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My summer working hours were similar to the sun’s working hours. It was hard to guess the passage of time due to the long daylight, leading to an unfortunate overtime. How unfair. I don’t work shorter hours in the winter because the days are shorter, so why do I voluntarily work longer hours in the summer? Maybe I’ve developed a slave mentality over the past four years.

Ideally, I’d like to enjoy punctual arrival and departure times. But then, the tasks I had to do would pile up, and things could get disastrous at the end of each quarter. This was just a matter of dying now versus later.

That’s why I couldn’t get back to the mansion until it was late in the evening.

“Welcome back, Carl.”

Marghetta greeted me at the mansion’s entrance.

“Mar? Why are you out here at this hour?”

Although I said late evening, it was practically night. By this time, everyone should have finished dinner, had a short chat, and retired to their rooms.

I wondered if the thing I’d been worrying about had finally exploded. Yes, I had neglected the guests for too long. Such behavior would typically be considered a great insult.

The reason why things hadn’t exploded until now was because Marghetta had been understanding given that it was due to work, but anyone else would’ve felt slighted and left after two days.

I could imagine Marghetta’s face as she shouted these words, her face flushed with anger. It pained me to think that I had upset someone who’d remained calm even after her marriage proposal was rejected.

First, I should apologize. The fact that she hasn’t left without a word means there’s still a chance to mend things.

“You must be tired. Here, drink this. I heard that honey water is good for fatigue.”

“Ah, thanks.”

Marghetta handed me a cup before I could say anything.

“You’ve been working hard despite the weather being so hot. You aren’t pushing yourself too much, right?”

I felt awkward after hearing her gentle voice, which was filled with concern. It felt weird being worried over by someone younger. It’s always been a bit embarrassing, even when Louise used to fuss over me.

I nodded to reassure her, and she finally smiled.

“I’m well aware of how hard you work, Carl. So you don’t have to worry about the club anymore during the vacation.”

Marghetta then added that even advisors deserved a holiday break, which made the corners of my mouth go up a bit. I was thankful for her words, but it was hard. It wasn’t that I was doing this because I liked it. It was just that there was no one else who could handle those idiots without me.

The moment I abandoned my post saying, ‘An advisor deserves freedom!’ the situation would explode. And the Crown Prince? He’d probably demote me from a noble to a slave.

Wait… Maybe I was a slave from the beginning.

“I’ve lived up to the trust Carl has placed in me, so I hope you can rest a bit.”

“What?”

What was she talking about?

I was feeling already guilty for neglecting Marghetta, so I would have been crazy if I had expected something from her under these circumstances.

I felt stumped, so I just stood still. It seemed as if she interpreted my reaction differently. She raised her head with a hint of pride, though it was more like she was looking up because she was shorter than me.

“Today, the princes were talking about going outside of the Capital.”

I was shocked by the words that came out of her mouth. Go where? Outside of the Capital? Those bastards. It was already troublesome to have them in the Capital; what nonsense was this?

‘These damn build-ups.’

Their intentions were clear. They weren’t trying to do it out of genuine interest in other areas. They probably wanted to go to Louise’s territory and make connections with the people who were close to her. But heading straight to Louise’s territory would be too obvious, so they’re trying to build a justification by exploring other areas.

You bastards. Instead of trying to court those around her, you should be courting Louise herself.

“They seemed more interested in the Capital, though, so they withdrew their words.”

I was trembling in anger, but Marghetta’s following words calmed me down. It was fortunate. I almost had to undertake the Prosecutor’s Office’s duties and a business trip abroad simultaneously.

Only after calming down could I see things clearly. She waited for me outside until late at night and had purposedly told me about what had happened. Then, that proud look on her face, and those words about me trusting her.

‘So she stopped it.’

Marghetta had stopped things from going out of control. Otherwise, there was no reason for her to act like this.

When I invited Marghetta to the mansion, I did hope she would stop them if they wanted to do something reckless. However, that was merely a faint hope. I never really thought of throwing such a massive responsibility on her.

