Chapter 2: SAVING MY HUSBAND'S ASS
After wandering around the towering bookshelves, Kirsi shuffled over to the desk near the window, which had a messy surface covered in files. Kirsi peeks at it. And it seems that it is a file regarding the current condition of this household. Among other things, it consists of financial reports which are divided into reports of income, expenses, salaries of workers, nominal basic needs, gross personal profits, profits of agricultural land under the name of the imperial family, and many more. Kirsi's conscience should have forced her not to peek further. But if she wanted to live and survive in this world, she had to act a little brash and read it. So that later, she would have enough knowledge to save her little life. Even if Cedric turned out to be really as stupid as the author described, her life wouldn't be in jeopardy if she was smart enough to get at her -ahem- husband.
Cedrik was in Aslaug as per Alruna's information. There is plenty of time to read documents without feeling guilty. She had only been walking around the house for a while, but her legs felt almost crushed and turned to jelly. After being pampered in a rich family, this young madam's physical strength seems to be very miserable. Her appetite is also miserable, her body tires out easily, and her boiling point is erratic. This body is indeed very suitable to be a villainess. It was just one day that Helen became Kirsi, and she already had the distress of being the antagonist. Like an old lady in her late years, Kirsi sat in the nearest chair and let out a pleased sigh as soon as her back touched the chair.
The essay on the papyrus document was written in a language she shouldn't understand. But the reading event was not hampered at all. She found that the sentence structure felt odd and familiar at the same time. Makes her confused and a little excited.
Kirsi flipped through many documents until she finally found one that discussed the Aslaug tea plantations in detail. The tea plantation there is the smallest land managed by Cedric. In normal circumstances, it would be better for Cedric to let go and sell it at a low price. Or even turn it into a resort. But that couldn't be done because the Aslaug tea plantation was an imperial property under the name of the Crown Prince that Cedric had to manage. Aslaug's tea plantation was not just a gift the Emperor had casually bestowed upon his son, but rather a double trap for him. A small plantation near the capital couldn't develop properly. Mainly because the tea market share is quite low lately. People wouldn't care if the plantation was unreasonable or can't be saved, all they wanted to see was a success. The process will not be part of the success story. If Cedric can't, then he can't. The Emperor was no fool to just carelessly give the position of the crown prince just because Cedric was the first son.
For a moment, Kirsi read the document with a frown. There was never a serious problem with tea plantations in the entire novel. In fact, there are rarely conflicts that need to be frowned upon to resolve. Problems in the 'My Dearest' novel can always be solved easily by the protagonist without much explaining the process. That's the protagonist, let alone the antagonist. The antagonist's financial and business problems can't be explained in a novel that only focuses on such romantic nuances. So this overly realistic problem somewhat surprised Kirsi once again.
After reading for a while, Kirsi began to understand the problem. Because the land in the Elysian empire was fertile, in some areas including the Southern and Eastern regions, there were so many tea plantations opened. Most were owned by the empire, and some were owned by people who had more money. The problem faced by tea plantations lately is not in the quality of the tea, but in the production process.
While the supply of tea is available in more than adequate quantities, problems arise in costs during the production process. Most of the plantation profits will go to the workers' wages which are quite high. Not to mention the costs for quality maintenance, including the quality of the tea, the quality of the production machinery, and even the fuel. The problems don't stop there. Because the production costs are not small, the market price of tea must be sold at a higher price. So that market demand becomes smaller only around certain social circles. One of them is the house of a noble family.
Reducing the number of plantations also cannot be done easily, because after all the agricultural land has been a source of income for the people around it for a long time. The Empire couldn't be careless about this either. There are ways out that can be passed, and one of them is to increase the number of exports. The problem then comes from the cost of the expedition which is not cheap. And for the time being this problem was put aside by the government.
The crown prince's mansion was in Hilaria, the capital of the Elysian empire. Aslaug is southeast of the capital. It took about half a day's journey by horse-drawn carriage to get there. At least if Cedric was going home today, he would be here by tomorrow morning at the earliest. Kirsi is determined to help Cedric solve the Aslaug tea plantation problem. If Cedric can't handle it, Kirsi is confident enough to take over. She had modern knowledge in her head. At least she could outsmart a few things and make her gain.
