Chapter 216

“Indeed, rumors aren’t irrelevant, are they?”

“Yes, unlike resting during the fourth-week evaluation, since you’re exceptionally capable, you don’t receive any criticisms.”

“Not only capability, but recently, something else has been more noticeable… *ahem*.”

“Hmm~ That’s right. It would be more accurate to say your appearance has changed remarkably.”

The young ladies’ laughter echoes.

It’s irritating.

My mood turns sour for no reason too.

No way. What kind of place is this?

I shouldn’t stir up trouble needlessly in the conference hall.

I’ll just bear with it. It’s better not to get caught by the Marquis House of Teresia.

Harnier tries to maintain her poker face once more.

But one young lady’s voice scratches at her patience again.

“After all, there’s no fiancée, right? So the first one to grab will be the owner, won’t they?”

What? There’s no fiancée?!

Harnier turned her head sharply, about to shout.

But then, she was abruptly pulled. By Carsein.

“You won’t be grabbed by someone like you.”

What…

What did he just say?!

To make such a sudden declaration in front of everyone!

Startled, her heart pounded.

And as her heart calmed her down, she realized—

“U…uh?”

She blinked and rubbed her eyes.

This isn’t the conference hall; it’s inside a carriage.

Right. The fifth-week report meeting had long ended.

Both she and Carsein had finished without any problems.

That means…

This is a dream.

“Geez… really.”

To have such a strange dream.

Shame and heat flooded her entire body.

“Carsein…”

He’s sleeping. She was slightly worried he might have disturbed his sleep by moving, but fortunately, he was still asleep leaning against her.

Watching Carsein sleep, she vaguely remembered what happened when they entered the carriage.

“I fell asleep too.”

A sigh escaped Harnier.

Already tired from the fifth-week report, it wasn’t so strange that she fell asleep suddenly along with Carsein on their way to Onof Bridge.

“But this is unusual. Not that I fell asleep first, but that Carsein did.”

Carsein usually holds something whenever he’s in the carriage.

Whether it’s documents calculating the territory’s revenue, crop production costs, food expenses, and support funds, or scribbling calculations in a notebook.

That means he always has work in hand. Even in the carriage, he manages his time meticulously.

Seeing him like that, she often sighed, wishing he could take a break.

But surprisingly today, Carsein had nothing in his hands.

Not long after they got into the carriage, he quietly closed his eyes.

The reason… probably because he was also exhausted.

Perhaps meeting his family had drained both his body and mind, causing him to fall asleep.

“…Family.”

It’s not just others’ story.

Harnier also wanted to sever ties with the Marquis House of Teresia.

An opportunity is coming.

The second phase of the plan to break free from the Marquis House of Teresia.

If she can appropriately exploit the rift caused by striking them, by autumn, she might completely cut ties with the Marquis House of Teresia.

But if that happens…

“Swipe.”

Her contract with him ends there.

Once she leaves the Marquis House, she’ll naturally drift apart from Carsein.

The day she parts ways with Carsein, when the contract is annulled and the Oath Gem loses its power, she felt a tightness in her chest.

…She didn’t want to part ways with Carsein.

With a slight pout, Harnier pondered.

“If we continue the contract…”

It might be possible, right?

Carsein said he was reluctant to join the Merchant Guild of Plesia because of the risk of returning to the Duke’s House.

Though the Merchant Guild of Plesia is quite reputable, its power alone cannot withstand the restraining force of the Duke’s House.

But if an entire clan stands against him?

“Uh-huh. This might be possible. No, it is possible.”

Since she doesn’t leave the Marquis House, the contract naturally extends.

And this will lead her toward achieving her goal, albeit slowly.

“That’s right. Instead of breaking free from the Marquis House, we should swallow it whole. Then everything will be resolved.”

Just wait a little longer, Carsein.

I’ll help you.

“For now, you should rest comfortably.”

Harnier laid Carsein down on her thigh and smiled.

***

As night deepened, Arina put down the documents and headed for bed.

In her mind, Carsein’s voice echoed.

“…”

Just as she was about to slap him, Carsein grabbed her wrist.

Back then, he would’ve fallen or bled if she hit him. But this time, he held her wrist and stopped her.

“Never did I think you’d stay in the same spot forever, Arina Bargrand.”

And he boldly declared in front of her.

That things were different now.

“Watch until the end. And if I fail spectacularly, do whatever you want. Put me in isolation, assign me tasks in the mansion, or strip away the Duke’s House. I won’t care.”

