[Lubon Workshop]
About ten or so workers were busily moving around under the worn-out sign.
Wishit said sarcastically as they stood beside .
On the way to the studio, Sienna’s expression was also tinged with surprise when she heard tell her everything.
“This is not an issue to let go of. I’ll report to the young duke imdiately.”
“You don’t have to. I’ve already contacted him.”
“Ah, are you referring to the earlier letter you handed to the maid?”
“That’s right. I don’t want to bla my brother, but how is he so oblivious to the fief’s situation? Not to ntion Lubon is just a stone’s throw away from the capital.” I added in bewildernt, “Does he not send inspectors to the territories?”
“No. Every territory is sent an inspector to report on the situation every six months.” Sienna opened the notebook in her hand, looked through it, and then said, “There is an Inspector Arthur Trickster assigned to Lubon.”
“But the fact that Brother didn’t know the fief’s circumstances in the slightest ans that the inspector took so back money from Count Lubon?”
“Yes, maybe.”
“This is absurd. If I hadn’t co to Lubon, it would have been like this forever, right?”
It was pure luck. The confirmation of the isolation to the escort had happened in an instant, so it beca a disaster for those people involved. If they had been given ti for the rumor of Princess Diollus’s one-year stay to be spread around the neighborhood earlier…
‘The bullies must have prepared in so way. Fortunately, it looks like they ‘re caught in this surprise inspection.’
Filled with a sense of responsibility, I felt like I’d been unexpectedly given a secret quest for the Royal Secret Service of the Joseon Dynasty.
The inside of the workshop was a worse environnt than the outside. Not to ntion the narrow space, the few flickering lights in the dark room further strengthen my opinion. Poor ventilation, the musty sll that bothered the tip of the nose, and the flying dust that clogged the throat. If you work in a place like this, it’s only a matter of ti before you get a bronchial disease.
“P-Princess?” At that ti, a middle-aged man ca running from a corner of the workshop.
Behind him were the siblings I’d seen earlier. Jeremy and Luna.
“You are Princess Diollus, right? I heard the story from my children. My na is Charlie Works, the workshop manager.”
“Nice to et you.” I reached out my hand to Charlie Works, a kind-looking man with an untrimd brown beard.
Charlie, who was about to shake my hand, hesitated and wiped his hands on his work clothes. Then he smiled awkwardly as if he was worried. “It’s an honor, but my hands are too dirty.”
“It’s fine.” I grabbed Charlie’s hand with all my heart and shook him up and down with a big shake.
Charlie, who laughed in embarrassnt, said, “Uh, that… I heard from the kids that my son was rude to the princess.”
“No, no. It was not Jeremy who was rude to , but Count Lubon and his servant Greg. Jeremy didn’t do anything wrong, don’t scold him.” I smiled at Jeremy, who hid behind his father and hesitated, and gestured into the air.
One of the escorts who followed set down a heavy leather package at my feet.
Charlie’s eyes widened when he saw the glittering jewels through the gaps.
“What is this?”
“I heard wages have been delayed by three months. Is that true?”
“Ah…”
“The wages of the workshop employees have all been pushed back, right? It looks like less than ten people are around, but this may not be all…”
“No, all my friends are here. There are twelve of us, including .”
“Yes?”
As could be guessed from the fact that sales reached 400 million marks per month, the volu of deliveries that Lubon Workshop provided to the capital was staggering.
But… Only twelve workers making it?
Charlie added a shy smile, probably recognizing my bewildered expression. “I couldn’t pay the wages on ti, so everyone dispersed.”
“Mr. Charlie pays the employee wages? Didn’t you get that from the count?”
“Ah, if the count gives the monthly wages, I distribute it to the employees. However, he said that the workshop’s inco has not been good for the past three months…”
“Dad, do you believe that? The amount of hundreds of orders is the sa, but why is the inco decreasing? Does that make sense?” Jeremy, who was listening, interrupted with gritted teeth, and Charlie stopped him in surprise.
Charlie wasn’t an idiot, but he didn’t know if his little son was aware for sure. One should not say anything about the tyranny of the aristocrats.
He hid his trembling hands behind his back.
“I don’t have cash right now, so I brought so jewelry with when I ca here. If you cash in at the pawnshop, you’ll have quite enough. I heard you urgently need dicine too. I hope you can solve it soon.”
“Y-Yes? Oh no… Princess doesn’t need to be so considerate of our situation. There have been several cases in which wages have been delayed. Having worked with the count for a long ti, I understand that much. It’s just that Jeremy’s been sensitive these days because his mother was sick…”
Seeing Charlie’s embarrassed expression made frown.
