“This is still in developnt, so it’s not available on the market yet. It should be officially launched around this fall.”
“Really? Then I’m the first person to receive a gift from Penelope! Wow, I’m so happy. Truly!”
Elizabeth bead with joy, and seeing her so delighted filled Penelope with warmth.
Elizabeth’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she asked, “Is there anything else you’re developing, Penelope?”
“There’s one more thing, but once it’s finished, I’ll send it to you, Betty.”
“I bet it’s going to be sothing brilliant. Penelope, your ideas are amazing. I don’t know how you co up with such things.”
“Haha, well, thank you for the complint…” Penelope laughed awkwardly, brushing off the question. She couldn’t exactly explain that she was using knowledge from her previous life—that would make her seem like a lunatic.
Elizabeth, carefully tucking the costic set into her bag, suddenly pulled out a roll of papers from her pocket.
“I also have so good news for you, Penelope. Ta-da!”
She untied the ribbon and spread out the papers, revealing the title Durek Railway Project Plan.
Penelope’s eyes widened in shock. The Durek Railway was the very project that had brought her significant wealth.
Elizabeth, clearly proud, announced, “Isn’t it amazing? This railway will run across the entire continent, and Halo will be one of its stops.”
“…Really? I can’t believe it.”
Penelope, her hands trembling slightly, examined the docunts Elizabeth handed her.
“Construction is set to begin this sumr. By next fall at the latest, you should be able to take a train directly from the capital to Halo.”
“Oh my goodness…”
Penelope couldn’t close her mouth. What she had once only imagined was now becoming a reality. A railway connecting the capital to Halo would transform the territory overnight.
Even now, migrants were flocking to the northwestern part of the continent. If a train station were built in Halo, the population density would skyrocket.
Increased population would naturally lead to the growth of comrce, economics, banking, arts, culture, and education—all the necessary infrastructure for developnt.
This is my chance to turn Halo into a pri tourist destination, Penelope resolved. If the railway succeeded, her dream of early retirent could beco a reality.
“So, what do you plan to gain by handing that over to Penelope?”
Ahwin’s cold voice abruptly cut through her thoughts, freezing Penelope in place. He was staring at Elizabeth with an icy gaze.
“There’s no way you’d give sothing away for free. What do you want from her?”
“…”
Elizabeth’s expression stiffened as she t Ahwin’s piercing eyes, her gaze tinged with bitter emotion.
She sighed deeply before replying, “It’s true that I don’t do things without a price. Investing in Halo is a calculated move for the future. But everything I’m proposing benefits Penelope.”
“You’ll have to be more specific,” Ahwin said, his tone sharp.
“…I didn’t expect this,” Elizabeth muttered, downing her beer in one gulp and slamming the mug on the table. She wiped her lips carelessly with the back of her hand before continuing.
“Last winter, the collapse of green herb prices nearly destroyed the northern territories. The new emperor had just ascended the throne, and Yulis—well, the emperor—tried his best to handle it, but there wasn’t much he could do. Then, as if by a miracle, Penelope appeared—a remarkable lord who organized the northern people and brought them back from the brink. Can you imagine how grateful I am to her?”
“If the green herb prices had been properly managed from the start, the north wouldn’t have suffered such devastation,” Ahwin retorted.
Elizabeth sighed, her shoulders drooping. “That… was entirely Yulis’s and my failure. But please believe when I say we tried our best to prevent it.”
Ahwin’s voice grew even colder. “And I’m supposed to take your word for it? What else are you hiding?”
Elizabeth’s eyes filled with hurt as she looked at him. “Ahwin, you’ve really changed. You never used to talk to like this.”
Her tone was laced with disappointnt, and she stared at him as if trying to reach sothing that was no longer there.
If it had been Penelope in Elizabeth’s place, she would have apologized imdiately. Ahwin, however, simply smirked, the corners of his lips curling into a mocking grin.
