Chapter 127

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 127

Chapter Title: Pocket Money

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The warning light flashing in my head from my fourth life blared insistently.

Leblain subtly backpedaled while mumbling,

"Ah... I'm sleepy..."

The three young masters immediately surrounded her with gentle concern.

"You sleepy? Wanna go to bed?"

"Yeah, little one."

"Let's go."

Leblain chirped, "Yes!" and bolted for her room. The young masters trailed after her up the stairs, shooting sly glances at their father.

"Blue Rose's beloved... pfft."

"Heh."

"Hmph."

Once the siblings vanished in perfect harmony, Theodor spoke in a chilling tone.

"Nos."

Nos, who had witnessed the prelude to a major incident brewing in the central courtyard, swallowed hard with a face stiff as stone.

"Yes."

"They seem to like their nicknames. Give each of those brats one too."

"Pardon? ...Yes, sir."

Theodor's eyes rippled black.

The next day, I woke up and groaned at the sight of the blue rose in the vase.

[Give it to Father. He'll love it.]

The problem was that Henri's irresistibly beaming smile had made me accept it on impulse.

Good thing I gave up on gifting the flower. If I'd actually handed it over, the mansion might've collapsed.

I shuddered, recalling the demon-like sight of my dad from yesterday.

He'd been so terrifying that even in my dreams, I saw him spewing fire from his mouth while clutching that blue rose.

Just then, a few knocks sounded, followed by a familiar voice.

"Little One, did you cough?"

It was Laura.

"Yes!"

The door opened at my shout, and Laura entered with three maids carrying washbasins.

I washed up and changed with their help.

"What's your schedule today?"

"Will you have lunch at the mansion?"

"Should we prepare your coat?"

The maids asked, and I groaned, "Hmm..." before nodding.

"I wanna go out today. Sightseeing the shopping district."

"We'll inform Captain Nuanoch."

The noble power plays around Ballua territory had intensified. With House Duvered the frontrunner to claim it, Dad—wary of the greedy hyena packs—insisted an honor guard accompany me on outings.

Not that it bothers me.

Today I was heading to the Hof Merchant Company's office anyway, so I'd be going with the guard regardless!

I mentally ran through my to-do list.

First, handle company business while Celia searches for the House of Hope kids instead... Oh, and it's been a while since my last social calls, so I need to meet the ladies and young misses.

But the top priority is finding a counter to Duke Marsch's attack.

I'd brazenly told the captain I was fine, but that was just to reassure my people.

Dying and regressing again was the absolute last resort.

Though the captain probably saw through it and played along.

I adore our house, but objectively, Duvered currently lags behind House Marsch.

A few years from now, that'll change—but that's post-continental war.

Still years away.

If Marsch strikes first, we have no solid defense.

Duvered needs to surpass Marsch ASAP. It won't be easy, but I can't just sit idle—gotta find a way.

With my tasks sorted mentally, I set off for the shopping district alongside the captain, who had arrived at the mansion after my summons.

Curtis, Celia's deputy, greeted us at the office.

"Welcome, Young Miss."

"Yeah. Any word from Celia?"

"The area where Duke Ballua's hiding his 'sacrifice humans' is tough to access without permission—it seems to be taking time. The Vice Leader insists on confirming the kids with her own eyes."

"Can't blame her. They're like precious siblings to Celia."

When I'd tipped Celia off about Duke Ballua's stash of 'humans slated for sacrifice,' she'd been over the moon.

God, I hope not all the kids are dead.

With that thought, I reviewed the documents Curtis brought.

The Hof Merchant Company gathered intel from branches across the empire, yielding some juicy rumors.

"Marquis Nodelli's buying up abandoned mines?"

I blinked in confusion at the papers, and Curtis nodded as he set down my teacup.

"Looks like he's scouring every mine out there for something."

Why?

Nothing like this happened in my previous life.

Most decent mines already had owners anyway, and this wasn't a prime investment window.

House Nodelli got a diamond mine from the late emperor when the marquis married Princess Ingrid.

That diamond mine yielded top-grade black diamonds galore.

I tapped the desk thoughtfully—then shot to my feet as inspiration struck.

"That's it!"

The captain, about to sit on the sofa, turned with a puzzled, "Pardon?"

"Curtis, you're dismissed."

"Yes."

Once Curtis was gone, I checked the windows and door for eavesdroppers, then lowered my voice.

