drinking tea. Doesn’t seem very sickly to me. And to refuse an invitation from the royal family… Are you trying to ruin my house?”

Berne probably thought he had taken an unassailable position. I could see it on his face. Unfortunately, I doubted Mother would bend so easily.

She put down her cup and shot Berne a frigid look. “You forget yourself. ‘My house’? You have not inherited the title of duke. You have no right to say such a thing.”

A powerful blow. And totally correct, to boot. Berne seemed taken aback. For a moment, his eyes narrowed in anger. “As the one who will inherit the title, I’m warning you because I care for the future of our duchy.”

“Hold your tongue. You, worried about the future of the duchy? Hmph. Then you must have an excellent reason for not returning home during your vacation to see your father. Surely you weren’t hanging around the second prince and that baron’s daughter, in clear dereliction of your duties.”

“I—”

“Furthermore, I received permission from the queen dowager herself to absent myself from said party. Or do you think yourself so important that you can object to the decisions of royalty?”

“…!”

Yeah, I had to give this one to Mother. Besides, even if a party was held by the royal family, invitees were always free not to attend, although hardly anyone ever refused. The queen dowager tended to support my mother’s wishes either way. Not even another royal would push back against her.

Mother frowned ever so slightly. “Honestly, breaking it off with my daughter and then inviting me to the engagement party for his new fiancée? Has the prince any dignity left? Not even two years later, and they’re already engaged. The queen dowager expressed her deepest sympathies. She even offered the prime minister a chance to decline.” The prime minister, if you’ll recall, was my father. “However, I suspect he will attend due to his position. That would be more than enough of a condescension for our house.”

Ah… So, the baron’s daughter and Prince Edward were finally engaged? It had been almost two years since that fateful day. They were all over each other, too, so it must have been quite an ordeal to wait two years.

“Furthermore, how dare you show up and raise your voice at me? A travesty. But I suppose we know where you picked up such gross misbehavior.”

Berne’s face went red. Ohhh dear. I’d never seen him so mad. It had to be because of Yuri. “Mother, there are certain things even you can’t be forgiven for saying.”

“Heh…” Mother’s expression remained hard. “So you would speak ill of your own mother as well? Just as you did your sister?”

Berne did his best to mount a counterattack, but nothing fazed Mother. Not even the second prince and his followers could slander her. The queen dowager would never allow it.

“Your actions lately have disappointed me, Berne,” Mother went on. “Your father agrees, of course. If you don’t shape up, I can’t guarantee you won’t be disinherited. Your sister is doing quite excellently as governor, so we would have nothing to fear, should it come to that.”

For the first time, she smiled at Berne. But this smile instilled fear, not happiness.

“Wouldn’t that be fortunate for you? Then you would be able to spend all your time with that baron’s daughter you so adore. Oh! But without your position, you’ll have nothing to offer her, so perhaps she’ll simply abandon you.”

“That’s…impossible,” Berne spat. “Why was Iris even appointed acting governor? As an insult to the woman who will one day be queen? She should be stripped of her titles and exiled—immediately.”

“Why, I cannot say what the future holds,” said Mother. “For now, this would-be queen of yours is but a baron’s daughter. And it is unthinkable for a mere baron’s daughter to raise a hand to a ducal house. If it weren’t for the second prince and your habitual besmirching of our family name, we would have long since crushed House Neuer with impunity.”

Huh. Here I’d thought they were holding back because of the second prince, but apparently Mother and Father had been thinking about Berne’s feelings as well. That made sense. The person they wished to punish was still dear to a member of our family, and it would be shameful to engage in a public battle with one’s own kin.

“The authority your father bestowed upon Iris makes her his equal in Armelia. Thus you, a boy not involved with the Armelian government, have no right to demand such things. We have no need of someone who not only fails to understand his own place but refuses to work for his family.”

“I don’t accept this! Let me meet with my sister.”

Uh…what? I was sitting right here. I thought he’d been ignoring me this whole time, but I supposed I was wrong. Had he even forgotten what I looked like?

“And what would you do then? Demand she relinquish the governorship? You haven’t the right to even utter those words. Nor do you have the right to call Iris your sister.”

Mother exhaled derisively and took another sip of tea. I glanced over at Tanya and saw confusion in her eyes. She likely wondered why I wasn’t already raging about my disrespectful brother showing up and blithely throwing about news of my ex-fiancé’s engagement party.

I, too, had long thought that the moment I saw Berne I’d berate him, insult him, even slap him. But now that he was actually before me, I felt…nothing. I was just empty. At this point, he was as insignificant to me as a pebble on the side of the road. After that fateful day, we had become total strangers; I had erased his existence from my heart.

Oh, but I did agonize quite often about whether he might come back with his foolish notions and try to take over the duchy, and had found myself wishing he’d stay away.

“Pardon me. My lady, it’s time for your meeting with Sei.” Tanya called out to me amidst the awkwardness. Was it that time already? I hadn’t been able to relax at all, thanks to Berne’s intrusion.

“Mother, I need to leave. Please, try to enjoy your day.”

“Indeed, I will. Oh, Iris, dear, could you take this foolish son of mine away with you?”

“Huh?” She was talking about Berne, right? But why?

Mother smiled gently. “Show him how hard you work and shut his mouth for good. If he continues to complain, then you can kick him out. Tanya, I’ll expect your help if it comes to that.”

“Understood.” She’d do it without issue, too. Ah, well. I supposed I could always shoo him away if he got annoying. Whatever!

“You heard the lady,” I said in a clipped tone. “Let’s go, Berne.”

“Huh? Are you…Iris?” Berne gawked at me in disbelief. He really had forgotten what I looked like.

