The next morning.

  Avinox was very drunk, and I left the mansion early in the morning and met Violet again.

  Walking down the road that was pouring down rain, we arrived in front of the ruined wall.

  "Here? Where the Imperial Administrators distribute food to the people?"

  "Yes, over there."

  As I looked toward Violet, I saw a long line of people in front of a small tent.

  Each of them had a small pocket in their hands.

  "It’s not just Ivan. Administrators were dispatched to distribute food directly to all the people affected by the landslide. And……"

  "And?"

  "It looks like the relief money has been distributed to the Lords."

  "Relief money?"

  "Yes, didn’t I tell you yesterday that the Zonic estate bought personnel from outside and started reconstruction work? But when I found out more, it wasn’t just Sir Zonic."

  Violet sneaked around and said in a low voice.

  "Other territories are also spending money to hire people and buy wood from the surrounding territories. Like someone gave them a lot of money at the same time. And the person who can do that……"

  "There’s only Perez."

  Ivan, who said he would take care of it, was broke with no money.

  And suddenly, a scene that I saw yesterday came to my mind.

  After the dinner, Migente Ivan went to one side and talked to Perez quietly.

  "Maybe there was someone from the inside who helped."

  "That’s what I think. Otherwise, it would be difficult to know exactly how much damage was done to that place."

  "Hmm."

  I looked at the people who were receiving the food for a while and said,

  "Well done Perez."

  It’s not that I don’t understand Lord Ivan’s mind.

  He doesn’t want to take the money to rebuild, especially from the Empress.

  But if you really have a sense of responsibility, you should throw away that amount of pride.

  "It was the people who suffered because of Lord Ivan’s stubbornness."

  "But this will not create a conflict between His Majesty and Lord Ivan, right?"

  Violet asked anxiously.

  "It’ll happen. It’ll probably. It’s huge. But what can Ivan’s family do?"

  I said with a shrug.

  "At first, Perez did everything he could to accept Lord Ivan’s insistence on not accepting the money."

  "It should be, but…… Wouldn’t it need the Northern vote to be selected as the Crown Prince?"

  Violet said in a more cautious tone.

  "Yes, given the right to vote for the Crown Prince from representative families in each region, Perez has to look as good as possible to the Northern governor."

  "Then why……"

  "How long does Violet think Lord Ivan will last?"

  "Oh…… I see."

  Violet nodded her head.

  "The important thing is, when Perez’s appointment approaches, who is Ivan’s householder, isn’t it?"

  And the person who became Lord Ivan.

  "The Second Son, Migente Ivan, the next Lord Ivan."

  One side has caused a landslide, and the other side has rebuilt the collapsed North, so it’s only natural.

  "So you’re going to meet Migente Ivan today?"

  Violet asked with open eyes.

  "There are only two reasons why I came to the North, Violet."

  I laid out two fingers to Violet.

  "One is to link Lombardy and Pellet to successfully help rebuild the North. Fortunately, Lord Ivan received the wood prepared by Lombardy on the spot, and unlike Perez, my work is going well."

  I folded the remaining fingers.

  "The other one was to make friends with the next Lord Ivan in advance."

  "Oh, as expected, Lady Florentia……"

  Violet said with her eyes sparkling.

  Somehow, Violet’s reaction seems to resemble Clerivan.

  "I asked you to meet me at the bridge reconstruction site today, so I think you"ve achieved all the reasons I"m in the north, right?"

  "Yes, Lady Florentia!"

  Me and Violet looked at each other and laughed.

  While Violet went to prepare me for the carriage, I looked a little around the wall.

  Screech.

  "Ahhhhhhh-ack!"

  Looking back, a little girl was falling down and crying.

  He seemed to have tripped over the wreckage of the wall.

  I approached and picked up the child and said.

  "Oopss! Wake up. It hurts more when you cry, so shake it off bravely."

  "Oh. Tuk. Tuk……"

  The child woke up with tears in her eyes and shook off her clothes as I told her to.

  "Oh my, it’s torn."

  The child’s knee was fortunately fine, but the clothes she was wearing were torn instead.

  "Lizzy, are you okay?"

  A woman who appeared to be a guardian ran late and looked at the child.

  "Oh, your clothes are torn. I’ll sew it for you later."

  "Yes. Okay, sister Ramona.

  "……Ramona?"

  I muttered unconsciously.

  When her name was called, the woman looked up.

  Her long, fine-grained red hair flew gently in that movement.

  It was her.

  As soon as I realized it, I felt uncomfortably nauseous.

  Ramona stood up smiling with a friendly face and said.

  "I’m sorry, didn’t Lizzie make your clothes dirty?"

  "No…… It didn’t happen."

  "They are children whose homes are buried in a landslide or their families are in an accident, but they’re still immature so I’m taking care of them while their parents are at the reconstruction site. I’m sorry for someone as high as you."

  You’re so nice!

  You are such a good person that I feel sorry for you!

  Seriously, where did the good blood and genes come from?

  "Good things…… You’re doing it."

  "I’m just doing what I can. I’m not that busy at work these days…… Oh, my name is Ramona and I work at the Monak Top."

  Ramona said as if she had only remembered, and looked around and sighed quietly.

  "Phew, if I were a little more capable, I could have protected the children in better situations……"

  Even a muttering word to oneself is nice.

