Chapter 382

There’s a saying that not everything that glitters is gold.

It means not to be overly obsessed with the outward appearance of splendor.

But this was real gold. A house covered in gold.

It was so shiny it hurt my eyes.

“I knew Isabella was crazy, but she’s even crazier than I thought. Who the hell covers a house in gold?”

I mean, seriously, what kind of insane thought process leads to covering an entire house in gold?

And it’s not even her main residence, just a mansion she stays in occasionally.

Milia and Damien must have been pretty shocked.

I sent them to wait at the mansion, but I doubt they expected to find a golden house.

“They say nobles suck the blood of the people and turn it into gold… I didn’t think it was true…”

Minea looked completely stunned too.

Judging by her words, she seems to have completely forgotten that I’m a count-level noble.

“Adventurers like me barely survive in cheap 5-silver inns… Is it fair for the world to be this unequal? This is unfair. We should take it all and divide it equally so everyone can be happy…”

It’s fine to be shocked, but don’t get all worked up.

Why are you standing up like you’re ready to fight?

In the first place, a world where everyone is happy? That’s impossible.

The only things that make people happier when shared are drugs at a party.

“Snap out of it. Equality? The world is about earning based on your abilities. If a master knight and a common soldier earned the same, would that be fair? That’s a half-crazy world.”

If such a world came to be, the country would fall apart in no time.

If you work your ass off to become a master and still earn the same as a soldier, who would risk their life to master swordsmanship?

As masters gradually disappear, there would be no one to stop the monsters, and everyone would die.

“If you become a knight, you’d earn gold-level salaries. Would you be happy if you were given an E-rank adventurer’s salary for the sake of ‘fairness’?”

“Ah, you’re right. The Count’s words are wise.”

As her petty grumbling suddenly turned into a matter of her own salary, Minea extinguished the flames of revolution at lightning speed, personally proving why communism failed.

—-

“Welcome, Count Median. I am Lerman, in charge of managing this mansion.”

As I entered the mansion, a middle-aged man in a butler’s uniform bowed politely and greeted me.

Was he sent by Leopold? He must have arrived at the mansion already.

His manners suggested he wasn’t just an ordinary commoner.

“Greetings to the Count!”

Following him, the servants and maids lined up in two rows also bowed at a right angle.

Their well-trained bodies and uniform-like attire made it feel less like welcoming a high-ranking noblewoman and more like greeting a mafia boss.

What is this?

Leopold, did you send some knights or something?

“…It feels like a knight’s inspection.”

Nigel expressed a similar sentiment.

Knights and mafia might seem different, but they look pretty much the same.

The only difference is whether they’re a legal or illegal violent group, but they both deal with people the same way.

“As expected of Princess Ha-shal-leur. You’ve already formed a combat unit here…!”

What is Ja-han talking about? They’re just servants.

Though if they all attacked together, they could probably turn a knight into mincemeat in no time… But still, they’re servants by status.

Anyway, I introduced Ja-han to them, explaining that he’s my subordinate and a master-level warrior, so they should treat him accordingly.

“Ah, and can you strip off those gold plates outside?”

“The gilding on the exterior walls? It might take some time since it’s quite thick.”

I instructed Butler Lerman to remove the gilding from the exterior walls.

It’s flashy, but not my taste. A golden mansion? Even for a nouveau riche, that’s too much.

I didn’t plan to touch the interior, but at least the blatantly flashy exterior needed to be fixed.

“Strip it all off and repaint it. Collect the stripped gold and use it for maintenance costs.”

“Yes. I’ll inform the servants.”

Even if it’s just gilding, it’s quite thick, so collecting it all would amount to a significant sum.

Money is meant to be used where needed, not plastered on mansion walls.

“Good. Manage it well. Anyone who embezzles will be skewered on the fence.”

As the saying goes, a needle thief becomes an ox thief. If I let gold thieves go, they’ll eventually become mansion thieves.

I can’t let that happen.

Since I can’t manage it all myself, I need to enforce strict discipline.

