Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: The Reward
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“Nothing much. Just planning to give you a reward since most of your advice has been a huge help.”
“Then allow me to resign!”
“Denied.”
Carion refused with a bright smile.
“Ugh.”
Rachel pouted her lips to express her dissatisfaction.
“I can’t just let go of someone who does great work. Stay by my side forever. I’ll make sure your salary is generous.”
Rachel let out a shallow sigh.
‘Normally, “stay by my side forever” is something you say during a proposal, but this guy...’
A loyal subordinate might be touched, but Rachel’s loyalty wasn’t deep enough for that.
Besides, wasn’t she too young to be tied down for life? Her mental age was adult, but her physical age was still underage.
Of course, child rights were nonexistent in this world, so kids from poor families started working early.
“That’s kind of you to say, but I’m so busy I don’t even have time to spend money. There probably isn’t another noble who works like I do.”
“I’ll give you vacation time once things settle down. As you know, each department only normalized recently.”
“That’s true. Anyway, it’s a promise! No backing out later!”
“Sure, sure. Anything else you want?”
In any case, Carion had promised her a reward. Rachel answered without hesitation.
“Would it be okay if I asked Count Beston to write a recommendation letter for my little brother’s academy admission?”
“A recommendation letter for the academy?”
“Not just any. I’m not bragging because he’s my brother, but he has talent in swordsmanship.”
“How old is he?”
“Just turned twelve. So, if Your Highness could take a look and write one if he has talent.”
After thorough research, this was the best option. Rachel knew that while Deyner was quiet in front of her, rumors circulated behind her back that his father, Henri Iasis, came from a Black Sorcerer family.
If Deyner just entered the academy, talk would spread among the students, and he’d be bullied.
It might decrease after he showed his skills, but the academy had older upperclassmen who had trained longer.
If they targeted young Deyner, he wouldn’t endure it, so she needed a safety net. That was Count Beston.
The academy’s swordsmanship instructor was a close junior of Count Beston. If Count Beston personally acknowledged and recommended him, wouldn’t he pay attention?
Above all, Count Beston was one of Carion’s key aides with strong influence. If the academy principal had any sense, he wouldn’t ignore a talent recommended by Count Beston if issues arose.
“You seem pretty confident in your brother’s talent.”
“He really is.”
In the 20th round, Count Beston had evaluated Deyner as talented. Rachel was certain he’d recognize it this time too.
“I’ll mention it. But if there’s no talent, even I can’t force a recommendation.”
“I know it sounds like I’m bragging, but my brother’s a real gem. Don’t miss out on him later—mark him now.”
“I’ll trust your word and look forward to it. Your eye for talent rarely misses. So, is that really all? Nothing beneficial for you?”
Carion asked again when Rachel prioritized her little brother over herself.
‘Well, after all I’ve done, settling for this would hurt my pride.’
“Then, Your Highness. How about buying that abandoned coal mine Viscount Fern put up for sale a few months ago and gifting it to me?”
The Fern region had vast coal deposits, sustaining itself since ancient times by mining coal and supplying forges.
But a few years ago, reserves ran dry, the mine closed, and the mining village became desolate as people left.
Viscount Fern, trying to squeeze out every last coin, had put the abandoned mine and surrounding land up for cheap sale about two months ago.
Nobles in the know naturally didn’t buy, and it was still on the market.
Carion knew of Viscount Fern’s abandoned mine, so he questioned Rachel’s choice.
“Why that?”
“It might seem foolish, but everything has its use. Since Your Highness brought up rewards, you’ll gift it, right? The price is about this much.”
Rachel pulled out her memo pad and pencil and wrote down the amount.
Carion checked the amount and stroked his chin.
“Not cheap for an abandoned mine.”
“But you can afford it, right?”
“True, but how about I threaten him to lower the price?”
“Don’t. Farming’s tough there. Viscount Fern is rare in caring for his territory’s people, so honor his set price.”
Carion admired Rachel’s words.
“Your gift is just an excuse—you’re trying to help Fern’s people, aren’t you?”
Carion misunderstood on his own. But it wasn’t a bad misunderstanding, so Rachel didn’t correct him.
“Think what you will, Your Highness. Just put the mine in my name.”
“Got it, got it. I see your heart goes out to them, buying the mine and land to get involved. If only all nobles were like you!”
Rachel just smiled. Carion seemed thoroughly mistaken, but she had no such grand intentions.
She just wanted to buy it because pink diamonds came from that mine.
