Chapter 301 No Holding Back
When Sara went downstairs, the Grandchester kids, except for Adam, were excitedly gathered around pancakes.
Thomas, who didn't really like sweets, was reading in the parlor, but when he saw Sara coming down, he stood up and greeted her respectfully.
"Milady Sara, how are you feeling? I was really looking forward to seeing you since it felt awkward for a man who isn't family to visit your private room."
"I'm sorry for making you worry."
"I'm really glad to see you looking well."
As she looked around, Jane (Chloe's lady-in-waiting) and the other kids were all nodding.
"Hehe. So today's snack is pancakes."
When Sara smiled and sat at the table, Maria brought over the freshly made pancakes.
"Pochi brought a lot of maple water, so Hannah turned it into maple syrup."
Blaze happily replied while pouring a lot of syrup over the pancakes in front of him. Hannah is the cook at Maiden's Tower. She's only 22 but is a single mother raising a 3-year-old daughter.
Christopher, who had already started eating, swallowed the pancake in his mouth before speaking to Sara.
"Are you feeling okay now?"
"I was actually fine since yesterday, but Rihito and Amelia wouldn't let me out of my room."
"Make sure to listen to what the doctor says."
"Wow, Chris, you sound like an older brother."
"You might have forgotten, but Sara is still 8 years old, okay? No matter what memories she has, that fact doesn't change."
"Okay. Dear Big Brother Chris."
"But I'm just glad you're safe."
"Really! I was super worried!"
Chloe and Chris peeked at Sara together. In situations like this, they were very similar as siblings.
"Thanks. I'm sorry for making you worry."
"Well, with Sara, I'd worry even if you didn't collapse. You go wild."
Scott grinned as he sipped his herbal tea.
"I can't deny that at all."
"Then maybe I should go wild with Sara too."
"Huh?"
Sara was surprised by Blaze's sudden comment and froze while cutting her pancake.
"What's with you all of a sudden?"
"I was thinking while you were out. Instead of just worrying and waiting every time something happens to Sara, it might be more fun to go wild together. I need to get better at using swords and magic like Sara does."
Then, Chloe suddenly stood up and shouted at Blaze with a slightly bent posture.
"Hey, Blaze. Sara's worth isn't just in magic or swords. It's money!"
Chloe was breathing heavily, with her hands on her hips, pointing at Blaze.
"Yeah, Chloe... I think you might be right, but doesn't it feel a bit too blunt to say that?"
Sara, who was cutting her pancake, let out a small sigh at Chloe's comment.
"What's wrong? If it's true, then it's fine."
"Is it really okay for the direct descendant of Marquis Grandchester to shout 'money' so boldly? Unlike me, Chloe is aiming for a prince, right? Plus, Prince Andrew is the first son of the crown prince, so you're aiming to become a queen someday, right?"
"Sara, being a queen of a country means you can't just smile elegantly all the time. You can't waste money without thinking about the budget, right?"
"Chloe has changed a lot in a short time."
"I think it's because I saw someone hit father with a bag of money right in front of me."
"That's a bit misleading. I only used magic to cut his face a little. Plus, I gave him a light attribute magic stone, didn't I?"
"After that, you made father write an IOU and even put his blood seal on it."
"Well, it can't be helped since it's a contract bound by magic."
Actually, it wasn't just Edward who wrote the IOU. The Grandchester family has some assets but not much cash, so they borrowed money from the Sophia Merchant Guild, and Marquis Grandchester himself accepted this contract.
Also, Robert generously bought a lot of music boxes as gifts for Gerhart, but the payment is still unpaid. When he was presented with the bill, his face turned pale, so it seems like it's time to prepare a contract.
In short, the Grandchester family is deeply in debt. It's true that they could easily repay it by selling some assets, but if other families find out they're selling off their possessions, they might be looked down upon. They have income from the wheat harvest, but the financial situation of the Grandchester family is definitely not good.
"But, Uncle Edward's debt can be paid off in about 3 years."
"Huh, but we don't have that much income, do we?"
"To keep expenses down, it'll be fine. You're planning to claim that the clothing costs are advertising expenses for the Sophia Merchant Guild, right? If you cut back on Aunt and Chloe's clothing expenses, you can reduce the spending quite a bit."
"Hehe, did you catch me?"
"Well, I appreciate the chance to showcase products in high society, so that's okay. I'll also make sure Aunt can prioritize cosmetics and herbal tea, and I'll try to secure special access for Uncle to Elma brandy and cider. I can't promise too much, but I think that alone will make a big impact in high society."
"Hey, what about the dress?"
"You're really curious about it, huh? We need to check the latest trends from the royal capital. We can't just wear something outrageous out of nowhere, right?"
"I know, but Sara's dress is so unique and beautiful."
"Thank you for that. But he said his designs will become more refined from now on."
"Who said that?"
"The person in charge of clothing at the main residence and the servant responsible for Aunt and Chloe's outfits. Chloe told the design student to learn more."
"Now that you mention it, I did say that."
"It seems the girls who are good at sewing from the women's village have started getting training from the castle's clothing staff, so the dresses are being finished faster."
In fact, there were several girls in the women's village who were good at needlework, and they were educated by the servants in charge of dressing in the castle.
"Why did you start educating the girls too?"
"The one in charge of design is a boy, right? He can't take measurements for women. Plus, I want him to be independent rather than just relying on the Sophia Merchant Guild for clothing. I think having skilled seamstresses will be essential for that."
"Got it. Well, if we can have influence in high society and keep the expenses down, then it's a good deal for our family, right?"
"As long as you can really keep the expenses down, yes. By the way, Chloe wanted to learn accounting, right? The real social season is still a little while away, so how about Chloe learns the basics of accounting from Mister Thomas until then? You'll be able to check income and expenses with your own eyes. It might be unnecessary knowledge for a noble lady, but it could be important for a future queen."
Standing right next to Sara, Thomas smiled at Chloe.
"That sounds perfect. We plan to offer accounting classes at the academy next year, so I would like Lady Chloe to be our test case."
"Since there's not much time, please let me just learn the basics. Once the social season starts, I won't be able to leave the capital."
"Understood. Then, I will discuss with Miss Jane later and decide on Lady Chloe's curriculum."
"If Chloe is doing it, I want to learn too. It will definitely help in the future."
Christopher also raised his hand.
"That's right. Christopher has a high chance of becoming a governor like Sir Robert, so I think it's worth learning."
"Why not have Scott and Blaze do it too?"
"Huh, why? I'm aiming to be a knight."
"I'm thinking of being a magic swordsman."
Sara smiled widely and spoke to Blaze.
"Blaze, you're going to go wild with me, right?"
"That's the plan."
"Then, having at least the ability to understand the flow of money is essential. Otherwise, you might not even understand what I'm doing."
"Really? Is that so?"
Blaze started to get flustered. If Sara looked closely, Scott was also in a similar state of panic. To those 2, Chloe said with a sneer.
"That's why I told you. Sara's value is in money. You guys aren't made of just muscle, are you?"
Chloe was still as sharp-tongued as ever.
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