And as she had expected, Cedric arrived the next day. Kirsi was drinking herbal tea with lemon wedges when the crown prince's entourage arrived at the gate. The 3-meter-high iron fence made a shrill sound when the guard pulled it open. Kirsi resisted the urge to throw up as she straightened herself and prepared to greet him at the door. It was the imperial norm that a good wife would welcome her husband back with a smile.
From the most luxurious carriage of the horse-drawn carriage, came a man who didn't look exhausted at all even after a sleepless day and night's work. Noah, Cedric's assistant who must always follow his master wherever he goes, looks like an undead who has lost vitality. Unlike the other day when Kirsi met him for the first time in bed, Cedric who at that time looked so relaxed was in stark contrast to Cedric who now put on a business look. His snow-white hair was now dyed jet black. In line with his official uniform which wrapped his body tightly, showing his body shape as best as possible.
His appearance now reminded Kirsi of one of Cedric's descriptions in the novel. If she remembers correctly, everyone in the novel is depicted with heads as colourful as traffic lights, except for Cedric and Kirsi, who are described as having only hair as black as crow's feathers and eyes that emit a sinister aura from a radius of 100 meters. Incredible. No wonder last night Kirsi could not instantly recognize Cedric by his real hair colour. Again, he was clearly different from what the novel described.
"Welcome." Kirsi tried her best to smile. But instead of being happy, the person she smiled at was frowning.
"What, you need to poo?"
Kirsi was about to open her mouth to refute when the urge to throw up came once again. She covered her mouth as she almost vomited her breakfast. Damn, how damaged this body is. Can't she have breakfast in peace?
Seeing that his wife seemed to have other problems besides defecating, Cedric approached to check on her, but he was pushed away by Kirsi's small hands.
"I-i'm going to throw u—umph..." for a while she managed to hold it in. She was still pushing Cedric away as the man made a surrender pose by raising his arms. After the urge to throw up was overcome, Kirsi corrected her gesture and said, "Sorry. I'm a bit unwell. How was your business trip?"
"Not fun. "
"Come in first. Alruna has prepared your favourite food." While speaking, Kirsi shifted to the side to let him through. Cedric casually wrapped his arms around Kirsi's shoulders and wordlessly brought his wife in with him. Kirsi, who was never used to this type of skinship, was a little stunned. They went straight to the dining table and sat face to face. Seeing that Cedric had no intention of eating right away any time soon, Kirsi opened her voice once again. "Do you mind if I come into your study?"
Not answering either yes or no, Cedric answered with another question, "Oh really? What are you doing?"
Kirsi answered honestly, "I want to help you overcome the crisis."
Cedric raised his eyebrows, looking listless and mischievous, "I don't feel like I'm in a crisis."
"Let's just say that I want to help you deal with the tea plantations in Aslaug. No, I will for sure."
Cedric chuckled. His laughter sounded full of contempt, making Kirsi feel like her heart was being licked by a cat's tongue. It at the same time made her uneasy and tickled. Blame that guy for looking so handsome even when he's mocking. When Kirsi was about to convince him in another way, Cedric had already replied, "Since when do you ask my permission before doing anything?"
"Can't I? Even if I believe I can do it, the Aslaug plantations aren't something you or I can decide on our own."
Cedric blinked subtly. Even though his hair and eyebrows had been dyed jet black, his eyelashes were still made up of a thick layer of pure white curly lashes that were thick like fans. The soft wink gave off an unreal feeling, as if Kirsi was looking into a painting that miraculously moved and irritated her. Just when Kirsi thought he wasn't going to talk soon, Cedric interrupted her again at the right moment, as if he could read her mind. "Of course, you can do anything. We promised not to interfere with each other's business."
"You look unreliable. Just tell me the terms. I'll listen."
Cedric tilted his head and chuckled with two short 'haha's. Said, "You know me well."
Kirsi swallowed her saliva slightly nervously as she said, "Of course."
Cedric inched forward, bending down so he was close enough to Kirsi. His tall and well-built body gave off a strong impression of pressure. Kirsi whose belly still felt uncomfortable bravely returned his gaze with the same firmness. Shows how much dedication she has to this issue.
"I have two conditions. You can choose either one. It's not that I don't believe in your performance, but the imperial property is not an easy thing to bear. You see what I mean right?"
