Chapter 105: CHAPTER 105- PLANNING TO GROW RYZEN TERRITORY
"Edith. . . . ?"
"Oh, Lizzy. What are you doing there?"
"I was checking the door lock. Why was Edith here at this hour. . . . "
"I was also checking the door locks. I think we were really in an anxious position."
I smiled blandly. I was a little surprised to see Lizzy in the place where Edith had installed the device in her previous life, but Lizzy just locked the door.
'Does this feel like when thief has been caught.'
I approached Lizzy, who locked the back door, and i grabbed the door hook and shook it a few times. The door was locked properly.
"I think it's okay here. Anna and I just checked the east hallway. I'm thinking of going to the west hallway now."
"I'm here to check the west hallway. . . ."
"Then now, Lizzy can check the east hallway, and I can check the west hallway one more time. If we check it twice, it will be more accurate."
"That's right."
I waved to Lizzy, who still has a pale expression on her face, and walked towards the west hallway with Anna.
'Nothing will happen. Nothing. . . .'
I memorized the words over and over again as if it's was a spell. She already rejected the last advice from Count Rigelhoffs to cooperate with the family and refused to install a strange device on the back door. I also checked around the mansion every day to see if there was a sleeping incense installed, and if there wasn't, the mansion wouldn't be easily occupied. It's been a week since I checked the gates of the mansion, and I told myself that everything would be alright. As usual, I checked the back door while Anna checked the hallway leading to the warehouse.
'Huh?'
The back door is usually locked securely after a loud bang, but somehow, I have a feeling that it is not locked properly because it makes a different sound.
'No way. . . . '
Suddenly, my heart started beating fast. After confirming that Anna hadn't come out of the aisle toward the warehouse. I opened the back door and groped in the hole where the key went. I touched something that had a strange square texture on it.
'No, don't tell me. . . .'
I thought it couldn't be, but I pulled out the 'thing' with my fingernails, put it in my pocket, and closed the back door again. Clack. Then, the back door was locked tightly with the same sound as usual. With a chill sensation, my back seemed wet with cold sweat.
"Miss. . . . ?"
"Uh! Huh?"
I thought it was Anna, but a maid who was taking the laundry, she looked at me strangely.
"What are you doing there, miss?"
"Ev-ever night, i went here to check the door locks. . . . Are you still working, even though it's already late?"
"No. This is just my personal laundry."
"I see. . . . It's late. You should go in and get some rest."
"Yes, then. . . . "
The maid bowed to me and disappeared into the darkness.
"Haaa. . . . "
"Miss?"
"Oh! Ar-are you back?"
Just as I was about to take a breath, I stuttered without realizing it, startled by Anna's voice calling out to me. I was worried that Anna wouldn't see me strangely. But Anna didn't say anything, and we stepped back after checking the doors once more time.
'Why should i tremble for something I didn't even do!'
It's a relief because it's dark, but if it were bright, my complexion would have looked strangely pale to anyone. It must have been shiny with cold sweat. But I couldn't help it. Because the device that original Edith put in the back door, now in my pocket.
'If I don't take it out, I'll probably be accused of doing it again, right?'
But it wasn't a very pleasant thing that the device was still in my pocket. Suddenly, I kept imagining a situation where someone searched my clothes and found this device and drove me to be a spy for the Riegelhoff family.
"Isn't this a trauma?"
After we returned from checking the door, i swallowed my dry saliva, and I hurriedly laid down on the bed, making an excuse that I was tired today.
'Who did it?'
The first person to doubt is the spy of Riegelhoff family, who definitely exists in this house. Maybe that person is the real culprit in some cases that has happened in the past, where the culprit is not revealed yet.
'No matter how much I search Edith's memory, I don't know who the person is.'
Count Riegelhoff sends Edith into the enemy's house alone, but he doesn't trust her enough to tell her who the spy he's planted at this mansion.
'I don't know who the person is, but she/he must be competent as Sophia if she/he hasn't been caught yet.'
when the sound of Anna pacing outside my bedroom faded, I slipped the device out from under my pillow and examined it. It was hard to see with the small lamp I kept on my bedside table, It was a simple device with a spring in the middle.
'How can I throw this away?'
