In the Capital

Flare was dazzling, like the sun unobscured by clouds.

‘…Have I been too insensitive all this time?’

Stepping out of the academy’s main gate, it was crowded with students like a university street.

“It’s already this late! Did you have lunch, senior?”

“Not yet.”

“Then buy me food instead of tea. There’s a really delicious place.”

Tea is more expensive than food in this neighborhood.

“It’s over there!”

“You can let go of my hand—”

“Hurry!”

Led by Flare’s hand, we arrived at a restaurant with an incredibly long line.

‘This is that place.’

A place I frequented in the early game when I didn’t have a penny to my name.

‘She doesn’t have any money.’

I heard she’d been working part-time for the past two weeks to pay for tuition.

Now she’ll be using it all for living expenses, but before, she must have been going to places like this because of tuition.

“How did you find out about this place?”

“A sister I met while working part-time told me! It’s really delicious!”

It’s popular among commoner students because it’s cheap and has large portions.

But it’s also a restaurant where you can get food poisoning if you’re not careful, so it’s a place you’d only go to once or twice in the early game…

Among the long line, I could see academy students in similar situations to Flare here and there.

‘It’s heartbreaking.’

“Let’s go somewhere else.”

“The line moves quickly. It’s really delicious here.”

“It’s okay. I know a better place. I’ll show you.”

“Really?!”

Excuse me.

We’re just passing through.

Just a moment!

Three people passed between Flare and me in an instant.

This isn’t a world with cell phones, and the street is getting more crowded, so I reached out and grabbed Flare’s wrist.

“Gasp.”

“There are too many people.”

“Y-yes…? Ahaha.”

“This way.”

She seemed stiff and uncomfortable, so I subtly switched my grip from her wrist to her sleeve.

Unlike other places, this street was deserted, making me wonder how there could be so few people.

“…Senior?”

I reassured Flare, who had anxious eyes.

“Don’t worry. These are all restaurants.”

Though they are the kind with ‘luxury’ attached to their names.

I went into the one I wanted to visit the most.

A familiar-looking manager approached and greeted us.

“Welcome, sir. Do you have a reservation?”

“No. This.”

I showed him the special business card in my wallet, and the manager’s poker face faltered slightly.

I asked him in a small voice, so Flare, who was looking around the store from behind, wouldn’t hear.

“Are you perhaps… related to the owner?”

I shouldn’t say that I’m the owner of the business card.

He wouldn’t believe me anyway.

“I received it from my father. He said an acquaintance gave it to him. I heard it would be useful when I attend the academy.”

The manager pondered for a moment and then led us to a room in the innermost part of the restaurant.

A fancy door that looked like it wouldn’t open to just anyone opened.

“This way, please.”

I finally saw the room I had only seen in graphics in real life.

‘The first thing to order is that, right?’

“I’d like the short course, please.”

I only ever ate that when I came here.

I finished ordering with a happy heart, but I noticed Flare looking uneasy.

“Ah. Was there something else you wanted to eat? Did I order too quickly?”

Flare was trembling like an aspen.

“N-no, no, no, no!”

“Really? Then the same for her as well.”

“Your order has been taken. I hope you enjoy your meal.”

As soon as the manager closed the door and left, Flare’s loud voice echoed.

“S-Senior! Are you rich?”

This?

“…A little?”

You’ll be coming here as often as you eat later on.

Flare’s question couldn’t continue.

Knock knock

-Here are the appetizers, soup, and pre-meal drinks-

‘As expected, it’s good that they come out so quickly.’

The employee who pushed in the tray placed the food and utensils in front of us with a brief explanation and left.

I tasted the fragrant and refreshing tea that came as a pre-meal drink.

“It comes out really fast, right? You should eat too.”

Flare was still stuttering.

“T-the problem isn’t that it comes out quickly, is it? Places like this, the p-price…”

“I’m paying, remember?”

Flare closed her eyes, put the drink to her lips, and then gulped it down, getting louder and louder.

‘It must be tasty.’

“D-delicious!”

“Right? Try this too.”

The pickled vegetables and clam chowder that came as appetizers were the best.

‘You don’t know it, but you told me all of this.’

It’s really delicious.

The rich taste of clams and the moderately sweet and sour vegetables are superb.

Flare seemed to feel the same way, making a happy expression.

After finishing the meal and paying, Flare bowed at a 90-degree angle in front of the restaurant.

“Thank you for the meal, Senior! I’ll be going now!”

I suddenly feel a sense of distance.

‘I wanted to buy her a school uniform too.’

I could see that she wanted to run away because she felt burdened.

“…Okay.”

“I’ll definitely treat you next time!”

I followed Flare as she ran towards the academy.

In a suitably deserted place, I activated the ring and undid the transformation.

“Ahem. Ahem.”

I lowered my voice and headed to the carriage, where the coachman was waiting.

