ushernet Chapter 45
Chapter 45
The territory was bustling with activity.
In the marketplace, shops seemed to be competing with one another as they opened their doors, and the main street was lively with the chatter of people. The number of carriages moving about inside the territory far exceeded those entering through the gates.
“This is surprising! It’s winter, yet so many people are out and about,” Chan remarked.
“......”
Rehens’ face grew stiff. His expression remained rigid even as their carriage arrived at the lord’s castle and they were guided to the treasurer’s office.
The treasurer, who had been casually flipping through the promissory notes Chan handed over, finally spoke.
“You’ve come to collect the interest. I’ll prepare it for you now.”
“......”
Chan cast a cautious glance at Rehens, who widened his eyes as if hearing something utterly unbelievable.
“They can pay the interest?” Rehens thought, incredulous. “I was told Halo was on the brink of ruin. How could the territory recover so quickly?”
Currently, the northern territories were all teetering on the edge of bankruptcy due to the catastrophic collapse of green herb prices.
“What kind of trick could they have used?” Rehens ground his teeth. His judgment had never failed him before.
“Surely they haven’t borrowed money from the Tembel Bank as well?” he speculated. It wasn’t uncommon for debtors to borrow from multiple banks to stave off creditors—a foolish tactic that merely delayed the inevitable.
If that were the case, Halo’s apparent prosperity would be fleeting.
“In no time, that haughty woman will come crawling back to the Imperial Bank, begging for another loan,” he thought.
The treasurer handed Rehens a pouch of gold coins representing the interest payment and said, “Here you are. Safe travels.”
“I’ll be on my way, then,” Rehens replied, swallowing a bitter sense of humiliation. Despite being a debtor, the treasurer hadn’t even offered him a cup of tea.
Normally, when a bank manager visited a territory in person, the lord’s retainers would shower him with praise and flattery, often to the point of annoyance. And in the end, they would inevitably accrue even more debt.
“I’ll make sure to see if they’re still that arrogant the next time we meet,” Rehens vowed silently, his jaw clenched as he strode out.
Rehens stopped abruptly in the corridor. Penelope had appeared, walking toward him with an administrator in tow. She recognized him immediately.
“Oh, isn’t this the branch manager of the Imperial Bank?” she said.
“It’s been a while, Acting Baroness,” Rehens replied with a polite nod.
“What brings you here?” she asked. The administrator leaned in to whisper something into Penelope’s ear, prompting her to smile.
“Ah, you’re here to collect the interest. We should be able to pay off the entire debt ahead of schedule soon.”
“All 1 million gold...?” Rehens asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
“With interest, it’ll be a bit more than that. Oh, and next time, I’ll send a messenger, so there’s no need for you to come in person to collect it,” Penelope said nonchalantly.@@@@
She glanced at her pocket watch and continued, “I’d offer you some tea since it’s been a while, but I’m quite busy right now. Goodbye.”
With that, Penelope passed by and entered her office, showing no sign of a debtor struggling to repay her loans.
“You’re late.”
“The meeting ran longer than I expected. We decided to hire more staff for the castle.”
“Already? Isn’t the current manpower enough?”
“Not at all. Do you know how many immigrants are coming to the territory these days? Even if we start posting recruitment notices now, it’ll already be late.”
“Hmm, is that so?” Ahwin replied indifferently, his tone revealing little interest in the inner workings of the territory.
Penelope gulped down a glass of water before addressing Giselle. “I’ll inform the steward, but we’re planning to hire more servants as well. If you have anyone you’d recommend among the new hires, let me know.”
“Really?”
Giselle’s face brightened instantly, and Laura let out an excited gasp.
“Finally! We’re hiring new people! I’m so happy!”
“If we recommend someone, will they be hired?” Giselle asked eagerly.
“Yes. That’s probably the best way to ensure compatibility. You’ll be working with them, so it’s important that you’re comfortable.”
“Thank you so much for considering us! I’ll ask around among my friends. Working at the castle is the best opportunity.”
Giselle beamed as she refilled Penelope’s empty glass.
“Hiring people left and right...” Ahwin remarked, his tone tinged with disapproval. His expression, however, seemed oddly dissatisfied as he propped his chin on his palm and stared out the window.
Penelope couldn’t help but feel like she was facing a sulky dog wagging its tail in protest.
‘What’s this about?’
“Is there something wrong with the food?” she asked cautiously.
“No, it’s not that.”
“Then... what is it? Why the sudden displeasure...”
‘Could it be...?’ Penelope hesitated before venturing a guess.
“If you want a job here too, Ahwin, just say the word. I’d be happy to renew your contract anytime.”
“What? So you can keep working me to the bone for 150,000 gold?”
“Ah... I’ll increase your pay, of course. But not by too much... you understand, right?” Penelope said, watching him nervously. She glanced at his expression, but he didn’t seem particularly upset. In fact, his rigid demeanor had softened considerably.
‘Was that it? I wasn’t even sure, but it looks like I guessed right.’
Relieved, Penelope decided it must have bothered him that she was hiring others but hadn’t made him an offer. It seemed Ahwin considered Halo a decent place to work—or perhaps he just didn’t want the hassle of moving.
If he chose to renew his contract quietly, the territory would save a significant amount of money.
‘In that case, I’ll keep pretending I don’t know his true identity!’
Ahwin glanced at Penelope, his lips curling slightly into a faint smile. His gaze settled briefly on the pin in her hair before he spoke, as if offering her a favor.