In the short time he reviewed a few documents, Sirencia was a mess. The yield was continuously dropping, and last year, pest damage had hit production hard.

With agriculture failing, the lord’s subjects turned even more to hunting, leading to frequent fights over game and worsening public order.

The ducal family had been periodically releasing funds to alleviate the subjects’ food crisis, but it wasn’t a fundamental solution.

The only consolation was that Lahart’s achievements had led the Emperor to reward them, preventing the ducal family’s finances from worsening.

“Was it Clark who was in charge of agriculture?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Bring him here.”

Shortly after, a man named Clark appeared in the office in a rush, not even properly dressed due to his haste.

As soon as Clark entered the office, he prostrated himself on the floor.

“Cl, Clark Osk has come at the summons of the Duke, the lord of Sirencia…”

“Skip the greetings. What’s the reason for the decrease in production? Report as you understand it.”

“The reason for the decrease in production…?”

“Seems you can’t understand. How about I cut off a finger for every unsatisfactory answer?”

“No, no, no, no! The biggest reason for the decrease in production is the halt in production of fertilizers and improved seeds suitable for the soil! As you know, Duke, Sirencia originally wasn’t an ideal environment for farming. We were overcoming it through various research!”

Lahart nodded briefly. It was similar to something Iren had said to him once.

“Despite the harsh environment, I think there’s something I can do. If you leave it to me, I’ll try to create something useful. If it’s alright with you, Duke.”

“Continue.”

“I am conducting research based on the materials left by the senior officer, but… that is, it’s just that, the materials are so complex that it’s difficult to practically apply them to the research…”

“Are you saying that the research is impossible because the materials Iren left are insufficient?”

“No! Not at all! In fact, to properly utilize the materials left by the Duchess, you need to have a background in herbalism! All the foundational knowledge in the materials is related to that field. But I am not well-versed in herbalism… The materials left by the late Duchess are extremely excellent! They could be adopted as the empire’s standard materials without any issues. It’s just that my skills are lacking in comparison. My lord, please forgive me!”

Kaman was impressed by Clark’s judgment.

Clark had decided that it was better to admit his own incompetence while praising the Duchess’s materials, rather than blaming the deceased Duchess for the inadequacy of the materials.

And that judgment was accurate.

As soon as Iren became the topic, Lahart, who had previously emitted a deadly aura, was now silent. He was lost in thought, his focus slightly blurred.

Kaman carefully opened his mouth, noticing Lahart’s mood.

“There is a farm that has not suffered any pest damage. It might be a good idea to call the farm owner.”

“That’s right! I have also investigated that farm. There was something strange!”

“Strange?”

“Yes! That… The farm owners, a couple, were close to the madam during her lifetime. Their names were Hilda and Brown.”

When he heard the name Brown, one of Lahart’s eyebrows twitched. Wasn’t that the name of the hunter who had carried Iren on his back in ‘The Forest That Never Cries’?

Why does that name appear again?

“Prepare.”

“Do you mean… you will go there yourself, my lord?”

“Yes.”

If Iren left something behind, it rightfully belongs in my hands.

Whatever it is.

* * *

“The Duke has arrived for an inspection. The farm owner should come out and greet him immediately!”

“What nonsense is this? Who came to where?”

“The Duke has arrived.”

“That high and mighty person would come here? Brown! Get them out! Beat them with a club until they can’t pull such pranks again!”

“Why me? Can’t you see I’m busy? You go!”

“Oh, really? Want to see how much a rolling pin hurts?”

Hilda, who had been kneading flour, raised the rolling pin and threatened Brown with it. Having no choice, Brown put down his tools and stood up.

“Jeez… you’re getting crankier by the day.”

“Cranky? Did you just call me cranky?”

“No, no. It’s a dangerous world out there. I should go. Yeah.”

Brown awkwardly smiled at Hilda, who was glaring at him, and flung open the door.

‘Duke or whatever, I don’t care, just bugger off, or you’ll get a taste of my wife’s mop,’ Brown was about to shout as he grabbed the doorknob but froze.

“The Duke… what?”

The silver-haired man dressed neatly was undoubtedly Duke Cardius. Stunned by the unexpected visitor, Brown could only exhale in shock.

Seeing him block the door without moving aside, Kaman stepped forward.

“It’s Duke Cardius. Are you Brown, the farm owner?”

“Yes, yes… I am Brown…”

“We know each other, so no need for introductions, right, Brown?”

Lahart still remembered Brown very clearly.

Brown felt a cold sweat run down his back as Lahart’s tone seemed to remind him of the time he was imprisoned.

No matter how experienced a hunter he was, hunters and knights were fundamentally different. One kills beasts; the other kills people.

Every time Brown faced Lahart, he was painfully reminded of this fact.

