Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Translator: Effe

Editor: Yonnee

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It seemed like she did not know what effect her eyes had on a man’s heart.

He spoke without hesitation.

“Isn’t it just a formality to register Young Master Elliot? If that’s the case, a man like me who knows that you don’t need a husband is better, Baron.”

“Human greed knows no bounds, just as when you get a taste of something good, you’re bound to want to eat the entire thing. I guess you want to become a noble now after you’ve made some money?”

“There’s also such a thing as a marriage alliance.”

“What alliance?”

Claire stopped talking when she suddenly realized that the elevator had stopped. While they were talking, they reached the top floor.

Roger’s brief time to monopolize her attention was now over. Claire’s gaze shifted to a corner of the elevator door.

“I wish they could hang a bell or something. Make a sound when we’ve arrived.”

“Then it would be convenient.”

“Is it technically impossible? Then what about hanging it on the outside door? When the elevator comes up, make them touch the rope or lever.”

“The baron should have been an inventor.”

“I’m just saying that out of convenience.”

“A noble would order a commoner employee to do that.”

“Well. That’s true.”

Claire thought for a moment before answering. Well, she has never seen it, but if the Klausener family were to install an elevator, they’ll have someone parked on each floor and open it when they arrive.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. It was not right to place the standard of a noble on Erich Klausener.

Because he seems to have embodied the ideas of the Rommel nobles. Thoughts leading to him were never average.

The door opened outside. Since the entire floor was a suite, it was the living room that greeted them as soon as they got off.

The butler, who had arrived a little earlier and had come upstairs first, bowed his head politely to Claire, then looked over at Roger.

“…Whee-woo.”

Roger whistled, having been treated as a bastard who’d cheat on his precious lady.

Claire was the Mistress, not a lady, but it will be no different for the butler, who has taken care of Claire since she was a child.

He couldn’t deny that he was going to look like a flirting bastard.

‘Because she only treats me that way.’

Claire asked if he wanted to become a noble after making money, but he wasn’t looking over his feelings for Baron Delford.

Even being an illicit paramour was fine. Though better if he could be her lover.

Of course, either way would be unacceptable for the upright butler.

Claire asked as she got off the elevator.

“What about Elliot and Martha? Did they come up first?”

“The Young Master is asleep.”

“I knew it because you were being mean.”

Claire let out a laugh.

Roger tried to get off after her, but the butler stopped him before he could.

“Thank you for escorting the Mistress.”

“Ah, yes…”

Roger hid his trembling heart. Within the Delford Barony’s family, the butler’s real power was quite high. It was a big deal if he looked bad to the butler.

Claire laughed again.

“Anyway, I need to rest too. You can leave now, Roger. Let’s talk about the guild matters at a later date.”

He was forced to step back into the elevator. The butler closed the outer door of the elevator.

Just before the door closed, Roger saw the door on the other side of the living room open and Grey Sherwood entering. He was the one who was going to be Claire’s husband.

“This…!”

He thought he couldn’t lose to Gray Sherwood, but the elevator door was already closed.

* * *

“This month too, the Elder Madam spent more than 1.5 million gold on clothing alone.”

“That is going too far.”

At the words of the accounting administrator, Wilhelm—the financial supervisor—spoke in a voice that did not hide his criticism.

Erich thought it was troublesome.

“Didn’t the Elder Madam tell you to leave it alone because it’s not something for a man to talk about as she spends money on maintaining her image?”

“But it’s already been nine months! It has already surpassed 10 million gold and is approaching 20 million!”

This amount was no different from the annual sales of a fairly medium-sized guild. It was an amount that even nobles could not afford to talk about recklessly.

In Southern Arren, it was an amount that could have bought a whole small territory along with the title.

However, Erich asked without a tone.

“So, is the amount Mother spends hurting the household?”

“I’m afraid… not.”

The accounting administrator hesitated.

The Klausener Duchy was brimming with wealth. Measuring their available assets alone, they had already surpassed the imperial family.

The duchy’s estate in the north was vast. It was once thought to be a useless wasteland, but as industry developed, it became the land where treasures got dug up.

The Empire’s largest coal mine was located in the Duchy. The importance of copper, lead, and cornerstone mines had never been greater.

The huge iron ore veins, which had supported the power of the Klausener family for a long time, seemed to have run out of reserves at one time, but as technology developed, the amount of mining increased and the quality also improved.

Engineers were still studying the newly discovered mineral.

Thanks to its vast resources, Duchy Clausener was the fastest-growing industrial area in the Empire.

Gold and silver mines, as well as mines producing rare jewels and real estate in the capital, were small compared to this.

It was Wilhelm who knew that fact best. He opened then closed his mouth.

“It is, but it is not.”

“Then leave it alone.”

“If the Elder Madam really wore a dress worth one million gold or bought jewelry with that much money, I wouldn’t have said anything either. But the Elder Madam buys the fabric with the money and resells it through her parents and the Belf Marquisate’s guild.”

“I thought so.”

“Are you not going to take action? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t help the Belf Marquisate anymore?”

Erich let out a sigh that was barely audible so that the others wouldn’t notice. It was really troublesome.

It was last year that the Belf Marquisate went into the textile business and went bankrupt.

The family’s finances were not solid from the beginning. They sold half of their estate a long time ago. However, the direct descendants of the current family did not have an excellent sense of commerce.

In Erich’s opinion, the answer was to do nothing if they didn’t have enough talent in business rather than sell the estate. The northern ranch was still a thriving business, so even if they left it as it was, they could continue getting profit off it.

However, those who were more greedy than their bowls were not satisfied with just. It seemed like they rejected a lot of commoners these recent years.

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