Chapter 7

Yustaf scattered the letters with his fingertips. It’s like he could read the truth.

His stepmother was a great beauty.

It was the first time he had seen such golden hair and bright green eyes. And then there was the new sister, standing there and holding the hem of her dress.

She was more comfortable there.

Her soft, shiny, wheat-coloured hair and northern summer green eyes.

With some expectations, the disappointment was greater. And then he was falling into despair beyond disappointment.

‘That day.’

The day he climbed up the tree and the fell on top of Ran.

That day was the turning point.

Ran, who lost consciousness, took her last breath, and when she came back to life, she had become a different person.

—Yustaf, I want to be a real family with you.

A small whisper of a voice and friendly smile.

Yustaf closed his eyes, opened them, and then reached out to the next letter.

The second was Ross’ letter. Ross was meticulously reporting Ran’s actions and whereabouts.

‘A cave.’

What’s in there?

This was not mentioned in Ran’s letter.

‘And how do you know of the cave? There is a way to pay off the debt in there?’

Questions arose suddenly.

Without hesitation, Yustaf reached out to the ink bottle. He wrote down his questions and sealed the envelope.

The recipient was, of course, Ran.

* * *

The execution of accountant Rudd took place quickly.

His guilty crimes he was charged with were placed throughout the duchy. Although she is a temporary head, some of the people were delighted that the first punishment from the head was the death penalty and it was the first step in cutting off corruption, while some of them paled.

There was desperate cry that the death penalty was too much, and that the new head was cruel.

Ran ignored it all.

Unfortunately, there were not many properties that was confiscated.

‘No, what the hell did he spend the money on?’

Ran groaned that the list of properties was less than she thought. She know the money was for gambling, but she didn’t know it was used for gambling that much.

A majority of the accountants employees were disciplined and fired.

The administrative work increased heavily, but the administrators couldn’t speak. Because everyone knows the most overworked person right now was the head.

Her study is the last to switch off the lights and the first to turn them on.

So when Blaine returned, he was surprised to see the pale face of the head and the dark under her eyes.

“Are you feeling well?”

That was what he asked unconsciously.

Ran smiled and nodded.

“I’m not dead yet, so I’m alright. So, I heard you got some good results?

“Yes, I found the cave. And I found what you requested…”

He carefully held out the basket. Ran quickly opened the cover of the basket.

There was a mana stone the size of an arm. Seeing Ran’s face brighten up, Blaine added.

“But it’s not a gem. And you said it isn’t a crystal.”

“Yes, it’s not a gem. This is a mana stone.”

“This is a mana stone? This big?”

Ran nodded when she saw that Blaine was surprised.

“This transparency, this hardness. This is what a high purity mana stone looks like.”

Blaine’s eyes widened. He had seen magical items and mana stones several times before.

But all of the mana stones he has seen before looked like ordinary stones.

Ran tapped the mana stone lightly with her hand.

“It’s not difficult to create magical items, and the price is not that expensive. The mana in the current mana stones are so low, there is a limit to what they can do.”

Now it’s not wizards, but magic craftsman who creates magic circles that go into the magical items.

She doesn’t need a high-level wizard, because that will be a big sum of money.

You don’t need to be a wizard to draw a magic circle. The magic craftsman are low-wage workers.

“But if these mana stones are supplied, it will be completely different.”

There are endless things that can be done with these mana stones.

Blaine nodded at Ran’s murmur.

“That’s right.”

“Yes. I had no idea that you would find it this fast. It’s all thanks to Blaine.”

“No, it was my pleasure.”

Blaine answered politely with his eyes lowered down.

“All right, then.”

Ran smiled and rubbed a piece of the mana stone with her fingertips.

“I have to find a business partner.”

Ran’s mind was spinning round and round. Even though she is the original author, there is a lot of background stuff that was not explored in the main story.

Top.

There are three major organisations in the continent.

‘If I make a deal with one of them.’

As expected, Golden Rose.

Ran took a deep breath and raised her head.

“Sir Blaine, can I ask you one more question?”

“You don’t have to ask. You can order it.’

Hearing his respectful words, Ran naturally felt relaxed. Ran picked up a pen and drew lightly on a piece of paper.

“Have you ever seen a tree with leaves like this?”

Blaine nodded looking at her drawing. It was the same with Ross.

“I know. It’s a pretty common tree in the north.”

“I knew it.”

Ran looked out the window for a moment.

“Hm, no. It’s not the right season, so let’s put this off.”

Having said that, Ran folded the paper.

“Good work. Go and get some rest.”

Blaine saluted and left the study. Ran sat down.

Ross looked at the mana stone on the table and asked.

“How did you know?”

“Hm?”

“That is what it is.”

“I wasn’t sure either.”

Ross looked at Ran with curious eyes. Ran said, hoping that the interwoven story fits together.

“I thought there might be some reason that the wizards couldn’t come here.”

“Is that the only thing? And doesn’t the wizards and the mana stones matter?”