“Did you treat my wife like this when she visited?”

“Ah, no. That’s not it. I have committed a discourtesy. Please come in, my lord.”

“You all wait here.”

Lahart walked past Brown into the house.

Without needing to turn his head, he scanned the cramped house with just a glance. The wooden furniture was worn out, and the carpet on the floor was dirty with accumulated dust.

The few decorative items scattered around did nothing for aesthetic value and only contributed to a tacky atmosphere.

“Did you drive them away? Who would dare impersonate a Duke?”

“Honey, it’s not an impersonation… The real Duke has come.”

“You were supposed to drive them away and now what are you saying? Did you get a heatstroke or something…”

Hilda, who had just put the dough in the oven, swiftly turned around. Her expression subtly changed after spotting the tall man standing by the door.

The look on her face, different from the bewildered Brown and Michel, seemed almost angry at Lahart.

“So, you’re Hilda. Just as my wife had mentioned.”

“……You heard about me from the madam? What did she say?”

“That baking pies is your hobby.”

Hilda’s face contorted, this time not with anger but with sorrow.

Lahart stared intently at Hilda, who looked like she might burst into tears at any moment, then turned away.

He appeared nonchalant, but in reality, Lahart was incredibly confused. As my wife said? That was nonsensical. I couldn’t possibly remember such insignificant people.

I do remember Iren mentioning this couple to me. The people Iren talked to me about were very limited.

At most, it was her exclusive maid Jane, this couple, and then the head maid and the butler. But I didn’t pay much attention to it. I didn’t want to hear stories about other people coming from her.

There was this one time. It was the evening after Iren had returned from inspecting a farm.

While applying ointment to Lahart, Iren tried to engage him in conversation.

Asking him persistently about his feelings towards the ointment – if it hurt, if it was uncomfortable, if the smell was bothersome, if the texture was weird. Then suddenly, she changed the subject.

“Today, I ate freshly baked pie at the farm.”

Lahart said nothing. Internally, he scorned her.

Eating food from an unknown source just anywhere. What if it had been poisoned?

Even if it wasn’t poisoned, how could she eat food of lower quality compared to what’s served at the castle without any caution. Especially when she was already physically weak.

“It was warm and delicious. It was just a pie made of flour and apples.”
“Probably apples that were about to rot.”

As Lahart sneered, Iren closed her mouth for a moment. The hand applying the ointment slowed down. After a long silence, she spoke again.

Just to talk about that pie again.

“Hilda bakes pies as a hobby. She baked it for me with only the best apples.”
“So.”
“……”
“Enough with that story. I’m not so idle as to listen to a story about a woman who bakes pies as a hobby while running a farm.”

Why is this memory surfacing now? No, did I remember this conversation so vividly?

Her hand applying the ointment, her voice whispering softly, those aqua-blue eyes looking at me somewhat displeased. He could clearly remember every detail, as if it all happened just yesterday.

“I heard that your farm was the only one not damaged by pests.”

Lahart immediately got to the point. This turn of events was unexpected even for him, but it couldn’t be helped.

The moment he set foot here, all plans had been distorted. In truth, there was no need for him to come personally.

“I came to ask why.”

“We were just lucky. Is there really a reason?”

Hilda replied curtly. Brown and Michel held her arms from both sides due to her rude attitude, but Hilda didn’t care and kept retorting.

“As you can see, I’m an ignorant and strange woman with no knowledge of farming. Just working hard every day hoping for safety, that’s our secret. I hope that satisfies you, Duke.”

“Iren left something.”

Hilda’s shoulders flinched as she had been speaking without restraint. Lahart sensed that his intuition had not been wrong.

“I’ve come to take it.”

“There’s nothing like that here. Even if there were, it would have been given by the madam to me, not to the Duke.”

“Hilda, you’re being too much with the Duke. Why are you so agitated? Stop it.”

“Let go of me. Who’s agitated? Shouldn’t I be? Don’t you find this situation strange? You saw what that man did at madam’s funeral…!”

“Hilda!”

Brown covered Hilda’s mouth with his hand. Hilda struggled but couldn’t overpower Brown who was seriously restraining her.

Brown took Hilda into the bedroom and didn’t come out for a while.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace. Ever since the madam passed away, my wife has not been in her right mind. The madam saved Hilda’s life… The shock must have been too great. Please pity my wife and forgive her.”

Brown politely apologized and handed something to Lahart. It was a small envelope containing several pieces of paper. Lahart unfolded one of them.

The paper was filled with various agricultural advice in Iren’s handwriting. All five pages were like that.

How to assess soil quality, how to make fertilizer suitable for the soil, how to make medicine to prevent pests…

The results of Iren’s research contained in these papers seemed to emanate her scent. A bittersweet smell mixed with the aroma of medicinal herbs.