TPHW 10

Chapter 10

But our Andy, who is even more hot-tempered than me, tried to step forward with a face like a demon, and I barely managed to stop her again.

Her shoulders were shaking under my hand.

“Just stay still, Andy!”

I lowered my voice. People around us started looking at us.

“Ah, why!”

Andy shouted in a whisper, her breathing rough.

“Just hold it in. This isn’t our kingdom. If we make a scene, it’ll be troublesome. I’ll handle it, so just stay still, Andy.”

I barely held back the feeling that I wanted to tie Andy to a pillar somewhere, and quickly pressed the earring.

A small click sound was heard, and the ruby faintly glowed.

Then I asked the owner again, while smiling as brightly and innocently as possible.

“Okay, I understand. How much is it for one night in a room with two beds?”

“That room is 200,000 marks. 100,000 marks each.”

The owner held up two fingers and waved them.

“…200,000 marks?”

On our way to the Riston Empire, the inns we stayed at usually charged about 80,000 marks for both of us together.

I knew prices in the Riston Empire were slightly higher than the Snow Kingdom, but wasn’t this ridiculous?

And this wasn’t even a luxury inn, just a normal one.

There were even spider webs in the corners of the ceiling, and parts of the wallpaper were peeling off. The wooden floor creaked every time you stepped on it.

“That’s too expensive.”

I came here with only 350 million marks to make money!

I couldn’t spend 200,000 marks just on lodging.

“Too expensive? Look around this area. People like you are all charged 100,000 marks each.”

The owner crossed his arms more tightly and acted proud.

“…People like me?”

I looked straight into his eyes, which flinched slightly at my question, and spoke slowly.

I could see his pupils shaking slightly, unable to answer right away.

“Don’t tell me… you’ve made a cartel with other inn owners around here to charge foreigners 100,000 marks?”

“You sharp little brat. So what? What are you going to do? Stop complaining and decide. You’ll pay 100,000 marks anywhere you go anyway.”

The owner sneered with his arms crossed. A vile smile spread on his lips, and his small eyes sparkled with greed.

“But are you really charging foreigners more money? Are you paying taxes properly? Just asking.”

I tilted my head and asked innocently, like a child who was really curious.

If they reported charging foreigners extra and paid taxes on it, the Empire would not stay silent.

So that means they are hiding it and falsely reporting it. The Empire probably doesn’t know about this.

“What is this now? Why does it matter to you how much tax I pay?”

The owner’s face turned red and blue. His neck turned red and veins bulged.

He slammed the desk hard, and the ink bottle on the counter shook.

“Ah, why are you getting so worked up? People from the Snow Kingdom are known for being picky and asking too many questions.”

I widened my eyes and stared at him blankly with the most innocent expression.

The owner, looking speechless, suddenly stood up. The chair fell backward with a crash and hit the floor.

“Stop it! If you’re not staying, get out right now!”

He shouted while pointing at the door. Spit flew from his mouth.

“No. I will stay here. It looked like the best place nearby.”

I quickly backed down and smiled softly.

“…You should’ve said so earlier.”

The owner, now less wary, grumbled in disbelief and took 200,000 marks from me and handed over the key.

The heavy iron key felt cold in my palm, and its weight was strong.

“Oh, and can I get a receipt?”

“A receipt? Why?”

The owner looked at me suspiciously.

“Just because. I have a hobby of collecting receipts. Compulsively.”

I smiled while holding up a stack of receipts I had been collecting just in case.

The papers rustled, and the faint smell of ink spread.

“You’re crazy, aren’t you?”

The owner’s gaze changed to one that looked at a “crazy woman.”

“Yes, I’m from the Snow Kingdom~”

I answered with a bright smile.

Muttering something like “what kind of people are these,” he stamped the receipt.

The heavy stamping sound felt strangely satisfying. Red ink spread clearly on the paper.

I laughed inwardly.

What an idiot who doesn’t even know he just bought his own ticket to hell.

After getting the receipt, we headed to the third floor.

As we climbed the creaking stairs, I held the wooden railing, feeling like splinters would get stuck in my hand.

‘It’s really old and dirty. And still 200,000 marks? Did you leave your conscience at home?’

As soon as we entered the room, Andy’s complaints started, just as expected.

“Princess!”

“Ah, I told you to call me Blanche. Are you really not going to follow my orders?”

