Chapter 26
It wasn’t just Eluana. Everyone in Aden had been buying goods at that inflated price. She clenched her teeth, recalling the smug face of the merchant who came every season.
‘Just wait until I see you again.’
Come to think of it, Ron always used to ride a cart to the next village to buy goods. He must have known the prices the merchant quoted were far from market rate. He probably didn’t protest because that merchant was the only one who came to Aden.
‘But still, five times the price?’
Though she’d just learned a shocking truth, the lively atmosphere of the market before her was a welcome sight. If Aden was quiet and peaceful, then Spes was noisy and full of life. Everyone was vibrantly alive.
“Spes looks like a good place to live.”
“We pride ourselves on being the most livable region in the Empire. The land is fertile, so the quality and quantity of our crops are excellent. As long as you work, life isn’t hard.”
When Eluana blinked, Dave continued speaking.
“In some other territories, it’s hard to make a living even with hard work. There are even places where the tax on wheat is 80%.”
Aden’s tax rate had been 50%. Of that, 30% went to the Imperial Family, and 20% was taken by the local lord for governance. If the tax was 80%, it meant the lord was taking 50%. That was robbery, plain and simple.
Eluana frowned and asked, “If they pay 80% in taxes, what do the people live on?”
“They grow non-taxed crops like potatoes or corn on the side, or they forage in the mountains. Even then, some people still starve to death.”
“What’s the tax rate in the Spes territory?”
“It’s 40%. Compared to the Pegimul Marquisate’s 70%, it’s considered extremely low.”
Spes was the largest territory in the Empire. And yet it had a lower tax rate than Aden. That was surprising. It didn’t make sense that the territory could be managed with only 10% (after the 30% imperial tax).
“Does the Spes family have other sources of income?”
“The Ritchie Trading Company, which distributes food across the Empire and continent, is owned by the Spes family. They also profit greatly from their lavender farms, tea, and essential oil businesses. In addition, they operate twelve mines—including a diamond mine—and twenty-three businesses.”
Eluana’s eyes widened at the scale Dave described. She had known the Spes family was wealthy, but not to this extent.
“They run the territory with that income?”
“Unless it’s a special case, they don’t use family funds. The harvest is so plentiful that they can manage the territory on the 20% tax alone.”
Eluana had thought the imperial tax rate for territories was fixed at 30%, so she asked, puzzled, “Twenty percent?”
“The Duke’s grandfather once met with the Emperor privately and said the taxes were too high, so they might have to become independent. The Emperor then lowered the tax by 10%, and that tradition continues today.”
Apparently, the former Duke had a personality similar to the current one. If that meant the people could live more comfortably, it was a good thing. There was pride in Dave’s expression.
“I see.”
If she became the Duke, she would have to own and take responsibility for all of this.
‘What if I ruin it all?’
Eluana’s head slowly turned. Seeing the people bustling about suddenly made her nervous.
‘What if I act foolishly and ruin these people’s lives…?’
With worries in her heart, the carriage carrying Eluana traveled toward the outskirts of Spes territory. Amid vast golden wheat fields were quaint homes. This was the empire’s breadbasket. Eluana admired the scenery, different from the lavender fields, until something unusual caught her eye.
A pack of five or six dogs was running across the fields.
“Isn’t it dangerous for wild dogs to be moving in packs like that?”
“It could be, if their numbers grow. They look like abandoned purebred dogs.”
“Purebreds?”
Aren’t all dogs the same? Back in Aden, the dogs playing with Louie all looked similar. But upon closer inspection, these dogs had different appearances. Some had long legs, others had long or curly fur, and some had short tails.
Dave explained, “Some nobles keep dogs as a hobby. Some treat them like family, while others raise them out of fleeting interest. Some do it just to show off.”
“Why would a noble’s dog be out here?”
“When they lose interest or the trend passes, some abandon their dogs. Those dogs then form packs to hunt in the fields or forests to survive.”
When life gets hard, even parents abandon their children. But these dogs’ owners were nobles—they weren’t forced to do this; they simply got bored.
Dogs are fiercely loyal, full of affection for their family. These dogs had essentially been abandoned by their families.