“Do you think making that face will shake even a little? I know you better than anyone, Betty. You’re the kind of woman who calculates exactly how much crying will work in your favor before you shed a single tear.”
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes.
“…Who are you, really? Are you even Ahwin?”
“This is who I’ve always been. You just never noticed.”
“…”
Elizabeth’s face went blank, as though she had been struck by a sudden revelation. A bitter smile played across her lips before she finally spoke.
“Fine, since you’re so curious, I’ll tell you everything.”
With that, Elizabeth began explaining calmly.
“Not every vassal sworn to Yulis’s service acts according to his will. The trade agreent with the Eastern Continent wasn’t supposed to be rushed like that. The original plan was to buy northern herbs in bulk and then impose tariffs on imported goods. We were going to gradually adjust the market prices step by step.”
Elizabeth ground her teeth, glaring into the empty air as if she were staring down invisible enemies. Her violet eyes glead with a dangerous light.
“But then! Those power-hungry fools among the vassals started acting on their own. They decided unilaterally that it would help the emperor and went ahead without permission. Damned idiots! If they’re going to act on their own, they should take responsibility! Why make a ss and expect soone else to clean it up? Honestly, they can all just drop dead for all I care!”
“…”
Penelope flinched.
What is this? She’s terrifying.
She had thought she understood the heroine well, but now she wasn’t so sure.
Being empress must have been exhausting.
The Ellano Empire occupied two-thirds of the continent, with six duchies and two autonomous territories under its rule. Six neighboring kingdoms bordered the empire.
Managing such a massive landmass was no small feat.
To succeed, one had to wage countless battles of wits against lords, knight orders, high priests, and bureaucrats.
Even the emperor and empress had territories they were personally responsible for governing.
If they made do that, I’d run for the hills.
What good is royal status if you work yourself to death?
Penelope clicked her tongue inwardly.
Now that I think about it, the heroine is so pitiful. She only wanted revenge against the emperor who killed her, but instead, she ended up with the hardest job in the world.
Penelope felt a pang of sympathy for Elizabeth, imagining the weight she carried.
Ahwin, however, seed utterly unfazed. Folding his arms, he asked,
“So? You want to use Penelope to build your power?”
“Of course! She’s capable, easy to communicate with, and exactly the kind of person the emperor and I desperately need right now.”
Elizabeth drained the rest of her beer and slamd the mug down with a forceful exhale. Her sharp gaze betrayed her frustration.
“Now are you satisfied? Everything I’m proposing benefits Penelope. For Halo to survive, it needs tunnels, railways—whatever it takes. Besides, with you by her side, there’s no way I’d propose sothing that would harm her.”
Ahwin scoffed and turned to Penelope. “You’ve heard enough, right? The decision is yours.”
“…”
Penelope swallowed hard. Saying “I’m not sure” seed like an invitation for both Ahwin and Elizabeth to tear into her.
Elizabeth’s tone softened, almost coaxing.
“I promise, Penelope, I’ll do everything I can to make sure this benefits you. No noble would dare mistreat a lord the empress has personally shown interest in.”
Her eyes practically asked, You trust , don’t you?
Penelope nodded quickly, sneaking a glance at both of them before hesitantly speaking.
“Well, I only have the authority of an acting lord at the mont…”
“Then I’ll grant you full authority as a lord. What else do you need? Tell , and I’ll make it happen,” Elizabeth replied without hesitation.
A shiver of exhilaration ran through Penelope.
With one statent, the empress had officially recognized her as the true lord of Halo. With Elizabeth’s endorsent, no one would dare look down on her again.
Wow, this is what absolute power feels like. It’s thrilling.
A tingling sensation coursed down her spine.
In truth, extending the railway to Halo had been part of Penelope’s plan all along.
The fact that this monuntal project—one that would have required half of Halo’s annual budget—was now being offered for free was nothing short of a miracle. There was no reason to refuse.
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