I rubbed my ear and frowned while replying.

I was trying to block her nagging in advance, but of course, it didn’t work on Andy.

“That’s not the point!”

Andy raised her eyebrows. Her face was twisted with anger and worry.

“You almost got into serious trouble. You were quiet while passing through the Snow Kingdom, so why did you provoke the innkeeper the moment you arrived in the Riston Empire and deliberately make things worse?”

I slowly blinked while looking at Andy’s furious eyes.

Her fists were shaking.

“Harsher words?”

“Yes! That bastard dared to speak rudely, of course I got angry!”

Harsher words?

That was actually pretty mild.

In my past life, when I worked under a devil-like manager, I heard much worse insults than that.

But Andy didn’t think so.

Still fuming, she turned her head, stared at the door, and muttered while touching her sword handle.

Her fingers slid along the sheath.

“…Should I cut off his tongue?”

What did I just hear?

I wondered if my ears were broken, but seeing her burning eyes, she was seriously about to run out right now.

Her gaze was filled with killing intent.

I quickly grabbed Andy. Holding her arm tightly, I could feel her solid muscles.

“I’m not the type to strike first, Andy.”

“Strike first?”

Andy tilted her head, confused.

“Yeah. Sometimes you need to strike first, but most of the time it just backfires.”

Andy still looked unconvinced, but she let go of her sword handle and looked back at me.

At least the innkeeper’s arm seemed to be safe.

‘Be grateful to me, old man.’

I made Andy sit at the table.

“What are you talking about?”

Andy crossed her arms and looked at me.

“Listen carefully.”

Since Andy would be my closest partner from now on, I needed to teach her.

I explained seriously, counting on my fingers.

“Striking first only works when you can afford the consequences, or when your status is very high.”

“Why?”

Andy tilted her head, not understanding.

“Because you might end up being the wrongdoer.”

But Andy still frowned as if she couldn’t accept it.

“…Even so, your status is higher than that bug-like man, Princess.”

Bug-like man…

Every time such harsh words came out of that cute face, it felt so out of place.

I sighed heavily and shook my head.

“Andy, let’s be honest. Am I really a princess?”

“You are a princess, of course.”

Andy replied immediately, eyes wide, as if it was obvious.

“…If I were a ‘real’ princess, do you think I would be living like this and suffering here?”

Andy closed her mouth. Her expression disappeared.

She understood my situation very well.

It was already impressive that she hadn’t gone on a rampage about how badly the princess was being treated.

“Anyway, we shouldn’t act recklessly. Your sword should only be drawn when you are attacked first.”

“Haa…”

Andy ran a hand through her hair in annoyance, but I ignored it.

Her blonde hair slipped through her fingers, revealing her forehead. I looked at her and spoke seriously.

“I can’t use a sword like you. And I don’t have other special abilities either. So I will use my head.”

“Your head?”

“Yes. I will control and move people using ‘law’ and ‘schemes.’”

Andy’s eyes widened. Her mouth slightly opened in surprise.

“Law and schemes?”

“Yes. Even though laws don’t always work properly and make people frustrated, most people are still controlled by them. I will use that.”

While speaking, I pressed my ruby earring.

A small click sounded.

Then the conversation I had with the innkeeper earlier played clearly, as if I had gone back to that moment.

—Don’t tell me… you’ve made a cartel with other inn owners?

—You sharp little brat. So what…?

Illegal cartel, tax evasion, and more. All evidence was recorded cleanly.

I smiled at Andy, who was staring at me blankly. Her eyes shook in shock.

“See? I told you. This earring is the most valuable treasure.”

In this world, people probably didn’t understand how important recording functions were.

So they couldn’t see the value of artifacts like this, which is why they weren’t mass-produced.

I smiled like a villain from a movie, my lips stretching wide.

“Law moves when there is ‘recorded evidence.’ I have that weapon. Law will take revenge for me.”

“What revenge? A fine?”

Andy still looked confused.

“What matters most to merchants is trust. He won’t be able to do business the same way anymore. That’s more painful than anything. That’s what you meant by cutting off his arm.”

Andy, who had been listening carefully, flinched when she heard my eerie laugh at the end.

Her shoulders trembled slightly.

She looked at me like she was looking at Phetra… fear mixed in her eyes.

‘Hey.’

Don’t compare me to Phetra, Andy.

I’m going to become something much more calculated and far more evil than that.