episode_0278

Although the Marquis Teresia family achieved rapid growth and became marquises in a short period of time, their roots were not very straight.

It was a rotten root.

Selling things made with impure intentions.

Secretly designating distributors as the hands of the underworld and dealing with them.

He laundered the money he had amassed through a multi-level marketing scheme.

If they were to fall under the Empire’s gaze, they would not be surprised to be imprisoned at any time or place for engaging in such shady dealings.

But that ended today.

By accusation from none other than a member of the family.

“Confirmed. As Youngae testified, the artifact you mentioned was found in the Marquis’s belongings.”

“We will have to analyze it in detail to know, but as you mentioned, all the sinner’s actions are connected. I think it will probably turn out to be true.”

“Please give me the rest.”

“Yes. The royal family will investigate each and every one of them.”

No testimony, no evidence.

A situation where everything is at stake.

The Marquis glared at Harnier and shouted at him.

“Harnie, you b*tch…! You b*tch…! You b*tch, of all people, betrayed me!!”

“…”

“How dare you think you could betray me and still live!”

Harnier glances at the Marquis who is getting hot.

At one time, that man seemed like my father.

In the past, I would put in a lot of passion and time just to get a compliment.

He must have been so scared that his teeth chattered whenever he was beaten.

Now, it’s not scary at all.

“You should have just let that bastard die! Just wait and see. As soon as you bring the writer’s lawyer and prove your innocence and get out of prison, you’ll be…!”

“Prove it, you can’t?”

“What?”

“Do you think that what I’ve researched is only things on the ground?”

“…!”

The Marquis’s eyes trembled.

“Illegal manufacturing, black market merchants, and even multi-level laundering would only be subject to heavy fines. You’ve hidden something even worse underground, right? A fake magic stone ranch.”

“You b*tch…!”

It’s not a show-stopping business.

It was the writer’s biggest source of capital and secret business that he had been secretly hiding.

Figuring that out…

“I know everything. Everything the family has been hiding.”

“This snake-like bitch, ugh…!”

-Cheer up!

Magic handcuffs restrained the Marquis’ actions.

To the Marquis, who had a very distorted expression on his face, Harnier spoke with more confidence than ever.

“I’ll visit you a few times while you’re in prison. Oh, of course, I won’t see you again on Earth.”

He will be condemned to be a traitor and locked up in the imperial dungeon.

Those who have conducted related business through torture will open their mouths one by one, and eventually, they will lose everything, starting from wealth and property to the family name.

All that remains for the Marquis is the sound of shoes.

The fallen marquis’ ambitions ended here.

“Hoo.”

Harnie closed her eyes tightly, taking in the refreshing outside air.

When I opened my eyes again, instead of the blue sky, there was a dark, misty sky.

“The damage was too great because the ranch was discovered too early.”

Originally, the ranch was not supposed to be revealed until now.

It was a plan that would take a long time to gradually and surely strangle the Teresia family.

However, because the ranch’s identity was revealed so quickly, Harnie’s powerful weapon, Capital, was considerably shaken.

Moreover, the amount needed was multiplied several times over as he had tried to distance himself from the Marquis instead of planning to swallow him up.

It will take a long time to make up for the damage and sluggish growth caused by this behavior… and there is still one more step to go.

‘Belian.’

Even if the Marquis is defeated, the Marquis’ children’s control is still strong.

The allied nobles and internal factions that currently follow Marquis Teresia still support Velian.

Even if you overcome a big hurdle, it would be meaningless if you can’t overcome the next difficulty.

Also, even if she gets her hands on the Marquis, her schedule is extremely tight. Since the Marquis’s misdeeds have been revealed to the world, she must take a different path from the Marquis in order to ascend to the family.

I have to take care of this land in a completely different business.

You must be prepared to take on numerous tasks while managing the estate.

In order to win the competition for succession, he would suffer an even greater loss since he has no allies within the family due to being an illegitimate child.