“That’s right. Who else would be taking tea with Mother? Now I’m busy, so get a move on.”

I headed directly for the study. Inside, Sei was already waiting for me. He frowned upon seeing Berne following close behind me, but he quickly changed gears and handed me his report. I scanned through it.

“The confectionary department is dropping a bit,” I said.

“Over time, shops selling similar products have started to appear,” Sei explained. “And their price points are much lower than ours—to attract sales, apparently.”

“There’s no reason to lower our prices just for that. The consumers will continue to buy our product as long as it is of quality.”

“Some have suggested we lower what we spend on ingredients.”

“No. Even from a cost standpoint, our price is fair. Rather than lowering it and ruining our relationship with the farmers, we should maintain our relationship with them and secure quality stock.”

When managing a business, one must pursue profit. However, as governor, I didn’t want to diminish the profits of my farmers. It would be one thing if we sold our products at outrageous markups, but I believed we charged a fair price.

“Investigate whether there’s a reason other than price differential for the revenue drop. Take a look at our competitors’ products and review our own. Now, how is the progress on next week’s cake?”

“We are all set to begin distribution next week. At first we were unsure if the people would be interested in ‘birthday cakes,’ but cakes have been normalized in part thanks to the tea shops, so advertising has gone well. We’re currently drowning in orders.”

The slogan for our campaign read: “A special cake for a special day.” Namely, birthdays and wedding anniversaries. People could preorder a cake, as well as choose the shape and cream from a number of samples. They could even order decorations.

“That’s good to hear. Please inform me as to what sort of questions our customers have.”

“I have those right here.”

Sei handed me a document, and I scanned it. “Most of these seem to be about how to preorder and when we’ll start selling. Excellent. If this works, it should bring up the confectionary department’s sales a bit. How is our inventory?”

“As you instructed, we’ve lowered prices on older designs. That’s been clearing out inventory fairly well.”

“I see. Ideally, we’ll have no leftovers. Continue to follow the sales numbers and lower our production so they just barely match. In particular, we’ll be able to sell seasonally limited items at a premium due to scarcity.”

“Understood.”

“The beauty department continues to impress, I see,” I murmured. “Still unable to keep up with demand for hair conditioning packs, huh?”

“Indeed. All the stores are sold out.”

“Increase production slightly on all beauty products, then. How is our series expansion going?”

“With all speed on both counts, my lady. To the latter, the honey and rose series are currently on sale. Next up will be the lily and lavender series.”

These “series” were a line of products like shampoo and conditioners that all included a certain item, such as honey or rose. We also sold customizable packages and containers.

“I see. Be sure to keep renewing our warning campaign. We want people to stop using these products if they happen to be allergic, and they should understand that each series will best suit a different sort of skin and body type.”

“Understood.”

“And bring the reports from the shops to me later—both the financial and seasonal reports. I’ll look them over this evening.”

Sei bowed, his obedience implicit, and then left the room.

My, Berne’s been quiet, I thought, but I turned to find Tanya had gagged him with a handkerchief. Oh, dear… How long had that been going on? It surely wasn’t necessary. Berne’s eyes were wide, and he seemed to be in awe. I gave Tanya a look that said Release him, and she immediately did so, though clearly not happily.

“Are you trying to catch flies with that mouth?” I asked. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Iris, you run a corporation?”

“Indeed. It was my idea and my creation, so it’s only natural that I run it.”

Before Berne could summon a response, there was a knock on the study door.

“Come in,” I said.

Moneda swept in. His brow furrowed for a moment when he spotted Berne, but he promptly ignored my brother. “I have a few things I’d like to discuss,” he said. “I checked with Tanya, and she said you would be free now.”

“That I am. Now, what is it?”

“I have the price surveys for the duchy. As you can see, the price of goods is rising slightly.”

“Very slightly. Yet simultaneously, the value of currency is slowly dropping.”

“Yes. So, as to when to raise our interest rates…”

“I don’t believe that’s necessary yet. We may be seeing inflation, but only a small amount. Right now, it’s important to keep the price of goods on the streets stable. When consumption increases, companies will borrow more money from the bank to expand their businesses. If we increase our interest rates, we risk killing the momentum they worked so hard to build.”

“You have a point.”

“Hold another meeting with your people at the bank and talk this out,” I instructed. “Explain the balance as I did, and if they still wish to increase the rates, ask that they formulate a reason I can accept.”

“Understood. Thank you.”

“Um, Iris…” Berne mumbled.

“What is it?”

“The bank is that financial institution the guild recently established in Armelia, right? Why are you making decisions regarding how it’s run?”

“We have lost over ten seconds to your pointless question,” Moneda said coldly.

Well, I supposed that wasn’t entirely unwarranted.

“You think every little query of yours deserves a response?” Moneda went on. “Do a little research on your own and you’ll find the answer easily enough. It is unthinkable for a man in your position not to know. And you say you want to succeed Duke Armelia?”

I waited for Berne to yell at Moneda for his impudence, but my friend seemed to have struck a nerve with my brother. Berne stayed silent.

“This time, just once, I’ll make an exception,” Moneda said once he saw Berne cowed. “It was your sister who suggested the bank and saw to its establishment. Thus, of course I come to her with questions. Now, Lady Iris, I’ll take your advice to the next meeting. Is that all right?”

“Of course. I look forward to your next report.”

The second Moneda left, Sebastian took his place. “My lady. I’ve come to summarize the latest government meeting for you.”

“Yes, I’ve been waiting for this. How are things at Borsa?”

