Dresses for the Children
Scrooge felt both anxiety and anticipation at the same time.
He feared the lord might throw a tantrum and demand an expensive new dress with the newly acquired money, yet he was also curious what she would say.
“I want to make coats for the children. But we have neither fabric nor a tailor right now. Hunting for pelts would be difficult, wouldn’t it?”
“There are no hunters in our territory, my lady.”
“Why not?”
“Because no hunter can survive in the Black Forest. No matter how much money is offered, life is more precious. Besides, the defensive barrier in front of the Black Forest keeps monsters from crossing over, so hunters have little work to do. The snowy plains beyond are rich with fur-bearing game, but reaching them requires passing through the Black Forest, which is currently impossible.”
Chloe’s gaze remained fixed on the children, her expression filled with pity. Now that he thought about it, even her own wardrobe contained only a handful of fur coats. They must be that expensive.
How wonderful it would be if the children could wear long padded coats.
Perhaps it was possible after all?
“We must dress the children warmly. This is a problem.”
Witnessing this unprecedented scene, Scrooge felt goosebumps rise across his skin and a surge of exhilaration.
“I never thought I would live to see the day. To hear such words from you before I die… *sniff*.”
The butler finally wiped his tears with his sleeve. Though old, the meticulously maintained fabric quickly grew damp.
“Stop that!”
Donghee—now Chloe—spoke gruffly, feeling oddly embarrassed.
“*Sniff*! Yes, I shall stop at once.”
Scrooge wiped his tears while simultaneously breaking into a wide smile.
Even if he died right now, he felt he could face the late marquis without shame.
After sniffling for a long while, the butler suddenly lifted his head as if remembering something and spoke in a nasal voice.
“There are quite a few skilled individuals among the castle staff as well.”
Chloe’s ears perked up at the welcome news.
“Really? Then could they make coats for the children?”
“They make their own clothes well enough, so children’s coats would be no trouble. However…”
Scrooge trailed off, glancing at Chloe as though gauging her reaction.
“However?”
“We have no fabric for the children’s coats.”
“Why not? My dressing room is full of dresses I never wear.”
“Your dresses, my lady?”
Chloe nodded without hesitation. She held no attachment to the dresses with their frayed lace.
Yet Scrooge’s expression suggested he found the idea less than appealing.
“Why? Is the fabric too thin? Even so, layering several pieces would be far better than nothing. Ah, could we perhaps purchase winter fabric from a neighboring territory?”
“Well… we could obtain winter fabric in Shaloom. But with winter so close, the prices will have risen considerably.”
“Don’t worry about the money. Just acquire as much as possible. If we leave them like this, they’ll catch colds or freeze to death all winter.”
Once the words left her mouth, urgency gripped her. Chloe spoke even faster than before.
“Until we get the fabric, we’ll use my dresses to make clothes for the children in the meantime.”
“Are you truly all right with using your dresses for the children’s clothing?”
Scrooge looked incredulous.
Chloe pictured the dressing room packed with dresses and nodded once more.
Every single one was a dazzling shade of pink, purple, or yellow, adorned with fluttering lace and ribbons. Wearing them would make her look like a giant gift box. She had no intention of ever putting them on.
“Yes. From now on, I’ll earn plenty of money and buy clothes that suit my taste.”
“My lady…”
*The lord is even telling such a lie for the children’s sake!*
Scrooge, lost in his own imagination, felt tears well up in the corners of his wrinkled eyes. This time, even a firm “Stop!” was useless.
The villagers are deeply moved by your spirit of sacrifice. Their favorability has risen significantly.
(Morta Village) Current villager favorability: 1,250.
She had only mentioned it because the dresses would never be worn anyway, yet the favorability had surged dramatically. The jump to 1,250 made it clear that Morta Village’s favorability had been steadily climbing all along.
She would be lying if she said she hadn’t expected any increase, but she had never anticipated such a leap. Chloe nearly let out a squeal of delight.
Still, there was a long way to go, so she quickly composed herself.
Her heart already raced at the thought of giving people work, paying them wages, and sewing warm coats for the children.
When word spread that work would be rewarded with pay, the villagers flocked to the hastily assembled temporary labor office, half-doubting yet hopeful.
The village hall—its walls partially collapsed and roof torn in places—served as the labor office.
With the help of the accompanying servants and knights, Scrooge quickly fashioned a signboard that even the villagers could easily understand.