In a previous round, Count Emporus bought that abandoned coal mine. As the title suggested, it was after Damian won the civil war, when pink diamond ore was discovered in the mine.
‘It didn’t seem like he knew beforehand. Plus, it was infamous for frequent accidents.’
Judging now, the Fern territory corresponded to the Black Sorcerer’s Demon King Summoning Circle location. Paris Emporus seemed to have bought it to bury sacrificed people.
‘Especially famous as Bloody Diamonds.’
The name ‘Bloody’ evoked blood-red, but the actual color was pale pink, initially called ‘Pink Diamond’.
In past rounds, this diamond gained fame not just for its large size and brilliant shine, but because all its owners died.
The Bloody Diamond ore was a massive 5,000 carats when first found. Paris Emporus split it into six large chunks and over a hundred small ones.
The largest was 800 carats, the other large ones 300 to 500 carats; the biggest became a scepter offered to the former queen.
But the queen died of illness without even holding it a few times.
Starting there, owners of the scepter embedded with the pink diamond died one after another. Even when separated into accessories, owners kept dying.
Thus, it became known as the ‘Bloody Diamond’.
‘It was in the in-game newspaper.’
After the queen’s death, the scepter went to the king’s sisters, when Rachel was still alive.
The moment Rachel heard about the diamond, she realized it was the ‘Bloody Diamond’ from the game newspaper.
‘The owner changed 13 times in just over a year.’
During gameplay, she thought it was modeled after the cursed Hope Diamond, but now she knew better.
‘It really is cursed.’
Rachel had never seen the diamond herself but was convinced.
‘Paris Emporus must have cursed it.’
“Your expression suddenly got serious. Whatever it is, cheer up.”
Carion grabbed Rachel’s cheek and stretched it. Snapped out of her thoughts, Rachel furrowed her brow.
“Don’t do thaaat.”
“What’s this? This texture? It’s so soft I can’t let go!”
She thought he was comforting her at first, but as it turned into playfulness, Rachel glared at Carion.
But Carion, with a playful face, pressed and stretched her cheek again.
‘This guy?’
“Lord Louiiis is coming!”
“Louis is coming?”
Carion hurriedly hid behind the bushes, dragging Rachel down too.
“Where? I don’t see him.”
Of course not. Rachel was lying.
“You tricked me, you rascal. That’s insulting royalty!”
“Before talking about insulting royalty, stop playing with my cheeks. They’re not Your Highness’s healing toy.”
“Healing, what?”
“Anyway, I need to get back to work.”
“You were all interested during reward talk, but now that it’s over, you ditch me. So heartless.”
‘This undignified guy?’
Infuriating, but power was power. Rachel inwardly screamed ‘If he weren’t royalty’ repeatedly while forcing her lips into a smile.
“Isn’t all my work for Your Highness?”
“That’s nice to hear, but don’t work for me.”
“Pardon?”
“Work for the country.”
At that moment, Carion was more serious than ever.
‘Ugh, he shows sides like this sometimes, making it hard to just hate him.’
“Yes, I’ll devote myself to the nation.”
Carion looked pleased, staring intently at Rachel before snatching the pencil from her hand.
“What’s this?”
“A pencil...?”
“You wrote on paper with this earlier.”
Rachel handed him the memo pad. Carion scribbled on it with the pencil.
“The administration folks had these.”
‘So what?’
Here, they used ink and pens—the pens dipped, not cartridge.
Ink splattered on documents or smeared sleeves if not dry, ruining work and requiring redos. Annoyed, Rachel thought of pencils.
She had prior knowledge. Mix graphite powder with clay, harden, insert in wood.
She’d had the technician who helped with clips and staplers make them, and results were good.
Rachel distributed the pencils to administration and carried one herself.
“The administration always uses good stuff.”
“It’s not that great.”
Not expensive materials or anything. No factory meant handmade, limiting mass production, but division of labor could fix that.
Carion coveted such a simple item.
“You carry paper cut like this too.”
“That’s recycled paper. Paper’s expensive.”
Rachel showed the back of the memo pad. Not recent documents, but old junk papers she’d considered shredding, cut into memos.
“Pfft. Amazing.”
For some reason, Carion burst out laughing.
“Such a clever idea. Who thinks of this?”
What was obvious to Rachel wasn’t to him or nobles. Nobles never considered recycling expensive paper.
Memo pads? Even less so—cutting paper small seemed undignified.
Only administration adopted memos for convenience; otherwise, small paper was only for carrier pigeons.
Carion met Rachel’s eyes. Her ruby-red pupils seemed to pierce him, making Rachel uncomfortable.