“They are discussing easing tariffs. The duchy’s most profitable products are grain, livestock, cacao, and a variety of other fruits. However, other territories are presently unable to match our production. Furthermore, our research efforts continue to produce higher quality seeds of grain, and our stockpiles are full to bursting. Even if we did ease tariffs, they believe it wouldn’t have a meaningfully detrimental effect on our economy.”

“I see… And are there any merits to an easement?”

“As of now, our territory has no means of producing or refining its own metal. Therefore, Borsa believes we could see incredible benefits from being able to import metal more cheaply. We are also increasing sea trade per your instructions. Many of the products brought in by ship are fruits that cannot be grown within the duchy, and we believe selling them in our domestic market could significantly increase local profits.”

“Understood. That said, we must proceed with caution. Consider the current trend of inflation as you go forward.” I nodded. “All right. First, submit the minutes from the meeting on the income tax draft to me. I’ll instruct you later on the right timing to introduce it.”

“Understood.”

“Now, as to Abitante. Once the census is complete, have them move on to a survey of landownership. I want to see who owns what and clarify property rights. Just like the census, this will be an official document that will be compiled and left to future generations, so you must be thorough.”

“Of course. Abitante officers are presently informing the people of this survey. They have been told to explain that they are asking for your cooperation in official government business. It won’t be long until a full analysis is under way.”

“It will be quite valuable. Now, what about the operating ratios of each region’s elementary schools?”

“Quite increased, my lady. Attendance is free, after all. There are still regions where a school hasn’t yet been opened, which will likely be an issue in the future.”

“Have Architetto look into it. What about textbooks?”

“They’ve been divided into multiple levels. However, children from ages seven to twelve attend the same classes, and officials are discussing separating them by age and level of knowledge.”

“Excellent. Make the age of admittance universally seven. Regular attendance will allow a student to advance one academic year. Although, could they introduce a system of tests at the start and end of each year, and allow especially well read or gifted students to pass into higher levels?”

“I will suggest that right away.”

“All right, then just summarize the income tax draft meeting for me. Oh, right. Mother’s instructed me to show Berne my work. Take him with you to Borsa and have him consolidate the tax yields from each region.”

It was exhausting having daggers glared into my back. I wanted Berne out of my study already. Besides, he had always been the top scorer in all his classes at the academy. He was more than capable of simple calculations.

“Get going, Berne. Put the number one brain at the academy to good use,” I said.

“Of course…” He rose unsteadily and followed Sebastian, the life gone from his eyes.

Ah, I could finally relax.

“Are you sure about this?” Tanya asked as she poured me tea.

“Sure about what?”

“Involving that man in governmental affairs.”

“It’s fine. We’re not here to withhold information. Besides, even a deluded sycophant should be able to add and subtract. Sebastian will be with him, too, and he should catch any funny business. Obviously, I know I can’t show my brother much of Azuta… Ah, perhaps that’s why Sei only reported previously publicized information.”

Berne was my brother, but I trusted him barely as far as I could throw him. For that reason, I wouldn’t let him touch my corporation. However, the motto for my version of Armelian government was “transparent service.” Save for military matters and some other state secrets, we took no pains to conceal information from the public.

“Plus, Lyle will be here soon. His security force’s business is sensitive information. If my brother happened to leak anything Lyle had to say to the second prince or his entourage, it might cause trouble. I was looking for an excuse to get Berne out of the way.”

“Indeed. I should have expected as much from you, my lady.”

 

***

 

With all my meetings done for the day, all that was left was to settle in and check through my documents. I didn’t feel like eating dinner with my brother, and I was particularly busy, so I had Tanya bring me something light. She and Mother didn’t say anything, but they surely knew how I felt. Outside, it was dark, and the room was dimly lit by the light of my lamp. I really needed to start wearing glasses. Lately, as sad as it was to admit, writing had started to appear a bit fuzzy. I supposed it was to be expected after all the staring I did at pages and pages of tiny handwriting.

Someone knocked at the door, and I bid them enter. To my inward dismay, it was Berne.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

“You’re still working?” he asked.

“Yes, as you can see.”

“Is your schedule always like this?”

“It’s lightened a little since Mother and Grandfather came. In the beginning, I was up and at it every hour of the day.”

It felt like forever since the last time I had talked with my brother like this. We had been separated for two years, but even before that, he’d spent all his time with his nose up the second prince’s butt, so we’d hardly said two words to each other.

“I see…” Berne muttered.

“May I ask you something now?” I said.

“What?”

“Why did you support the second prince on that day?”

“Why?” Berne frowned. “Because of what you did to Yuri.”

“Because I criticized her and spread rumors, then. So, you knew the effect your actions would have, but you went through with it anyway?”

“…”

“If you want to be prime minister in Father’s stead one day, you need to think more about cause and effect—not just the major consequences, either, but all the rippling side effects of your actions. I don’t know much about what you get up to in the royal capital. I don’t want to, either. However, I know people don’t like it. Presently, no one wants to hand you the governorship, and don’t even dream about being prime minister.”

Grandfather had said as much once, when he let a small thing slip: “Louis is doing fine work. Berne, on the other hand…”

“It’s a vassal’s duty to execute the wishes of the royal family,” Berne said stiffly.

“The prime minister’s role is to move the country in accordance with the king’s will,” I allowed. “However, it is also their job to risk their own neck to warn the king when he might be making a mistake. You speak of executing the royal family’s will. Have you no other emotions?”

Berne said nothing. I could have left it at that. But I couldn’t stop thinking of House Armelia and our long line of proud prime ministers. I valued our role in the kingdom—the power, and the responsibility. If I wanted to preserve those, I needed to correct my brother’s course.

