Two years had already passed since Biare returned to the past.

During the long time that seemed eternal, seasons circulated seeking rest, handing over each other’s place and reclaiming their own.

During that time, her situation had changed a lot.

Biare had gone from being a princess who grew up only receiving love as the eldest daughter of the Duke Ruschef family to now becoming a central figure in the family who was indispensable.

Diane, who used to brush Biare’s fine hair, was humming happily, seemingly excited about her mistress’s situation.

With Manolin, who had been a reliable support for a long time, choosing to return home, Diane took over the vacant position of dedicated maid.

She seemed to be in an even better mood, having just read a newspaper article with positive public opinion about Biare this morning.

“Are you that happy?”

“Of course, I am! You know well how the public opinion is these days.”

In some quarters, there were positive evaluations of Biare, saying she might become the new heir to the Ruschef family.

It showed how quickly she had grown and how she was excelling in the ducal family’s affairs.

As her talent for managing state affairs was belatedly revealed, Biare mainly took charge of the practical work of the duke’s residence and the trading company.

The work suited her better than she had thought, and thanks to her business acumen, she quickly became accustomed to the tasks.

During meeting times, she surprised those around her by presenting relief policies for the territory’s residents or urban policies.

Of course, this was only possible because she knew what was to come, but Biare had further cultivated existing methods and pushed for new measures.

This time too, she was able to preemptively deal with a situation that could have caused severe damage due to heavy snowfall by submitting preventive measures and improvement plans, and based on that incident, public opinion was re-evaluating her.

Even the haughty nobles had sent invitations to Biare, something that would have been unimaginable for her in the past.

Wearing a mask in front of them wasn’t that difficult, so Biare was able to enter the center of social circles.

Of course, there were still high-ranking families who rejected her, but she was satisfied just to have come this far.

“Young lady, are you going straight to the trading company in Cheil?”

“No, tell the coachman I’ll be leaving a little later.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Diane, who had finished dressing her mistress, left first with a satisfied smile, and Biare took out the dried leaves of densifolia she had kept in the mahogany desk drawer.

She, who had been longing for traces of him every time, used to periodically fill a bottle with dried densifolia leaves.

When she opened the lid, a faint but subtle scent spread from the bottle.

‘Your existence is still vivid.’

During the two years, Biare hadn’t met Dension.

He didn’t come to any birthday parties, large bookstores, or literary gatherings.

Thinking it might not be the case, she visited places where she had encountered him, but nothing changed.

Unlike in the past, Biare had to endure the devastating feelings of memories with him that had disappeared like a mirage.

They say that as time passes, things are forgotten and filled with new memories at some point, but Biare couldn’t forget Dension. No, she couldn’t forget.

At the sound of a knock, Biare let out a shallow sigh and headed to the Cheil trading company.

When she arrived at the company, the duke was away on a morning business trip, and Gaizen was negotiating with a client in another reception room.

While Biare was carefully examining documents with order lists, Fabian, who had entered at some point, glanced at the documents and said,

“It’s new to see the lady here.”

“Is it alright for you to leave that place empty?”

Although Burnwood had a separate real owner for the 34th street, Fabian was the one acting as the guild master in the underworld.

Two years ago on that day, whatever deal Gaizen had with him, Fabian had passed by without telling the duke about the two siblings’ affair.

He said he was just following the family’s principle of serving only his master, but there might have been another reason.

Although Fabian was not entirely trustworthy, she had been watching Gaizen, who was fuming, saying he was certainly reliable when it came to work.

“I just brought something to deliver to the guild master.”

“Alright, I’ll pass it on, so you can leave it.”

“Oh, Lady. Please don’t take away the joy of my work.”

Over the past two years, the results Biare had obtained from observing Fabian were twofold.

He enjoyed seeing Gaizen in difficult situations. Yet, he was loyal to him.

Biare shook her head, wondering if anyone could understand his contradictory attitude, when she was looking at the pile of documents again.

When Gaizen entered the office with an unusually irritated face, it seemed that the morning negotiation had not gone smoothly.

“Gaizen, is there any problem?”

