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Chapter 48
Helena, in a good mood, chattered in a voice reminiscent of a bird’s song.
“Did you know? On Golden Road, there’s even a salon that decorates your nails. They apply specially made dyes to your nails and then add fancy decorations, but no matter how careful you are, it only lasts a few days. So whenever there’s a banquet at the imperial palace, the salon is packed.”
Lowering her eyes, Helena smiled softly, looking so beautiful it made one’s heart ache.
“For a young lady like me, they wouldn’t even take a reservation. But just once, I went along when Her Majesty the Empress visited the salon.”
She lifted her head, looked into his eyes, and smiled.
“That time, I was really happy.”
In that moment, it felt as if only the sunlight around her sparkled in golden hues.
“They applied a dark green dye to match my eye color and decorated it with gold…”
Recalling the past, she blinked rapidly.
Benjamin noticed that her eyebrows were a deep brown with a slight reddish tint, which became more pronounced toward the ends.
“Her Majesty the Empress was even more amazing. She applied platinum and decorated with tiny pearls—it was dazzlingly beautiful.”
After chattering for a while, Helena realized Benjamin was staring at her blankly.
“Were you listening to me?”
Benjamin snapped out of it and nodded.
“…You said it was dazzlingly beautiful, right?”
“Yes.”
Helena grinned and wiped his hands with a warm towel.
“Not as much as Her Majesty, but your hands look prettier now too.”
Benjamin looked down at his hands.
The rough nails, usually jagged from chopping with a sword, were now neatly trimmed.
He looked at his hands as if seeing something strange.
“How is it?”
“…Not bad.”
“See? Men like this kind of care too.”
At the word “men,” Benjamin’s brow furrowed sharply.
Helena, busy taking out the scented oil, hadn’t noticed his expression and continued calmly.
“I used to do this sometimes for my stepmother and father… Naturally, my stepmother liked it, but even my father was really happy.”
At her words, Benjamin’s furrowed brow relaxed.
Helena dabbed a few drops of scented oil onto the back of his large hands and spread it over the whole hand.
But his hands were so big and rough in many places that just a couple of drops weren’t enough.
‘His hands are really big.’
Helena turned his hands over and applied more scented oil.
“See? This part is going to crack too. I’ll leave the scented oil here, so apply it every day.”
She fiddled with Benjamin’s hands with a serious look, then suddenly realized something.
‘Why am I holding onto this man’s hands like this?’
Shocked by her own thought, Helena looked up at Benjamin.
He was trying to maintain composure, but his cheekbones were slightly flushed.
He looked both embarrassed and as if holding something back.
Seeing that expression, Helena felt something catch in her chest.
Benjamin, realizing she was looking at him, quickly lowered his hands and stood up.
“…Thank you. This is the first time for me, so it feels… strange.”
“Y-Yeah.”
“And I’ll use the scented oil… if I remember.”
“Y-Yes, do that.”
Helena, staring at him blankly, spoke urgently.
“Oh, right! I almost forgot. I arranged a meeting with the managers of businesses involving the Count of Ischpern.”
She was planning to go alone since Benjamin wouldn’t be of any help in such a meeting.
“…Do you want to come too?”
But if she started this business together with him, she’d have more time to monitor Benjamin.
Still, Helena immediately regretted saying it. Benjamin wouldn’t have willingly come to such a meeting.
‘Should I have coaxed him a bit more before asking?’
While Helena was regretting it, Benjamin simply nodded and said:
“Let’s do that.”
“Huh…? Really?”
“Yes. It’s not difficult anyway.”
Hesitating slightly, he raised his hand that had been treated with the ointment.
“Also, consider it a reward for today.”
After he left, Helena placed her hand over her chest, which felt strangely fluttery.
‘What is this?’
It felt like she had seen something she shouldn’t have.
‘We share the same bed every day, and yet he’s so happy just from me touching his hands a little…?’
Benjamin was incomprehensible.
Yet at the same time, she felt she could almost, just a little, understand him.
And that made her feel strange.
Recently, Helena had been overseeing the castle’s repairs while analyzing the ledgers she had found.
Honestly, the ledgers she painstakingly uncovered from the late Count weren’t very helpful.
The late Count didn’t seem to be a meticulous person.
It was fine that he carefully recorded even small amounts, but he arbitrarily omitted important matters or scribbled them so messily that it was almost illegible.
Ultimately, Helena had to undertake the tedious task of comparing the late Count’s personal ledgers with the official ones she obtained from various sources.
It would still take a long time to fully understand the specifics, but at least she could make a list of businesses the Count of Ischpern had been involved with and those who had acted as the Count’s representatives.
Helena contacted all of them.
Some did not respond, but most replied, congratulating the revival of the Count of Ischpern.
Among them, there were people who had contacted Benjamin to discuss future matters after learning of the late Count’s death, only to be ignored.
In short, very few seemed intent on taking advantage.
It seemed the late Count had still commanded respect.
Helena resolved matters that could be handled in writing and sent people to check on those who hadn’t responded.
Some signs of trouble were already appearing.
For instance, Duval Trading Company in the south, directly invested in by the Count of Ischpern, replied as follows:
[We do not intend to deny that the late Count Damon of the Ischpern family made substantial investments in Duval Trading Company. However, the Count’s family unilaterally halted investments just as the company was on the brink of expansion, causing significant internal crises. Moreover, the Ischpern family provided no explanation for the past five years. In this situation, it seems difficult to collaborate with the Ischpern family again.]
This was relatively polite.
A proxy who had handled multiple investments replied in messy handwriting:
[We have been making tireless efforts to contact the new Count of Ischpern, but now you ignore us entirely? What is this nonsense?]
A merchant of magical stones in Burwood sent a flustered reply:
[The new Count Benjamin of Ischpern clearly said, “I know nothing of this, so just make sure the price of magical stones is fair.”]
Overwhelmed by stress, Helena felt like a blood vessel at the top of her head was about to burst.
She grabbed the back of her neck and sighed.
“Haa…!”
It seemed Benjamin had no talent, thought, or ambition in this area.
But even if he had no interest, this was too much.
Helena ran over, holding the bundle of letters, and thrust them in front of Benjamin.
“What is all this about?”
After skimming the letters and understanding the situation, Benjamin calmly asked:
“Is there a problem?”
“No problem?”
“How much was the investment anyway…? Rather, it’s better to just make sure they don’t cheat on the magical stone prices.”
“Haa…!”
Helena restrained herself from grabbing the back of her neck again.
Considering the price of magical stones Benjamin had brought after clearing a monster habitat, it made sense.
Especially the griffin’s magical stones, which fetched a surprisingly high price.
Helena, who had never considered magical stones a source of income due to the scarcity of monsters in the north, was a bit shocked.
Then Benjamin added in a delicate, slightly haughty expression, like a sensitive girl easily hurt:
“And I do not want to be involved in the late Count’s business.”
Every morning, Helena would slap the back of this girl’s neck with her palm.
“Even if you don’t want to, do it! Are you not going to earn any money?”
Benjamin, looking thoughtful, reluctantly nodded.
“Seeing how you spend it like water, I guess I should earn something.”
“I could also use it like air if I wanted.”
“….”
So, one evening, Helena invited representatives who had either received investment from the late Count of Ischpern or participated in businesses on behalf of the Ischpern family and were willing to talk.
Of course, Benjamin was also there.