“Having emotions and being moved by them are two different things,” I said. “I was driven by terrible jealousy to trouble Yuri the way I did, and I reaped the consequences. I lost all my allies, and I was expelled from the academy. Back then, you stood with the crowd who condemned me. Yet I have to wonder if you aren’t on track to end up just as I did.” I looked back down at my papers. “That’s all from me. Do you have any other questions?”

“No…”

“I see. Then you’re dismissed. I still have work, so I can’t chat.”

Berne left, and I heaved a deep sigh. I was so tired. When Berne was around, I kept seeing the shadow of Prince Edward and his hangers-on.

There was another knock at the door. Who could it be this time?

“Pardon me,” my next guest said as he entered.

“Oh, Sebastian. What is it?”

“I noticed the light was still on in this room. My lady, you need to sleep.”

I waved him off. “I just need a little longer. I want to go through this report from the academy of higher education. It’s about the agricultural research you spoke of today. These people are amazing. Their methodology is so thorough, and they always get results. It’s a joy to watch.”

“You did quite a bit of good, bringing all those lone minds together to discuss and experiment alongside each other. I, too, am excited to see what they come up with.”

“Indeed. All these things I never knew, could never imagine… When I see it written down, I’m continually surprised.”

“So there are things you don’t know, then?” Sebastian mused.

“Oh, Sebastian. Of course there are. Financial topics aside, I’m absolutely useless when it comes to agriculture and medicine. That’s why I created an institute for higher education and research—to leave these things to the experts.”

On my own, I had plenty of limits. It was best to leave certain paths to the pros.

“And over here is—”

“The report from Borsa,” I said. “I’ve already read it. We need to investigate more.”

Considering its nature, we had to think about the effects over the long-term. Just looking at the report jumbled my brain. Right now, what I really needed was someone to discuss and argue about these things with, so I could get my own thoughts in order.

“Of course.”

“By the way, Sebastian. How was Berne today?”

“He accomplished every task given to him with aplomb.”

“I see…”

“Just between you and me, while we were at Borsa, he asked about you. ‘Does my sister always work this much? Why is she working so hard?’”

“A bit rude…”

“I suspect he was simply shocked. At the academy, Lord Berne basked under the title of ‘prodigy.’ Yet it was all he could do to keep up with the conversations held in your study. It must have made an impact to see you at work, surrounded by your papers.”

“You understand him well.”

“I’ve watched over him since he was a young boy. His expressions are simply read.”

True enough. Sebastian had served our family since before my brother and I were born, and he had watched over us as we grew. In some sense, he was like another parent.

“And I’m sure you noticed him staring at you.”

“I did.” Thanks to that staring, I was more exhausted than usual.

“That was because he was observing you as keenly as he could. When he left the room, he was so shocked that he could hardly stand.”

“Well, hopefully he learned something.” If my mornings knocked him for a loop, then I truly would have loved for him to spend a day learning from Father.

“I believe he did.”

Was that what Mother was after? Berne was prideful and couldn’t hide his thoughts. I worried that when he returned to the capital and rejoined the second prince, his brain would once more turn to mush. But as long as he attended the academy, he would have to return to the capital.

“Thank you for this chat, Sebastian. It was enjoyable, and I’m feeling a little hopeful now.” I yawned. “But you’re right, I should get some sleep.”

 

***

 

A few days later, Berne and I went to visit the higher-level academy. I was there because of the report the other day; I wanted to see what it was like for myself. I wasn’t sure why I’d brought Berne along. I supposed you could say I had some small hope that he would learn something new.

Also with us were my grandfather, Tanya, and Lyle. The academy was in a corner of the city. It was about as large as the duke’s mansion. The building was of simple construction, made from sturdy stone. Class was not yet in session, because it was quite noisy inside.

“Why am I here…?” Berne, however, was being annoying.

Was Sebastian being too optimistic? I wondered as I resolved to ignore him.

“Why is there even an academy for commoners?” he went on.

Now that infuriated me. “If you’re feeling so condescending, Berne, I encourage you to attend a class,” I said lightly. “I’ll square it with the headmaster. But you’re forbidden to mention our family name. Grandfather, I’m sorry, but could you mind him?”

Here, no one would recognize him or Berne. Grandfather nodded, and he dragged Berne into a random classroom. Ah, peace and quiet.

“Lady Iris, why did you bother bringing him?” Tanya also seemed to be a bit irritated, her tone thorny.

“I’m starting to wonder why as well.”

But it was no use dwelling on the past. Moving forward, I proceeded into the headmaster’s office.

“It’s good to see you again. Is this the first time we’ve met on campus?” I asked.

Sitting across from me was the academy’s highest administrator, Headmaster Luka Samosa. He came off as an easygoing, good-natured old man. The second son of a noble, he loved academics and research to the detriment of all his noble responsibilities and had eventually been disowned by his family. Thus, Samosa was a surname he’d come up with on his own. I didn’t think I could have found a more suitable headmaster.

“It is good to see you too, my lady,” he said. “I believe the last time we met was when you appointed me headmaster.”

“Oh…was it? So, how are you finding your work?”

“It’s wonderful. Quite a blessing to be able to meet the young people taking paths I’ve previously tread—and pushing beyond the point I made it to. It is a gathering place for those who aspire to great heights, after all.”

“I’m glad you seem so satisfied, Headmaster Luka. Have you had any difficulty running the academy?”

“The word headmaster is just a title. It is the people you employed who truly run this academy, which allows me to focus on teaching. I am tremendously satisfied.”

“I see… Then please, tell me about the lives your students live.”

“Pardon, ma’am?”

“Please. Strip away all formality and give me your honest thoughts.”

“My, my… What purpose might that serve, I wonder.”

