“Dieppe Leon as Duke of Blois…?”

“Lately, he seems to be mingling a lot in the northern social circles. No matter what, it’s strange because he’s not from that background.”

“Even if the Duke is an illegitimate child, it’s still a family affair. The current Duke has undoubtedly inherited the bloodline of the previous Duke…”

“Dieppe Leon, who doesn’t have a drop of Blois’s blood, doesn’t have legitimacy.”

“Well, but the Duke is a shapeshifter, so if we are strictly speaking about legitimacy…”

As the vassals began to argue among themselves and were about to indulge in a debate of their own, Grandmother Rosanne slammed her cane on the floor to draw attention.

“No need to talk about legitimacy or anything. I’ll say it firmly. I will not support anyone but Dimitri.”

Upon hearing this, Baron Leville, who had been silent, spoke up once again.

“But at this rate, the Duke will inevitably face failure on his own. In that case, someone will have to take over the position of the Duke.”

At those words, Grandmother Rosanne snorted as if she thought so.

“Do you really think the Duke is sinking the Blois without any thought?”

“Are you suggesting there’s a plan? If so, then why wait idly until the situation deteriorates to this extent?”

Other people nodded and chimed in.

“With the nobles cutting ties with Blois, we are also suffering.”

“What if this is all just a process of filtering out the empty grain?”

At her meaningful words, some people could be heard gasping. Despite the fact that I didn’t show it on my face, I glanced briefly at Grandmother’s expression with a slightly puzzled feeling.

‘A process of eliminating corrupt empty grain…’

I recalled Dimitri hanging out in my office every day, feeling happy that he had less work to do due to the loss of interaction with other territories. Certainly, his leisure was probably because he had his own plans, though I assumed he hadn’t shared that with his grandmother.

After all, they weren’t that close.

If she hadn’t guessed Dimitri’s plan, but she had a very confident expression on her face…

‘She’s making it up as she goes along.’

Grandmother Rosanne, having brought me here and promising to show true politics, was threatening them without even blinking an eye. After she created an atmosphere of unease, she maintained silence for a moment and gazed back at the nobles.

As the silence prolonged, the air became increasingly heavy.

I carefully engraved Grandmother’s attitude in my mind.

‘After threatening them, she took her time… An effective method of creating an atmosphere.’

Since I was told to learn, I should learn diligently.

After leisurely scanning through the people one last time, she summarized her words for the last time.

“Anyway, I have no intention of handing Blois over to Dieppe Leon as Cayetana wishes. So, as I mentioned earlier, I appeal to your friendship rather than emotional pleas.”

Did Grandmother Rosanne, who used to say that materials and threats were the easier route than emotional appeals, change her stance?

As I was perplexed at her gesture, her loyal maid came out holding a sturdy wooden chest.

As Grandmother opened the wooden chest and pulled out a stack of documents neatly arranged inside, she pointed to them and emphasized.

“These are the tangible evidence of the friendship that has built up between us.”

Then, she put a magnifying glass monocle to her eye.

Without being instructed, the maid who brought the wooden chest took out a magic lamp from her pocket, casting light onto the documents. Meanwhile, Grandmother began comparing the documents with the people present, slowly reading through the words written there.

“Baron Leville, the lease agreement for the Roan territory, which was my father’s property thirty-four years ago and is now under my ownership, is due for renewal. The guarantor at that time was Viscount Fabian.”

As Baron Leville visibly flinched, Viscount Fabian smiled awkwardly beside him. With a friendly smile, Grandmother Rosanne continued her words after flipping through the documents.

“Come to think of it, Viscount Fabian, I guess it’s time to talk about the interest issue again since you haven’t yet repaid 50% of the business loan you borrowed fourteen years ago? So far, I have not raised the interest rate out of consideration for our friendship, and I hope that our friendship will remain strong in the future.”

“Ha, haha…”

Marquis Fabian pursed his lips as if hesitating to speak, then sighed softly and nodded.

In the meanwhile, Grandmother continued to flip through the documents without pausing.

“Count Breshia, forty-six years ago, you borrowed money from my father using the mansion as collateral, right? I inherited that mortgage contract. Don’t forget the friendship that has kept your secret for forty-six years out of respect for your dignity and the Countess.”

