Chapter 311
Chapter 311
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Handing Over the Territory
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"Auntie, have you been well?"
"...Take this damn territory already."
"...Huh?"
I greeted Alexandra, whom I hadn't seen in months.
But Alexandra brushed off my greeting with tired eyes.
"Sis, are you okay?"
"...No, I'm really not. My parents too, and Grandfather managed the territory so poorly...."
"Ah...."
"Oh."
Once you learn the full story, it's inevitable that curses would slip out.
Yeah, even I thought the Rose Family was pretty broken from the inside.
Christina had been trying her own quirky fixes on the already messed-up situation, and now that had piled up even more, so it all needed sorting out.
No wonder Alexandra's eyes had turned so weary.
"Anyway, it's been a while. Have you been well?"
"No. I haven't."
"Pffft, I figured as much. The signatures on the recent documents you sent were getting sharper and sharper."
"So, you're planning to take over here now? You wouldn't show up this soon otherwise."
"Yes, something like that."
The conversation progressed quickly.
Alexandra wasn't the cautious type anyway, and she seemed pretty worn out from work right now.
Things moved much faster than I'd expected.
"Alright, then we're good. The guest house over there is in way better shape than before, so use that."
"Yes, got it. Mother? I think we should head to the guest house first. Auntie seems busy with the tasks I asked her to handle."
"Should we? Sis, it was nice seeing your face after so long. Uh.... let's have dinner together later?"
"Yeah, Rozalin, nice seeing you too after ages. Rest up with your daughter over there. You must've been busy traveling."
"Hehe, yes. Take care, Sis."
After that brief exchange, I picked up Lize and Ashley waiting outside the room and headed to the guest villa as Alexandra had suggested.
Just as she said, it was definitely in much better condition than before.
Of course, there were still some minor fixes needed if you looked closely... but they'd probably prioritized territory issues over detailed building maintenance.
"This is more than enough."
"Young Lady, here's some rose tea."
"Yes, Lize, sit down and rest too."
"Yes, understood."
"Anyway, don't you think the territory looks better than before, Mother?"
"It seems much improved. It's livelier than last time, and the people look full of energy. When we visited before, it felt so quiet... I wasn't used to it."
We started chatting casually right after settling into the villa.
It hadn't really been that long—just about three months since our last visit—so there was no awkwardness at all.
We were all lounging around like it was our own home, lying down or sitting wherever.
And since it was actually more comfortable than before, we could relax even better.
After days of traveling by carriage, we let our tired bodies sink into the plush beds and sofas, resting as we pleased.
It felt so good that we could focus purely on conversation.
"Sis must've been busier than I thought, working this hard. To improve it this much."
"Please remember it happened because everyone worked hard together."
"Pffft, of course. How hard did our daughter work? Last week, every time I went to Camellia's room, all I saw was her buried in work."
"Pffft, right? I was swamped for a while too, so it was tough."
"Yes, that's why I kept telling our daughter to rest on the way here, remember?"
"Truth be told, I was just resting in the carriage, but Mother kept insisting anyway."
"Hehe, is that so?"
We were just chatting like that, casually.
Of course, we'd head back to Alexandra soon to discuss territory and business matters.
But for now, we were simply enjoying slow, pleasant talk with my lovers.
Lize gently holding me as I lay comfortably, Rozalin lying on my other side and chatting away.
And... Ashley sprawled on the sofa like a cat, resting alone?
"Mother, let's go play in the square later. Lize, you come too."
"I'll prepare."
"Yes, shall we? We don't have that much to do anyway."
Anyway, we were just happily chatting away.
Mostly about how Alexandra had diligently improved the territory's state.
Even without my help, she'd managed it surprisingly well, which was truly impressive.
.
.
.
"Auntie seems more capable than I thought."
"You're saying that just because we walked into the cabin?"
"Better to give praise when it's due. We don't have a separate greeting planned, right? We already ran into each other during the day and at dinner."
"True enough."
I arrived at the cabin after mentioning we needed to talk business with Alexandra.
It was a continuation of our old habit of sneaking in late-night chats with her here.
Now we could do it anywhere else, but this felt familiar.
We both arrived casually.
"Business poured in so much from the start. Things ran themselves without me lifting a finger. Just lowering taxes a bit improved public sentiment."
"Just like I said, huh?"
"Yes, thanks to my smart niece—following your advice alone made everything problem-free."
"Hehe. That's true. Even just doing what I wrote in the last letter would manage most territories just fine."
"Right, so? What exactly are you planning? Coming here not even half a year later?"
As I'd always sensed, she was sharper than expected.
No wonder she ended up on my side instead of the Roses'.
Well, it wasn't something to worry about anymore.
"I'm planning to live in Rose territory from now on, as expected. Not kicking you out right away—just keep working a bit harder for a while longer."
Not yet, but eventually.
Someday, I'd become the lord of Rose Territory, head of the Rose Family.
Too soon right now, though?
"Hmm...."
"What, have you suddenly developed an attachment to Rose now?"
"No, nothing like that. If anything, managing this territory nonstop has been exhausting."
"Pfft, really?"
"Petitions keep pouring in like filth, and I have to hear out the reports from below."
"Pffft...."
Those kinds of things were annoyingly tedious in every way.
Nothing grated on me more during peak business than someone suddenly demanding applause or actions from me.
I understood Alexandra's point.
"It's not an immediate change. We'll shift things gradually. After all, I'm not really Rose blood, not even by marriage."
There was a lot to do.
More than I'd thought.
Of course, more doable than expected...?
Still, it seemed easier than anticipated.
I needed documents proving I could inherit Rose, imperial approval, and such.
More tasks than planned, but each step was for living with Rozalin and my other lovers.
Just prepare slowly and surely.
"By the way, Rozalin looked like she was doing well today."
"Mother's always done fine. She's hardly ever had a bad day at our mansion."
"The south is decent?"
"The south? Aside from the summer heat, winters aren't too cold—great for living. Auntie, you should try it sometime."
"No thanks. Later, I'll hole up in some empty countryside."
"Isn't the south countryside?"
"You're talking about southern cities. I mean real countryside."
She has simple tastes.
Thinking back, she was super annoyed even during that stint managing Rose for me.
Is that just her nature?
I hadn't paid much attention since it wasn't my interest, but maybe.
"Anyway, I'm planning to get everything properly set up this time. Territory, family, all of it."
"You'll be busy."
"Well, yeah. But business always keeps you busy anyway. Just work hard."
It was just picking up what I'd done since childhood, after a break.
Back then, it was about growing my ventures and making money for its own sake.
Now, it was more—working hard for Rozalin and my beloved lovers filled me with unexpected drive.
"Let's talk about the territory lately. Public sentiment seems good now. How much money does the family have left?"
"About half of the gold you left last time, probably. I'd need to check exactly."
"Hmm.... Makes sense since you lowered taxes. Less revenue inevitably. Still having half left is pretty good."
With big expenses ahead, half remaining from what I gave her was a solid position.
I could spend more of my own, sure.
But no reason not to use the family's leftover funds.
Rose Territory, nestled in the forest, had abundant local resources and development potential.
While making life easier for the people, of course.
"Looks like it'll be crazy busy for a while."
"Finish up quick and let me rest. This damn family has zero useful people."
"...Ah, right, we need to hire staff to help too."
I'd forgotten how brutally exhausting working solo had been lately.
Someone competent in business, capable, trustworthy....
"...Way more left to do than I thought. Annoying."
"You're the one doing it."
"True...."
...Looks like less time with Rozalin for a while.
...Sad, but unavoidable.
Nothing to do but work hard.