“Ah, well… It’s just the sad wish of a foolish woman forced to give up her schooling, one who hopes to revisit those days she lost.”

“In that case, my lady, allow me to talk your ear off.”

And talk my ear off he did. He told me about the experiments, the debates. This academy placed a high value on practical skills, so theory-driven courses were balanced out with rigorous practicums. I also learned the many forms of debate they taught. Luka really seemed to be enjoying himself. If this was an indication of how much he saw in our academy’s future, then I could be happy.

“But most of all, our success is driven by the passion of our students. They attend out of a thirst for knowledge, rather than because anyone forced them. This has led to an overall increase in devotion to their subject matter. At first, there were tensions between the rich and poor, but the demands of our institution are far too grueling to allow anyone to fuss over such things for too long. Now, rather than an academy, it’s like we’ve become a research machine. Lately, even priests of the Darryl Church have attended.”

His last words surprised me. Priests, here? Those of the Darryl Church usually cut themselves off from the material world, and they were practically never seen outside Church activities. Then again, that had changed quite a bit since the pope joined the noble sphere. For the normal priests, however, things were the same… Or so I’d believed.

“Why, that’s odd to hear,” I said.

“Indeed. They come for the medical classes. They claim to seek the knowledge to save forsaken children, and they study quite hard.”

“Goodness…”

I chatted with Headmaster Luca for a while longer before excusing myself just as first period ended. As I walked down the hall, I spotted one of the aforementioned priests. He was wearing his vestments, so there was no mistaking him.

“Father, are you a student here as well?” I called out to him, and he turned to me with a blank look. “Pardon me,” I said, “but I’m still debating whether to attend this academy. Thus, I’ve come for a tour.”

“Oh, I see. This place is wonderful, you know. It’s full of opportunities and teachers to help you learn as much as your heart desires,” he replied.

“Really… If you don’t mind me asking, why is it you come to this academy?”

“I’ve always freely offered my services as a doctor to the people of the city. Unfortunately, there were just so many cases where I lacked the knowledge to be of meaningful help. I was feeling powerless and then I heard about this place.”

“You have a good heart, Father.”

“No, this is only the natural obligation of one who serves God.”

He had a nice smile. I’d meant what I said about his heart, too. The Church was a shield for the people. A hand of salvation for the poor. They offered meals to those in need and cared for the sick. However, at present, only a small arm of the Church still devoted themselves to these services. It was especially bad in the royal capital, in my opinion. Once we’d started treating the pope’s family like nobility, this change had been inevitable.

I continued walking until I spotted my grandfather and Berne. Grandfather seemed to be as fine as when I’d left him, but Berne appeared a bit tired.

“Looks like they chewed you up and spat you out,” I said.

“What in the world are these classes?” he muttered.

“Oh? Were they that surprising?”

He fell amazingly quiet at this.

“The subjects here are all directly tied to daily life, like medicine and agriculture,” I said. “It’s for that reason that everyone studies so intently. They want to make their own lives better and enrich the lives of those they care for. You asked why this place exists, and now you’ve experienced it for yourself. Having a clear goal gives the students great motivation to achieve.”

“Iris, why did you build this place?”

I frowned at him. “All you ever ask is why. But fine. The more people who study here and gain knowledge, the more that knowledge will spread among our people. It might take some time, but in ten or twenty years, the Armelian standard of living will surely rise. As governor, I believe it’s necessary to look toward that future.”

Berne fell silent again, considering this. He stayed quiet even on the way home. I just hoped he had learned something.

And with that, it was time for me to get back to my normal life as well.

 

***

 

After staying with us for a few more days, my brother gave up on changing our mother’s mind and left. The royal engagement party would be held as planned without issue, even if Mother and the queen dowager didn’t attend. However, without them, it would be difficult to call the party a success.

In the following weeks, the baron’s daughter became Prince Edward’s fiancée in truth. As usual, the first prince refused to step into the public eye, even at this development. Furthermore, this year, the second prince would graduate. I heard a lot more about him and his exploits than of the first prince, who remained hidden.

The second prince’s allies were all the most “noble” of nobles. In other words, they came from long bloodlines and attended numerous tea parties and balls. Perhaps that was why I heard about them more. Incidentally, most of their families were in desperate financial straits. They spent profusely and had no real income to speak of. I came by this information via the Azuta Corporation. Basically, the unflattering truth was that the second prince’s allies were a bunch of penniless mendicants coasting on their vaunted past.

In contrast, the first prince’s allies were mostly made up of new houses that had risen in the ranks thanks to their noteworthy contributions to the kingdom, or nobles who focused on local enterprises. It was for this reason that even in the palace, the attention-seeking second prince’s allies were doing their best to make their presence felt. I could only hope it wasn’t causing Father too much stress. Speaking of which, Mother said she would be returning to the capital soon, now that the engagement party was over and done with.

As for me, I was still as heinously busy as ever. It would be lonely without Mother around. I found myself wishing we could relax together a little longer.

 

***

 

“Huh? This document…”

“What is it, my lady?”

“Oh, I was just surprised. It’s so well structured. The writing is clear and forward, and the inclusion of comparative data makes for easy reference. Who put this together?”

The document in question was a report on equipment to be purchased for the academy. It calculated the total cost of each individual piece combined, which was a fairly simple task. Yet the report before me went above and beyond. First of all, not only did it record the items I had specifically requested, it compared prices set by different companies based on buying routes and shipping cost. Everything I would have asked for after the fact had already been delivered to me.

“A temporary hire at the merchant guild, my lady. His performance has been highly rated.”

“Hm… Is this person also capable of accounting?”

“I couldn’t say if they’re practiced, but they are from the merchant guild. I suspect they would pick it up quickly enough.”

