"Sigh. What did I say? I told you Countess Pervaz is not the kind of person who would embezzle money.
"No…, is that even possible?"
Carlyle said, still looking skeptical.
"I know that woman is unusually obsessed with rebuilding the territory, but you're saying she didn't touch the money that was piled up right in front of her? She could easily have embezzled her share if she wanted to."
It was considered common practice to call public funds "blind money" and embezzle them.
That's why he had asked about the budget utilization plan so suddenly, not long after giving her the money to try to catch her by the handle.
If she had embezzled the money, she would surely be flustered and start babbling, so he would attack her.
"No, she must have created a double ledger or something. She seems to be quite meticulous for having prepared this in advance, but there must be some flaws."
Carlyle didn't trust Asha to the end.
However, soon after, Asha appeared, panting and carrying two notebooks. She opened the notebooks in front of Carlyle without even catching her breath. There was no sign that she was hiding anything.
"First, this is the usage plan for the supplies you gave us in kind. This one is for food and seeds, this one is for medical supplies, this one is for other supplies, and this one is for the border defense construction plan. As I mentioned earlier, I was already aware of the timber delivery situation, and…"
Asha, who was usually not very talkative, was now talking non-stop, even looking a little excited.
And as Carlyle and Lionel checked the details she pointed out with her fingers and made rough calculations, they could see that she was really trying not to waste anything and to get the maximum efficiency.
"Now, this is the cash usage plan."
At the mention of the cash plan, Carlyle focused his eyebrows as if it was his last "hope" and looked at the notebook.
However, this time too, Asha explained fluently without any hesitation or ambiguity.
"Of the 1 million Verona you gave me, 100,000 Verona will be used to expand the clinic and purchase medicine, and 200,000 Verona will be used to build a school. It will be a bit tight, but we can't delay the children's education any longer. And 500,000 Verona will be…"
In short, she said that 100,000 Verona would be used for the clinic, 200,000 Verona for school construction, 500,000 Verona for compensation for veterans and those who have suffered for public work, 150,000 Verona for water and sewage facilities, and the remaining 50,000 Verona for preparations for the resumption of administrative work at the territory. All the plans were perfectly organized.
Listening to her, the 1 million Verona that was given first felt too little.
"…It's tight."
"Oh, no! Even this much is a great relief and peace of mind."
"But to build the defense line, you'll need manpower and wages for the workers, won't you?"
"We can't use the territory's people as workers right away anyway. Stabilizing their lives is the priority. After that, we can impose labor service to build the defense line."
It would take some time, but it was the most realistic plan.
"Hmm… the plan is really perfect, I see."
"Thank you."
Carlyle awkwardly complimented her, and Asha, completely unaware of his true feelings, felt a bit embarrassed.
Unable to bear it any longer, Carlyle asked bluntly.
"Isn't something missing from this plan?"
"Yes? What is it? I will revise it immediately!"
Asha, nervous that she missed something big, picked up her pen and prepared to write it down as she asked Carlyle.
"Your share."
"…Excuse me? What do you mean…?"
"The money to fill your own coffers!"
Carlyle spoke bluntly, but Asha didn't understand at all.
"Do I need to fill my treasury with money? I apologize, but I don't quite understand how that's related to rebuilding the territory…"
At her words, Lionel chuckled, and Carlyle looked at Asha incredulously.
"So you're really planning to use all the money I gave you, without keeping a single penny for yourself, to rebuild the territory?"
"But that's what the money was for, right…?"
Asha's innocent eyes made Carlyle feel like trash.
Then, with a suspicion in his mind, he asked.
"Do you also plan to use the necklace and wedding ring I gave you?"
"I haven't made a detailed plan for those yet. They are items that I cannot sell for at least 3 years. Once I am safely divorced from His Majesty, I plan to auction them off and use the money to train a cavalry unit."
"W,What…?"
Carlyle could only stammer back.
He thought it would happen someday, no, he even advised her to auction them off, but he never imagined she would already have made plans to sell off the wedding gifts.
