Chapter 9
After thoroughly reviewing the ledger, Tericia handed it back to him.
“Do you do the final review yourself?”
“The Duke gives the final approval, but I conduct the inspection beforehand.”
“But isn’t that the accountant’s job?”
“He’s in agreement. Since the scale is quite large, the head maid and I carry out the final review together, and then the accountant reports it to the Duke.”
“I see…”
The ledger was accurate.
In her previous life, after Harris left, the household fell into disarray.
Calling the bookkeeping a disaster would be an understatement. The financial records of the ducal household were in complete shambles, and because of that, the estate’s finances became even more of a mess. If you let your guard down for even a moment, there were always people waiting to siphon off the wealth.
After experiencing a few incidents of embezzlement, Tericia began to examine the books herself and taught herself accounting.
The reason she could now review the ledgers naturally and grasp the situation was because of the hard-earned experience she had accumulated through sweat and tears.
“It won’t be easy, but could you keep track of Mother’s expenses for the time being?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Would it be alright if I occasionally checked the books myself?”
“Please feel free to do so at any time.”
She had expected him to refuse, but surprisingly, Harris readily agreed.
Tericia knew his actions were a gesture of goodwill toward her. He wouldn’t show her the truly critical sections, of course, but even this much was a great help to her.
“Thank you for accommodating such a difficult request.”
“It’s nothing. If there’s anything else you need, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
Instead of replying with more words, Tericia simply expressed her gratitude. Harris gave a polite bow and left the room.
“My lady, I’ve mostly finished tidying up. What should we do with these dresses?”
“Sell them.”
“Pardon?”
Mandy seemed unsure if she had heard correctly and asked again.
“Did you say… sell them?”
Jewelry could be used as currency. Even if a piece was out of fashion, as long as its value remained intact, it would always come in handy someday.
But dresses were another matter. Once out of fashion, no one would wear them. It was better to either throw them away or sell them off.
“You’re saying we should sell the dresses?”
“Yes.”
Mandy looked as though the sky had fallen.
“Heavens, my lady. Are you serious about selling your dresses?”
“Why not? It’s not like I’m going to wear them.”
“Well, yes, but still…”
“There’s no use keeping them. If I’m going to get rid of them anyway, wouldn’t it be better to turn them into cash?”
“My lady…”
Mandy looked at Tericia, visibly torn. While nothing she said was wrong, accepting it felt like overturning everything Mandy had taken for granted. It wasn’t something she could easily agree with.
“Besides, you never know, Mandy. In a little while, shops that sell used but barely-worn items like these might become all the rage.”
In fact, by the time Tericia turned nineteen, such shops had started appearing and became quite popular.
However, high-ranking nobles, especially those from count houses and above, considered it disgraceful to sell the dresses they had worn. They believed it lowered their family’s dignity. Many preferred to throw them out rather than sell them.
But Tericia spoke of selling them as if it were the most natural thing in the world, leaving Mandy unsure of how to respond.
Tericia looked at her and chuckled softly.
“Well, if I go out to sell them myself, it’ll cause a stir.”
Mandy looked like she was on the verge of tears.
“Don’t make that face, Mandy. You’re making me want to tease you even more.”
“My lady!”
“Could you find a place to sell them for me? If you find a good one, I’ll give you a little gift.”
“Yes! I’ll do my best! Sarah actually knows quite a few places like that.”
Mandy brightened instantly. Her confident smile, so simple and pure, was undeniably charming.
Tericia hadn’t noticed it before, but Mandy’s straightforward nature helped ease some of her tension.
Rustle, rustle.
At that moment, noise from outside reached the room. It was rare for sound to carry all the way up here, so Tericia’s attention naturally shifted toward the source.
“Shall I go check?”
“Would you mind?”
“I’ll be right back.”
Once Mandy left, Tericia leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes. The early start had left her feeling worn out.
When she checked the ledger earlier, she had confirmed that her allocated budget was still intact. That money was incredibly important to her now.
If she used it wisely, it would prove useful in many ways. Before long, there would be land up for auction too.
Just then, Mandy returned.
“My lady, a guest has arrived.”
“A guest?”
There hadn’t been any notice of visitors today.
“Is it a distant relative?”
“No, someone we’ve never seen before. Lady Boren went out to greet them.”
“Mother did?”
At this time of day, if anyone had come to visit, it was likely Count Clu. But if that were the case, her mother would never have gone out to greet him personally. Lady Boren had always found Count Clu distasteful.
A sharp, uneasy feeling pricked at her chest.
Normally, she wouldn’t have paid any attention to guests unless they were her own. But today, for some reason, she felt compelled to go see for herself.
“Let’s go down.”
As Tericia rose, Mandy followed after her. When they reached the staircase that overlooked the first-floor hall, she spotted her mother with an unfamiliar man.
