Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: I Became the Mastermind Controlling the Pope's Daughter (7)
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"An urgent letter from the territory..."
A bad feeling washed over me.
No, it went beyond a mere hunch—I was about 99% certain.
This was far more serious than the last one.
Bang.
The servant flung the door open and practically sprinted up to me, thrusting the letter forward.
The seal bore the Bilheim family crest.
The sender was probably Henriotte.
That filled in the last 1%.
This letter was definitely flying in to screw me over.
"..."
I took the letter from the servant but just stared at it without opening it.
It wasn't fear of what it might say.
Ever since becoming Duke of the North, all I'd known was getting screwed over.
I was used to this.
It just felt... strangely fascinating.
How did these crises always hit right when I caught a breather?
"Hoo..."
I sighed and broke the seal.
Unlike last time, the letter was brutally concise.
Family Head,
During the long-overdue financial audit, we discovered unreported debts.
Please review the attached copies for details.
The territory's finances can't cover it, so we must secure funds somehow.
I'm sorry, but I must ask for your help again. I'll do what I can to delay.
Familiar handwriting from Henriotte.
But the nearly illegible scrawl screamed his desperation.
I checked the attached page at the bottom.
A copy of the debt certificate.
Due next month. Amount...
"Let's see. Zeros: one, two, three, four... ha."
The absurd figure drew an involuntary gasp.
The principal alone matched three months of the northern territory's entire budget.
Plus 15% annual interest. Loan date: three years ago.
"So, we need to scrape together an amount equal to half a year's budget by next month."
I checked the bottom of the certificate for the debtor.
Our beloved father, Palthion Bilheim...
"...No, it's not him?"
This time was different.
The name boldly listed as debtor: William Bilheim.
Eldest of the Bilheim brothers.
Of course. It'd get boring if Father was always the culprit.
They had to throw in a curveball now and then. Right.
I didn't know the details, but I could already picture it.
His four brothers competing for succession.
Our eldest needed achievements to outshine them and catch Father's eye, so he secretly borrowed from the bank without telling him.
Of course, I doubted the money was used well.
Probably wasted on pointless policies or siphoned off by the sycophants clinging to him.
And to make it airtight, he'd stamped the northern territory's official seal on the signature line.
Not as William personally—as proxy for the northern territory.
"...Haa."
I tossed the letter onto the table and slumped back in my chair.
"..."
Eline quickly snatched up the letter I'd discarded.
Her face drained of color as she read it.
"...Family Head, this..."
She opened her mouth several times to speak, only to clamp it shut in grim silence, her expression heavy.
Her reaction spoke for my own feelings.
"For now, just to be sure, let's go over it step by step."
"Yes."
"If I have this right, we need to raise half a year's budget to pay this debt right away."
"...Yes."
"As far as I know, the northern territory has no source for that kind of money. Eline, do you know of any funding methods I might've missed?"
"...I'm sorry. Even I..."
"Yeah, I figured. That's why Henriotte sent this to me. We barely plugged the food shortage, and now it's money."
"F-Family Head. The steward must have judged it truly unavoidable to ask you. With his personality, if he could solve it himself, he would have..."
"...I know. Better than anyone. He's served the family since before I was born."
The sheer ridiculousness had me whining without thinking.
"Sorry. Got a bit worked up."
"Shall I instruct the vassal nobles to seek funding options again?"
"No. I barely scraped together the food myself—how are they supposed to find suckers for this sum?"
I wasn't so tyrannical as to order the impossible.
"..."
Maybe I'd missed something. I scoured the letter again for a breakthrough.
Henriot te's writing, debt certificate, amount, interest, deadline, debtor, creditor...
"...Wait."
The creditor: 'Merhan Bank'—a familiar name.
"Eline. If memory serves, isn't Merhan Bank owned by the Pelkites family in the southeast of our territory?"
"Yes. That's right."
"Pelkites. Pelkites..."
Pelkites Count.
Never met him, just heard the name, but it felt oddly familiar lately.
"Ah."
I remembered.
-Lord Robertus, would you meet with Count Pelkites sometime?
-Count Pelkites? ...Ah, the one with lands in the southeast of the northern territory.
-Yes! Exactly. He supports me too. Your territories border each other, so this could be a chance to build rapport...
Aselina, who'd been clinging annoyingly, had brought him up once.
"..."
"F-Family Head? Why the sudden..."
"There might be a way to fix this too."
"Really!? That's wonderful!"
"Yeah. Wonderful."
"...But you don't seem happy about it."
"..."
Lately, my instincts had been screaming.
No matter how hard I tried to shake her off, I'd end up tangled with Aselina somehow.
And now this letter nailed our connection shut.
"Haha."
"?"
"Hahaha..."
So it came to this.
Fine.
"I'll make it happen just like you wanted. The black curtain controlling the Pope's daughter."
The captain's office of the Rose Knight Order.
"Hoo..."
Aselina Radain sighed, seated at her desk.
"...This isn't easy."
Purging Ferris Duke had gone well enough, but cleaning up after was the issue.
He'd been plotting shady schemes behind the scenes, but he was still the head of her faction.
With him gone, Aselina now had to handle all his networking, electioneering, and faction management alone.
"I need a replacement ASAP..."
She ran through candidates from her faction, but none satisfied her.
"...Robertus Bilheim."
In the end, the name lingering in her mind was that Duke of the North again.
Not fully vetted yet, but...
That man would make the perfect number two for her.
Aselina felt it in her bones.
"Argh, this is so frustrating! I've been throwing myself at him, and he...!"
Being rejected so coldly had happened only twice in her life.
First, when Mercadie refused to back her Saintess bid.
Second, Robertus ignoring her advances now.
"Hm..."
Her faction woes, recruiting Robertus—nothing was going smoothly.
That's when it happened.
Knock knock.
"Who is it?"
-Your adjutant, Captain. A guest is here.
"A guest... who?"
Aselina answered halfheartedly.
Probably another faction noble.
-Uh... Duke Robertus Bilheim.
"Yes, yes, whatever, Robertus... Bilheim!?"
Aselina shot up from her seat in shock.
"B-Bring him here right now!"
"No need to bother."
Aselina blankly looked up at the towering Duke of the North standing before her.
"...It really is you."
Even after the adjutant's report, she'd half-doubted.
The man who'd brushed her off despite her stalking him—visiting her office in person was unimaginable.
"F-First, this way. Sit on the sofa, and we can talk calmly..."
"No. I won't be long. We'll talk standing here. Straight to business."
Robertus shut the door behind him and replied coldly as ever.
"...Fine. So, why have you come to see me?"
"..."
"?"
For the first time, Aselina saw that expression on Robertus.
Still his stoic face.
But his slightly wavering eyes and twitching lips betrayed a flicker of emotion.
"Lord Robertus?"
"...Pelkites Count."
"Pardon?"
"You mentioned him to me once before."
"...Did I?"
"You did. I remember clearly."
"Hm. Suppose so. He does support me. But why bring him up suddenly?"
"..."
Robertus paused, then slowly explained.
"Oh my. So, there's this massive debt due next month in your territory, held by a bank in Pelkites lands."
"Yes."
"Aha. You want me to mediate negotiations over that debt."
"...Exactly."
"...Hehe."
Aselina's lips curved up.
Her eyes narrowed like a predator sighting prey.
"Oh dear, oh my. Who'd have thought our great Duke of the North would face such dire straits..."
Her voice, lately dripping with excessive charm around him, reverted to its initial haughty tone from their first meeting.
"Of course I'll help! But... you know how it went with Ferris Duke last time? That ended with me mediating your talks with Marquis Boel."
"I know."
"So, if I mediate between you two this time... you'll pay separately for that."
Even someone as poor with numbers as Aselina could tell she held the upper hand now.
"..."
"You already know what I'll demand, right?"
Her voice trembled with barely contained excitement at having her prize nearly in hand.
"Declare it here."
"Here... out loud?"
"Yes. I need to hear it in your voice, Lord Robertus."
Watching him squeeze his eyes shut, Aselina felt a strange thrill bubbling from deep within.
"...I, Robertus Bilheim,"
"Yes."
"pledge my public support."
"Exactly."
"...for Aselina Radain,"
"..."
"as the next Saintess of the Radain Church."
"...Are you satisfied now?"
"Hehe. Ahahaha!"
She couldn't feel better.
Aselina laughed loudly, unable to contain her joy at finally securing Robertus.
"Perfect! Truly splendid! It was a rocky road, but... we're in the same boat now, Lord Robertus."
"..."
"Now... what role should I give you? The most logical would be taking over Ferris Duke's duties..."
"Overall operations for faction management and electioneering? I'll handle it."
"Oh my. So motivated already. I like that..."
"And one more thing."
"Already? Commendable attitude, but don't overdo it."
"I want to handle your education too."
"...My what?"
"For example... basic leadership, political science, negotiation tactics, rhetoric. Those sorts of things."
Robertus took a step toward Aselina.
"Essential qualities for a leader that no one around you has taught you."
His steps didn't stop.
"Education? What are you... H-Hey. Wait, too close."
Overwhelmed by the fierce black-haired giant pressing in, Aselina backed away.
"Yes. Since it's come to this, I might as well teach you high society etiquette from top to bottom perfectly. I know just the ideal instructor."
"H-Hey? What have you been saying since earlier...? And I said you're too close!"
Thud, thud.
Step back, step back.
"You're right—we're in the same boat now. So I absolutely won't tolerate it. Our captain sinking the ship with foolish blunders."
"F-First, back off! ...Ah."
Thump.
Aselina's back finally hit the bookshelf, nowhere left to retreat.
"Listen well."
Bam.
Robertus's massive hand slammed onto the shelf above her head.
"I intend to remake you into the perfect Saintess candidate."
A pair of silver eyes glared down at Aselina.
Meeting that blazing gaze, she swallowed dryly without thinking.
"Because now that you've pulled me in... you must prove your worth by becoming Saintess, Aselina Radain."