"Barbarians often ride animals, so it's difficult to counter them with infantry. Now that the Lure tribe has been destroyed, the Igram tribe or the Pir tribe…"
"No, I get the explanation. I'm sure you'll figure it out. Right?"
Carlyle sarcastically cut her off, but Asha didn't understand the sarcasm.
She even offered advice to Carlyle.
"I heard that His Majesty's Knights have many cavalrymen. Do you have any advice on training a cavalry unit…?"
"It seems a bit early to talk about that now. Anyway, I've confirmed everything I wanted to confirm… So, you can go back now. You must be busy."
"Oh, I see. I got ahead of myself. Then, I'll take my leave."
Asha left without being offended.
Carlyle was the one who was offended.
"Ha! Really…"
Lionel taunted Carlyle, who was making a ridiculous laugh.
"You were the one who told her to use the necklace as 'emergency funds' in the first place."
"I know! And since it was a contractual relationship in the first place, it doesn't matter how you use the wedding gift. But… no, even so…"
The ruby necklace he had given her was an item coveted by many women in the social circle, who had asked to borrow or sell it countless times.
It was said to be a work of art, a necklace that once seen, could never be forgotten.
Yet, the first woman to be allowed to wear the item since its original owner, Evelina Evaristo, was none other than Asha Pervaz, who had no interest in it.
Is it the fate of the necklace? A curse, perhaps, that it will not have a long relationship with its owner?
The first owner lived only two more years after receiving the necklace and passed away, and the second owner was thinking of selling it as soon as her marriage ended.
"Do you regret it?"
Lionel, oblivious, continued to make annoying noises next to him. Of course, Carlyle was not one to be affected by that.
"I do regret it. It's just so ridiculous. I guess even a treasure that everyone in the capital praises is useless."
"You do regret it a little. In fact, it would have been better to keep the necklace and give it to the bride as a gift when Your Highness gets 'really' married."
Giles agreed with Lionel.
When Carlyle said he would give Evelina's ruby necklace to Asha as a deposit and a wedding gift, Giles had strongly opposed it.
But strangely enough, at that time, he wanted to give it to Asha.
'Maybe I just wanted to get rid of the necklace as soon as possible.'
An item that belonged to someone who died a long time ago.
An item that could not be sold anywhere and had to be kept in a safe, bothering people.
It was always annoying and unpleasant.
Because whenever the necklace was mentioned, he could not avoid the pitiful gazes directed at him.
[Her Majesty Evelina, who wore this necklace, was truly beautiful.]
[No matter how much Her Majesty Beatrice becomes the Empress, she has never received such a gift from His Majesty the Emperor.]
[It means that His Majesty the Emperor truly loved Her Majesty Evelina, and that His Highness Carlyle is also loved.]
They were children who spoke their minds without reservation.
Recalling that time, Asha's plan to sell the necklace as soon as they got divorced suddenly felt quite good.
'Yes. It's better for it to disappear without meaning.'
He no longer wanted to be tied to the relic of his mother, whom he could only remember through portraits.
Stop talking nonsense. Have you finished writing the letter to Viscount Debenham?
Carlyle lost interest in the necklace and Asha and turned the topic to 'business'.
***
"Damn it!"
A crash was heard from Matthias's office.
Having become a daily occurrence recently, the servants quietly entered without showing any surprise, cleaned up the broken vase, and put the rolling inkwell back in place.
"Your Majesty. Please calm down and if there is anything you don't understand, please tell me…"
"Shut up!"
Matthias exhaled roughly and snapped at the Imperial Knight Commander who was acting as his 'tutor'.
"This is ridiculous! Why do I have to learn this when that bastard Carlyle is the one who should be doing it?!"
Matthias, who had suddenly taken control of the army after Carlyle abandoned everything and left for Pervaz, felt his anger explode every time he received military attribute lessons.
It was a field he had never been interested in for 23 years, and there was no way he could learn it just by taking classes.