“And Count Lien, ten years ago, you obtained the tenancy rights to the Bruni territory, which belongs to me. I understand that for the past four years, there has been continuous cultivation, bringing in substantial profits…”

“Viscount Ibert, you too, twenty-four years ago…”

As Grandma Rosanne’s recitation continued, I became increasingly curious about the extent of her private property holdings. From the small wooden chest, documents kept sprouting endlessly, like an inexhaustible spring.

It was a moment when I realized that more families than I thought had more debt than assets.

‘Ah, is this why the vassals are unable to gain independence and remain dependent on one family?’

Certainly, there might be other reasons, but I thought my assumption might be correct.

It seemed that Grandmother, instead of pressuring them to settle debts, had generously maintained a debt relationship with them under the name of ‘friendship’ for several to tens of years. And it appeared that she had been involved in various businesses using these debt relationships as a pretext.

As she finished reading the papers and carefully folded them back into the chest, the nobles, unlike before, were visibly tense.

Grandmother smiled with a very kind face.

“I’m getting old now, and I just hate complicated matters. So, what I’m trying to say is…”

Her smile deepened. The nobles swallowed nervously, waiting for her words to leave her mouth.

“I’m thinking of entrusting the management of these documents to the Duchess. She seems quite capable, as far as I’ve observed.”

“…Yes?”

Suddenly, everyone’s gaze was directed towards me.

Standing awkwardly with a dazed look on my face, Grandmother’s maid suddenly handed me the wooden chest with ‘evidence of friendship’ in my arms.

“Rowaine, I entrust you to manage this from now on. I delegate all authority to you.”

“….!”

The small and seemingly light wooden chest suddenly felt as heavy as a massive boulder.

At the same time, the sound of the nobles’ murmurs echoed along the stone walls.

Grandmother Rosanne, who took my hand without giving me a chance to decline, sighed lightly and glanced around at the nobles.

“Now, let’s get back to the main point. If anyone has any complaints about the operation of Rowaine’s shapeshifters’ shelter, feel free to express them openly.”

…Wasn’t this the attitude of holding a loaded gun and simply killing anyone who is dissatisfied if they speak frankly?

‘It seems like a threat to get rid of them if anyone complains.’

Given the detailed recitation of various feudal relationships earlier, it seemed unlikely that anyone would dare to express dissatisfaction.

She had effectively demonstrated the ease and certainty of material and coercive measures.

“I thought some of you might oppose my grandson and granddaughter-in-law. It’s truly fortunate that you all support Rowaine like this. I hope you continue to follow the actions of the Duke and Duchess as well as you have until now.”

In the inevitable silence, where no one dared to speak, Grandmother Rosanne nodded very satisfactorily.

Coincidentally, the outside became noisy, filled with screams and shouts. It seemed that Count Schdental and his entourage, whom Grandmother had ordered to be brought in, had finally arrived.

Grandmother Rosanne smiled sweetly.

“It seems the old men from Count Schdental’s side have arrived just in time. Now, let’s go down together. It would be good to show that you actively support the Duke and Duchess.”

I cradled the wooden chest carefully in my arms and silently followed Grandmother, who was leading the way.

‘If I say I can’t accept this here, I might be the one shot by her loaded gun…’

ﾟ･ : * ✧ * :･ ﾟ

Arriving at the abandoned castle with Cayetana, Dimitri realized that Rosanne had done the right thing.

On the first floor of the castle, in the central hall, he saw Count Schdental bound and gagged as familiar faces surrounded him.

Next to them, flames flickered threateningly in a crumbling brazier, and heavily armed knights stood in a formation resembling executioners. The elders, terrified by the ominous atmosphere, struggled and shouted unintelligibly, even with gags in their mouths.

As a knight untied the gag from Count Schdental at Dimitri’s gesture, the Count glared at him with fiery eyes.

“What is the meaning of this, Duke?! Do you realize that if each family learns about the kidnapping of the elders, it could provide grounds for military action? Do you think the nobles of the Empire will stand idly by if we seek assistance? You must be aware that Blois is already facing numerous enemies!”

“Well, I think that’s something you should tell the person who kidnapped you about that.”

Dimitri shrugged.

Then, behind him, Rosanne descended the stairs and opened her mouth.

“It was I, not the Duke, who kidnapped you.”

“….!”

 
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