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

Perhaps sensing the strong determination in my warning, a bead of cold sweat rolled down Lerman’s cheek.

“Are you really going to skewer them on the fence?”

Minea also broke into a cold sweat.

Why are you sweating? Were you planning to steal some?

“I don’t lie.”

[That’s the biggest lie you’ve told so far.]

Hersela, who was listening, snorted.

She doesn’t get it. The best liars always claim they don’t lie.

—-

“Ja-han, you’ll stay here from now on. I’ll call you if I need your strength, so until then, study the Imperial language or something.”

“…Are you not staying here, Princess Ha-shal-leur?”

Ja-han looked a bit uneasy.

Well, with everyone passing by giving him looks like he’s a demon spawn, I doubt he feels comfortable.

“Didn’t I tell you? I’m a professor at the Academy here. So I have to stay there.”

“…What?”

Ja-han’s face twisted in disbelief.

This guy looks more shocked than when he found out I wasn’t the real Ha-shal-leur.

“A professor…? Not an executioner…?”

What the hell is this guy muttering?

[Ahahaha! That suits you much better! Ja-han, you have a keen eye!]

As Hersela burst into laughter, I seriously considered giving Ja-han a good smack.

This guy. At first, he was quite respectful, but after just twenty-one days, he’s gotten way too comfortable.

I sent Nigel, Rana, and Ja-han to the reception room and followed a maid to Milia’s room.

The maid guiding me looked a bit awkward. I could guess why.

“…Here it is.”

“Good job. Go back to your work.”

After arriving at Milia’s door, I sent the maid away and lightly knocked.

“I’m here, Milia.”

“Huh…? Ah…! Ha-shal-leur!”

Even though I announced my arrival, Milia didn’t open the door.

Yeah, she can’t. She’s not alone in there.

I could sense someone moving busily inside. The sound of clothes rustling and someone hurriedly getting off the bed.

Even Damien’s voice whispering to get dressed first.

What are they doing in broad daylight?

This is their love hotel, huh?

After a while, the firmly closed door finally started to creak open.

Green hair peeked through the crack. Milia, sticking her head out, forced a smile at me.

Her breathing was rough, and her cheeks were flushed.

There was some kind of stain at the corner of her mouth.

“You’re back? You came earlier than expected…?”

Sounds like a wife caught in an affair.

“Sigh… The eastern business ended early, so I came back. You two seem to have been getting along well.”

Milia… I won’t tell you not to do it, but isn’t doing it in broad daylight a bit much…?

You haven’t been neglecting your training, have you?

If so, I’ll have to get mad. At Damien.

“Us? Wh-what are you talking about…?”

Don’t play dumb. I already figured it out.

“What do you mean? Damien’s in there, right?”

“Ah, no. That’s…”

No, what? Are you saying the guy in there isn’t Damien?

If that’s the case, I’ll have to tearfully cut the guy inside into ten pieces.

Of course, that wouldn’t happen.

The probability of Milia, exhausted from being alone due to Damien’s busy missions, dragging a sturdy servant into her bedroom is about the same as Isabella becoming a devout nun.

“Get yourselves together and come down to the reception room with Damien. I have someone to introduce.”

“Ah, okay…”

Milia, her face bright red, gave up on excuses and nodded.

“Ah, and is Ophelia here?”

“Ophelia? Yeah. She’s probably in the basement by now.”

She’s here, huh? I knew it.

A sponsor who understands her walls… Well, not understands, but tolerates them.

It was too good an offer to refuse.

According to Milia, Ophelia arrived at the mansion with countless crates and immediately occupied the basement, declaring it off-limits.

Since she had my prior permission, the servants didn’t object.

Or maybe they were just too scared to oppose her.

It’s common knowledge that high-ranking mages are often eccentric.

—-

The basement was a world apart from the blindingly shiny ground floor.

It smelled fishy, damp, and musty. Like Isabella’s thighs.

The smell is awful. Looks like she and Claire were going at it like crazy here too.

A real love nest.

Maybe I should paint the walls pink.