Episode 11
“Kasia, the head of the merchant guild, is a very proud person. She does pursue profit, but she’s the type to let go of small gains for bigger investments. She boldly invests in things she considers important, so I think she’s trustworthy. The worst-case scenario would be her betraying Your Majesty and disappearing with the money, but even then, I’d just think of it as her using it for her social work.”
“Beatrice, aren’t you being a bit too casual since it’s not your money?”
I teased her playfully, and she laughed.
I became curious about the social work Beatrice mentioned Kasia was doing.
“After coming here, I realized there’s absolutely no protection system for the extremely poor. I’m not sure how this will sound, but whether it’s the royal family or the nobles, everyone seems too busy lining their own pockets to care that people are dying of hunger. It doesn’t look like anyone is even thinking of relief measures. But the Jaiphron Merchant Guild is doing that work. I’m not sure if it’s the guild or just Kasia herself.”
“Really?”
“Yes. When there are vegetables or grains that need to be consumed quickly, Kasia buys them and distributes them to those people. I think she even built shelters for them. It’s nothing grand, but for those with nowhere else to go, it’s better than anything.”
After hearing that, I didn’t have to think much longer.
“Alright. Then I’ll leave it to Kasia.”
“You’re just going to go with my word?”
Beatrice looked proud as she said that.
“But why are you suddenly looking for this money, Your Majesty?”
“I was going to use it for a fresh start, but it’s missing. So I have to find it.”
“Ahh.”
Beatrice smiled to herself.
“What’s funny?”
“I just like that you’re telling me things like this openly now. It means you’re planning to take me with you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have said anything.”
“Yeah, you can think of it that way.”
Her clinginess was starting to feel a bit burdensome, but at this point, I didn’t think I could shake Beatrice off anymore.
While we were talking, Kasia entered with a handsome middle-aged man, and I realized she didn’t get her looks from her mother as I had vaguely assumed—but rather took after her father.
“Your Majesty the Queen, it’s an honor to meet you here.”
I had never seen the Count of Jaiphron in person, but I recognized him from Hestia’s memories.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Jaiphron. I’m sorry for dropping by unannounced.”
“No need for such words. I’m very grateful you entrusted my son with such an important deal. I’ve always wanted to come greet you personally, but the opportunity never came.”
As he spoke, he gave Beatrice a mildly reproachful glance.
He must’ve been blocked by Beatrice too.
“Her Majesty the Queen needs rest.”
Beatrice spoke firmly, leaving no room for negotiation, and Kasia and the Count of Jaiphron exchanged a smile.
“I’ve heard some things from Kasia, but I believe I should speak with Your Majesty directly. I apologize if it’s inconvenient.”
“Not at all. Considering the size of the deal, I expected to speak directly with you.”
The conversation went smoothly.
Thanks to Beatrice’s earlier words about Kasia, it was easier to talk.
“And I heard Kasia is doing a lot of good work. As the mother of this kingdom, I feel ashamed for having neglected such things. I’d like a portion of the money I entrust you with to go toward those efforts. If there’s anything in urgent need of funding, please let me know.”
When I said that, Kasia’s eyes widened.
Then, without refusing out of modesty, she came right back with a counteroffer.
“Your Majesty, in that case, would you allow me to use the money interest-free? And if you could let me know a few days in advance when I need to repay it—say, three days—that would help greatly.”
It was as if he’d thought this through in advance.
“Beatrice, did you two already talk about this beforehand?”
“No, Your Majesty. I think he just holds Your Majesty in high regard. He probably believed you’d be generous enough to agree.”
Beatrice seemed more cheerful than usual, and Kasia had clearly decided to accept my help. He even began explaining in detail how much money was needed.
“Kasia, that’s enough. I think I’ve heard plenty. I asked too many questions.”
“Thank you very much, Your Majesty. Actually, we’ve been struggling a bit financially lately.”
“I thought your merchant guild was doing well?”
Surprised, I asked—and he explained it wasn’t due to business troubles, but rather the rising number of people in need.
“When nobles fight for power, it’s always the commoners who suffer.”
I had no choice but to admit I’d never really paid attention to issues like that.
“So, Your Majesty, may I assume you’ll agree to what I asked?”
“Yes, go ahead. That arrangement works better for me too.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. Truly, thank you.”
Kasia couldn’t hide his delight.
After finalizing the deal and exchanging promissory notes, we returned to the palace.
“Your Majesty, you’ve become quite a wealthy woman now.”
Beatrice looked at me with envy, and I nodded.
“Now I need to talk to His Majesty the King.”
“About what? I thought you weren’t going to say anything—are you really going to?”
Beatrice asked, looking surprised.
“I’m not going to tell him I got money. I’m going to say that what he’s been giving me so far has been too little and ask him to raise it to 200,000 pair.”
“…What? 100,000 pair isn’t enough?”
Beatrice looked shocked.
She seemed startled that I was suddenly talking greedily after just promising to support Kasia’s charity.
“I don’t like that the king thinks too highly of me. I want him to see me as selfish and greedy. Maybe then he’ll stop having weird illusions about me and finally grant me a divorce.”
“Ahh…”
Beatrice looked like she understood.
“Do you think it’ll work?”
“Try it, Your Majesty. But don’t start by asking for 200,000 pair. Ask for 300,000 and settle for 200,000—it’ll sound more reasonable.”
“Right. I want him to see me as a thoroughly greedy person.”
“That might actually work, Your Majesty.”
Beatrice looked hopeful, and I decided to bet on that hope too.
And so, the day of the showdown arrived.
I went to the king’s office early in the morning with Beatrice and requested an audience.
Normally, I wouldn’t have been able to meet him without a formal request, but now, I could visit whenever I wanted, and his secretary would let me in.
Those were privileges Hestia hadn’t previously enjoyed.
When I entered, the king greeted me with a bright smile, clearly waiting for me.
For a moment, I even wondered if I was being too harsh on him.
If I hadn’t already known what he did behind the scenes, thanks to the novel, I might have even felt sorry for him.
“Welcome, Hestia. You’re looking much better today.”
He now called me “Hestia” instead of “Queen,” and his tone had grown more familiar.
“So, what brings you here today?”
He gestured for me to sit and asked.
“I want to talk about the money you’ve been giving me, Your Majesty.”
I got straight to the point.
From here on, I focused on making myself seem as greedy as possible.
“What do you mean, Hestia? Haven’t you been receiving 100,000 pair each month? I thought that would be more than enough to live comfortably?”
He seemed genuinely surprised that my first words were about money.
“To think you’d say that’s enough, Your Majesty… I find it rather cold.”
I decided today was the day to end things once and for all.
“Hestia…”
He couldn’t hide his discomfort, and I tightened the reins.
“What kind of queen lives as frugally as I do? I can’t even buy the jewelry I want.”
“I thought 100,000 pair would be enough.”
“Is that supposed to cover custom dresses, jewelry, gifts for my close noble friends, tips for servants, and so on? If so, then why does Your Majesty receive 1 million pair per month? Shouldn’t that be unnecessary too?”
That was sacred ground—but I dared to poke it.
His expression changed immediately.
“Hestia. That is an extremely rude and disloyal remark. You don’t even know where that money goes. It’s not for my personal use. To compare it like that is quite careless.”
“I apologize, Your Majesty. I understand now that you have no intention of giving me any more, so I’ll take my leave.”
“Hestia. That’s not what I meant…”
He was clearly struggling with how to respond.
