The Abandoned Princess, Yet She Is Loved - Chapter 91
“Well, if you really want to report it, I suppose it’s not impossible… but as far as I know, no one in this palace has ever done so. After all, we’re all just trying to live well together, aren’t we?”
“Even Lady Fenton?”
Could she have also taken a portion of the Princess’s Palace budget for personal use? Come to think of it, she often wore fine clothes despite not being from a wealthy family.
“Do I really have to say it?”
Amelia gave a peculiar smile.
“Let’s just say, she managed to get enough money not to feel disappointed.”
Not disappointed.
There was no telling how much that was, but if she could say that, it had to be a substantial amount.
“If I were to give you some advice, I’d say it’s best to keep it under 10% of the leftover funds. That keeps things clean.”
“Ah… yes.”
“Another important duty is managing Her Highness the Princess’s schedule. This is a calendar of the main annual events held in the Imperial Palace. Go through it and try to memorize the dates.”
Amelia pointed to another folder as she spoke.
“Yes.”
“Of course, there will also be unscheduled events, such as visits from foreign envoys and meetings with nobles, so you’ll need to stay on top of those as well. Especially for anything the Princess herself mentions—you need to remember and remind her so she doesn’t miss them.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll explain the rest little by little. For now, I’ve got work to do, so take a look through these materials and familiarize yourself with them.”
Amelia left the room. Diana and Sarah opened the folders she’d handed them. Their eyes skimmed over budget documents and schedules related to managing various aspects of the Princess’s Palace, but their minds were elsewhere.
“So… we can actually build our own wealth?”
“I’ve been anxious about that. I don’t know how much our father or Benjamin will actually give us.”
In the Empire, the law of primogeniture ruled—meant to prevent the family’s wealth from being dispersed or diminished.
Thus, the eldest son inherited the title and most of the estate. The other sons were given small territories, and daughters only received a modest dowry upon marriage.
“With Benjamin’s personality… I’m not hopeful.”
Being his blood relatives, Diana and Sarah knew Benjamin’s nature better than anyone—and they were certain he’d take steps to ensure they didn’t get much.
“Right. We need to start preparing for our own future.”
“Even just 10% of the leftovers is huge. We might actually get rich.”
The budget of the Princess’s Palace was enormous. Even a tenth of the surplus, accumulated over a few years, would allow them to live however they wanted.
“This is a great opportunity.”
“Are you sure… Are you sure this won’t cause any problems later? What if we get caught…?”
Sarah hesitated, voicing her concern.
“We’re the ones managing the books, aren’t we? We can just list it as expenses. It’s not like they’re spending every penny of the budget anyway.”
“Amelia’s doing this for us, right?”
“Exactly. She gave us a good cut last time too. This is her way of paying us back.”
“Right. This must be a sign of good fortune.”
Diana comforted Sarah. Her eyes already sparkled with hope.
“Let’s make a good life for ourselves.”
“I’ve been so stressed and irritated lately because of that wretched Grace, but now we’ve been handed this golden opportunity.”
“Let’s use our new position to bring that woman down.”
“Yeah. I’m with you.”
The two resolved not only to build their wealth but to use their position as the Princess’s chief maids to bring about Grace’s downfall.
Meanwhile…
The Duke of Reinhardt placed a stack of documents before Vladimir.
“Your Highness, these are the documents you requested.”
“Thank you.”
Vladimir picked up the papers on the desk and examined them. The Duke watched his expression carefully.
“Will that be sufficient?”
“Yes. This should be enough.”
“That’s a relief. I was worried it might fall short.”
Vladimir looked satisfied. The Duke forced a polite smile.
“Damn him…”
But inwardly, he was cursing the prince. What he’d handed over were the deed rights to iron and nickel mines owned by House Reinhardt. Vladimir had demanded control of the mines under the pretext of needing resources. And because the Duke had sent an illegitimate daughter to the Winstaine family as a bride—an exploitable weakness—he had no choice but to comply.
“Oh, and how are things at the camp?”
“We’ve made sure everything is in order. There haven’t been any major issues so far.”
Vladimir had stationed both his private soldiers and troops funded by House Felixius on Duke Reinhardt’s land, so as not to arouse suspicion from other nobles. Naturally, all the costs and logistics fell to the Duke.
“I’m indebted to you in many ways, Duke.”
“Then stop exploiting it, damn it…”
The Duke ground his teeth in frustration. Vladimir’s condescending tone was infuriating.
“I’ll make sure everything continues to run smoothly.”
“Do you have anything else on your schedule today?”
“Lady Grace is expected to visit later.”
“Oh? I see you’ve taken my advice to get close to her.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” the Duke replied respectfully.
“What do you talk about with Lady Winstaine?”
“Nothing special. Mostly, she just shares bits of information.”
“Information?”
“Yes. I showed her a little affection as a father, and she subtly started sharing ways to make money. That’s about it.”
“And her abilities?”
Vladimir wasn’t interested in whatever financial gain the Duke got from Grace. He was more curious about her powers.
“She does ask, but she never gives a clear answer. She’s not exactly expressive or sharp…”
The Duke glanced at Vladimir’s face as he spoke. He had initially shown curiosity about Grace’s healing powers.
“I don’t really know. Both the Quantum and healing abilities just… suddenly appeared.”
“It seems like they gradually improve with training, like exercise.”
But since Grace was vague about the details, there wasn’t much the Duke could grasp. Besides, he was far more focused on the money she could bring him, so lately, he hadn’t pressed the issue.
“So she’s not playing along the way I want her to…”
Vladimir frowned slightly at the Duke’s evasive answer.
“When you meet her, get her talking. Ask questions and try to get her to slip up about something.”
“Yes, I’ll do my best.”
The Duke responded with feigned politeness.
“Then I’ll take my leave. I’ve got backed-up state affairs to attend to.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
At that moment, Grace arrived at the Reinhardt estate right on time. She froze as she saw a man exiting the Duke’s study.
“Prince Vladimir?”
She was surprised to see Vladimir leaving the drawing room, but she bowed her head politely.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
“Pleasure to see you, my lady.”
Vladimir returned the greeting with a picture-perfect smile.
“I hope you’ve been well.”
“Yes, I have. And you, Your Highness?”
“I’ve been fine as well. I see you’re here to visit your father.”
“Are they close? What’s going on between them?”
Grace wondered what connection Vladimir had with Duke Reinhardt.
“Yes. There’s something personal I need to discuss with him. Then, I’ll take my leave. Until next time.”
“Goodbye, Lady Grace.”
Vladimir walked past her without further conversation.
“He didn’t say much…”
Seeing him again made her feel uneasy, especially after she had rejected his offer in prison. But since he greeted her so casually, it almost felt like that moment had never happened.
“Well, whatever.”
Shaking off the thought, Grace opened the drawing room door.
“It’s been a while, Father.”
As always when visiting the ducal estate, she wore a practiced, insincere smile.
“Come here, Grace. My dear daughter.”
The Duke of Reinhardt greeted her with a face that only appeared warm on the surface.
“Nothing troubling happened, I hope? I was surprised when you wrote saying you had something important to discuss.”
“Yes. There’s something important I need to consult you about. May I speak freely?”
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