Ross asked because he was dumbfounded. Ran nodded and added.

“And when I went to the door before, do you remember that I disappeared?”

Ran,

So when she was young, the real Ran, not herself, went to the door and got lost.

It was the first time her mother had punished Yustaf, saying that he had deliberately lost her daughter.

“I know.”

Ross’ face hardened.

That day, the stepmother held a rod, and young Yustaf’s back was covered in blood. Even now, there is still a scar on his back from that beating.

“I found it then. So when I remembered and combined those childhood memories with the information about the wizards, that’s what I thought.”

Ran smiled awkwardly and shrugged her shoulders.

“I was just lucky.”

Ross did not answer.

She was lucky.

She said that, but it is not easy to consolidate fragmented memories and information into one and draw a conclusion.

That is not a logical conclusion either.

But Ran drew that conclusion, and that was the answer.

‘Transparent mana stones.’

Even thought he wasn’t familiar with commerce, he knew that the value of this was be enormous.

The duchy will get out of debt.

“Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?”

“If I was wrong, it would have been embarrassing.”

“……”

The look on Ross’ face made Ran smile and she said.

“Now that I know for sure, I’ll send a letter to Yus. And— one to Golden Rose.”

“Golden Rose?”

“Yes, one of the three major businesses in the continent. Wouldn’t it be that long before we can trade this?”

Having a high-value product is just like winning the lottery. There is a lot of work to be done without getting stabbed in the back.

In addition, in order to trade the red and blue mana stones, a business group with connections to the west is required.

And now that things that were impossible due to the lack of mana power in the mana stones, will be possible.

The possibilities for the future are endless.

‘And the only place where these high-purity mana stones come from is the ice wall.’

In other words, this is the equivalent to having money from the oil industry.

Ran grinned.

With this, Yustaf’s hardships will be over. Also, the dimension travelling female lead won’t be left neglected and begging because of a poor duke.

The heroine.

Ran suddenly recalled her name. The woman’s name is Isina.

Sina.

She is a lovely woman.

“But I’ve been working hard.’

She felt sorry when she thought about it.

‘This time, I’ll make you happy.’

And Yustaf and Sina will live happily ever after.

‘Of course, there are problems that can’t be solved with money, but now there won’t be any problems with the finances.’

That alone seems to solve half the problem.

‘Once I’m done, I’ll have to find the sub-male lead…..’

By now, he would have be enslaved. But, it’s still sad. He has to be found by the end of next year.

Next year, he gets sent to an illegal arena, there he’ll experience a real hell.

‘But I’ve saved the male lead…..for now.’

Ran bit her lip.

Two years.

If she can hold out for the next two years, Yustaf will become head.

‘And in half a year, Yustaf will graduate anyway.’

Then the position as temporary head of the household will just be for show.

‘I hope that happens soon.’

Ran thought so and read over the letter again.

There was no mistake in the writing.

‘Oh, that’s right.’

Ran added a postscript to her letter to Yustaf.

—Bring back some talent!

Yustaf tilted his head when he read the last additional sentence of the letter.

‘Talent.’

The Imperial Academy is certainly a place to connect.

Most of the academy’s students are aristocrats, but since a hundred years ago, the emperor allowed the commoners to enter in order to raise the opposition of aristocratic forces.

If you pass the exam, those without a title will be exempted from the huge admission fee.

Moreover, majority of the graduates become junior officials in the imperial palace and in low-level administration.

Yustaf tapped his desk lightly.

‘There are a few people who stand out.’

He is tired of socialising at the academy.

But this is another matter.

‘That means I have to do it in earnest.’

He carefully observed the students in the academy, but he had never directly recruited anyone.

Because doing such a thing whilst his father, who was the head of the family, was alive, would give strength to his stepmother.

—Look, you’re alive, and your son is already preparing to become the duke.

It was obvious she would say such a thing.

But after Ran became the head.

‘It’s a direct order from the head, so it should be okay.’

Yustaf thought so and folded the letter.

Seeing more details about the duke’s debt, he chocked. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t pay off the debt with the profits of the duchy.

‘However.’

Mana stones…..

Yustaf fondled with the blue flame. The cold and cool surface does not warm up no matter how much he touches it.

Yustaf liked it.

‘You really made the right choice.’

Whispering to the blue flame, he was lost in thought.

***

Ran gasped.

The guillotine was shining in front of her.

“Kill, kill, kill!”

People gathered in the square were shouting.

No, no, not that, no.

She wanted to speak, but no words came out. She couldn’t even move.

Her tongue seemed to be stuck to the roof of her mouth.

Yustaf looked down at her with cold blue eyes.

“Now I am the owner of the blue flame, I, under the name of Yustaf Raban de Lazia, execute the death penalty.”

No.

I’m not Ran.

I, I am—

Those who were holding her arms dragged her and put or neck on the hole. Instead of looking down, she looking back at the blade of the guillotine.

“Execute.”

The blue blade falls fast—

“—!!!”

Ran suddenly woke up from her dream.