I Inherited a Beautiful Wife and a Territory - Chapter 122
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Inheriting a Beautiful Wife and Estate Episode 122
122. Priscilla’s Dilemma
The easiest yet most difficult request.
Cliff received this from Priscilla.
“I like anything.”
Anything at all.
Of course, her words were sincere. He thought she would be happy with whatever he gave her.
But it was still difficult to just brush it off like that.
“So while sailing to various places, you really didn’t think about Her Majesty’s gift?”
“It’s not that I didn’t think about it.”
“Then what?”
Leticia’s eyes narrowed.
Ever since she had embraced him, her tendency to distrust him had grown stronger.
But Cliff had also leveled up his shamelessness skill accordingly. He could respond to her words without hesitation.
“Nothing caught my eye.”
That’s how Cliff answered without even wetting his lips.
Nothing caught his eye.
And one more thing.
“And I didn’t have time either.”
“…Isn’t saying you didn’t have time too much of an excuse?”
Her incredulous gaze pierced into Cliff.
Leticia had always been with Cliff. She had witnessed his leisurely moments many times.
‘It’s not like you diligently went around the markets!’
Of course, Cliff wasn’t one to even blink at her criticism. Above all, what he had just told her.
It wasn’t entirely a lie.
“No. I’m being serious. If I had more time, I was planning to visit the Aidi Kingdom.”
“The Aidi Kingdom?”
“Yes.”
Cliff nodded calmly.
The Aidi Kingdom.
Hearing that name, Leticia also nodded slowly.
“So you hadn’t forgotten about Her Majesty’s birthday after all.”
Hearing her words, this time Cliff made an incredulous expression.
“What do you take me for? Of course, that was also part of my purpose from the very beginning of the voyage.”
He was sincere.
The reason he had departed was originally because of the Quest to find allied nations.
‘Turning toward the Serniu family was… because I met Melissa and others at sea.’
Of course, the House of Duke Serniu was also among his candidates.
But it became his first priority thanks to his connection with Melissa. Above all, because of that incident with Melissa, he ended up visiting not just the Serniu Duchy but also Ratniya.
That’s where a lot of time was delayed.
‘Originally, I could have made it to the Aidi Kingdom and back…’
The Aidi Kingdom.
Looking at the Rajahara Sea as the center, it was a kingdom located to the east.
It was close to the Kingdom of Alpeo, and their relationship was poor.
So there was a high possibility of joining a pro-Elimis alliance rather than an anti-Elimis one.
‘And it’s a country of minerals.’
The Aidi Kingdom had abundant minerals.
That was exactly what Cliff was aiming for. There were many gems there.
Because of the abundance of gems, skilled craftsmen were also plentiful.
“Now that we’ve become economically prosperous… and Priscilla’s status has risen, shouldn’t she have a few gems befitting that position?”
“…That’s true.”
“That’s why I was thinking of going to the Aidi Kingdom. Though that plan fell through in the end.”
Incidentally, another place he had considered as an allied nation was the Tira Kingdom.
‘Perhaps because it’s called the country of pirates, they actually revere people like Marco as heroes.’
The great pirate Marco.
There was something like admiration for him.
More precisely, it could have been fear. Because of that, the Tira Kingdom no longer touched ships from the Elimis Duchy.
Elbarun’s speculation was that they deliberately avoided them. If so, the Tira Kingdom also had potential as an ally.
‘As for the Kingdom of Castia, where the House of Duke Serniu belongs… I was planning to meet them through mediation from the homeland.’
Each had its own strategy.
However, all of that went awry.
It was all coincidence that arose from encountering Melissa. It meant he hadn’t calculated all those coincidences when he set sail.
“So the conclusion is that I couldn’t go to the Aidi Kingdom.”
Incidentally, both the Aidi Kingdom in his chosen route and the Tira Kingdom had many treasures.
Of course, the Tira Kingdom didn’t overflow with minerals and craftsmen like the Aidi Kingdom.
‘But the black market there is excellent.’
The Aidi Kingdom offered official routes, while the Tira Kingdom offered unofficial routes to buy gems.
The Tira Kingdom was actually easier.
He could rob the pirates who had stolen treasures.
“So you’re saying that from the time of departure, you also had the intention of obtaining a gift for Her Majesty.”
“Of course. Wouldn’t she be happier if I said I crossed the sea to get it myself?”
But now this aspect had become difficult.
“So will you give up?”
Cliff grinned.
“As if.”
Now he had entrusted it to Jaide.
He would probably think similarly to himself.
‘He’ll try to obtain gems that suit Priscilla.’
Now he had become a lord.
Priscilla was his companion in that role.
“Jaide will probably obtain excellent gems, won’t he?”
Of course, he had told him to get “anything.”
Jaide’s head would probably ache quite a bit. But Jaide was someone with exceptional drive.
He wasn’t someone who would just think without acting.
‘By now, he’s probably already made his move.’
A distance he could travel and return before it was too late.
Within that range, he would find the most promising gift.
There were several aspects Cliff was expecting here.
‘Right now, we can’t obtain such things from Ospal or Serfal…’
Going all the way to the homeland would be too tight on time.
“So what do you think he’ll do?”
“What else? It’s not too late even now, so he’ll set sail.”
