TFAR 04

The Strong and Mighty Young Lady of Astell
The moment she woke up, Serena flung the window wide open and, out of habit, gazed at the clouds draped over the distant mountains.

“Another fine day.”

Coming down to the Duchy of Astell, away from the stifling capital, had been an excellent decision. It allowed her to escape the relentless attention of high society toward the newly appointed crown princess—and, more importantly, to live a fulfilling life.

“…It’s almost been six years.”

Nearly six years had passed since that frigid engagement ceremony. By now, all that remained in her memory was the image of a sharp-eyed little boy, yet the time had finally come when she would have to meet him again.

“Still, breaking an engagement is easier than getting a divorce.”

Over the past six years, Serena had roamed the duchy more freely than anyone else, meeting countless people and doing everything she pleased.

In imperial high society, rumors circulated that Serena—having missed her prime marriageable years—had simply given up on herself. But she already knew well enough that other people’s words held no real weight.

“But it’s unfair to say that the crown prince refuses to return to the Empire just because he doesn’t want to marry me!”

Serena clenched her fist tightly.

They disliked each other equally—so why did no one ever ask for Serena’s opinion and instead pity only the crown prince? The engagement had been forced on both sides, after all.

“Well… it’ll be over soon enough anyway.”

Serena, who had been engaged to the crown prince at eighteen, was now twenty-four. By the standards of noble society in this era, she had long passed marriageable age and was practically beyond hope.

But that also meant her plan was proceeding smoothly. A crown prince who showed this little interest in his fiancée would surely agree to a broken engagement without much trouble.

“Oh my, you’re already awake?”

Anna entered the bedroom with a smile, looking exactly the same as ever.

“You were always diligent, but you’ve been waking up especially early these days. Aren’t you tired?”

“There’s a lot to do. Sometimes, before I go to sleep, I even think how nice it would be if morning came faster.”

Anna shook her head as if she were fed up and set down the washbasin. Serena quickly splashed her face—chap, chap—and roughly rubbed it dry with a towel.

“You’re energetic again today, miss!”

As soon as Serena arrived in the duchy, she became as if she were a different person—lively and cheerful.

Instead of spending time delicately dressing up and braiding her hair, she took an active interest in running the duchy and immersed herself in work.

“Am I?”

“Yes, you truly look wonderful.”

After brushing her teeth, Serena changed into simple, practical clothes. Ever since coming to the duchy, all her dazzling dresses had been shoved into the wardrobe; Anna had barely managed to dissuade her from wearing trousers altogether.

“Wait a moment—I’ll tie your hair.”

“I can do it myself.”

“Please don’t take away my one remaining duty.”

At Anna’s stubborn reply, Serena puffed out her cheeks but silently let her handle it. Even when Serena said tying it into a single knot for convenience was enough, Anna always insisted on pinning it prettily, determined to fulfill her role.

“Where’s Peter?”

“He should be here shortly.”

Life in the Duchy of Astell followed a familiar rhythm. Serena rose early regardless of holidays, beginning each day by receiving a report from the head steward.

“Good morning, my lady.”

As usual, Peter arrived and offered a brief, formal greeting—more restrained than Anna’s manner of address.

“Right on time again. Any new news?”

Her blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. Her face looked innocent and bright, almost childlike, yet at the same time she radiated a sharp intelligence rivaling that of any lord.

“Is the report on this year’s Astell berry harvest still pending?”

“The harvest is complete, and we’re preparing the report—”

“Everyone must be busy making jam. Send any idle maids from the manor to help.”

With her platinum-blond hair tied high into a single ponytail and a cute pin fastened in place, Serena couldn’t hide her beauty even in a plain, unadorned dress.

“As you instructed last year, we’ve already sent them.”

“Well done. Have them inspect the aging rooms again this year. Since we finally had a good harvest, we can’t let the effort go to waste.”

Smiling broadly and confidently, Serena looked far more beautiful than when she dressed extravagantly according to imperial custom. Her natural beauty was enough to make anyone passing by turn their head.

At twenty-four, she should, by imperial standards, be treated as a spinster past her prime—but her very presence seemed to prove just how meaningless such judgments were.

“It’s already been four years since Astell Berries started, hasn’t it?” Anna said with renewed amazement.

“And they’re still wildly popular in the capital, right?”

Six years ago, Serena had rushed down to the duchy on impulse. Ignoring the steward’s suggestion to renovate the manor first, she immediately began touring the land.

The quiet serenity of Astell—surrounded by towering mountains and long rivers—was shattered the moment Serena arrived.

What’s this?
Where exactly does the duchy end?