Time and capital. Calculating what both sides will lose is dizzying.

It’s a huge loss that makes me sigh…

Still, that’s okay.

“I just need to defeat Belian. With this, if the Marquis falls into my hands…”

You gain control of an entire family that was difficult for the Duke to reach.

Then there would be no reason to be separated from Carcein.

A shelter will be provided for that person to stay.

You can spend time with the man you like.

It is the most ideal way to repay the benefactor who has saved you so many times.

Isn’t that enough?

“Mina. Carriage.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Harnie, smiling, gets into the carriage.

hurry,

I wanted to deliver this news to Karsain sooner.

***

“Really!”

“Yes, you can get it periodically.”

“Periodic…”

His curiosity piqued and he asked for the bait.

He stroked his beard and asked again.

“Really, is it possible to get regular honey from that beekeeping business?”

“Of course. You don’t trust me?”

“Ah, no! It’s not that I don’t believe you… It’s just that… Originally, honey was only harvested in small quantities. Ahem!”

Well, it’s not that difficult.

Sweet condiments were among the most precious in this era. Likewise, honey was also considered a food that was not easily obtained.

It would be natural to be skeptical, since you can get it periodically.

Here, you just need to properly lay the groundwork.

“It may be hard to believe, but this business is based on solid theory.”

“Theory?”

“Yes. After the seed plants bloom, pollination takes place, and the next generation of plants bloom.”

Commonly referred to as pollen transfer.

That’s what I’m talking about.

Chatelen may not be thought to have anything to do with honey harvesting, as farming is his main source of income.

But unlike conventional plants, the crops here grow much faster.

What does that mean?

This means that as the plant grows, the pot it needs to be moved also moves at an accelerated rate.

If that were to be the case, the beekeeping business would have to be brought forward even further, and in Chatelain, with its mild climate, it was a business with great potential for prosperity on a large scale.

“Honey is like that… Hmm. That makes sense.”

“What do you think? Is this still hard to believe?”

He stared at me intently, swallowed hard, and grabbed my hand.

“Okay. That deal. Accept it.”

“That’s a great decision. Then, shall we start by writing up the contract?”

“Then!”

Beekeeping operations based on sufficient theory have been successful.

In fact, through analysis, we have completed tests to determine whether it is suitable for consumption.

All we have to do is sell the honey that is already being collected in Chatren at a reasonable price.

-Tiring!

▶The deal has been made!◀

▶The transaction amount is added to your holding funds, and regular profits are collected from additional sources of income.◀

▶Your holdings have exceeded 1 million petel.◀

‘Is this the 3rd stage clear?’

I know this isn’t the end, but I’m one step closer to escaping.

Perhaps from now on, the momentum will pick up and money will start piling up. The more investment capital you have, the bigger the business you can aim for.

“…Still, it seems dangerous to proceed any further.”

▶The vassals of the Bagrand Duke are watching your actions closely.◀

Without realizing it, the eyes of the people who had passed away were turned this way.

It’s hard to discern the gaze that can be felt directly because there are so many people, but ordering people around is probably a natural thing for them, so it’s impossible to know what kind of eyes they have.

Anyway, from my perspective, it was just an act of raising money, but to them, it could be seen as an attempt to expand the business, or in other words, to secure a successor.

Marquis Magnus may be okay now that the conversation is over, but the other vassals are not. Still, it was normal for them to show signs of trying to restrain me.

‘I think it’s best to stop here for today.’

I’m a bit tired anyway.

I felt like I needed to rest, so I leaned back on the nearby terrace sofa.

“Meeting people is tiring, after all.”

One way or another, interpersonal relationships were annoying.

‘…If we continue like this, we’ll end up meeting Arina.’

As with the first one, Arina’s gaze towards me becomes sharper.

That was the case even when I was doing small tasks at work…

I couldn’t just think that traveling with Claire and Flora without encountering any nobles was the best option.

I guess I’ll have to do something.

What should I do?

