Chapter : 10
“…Argo?”
It was early morning, a time when even the servants of the Grand Duke’s castle had barely begun to stir.
Teresia opened her eyes, feeling something strange—and the first thing she saw was Argo, her loyal underling and aide.
He had dared to enter the Grand Duke’s bedchamber and was now sitting by the pillow of his sleeping lord, checking whether she had reviewed the documents properly.
Teresia stared in disbelief at Argo, who sat at the foot of her bed in his neat attire, flipping through papers with a calm expression.
“When did you get here?”
Still half-asleep, Teresia blinked blankly at him and asked.
But Argo didn’t even lift his eyes from the papers as he spoke in that insolent tone of his.
“Who made this chart of last year’s grain imports from the Enument territory?”
“I did.”
To be exact, it was something based on a chart young Teresia had learned in her memories.
Argo narrowed his eyes and flipped the page again.
“It’s easy to view at a glance… but the purpose of this chart isn’t in line with what Your Highness intended.”
“There’s such a thing as a ‘purpose’ for a chart?”
A chart with intention?
She thought only human conversation had things like intention.
Argo glanced at Teresia—who had sat up in bed looking fascinated by this new revelation—and then turned back to flipping the next page with his usual indifference.
Whether he noticed the now wide-awake Teresia staring at him, he immediately pointed out the next issue.
“This one lacks foundational data. Who prepared it?”
“The new aide who came in while you were gone.”
“There are even typos. I assume Your Highness spotted and corrected them.”
Was that… a problem?
While Teresia tilted her head, Argo slowly stood and draped a cardigan over her thin slip.
Even as he gently smoothed her tangled hair behind her ear, Teresia’s mind was still stuck on charts.
Sitting back down in the chair he had placed by her bed, he spoke calmly as he watched her scrutinize the documents.
“Charts made by humans always carry an intent. Nothing grand—just a way of organizing how they want to see something, in picture form.”
Teresia, oblivious to the subtle look he gave her when he said “humans,” groaned in thought.
“For example?”
“The chart you made is good for getting a quick overview when the items involved are varied and complex.”
Looking at her own chart, she realized that was true.
“But last year’s grain imports from the Enument territory were not that varied. What matters is understanding the quantities and how they were proportionally divided.”
Teresia nodded.
That wasn’t something she could glean from memory-peeking.
The “intent” of charts—humans really did everything the complicated way.
How did Argo explain such things so well?
He didn’t even bother pointing out that she was flustered by not knowing the purpose of a chart she herself made.
He simply explained it in the clearest way possible.
“I’ll reorganize the data for the next section and bring it to you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“And… the last section has especially many incorrect characters and faulty sentences.”
“Is that bad?”
“No matter how new an aide may be, this level of sloppiness deserves a stern scolding.”
True, when she first received those documents, she had wondered if they expected her to play ‘spot the difference.’
She’d been busy, and since the aide might become her loyal servant one day, she didn’t feel like being too harsh, so she let it slide.
Argo, watching her from who-knows-where, now spoke with an expression sterner than any Grand Duke’s.
“I’m sure you said nothing. Your Highness is far too lenient at times.”
“Oh, come on. It’s not like they’re knights. What’s wrong with being soft?”
Knights—who fought with their lives—were one thing.
But that timid aide who looked like he’d faint at a raised voice? Really?
If she scolded him, what if he ran away saying he never wanted to work under her?
Teresia thought with a long yawn.
“You are the Grand Duke, Your Highness. That position demands a certain level of dignity and authority.”
“There he goes again…”
Being a Grand Duke was convenient in many ways, but listening to her aide’s constant nagging every day was a pain.
Seeing Teresia’s face fall into boredom, Argo gave a dry laugh and closed the document.
“Lastly—what will you do with the monster materials from the recent hunt?”
“Hm…”
Well, she had mostly picked up the expensive-looking or high-value parts.
Monsters with a lot of meat could be eaten if not poisonous… maybe she should distribute them to the territory’s tax-paying residents.
“The edible parts should be given to the people.”
“And the inedible parts?”
Teresia herself could eat anything, but humans couldn’t eat hard horns or mana cores, so those were troublesome.
Come to think of it, last time she brought back monster tendons, the territory folk had happily said they needed some—they must have uses.
Would the other parts be useful too? And how was she supposed to sort them all?
As Teresia groaned in thought, Argo watched her leisurely, then interlaced his fingers and made a calm suggestion.
“How about hiring someone to appraise the usefulness and value of monster materials?”
“There’s someone like that?”
“There’s an old monster hunter in the territory. Bring him in and assign him to future training as well.”
“Really? But if he’s old, won’t he die soon? Isn’t there a younger one?”
“Surviving long in the monster-ridden north means he has wisdom. Sometimes an old human survives better than a young one.”
Meaning… the mind of someone who’s lived long would be full of memories, like that woman she had devoured.
Teresia nodded eagerly. A great idea.
“There’s a merchant caravan coming from the capital soon. Once he sorts the materials, sell anything that counts as luxury goods or weapons.”
“Understood.”
Teresia beamed.
With Argo around, anything she was stuck on—or didn’t know—was solved cleanly and quickly.
If only he didn’t act like he was the Grand Duke and nag her from above her own head!
“By the way—when did you even get back?”
“Just now.”
Teresia narrowed her eyes at the smooth lie.
She had almost forgotten—because he started talking about documents the moment she woke up.
Without saying where he was going, he had disappeared claiming he had work to handle, and only after three days did he reappear.
And now he stood in her bedroom, reviewing the documents she had processed.
Feeling her pointed stare, Argo slowly stood.
But this time, Teresia moved first.
“Get out.”
“I was going to—”
“And you dare walk into your lord’s bedchamber without permission? I didn’t know you were so ambitious to take the Grand Duke’s seat.”
“Ambition? For the Grand Duke’s seat? Don’t tell me you think I plan to assassinate you and seize the position… Ah. You already do. Perhaps you could consider a different interpretation?”
Argo didn’t bother hiding his sour expression, but Teresia’s eyes were already flaring.
She shoved at Argo’s back—much taller than hers—with indignation.
He let himself be pushed toward the door, but still muttered in protest.
“You said it was fine to be lenient sometimes…”
“You’re the one who said a Grand Duke must show dignity and authority!”
Grand Duke position—must be protected at all costs. So?
Never let a loyal underling like Argo get funny ideas—hide her true identity completely.
Reaffirming her goal, Teresia shut her lips and lifted her chin with great pride.
Reading that stubborn expression, Argo gave up and exited the room.
His Grand Duke learned disturbingly fast only in moments like this.
Oh, but he did toss in one last remark.
“Your Highness, it’s far too cold to wear such a thin slip. Especially when you have no consort—it’s a bit too bold…”
“Get OUT!”
Oops—now the pillow was flying at him.
Argo left the chamber with a mischievous smile, then vanished as smoothly as he had appeared.
End Of Chapter : 10
