Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Villainess Laura (1)
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Money.
This entity that could make people weep or laugh held tremendous power, both in my past life and this one.
There was even a famous saying in this era: If money can't solve it, you just don't have enough.
I grinned ear to ear just thinking about the 5,000 gold that was on its way.
Five thousand gold...
Five thousand gold!
"What's with that creepy grin, you idiot?"
The penniless saintess Raini, who hadn't brought a single coin with her, grumbled as she dragged herself out of bed and shuffled over to me.
"What's in that letter that's got you smiling like such a weirdo?"
I proudly showed her the letter from the duke.
Partly to make the penniless saintess reflect on her ways.
"Hmm..."
Raini squinted at the letter, her eyes still crusty with sleep.
Her eyes suddenly went wide.
"No way, for real?"
"Yes, 5,000 gold. Five thousand gold."
"Hmm..."
"With 5,000 gold, we can completely upgrade our lifestyle! We can fix the creaky floors in the lord's castle and have steak at every meal instead of just once a day!"
"..."
"Saintess, tell me what you need. I'll splurge and buy you one."
"..."
It was clearly good news for Raini too, but for some reason, she wore an ambiguous expression.
Like it didn't sit right with her.
"Come on, why do you look so down? Money's coming our way! Money!"
Raini still looked dissatisfied as she spoke.
"Can't we just... not take it?"
"Why?"
"I don't know... It just feels off."
"Is it because of that freakout earlier?"
"Maybe...?"
In truth, as the lord of this territory, it didn't matter if Raini approved or not.
A mere baron's family couldn't defy a duke's will anyway.
"The duke's lady is probably around your age, Saintess. She got expelled from the academy too. Nice to make a friend for once, right?"
Raini had sat down at the desk by then and was tapping it idly as she spoke.
"Why are you so eager to take in this lady? Planning to jump her?"
"Ugh, Saintess! I'm not that kind of guy."
"How can I trust you?"
"If I were, I'd have jumped you already, Saintess."
"..."
Raini's cheeks flushed bright red.
As soon as I said it, I realized my mistake. What kind of crude talk is this to a former saintess?
We'd gotten too chummy lately, and my brain had gone soft.
I hurriedly tried to backpedal.
"Y-you know that's a joke, right? Just teasing. Teasing."
"...Pervert. Die."
I took one of Raini's flame smashes.
She seemed mad, but there was a strange hint of pleasure in it. Probably my imagination.
***
Our baron's estate had a trading company that visited once a month.
The Carrot Trading Company.
The caravan leader hated carrots, which made the name a lingering mystery.
They came to the territory monthly, selling goods at double the imperial market price. Considering the effort to reach our remote land, I thought it was reasonable and viewed them positively.
Today was the day of their monthly visit.
I waited with Raini atop the castle walls.
"Here they come!"
A sharp-eyed soldier shouted, and soon a massive procession appeared—dozens of wagons and what looked like hundreds of people.
"Whoa, is it usually that big?"
Raini asked in genuine awe.
I scratched my head at the unexpectedly large group.
"No? It's at least double the usual. Especially the escorts—they're unusually numerous."
A slightly ominous feeling crept in.
More escorts meant higher costs, which would naturally raise prices.
The goods they brought this time might cost triple the usual double rate.
The rumble of hooves grew louder.
The large caravan approached the gates, and I signaled to open them.
Our "castle" was so small it was embarrassing to call it one, but the sight of the gates opening was still pretty cool.
The caravan members filed in one by one.
By rough count, there were at least a hundred this time.
Normally around fifty, so truly double.
"Haha, has the baron been well?"
The caravan leader approached with a beaming smile, his face even rounder than before.
Business must be booming—his cheeks were plump.
Considering our territory's constant money woes, I felt a twinge of envy, but I greeted him with a bright smile.
The caravan leader then spotted Raini beside me and gasped in surprise.
"Isn't that the saintess?"
He must have recognized her face.
"Yes, though I was excommunicated."
"Oh..."
The awkward air thickened, so I jumped in.
"So, Caravan Leader, why the huge entourage today?"
"Huh? You didn't get the letter?"
"I did get one..."
"Yes, we're escorting the duke's lady here as well, so the group grew."
"Oh..."
So they'd sent her with the caravan.
Makes sense—safer and cheaper than alone.
The leader glanced around, then whispered.
"But... are you sure you're okay with this?"
"With what?"
"I'd normally keep my mouth shut and take the money, but that lady's personality..."
"It's fine. 5,000 gold's worth it. Gotta take the good with the bad."
"Hmm..."
He looked like he had more to say but fell silent.
I appreciated the concern, but I was confident I could handle whoever came.
Even if she was an academy dropout troublemaker, could she be worse than Raini screaming for booze?
I'd successfully reformed Raini, so a duke's daughter should be no problem.
Unlike Raini from the back alleys, this one was traditional nobility.
Properly educated in etiquette, no doubt.
No need to worry.
I grinned brightly and patted the leader's shoulder.
"Come on, you've come all this way. Let's eat. Include the duke's lady too."
He gave an awkward laugh at my words.
"I should sell the fresh goods first..."
"Aren't lackeys handling that?"
"Th-this time, I need to oversee it personally."
"Hmm..."
"Haha..."
I'm not a clueless fool.
I caught that he was avoiding eating with the duke's lady.
But I couldn't eat without her, so I nodded with a regretful smile.
"Fair enough. We'll have a meal before you go."
He bobbed his head gratefully, clearly relieved I'd let it slide, and scurried off.
Watching his hefty frame jiggle as he fled, Raini's voice came from beside me.
"Wow, must be a total wreck. He hates her that much."
*I was gonna say you're one to talk*, but I swallowed it and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah."
"So, what now?"
"Gotta have that meal with the troublemaker lady."
"I don't wanna..."
"Come on, eat with us. I don't want to dine awkwardly alone with her either. Imagine how suffocating..."
"Alone..."
Raini fixated on "alone," lost in thought for a moment.
"Alright! Let's go!"
She switched gears, eagerly volunteering to join.
Lately, this saintess's emotions had been all over the place.
Gotta watch out.
Among the caravan, a gaudy carriage screamed "duke's lady."
It was decked in gold and silver leaf, and I marveled that she'd arrived safely in something so flashy.
That thing would be bandit bait for sure.
Anyway, she made it, so no issue.
I approached cautiously.
"Who are you?"
A fierce-looking woman suddenly blocked my path.
Clearly an escort, and her aura was no joke.
As expected of the duke's lady's guard—skilled.
I stayed wary but smiled innocently.
"Ah, I'm Baron Raden Daven, lord of this territory. The lady's come a long way; thought we'd share a meal."
She eyed me suspiciously, then muttered quietly.
"Wait here. I'll ask the lady."
"Sure."
While Raini and I waited politely, she tapped on the carriage door.
"Miss?"
"What!"
A shrill, piercing voice echoed outside.
That must be the academy expellee.
"The territory lord, Baron Raden, requests to dine with you."
"No!"
Rejection without a second's hesitation.
Already sensing this wouldn't be easy.
Raini murmured softly, sharing the sentiment.
"Not gonna be easy."
*You're one to talk...*