“Baron Scarl! The young lady and her younger sister just went inside together!”

Luna was waiting outside.

“I’ll wait inside the carriage.”

“Yes, sir!”

I entered through the door the coachman opened, crossed my arms, and closed my eyes.

I was wondering how to deal with the random encounter guys who were harassing Flare when the sound of the door opening and a familiar scent brushed past my nose.

“Are you back? Let’s go.”

Luna, who was silent, threw off the coat she was wearing as soon as the carriage’s soundproofing magic was activated.

Thud!

I nonchalantly caught it and faced Luna.

“Scarl.”

A cold expression, unlike when she came.

“Did you lie to me?”

“About what?”

“Flare’s tuition.”

‘…This is the situation I intended.’

I could see the disappointment in Luna’s eyes.

I closed my eyes, not wanting to answer.

We returned to the mansion in silence.

The next day.

I skipped breakfast and tapped my pen in the study.

‘What should I do…’

Emma, Sebastian, and one more tagalong.

If I don’t deal with them quickly, they will become one of the reasons Flare becomes more and more miserable.

When Kasha comes, I’ll start with a background check…

Knock knock

“Come in.”

Luna, in her maid outfit, came in with a plate of sandwiches.

“…I thought I said I didn’t want breakfast today?”

That’s what I said when she came this morning.

“…”

She let out a small sigh, placed the plate down loudly, and left.

“?”

I was blinking, wondering what was going on, when Kasha came in through the door Luna had left through.

“…I came at a bad time.”

“I was about to call you anyway.”

“What is it?”

“There’s a group of nobles at the academy, Emma, Sebastian, and one other guy. Two men and one woman. Find out about their families and what businesses they run.”

“…Understood, Master.”

I took out the gold business card I used for lunch yesterday from my pocket.

“And give this to Flare.”

“You can stop playing Daddy-Long-Legs in front of her…”

“Don’t question your master’s actions, Kasha.”

“Understood.”

The sandwich Luna left behind wasn’t seasoned right.

‘Salty.’

The next day, I received the information Kasha had investigated.

Only the woman, Emma, was the third daughter of a viscount family.

The other two were the second and third sons of baron families in the countryside.

All three families made a living by selling local specialties from their territories.

‘They all have quite a bit of debt, so I just need to cut off their funding.’

The instructions I gave were simple.

“Ruin them, no matter how much it costs. To the point where they can’t even afford their children’s academy tuition.”

“Understood.”

Today, Luna brought cookies.

A few on top were okay, but the ones on the bottom were all burnt.

‘Is this a new kind of assassination attempt since yesterday?’

A few days later, I heard from Kasha that the three had dropped out and returned to their hometowns.

“Shall we stop here?”

“Now? Buy up their entire territory in the guild’s name.”

The more land, the better.

“Did Flare receive the business card?”

“No. She seemed to know what it was. And here…”

The letter contained a thank you note for [Daddy-Long-Legs], along with a statement that she would accept a small amount of living expenses, but anything more would be burdensome. She also said that her older sister was helping her continue her studies, even without this support, and that she would repay the debt someday.

“I see. The [Daddy-Long-Legs]’s support for Flare is terminated.”

“Yes.”

Today, Luna brought roughly cut fruit.

‘This is delicious.’

A few days later.

A letter with a fancy seal arrived at the house.

Just when I finished dealing with the problem with Flare, a major accident broke out on this side.

“Luna!”

I pressed the call bell repeatedly, but she appeared later than usual today.

“What is it, Scarl?”

I showed her the letter without a word.

“What is this?”

“It’s the Imperial Seal. I’ll be going to the palace.”

“What kind of accident did you cause this time?”

I was dumbfounded.

‘Should I do something worthy of Scarl for once?’

“Wouldn’t you say the Imperial Family is acknowledging this body?”

I grinned proudly at Luna’s frowning expression.

Would they call a mere Baron for a real accident?

It must be because of the issue of the territory that the guild swallowed up a while ago.

No matter how much I put Kasha forward, there’s a limit to what I can hide.

“Anyway, I won’t be back today.”

It will take at least a day.

“…Really because of that?”

She kept asking for the reason, so I took out a check from my wallet.

“Take this.”

“…”

Luna suddenly pulled her hand back as if resisting.

“I said take it?”

“…Can you give it to me later?”

She’s not joking, is she?

“Go out and play with Flare on the weekend.”

I’ll have to entrust it to Luna instead.

“I saw her briefly, and her school uniform was very worn. Use this to eat and—”

In the middle of my sentence, she snatched the check away.

“Thank you, Scarl.”

‘Did I see it wrong? I think there was a knife scar on her hand…?’

“…Okay.”

“Have a good trip. Then.”

I left Luna, who said everything she wanted to say and left, and put on my coat for going out and headed to the palace.