As I closed my eyes for a moment, the status window popped up without even giving me a moment to rest.

-Tiring!

▶A specific character has come to see you.◀

My eyebrows furrow involuntarily.

As I tried to change my expression and get up, the middle-aged woman hesitated and stopped her hand.

“Can you spare me a moment? Carcein.”

Isabella at this timing.

I really have no luck.

***

After visiting the sick, Isabella didn’t feel at ease for even a moment.

I was interrupted.

It took time.

Those two words dug deep into my heart.

It came in like a wave, it was sharp and cold.

Once it got into my heart, it never came out.

But before Isabella had time to continue to blame herself, a bolt from the blue hit her.

“Carcein… said something like that?”

“Yeah.”

“No, why on earth is that…”

“We’re more curious. By the way, don’t misunderstand, we explained it enough! But, but…”

I don’t want anything.

They say that same answer came back again.

“Why, like that…”

“Mom. That’s…”

The words that Flora, who had been hesitating, said as she grabbed Claire’s collar were truly shocking.

“Because I caused a lot of damage to the artist… Because of that, I’m not qualified to receive a gift…”

After hearing that, my heart became even heavier.

What’s the big deal about that small amount of money?

Are you saying that you don’t even ask for the praise and gifts that you deserve?

‘That’s not right.’

I remember, over and over again, the voice of the old butler who is loyal to the Duke’s family.

It struck me even more that the affection I had given to that child was different from that of my daughters.

So now it’s time to give it some proper affection.

As a mother, you must properly care for your child.

Past wrongdoings should not be repeated.

That is why I had to meet Karcein here, even though my heart was still aching with guilt.

Isabella choked up when she saw Carcein right in front of her, but she managed to keep her voice clear.

“I heard from Claire and Flora. They said they didn’t want any gifts from the martial arts tournament. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“I told you that you didn’t deserve to do that because your past actions have harmed the family?”

“That’s true.”

I had no small hope that perhaps Karsane would come back and say that he had never said such a thing.

This admission brought great regret.

however.

We can’t stop here.

“Don’t worry about that little bit of money. Everyone makes mistakes. Karcein.”

What’s the big deal about the Duke suffering that much damage?

“Other children have also made mistakes. There were many cases where the Duke had to pay compensation for those mistakes, but it wasn’t a lot of money. The same goes for you.”

Of course, he added that there was no need to think about money, as that would not even scratch the surface of the dukedom.

After finishing her story of right and wrong, Isabella reveals her true feelings.

“I’m thinking back on the visit to the hospital… Now that I think about it, I was really careless. I realized that I didn’t take care of you properly like the other kids. I’m really sorry.”

The invisible wall that Heron spoke of.

I had to clean it up.

Karsine had been viewed in a completely different light from her three daughters, simply because they were not related by blood.

Isn’t that a wrong perspective?

Isn’t this a wall that shouldn’t exist?

Now it was time to completely wash away the awkwardness with Karcein.

“So, this time, I want to take care of you properly. Because you are my son too. No matter what anyone says, you are the son of the Bagrand Dukes.”

It had to be a fair affection.

I wanted to fill in what my daughters didn’t receive.

So, this time, I really wanted Karsine to tell me what he truly wanted.

“They say that if you do something worthy of praise, you will receive a proper gift. In times like this, you can wish for it as much as you want. You have achieved something, right?”

Just getting a runner-up award at a martial arts tournament is an amazing feat.

No. The great achievements made at the symposium alone were enough to astonish the world.

“Tell me anything. If you want to travel like Claire, I’ll send you anywhere. If you want clothes with rare local specialties or jewels like Flora, I’ll gladly buy them for you. And if you want to work on your interior like Arina, I don’t mind. The ones you’re wearing now have been around for quite some time, right?”

Isabella waited, holding Karcein’s hand tightly.

This time, he was determined to take care of his only son.

however.

“Not needed.”

Another wall had already been erected for Karsain.