Rewriting the Trash Ending - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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12.

Golden hair and blue eyes.
Pretty enough, in her way, but not the sort of face that lingered in memory.
Yet there was something oddly familiar about her.
Becky Wensler.
Well-liked among her acquaintances, though in truth she was vain and lied as easily as she breathed.
‘Was it about six months after I died?’
Always stealing this and that, throwing her weight around with false claims of being the Grand Duke’s woman, until she was caught and cast out.
‘Of all people, it had to be her…….’
Tsk.
Without thinking, she clicked her tongue, and Terra asked with a puzzled look.
“Your Highness, is something the matter……?”
“No, no. I was merely lost in thought for a moment.”
She would have liked to request a replacement, but refusing without cause would only invite unfounded criticism.
The sort that might paint the princess as disdainful of northerners, for instance.
There was no need to create unnecessary friction at this early stage of her arrival.
She decided to watch and wait; if the woman caused trouble, she would deal with it then.
“Becky, I’d like to bathe. Have the water prepared.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Once Becky had excused herself, she turned to the head chambermaid.
“How far along are the Royal Wedding preparations?”
“The merchants have submitted their estimates, which are currently under review. The approval documents should reach you shortly.”
Good.
Had the approvals already been finalized, the matter would have become far more complicated.
She let out a quiet breath of relief and spoke.
“Once the review is complete, bring the estimates to me.”
Terra’s fingertips flinched involuntarily.
Not only had she not yet officially assumed the position of Grand Duchess, but the Grand Duke’s household was bearing all the wedding expenses.
For the princess to involve herself in financial matters was an overreach of authority.
Could it be that Her Highness, like other imperials, held the Grand Duchy in contempt?
“Managing the household of the Grand Duke’s Castle has been my responsibility thus far. There is no hurry to attend to such affairs until Your Highness has officially assumed the position of Grand Duchess.”
Terra spoke with resolute firmness, but Lumiere had no intention of yielding.
“After reviewing yesterday’s ledgers, I thought it prudent to verify things as the bride myself.”
The north is a region where fair market value is difficult to gauge.
It’s hard to calculate transportation costs and risk premiums.
‘With the wedding season approaching, they’ve likely padded the price considerably.’
If she simply turned a blind eye, not only would the ceremony be ruined, but the merchants would line their own pockets at their expense.
“Do you think this is an unreasonable request?”
“However…….”
“If problems are discovered after the ceremony concludes, those responsible will have to answer for it. But if we address this now, surely we can avoid such trouble entirely?”
A moment passed.
“…Very well. It shall be as you wish.”
Terra finally nodded, her expression complicated.

The following morning.
She was reviewing the estimates that Terra had brought when she finished breakfast.
Crackle—crackle—
Reading over the figures to the sound of burning firewood, she barely noticed when Becky approached quietly and set down a teacup.
“Your Highness, wouldn’t it do you good to rest a moment?”
A glance.
She looked up at Becky’s face.
A soft smile, impeccable grooming, everything about her appearance neat and composed.
‘To look at her, you’d never find a thing to fault…….’
Knowing her true nature, she found conversation with her irksome.
She was merely waiting for a suitable pretext to arrange her replacement.
“Should I need anything, I will call. You may go.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
Becky stepped back with a slightly stiffened expression.
She sipped her tea, then frowned.
“I wonder if they sold their conscience or just lost it entirely.”
She’d known the merchants treated the Grand Duke’s house as easy prey, but this bordered on outright robbery.
Ceremonial cloth, banquet tableware, chandeliers—the list went on.
Even accounting for the fact that they were all luxury goods from the Wizer Empire, the prices were exorbitant.
Without examining the quality herself, she couldn’t be certain, but there was no chance these merchants would deliver goods worth what they were charging.
At minimum, they’d inflated the prices seven times over the fair market rate.
‘Who knew that being dragged along to imperial galas would prove this useful.’
She drummed her fingertips lightly against the table.
Tap, tap, tap.
Winterheim sat in barren, remote territory, which meant shrewd merchants were few and far between.
That was precisely why these traders felt bold enough to inflate their prices so blatantly.
“Chief Attendant.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Lumiere pointed to the estimate with her fingertip and continued.
“The items are listed in detail, but the acquisition costs and associated expenses aren’t properly itemized. This way, they can inflate the price however they please.”
She pressed on delicately.
“What if we changed suppliers?”
“That would be… somewhat difficult.”
“Because the royal wedding is right upon us?”
Terra’s expression darkened.
“That’s part of it, but even if we severed ties with them, there’s no suitable alternative.”
As Grand Duchess, she could end dealings with a merchant guild with a single word and have defrauding merchants thrown in prison without delay.
But as a guest here now, though bothersome, she had to persuade the Chief Attendant who held the authority.
An inconvenience, but unavoidable.
She twisted her mouth into a thin smile.
“Then I’ll need a revised estimate.”
Of course those merchants wouldn’t accept her demands willingly, but having come to the Grand Duke’s Castle, she had no intention of letting thieves pocket so much as a single coin.

