“…It’s not something that can be handed over easily. Anastasia knows that, doesn’t she?”
“Yes, I know that. I know, but I’m still saying this.”
William-sama showed a suspicious look towards my words, but I couldn’t back down here. If I pull out here, I won’t be able to fulfill my ambition… my ultimate goal. In order to achieve it, I must first demonstrate Anastasia’s power. After that, divorce. I may not have needed to show my power if I wanted to divorce, but I didn’t want Anastasia’s true power to be underestimated, and there’s no doubt in my mind that I wanted to make this country a better place.
“I have done some research on territory management, so I think I can do it reasonably well.”
“…That’s just an empty theory, is it not?”
“Yes, I know that as well. But… given the current financial circumstances of the royal family, it might be a good idea to invest money on me, right?”
William-sama’s gaze was blatantly upset by my words. I knew this because after spending the last few days in the library, my vague ‘uneasiness’ had become clearer. To put it bluntly, this royal family’s financial situation was not that good. I had a slight feeling about this when I was Anastasia, but I didn’t act on it. The royal family’s financial decline was not because they did anything wrong, so they probably decided not to point fingers.
“The royal family’s finances are currently in the red, aren’t they? It costs an exorbitant amount of money to do the saint selection and other things as well. However, there have been many disasters recently, and we can’t afford to impose increasing taxes on the nobles. I’m sure that’s what you’ve decided… But, that’s not the way it should be. The royal family will fall, you know?”
For some reason, the people of the royal family in this country were good-natured. It was rare to find a person as cold as William-sama. His Majesty the King, the Queen, and His Highness the Second Prince were all good-natured. So much so that they can’t leave people in trouble alone. This may be a virtue for a person, but it doesn’t lead to quality as a person who stood above others. Sometimes, it was necessary to be ruthless.
“…At this moment, my brother is helping you by providing some support, but given your financial situation, wouldn’t my parents’ house be better? You don’t have to hide it, right?”
In their current circumstances, the Duke of Strauss, the family of Anastasia’s parents, would definitely have a better financial situation. Well, the Duke of Strauss had done some dishonorable things in the past few generations, so they couldn’t be that arrogant. However, Anastasia’s brother, the current duke, has decent ways of turning their finances up. Anastasia’s brother was also famous among the social circles as a successful young duke. As a side note, Anastasia’s brother and William-sama were very close friends.
“…What can Anastasia do alone?”
William-sama asked me this with emotionless eyes. Well, that’s true. It was obviously unlikely for a self-taught girl in business administration to be able to develop a piece of land. But… that only meant ‘if I were alone,’ right? If I wasn’t alone, the chances of things going well would go up. Moreover, what if it was a ‘top-notch’ person?
“Let me be clear, I will not be able to do anything on my own. As you said, it’s just an empty theory. It’s just a dream. But… what if a ‘territory management professional’ were to help me and give me advice?”
“…Hey.”
William-sama’s eyes widened as he said this. Yeah, certainly not. I’m… going to ask for help from two people.
“I’m going to ask for help from my brother and Max-san. My brother was the one who developed the Dukedom of Strauss and is known for his excellent management skills, while Max-san is an expert who supports from the shadows. He’s a well-known supporting professional after all.”
I smiled at William-sama as I said this.
When I saw Max-san for the first time, I had a strange feeling about him. Then, I realized… that he was a wonderful person, who was capable of supporting others.
“I know very well that my husband does not like me, but you can either let me rot away or put your faith in me. You know which is better, don’t you?”
“…Ah, that I understand.”
William looked at me straight in the eye when he said this… As expected of a perceptive man. I was sure that the fact that I have my brother behind me also helped him decide. He didn’t seem to believe in me. Well, that didn’t really matter.
“But I can’t give you authority over land right away. I need to make some preparations first… Give me a month. In the meantime, I’ll try to convince my father and mother.”
“Thank you very much.”
I thanked William-sama for his kindness. Alright, this was the first step towards my ambition. Well, the major turning point will be whether or not the management of the territory went well. But, with Max-san and my brother, I think the chances of failure would be low.
“…And, Anastasia.”
“Husband?”
While I was lost in thought, William-sama suddenly called me out in a terrifying manner. You looked like you’re having trouble saying something, what was it you’re trying to say? I wasn’t sure what to say, so I just looked straight at him.
“Anastasia has changed.”
And that was the next thing that came out of William-sama’s mouth.