Dressed simply, wearing comfortable shoes and carrying only a parasol, Serena wandered the land, quickly becoming a well-known figure.

Hmm… is there no local specialty? How do people here make their living?

No matter how much they tried to dissuade her, she wouldn’t listen, leaving Anna and Peter no choice but to trail behind her in surrender.

“We… work hard, and live,” an old man dozing off replied when suddenly questioned by the young lady.

“Astell has lots of fruit!” said a farmer’s child who didn’t yet know proper etiquette.

That day, Serena declared she would learn exactly what crops were grown throughout the duchy.

“I want to know how the people here live.”

And that was only the beginning.

“How many households live here?”

With every new question Serena asked, the number of busy people in the duchy increased. Fortunately—or unfortunately—the true lord of the land, the duke himself, was still roaming elsewhere, leaving no one to stop Serena’s one-woman crusade.

“Finally… I think I understand Astell a little.”

On the day she finished organizing the answers to a month’s worth of questions, Serena smiled in satisfaction.

“It’s inefficient, but there’s potential!”

Her eyes sparkled brighter than ever as she muttered words no one else quite understood. Then, an unprecedented transformation swept through the Duchy of Astell.

Serena issued an order to directly hire capable individuals for necessary tasks, regardless of status.

“Pardon me, but everyone in this duchy bears the name of House Astell and serves it as its people.”

“So?”

“You need only give orders.”

Peter offered what he believed to be sound advice, but Serena refused to bend.

“What I want isn’t blind service—it’s a rational employment relationship. I need people who can think and act on their own, not just follow orders.”

At the time, Serena was simply considered an eccentric young lady. Neither the steward nor the residents understood what a “rational employment relationship” even meant.

“First, we need to find Astell’s strengths.”

From then on, Serena seemed unstoppable.

“Alright. Let’s hold a harvest festival—and have a competition there!”

At first, no one paid serious attention to the strange young lady’s words.

Village elders whispered among themselves, wondering if she truly was the woman engaged to the crown prince. The adults merely thought they should avoid offending someone so high-ranking.

“Astell Berries were the first thing I ever did that truly helped the duchy,” Serena said, returning to the present with a nostalgic smile.

“When I first suggested a harvest festival competition, the only ones who really joined were the children.”

“Yes, that’s right. Back then, no one understood what you were trying to do,” Anna replied.

Anna still remembered her own confusion. A duke’s daughter engaged to the crown prince abandoning high society—and proposing a harvest festival competition, of all things.

“How is it this year, Peter?”

“The harvest festival is incredibly lively in every category. The entire duchy is buzzing.”

Serena lifted one corner of her lips in satisfaction. Considering that the very first winner had been twelve-year-old farmer’s boy named Mark, the progress was remarkable.

“I thought you said people become greedy when something is labeled ‘special’,” Serena murmured.

“That’s true in any world,” she continued. “Even in the life I lived before, people went crazy over words like ‘luxury’ or ‘limited edition’.”

“In truth, Astell Berry is just jam made from five common berries,” she added with a chuckle.

“But it bears the noble name of Astell,” Anna said. “That alone makes it special.”

She was only half right.

“That’s why we must always maintain the same quality—so we don’t tarnish the Astell name.”

The power of a brand was stronger than most people realized. Serena used the prestige of Astell’s name while steadily building trust that anything bearing it guaranteed quality.

“A merchant is coming this afternoon,” Peter reported. “He wants to invest not only in Astell Berry, but also Astell butter and fruit wine.”

“Then next year, our first fruit wine will finally be ready.”

“Yes. All thanks to your foresight, my lady.”

Peter no longer regarded Serena as merely a duke’s daughter or a future crown princess. Since she had begun managing the duchy, his true master was no longer the duke—but Serena herself.

“They say the children are preparing a play for you at this year’s harvest festival.”

“…They really didn’t have to.”

For something that lasted only six years, the changes Serena had brought to Astell were extraordinary.

Berries that once rotted away with the changing seasons were now processed, sterilized, bottled into jam, and labeled beautifully—becoming treasures that brought wealth into the duchy.

With a portion of the profits, Serena built wine cellars, founded schools, and invested tirelessly in the future.

“Astell has become more prosperous than anywhere else thanks to you, my lady. And going forward… this prosperity will continue.”

There was deeper meaning behind Peter’s words.

“Of course. There’s still so much I want to do. That’s why I should start preparing to visit the capital soon.”

“Yes.”

Even without her saying more, everyone understood her true intention.

She was determined to sever, once and for all, the greatest chain that bound her.