Kirsi nodded.
Cedric continued. His smug smile returned to the surface. "At first, my memory of that night is a bit hazy. I want to repeat it." At the end of his mischievous sentence, he raised an eyebrow, and seductively licked his lips. If he had a hazy memory, then the Kirsi in front of him didn't have any memory of it. Cedric, not knowing what was on her mind, continued, "Secondly, the great dam connecting Suerius and Walherich is private property belonging to the Evander family. It also goes into one of your wedding dowries, doesn't it?
Kirsi, who had just entered her new body yesterday, knew nothing about it. She didn't even know where she had put her important files. For a moment she didn't know what to say.
"Seeing your expression, looks like you don't even know where you put your private files." Cedric quipped.
Stabbed right where it hurt, Kirsi cleared her throat twice, hiding her shame. "So you want to take over the authority over the dam?"
Cedric looks betrayed, "What, so you don't want to take the first option?"
"...I want to hit you."
Cedric returned to his original sitting position and leaned back lazily in his chair. His gaze drifted across the chromatic glass windows three-quarters of the way up the walls. Most of the glass is plain with some specific colour gradations that will appear depending on the concentration of reflected sunlight. Others are pieces of glass of various colours arranged to form a certain pattern. Some are in the shape of a tulip, a cupid with a plump bottom with his arrows, and there is also a portrait of a mother with a sweet baby in her cradle. The reflection of light from outside made Cedric's eyes look shady and distant. After a long silence, he glanced back at his little wife who was anxiously waiting for his responses with her stiff expression. "As long as you are in control of the Aslaug tea plantation, let me temporarily take control of the dam."
"Do you need the documents?"
Cedric nodded, "I need the documents."
Kirsi was silent for a moment. Searching for something she didn't even know existed would take up a lot of her time and her remaining sanity. Just thinking about it gave her a headache. Oh shit. She had no other choice. "Uh, can you help me look for it?"
Cedric smiled sweetly as he said, "Don't worry. I've found it."
"...May I hit you, Sir?"
-0-
As per their agreement, Aslaug's plantations are temporarily under Kirsi's control. They did not write these rules in black and white, but exchanged their private stamps for some time instead. Cedric initially proposed to make a provisional letter in which they would apply fines for violations and others. But to implement it, they had to register it at the administrative office of the non-ministerial administrative institutions in the palace.
It was placed right under the Emperor himself. If that was done, then people would know that all future achievements were Kirsi's efforts. And that would thwart Kirsi's plans to raise Cedric's name and make a good impression on his behalf in front of the Emperor. Because of that, Kirsi turned it down. She also still didn't want to meet the protagonist so soon. Although she had little enthusiasm to meet that Kirsi's so-called ex-boyfriend, right now she was still too raw to meet. At least it takes a lot of preparation and careful planning before meeting your potential enemy, right?
So the next day when Cedric had to go to the palace for his regular busy morning, Kirsi was also getting ready to leave in her carriage. Alruna, as her personal maid, sat in the same carriage. With at least 2 ladies-in-waiting with her, Kirsi travelled to a tea plantation in Aslaug. In addition to the name stamps and badges of the imperial family members belonging to Cedric, Kirsi also asked for any documents related to the plantation, including details regarding funds and all operational activities there. To kill time during the trip, Kirsi diligently read it. The two personal guards who shared the same carriage with her looked at each other in astonishment.
Their young madam usually prefers to curl her fingers and fan herself all day than to sit still for half a day reading some who-know-what documents with a furrowed brow, looking completely undisturbed. Just when the two thought that Kirsi would not speak for a while, the young madam's soft voice burst out with a topic.
"Does the general tea production process still use wood fuel?"
The two people who had not guessed the arrival of such a question were temporarily unable to answer. One of them tilted his head and tried to give the right answer. "My family in the east mostly work as tea pickers. If I'm not mistaken, no one doesn't use wood as fuel."
"Where do they usually get their wood from?"
"Buy it."
Kirsi nodded and went back into her reading. Aslaug's tea plantations are no exception. Purchases of wood in bulk are included in the expense breakdown. The price of wood is not cheap in places with cold weather such as in the North and East. Unlike tea which is only consumed by certain circles, firewood is used in every layer of the household. Rich and poor alike are cold in winter. There is no discrimination in the need for firewood. Especially now that it has entered the beginning of autumn. Wood prices jumped a little more than usual.
Needless to say, half a day had passed when Kirsi arrived at the tea plantation at lunchtime. The head of the plantation assigned here has been informed since last night about the arrival of the caretaker's wife via a carrier pigeon. Therefore, they had enough time to prepare many welcoming dishes. When Kirsi got off her carriage, this old man was already nearby to greet her. "Welcome, Madam."
Even though his face was filled with signs of ageing, the youthful vitality was still visible in him. This old man wore neat and clean clothes with a demeanour that made people comfortable. His mouth wasn't filled with sugar-coated words. Instead, he spoke candidly only in times of need. Kirsi slightly praised Cedric's skill in finding the wise worker in her heart.
The two of them sat at a round table with documents covering a quarter of the table surface. Many reports need to be checked. Kirsi picked it up at random and skimmed it.
"Who made the financial reports?" While sipping her green tea, Kirsi brought up the topic first.
Old man Gordon replied, "That's my little secretary, Harry, Madam. He's in charge of all administration. He didn't have any prior education, but was handpicked by the Master."
"Can you call him?"
Gordon thought Harry would be in a bit of trouble, and hesitated a bit. The young madam whose master married a while ago was famous for her bad manners. Gordon was only afraid that her coming here would bring a storm to their peace. But he had no other choice but to call Harry.
Harry was a man in his mid-30s with well-groomed and neat physical features. Seeing him makes people immediately think of living expenses and bills. The eyes behind his glasses had a glimmer of doubt the same way Gordon did. Kirsi noticed the two people's nervousness and pretended not to see it. Her stiff expression never left her face.
With one glance, Kirsi could tell that Gordon was lying about Harry's identity. A person with a strong and sharp disposition like this could not have been brought up without having received the slightest education. Moreover, the person who was supposed to meet Kirsi to provide her various monthly reports was not Gordon, but Harry.
So why would the head of the plantation himself who had to be busy become the one running around to serve the wife of the plantation owner, if there wasn't something to hide?
Kirsi was starting to get suspicious at that point, so she asked who the person in charge of administration appeared to be, which may be terrible if she found out. Because of that, Kirsi explicitly asked him to come. Now that Harry had arrived before her, her suspicions grew even stronger.
(Trying to) Smiling sweetly, Kirsi said, "Sit down and have some tea, you two. Don't be so stiff."
The two immediately sat down and Alruna instantly poured tea into their respective cups. Kirsi's eyes never left the way the two of them held the cups and drank their tea. Gordon drank the same way Harry did, but one casually and naturally, while the other looked like glass trying to imitate a diamond.
Kirsi flipped through the financial reports for the past few years like an idiot. Cedric was the one to approve the financial reports. And even if Aslaug's estate was under Cedric's name, the record of ownership of this plantation in the ministry of revenue books would still be under the imperial name. In other words, the distribution of operational funds still has to wait for confirmation from the finance ministry, before the official promissory note is issued. For a task as nonchalant as this, except that Cedric really was as dumb as the author jotted down, there was no way he would hire an uncertified person to seize as collateral.
Kirsi's hand stopped at the exclusive customer data where there was no name of the ministry of household affairs in it. Of course, there were so many tea plantations belonging to the empire that needed attention. There was no way the Emperor would be biased by continuing to buy his son's supply of palace tea. He would lose face if he did that.
"When do stock updates take place?" Kirsi asked.
The plantation head immediately replied, "End of this month."
Kirsi raised last year's financial reports in the same month as now, and found that the nominal amount of the application for funds had doubled than usual. She made a low comment that only she could hear, then asked once more, "Getting close to autumn means that the operating fund application will be much higher than in previous months, right?"
"Yes, madam. We will fight over the wood stock not only with other plantations but also with the whole society." Harry replied.
"Fine. Raise the risk percentage a little higher than last year."
"Pardon?" Harry found it impossible to understand this young madam's way of thinking.
Kirsi smiled sweetly as she replied, "I will be in control of this plantation for the time being. You all know I am inexperienced at all. Let's avoid the worst together."
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