Chapter 183 The Turbulent Dinner Party V
Sara wouldn't forget to pin Elizabeth down either.
"Yeah, yeah, my aunt also said to Count's wife, who was originally a commoner, 'you can't hide your birth' or something."
"What, how do you know that?!"
"I thought about it, but my aunt is a Count's daughter, right? Originally, Aunt was just the daughter of a Knight, and there shouldn't be any difference between Aunt and the Count's wife in terms of birth. And didn't the Count's wife, who was Aunt's late father's friend, also pass away? I heard that Aunt's father and the Count were childhood friends."
"So why do you know that?!"
"Ah, be careful, or you might get bald from listening too deeply. My aunt doesn't have any Grandchester blood in her, after all."
Elizabeth suddenly touched her hair.
"Honestly, I don't think my aunt is that cunning. I think Aunt is cute, even."
"Is that so?"
"Well, as a strategist, Aunt is a bit too shallow. Take the Count's wife who was insulted by my aunt, for example. Her sister is married to a merchant family that's really influential in the capital. And didn't you know that they're one of the merchants who handle Grandchester's wheat?"
"Huh?"
"I don't think I can put this nicely, so can I just say it bluntly?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Don't cause trouble in Grandchester with your stupid pride, you idiot girl! Thanks to you, that merchant house quickly cashed in all their checks and refused to do business with us from now on!"
In reality, the cash in the territory increased by around 15,000 Dallas, so it's welcome news if they only look at the present. But if they think about the future, losing a trading partner in the royal capital is a huge loss.
"Hahaha, Sara, you're just like Mother."
"No, I don't think Grandmother would use such dirty language."
"That's true. But the way you talk, leaving no room for counterarguments, is just like her, and it's seriously funny."
Robert is holding Sara and bursting into laughter.
"After all, isn't the problem with Father as well?"
"What did I do?"
"The problem is that you didn't do anything. As the governor, you're at the top of the bureaucracy, and you're also a direct descendant of the Grandchester house. So why couldn't you build a cooperative relationship with Uncle Edward?"
"Is it because I'm not good at dealing with that annoying guy?"
"Don't let your personal preferences sway the management of the territory. As his brother, he's going to be the future lord of the territory, you know?"
"Yeah, I was wrong. I should've talked more with Ed."
"So, after this, will you take Uncle's side no matter what I say?"
"That's hard to say. Do you still have something to say?"
"Hmm, maybe this is where the real show begins."
Sara got Robert to put her down. Robert looks a bit dissatisfied.
"Well, Grandfather, just to confirm again, you don't think it's a problem that Uncle will be the next lord of the territory, right?"
"That's what I think."
"Then, I'll also count on you for my lord education from now on, okay, Grandfather?"
"Understood."
"And..."
"Hmph. 'No matter what I say from now on, will you take Grandfather's side?' is what you're thinking, right?"
"You're quick to understand, and that's a great help."
But Edward, who was being discussed, was instead terrified by Sara's serious tone. Something was sending shivers down his spine.
"Uh, first, I'll ask Aunt a question. Do you know about the embezzlement incident that happened in the Grandchester territory?"
"Yes, I know about it. But isn't that something that happened 2 years ago?"
"I thought you might not know about it. After all, there were some issues with how the money was used. By the way, the incident was discovered 2 years ago, but we were only able to confirm the extent of the damage this year."
"Oh, that's right."
"Do my other cousins know about this conversation?"
"No. It's not something we'd deliberately tell the children, after all?"
"I see."
Sara took out a piece of paper again and read from it.
"Purchase of 700 Dallas from Linz Jewelers, and 280 Dallas from Jasmine Dress Shop, all under Grandfather's name."
"Those are accessories and dresses for the hunting tournament."
"That's right. Two sets for Aunt and Chloe. And what's more, another 500 Dallas worth of purchases were made from a different jewelry store afterwards."
"It's to maintain the dignity of the Young Marquis's wife."
'Oh, dignity, huh?'
"By the way, the annual maintenance cost for Her Majesty the Queen is around 10,000 Dallas, but it varies by year. As expected, it's different for Her Majesty the Queen. However, not all of this amount goes towards clothes. 'Maintaining one's dignity' means 'dressing up' and all that, you know?"
"You're a woman, and yet you talk about money so openly. How crude."
"Well, I was born into a merchant family."
Elizabeth's sarcastic remarks are really something else.
"After that, Adam bought a carriage, didn't he? It was 700 Dallas, but it broke down several times before it even arrived here."
"That thing was a defective product. The wheels broke easily, it was no good."
"That carriage was only suitable for paved roads, as explained beforehand. It seems there's a right tool for the right job, even for carriages. I don't like such fancy carriages, though."
"What? So that's the kind of carriage it was?"
"You should've checked beforehand. And even after buying it, you should've realized. In fact, you ignored the servants' warnings and drove it anyway, didn't you?"
"Are you saying I should listen to every single word the servants say?!"
Adam said, looking displeased.
