“Why? Do they have too many expenses?”

“Exactly. Whether it’s from the current generation or the one before that, it’s unclear, but Umbriel was on the verge of bankruptcy. They neglected the border walls, fortresses, and outposts, leaving them to crumble naturally. Many parts now need to be rebuilt from scratch. It’s not just the facilities; they can’t even properly operate the defense force. It’s gotten so bad that they can’t even gather enough men. It’s no surprise that no one wants to serve without pay.”

“And the central government is just ignoring all of this?”

“From the central government’s perspective, Saturn doesn’t seem likely to invade, and with the Titania Mountains, they don’t see it as urgent. They’re reluctant to invest the enormous budget it would require, especially since it would take several times more funding than Ariel.”

Mav continued explaining, noticing that Prince Robert’s gaze lingered too long on Umbriel.

“So naturally, there’s a lot to do, but the central government is turning a blind eye, and all the lords are abandoning their posts. The last lord even fled in the dead of night. When they went to report the next day, they found that the lord’s entire family had disappeared. It’s probably an exaggeration, but it shows just how dire Umbriel’s situation is.”

“I see. If the central government’s judgment is wrong, this could lead to a major crisis.”

“For now, they’ve been gradually expanding Ariel’s defense zone. While Ariel’s territory has grown, the increase in expenses makes it less of a benefit. The Ariel family has continuously refused to accept the additional land, but they’ve ended up with it anyway.”

“And what about elevating them to Marquis status?”

“The Baron of Ariel declined. Umbriel, of course, would be out of the question.”

“Why did the Baron of Ariel refuse?”

“Becoming a Marquis would allow him to independently handle military, economic, and administrative matters, which would help him grow in power, but the Baron of Ariel cannot afford it. Without the central government’s financial support, they are on the brink of bankruptcy. Umbriel is, of course, in an even worse condition. Even if a wealthy and reckless individual were to buy the title, they’d go bankrupt in just a year or two. Losing the territory would mean losing their title as well, so it would just be throwing money away. Anyone with common sense would reject the position.”

“I see.”

Robert continued to trace the territory of Umbriel with his finger. Mav, feeling uneasy, kept a close eye on his hand. Robert closed his eyes, deep in thought.

Even during his contemplation, his finger remained on Umbriel.

Mav, sensing Robert’s interest, anxiously began spreading out documents of other potential lands on the desk, hoping to draw his attention elsewhere.

Although Robert was aware of Mav’s glances, he seemed unwilling to remove his finger from Umbriel.

Finally, Robert opened his eyes and lifted his finger from the map. Mav, feeling a sense of relief, quickly pointed to some of the territories he had chosen.

“There are other territories that might interest you. How about Rosalind or Belinda? They are not far from the capital and, though small, are quite valuable. These lands originally belonged to the families of Rosalind and Belinda, but…”

Robert interrupted.

“No. Umbriel is the only choice. It’s perfect.”

“But why? I already told you it’s a massive money pit. Please reconsider other territories…”

“Hah! Do you think the Empress or Cressida would just let me take a decent territory? They’d drag in relatives of the lords to sabotage everything. It needs to look like I’m walking into a trap for them to leave me alone.”

“No, it’s not just ‘seems like a trap,’ it really is a black hole for money…”

“Even His Majesty might suggest trying it out, and Cressida will no doubt scheme something. Plus, Ariel is right next to it.”

“What does Ariel have to do with this…?”

“Mav! Bring me everything you have on Umbriel. I need to prepare a plan before seeking approval. I’m not going to walk into a real trap.”

“No, of course not! You don’t have to. Please just take a look at other lands… Don’t be so hasty…”

“Mav! What did I tell you to do?”

“To inform you of everything you need to know and to follow your orders.”

Mav flinched, quickly replying before rushing off to find the documents on Umbriel in the administrative office.

* * *

All the way to the administrative office, Mav sighed incessantly, all while grumbling to himself.

“Ah, seriously! Even if I’m willing to take on hardship, why is His Highness doing this? Ah, my luck! That damn fortune teller! I shouldn’t have listened to him.”

As Mav neared the administrative office, he bumped into a familiar face—a friend who worked as a clerk there. The friend, with his usual playful attitude, greeted him.

“Mav! Why do you look like death? Did Sarah break up with you?”

“Michael! When a friend is down, you should be offering comfort, not jokes. And drop the Sarah jokes, I’m not in the mood.”

“Since when do we need to be so formal?”

Mav didn’t respond. Michael’s constant teasing often irritated him, though he tolerated it because Michael had introduced him to Sarah. But today, Mav’s irritation got the better of him.

“What are you doing out here, slacking off again? Did you mess up and run away?”

“What kind of talk is that? I’m a rising star around here! Why are you out?”

‘Rising star? Please, the talent pool must have dried up,’ Mav thought, but held his tongue.

“It’s because of His Highness. No matter how well-bred you are, why would anyone willingly choose to suffer?”

“What do you mean?”

“As you know, it’s about Umbriel.”

“Ah! That troublesome border territory that’s on the verge of bankruptcy.”

“You’re well informed. I guess you’re not slacking off all the time.”

“I’ve always told you, I’m a rising star!”

“Well, there’s no lord at the moment, right? But His Highness… sigh…”

Michael tried to stifle his laughter.

“He wants to go to Umbriel?”

“Exactly. I wish it were just a bad dream. Thanks to our esteemed lord’s whims, it’s us underlings who will suffer. Prince Robert can just return to the royal family after failing, but what about us in the prince’s household? Why do we have to be dragged down by something doomed to fail?”

“I don’t get what Prince Robert is thinking.”

“Neither do I. I’m off to get the documents on Umbriel. Lend me a hand, would you?”

“Sorry, I have to go out. If you mention my name, they’ll give you the documents without a problem. Good luck.”

Michael waved his hand and left Mav behind.

“Ugh, that jerk… After bragging so much, he doesn’t even help. Whatever. As if I ever had any luck with that.”

Cursing Michael instead of Robert, Mav entered the administrative building. Upon hearing Mav’s request, the staff quickly gathered the necessary documents.

The employees at the administrative office sighed in relief as they watched the responsibility of Umbriel’s problem shift to Mav.

With full cooperation and sympathy from the administrative staff, Mav headed to Prince Robert’s office, taking some of the people who had assisted him from the administrative department.

Mav spoke to the staff accompanying him.

“You guys are so kind. Since you work in the administrative office, you probably have more peers and colleagues, so you don’t go through the kind of stress I do. By the way, if there’s ever an opening or someone who wants to transfer to the prince’s office…”

Pretending not to hear Mav’s grumbling, the administrative staff delivered the documents to Prince Robert’s office. After courteously greeting Mav, they left promptly.

Judging by their swift exit, they must have been instructed to return quickly and avoid getting caught up in the prince’s affairs.

Mav glared at the departing staff and, looking at the pile of documents, hoped that Prince Robert would change his mind. But he already knew that wasn’t going to happen.

* * *

TL NOTE: Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories