The Abandoned Princess, Yet She Is Loved - Chapter 42

Hailey handed her the folder containing the sales plan and began to explain.

“We make about a 20% profit on each painting, my lady. But after deducting labor and other costs, the net profit comes out to around 10%.”

“Ahh.”

“The artists, on the other hand, make twice as much profit per piece compared to before.”

Grace smiled brightly.

“How are the artists reacting?”

“They’re very excited. If additional production happens in the future, they say they’d like to make more plates and produce more prints.”

“They also said they’re very thankful to you, my lady. Thanks to the printmaking process, they were able to focus solely on their creative work.”

“I told Frederick… that thanks to you two, things are going really well. So… I also asked him to make sure you’re both treated even better.”

At Grace’s words, Isaac and Hailey’s eyes widened.

“No, not at all. We’re just doing what we’re supposed to do… That kind of praise is too much.”

“We’re already being treated very well. You’re paying us better than what we’d likely receive anywhere else.”

“That’s a relief, then.”

Grace gave a soft smile.

“In any case… I hope this all turns out well.”

After going horseback riding with Frederick, Grace began to consistently set aside time to ride.

Every morning, she would mount the horse, recalling the instructions Frederick had given her, and practice steering with the reins.

Frederick didn’t ride with her every day, but every few days he would join her and teach her various techniques for riding and handling the horse.

He mentioned that once she got more used to it, she’d be able to ride at full speed and even jump over obstacles, but for now, those felt like distant goals. Still, hearing about them made her feel motivated.

“Have you thought of a name for your horse yet?”

“A name? Hmm…”

After spending several days bonding with the horse, Frederick suddenly asked her that question.

“Now that you’re the owner, you should give it a name.”

“Ah…”

Grace let out a small sigh at the unexpected topic.

“What’s your horse’s name?”

“Caesar.”

“Hmm…”

Grace had never named anything before, so she pondered for a while. Then, gently stroking the horse’s mane, she spoke.

“…Emily.”

If she was going to give it a name, she wanted it to be the most special one to her.

“Emily… isn’t that the maid who raised you?”

“Yes, that’s right! You… remembered?”

“Of course. I remember everything you’ve told me.”

Frederick said it casually, but the fact that he remembered something so important to her made Grace quietly happy.

“Emily…”

But she felt a little embarrassed to show it, so she turned her attention back to the horse and called its new name.

“Frederick. There’s somewhere I’d like to go.”

“Where to?”

Until now, the only places they’d ridden to were within the estate and the forest. Grace pointed toward the main gate of the manor.

“Outside… I want to go outside.”

She had only left through the main gate once before, and that was in a carriage. Now that she could ride, she wanted to step outside on her own two feet—well, her own horse.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Mounted on Emily, Grace tugged the reins and directed her horse toward the main gate. The moment the horse’s hooves passed through the gate, Grace let out a cheer.

“Wow!”

In the meadow just outside the manor, colorful flowers were in full bloom. Red, yellow, pink—vivid and vibrant, they created a dazzling sight.

“So many flowers…”

“This is the season when they bloom the most.”

‘I have to paint this someday.’

Grace made a silent promise to herself. The horse carrying them began to pick up speed.

“Whoa…”

Her hands instinctively tightened around the reins. But she wasn’t as scared as before. Grace quickly regained her composure and continued riding.

Soon, the farmland they had seen before came into view. Just a short while ago, it had been mostly bare earth, but now it was covered in green, with hardly any soil visible. Grace raised her hand and pointed.

“It’s all green.”

“The crops have sprouted. They’ll start growing taller soon.”

“Ahh…”

People were moving through the fields here and there, cutting grass with sharp tools or digging the soil. Some were sprinkling things over the crops.

“Frederick, what do they plant over there?”

“There’s a variety. For grains, they plant wheat, soybeans, barley, and millet… And in other sections, they grow things like radishes, cabbage, carrots, and onions. If you go further over, there are areas for fruits. That one over there looks like a wheat field.”

“Ahh.”

Among the crops he listed, there were some she recognized and others she didn’t.

“There must be a lot… How much do they harvest?”

“I can’t recall the exact numbers, but we manage it every year. Didn’t you say you learned arithmetic?”

“Yes. Alice taught me…”

Grace nodded.

“I’ll ask my lieutenant to show you the data later.”

“Your lieutenant?”

“He manages the estate. He estimates the amount of seeds sown in spring and the harvest in autumn, collects taxes, things like that. Then he reports the results to me.”

“Ahh…”

“Are you curious?”

“Yes, I’d like to know.”

Grace nodded enthusiastically. She was curious about how much produce this vast plain yielded. And she felt like it was something she ought to know.

“Because I said… I’m the mistress of this place.”

“Looks like you’re finally taking your role seriously, huh? Wanting to know everything about the estate.”

“……”

“At this rate, I’m scared you’ll take over my position.”

At Frederick’s joke, Grace blushed and laughed softly. Encountering something new was always enjoyable.

“Since we’re already out… how about heading to that hill?”

Frederick pointed to the opposite side.

“If we go up there, you’ll be able to see the whole estate at a glance. Including the manor.”

“Yes, that sounds nice.”

“Follow me.”

Grace followed Frederick toward the hill.

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