Ludmila’s hand hesitated as she was about to pick up the document summarizing the reorganization plan.

It was a reorganization plan that she had finished late at night with the consolation of White Plum.

Usually, such reorganization plans would take several days of the leadership putting their heads together to barely produce a draft, not just one day.

However, the fact that she had whipped it up in a single day meant it likely had many holes and probably wasn’t anything special.

‘Is this really okay?’

A tinge of regret washed over her, wondering if she should have even attempted it.

She had worked hard on it, thinking they seemed to have expectations, but if the result turned out to be mediocre, the accompanying embarrassment would be an added bonus.

What if showing this turned out to be worse than not showing anything at all?

Moreover, the content was somewhat serious.

While she had meant to draft a reorganization plan, this was practically a complete overhaul, not just a reorganization.

Would the people here really accept this?

Knock knock−!

It was just as she was seriously worrying whether they would get angry. Snapping back to her senses at the knock, Ludmila turned and opened the door.

“Beressa.”

“Did you sleep well? Did I come too early?”

“No. I had just finished it. Please come in.”

As Ludmila opened the door fully, Beressa entered with a smile.

Ludmila followed Beressa with her eyes as she closed the door and walked towards the desk, then moved her own feet.

“Is this it?”

Ludmila nodded briefly as Beressa approached, picking up the reorganization plan.

While Beressa silently scanned the contents in her hands with a soft exclamation, Ludmila bit her lip.

What if she was disappointed? If she said this wasn’t much of a result, how should she excuse herself?

Ludmila was unknowingly repeating the habit she had with Kedilen.

The man who had been dissatisfied looking at the results she produced.

It was a pathetic remnant of the past when she had tried to make all sorts of excuses to peel away his discontent.

“Ludmila.”

Beressa, who had called out softly to Ludmila as she kept silent with tension and anxiety, turned her head.

Ludmila felt her heart sink at the coldly set face and emotionless eyes.

She had made some mistake. As Ludmila felt this, Beressa’s voice pierced her ears.

“Are you really doing this?”

“Beressa. That’s…”

“Why are you so good at even this?”

“…Pardon?”

A voice slower by a full beat rather than half came out of her mouth.

As her expression, stiff with tension, crumpled oddly, Beressa lightly waved the reorganization plan.

“I’ve never seen anything like this. Even the guys here couldn’t produce an organizational chart of this level.”

“That…”

“This is on a whole different level from any organizational chart of Habertus I’ve seen before. Look at this. This is the sorry state of the organizational chart made by the guys sent to the capital. This is the reality.”

Beressa sighed, waving the organizational chart she had brought to Ludmila yesterday.

She couldn’t help but sigh because the organizational chart Beressa was holding was, literally, a mess.

It was 50 years ago that they subjugated the Khan tribe and sent imperial officials there to establish the Habertus Duchy.

This organizational chart was also made 50 years ago.

Moreover, since the organizational chart was hastily put together, it was all makeshift.

Most of the assigned officials probably didn’t even know what their organization did.

No, it was questionable whether they even knew which department they belonged to.

Time had passed without properly correcting this. Dead branches clung to the main trunk like additional branches.

When she first came here, she thought there were too many servants and castle administrators. There was a reason for that.

And that was also why money was leaking.

“It’s fortunate that Benjamin modified it to this extent when he worked here. It was even more serious before.”

“…More than this?”

It was unimaginable. Just looking at it now, the tangled roots in this huge castle were considerable, but it’s hard to believe it was even worse in the past.

Beressa grinned at the sight of her swallowing.

“Looks like you were worried about this again. Were you nervous it might not work out?”

“…”

Ludmila let out a strange admiration for Beressa, who had read her face and reaction like a ghost.

Beressa chuckled as if it was obvious and lightly patted Ludmila’s shoulder.

“Don’t think about it so stiffly. It’s embarrassing to say, but Habertus isn’t that great a place. This alone is an amazing result. Be proud.”

Ludmila finally smiled at Beressa’s words, gladly praising her achievement.

Beressa, turning her eyes back to the reorganization plan, silently scanned its contents with a smiling face before slowly closing her eyes.

“Yes… It’s an amazing result.”

So much so that I have to admit I don’t want to let it go easily.

On a quiet afternoon, the cafe was tinged with a soft rosy hue.

As winter deepened, the days grew shorter.

Although the clock’s hour hand had not yet reached 5 o’clock, the scenery was already bathed in sunset.

Aden smiled at the incongruous sentiment and raised his head.

His gaze fixed on the noblewoman sitting across from him, Celia.

Celia, who had just picked up her teacup and monotonously swallowed a sip of tea, slowly set the cup down on the coaster.

Aden’s eyebrows twitched slightly as he stared at her intently.