“Then have them handle this.”

I passed him a record of the duchy’s tax revenue. I was currently trying to unify all records going back ten years into one document, but it was slow going. What was really sucking up my time was determining our future policy. However, collecting past records and preserving them would help in estimating future tax revenue for the whole duchy, so I wanted to get the job done as soon as possible. My goal was to compile reports from the villages and towns, consolidate them to calculate the duchy’s revenue, then deduct from that total the expenses of running the government as well as the money my household spent.

Previously, reports had been accepted and, if there were no issues, filed away. However, while these records were periodically confirmed and recorded, they were not organized; hence my current workload.

“I shall deliver this, then.”

“Find out his name for me, too. If you find yourself with some time, that is.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Sebastian took the documents and exited the room.

There are some interesting people out there, I thought idly to myself as I stared at the pile of papers on my desk.

 

***

 

Three weeks passed, and I still couldn’t forget that temporary hire at the merchant guild. They displayed such skill that I got excited just thinking about the next time they’d submit a report. However, it was now slightly late, and I couldn’t help feeling disappointed. I felt two weeks should have been more than enough for the amount of work I put before them.

“Pardon me.” As I was doing battle with my own pile of papers in the study, Sebastian entered. “The tax revenue record is finished, so I’ve brought it to you.”

“I see. I’ll look at it later.”

“No, I believe you should look at it immediately.” He sounded so serious, and a bit shocked.

Apprehensive, I took the documents. The stack was thick and heavy. The moment I saw the words on the first page, I couldn’t look away.

“What…is this?” I was so surprised I could hardly speak. My fingers itched to flip to the next page, and I devoured the contents. “And the initial record I handed you?”

“It’s over here.”

I quickly compared the two. “Good heavens… Sebastian, you verified this before coming to me?”

“Yes. That’s the reason I insisted you read it.”

“What’s the name of the person who wrote this?”

“He calls himself Dean.”

“I see. Could you summon him? Right away, if you please.”

“Of course. I’ll be right back. Just a few minutes, my lady.”

Sebastian exited the room. After he left, I heaved a deep sigh. Then, I looked at the front page of the document again.

Fraudulent Budget Applications. The subject line bowled me over. The text went on to list subsidiary aid given to each village and town that submitted a shortfall in their budget estimate. From those, it highlighted an application from one specific town. There was nothing especially suspicious about this single request. It had been approved, as had past applications from the same town. However, when one gathered every application this town had ever submitted, they were requesting financial aid far more frequently than any other town in the duchy.

For example, the first highlighted application requested aid with produce. In their application, they claimed nothing had grown that season and thus they required financial assistance to survive. It wasn’t rare for the ducal house to provide such funds at times like these. Historically, feudal lords had been generous with their citizens, within a certain price range.

The thing was, the nearest town to the one submitting the request, which shared an agricultural region, didn’t make any similar claims. Furthermore, the author had investigated the town’s agricultural exports, specifically as they were used to pay taxes, and had found the suspicious town grew nothing its neighbors didn’t also grow. Not only that, the author had found multiple expense claims in the town’s budget that seemed shady at best.

It had been many years—perhaps generations—since any central Armelian official visited the outlying towns to inspect their goings-on. So long as an application was bureaucratically sound and the estimated budget fell within reasonable bounds, it was approved. For myself, I had allowed my government to focus exclusively on new developments, and we had failed to see the fault at our feet. The report went on to include past cases of this town’s fraudulent claims that were now too old to truly confirm one way or another.

While I looked over the report again, I heard a knock. Sebastian entered with a man about my age, or perhaps a little older, in tow. His blond hair and emerald-green eyes were stunning. His physique complemented his good looks, and I imagined a girl with more time could have stared at him for hours.

“Nice to meet you,” I said. “My name is Iris. Iris Lana Armelia. I’ve been appointed acting governor of these lands.”

“It is an honor. My name is Dean. I’ve been working for you on the recommendation of the merchant guild.” He gave me a friendly smile, but I sensed something off about it. It was as if he wished to mask his true personality.

“What company were you previously employed by?”

“Oh, I’m still studying, so I only work part-time. Before that, I learned reading, writing, and arithmetic from a family friend.”

“I see. Let’s get straight to the point, then. How did you come to spot these incongruencies?”

“At first, I was simply following instructions and reading through old reports, comparing data, and recording incomes and expenditures into one document. However, as I was compiling the numbers, the reports from one town stuck out to me. I began to wonder if a town of that scale required the sort of budget they requested.”

“Were you familiar with the town before you began working here?”

“I’ve never visited. I can identify it on a map, though.”

“I see. Now, what do you recommend I do about this?”

“Ideally, implement a system that employs a third party to oversee the use of financial aid. That said, I realize the difficulty in devising such an organization from scratch. Perhaps the duties could be appended to a minister’s responsibilities.”

I got chills. His interest wasn’t punishment for the specific crime but in addressing the system such that the crime could not be replicated. That was exactly what I wanted to hear.

Inspired, I muttered to myself as I once more looked down at the documents. “Perhaps we should make it mandatory for town and village mayors to attend the higher education courses on finance. Abitante is currently assessing land ownership and clarifying property rights, so… Yes, let’s do that immediately. The rural areas can then calculate expected revenue, and we can incorporate that into future reports in order to better assess—”

“I don’t know much about these finance classes, but will these mayors be able to take on the responsibility of the curriculum in addition to their present duties?” Dean interrupted.

“You have a point. We’ll have to consider their schedules. Perhaps we can begin by stipulating that detailed lists of expenditures be included with applications. In that case, we should ensure that shops keep ledgers to certify proof of purchase.”