Since most of the villagers, aside from a few, could not read, Scrooge had chosen to use pictures.
“Wow, it’s really badly drawn, but somehow I can still tell what it means?”
Chloe couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration as she watched people lining up in front of the signboard Scrooge had drawn.
“That one means picking up trash from the ground, right? And it’s work assigned to the children?”
When Chloe asked if her interpretation was correct, Scrooge nodded with a proud expression.
“Indeed. And this one means clearing away the filth that is turning the roads into mud. That task is assigned to the adults.”
“Yeah, I can tell. That’s really impressive.”
When Chloe gave him a thumbs-up in praise, Scrooge’s wrinkled cheeks flushed like ripe plums. It was an oddly shy reaction for a man of his age.
She was glad she had put the capable Scrooge in charge.
That wasn’t all.
In preparation for any unforeseen incidents, the knights who had accompanied them were stationed throughout the village square, remaining vigilant to maintain order.
The chocolate cream bread they had been fed before departing the castle was proving its worth.
Among the knights, the tall man who appeared to be the commander showed exceptional loyalty toward the lord.
Even while busy directing the people, he never neglected his duty to guard her.
Chloe raised her thumb toward the knight commander who had performed his role so well.
The knight commander’s loyalty toward you has increased by 50%.
At this rate, her thumb was practically magical!
Chloe smiled contentedly as she glanced at her short thumb.
Two Sudden Missions
📍 First: Give the knight commander a name that will showcase his valor to the world and elevate his dignity.
📍 Second: Raise the knight commander’s loyalty above 80%.
🎁 Reward: Hidden points will be awarded based on mission completion.
This was a decent mission.
It also seemed highly achievable. She wondered what difference naming a character would make compared to not naming one, but her contemplation didn’t last long.
Coming up with a name was easy enough, and maintaining the current level of loyalty shouldn’t be a problem.
Well then, shall I try naming him first? A name that conveys valor…
When it comes to valor, there’s only one choice.
“Lion.”
Name already in use.
“Tiger.”
Name already in use.
At this point, a spark of competitiveness ignited within her. Were lions and tigers the only animals that represented valor?
“Red Bear.”
She wasn’t entirely sure if “red bear” was the correct English term for a brown bear, but it felt better than “fire bear,” so she went with it.
The Grace Knights’ commander has been registered as “Red Bear.”
Since satisfaction with the name is 70%, 70 hidden points will be awarded.
The satisfaction rating was a little disappointing, but the name had already been registered and could not be changed.
“Yes, my lady.”
Red Bear, assuming he had been called, answered promptly. Somehow, his eyes seemed to sparkle more brightly than before the name had been given.
“I’ll leave the distribution of food to you and your subordinates. Once their meal is finished, work with the butler to assign them to appropriate locations and begin the tasks.”
“Understood.”
Red Bear bowed his head in reply and quickly took his position.
The faces of those returning home with bread and grain were filled with bright smiles. Though carrying large quantities of bread alone had been tiring, seeing their joy made her feel she could repeat the effort as many times as needed.
But this was only a one-time event. She had to give them proper work.
“The villagers must become self-reliant.”
Chloe surveyed the barren village, carefully checking if anything had been overlooked.
What should they start once the village cleaning was done?
She shouldn’t overthink it.
Just recall the fief-management games she used to play. What had she done first back then?
Houses, farmland for crops, and roads.
She would focus on those three for now.
Having reached a quick conclusion, Chloe called out to Scrooge, who was busily marking work zones on the village map.
“Butler.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“That forest over there also belongs to Grace Territory, right?”
Chloe pointed to the forest located north of the village.
“Yes. The Black Forest has belonged to the Grace family for generations.”
“The Black Forest?”
It was the forest mentioned in the terrain knowledge she had obtained with points.
Recognizing the name brought a small sense of familiarity. Though the name sounded ominous and ghostly, she felt an unexpected anticipation that much could be gained from it. Chloe’s eyes sparkled brighter than ever as she gazed at the Black Forest.
“Yes. At night, monsters roam freely there, so there are no settlements nearby.”
No wonder there was such a wide plain between the forest and the village.
The open field Scrooge indicated stretched at least two hundred meters wide. Yet, perhaps due to drought, while the forest remained lush and green, the plain was covered only in dry grass.
“What about that grass? Don’t the monsters come down onto the plain? It seems like they would attack the villagers.”