Chapter 244: Aim For Zero-Debt Fiscal Policy!!

[A/N: At the end of every month, I’ll be mentioning the Top 3 Golden Ticket donators and the Top 5 Power Stone donators in the Author’s Note! Thank you all for the support! ❤️]

She was completely hooked. This woman would buy any anti-aging scam without hesitation.

The baron finally gave up. He glared at me with pure venom and whispered low enough for only me to hear:

"You think you can just toy with me? This isn’t over! I’ll make you regret it! Forever!"

He looked like a dark-street boss who’d just been exposed. So this is the real face behind the noble mask. That’s why he’d dragged the previous ambassador into gambling until the debt snowballed—because he couldn’t resist the thrill of being in control.

From now on I planned to meet the baroness alone and avoid the baron as much as possible.

—-

After leaving the von Kirchhoff estate, we headed to the second-biggest debtor—Baron Mine, the future baron’s family. I ran the exact same sales pitch, but the results were completely different.

The future baron was in his early thirties, still young. His wife was even younger—early twenties, maybe late teens? I could barely tell. Is this even legal? I wondered. A guy in his thirties marrying a girl who looks like a teenager? Isn’t that...?

The young baron was surprisingly easy to talk to. He had a weak, almost timid air. When I mentioned I wanted to greet his wife, he looked a little reluctant but eventually nodded and let me in. His voice was soft, almost mumbled. He didn’t have the villainous face of Baron von Kirchhoff. He looked like a decent young man. Maybe he’s just one of the baron’s hangers-on? Did the baron tell him to lend some money too?

Since I doubted a teenage girl would be able to pay sixty gold coins, I switched tactics and called her mother instead—the current baron’s wife. She came out looking around thirty-five. What the hell is going on in this house?! I thought. If the son is in his early thirties, his mother should be pushing fifty, right? But she looked almost exactly the same age as him. Maybe it was the same age bracket? I’d expected her to refuse a medicine that promised rejuvenation, but she actually listened. I told her the same story I’d told the baroness and the sale ended in triumph.

The young baron’s face turned completely blue beside me. He’s the one who set me up and now he’s paying sixty gold coins.Good for you, haha! I thought. At least I’d get the debt money. No getting out of it.

When I said "sixty gold coins," the baroness barely flinched, but the son and his wife both opened their eyes wide. Kids are supposed to obey their parents, I thought. Having something hidden from them isn’t healthy. I didn’t say whose fault it was, but the whole thing felt wrong.

I’d been puzzled about their ages for a while. On the way back in the carriage, Rudolf explained:

"The baroness is the second wife, and she’s only a few years older than the young baron. That explains why she looks so young."

Heh heh heh. A second wife who’s even younger, living in luxury while the young baron struggles with money and... other things? The baron should be thrilled if his wife looks even better.

Rudolf asked me something while we rode back:

"Lord Robin... when you were back in the capital, did you learn any special talking skills?"

Is he praising me? Or suspecting me?

"I didn’t learn anything special. I was famous for being useless at the palace. Ask Lily—she’ll tell you."

I answered honestly, but he clearly didn’t believe me. The skill I have is pure salesmanship. But everything I told the noble ladies was the truth. I might have exaggerated a tiny bit, but nothing was a lie.

"I think it’s pure talent that you can speak so fluently. Watching you talk confidently to ladies without any hesitation is amazing. I can’t do that at all."

Rudolf sounded genuinely impressed. It’s an over-evaluation, I thought, but way better than being called an idiot.

"But Lord Robin... even if it’s a precious medicine, sixty gold coins for one cup is insane. Half that would be fine. I was hoping the embassy’s finances would get a little help, but I’m afraid it might not work out. I’ll probably get a refusal letter later. It’s just too expensive. Have you seen Baron von Kirchhoff’s face? He’s going to hate you."

Rudolf sighed sadly. You don’t understand women at all, do you? I thought. If a rich wife thinks her husband is rich, and there’s a chance the medicine will make her even more beautiful, she’ll buy it no matter what. The price cut-off is exactly the medicine cut-off. It’s basically an awakening drug pitch. But the Duchess needed to look young and slim as the front-line advertiser. One day I’ll get the leftovers! I don’t even care about getting ahead of the Queen!

The next morning a messenger from the Duchess arrived with a letter. The three wives—von Kirchhoff, Mine, and the Queen—had agreed to buy the medicine every ten days, and the Duchess would deliver it at her own residence. I was relieved; three stops a week was exhausting. The Duchess also ordered me to keep the customer list secret and not bring in any more people for a while.

Every ten days Rudolf would receive 140 gold coins. He was so happy he practically danced around the room. If the Queen also bought it, the total would be 190. Even after giving the Duchess’s share for free, it was still 170. Three hundred days would bring in 5100 gold coins. Zero-debt fiscal policy, here we come!

—-

After Lily and I finished making the medicine, she returned to her room. I was about to call it a night when Rudolf came back. Suddenly something felt off—something nasty was approaching.

The door knocked. Rudolf stepped in, wearing not pajamas or his usual outfit, but something I’d never seen before. It looked like the clothes a bodyguard wore when he was on duty.

"Lord Robin, there’s a suspicious presence outside," he said quietly.