“That would be difficult to implement. Larger companies are one thing, but small businesses…”

“Indeed. For now, the detailed expenditures will have to do. We can see how things go from there.”

Additional budget applications aside, in the past, yearly budgets had been approved with an “Okay, use it on whatever” attitude. The funds we dispensed came from taxes taken from the citizenry. We needed a new management system—one that would prevent future scandals.

But what to do about this particular incident? Who had embezzled, and how far did the rot extend? It seemed to have been going on until just before I came into power, so I had to punish these criminals to make an example of them.

Perhaps I’ll just leave it to Dean, I thought. But he wasn’t a government official, and I knew next to nothing about him. Despite that, I still considered giving him the authority to carry out this massive undertaking. As I hemmed and hawed, I heard a knock at the door.

“Pardon me. Iris, dear, I wanted to speak to you about that beauty lotion you gave me…” In came my mother. “Oh?”

The moment she entered, the sight of Dean made her pause.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, ma’am,” he said. “The last time we met was at Marquis Anderson’s, wasn’t it?”

“Y-yes… I believe so. It’s been so long that I was taken aback.”

Her words surprised me. “Mother, have you met Dean before?”

“Yes, through your grandfather.”

He knew…Grandfather? I looked at Dean curiously, and he smiled awkwardly.

“I often went to train in martial arts at Marquis Anderson’s thanks to a family connection. That’s when I met your mother.”

“Oh, I see…” Did that mean he was someone of lineage?

“What are you doing here, then, if I may ask?” Mother asked.

“I’m a temporary hire via the merchant guild, ma’am. Lady Iris had some questions about the report I submitted.”

“Oh, really?” Mother eyed me.

“Dean, could you leave us for a bit?” I asked. “I must address my mother’s questions. During that time, can you double-check these documents?”

“Of course.”

When Dean was gone, I rounded on my mother. “Mother, what do you think of Dean?”

“What do I think? He’s a wonderful man.”

True, I found myself instinctively agreeing—but only for a moment. “That’s not what I mean. What I’m asking is…”

“I’m joking.” She smiled. “I think he’s trustworthy. If you want, ask your grandfather about him.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary. I’ll trust your word. Thank you.”

Mother had an eye for people, unlike me. But most importantly, she and Grandfather already knew Dean. In that case, I didn’t need to worry about his character.

I answered her questions about the lotion, and she suggested a few ideas for new products. Before she left, she told me not to push myself. Once she was gone, I jotted down the ideas I’d voiced out loud earlier. The scratching of pen on paper filled the room.

“Pardon me. I finished my checks, so I came back,” said Dean at the door.

“Oh, good timing. Dean, would you mind if I appointed you the official in charge of this matter?”

His eyes widened with surprise for a second, then he grinned wryly again. “I would like nothing more than to assist, but unfortunately, I cannot stay here for long.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“My family requires my help. Every now and again, I have to go home and attend to them.”

“I see… What sort of duties does that entail?”

I didn’t want to give up, so I dug deeper. I had just been thinking of hiring more people. And who should appear before me but a man I could entrust with a large amount of work without training? He also came with my family’s seal of approval, to boot. I couldn’t let him slip away.

“The family business. That’s the reason I joined the merchant guild to study.”

“Yes. Before, you said ‘every now and again,’ didn’t you?”

“I… Yes, I did.”

“Then, Dean, I don’t mind if you return to your family whenever you need. But once your work for them is done, could you please come back here and resume your position in Armelia?”

His eyes went even wider at my proposal—and, more likely, at my refusal to back down. I realized I was getting ahead of myself a little. Still, I really didn’t want to give up on him. Plus, my government hadn’t thus far placed especially tight restrictions on its officials.

“When you return, we can write you up a short-term employment contract,” I said as a compromise. “If you can inform me prior to your arrival, I can make the necessary arrangements. As for pay, we can calculate it based on the number of days you work in an official capacity.”

“Are you sure about this?” he asked.

“That’s what I want to ask you,” I said. “Is that good enough? If you have any other conditions, please tell me. So, will you accept?”

“Very well. It’s a pleasure to be in your employ.”

And with that, I’d scouted my first talent, albeit on an irregular schedule.

 

***

 

The next day, I visited the city again. It had been too long since my last trip. But for once my schedule was surprisingly empty, and Lyle and Dida happened to be home. All together, my group consisted of me, Lyle, Dida, Tanya, and Dean. A bit of a crowd, I realize, but Grandfather had been forced to return to his estate, so I had to make do.

Lyle and Dida had been away on patrols, so they hadn’t met Dean…or so I thought.

“Hey, if it isn’t Dean.”

The two of them reacted quite differently than I’d imagined.

“It’s good to see you two again, Sir Lyle and Sir Dida.”

“You’re so stiff! I told you to just call me Dida.”

“Lyle, Dida, you know Dean?” I asked.

“Yup. We trained together a bunch of times under the master. We didn’t talk much, but I definitely remember his skills.”

Their master was, of course, my grandfather. In retrospect, I should have realized that. It oddly made sense. Lyle and Dida had lived on my grandfather’s estate while they trained, after all.

“Then I’m guessing you’ve met him too, Tanya?”

Tanya shook her head. “No. I had my handmaid’s training to attend, so I couldn’t stay long with the master like Lyle and Dida. I did hear you attended on an irregular schedule, Mr. Dean.”

“Ah… I see. Anyway, you’re my entourage for this trip into the city. Dean, Lyle, Dida, no calling me Iris while we’re outside. Call me Alice.”