The dogs disappeared into a hut-like building. Counting those lingering around it, there were at least twenty dogs.
Eluana looked at the untouched snack pouch in her hand. One of the kitchen staff had packed it before she left the ducal estate. As she fiddled with it, Dave offered, “Would you like to take a closer look?”
“…Won’t they bite?”
“They’re used to human contact. And if anything happens, you have this old man here.”
He smiled kindly.
When Eluana nodded, the carriage came to a stop.
She stepped out and walked down a path cutting through the waist-high wheat. Dave and Alex followed a step behind.
Up close, the hut was in terrible shape. It hadn’t seen humans in a long time and had become a shelter for the dogs. The dogs clearly felt tense about the unfamiliar presence—but beneath the tension, there was a flicker of hope.
Eluana crouched in front of the hut and held out some cookies.
“Here, eat this. It won’t fill you up, but…”
The scent of cheese and butter made the dogs whimper, but none approached. They didn’t easily let down their guard.
Then a small puppy wagged its rear and rose. Its tail swished as it eagerly trotted over and picked up a cookie.
The puppy looked as if it was afraid to eat it—its eyes darted nervously, unsure if it was really allowed to eat something so precious.
“It’s okay. Eat it. I gave it to you.”
Only then did the puppy start munching on the cookie. Watching it, other dogs began to cautiously approach one by one, each taking a cookie and returning to their spots. The snack pouch quickly emptied.
The puppy lay down at Eluana’s feet. When she gently petted its back, it rolled over, showing its belly.
Eluana took the opportunity to rub its soft belly fur.
“You’re so pretty.”
The puppy wagged its tail vigorously, still lying down.
In Aden, wild dogs occasionally wandered into the village. If they lingered and were fed, someone would eventually adopt them as family.
When Eluana once asked why that custom existed, Ron had replied:
“If people ignore them, the dogs will have no choice but to raid livestock or destroy crops to survive. Then people will beat them, and the dogs will attack in return. El, do you expect a dog to starve quietly without doing anything?”
What had she said back then?
What would happen to this puppy if she left it here? What if it got injured wandering the forest looking for food?
Sensing her concern, Dave said, “If you’d like, you can take it with you.”
Truthfully, she wanted to. But among the dogs was a white one that looked just like the puppy, never taking its eyes off the little one, still wary.
“Even if it’s hungry, it’s probably better off with its mom.”
“You can take them all.”
All of them? The idea was tempting. But could she, a mere guest in the ducal estate, really do that? Dave seemed to sense her hesitation.
“If you want to, there’s nothing stopping you.”
Eluana gently stroked the puppy’s belly. Now that she thought about it, even someone who wasn’t the heir to the Spes duchy could take care of twenty dogs. Eluana Vita could handle that much.
“I want to take them all. Is there space at the estate for them?”
“Of course. The estate’s rear garden is very spacious. I’ll send someone.”
“Thank you.”
Eluana smiled warmly.
The carriage began to roll again. Before long, another village came into view. Eluana’s eyes caught a clocktower outside the window.
“Looks like they’re repairing the clocktower.”
Several people were hanging off the top, balancing precariously on ladders.
“This is the period for maintaining all clocktowers in Spes,” Dave said simply, smiling faintly.
As they left the village, the paved road ended and a dirt path began. The closer they got to the territory’s edge, the smaller the villages became.
“This is the village at the eastern border.”
As the carriage passed through the modest village, shabby-looking children began to appear. When they saw the luxurious carriage, they flinched and stepped aside.
One child’s sharp, weathered eyes met Eluana’s.
“Those children…”
“They’re not from here. They’re probably from the Craw County.”
“What?”
Eluana was puzzled. How could he tell where they lived without name tags or anything?
“Spes has an orphanage. The facilities aren’t the best, but no child goes hungry. Those kids cross the border to beg, then return.”
Eluana recalled the map she’d seen in the lavender room’s library. There was a mountain between Spes and Craw.
She glanced around and saw a mountain beyond the village.
“That doesn’t look like an easy climb. Is the path good?”
“It takes four to five hours to cross. It’s rough, but it’s easier to find food here.”
That meant those children woke at dawn, crossed the mountain to scavenge for food, then crossed back again by nightfall.