"Nodelli's hunting for a 'water source'."

"Water source... You mean the legendary spirit stone that generates water? But isn't that just myth?"

"No, they really exist."

Not far in the future, water sources would hit the market.

The owner? Marquis Nodelli.

Legends placed it deep in a nymph's lake, but it was in a mine all along?

I had no clue how Nodelli knew, but otherwise, why buy derelict mines?

"But most regions draw water from the Amentar River anyway—no real need for a water source. Unless we get another massive drought like five years ago."

"What if we do?"

"No way!"

"A great drought's coming soon. Bad enough to dry up the empire's lifeline, the Amentar River."

Marquis Nodelli wasn't business-savvy.

Lucky for him, that wedding mine minted a fortune—otherwise, he'd have bankrupted the house by now.

Folks mocked his water source venture too.

All he'd done was peddle them to drought-stricken foreign lands during a long dry spell.

Lousy returns for the investment.

Until the great drought hit.

Then prices skyrocketed.

The drought lasted three years.

Not a drop of rain in the empire, and two more years before the Amentar functioned again.

Water sources became more powerful than the emperor.

If we snag that, we could leapfrog Marsch short-term!

"I'll find it."

"The water source?"

"Yeah. First, I'll recall which mines Nodelli bought... Hmm."

"You don't know them all, do you?"

"Then we'll buy them all out."

"You're wealthy, Little One, but not Nodelli-level. What if the marquis flips and competes?"

"If he does..."

I stroked my chin with a hum, then grinned wickedly.

"I've got a plan!"

I went to find Dad.

His schedule today was the great nobles' council, so my destination was the Tower of Rosario, their meeting hall.

After waiting thirty minutes or so in front of the tower, nobles began emerging—meeting over, apparently.

"Daddy!"

I beamed and craned my neck, drawing Dad's gaze as he chatted with nobles on his way out.

"Leblain?"

"I was playing in the shopping district, and the captain said your meeting'd be done soon, so I came!"

"What for?"

"Well... um..."

Scrambling for an excuse, I rolled my eyes before crying out,

"'Cause I missed you, Daddy!"

The nobles burst into laughter.

"What a darling daughter!"

I giggled innocently, and Dad scooped me up.

He glanced back at the nobles.

"Do your kids come greet you often?"

"Pardon? Oh... Greet? Never. Lately, they're so wrapped up in whatever, they get annoyed if I even enter their rooms."

"Annoyed? My daughter hit puberty and started locking her door!"

"Still, daughters are the best. Mine are all rough boys—I'm jealous."

Dad's expression turned smug amid the chuckling nobles.

"This one always rubs her sleepy eyes waiting for me to get home."

"Lucky!"

"She even comes to the front gate. Often."

"Ooh!"

"Came to see me today too."

"The empire's cutest daughter!"

Dad smirked at the nobles hollering their envy like magic gadgets with jammed buttons.

"I'll consider the long-range teleport array positively."

"A daughter worthy of the empire's thousand-year history!"

Dad nodded contentedly. I averted my eyes awkwardly—he provides the words, I bear the embarrassment.

"What gift should I give my praiseworthy daughter, etched in the empire's thousand-year history?"

Dad said fondly, and my eyes lit up.

Waited for that line.

"Pocket money!"

The nobles roared with laughter.

"You must give her a lot."

"Pocket money, eh? Adorable. My kids stopped asking once I gave them stipends."

"Yes. They buy most things with the seal anyway—no need to beg."

Dad lightly pinched my cheek with his knuckles.

"How much?"

"Well, um..."

I gazed into space, calculating mentally.

The company can handle this much, so I need extra for...

Done with math, I beamed brightly.

"Fifty million francs!"

"...!"

"Wh-what?!"

"F-f-f-fifty million?!"

The laughing nobles froze solid, jaws flapping. They hadn't expected an amount rivaling a territory's annual budget to masquerade as "pocket money."

I extended my hands demurely, striking the killer pose that had tamed even the direwolves' leader and the maids.

"Pretty pleeeease..."

Fifty million francs.

I need it to buy water sources.

Dad fell silent a moment, then eyed Nos.

"Nos."

The nobles shot me pitying looks—she's in for it.

Dad said,

"Sell off a few islands."

"...Pardon?!"

Nos gaped in shock, and Dad glared.

"My daughter needs pocket money."