Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Our Grandchild
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I gaze at the people who've been brought before me.
"I told you, Master."
Clue, who captured them, speaks in a confident tone as she looks at me.
"I said we should grab them in advance and train them because they're dangerous."
"...They haven't done anything yet."
"Master, it's too late once the crime happens and we catch them. We should kill them preemptively."
"Why are you so negative?"
"I'm just being realistic. Even Lady Lucy isn't saying anything."
Clue mutters matter-of-factly, and Lucy nods in agreement with her words.
These two barely talk usually, but when it comes to this, they sure get along.
Thinking that, I glance at the two of them before turning my eyes back to the man.
The man blinks at me.
He seems more bold than I expected...
"You're not here to kill me, are you."
"I don't know what you take me for, but I'm not that shameless."
"Watch your mouth."
Clue glares at the man's words,
"...I'm not that shameless."
He got scared.
Well, even I get chills sometimes when Clue stares at me with that fierce look late at night instead of sleeping.
Nodding to myself with that thought,
"Anyway, then why are you here?"
"...Just, I wanted to see your face."
Why is a bearded old man saying something a 17-year-old girl would?
"Get in line."
What line?
I tap Clue's back and speak up.
"You might not know, but I've been ambushed once before."
"I see. I'm sorry."
The man slowly bows his head. I look at him, then shift my gaze to the others.
Apparently, the rest were also caught by Clue.
"..."
The others avert their eyes when they meet mine, but one woman stares straight at me.
As I hold her gaze, she speaks.
"By any chance, is Prince Theodor really... the Saint?"
What kind of question is that?
"He seems to be the real deal."
I answer her like that, and the woman nods.
"Actually, we've heard a lot about you, Your Highness."
"I see."
The woman's eyes sparkle.
"You're probably the most famous person in the Empire."
"Me?"
No way I'm the most famous in the Empire.
Isn't it my mom?
"Of course, Her Majesty is there, but..."
"I'm not giving you a map to the palace."
"That's not what I meant. Her Majesty is clean to begin with."
So my mom is on the clean side.
Well, thinking about it, she never seems to take bribes carelessly.
"Actually, there's a pretty shady guy around here."
"The Rigs?"
"We're not like that!"
Lucy immediately denies my question in a fluster.
"We collect taxes according to imperial standards and provide welfare!"
"Yes, it's not the Rig estate."
The woman says calmly.
Right, even if Lucy said something, I was going to side with her anyway.
"There's a shady merchant around here who lends money at unreasonable rates, then takes the interest and turns commoners into slaves."
"Ah, I see."
Lending money itself isn't weird.
"But it's an unlicensed operation."
"That's a problem."
"So we wanted to... raid them and teach them a lesson..."
"I hope you didn't actually raid them."
Even if they're bandits for justice, it's still illegal theft.
There are things you say and don't say in front of royalty.
"Where are they?"
"Um, Your Highness. This is our family’s..."
"I've heard complaints have gone to the count's family several times, but nothing's been done yet."
"..."
Lucy closes her mouth at the woman's words.
She's just going to let this slide? Either Lucy's an angel, or this world is truly insane.
"I'd prefer you not talk to nobles like that."
"S-Sorry."
So I need to enforce some discipline here.
With that thought, I warn her and look at Lucy.
"Lucy, is it okay if I go?"
"...If that's what Theodor wants..."
Lucy mutters in a shrinking voice.
"Then let's wrap it up quick."
Inspecting the populace and teaching shady folks a lesson is a common novel trope.
They'll probably just think they were unlucky.
"But if we go now, they might not be there, and if they catch even a hint, they'll swap the ledgers..."
"Then let's go right now."
"...Sorry, Prince Theodor, but I can't read ledgers..."
"Master, me neither..."
Lucy mutters in bewilderment, and Clue also avoids my gaze as she mumbles.
"It's fine."
"Huh?"
"Master?"
"I can read ledgers."
Don't underestimate a salaryman.
Il-sa.
A merchant running a grocery store in the Rig territory.
But the groceries were just a front—her real business was usury.
Of course, her interest rates far exceeded the imperial limits, and it was all unlicensed...
Il-sa rolls her eyes in dismay.
Disaster.
That was the only thought in her head.
Usury aside, how did the daughter of the Rig count family suddenly show up here?
And none of her planted informants warned her.
Maybe they couldn't.
And above all...
"..."
The two people standing beside her only made Il-sa's anxiety worse.
A handsome blond boy and a doll-like black-haired girl.
They didn't look like ordinary folk.
Their clothes were neat, but more than that, their bearing.
Their aura was different, refined. Like they were attending royalty.
"Sorry to drop by unannounced."
"N-No, it's an honor to see you, my lady."
"Ah, an honor."
Why does she look so displeased?
Did she catch on?
But how?
As she thought that, she steels herself.
She knew what she had to do anyway.
"I don't know what brings you here, but..."
Lucy speaks calmly to Il-sa's words.
Still sounding a bit offended.
"Nothing much, just... heard some bad news."
"W-What do you mean?"
"I heard you're charging higher interest than imperial rates and operating illegally."
"Y-Yes...?"
"It looks registered as a grocery..."
"Yes..."
"Just to be sure, can I see your ledgers?"
"..."
Il-sa grits her teeth.
Inspections weren't unheard of.
The count's territory had seen a few, and she'd gotten through them fine.
But a lady showing up out of the blue?
This was the most dangerous day of her life.
Thinking that, Il-sa closes her eyes.
What should she do?
No, what can she do?
Ladies aren't inspectors.
Pulling out the fake ledger now would raise suspicions, so she had to show the real one.
The one with the grocery sales—flawed, but enough to fool them.
They came hastily; what could a 14-year-old girl without an inspector do?
With that thought, she hands over the ledger.
"Oh, come on. Of course you're curious. Here's the ledger."
She smiles and hands it over,
"One moment..."
The boy beside her reaches out and takes it.
As she thinks Huh?,
"This is odd."
She can only stare in shock as the boy smiles and points out issues one by one.
Later, in prison, when she learned he was Prince Theodor, she'd sigh—but that's another story.
"...I told you."
A woman mutters in a calm voice, watching Prince Theodor from afar.
"Prince Theodor is different."
"..."
The man, who had been silently watching without responding, finally speaks.
"If that man becomes emperor, the world will be a bit more peaceful."
"...I agree."
The woman nods at his words, and the others do too.
"But how..."
"...We can't help the prince from inside the palace anyway."
The woman shrugs.
"But outside the empire, we can."
"You mean..."
"We'll help like proper bandits."
As the man mutters quietly, the others look at him.
"Like bandits?"
"You'll see."
And soon after, aid arrives from somewhere for the poor and suffering.
The sender: Prince Theodor.
And Prince Theodor, completely unaware,
"Theodor, marriage proposals are starting to come in for you too."
"Ah, Mother. I..."
"Don't worry. We'll live together until I die of old age."
"No, Mom..."
was getting marriage talk bit by bit.