Even if I keep it, if I get caught later, it will only be proof that I am a spy. But it's made of metal, so it won't burn, and it seems suspicious going somewhere to throw it away.
'Should I throw it away somewhere while I'm taking a walk in the garden tomorrow?'
Even when I thought that way, all kinds of bad thoughts started to come to my mind. Then, I suddenly remembered the author looking down at me and smiling with an evil smile.
'She must be having fun to see me shaking and become more anxious.'
At that moment, the heat went up.
'What did I do wrong? What sin i commit in my past life to deserve something like this?'
The more I thought about it, the more my anger boiled. Sometimes, there are thoughts that i feel i was lucky to be possessed, but now i can only think I was caught by an unwisely crazy God. The images of children trapping ants in a maze, looking down from above, and enjoying it come to mind.
'Damn you! Do you think I will be obedient?'
I decided to face my anxiety more proactively rather than rattling.
'If they've done this, they've probably hidden the sleeping incense as well. Do I really need to find them all?'
I decided to start scouring the mansion the next day. I will never let Shane raid this mansion.
***
"Good morning, Linan."
"Good morning, Miss."
Even in the mist of the Territory battle, the work at Duke's residence continued as usual. In other words, I was also doing my work at Linan's office as usual.
"Didn't you sleep well last night?"
"Yes? Wh-Why?"
"Because i think you don't have a very good complexion."
The story of the complexion was already pointed out by Anna in the morning. I couldn't sleep because I was thinking all night about how I could harass the author. What's even more unfair is that I can't sleep, and while thinking about it, I can't come up with any sharp ideas.
'I have no choice but to do my best for what happened right now.'
It's was no bad conclusion, but that's all I could do now.
"I need you to take care of the Ryzen documents estate again today. You've worked so hard that there aren't many documents left now."
"That's right. I'm so excited to think that it's a territory I'll grow with Killian from in the future. . . . "
I smiled awkwardly and received the documents of the Ryzen estate from Linan.
"How do you want to grow Ryzen territory?"
Which part do you want to know, from a macro point of view or from a micro point of view?
"First of all, I'd like to hear from a macro perspective."
I put the documents on the desk and thought of Ryzen in my imagination.
"That's something I'll have to discuss with Killian, but if you ask me, I'd like to see it grow as a commercial and recreational city."
"A commercial city? But Ryzen was a bit isolated."
"If you look at the map, yes. But without Mount philiac, it could be connected to the port city of Drivan."
"How are you going to get rid of Mount Philiac?"
I unfolded the Ryzen manor map, which is stuck on one side of my desk. Mount Philiac wasn't very high, and it was a grateful mountain that gave the people of Ryzen with several forest products. But because of this mountain, Ryzen is considered a remote rural area, cut off from small and modest towns beyond the mountains.
"There is no need to demolish the entire mountain. Mount Philiac is clearly a valuable resource for the people of Ryzen."
"Of course."
"Why don't we just make a road?"
"Road?"
Although it may be difficult to dig a tunnel in this era, it would be worth a try to find the flattest and shortest path, build a mountain path, and clear out the surrounding vegetation. Maybe there's still a mountain road that people go to.
"If we succeed, build a road that connects to small and modest sized towns outside the Mountains Philiac, and if we have good facilities for merchants, Ryzen will be completely changed."
"Hmm. I guess so."
"Besides, as long as the facilities are complete, wouldn't it be nice to build a villa for a noble family near Mountain Philiac? It will be a comfortable city while enjoying nature."
Linan, who heard my explanation, seemed a little surprised and nodded.
"I think Ryzen will make a comeback as a good territory in just 10 years."
"So I'm just hoping that Killian will come back safely."
"Ummm. . . . that's true, but. . . . "
Linan asked cautiously, showing a bit of concern even with his expressionless face.
"Count Riegelhoff might get screwed. Are you alright with that?"
It was the question everyone wanted to ask me, but they couldn't bring themselves to ask. I took a deep breath and answered.
"It's alright."
"But. . . . "
"The fact that he provoked the Duke Ludwig and leaving me here to die. That means the relationship between me and my family has been cut off. Also, i don't want to be loyal to a family who told me to die."
But in this world, family honor is more important than life. Perhaps my appearance of cutting ties with my parents seems vulgar to the eyes of the noble who live in honor.
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