  I can’t hate or be uncomfortable.

  I even felt a little despondent.

  Ramona was a really nice person, with no pretense.

  At the same time, something strange in my head, saying, ’I don’t want to lose to that woman either.’


  With a strange impulse, I held out my hand and said.

  "Nice to meet you, I’m Florentia Lombardy."

  "Lom, Lombardy……"

  Ramona stuttered in surprise.

  Ramona thought Florentia was a high-ranking aristocrat because of her clothes and atmosphere.

  This person in front of her is ’she’ Florentia Lombardy.

  No one in Ivan’s estate doesn’t know her these days.

  The only child of Gallahan Lombardy who owns Gallahan’s Clothing Store, the representative of the Lombardy family who came to save the North, and Perez’s childhood friend.

  It was when Ramona couldn’t erase her blank expression from her face.

  "Didn’t you get enough relief for the kids? We need to sew up her clothes a while ago……"

  "Oh…… the kids here were given a piece of clothing. And I also received a cloth to make additional clothes……"

  Be it home or family, in an environment where everything is buried under blunt or dirt, the children have to make clothes with the cloth.

  "Which official has done this?"

  "What?"

  Mumbling without knowing the meaning, Ramona asked Florentia.

  "You said a little while ago that you were working at the Monak top, right? Can’t you afford to help these kids at the Monak Top?"

  Ramona answered defensively, slightly offended by the rather straightforward question of Florentia.

  "Well, I’m using my own money and buying food for the children……"

  "No, not Ramona, but Monak Top. I think it can afford that much."

  "The Top profits will be used for bigger things."

  "A bigger thing……"

  Florentia looked at Ramona with strange eyes.

  It’s not that she’s angry or that she’s glaring at her.

  Under those eyes, Ramona somehow felt so small.

  "Once…… The owner of the Monak top told me himself, he’s not the kind of person who’s going to waste such money."

  "Do you know the owner?"

  Was Sir Nossier acquainted with this person?

  Ramona tilted her head.

  "Oh, I mean…… a little while ago at my business briefing."

  "I see……"

  "Hmm, then, I’m off to business. You’re having a hard time doing good things."

  "It was an honor to meet you, Lady Florentia."

  Ramona greeted politely.

  It was the courtesy of the common people to the aristocracy.

  "Hmm."

  Florentia paused for a moment and said.

  "See you again, Lady."

  "Yes, Lady Florentia."

  Ramona, who was bending down without thinking, was stunned.

  Did she make a slip of the tongue?

  When she thought so and raised her head, she saw Florentia riding on the carriage from afar and Violet of Pellet Corporation guarding her.

  Violet was gently looking after Florence’s clothes, and it seemed that she was instructing her to do something.

  Ramona opened her mouth at the appearance as if a maid and a young lady.

  For her, Violet was unintentionally a competitor, but at the same time was a huge entity that moved Pellet Corporation.

  "You’re a great person……"

  Ramona somehow seemed to sigh.

  Well, that’s why she was his childhood friend.

  Violet approached Ramona, who was comforting her slightly strange mind.

  "Miss Ramona?"

  "Vi, Miss Violet?"

  Violet, who was so gorgeous even in the same woman’s eyes, was smiling kindly at Ramona.

  "There’s a building near here owned by our Pellet Corporation. I think the kids can run around a little safer there, how about that?"

  "Really? Thank you, Miss Violet!"

  "Wait a minute here."

  After a while, Ramona immediately gathered the children and went to a place led by Violet.

  "Wow……"

  A large two-story building appeared to be unused.

  But it was neatly organized and the sunlight came through the big window, making it warm.

  "Wow, I’m excited!"

  "It’s not cold at all!"

  The children ran around laughing with excitement.

  "Once you’re here, I’ll bring you comfortable chairs or fluffy blankets. And……"

  When Violet beckoned, several people with large bundles came in and put something down.

  "What is this, Miss Violet?"

  "It’s children’s clothes. It’s ready-to-wear clothes from Gallahan Clothing Store."

  "Ah……"

  Ramona was surprised and covered her mouth with both hands.

  "The children will be so happy!"

  Tears welled up in Ramona’s eyes.

  "Thank you! Thank you, Miss Violet!"

  Ramona greeted one after another.

  A small smile at her, Violet shook her head and said.

  "I didn’t give this, Miss Ramona."

  "Then……"

  "Lady Florentia Lombardy asked me to help Miss Ramona, who was doing a great job."

  "You mean this building, those clothes?"

  "Yes, because Lady Florentia is the only disciple of Clerivan Pellet, the owner of Pellet Corporation. Of course, she’s also the only heir to Gallahan Clothing Store."

  "Well, I see……"

  Ramona alternately looked at the inside of the building where the children played and at the side of the building.

  A person who makes all this possible in a word.

  That’s the power of the person named Florentia Lombardy.2

  As Ramona was thinking so, Violet smiled and said.

  "Miss Ramona must have made a good impression on Lady Florentia. It’s not easy, but it’s great."

  Violet offered a heartfelt compliment, but Ramona’s expression wasn’t very bright.

  "This is your childhood friend……"

  Dark clouds were gathering in Ramona’s mind, which had been clean like a clear sky a little while ago.