episode_0186

dinner spot

Count Herris returned with a man.

“Aide?”

Marian, who was sitting at the head of the table, spoke softly.

The man bowed his head deeply, and the Count continued speaking.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Compared to other regions, the crops here in the north are not particularly good. Still, really capable…”

Marian glanced out the window, letting his words slip.

As I gather magical power into my eyes, a little more detail comes into view.

Everyone in the territory was sighing and looking at the castle.

‘…I thought our eyes met for a moment.’

As if hoping for salvation. It looked similar to praying to God.

“Your Majesty, what is going on?”

When I saw Count Harris tilting his head as if he didn’t know anything, I felt like punching him in the back of the head.

The moment I was about to put my plan into action.

Suddenly. The door opened and a fragrant smell began to fill my nose.

A long line of trays came in with no end in sight.

It was topped with a sumptuous feast.

There are a few foods that I like.

“This is a dinner specially prepared for His Majesty.”

The Count smiled kindly.

The music of the orchestra flowing softly, luxurious carpets and a wide dining table. Comfortable chairs and various works of art for eye candy while eating.

Looking at this scenery, who would think that this is a place where crops are failing and the people of the territory are starving?

I also like delicious food, so I don’t want to pretend to be nice and live frugally and eat tasteless food.

“Count.”

Shouldn’t we at least avoid wasting it?

“Yes, Your Majesty.

“Can you eat all of this?”

The Count made a puzzled expression at my question.

I guess so.

I understand.

The emperor is visiting, so you can’t set a shabby table.

Still.

Just by turning your head, you can see starving people.

For me, it’s better to have plenty than to lack something.

So, I don’t think of this as a bit extravagant.

however.

But…

Isn’t it a bit much to have so much food that it fills a table longer than most classrooms?

Of course, the workers will enjoy the leftover food.

But that’s too much to assume, right?

“No.”

Maybe it’s because I’ve seen a lot of reports in documents saying that the empire’s crops aren’t doing well.

I have a lot to think about.

It wasn’t anything new.

I didn’t become emperor to volunteer in the first place.

Still, we should do what we can to improve.

*

“Did you say peten?”

Marian looked at the man called the aide who had been quiet from earlier.

“…!”

He flinched at the sudden name.

A moment of silence.

“You! What are you doing while your Majesty is speaking?”

The moment Count Herris shouted, Cecilia’s hand moved quickly.

“Your voice is loud.”

She said coolly, carefully covering Marian’s ear.

‘Hmph!’ Peten glanced at Count Harris, who had covered his mouth, then raised his head.

“ㅡYes, please do so, Your Majesty.”

A very frightened voice.

‘Did I inadvertently lose my magic power? .’

Marian looked at the two people in turn as she tore the bread.

“Is there something you want to say to me?”

Marian smiled brightly. It was a kind smile.

Peten, who saw that, opened his mouth and answered foolishly, ‘Heh~’.

“Yes… ? yes… . therefore. You are truly beautiful, Your Majesty.”

It wasn’t the answer she wanted.

“I’ll ask you one more time. Don’t you have anything to say?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t find anything to say about your beauty.”

“ㅡYes.”

Marian sighed and shook her head.

No matter how I look at it, it seems like this person got ripped off.

Hitting a target means having the ability to hit a target.

Although it is unfortunate.

‘Well, I guess I can just leave it to Nazar.’

If you’re being picky, it will be your last supper, so enjoy it.

“There’s a lot of food, so there’s nothing to decline.”

As Marian, smiling, began to eat, Cecilia, who had been watching quietly, handed her a plate.

“Marian, try this too.”

“It’s delicious.”

When presented with meat cut into bite-size pieces, Marian accepted it and ate it.

Just like that, the two people finished their meal happily with a sweet atmosphere.

*

There was a shadow leaving the restaurant one step ahead of them.

“Phew. You were surprised for no reason.”

Peten sighed and laughed evilly.

“As expected, the emperor is still a young girl.”

I was worried about what would happen if I asked for the ledger.

“First, I have to deal with the ledger in the study.”

I even roasted and boiled the count to please that girl.

“Anyway…”

Those eyes that stared at his own face.

“I heard that only women are concubines… If I do this well, I could become the emperor’s wife… Ugh!”

He was dragged into the air before he could finish speaking.

“Gagging!”

A pitch-black shadow tightens around his neck.

He looked like a criminal about to be hanged.

‘Save me…’

No voice came out.

Is this how I die?

