Swallowing hard with his dry mouth, Luzan shook his head.

“You probably just called them in, scolded them a bit, and accepted some bribes to let it slide. It’s so obvious. And the dock fees and boat fare will actually be collected from the merchants, not paid by you. Isn’t that right?”

It was all so predictable. There wasn’t even a need to investigate.

It was commonplace for middle managers under a lord to collect taxes and bribes, bleeding the territory’s people dry.

While wrong, Lydia wasn’t trying to condemn that practice right now.

“Did you know that merchants were selling grain in the borderlands, Sir?”

“I did.”

“And that they were charging outrageously high prices only in the borderlands?”

Luzan shook his head. Of course he knew, but how could he admit that in this situation?

“I noticed that the dock fees are managed by people from the lord’s castle, and the fees for goods going to the borderlands are higher.”

“I, I truly didn’t know. My subordinates must have been skimming without my knowledge. I’ll go and give them a severe—”

Lydia raised her hand, cutting off his words.

“For a Count’s proxy, you seem to know very little. Since the proxy knows nothing, I’ll meet with the Count directly.”

“What? The Count is in the capital.”

“I know. I’ll go to the capital and meet him there.”

Luzan’s expression changed dozens of times in a matter of seconds. He apparently hadn’t expected Lydia to go directly to the capital.

“I wasn’t exiled to the borderlands. I came to spread the goddess’s mercy and teachings to the edge of the marquisate. I can return to the capital whenever I want.”

Though it would be troublesome, Lydia muttered to herself that this might be for the best.

“I should bring my father along and discuss how Count Wonde’s territory has disrespected our marquisate and extorted financial gains.”

“P-priestess.”

Luzan’s rear nearly lifted off his chair. Instinctively sensing that something was going terribly wrong, he looked ready to fall to his knees at any moment.

Though he was far from the capital in the Count’s territory, he wasn’t ignorant of imperial politics.

Marquis Evansi was the primary contributor to the current Emperor’s rise to power, and the Evansi family’s influence was growing by the day.

Moreover, Arsen Edis had also helped the current Emperor succeed in his coup, so even if Count Wonde’s territory had done nothing wrong, the Count would likely be held responsible.

Even if Count Wonde pleaded his innocence, the Emperor would side with the Marquis, not the Count.

And now there was clear wrongdoing on this territory’s part. These damned fools had tried to frame the Marquis’s daughter, so he couldn’t even demand evidence.

If the matter escalated, Count Wonde would need to punish those responsible, and that responsible person was none other than Luzan David himself.

If the Marquis’s side demanded Luzan’s head, the Count would cut it off ten times over to settle the matter.

“The borderlands are protecting us by admirably holding back demonic beasts, keeping our marquisate safe. Yet you and this territory were willing to let the people in the border starve to death. That’s essentially threatening our marquisate.”

“Priestess.”

Rolling his eyes in panic, Luzan suddenly jumped up and knelt before Lydia.

“I was wrong.”

“Indeed you were.”

“Yes, I’ll go and behead all those merchant bastards and bring their heads to you.”

Though he’d miss the bribes they paid, what good were bribes to a dead man?

And this was all their fault anyway. If they’d just taken a few more silver coins instead of trying to make ten or twenty times more, this situation wouldn’t have happened.

“No, those bastards’ heads too—”

“Sir Luzan, what am I supposed to do with merchants’ heads?”

“Pardon?”

But earlier you mentioned cutting off arms? And wanting my head!

Lydia was now looking at him with eyes that seemed to say his words were too cruel and frightening.

Not knowing which tune to dance to, Luzan stood confused until Lydia signaled to Mallan, who was standing by the door.

After wielding the whip sufficiently, it was time to dangle the carrot.

Mallan quietly approached behind the kneeling Luzan, bent down, and whispered softly.

“The young lady wishes to properly perform her duties as a priestess. She wants to show mercy to the borderland people. But the merchants didn’t understand her intentions, which upset her.”

Luzan turned his head slightly toward Mallan, his eyes asking what he should do.

“Why don’t you join her in that sentiment, Sir Luzan? Show mercy to the borderland people.”

In other words, provide the grain for free. Luzan understood Mallan’s intention immediately and knee-walked closer to Lydia.

“What are you doing, Sir?”

Lydia grimaced, and this wasn’t an act.

“Priestess, please grant me a chance to repent through Anastasia’s mercy.”

“How do you plan to make amends?”

“I wish to donate to the temple.”

Luzan slightly raised his head to gauge Lydia’s expression. Her lips finally curled upward.

“I’d like to grow some crops in the temple courtyard, but the merchant selling seedlings said they don’t sell seedlings or seeds to the borderlands.”