And so, the five of us left the mansion. We walked down the main street, heading south. As usual, it was overflowing with activity and people were rushing this way and that. As a consequence of the creation of Azuta’s shipping department—and, likely, the improved roads—I got to see seafood from southern towns in various shops.

“Alice! Quite the gang of handsome men with you, I see.” An older woman presiding over her open-air stall called out to me.

“Huh? You think so? Well, perhaps you’re right.”

I turned around, and…yeah, I could see it. I seemed to have grown numb to beauty, being surrounded by it every day.

“I’ve got some anuta today! Wanna buy some?”

Anuta was a type of fish. Its flesh was red, and it was delicious stewed, grilled, or raw.

“Oh!” I gasped. “Fresh-frozen and transported with ice? And for so cheap? That’s a surprise.”

“Thanks. You always understand my troubles, Alice. That makes me happy.”

“But, hmm… I feel like eating at a restaurant today. I’ll be back another time to make a purchase.”

“Yeah? I’ll be awaiting your return, then.”

“Be sure to catch me up on your son next time,” I called.

“You got it!” She waved.

Our pleasant chat over, I turned around. Tanya and Lyle were stone-faced as always, Dida was laughing his head off, and Dean’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates. Talk about variety.

“You two were pretty friendly,” Dean said, unable to hide his surprise.

“Yes, people are quite generous when you speak with them frankly, I find.”

As we talked, we returned to the main street. Every now and again, I stopped to talk to the friends I’d made on my various trips. Every time, Dean was taken aback.

“Why, if it isn’t Father Rafiel.”

“Oh, Ms. Alice. It’s good to see you again.”

Rafiel was a priest and student of my academy—the one I had met when I first visited the academy for higher education. His new mission was to employ the techniques he learned for the sake of the sick. He didn’t charge the people who were too poor to see other doctors, which had made him very popular. I also donated to his church under the name “Alice.” Currently, I only had access to my “allowance,” the personal remuneration I received from my business, but one day I hoped to support him in my official capacity.

That said, there were several complications in the way of that. For example, supporting only one church would make it seem like I favored it over others. But if I donated to other churches, or even the Darryl Church main branch, I doubted that money would ever reach the people who did good work like Rafiel.

“Where are you headed?” I asked.

“To the slums. I have a number of patients there.”

“I see. You’re so dedicated. May God bless your actions.”

“Thank you very much.”

As it happened, I was also headed for the slums. Compared to the last time I came, there seemed to be fewer people sitting on the sides of the street. Business had been booming, and the increase in jobs had contributed to the decline in the number of destitute citizens.

“Does that priest operate as a doctor here?” Dean asked.

I nodded. “Yes, he does.”

“In other words, for free?”

“Yes. What of it?”

“No, I’ve just never seen that… For a priest of the Darryl Church to serve the people.”

It seemed Dean shared my sentiments. Where exactly had that “final bastion of the people” the Church was once known as gone?

“I used to think the same,” I said. “But it turns out not all priests curry favor with the nobility and lounge about in luxury.”

“The slums here are astounding,” Dean murmured.

“Astounding?” I frowned. “What makes you say that?”

“I was taught that if you want to see a community’s true face, you look to their poorest members. So when I arrived in this city, I visited the slums right away. The conditions here are so much better than anywhere else I’ve been.”

“Only better, huh?” I grinned bitterly at this. It was an accurate assessment. Coming here always made me realize how far my reforms had to go before they reached all my people. “I still have to find a way to officially support the work of people like Father Rafiel.”

“What sort of work do you mean?”

“My plan is to create a system of insurance. I’ll collect money from the people in the form of taxes, then use it to pay their bills when they have to visit a doctor. Individuals will be responsible for some of the payment, but the government will take care of the rest.”

“I see… And this is the reason for your census and tax reforms?”

Dean’s question made me grin. He obviously knew my current projects, but I hadn’t expected him to extrapolate so far based only on this short conversation.

“If you ever manage that, doctors will have a lot of new paperwork to do, submitting certificates of treatment and such,” Dean said thoughtfully. “Hopefully you’ll mostly have good actors within this system, but it’s possible some people will try to overcharge their clients.”

“Yes, that will be a problem,” I agreed.

“I can see that increasing work for your officials, so perhaps it would be smart to increase the number of people with authority to supervise. For example, what about creating a guild?”

I gasped with the delight of insight. “I see… A doctor’s guild, similar to the merchant guild. And if you’re a member of this guild, you can receive assistance from the government on your bills. They can leave the number-crunching to the guild headquarters, and if there are any scandals, the guild will mete out punishment.”

“It would be wise to send a few government officials to inspect the guild every so often as well. If supervision required government officials, you’d need dozens more people. But if you got the guild to handle most of the work, then you would only need to dispense a few officials to oversee the proceedings.”

“That’s a great idea. Let’s discuss it further later and devise some treatment certification forms to go with it. We’ll need to talk to other officials, as well.”

“As you wish.”

Lyle and Dida listened with varying degrees of surprise on their faces.

“Dean, you can keep up with her ramblings?” Lyle asked.

“Ramblings?” Dean grinned wryly.

“Anyway, the princess has been really busy lately. Poor Tanya’s tearing her hair out over her health. Unfortunately, we couldn’t help on that front, even if we wanted to. So I think it’s great a guy like you could come by and really support her. And you ain’t even some stranger! Small world, huh?” Dida smiled widely.

It made me happy to know he was concerned for me, but at the same time, if even he was hearing about me overworking… He was hardly around! Ugh, I really needed to change things, huh? However, before I could start feeling grateful, I scolded him. “Dida, don’t call me ‘Princess.’ I told you to use ‘Alice.’”

I could only be grateful that no one else was around to hear him!