Gulp.

Her fingernails dug into her palm, turning white.

“How dare you…!”

Watch until the end?

Even if you spectacularly fail and get ridiculed by the nobles, and your family’s honor falls even further?

“Heh. What should I do to recover this time?”

Her head already ached.

How much should I offer to stabilize public sentiment?

Thinking about the losses, her blood boiled.

Regret washed over her—she should’ve forced him to give up instead of waiting.

Carsein’s grip on her wrist returned.

…Clearly, that was a mana-infused hand.

His emotions must have been so intense that he couldn’t control the mana.

If he grew…

“Pfft. Impossible.”

If he grew, then the fundamental issues of the Shatren Territory wouldn’t have remained unsolved, and the residents’ lives wouldn’t have changed.

After five weeks of trying every method, he should have concluded that the territory’s development was impossible.

To stubbornly hold onto that and postpone the final presentation.

“Better this way. Now, Mother won’t have another chance to strictly discipline him.”

She needs to fix Carsein’s attitude completely herself. Handling the aftermath is manageable too.

Arina clicked her tongue and rested her head on the pillow.

“Ah, you still prefer to dispose of things secretly, huh?”

“Tsk!”

In the end, it’s just buying time or an excuse.

That’s who you are.

***

The next day arrived.

When she woke up, finding herself lying on Harnier’s thigh made her sigh, but—

“Please, let us help the Young Master!”

These were the first words she heard upon returning to Shatren.

Previously, such a scene would never happen.

They would accuse her of lying, protest how she ruined their land, and some would even point fingers or set traps.

But their attitude had changed 180 degrees.

Kneeling and bowing deeply, they pleaded desperately.

– DING!

“Now you can issue commands to the Shatren residents.”

Successfully seizing control of Shatren, she could now issue commands that were previously impossible.

However, as usual, the options related to territory management and major UIs didn’t appear.

It meant she had to manage the territory directly, not through buttons or keyboards.

Still, it wasn’t difficult.

“The Young Master’s advice to build fences and adjust seed spacing makes the fields easier to see and work. How could this happen…”

“The average grade of crops has improved not only on the Young Master’s land but also ours. The number of dying crops has significantly decreased.”

“We’ve stored the fertilizer you advised not to use in a warehouse! We can’t undo the money already spent, but we’ve all promised to follow your wishes and not use it!”

Starting with farming methods and gradually improving soil management based on firsthand and realistic information would work.

Unlike reality, this side is filled with fantastical elements, requiring research and experimentation, but she had plenty of time.

Day by day, Shatren improved.

Crops that she could barely harvest on her own land before now appeared throughout Shatren.

However,

Not all problems were solved.

“Ahh, Aaaah!”

“Man… Dreiniya!”

The fields, as usual, were growing Shatren strawberries and grapes. But something entirely different appeared.

Abnormally large stems at the center.

Two enormous branches extending from the trunk like arms.

Large teeth and a tongue visible between two gaping petals.

That’s… no longer a crop.

-DING!

“Enemy entity detected!”

“Level 30!”

“Red Mandreinya”

“Level 32!”

“Purple Mandreinya”

“Monsters appearing in the heart of the Shatren Territory?!”

Facing monsters is a common occurrence in this game.

Usually, to level up Carsein’s stats, they needed to defeat monsters.

But in the heart of the territory, in the middle of the fields where crops were grown, this was unprecedented.

“…Damn, this isn’t the time for such thoughts.”

“As the residents suffer, the territory’s development decreases.”

“Eliminate the monsters as quickly as possible.”

Since her development progress decreases, she had to eliminate these first.

“Talpon!”

“Got it!”

Fortunately, the stats of the monster entities weren’t particularly high. With her boosted stats, she could handle them alone. Even though there were many, Westerners, specialists in large-scale battles, were her agents.

Though Carsein himself might be in danger, she had Weseross-style sword skills. Even if they were strong, she could handle them effortlessly.

Mana-infused swords neatly trimmed the stems, and with a few simple patterns, the Mandreinyas vanished easily.

-TUK.

Where the Mandreinya disappeared, something familiar lay.

“What’s this?”

It was the tree stump she saw in the field.

“So this is what the Mandreinya drops when it dies?”

“Huff, huff. Yes, it’s known as the corpse of a mutated crop.”

Brum rushed over anxiously and told her.

“But the truth is more complex. Might I change positions?”