It was a composure he didn’t like. It was too arrogant to be called feigned composure masking nervousness.

This demeanor could only be shown by those with strong backing.

Aden swallowed a sneer as he looked at Celia with dry eyes.

She must have some cards up her sleeve.

He had roughly guessed when Celia, feigning coincidence, sought him out and led him here.

Aden gripped his cup with a low sigh.

“Come to think of it, it was here.”

Celia’s eyes rose at the voice breaking the silence.

“Where you splashed tea water on me when I entered the shop.”

He recited a past story that didn’t need to be brought up.

It seemed he was deliberately emphasizing that she was at fault towards him.

Others might have apologized first and moved on, but Celia looked at Aden with round eyes and smiled broadly.

That smile didn’t sit well with him either.

“Was that so? It was too long ago.”

“It seems like it’s only been a little over a month, to call it that long ago.”

“As you know, when you live in the capital, you can experience in a month what others might experience in a year.”

“Ah, I suppose so.”

Aden let out a hollow laugh.

To act so relaxed while knowing full well what would happen if he revealed what she had done to Emma.

Aden looked at Celia intently with his chin resting on his hand.

“So, what’s your reason for seeking me out?”

“Seeking you out? I just happened to see you on the street and invited you for a cup of tea, that’s all.”

A dry sneer escaped his lips at her brazen feigning of innocence.

“I didn’t come all the way here to hear such talk. If that’s all, I’ll get up now. I detest noisy chatter.”

As he put down the cup he was holding and immediately stood up, Celia’s eyes hurriedly followed him.

Seeing this, the corners of his mouth twisted, and Celia’s face contorted slightly.

Aden, who smiled faintly as if he had expected this, slowly took his seat again.

“…”

“Let’s stop this futile battle of nerves. You came because you’re worried about the spread of your attempt to torture Emma, didn’t you? Get to the point.”

Celia bit her lip and hesitated for a moment. As she habitually bit her nails while choosing her words, Aden took a sip from his cup for the first time when Celia raised her eyes again.

“…Please tell me what you want from me. If you want money, I’ll give it to you, and if you need other benefits, I’ll make sure you can get them.”

Aden moistened his dry lips with the tea and smiled dryly. Straight to the point, indeed.

Seeing no need to drag things out further, Aden gave a brief nod to show his approval of her attitude.

“Money would be good. This much?”

Aden’s gesture of spreading his fingers wasn’t befitting of a nobleman, but that wasn’t important to Celia. The moment his fingers spread, her eyes contorted.

“500 gold coins?”

“If that’s all the value of a countess’s position is worth, I’ll be satisfied with that much.”

“Then are you talking about platinum coins?”

“Shouldn’t it be at least that much to match the worth of the Countess von Vyrn?”

Celia’s mouth twisted at his matter-of-fact continuation. It was such an enormous sum that she couldn’t even manage a hollow laugh.

Was he thinking of building a new mansion in the capital? That was exactly the price of a mansion in the notoriously expensive 3rd District.

Demanding an amount that would exceed even the combined value of a hundred diamonds.

“Are you in your right mind? Even so…”

“If you don’t like that, forget it. There are plenty of people who would buy this information at a high price even without getting that money from you.”

His leisurely threatening posture with his hands clasped together looked more like a street thug than a duke.

What kind of man is this? Celia was too dumbfounded to continue speaking. That was exactly what Aden wanted.

Acting as if money was the goal. It was also the surest means to divert attention from himself.

That’s why he demanded an unreasonable amount. Easily obtaining money would only leave room for unnecessary thoughts.

“…Unfortunately, I can’t give you that money. No, I’m unable to. It’s beyond my means.”

“That’s a shame. Then I’ll have to think carefully about when to sell this information and find someone who will pay the highest price for it. I’ll be busy, so I’ll get up first.”

“Please wait a moment.”

As Aden was about to stand up, Celia hurriedly stopped him.

Aden twisted the corner of his mouth and tilted his head, and Celia carefully lowered her hand.

“…I have someone to introduce you to.”

“Someone?”

Aden frowned at her words of introducing a person instead of money.

It was then that the door chime rang.

Aden turned his head and hesitated when he saw a neat red-haired man entering through the door.

The handsome man scanned the cafe interior, spotted Aden and Celia, and approached with a smile. As he approached, Celia rose.

“Thank you for coming, Your Highness.”

“Not at all. I should thank you for inviting me to such an interesting meeting.”

The man Celia called ‘Your Highness’ turned his gaze to Aden with a bright smile.

Aden twisted the corner of his mouth as he looked at the man’s face with coldly set eyes.

“…It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”

Jeffrey Gale Hillard.

“Why so stiff, Duke? Relax, relax.”

The Imperial Crown Prince, Jeffrey.