“That merchant absolutely refuses to make an exclusive contract. He’s really full of himself, really full.”

Until before the negotiation, he had been triumphant, saying how many trading partners would dare refuse an exclusive contract with the Cheil trading company, but now he was sticking out his tongue without even finishing the negotiation.

“I’ll go out for the afternoon negotiation.”

“What? He’s someone impossible to communicate with, are you sure you’ll be alright, sister?”

Seeing her brother looking at her worriedly, Biare smiled gently and answered.

“I’m a Ruschef too. I can handle that much.”

Gaizen nodded at her answer, and only then did he seem to notice another presence in the office.

“Why are you here?”

“Since the guild master hasn’t shown his face at all, I came to find him myself, didn’t I?”

“I don’t have time for jokes. Just state your business.”

“A new key has arrived for the absence of God.”

“This is…”

Gaizen hurriedly took him out, conscious of his sister, so Biare looked questioningly at the door they had left through.

‘What’s that key about?’

Seeing that Gaizen was trying to hide it, it seemed like something she shouldn’t know, so she thought she should find out about that secret soon.

As the afternoon negotiation time of the Cheil trading company approached, Biare, who found the maritime merchant already seated, showed her courtesy to him.

No matter how much of a commoner he was, he was a person in an equal position when it came to negotiations.

After their polite greetings ended, he, who was smiling good-naturedly, began to draw the line as if the answer was already decided.

“Ha ha, even if the young lady recommends it, nothing will change.”

With the recent discovery of oil in the western sea area, the merchant who had excavated that area had obtained oil drilling rights according to the law.

However, even if a mere ordinary merchant had oil drilling rights, it would be difficult to fully grasp its true value.

The Ruschef family, who had obtained information that the oil drilling rights had been transferred to the merchant in front of them, had planned negotiations with him before others knew about this fact.

In the past, the duke and Gaizen had shown sincerity to win the oil drilling rights, but it ultimately ended in failure.

Recalling the employees who were somewhat troubled by the unexpected hitch, Biare vowed to end this negotiation with her own hands.

Of course, what use would devotion to the family be for her, but for now, she needed to solidify her hard-earned position even more firmly.

Later, when oil would lead to the railroad business, those who acquired it would gain unparalleled wealth.

According to Biare’s memory, even in the past, there was no trading company that had concluded an exclusive contract with this merchant.

It was rare for commoners to have the opportunity for a private audience with nobles, and conditions were not set for them to directly request what they wanted.

‘That’s why it’s even stranger. What does he want?’

Even if they offered to give him as much money as he wanted or build him a mansion, he stubbornly refused.

Biare, who thought money was the most common means, came up with the same answer as them.

The Ruschef family was the wealthiest in the Martha Empire, and most problems could be solved with money.

“If you tell us the amount you want, we’ll try our best to match it.”

“You’re saying the same thing as the young duke. Indeed, a noble family.”

At his somewhat sarcastic reply, Biare could only swallow dry saliva. It wasn’t that the merchant’s words were wrong.

‘If it can’t be solved with money, then…’

Feeling as if she had given the wrong answer to the problem he had posed, Biare slowly pondered over this situation.

As she considered from a different angle, she smiled gently at a thought that flashed through her mind.

Perhaps what they needed was really simple.

“Let’s deploy additional private military police to the sea area, and have the Ruschef family fully support security.”

Being far from the capital, the sea area had less vigilant eyes than other territories.

As a result, criminal organizations that exploited this had increased at some point, and they were shamelessly committing plunder.

If those in power had paid even a little attention to the security of the sea area, the lives of the residents would have been different.

Biare reflected on herself, thinking that in a way, she too had failed to look after the residents.

In a world where the demands of commoners were not properly listened to, it might have been natural for them to close their hearts.

The merchant seemed surprised, not having expected such a proposal at all, and was looking at her with a suspicious gaze.

“Do you know that it’s not an easy task?”

“Nothing is impossible for the Ruschef family backed by the Cheil trading company.”

Anticipating a banner headline in tomorrow morning’s newspaper, Biare wore a satisfied smile.