Wishit clicked their tongue.
It was strange that he defended the count like this even though he knew that the count was sucking up all the workshop inco.
“It’s not a problem that wages are delayed. For the count to manage the workshop’s inco is itself a violation of the contract.”
“Yes? Oh, no no. He rewrote the contract five years ago. He said that since the workshop is getting bigger, he should manage the inco at the territorial level. It’s what Duke Diollus himself ordered…”
“I beg your pardon?” I turned to Sienna in surprise, and Sienna imdiately and firmly shook her head. It ant there was no such thing.
It was as Wishit said.
Wage arrears, illegal labor exploitation, bribing inspectors, and even forgery of contracts…
I began to breathe slowly, feeling suffocated.
“Sienna.”
“Yes, lady.” The quick-witted Sienna imdiately held her notebook, opened it, and grabbed her pen.
“The work environnt is horrible. We need to rebuild the workshop building. Hire drafting carpenters right away, and find interior decorators as well.”
“All right.”
“Since the workshop mbers should be most comfortable when working, the construction process is carried out with Charlie inspecting it from beginning to end. In the middle, Sienna, please do your best.”
“Of course,” Sienna responded by quickly waving her pen, and Mr. Charlie, who was looking at , stamred.
“P-Princess. You really don’t need to do this…”
“Of course it has to be done. I just couldn’t do it until now. And if possible, would you please contact the scattered woskrhop mbers and ask if they can work again?”
“Yes?”
“You don’t have to worry about wages. Even if there is no inco from the workshop, the wages of the workshop employees will not be pushed back in the future,” I added, preparing to return.
“Let’s rewrite the contract imdiately. I’ll make a proper employnt contract, so please wait a little bit.”
“R-Rewrite the contract? W-What about Count Lubon?”
“Do I need to worry about the count? After all, Lubon is the domain of Diollus, and I am the daughter of the Diollus family, right?”
Charlie’s face was full of concern even when I said it lightly.
I could understand his concerns to so extent.
I might seem like a young aristocratic lady with a sense of justice who was trying to make things easier for a while, but I was only going to stay here for a year.
The workshop people always had to work under the acting lord, Count Lubon.
However…
‘I’ve already learned about all the bullying. How can I let him live?’
Assuming Charlie’s needless concern, I smiled. “As of today, neither Charlie nor the workshop family, Jeremy, nor Luna will ever see that bully mustache, so don’t worry.”
“Y-Yes? B-Bully?”
“I will be back soon.” Leaving the workshop, I managed to calm my troubled heart.
In Rubette’s previous life, she had never been isolated to Lubon. The bullying of Count Lubon had never been brought to the surface.
In other words, the bullies stealing the Lubon fief’s enormous inco lived happily, and the workshop workers who had to pay for their labor went hungry for the rest of their lives.
‘I’m going mad.’
I couldn’t help but feel responsible.
Although it had been an unhappy life, because she was the daughter of a rich family, Rubette had lived her whole life without worrying about what to wear or what to eat.
But it was ridiculous to find that the dresses were made with the blood and sweat of less fortunate workers.
“My lady, are you thinking of dismissing Count Lubon right away?” Sienna, who followed, asked, and I nodded.
“Mm. It would be a pity if I just cut his head off. I will do all the ledger investigation, have him spit out the stolen money, confiscate his titles and send him to the military police. Right now.”
“Oh, of course you should, but… You’re in isolation. If you step up yourself, you might get into trouble,” Sienna said, seemingly concerned about my position under investigation. “Once we get in touch, let’s leave it to the duke… He will soon visit with the investigation team to investigate the count. If the cri is proven, the case will be transferred to the military police, and through formal procedures-”
“Sienna.”
“Yes, my lady.” I cut off Sienna’s lengthy words and added, “Waiting for Brother Viego, hand it over to the investigation team, then investigate and transfer the case to the military police… If we wait for the entire process, it will take a year. Won’t we just give the count ti to clean up the ledgers?”
“…”
“I know what you’re worried about, but don’t worry.”
Abuse of power was not good, but there were always exceptions.
The company president was my father, the CEO was my brother, and the investigation leader, the crown prince, who told to do whatever I wanted even though I was isolated, was on my side.
“Can’t I do whatever I want right now with the head of the employee who embezzled public funds?” I patted Sienna’s shoulder and smiled. “I am the president’s daughter.”
“Ah…” Sienna was still concerned, but she nodded as if she was relieved a little by my confident attitude.
I reassured her one more ti not to worry, then gnashed my teeth and turned around.
‘You bastard. You’re gone now.’
I’ll show you the thrilling taste of power.
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