“Dahlia, Dahlia!”
Dahlia woke up from sleep, the early dawn light dimly spilling through the window.
Baroness Harwin was crying as she shook Dahlia awake.
“What should we do!”
“…Why? What’s happened?”
“Your father has been kidnapped!”
Dahlia sprang upright.
Kidnapped? Her father?
Was that even possible?
“And they’re demanding five sacks of wheat as ransom…”
Dahlia’s pupils trembled.
Wheat? She was certain there wasn’t a single grain left in the central region.
“Dahlia, what are we going to do? Huh?”
Dahlia snatched the note from Baroness Harwin and read it.
[We have Baron Harwin.
Exchange him for five sacks of wheat.
Under the largest zelkova tree on Errolamo Hill, tomorrow night at midnight.
If unnecessary people come, the Baron’s life will be forfeit.]
“And your father’s knights?”
Dahlia said, panting.
“They should track them down, right?”
“I don’t even know where the knights are.”
Baroness Harwin said, choking back tears.
“Actually, Dahlia… your father went to get wheat today with the knights.”
“…What?”
“I don’t know the exact details, but he went with Brisa to trade for the peasants’ wheat…”
“Brisa Sears? Then… was Brisa captured too?”
“That, I don’t know…”
Baroness Harwin fidgeted, breathing heavily, and Dahlia impatiently rang the bell.
The maids rushed over in a panic.
“Hurry, Mother.”
“Huh? To where?”
Dahlia shouted, instructing the maids to prepare herself.
“We need to go see Brisa Sears to find out what happened! Whether she was captured or saw anything!”
“She probably was captured too, since your father was…”
But Baroness Harwin was wrong.
When the mother and daughter arrived at the Sears’ estate, Brisa was sitting elegantly in the parlor, eating bread.
She wasn’t alone. The knights and the maids were also eating hot, freshly baked bread for breakfast.
“This is so good with raspberry jam.”
“Wild raspberries grow well by the river these days.”
“The young lady said not to cut these vines… I guess it’s because they’re raspberry vines.”
Dahlia unconsciously swallowed.
It had been over two weeks since she last had freshly baked bread like this. If it weren’t for the dairy cows, she would’ve been eating corn bread instead.
“What’s the matter, Aunt?”
Brisa greeted them calmly.
She ate a soft-boiled egg on bread with jam while tilting her head slightly.
“Why come here so early in the morning?”
Baroness Harwin was stunned seeing Brisa’s composed face—it was like a bucket of cold water.
“…Don’t even think about lying. I know you went out with my husband last night.”
She lifted her chin and said firmly.
“My husband has been kidnapped, and we received this letter.”
Baroness Harwin slammed the kidnapper’s note onto the table.
Brisa calmly looked down at the letters, reading them, then slowly nodded.
“Ah, so he was kidnapped.”
“Kidnapped?”
Dahlia’s eyes widened.
“You came here fine, so why didn’t our father come? You wrote this, didn’t you? You kidnapped my father!”
“Why would I?”
Brisa tilted her head in confusion.
“I have plenty of wheat. I don’t need five sacks. I brought plenty.”
“Now is not the time to talk about that!”
Dahlia erupted in frustration.
“You kidnapped my father, didn’t you? Or ordered someone to do it? Who else would do it if not you?”
“They’re right here. The peasants your father sold off.”
Brisa said gracefully, completely unbothered.
“I have no reason to commit a crime against your father. If nobles harm each other and get caught, the law courts decide. Unlike peasants, a lord can’t just make such a judgment.”
She explained calmly, then sighed, giving advice.
“Dahlia, study Imperial law. You don’t even need the academy for that.”
The maids giggled behind them. Even this was part of her calculated conversation flow.
“I know that! Who doesn’t know nobles need trials!”
Dahlia shouted, then muttered angrily, unable to hold her frustration.
“But my father…”
Before she could continue, Brisa explained with composure.
“The Western knights attacked while trying to trade wheat with the dark wizards. During that, the peasants your father tried to sell knocked down your father and the knights. That’s all I know. We just brought the wheat.”
“What? Then why are you safe?”
“I only sold one peasant. There were many knights, so I could handle just that one.”
Dahlia asked incredulously at her calm explanation.
“So you left my father behind and came back alone?”
“No.”
Brisa shook her head, finishing the remaining bread.
“My knights and the wheat came back together. As you can see.”
“That’s not what I mean!”
Dahlia glared at her.
“Of course I know you envy us. But last night, my father acted as the lord of the estate alongside you. At least then, my father and you were on the same side, in the same position!”
“Not quite.”
Brisa answered without flinching.
“Unlike your father, I’m only twelve. I could barely take care of myself, let alone grown adults. Children have limits.”
Then Brisa gave instructions to the maids.
“Make two sandwiches with plenty of raspberry jam, chicken, and fresh vegetables.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Dahlia—and even Baroness Harwin—couldn’t hide their excitement.
Bread, chicken, and fresh vegetables?
It had been so long since they had something like that. It was a basic instinct separate from anger.
Lately, she’d been eating only pickled olives from Jezel Street’s grocery store, counting the pieces as she ate them.
“And you seem to have forgotten something.”
Brisa looked at Dahlia.
“I don’t envy you. I just dislike you.”
“Because of the estate? But our father legally acquired it from your father!”
“So we didn’t sue. But I don’t plan to discuss your father’s safety with you,” Brisa replied.
Soon, the maid brought two sandwiches on a tray.
Naturally, they expected them to be for Dahlia and Baroness Harwin, but Brisa placed the tray in front of herself.
“If your curiosity is satisfied, I’ll leave now.”
Brisa took a bite of her new sandwich and said.
“I have nothing more to say.”
At that moment, Baroness Harwin gasped and asked,
“Then… can we borrow five sacks of wheat?”
“Mother!”
“We have no choice. We need to find your father.”
She scolded Dahlia once, then looked at Brisa.
“We can’t pay the ransom, but your estate seems to have plenty.”
“Yes, there’s enough.”
Brisa shrugged.
“But borrowing is not allowed. Once Warp restores, the price will drop sharply. So I’ll only allow a purchase.”
“Really? How much…”
Baroness Harwin’s face lit up, but Dahlia and she froze at Brisa’s answer.
“Jezel Street and Veron.”
Brisa picked up the second sandwich.
“That’s why you came, Dahlia, right? I said before if money is tight, I’d pay well for Jezel Street.”
“If survival becomes difficult, hand over Jezel Street. I’ll pay a fair price.”
Without a trace of a smile, Brisa added calmly,
“I never speak nonsense.”
