Calon led Aelfrie to a room at the end of the corridor on the top floor. The moment he opened the door, Aelfrie involuntarily let out an exclamation.

“Wow…!”

As the door opened, a gust of wind mixed with the scent of the sea rushed in. Aelfrie’s eyes took in the beautiful room before her.

A sheer curtain swayed gently, and beyond the open balcony door lay a panoramic view of the harbor and the sea.

“I hope you like it.”

“Am I really going to be working here?”

At her question, Calon’s expression grew serious.

“Yes. I’ve arranged for the largest desk available. If you don’t like it here…”

“No, it’s not that. Can I really work in such a beautiful place?”

Aelfrie looked around the beautifully decorated room.

She had seen rooms like this in the magazines that Elize occasionally reads. It seemed similar to the rooms in a luxury hotel that recently opened at the harbor.

Moreover, it wasn’t just one room. Calon opened a door in the middle of the room to show the other side.

“This room is usually reserved for the trading company’s guests, but it’s currently vacant. So, I’ve prepared it for you to work in. If you get tired or need to rest, you can use the room next door. It still has a sofa and a bed.”

Listening to Calon’s explanation, Aelfrie blinked her eyes in disbelief.

The view beyond the balcony was already amazing, but this room—what was all this?

‘Can I really work in a place like this?’

Aelfrie approached the desk. She felt the heavy material in a dark hue. From its elaborate decorations and size, it was undoubtedly a high-end item.

On the desk lay clean paper, an imperial fountain pen, and neatly arranged ink bottles of various colors.

It was the ideal desk Aelfrie had always wanted deep down.

“Is there anything you find lacking or unsatisfactory?”

At his question, Aelfrie, who was staring at the desk, raised her hand slightly.

Something crucial was missing.

“Is there a problem…?”

Calon quickly scanned the room. He had personally instructed the preparations yesterday and had checked the desk, chair, and stationery multiple times until this morning.

He even meticulously examined the cleaning status and the condition of the flowers set for decoration.

Given Aelfrie’s personality, he thought it unlikely that she would find anything lacking.

So what could be so deficient that she would immediately point it out?

“Well, after seeing the documents you showed me yesterday, I thought that ancient language dictionaries are essential for more accurate and speedy decryption.”
People from Ash Trading had written a contract yesterday and candidly told Aelfrie what she needed to do going forward and why it had been difficult to find people so far.

When Aelfrie remained silent with a stern expression after hearing their explanations, the three people were at a loss for what to do and reassured her they would protect her. They said if the work was too much or too difficult, she could speak up at any time.

Of course, I was afraid of my identity being revealed, as they said. But there was another, bigger reason Aelfrie was tense.

‘The responsibility was bigger than I thought.’

The first document she had decrypted was about being granted tax-free land rental for a long period in recognition of her merits.

Land was the largest and most expensive item that could be traded. Especially since the basis of noble power came from the produce and taxes, as well as manpower from their territories.

I needed to verify if there were any problems in acquiring such things.

‘Furthermore, Ash Trading already suffered a large loss.’

They had been deceived with a rental certificate disguised as a trade certificate. That was why they had been searching for someone with ancient language skills.

So from now on, I had to decrypt all documents related to trade, and if there was an issue with my decryption, that would all be Ash Trading’s loss.

When I heard the amount of money Ash Trading had lost in the previous deal, I felt dizzy, even though it wasn’t my money.

Though the three people reassured Aelfrie that they wouldn’t hold her responsible as she trembled in fear, it was no comfort.

‘So… I mustn’t make any mistakes.’

If it was a level of decryption like the document I saw yesterday, there shouldn’t be a significant issue.

But surely, there would be more difficult documents. In that case, I also had to refer to as many materials as possible.

‘I need to study again.’

And for that, I needed dictionaries and grammar books on ancient languages.

“I have an old dictionary in the house library. I guess I should bring it now.”

“Would a new book be better? I’ve heard that new editions of ancient language dictionaries come out every year.”

“A new book would be better. Can you get one?”

Sometimes, when I went out to the square to run errands or buy ingredients, I would pass by a bookstore.

Although the common language of the Empire had recently spread and the affluent commoners had started reading books, books were still a noble item.