***

Boom, boom, boom.
A beast the size of a house came charging across the ground, crushing earth beneath its feet, and roared.
“—–!”
Stones tumbled down the steep cliff face like a rockslide.
A thunderous tremor underfoot and a shriek that tore at the eardrums.
It was the Ogre’s final, desperate lunge, driven to the cliff’s edge.
The moment the Ogre reached Axid and raised arms thicker than a man’s torso.
His Great Sword split the air like lightning.
Crash.
The enormous body—severed of both arms and head at once—toppled slowly, raising a cloud of dust.
Ogres could shatter boulders with their fists and tear apart massive beasts with their bare hands.
They ranked among the most dangerous of the Large Beast Species, and even the knights stationed at the Fortress needed three or more working together just to barely overcome one.
But for Axid, they were nothing but easy prey.
“Is this the last one?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The one he’d just killed was the final Large Beast Species that had attacked the Fortress.
It had fled instinctively the moment Axid appeared.
Having finished the hunt, he sheathed his sword and returned to the Fortress.
Soldiers moved busily about, repairing the damaged walls.
“What is the damage report?”
“Eight dead, one hundred twenty-eight wounded.”
Axid fell silent at the garrison commander’s report.
Large Beast Species do not typically gather in groups.
They were territorial predators, after all.
But during Breeding Season, things were different.
Males converged to claim females, and those defeated were driven from their territories, sometimes descending into human lands.
In this breeding season, five had appeared simultaneously, destroying a section of the wall.
Considering that five Large Beast Species had emerged, the casualties were mercifully light.
Had this been another country, an entire castle would have been reduced to rubble.
Axid was staring at the castle walls with a sunken gaze when it happened.
“Your Grace, a message has arrived from the castle.”
He accepted the letter the soldier offered.

[…Her Highness the Princess imprisoned the merchant in question for the reasons stated above.]

A heavy pressure emanated from him as he read through the letter.
“Surely Her Highness the Princess hasn’t met with some accident….”
To Kaiden’s hasty question, Bryan replied with a note of reproach.
“Is Her Highness the Princess the sort to act carelessly?”
“Then what reason would His Grace have to be angry?”
“There’s every reason. The problem isn’t that Her Highness the Princess caused trouble—it’s that something has happened to Her Highness the Princess.”
Though His Grace had ensured they traveled slowly, the journey northward was no small ordeal.
Yet rather than the Princess—who had made no complaints—causing an incident, wasn’t it more reasonable to suspect that trouble had arisen at the Grand Duke’s Castle?
“Ah, that could be… wait, how many times have you even seen Her Highness the Princess that you’re already defending her like this?”
Kaiden, who had been nodding along, suddenly bristled. Bryan sighed inwardly.
On the battlefield, his reckless charges were useful for drawing attention, but now Bryan wished he would simply keep his mouth shut.
That was when—
“Bryan.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“When will the castle wall repairs be finished?”
“I expect about two weeks, sir.”
“And the beasts?”
“They won’t show their faces at the Fortress for some time. The Ogre scent will keep them away.”
Axid nodded.
“We’ll return to the castle.”
Confirming there was no reason to remain at the Fortress, he strode forward with purpose.
Barely had he set foot in the north, and already this.
His sharp eyes gleamed cold.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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