It seemed that there was a small misunderstanding between Marghetta and me.

‘I’m glad.’

But thanks to that misunderstanding, I was saved.

“I understand. I must also repay Marghetta’s trust.”

At those words, Marghetta smiled, but she seemed somewhat embarrassed. What’s wrong? Was there something else?

“Lady Louise played a significant role.”

Ah, so it was nothing serious.

“That doesn’t mean you haven’t done something important.”

I also relied on Louise when it was about stopping those princes, so it was only natural. No, Marghetta, who quickly realized that Louise was the only brake to stop them, was admirable.

When things are peaceful at home, one feels at ease while wandering outside. The combo of Louise, who had the power to stop those incompetent members, and Marghetta, with the will to stop them, was unbeatable.

With my peace of mind restored, my work started progressing more rapidly. It really does depend on one’s mindset.

But no matter how peaceful things were internally, if something happened externally, there wasn’t much one could do.

While signing some documents, I received bad news from the 2nd Manager who’d been sent to help Margrave Sorden.

“What happened?”

The faint hope that perhaps Margrave Sorden had miscalculated things vanished. Well, if reports have reached the central authority, I’m sure he would have verified it multiple times. I was hoping for too much.

The 2nd Manager seemed frustrated as he roughly ran his fingers through his hair. It was evident that some of the goods that had been sent to the North were missing. Someone was intentionally hiding them.

The problem was that this was all he could find out. All he could do was confirm that what Margrave Sorden was worried about was true. But what else could he do? It hadn’t been long since the 2nd Manager was dispatched.

“At least we’ve found out now. Don’t rush things.”

While making a grim face, the 2nd Manager lowered his head. His frustration from dealing with the North combined with the anxiety that this could lead to a major accident caused his uneasy expression.

“Do you need more people?”

Due to the gravity of the matter, I wanted to provide him with more personnel. However, the on-site worker refused. Damn it, so the North’s still a mess.

The North originally had many pro-Empire tribes. But that bastard Kagan subdued or converted all the pro-Empire tribes in the north, making the aftermath of the great war complete chaos.

The Empire had suffered a lot due to the Great War, so it wasn’t in a shape good enough to intervene or dominate the North. Not only that, but there were some internal issues regarding the succession of the throne. Also, it had been a long time since the pro-Empire tribes were sent to heaven due to Kagan’s really spicy punch.

The Empire was already struggling because of the Great War and succession issues. Yet, it began sending a friend fee to the North. Compared to how strong the Empire’s influence over the North’s tribes was in the past, things were pitiful right now.

“Damn it.”

The 2nd Manager was a testament to how things were at the moment. Before the Great War, interactions were vibrant and the Empire’s influence was strong, so there were no issues with the Empire’s citizens roaming in the north.

But now that everything was wiped out and was being rebuilt, every move of an imperial citizen was noticeable.

The nomads looked at the Empire’s citizens with eyes that seemed to be saying, ‘Excuse me, but why don’t you leave the money and go? What business could you have at our place?’

It was infuriating. Would setting the northern plains on fire get rid of this mess?

“If something strange happens, contact me immediately. Keep up the good work.”

The only thing I was sure of was that there was nothing I could do to help apart from waiting for more information from the 2nd Manager.

The 2nd Manager was about to say something when the connection was cut off. Judging by his last words, it probably wasn’t anything important. If it was, he’d call again.

‘It was probably alcohol.’

It was obvious what that guy, who drinks alcohol like water, would ask. Well, since he was working hard, I should send him some.

***

I felt that there were many prying eyes on me from all around the place. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be getting these kinds of things as soon as I finished clearing up the stacked work.

“Who sent this?”

Looking down at the letter handed over by the butler, I asked again. My happy plan to just chill at home for a while since I had no work to do for the time being was shattered instantly.

“It’s from the Countess.”

I received a letter from the woman who was the mother of this body.

‘A letter from mother and not the Patriarch?’

I really can’t understand what’s going on.