“I’ll make them sell without question.”

“Also, there’s no herb merchant in the borderlands, and I’m worried because my health is delicate.”

“Oh my, we can’t have the priestess falling ill. I’ll contact an herb merchant right away.”

Lydia nodded as if they were finally speaking the same language.

“I’m building a new temple, but I have no hammers or axes, which is quite troublesome.”

“I’ll inform the blacksmith too. Ah, since you’re planning to farm, you’ll need agricultural tools as well, so I’ll make sure they prepare everything.”

When Luzan went the extra mile, a satisfied smile appeared on Lydia’s lips.

“Seeing Sir Luzan’s sincerity, I’ll accept the gift you brought as well.”

“The, the gift I brought, you mean—”

“The dock fees, boat fare, and whatever your servant is holding outside.”

* * *

Lydia returned to her room claiming fatigue, and Luzan, who had seen her off with an expression that was hard to tell whether he was crying or laughing, staggered back to his chair and collapsed into it.

“The young lady won’t be going to the capital, will she?”

Luzan asked Arsen, who had stayed behind to finalize matters, but Arsen maintained an expressionless silence. And that silence was interpreted as, “Even I don’t know.”

“Sir Arsen, please put in a good word for me. I did my best, didn’t I?”

“Well, I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything.”

He’d asked the wrong person for help.

No one harbored more resentment toward Count Wonde’s territory than Arsen, yet Luzan was asking such a person for assistance.

Luzan spoke without knowing how much Arsen cared for the borderland people.

While Luzan was the type who didn’t care if the territory’s people starved as long as he himself didn’t go hungry, Arsen was different.

But what was the point of bringing up old grudges now?

Besides, half of his resentment seemed to have dissipated thanks to Lydia’s erratic behavior and the havoc she’d wreaked.

Mallan, who had suffered all sorts of humiliation from Count Wonde’s territory, couldn’t feel completely satisfied either.

“You can’t stop the young lady, Sir Arsen. You must have followed her here for a reason.”

“I do know that Sir Arsen is a busy man, hunting demonic beasts and all. I wondered why you came all the way here, but I see the Marquis’s daughter was being stubborn.”

Luzan nodded as if he understood, shaking his head in resignation.

“Still, she seems much more appeased now, so please be careful not to interfere with the young lady’s shopping in the future, Sir Luzan.”

“Of course. I’ll ensure that the young lady can purchase anything she desires.”

“She might buy something quite large.”

Luzan, thinking it would be at most a carriage or a horse, told them to buy whatever she wanted before leaving.

He would probably go around threatening all the shops, venting his frustration by warning them that their heads would roll if they didn’t please Lydia, before returning to the lord’s castle.

Regardless, Arsen was curious about what large item Lydia might want to buy.

“Does Lydia have something else she wants to purchase?”

“No, she hasn’t mentioned anything, but I thought her carriage wasn’t suitable for her to travel in, so I suggested buying one here.”

“That’s a good idea, Mallan.”

“Also, how about bringing along a couple of gentle horses? I heard the young lady enjoyed horseback riding since her time in the capital.”

Lydia had been quite confident in her riding skills. Remembering how she had proudly displayed her horsemanship, Arsen chuckled and readily nodded.

“I should tell Lydia. She’ll be pleased.”

“That would be wonderful.”

When Arsen relayed the message to Lydia, she was indeed very pleased. She said there was something large she had wanted to buy but had given up because it was too bulky, and she was overjoyed.

However, what Lydia wanted wasn’t a carriage or horses. While refusing to reveal what she wanted to buy, she asked Arsen if she could have what she wanted.

Arsen couldn’t guess what it was, but based on Lydia’s behavior so far, he thought it wouldn’t be harmful to the borderlands and gave his permission.

But the next day, Arsen regretted that decision.

What Lydia really wanted to buy was……

“I’d like to buy that entire blacksmith shop.”

Yes, the blacksmith shop itself.

* * *

The day after Luzan left, Lydia went shopping as soon as the sun rose.

Fortunately, before returning to the lord’s castle the previous day, Luzan had gone around the square shouting,

‘The Marquis’s daughter said she’d only be satisfied if my head was cut off. And she didn’t mean firing me—she meant literally cutting off my head. Do you think I’d let my head be cut off without a fight? Huh? The day my head rolls, I’ll take all of you to the afterlife with me as companions, so watch yourselves! Huh?’

Thanks to his loud threats, Lydia was able to shop in complete comfort.

“From there to there, all of it.”

She didn’t even need to enter the shops; a glance through the window and a few pointing gestures were enough.

“Yes, Priestess.”

“How much?”