For a brief moment, I was able to get out of the shadows only after seeing the flashing lights several times.

“Tax evasion and embezzlement.”

Nazar looks down at him with indifferent eyes as he closes his eyes and whimpers.

“The method is quite intelligent. Rather than not sending it at all, it was stolen in the middle.”

Nazar narrowed his eyes after receiving the ledger from his subordinate.

“It’s a double ledger.”

“Yes.”

It was made quite convincingly, but it couldn’t escape Nazar’s eyes.

Not only that, but the more I turned the pages, the more messed up parts came into view.

“You cooked a lot.”

If things had been processed according to the ledger, there would be no way that there would have been this many people starving.

“Others must have bought it too.”

It was at a level that could have been noticed by proper management.

“Yes. I’ve already captured them all.”

“How dare you steal the young lady’s property.”

An evil smile appeared on his lips.

“What should the Count do?”

After completing the investigation, the member of the organization asked cautiously.

“Hmm.”

During the Count’s reign, Nazar was also worried.

“The academy didn’t even show up.”

He was a typical incompetent nobleman.

Nevertheless, his reputation as a lord was not bad.

That said, there are many vicious nobles.

“Yes, I took the test, but I failed it twice and gave up.”

The estate’s taxes were also at a reasonable level. Welfare wasn’t that bad either.

I just followed the notice that was given.

‘Do you think there’s no hope at all?’

Even now, there are so many nobles who have changed jobs that it’s so busy that it’s hard to keep an eye on them.

“First of all, he is a noble who supported the young lady. Let me teach him well.”

“Okay.”

Thus, the Count Herris rehabilitation project was planned.

A harder course as Nazar had specially planned it.

In modern times, it would be closer to an army training center.

A member of the organization inadvertently prayed for the Count to rest in peace and continued speaking quickly.

“There are certainly merchants who purchased the stolen food.”

“It went well. I could just scoop it all up and add it to the national treasury.”

“What will this man do?”

The informant turned the intermittently convulsing man over with his foot and looked at Nazar.

“Hmm.”

As the owner pondered, he began to offer his own opinions.

“I don’t think I have any hidden assets. I think my brain is quite useful, so why not get some training and use it?”

“Well. There isn’t just one guy like this, and it would be best if we could use it.”

When Nazar nodded, gang members appeared from the shadows and grabbed Peten, who had fainted.

“This guy is too.”

“How dare you think of embezzling the supplies that the young lady gave you.”

“This is truly a legend, a legend, brave, brave.”

After completing the investigation, they returned to the organization chatting.

“Can I just educate him like other criminals?”

“Oh, but the master put one condition on it.”

“Condition?”

The man who threw Peten into prison tilted his head.

“They told me to eat once every two days, and only once a day.”

“ That’s understandable. Is this the same period as the period of embezzlement?”

“Yes.”

They nodded familiarly.

Especially hard mental education awaited criminals who directly participated in embezzlement.

Meanwhile, they only feed them once every two days, one meal a day.

A member of the organization, who was shivering without realizing it, spoke brightly.

“Let’s go get a late night snack!”

“How about beer with chicken?”

“Call!”

*

That time.

“Suddenly feeling cold…?”

Count Herris, who was looking at the documents as it was his first visit to the territory in a while, looked around.

‘Come to think of it.’

You said His Majesty gave you alms.

“Hmm. Well, the aide will take care of it.”

After enjoying a generous dinner, he felt full and drowsy.

The moment the Count put down his pen, got into the soft blanket, and smiled.

“Ugh. Why is it so cold…?”

Feeling cold, he snuggled into the blanket a little more.

Without even thinking about the hellish special study that would happen in the future.

* * *

Cecilia and I entered the room prepared by the Count and his wife.

It was a bedroom so luxurious that anyone could tell that it had been taken with great care.

‘hmm.’

Objectively speaking, there was no negligence in the Count’s treatment.

If it is his fault, it is the sin of not being able to manage his own people.

I have a lot to think about.

“Marian.”

Cecilia suddenly approached. She sat down gently at my feet and looked up at me.

“What are you doing?”

In response to my hesitant question, she gently leaned on my knee, cupping the flower with one hand.

“Affectionate?”

“Foot.”

When I laughed, she slowly got up with both arms on the bed.

Our foreheads touched. Unwavering blue eyes look at me.

‘It’s so close.’

Her hands tickle my spine.

“I don’t feel like doing it today.”

“Yes. I know.”