“Set sail?”
Her eyes widened.
To such a Priscilla, Cliff provided an answer.
“He’ll probably go to Southern Yusta.”
That’s what Jaide would do.
That was his predicted course of action.
‘Jaide will handle it splendidly. So I…’
He does what he needs to do.
He turned his gaze to Leticia.
“Do you know what Priscilla is doing right now?”
“…She’ll be on the terrace. At this time, she always looks out at the village from there.”
Leticia’s expression wasn’t bright as she answered.
It seemed she also knew what he himself had felt.
‘Shadows have returned to Priscilla’s face.’
The estate was developing day by day.
And Priscilla’s mood, which had been joyful about this, was different from before. She still didn’t dislike it, but…
“Why don’t you… go see her?”
Leticia advised him.
He shook his head at her words.
“I will meet with her, but not right now. Rather, could you call Gusillon and Nigel?”
“Why those two?”
“I have work for both of them.”
Terrace of the Duke’s bedroom.
It was a place where no one could come carelessly. So whenever she had something to think about, whenever she needed to avoid others, Priscilla would be here.
Here, she would stare blankly outside.
‘It’s really changed a lot. I can’t see the old appearance anymore.’
Previously, when she was here, she could see the entire village.
But not anymore.
Several buildings had been erected. A city was being designed and traces of the past hamlet had disappeared.
The time when she could see the village from here was now over.
‘It was nice though…’
Priscilla felt regret.
Actually, she hadn’t wanted to see it before.
When she looked at the village, it was hard to see smiling faces. An estate filled only with despair.
In those moments when there was no vitality, she had hated looking at the estate. But now it was very different from then.
There was a feeling of happiness among them.
“Sigh.”
Priscilla let out a sigh.
Was it from around that time?
Or was it from when Cliff began spending more days away from the estate? Precisely, from the moment he became duke, worries had arisen for Priscilla.
‘Is it… right for me to be in this position?’
She had nothing she could do.
She couldn’t help Cliff as a spirit like Leticia, nor could she become his shadow and protect him like Lin.
Politically too, she was the daughter of a fallen family.
‘There’s nothing I can do to help him.’
This made her bitter.
If she had at least had a powerful family backing, but she didn’t even have this.
She possessed neither solid political support, nor military power, nor the administrative ability to handle state affairs while Cliff was away.
It was natural.
-A woman’s role is to provide a place where her husband can rest and enjoy himself. When a woman has knowledge and abilities beyond that, the home becomes an extension of work rather than a husband’s rest.
Nigel had not taught her such aspects.
If Cliff had been satisfied with staying in the existing small estate, his teachings wouldn’t have caused major problems.
But now it was ambiguous.
‘If only Leticia and I had switched places…’
Then perhaps her heart would be more at ease than now.
She also blamed herself.
Cliff was different from Nigel. He pushed her to try anything and taught her.
Sometimes he even entrusted her with work.
“Haah.”
A sigh escaped her lips.
Even when he entrusted her with work like that, her actual role was rare. Most of it was done by other maids under her or assisting officials.
‘All I do is listen to their reports, ask questions, and nod my head…’
She wondered if she was needed in such moments.
‘…I should go in.’
Priscilla stood up.
It was time to prepare.
Her husband, the monarch of this country, cherished her greatly.
Though he spent more than half the year outside, on the days he stayed inside, he was always by her side.
Today too, there was a high probability he would return to the bedroom where she was.
“My lady, your skin is truly clear.”
Sophia praised her as she soaked her body in the bathtub.
“…Thank you.”
At times like this, her fallen self-esteem recovered a little.
As she finished washing, applying makeup, and dressing up, another maid came and told her news about Cliff.
“His Highness has called Elder Gusillon and Sir Nigel and entered into a meeting.”
His arrival time might be delayed.
Though she felt disappointed at that moment, she nodded and let it pass.
Still, it was fortunate. The meeting didn’t last as long as expected.
Cliff came.
“You’ve worked hard.”
The time to greet him in the bedroom, help him remove his formal clothes, and lie down together.
“Since they said you were in a meeting, I thought you’d be late today.”
“What’s the point of having long meetings with old men? Originally, those above give orders, and those below do the work on their own.”
Cliff said.
Even when he spoke like this, she knew.
‘In reality, you’re the one working hardest…’
Cliff pressed his lips to hers.
“Nigel and Gusillon will now call their subordinates to give instructions while they rest, right? And the all-night meetings will be done by those subordinates.”
Cliff spoke with a mischievous expression.
“We just need to listen to some of the plans they bring, ask if there’s anything we don’t understand, and give final approval.”
Cliff’s words seemed as if he knew the worries she had just been having.
She gave a bitter smile.
“Then what work do those above do?”
“What work indeed. They do the work of giving orders and approving.”
Giving work to subordinates.
That was the role of those above.
She laughed.
“Isn’t that too irresponsible?”
“Right.”
Cliff nodded.
Originally, the approver is the person who takes responsibility. But would that be the case in this class-based society?
However, there was work that even those above had to do.
“Those above clearly state what they want. Providing proper direction. Just doing that is half the success.”
So in his previous life, there was such a saying.
The customer is king.
So the king is a customer. Originally, customers had no responsibility.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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