"You can't even study properly, and you don't listen to your vassals' advice. You're just a troublesome lord who's only enthusiastic about collecting underwear!"
"When will you stop bringing that up?!"
"But there's nothing else to say except that (perverted) part. What else can I say?"
"There are many things! My beautiful face, my excellent sword skills, my refined attire, my great conversation skills..."
"Adam... are you seriously taking what the young ladies say to heart?"
"Isn't that the truth?"
"Hmm... I'll admit that Grandchester's looks are pretty good. But isn't Scott way more cool? He's younger, but do you really think you can beat him in a sword fight?"
"Ugh..."
"I mean, fashion is subjective, but I don't like your current outfit. It's too flashy and over-accessorized. And don't even get me started on the conversation. It's tiring to talk to someone who's not smart. It's just going to be a bunch of pointless bragging, right? The ladies are only interested in your background, which is Grandchester."
Chloe was nodding in agreement next to me.
'Ah, I knew it.'
"Well, Adam's stuff is whatever, but..."
"What do you mean 'whatever'?!"
"Noisy, you're going to become the first bald guy in Grandchester, okay?"
Adam's face turned bright red as he bit his tongue.
"Anyway, let's get back on topic. The cost of the ladies' dresses, including Chloe's, is around 1,500 Dallas. The guys' outfits cost around 200 Dallas each. By the way, the average cost of the guests' outfits is below 500 Dallas. Even considering the host's expenses, that's still too much. And on top of that, we had to pay an additional 700 Dallas for Adam's carriage."
"You spent that much?!"
The Marquis let out a surprised cry.
"I guess that's why there was trouble between the couple, huh?"
"How did you know about what happened in the bedroom?!"
"That's a maiden's secret."
As Rebecca, who knew about information gathering methods, she was internally freaking out about how much Sara was going to reveal.
"Actually, the leftover funds from the previous embezzlement incident have also been cut from the Young Marquis family's budget."
"Wait, is the reason for the budget cut because of that?"
"That's right. Uncle didn't explain the reason to Aunt, did he? However, he thought that he didn't want to trouble Aunt with financial difficulties, so he's been using his own budget and personal assets."
"Eh?!"
"Sara, isn't it unnecessary to talk about this kind of thing with a woman in a place like this?"
Edward interrupted.
"I've always wondered about this. Why don't you talk to women about money or let her handle it? What's the benefit of keeping information from your partner who's helping you manage the household? I think it's unavoidable that nobles have their own customs and manners, but we don't have time to be leisurely in the midst of a crisis."
"Crisis?"
"Uncle, isn't it true that our family's debt is getting out of control because of the Young Marquis family's reckless spending? You've already used our mine as collateral to get a loan from the Silt merchant Guild, but if Aunt's lavish spending doesn't stop, it's clear that we won't be able to pay back our debts."
"Edward, you mortgaged the mine?! Is it that coal mine that Nora brought as a dowry from the Amesbury family?"
"...Yes."
"How much did you borrow?!"
"10,000 Dallas, right? With 2,000 Dallas already lacking, and cash needed before the social season, isn't it too much to hide from Grandfather? I mean...there was no other way."
"Can't you just stop Aunt?"
"I don't want to trouble her. Isn't it a husband's generosity to allow his wife's extravagance?"
"You didn't even use the budget allocated by Grandfather. You should earn it yourself and then talk."
"--A noble doesn't earn it himself!"
"You're not stupid, are you, Aunt?! That money is the result of the people's hard work! So, are you guys working for the people? You're in a position where you can't even do that, yet you're talking big about your husband's generosity!"
"Sara, I'm really sorry this time. It's my fault for wasting money. It's not Ed's fault. Don't blame him."
'Ah, it's rare to see Aunt apologizes sincerely. Hoho...'
"That 'I'm really sorry this time' part, your true feelings are showing, and it's cute. That's what makes you lovable, aunt."
"So, is that so?"
"A little...um, it makes me uncomfortable, so please don't say that."
"What's wrong? You're not often told she's cute, so isn't it fine?"
"I remember uncle saying, 'Liz is cute because she's a bit of a schemer!'."
"That's not exactly something I'd be happy to hear..."
"Anyway, I think what I'm saying has more venom. But expecting too much from a Grandchester boy is a mistake, anyway."
""Yeah, that's true!""
Elizabeth and Rebecca nodded in agreement at the same time.
"So, the Silt merchant guild that uncle invested in has bought up other notes related to the Grandchester family. They've already collected 18,000 Dallas worth of notes. Adding uncle's investment to that is a significant amount."
"Sara...do you know what you're talking about?"
"Of course. By the way, the main branch of the Silt merchant guild is located in Lombart, Coastal Union... but it's strange that the late Roisen's third prince's wife, who passed away, was from Lombart, you see. It's as if they're trying to use the late third prince's wife's memento to stir up a movement, and that riot the other day... It's all just a coincidence, isn't it?"
Sara smiled faintly, but her eyes didn't smile at all.
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