* * *

“…What?”

Did I make a pact yesterday?

I rushed into the Grand Duke’s reception room with a shocked expression, only to be greeted by Hernan, whose face didn’t look particularly bright.

Oh no, I must have done something wrong. An undeniable sense of dread washed over me.

“Your Grace, I didn’t happen to commit any serious offense yesterday, did I…?”

“It’s fine. It’s my fault for offering more than what was appropriate.”

Why isn’t he denying that I did something wrong?

Did I really cause trouble yesterday?

As I clutched my arm with a pale face, Hernan asked, his expression deeply concerned.

“Are you saying you don’t remember the terms of the pact you personally signed yesterday, Mr. Everdeen?”

I desperately wanted to shout “Yes!” but I held back.

Even if it was embarrassing, I needed to know what I had done. If it was a pact, it wasn’t something I could brush off lightly, regardless of its content.

In situations like this, it’s better to confess honestly rather than try to make excuses. With my gaze fixed on the desk, I replied.

“I’m sorry, I must have drunk too much yesterday—I don’t remember anything.”

In modern terms, any contract made while under the influence wouldn’t be recognized as valid due to impaired judgment.

But this world’s laws aren’t that advanced, so I couldn’t just say I didn’t remember and leave it at that.

At the very least, I needed to check the contents and figure out what to do next.

“Hmmm… I’ve heard that Mr. Everdeen is quite meticulous when it comes to financial dealings, but it seems not all rumors are true.”

Ouch.

No matter how many excuses I could come up with, the responsibility ultimately lay with me for drinking beyond my limits.

“You weren’t in any condition to take the contract with you yesterday, so I’ve kept your copy here. It’s best if you check it yourself.”

Hernan pulled out a contract from a document drawer on the desk. The edges of the paper were delicately embossed with silver.

“I’ll check it immediately.”

I slid the contract towards me and began reading the elegantly written terms, my head tilting in confusion as I did.

1. The dowry return period is three years from the date of delivery, with interest to be collected annually according to the standard interest rate at the end of each year.

2. Upon the return of the dowry, the engagement between the heir of Yudenet and Berta Everdeen Callis will be annulled.

So far, the terms seemed reasonable and understandable…

1. The heir of Nirvan is to either stay at Yudenet Castle for half of the year as a guarantee for the annulment of the engagement and the return of the dowry, or assist the heir of Yudenet in fulfilling their duties as an heir according to Yudenet customs.

‘…What?’

What does that even mean?

Why do I have to stay at Yudenet Castle? And the next part was even more baffling.

1. Any issues arising during the duration of the pact will be judged and executed according to Northern customs.

Well, this is just another one of those typical, annoying clauses…

1. While the pact is in effect, the heir of Yudenet promises to invest 10,000 gold coins in establishing a northern branch of the Ever Paradise Hotel in any region of Nirvan that the heir desires, independent of the dowry return.

My eyes widened at the sudden mention of a business investment. The reason was simple: this clause was too favorable to me.

‘…What?’

For a moment, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I rubbed my eyelids with the back of my hand and looked back and forth between the contract and Hernan.

As always, his incredibly handsome face was bathed in the soft glow of the sunlight filtering in behind him, making him look almost unreal.

“Uh… Your Grace?”

As I stared at the contract, still struggling to grasp reality, Hernan nodded slightly as if to indicate he was listening.

“Yes, go ahead.”

And at that moment, the most foolish words slipped out of my mouth.

“Did I, by any chance, break a bottle yesterday and threaten Your Grace with it?”

There’s no other way I could’ve gotten such favorable terms.

I mean, why else would he offer such an advantageous deal when I was in a position where I had to return the dowry because my family’s fiancé had run off?

Either I had threatened him, or he wasn’t in his right mind.

“Is there a problem?”

The Grand Duke looked at me with cold, glacier-like eyes, calm as ever.

Is there a problem? Well, not for me.

The subsequent detailed clauses even gave me the option to annul the contract if I wanted to, making it far too favorable for me.

“Problem… No, it’s just that I can’t help but feel that Your Grace has been overly generous.”

In other words, the terms were so good that they seemed suspicious.

No matter how attractive the investment might be, this was too much. Honestly, I should have refused, even though the contract allowed me to.

“If I have even a shred of decency, it would be better to pretend this clause never existed.”

On the surface, there didn’t seem to be anything particularly alarming about him other than his good looks, but this was someone who had been dubbed one of the top three obsessive men in webtoon platforms.

If something threw him off in the middle of this, who knows what he might do?

Besides, I wasn’t in the position or mood to maintain ongoing interactions while accepting investments worth 10,000 gold coins.

Moreover, this wasn’t just a one-sided favor—it was an investment.

If he found some excuse to hinder the business and I failed to repay the investment within the stipulated time, I’d be facing even bigger problems.

So, even if it was disappointing, it was safer to decline politely.

‘Honestly, it’s tempting, but…’

Still, no means no. Maybe my drunk self would’ve jumped at the chance, but sober me wasn’t so foolish.

“Hmm… I understand what you’re saying.”

The Grand Duke let out a slight sigh, his expression calming down more than before. His long, graceful eyelashes fluttered slightly as he exhaled.

“Would you allow me a moment to explain the investment from my side?”

His face, which hadn’t shown much emotion earlier, was now clouded with a deep concern as he looked down at me.

What was he going to say? Feeling a bit nervous, I nodded.

“Yes, please go ahead.”

Trying my best to hide my surprise, I answered, and Hernan pulled out a map of Velon from behind him and spread it out on the desk.

“As you can see, most of Velon’s territory is composed of harsh, snowy plains. The majority of the inhabitants rely on hunting, logging, and mining for their livelihood. Velon is rich in natural resources, with many mountains yielding rare herbs, making the territory relatively wealthy compared to other imperial lands.”

What is this? Is he bragging about his territory?

Sure, Nirvan doesn’t have such resources, but we do have a mild climate year-round, warm springs, beautiful beaches, and gardens that bloom all year long.

If I wanted to brag, I could go on for 24 hours.

As I looked at the Duke with a puzzled expression that likely mirrored my thoughts, he continued, his expression shifting to a more serious tone.

“However, this is only true for those who are physically strong, like the average adult male. Every year, Velon faces severe challenges with unemployment and poverty among orphans, children, widows, and the elderly.”

As he spoke, a servant, who had been waiting in the study, quickly switched the map with a page summarizing the climate and population distribution of Velon.

“While the city as a whole may appear prosperous, that’s only the case for those who can withstand the harsh mining and mountain work. As you know, Velon’s winters are long, and the weaker members of society, who can’t generate income, rely on the duchy’s welfare to survive the harsh season.”

At this point, I thought I had an idea of what Hernan was trying to say.

“So, it’s not just about attracting business for regional development….”

“Yes, I’ve heard that Nirvan has plenty of jobs where both children and the elderly can earn a living through their own efforts.”

It sounds problematic when they mention children working.

To be precise, it was a system where children from poor families, who couldn’t afford basic education, could earn a modest income by picking and drying flowers used in bath products after school.

This income was then taken home.

In modern society, it might be different, but here, teaching children to read and write was often seen as useless if it didn’t contribute to the household.

It was common for families to keep their children out of school if they couldn’t help at home.

Since it wasn’t possible to endlessly use up the allocated regional resources, children were given simple part-time jobs they could handle easily.

‘It’s definitely innovative by the standards of this era.’

In a place where some regions still subjected children to fourteen-hour factory shifts without schooling, Nirvan was truly unique in offering a place where children could learn to read and write and earn a small wage just by engaging in simple tasks for two hours.

* * *