Who is that?
Tericia descended the stairs slowly.
He had light brown hair and brown eyes. Though ordinary, there was something frivolous about his appearance. She was sure of it—she had never seen this man before, not in her previous life, nor in this one.
Sensing her presence, the man turned to look at her—and his eyes widened in surprise.
“No way…”
He glanced at Lady Boren as he spoke. When she gave a slight frown and nodded, the man’s face lit up with exaggerated joy.
“My goodness, Tericia! It’s been far too long!”
The man suddenly moved forward, arms wide as if to hug her. Tericia instinctively stepped back with a frown.
A man she had never seen before, approaching a noblewoman without any manners? How dare he?
Her clear rejection made the man falter, but only for a moment. He quickly laughed it off in an overly loud, theatrical voice.
“Oh, of course! It must feel awkward. The last time I saw you, you were just a baby!”
“……”
“It’s me—Sheffer Boren. Your mother Katrina’s cousin. I’m truly delighted to see you again.”
Tericia’s face turned cold. She had no memory of him. He was someone she had never met, even before the regression.
Who are you really?
She knew one thing for certain.
Her mother didn’t have a cousin named Sheffer Boren.
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“He’s going to be staying here for a while. It seems Lady Boren invited him.”
“……”
“I didn’t know you had any relatives, my lady.”
“Neither did I.”
Her voice came out low and quiet. She gave a reply, but her mind was elsewhere.
Watching her, Mandy quietly sighed.
“Are you alright?”
“Hm? What is it?”
“You just look… tired.”
“Yeah, I guess I am.”
“If there’s anything you need, just let me know. I’ll stay close by.”
“Go on inside and rest. I’ll join you after getting some air.”
“Yes, my lady.”
As soon as Mandy went in, Tericia finally let the tension leave her body.
Normally, even when no one was watching, she would keep her posture upright. But not now. Not today.
The unexpected encounter had left her mind tangled and uneasy.
What was it like before the regression?
Her mother and Count Clu had constantly worked to undermine Rashid’s position as heir. They’d brought in a useless tutor to sabotage his third round of training and deliberately made him miss the chance to enroll in the academy.
If it hadn’t been for Sir Heinz and Adler Reissfeld, Rashid might never have survived it all.
And through all of that… Sheffer Boren was never part of the picture.
Her mother was an only child. Tericia had never once heard of her having any relatives.
Even her biological father—whom she could barely remember—had no remaining family, so all of his assets had naturally passed to her mother.
And now suddenly, a so-called relative?
“Why did it change?”
All she had done was bring forward the timing for Rashid to meet a proper mentor and offer him a room.
They were such small things. So why had Count Clu not shown up this time, and instead that man had?
What could have been the turning point that caused this shift?
She had been trying to change things—but when something unexpected like this happened, it was hard not to be shaken.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind.
“Maybe the little things you’re doing now will end up pushing everything in a direction you can’t control.”
Who was it that said that?
She tried to remember, but nothing came to mind. She just recalled someone sneering at her when they said it—but the face wouldn’t come back to her.
Who was it…?
“Sister?”
When she looked up, Rashid was standing before her with a curious expression. It hadn’t even been that long since she last saw him, but his face looked slightly different.
Had he grown a little?
“What’s that book you’ve got?”
Tericia glanced at the rather thick book he was holding.
“It’s an assignment from my teacher.”
“You have to read all of that? Sounds like a tough mentor.”
Rashid gave a faint chuckle at her words.
“It’s much better than being poorly educated.”
“That’s good to hear.”
She felt a little better knowing it was helping him.
“Were you resting?”
“I was thinking about taking a walk.”
“Shall I escort you?”
“No, that’s alright.”
Tericia stood up and walked over to Rashid. She had thought he might have grown, but he still had to look up at her.
Rashid seemed to notice it too—he slightly furrowed his brow. Tericia couldn’t help but smile at the sight.
Her heavy mood began to lift, though Rashid didn’t seem all that pleased.
He let out a soft sigh.
“Shall we walk together?”
“…Okay.”
The two began to walk side by side. A gentle breeze rustled past. It was a quiet moment—but a good one.
After walking silently for a while, Rashid was the first to speak.
“It’s been a while… walking like this with you, I mean.”
“Hm?”
“When I was little.”
He cleared his throat and added quietly,
“We used to walk together like this often.”
A small smile tugged at the corner of Tericia’s lips as the memories came back.
Yes, they did. At first, she used to trail after Rashid, then eventually they walked side by side. And after that…
“Even when I ran away from home… you and I walked together then, too.”
They had held hands tightly, leaning on each other’s warmth as they walked through the dark forest.
For once, a soft, nostalgic smile appeared on Rashid’s face.
