novelraw Chapter 150
Chapter 150
Ch.150 But You’ll Have to Pay For it Yourself
The day after Cecilia arrived.
While I was working in my office after breakfast—
—Knock, knock.
I answered lazily,
“Come in.”
—Creak.
The platinum-haired Saint entered.
“Father Hans, are you busy?”
I shook my head at Cecilia’s sly smile.
“No? But why?”
“Then take me on a tour of your estate!”
Her sudden request puzzled me—
but it made sense.
No other territory was developing as rapidly as Pisa lately.
It was practically the hottest spot in the empire.
“Alright. Wait just a moment.”
I hastily signed the day’s pending documents and turned to Cecilia.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes!”
She beamed brightly.
But the moment we left the room, she followed me with a cold, distant expression.
‘That’s exactly how a mentally unstable person acts.’
Probably preparing an excuse in case she ran into Mia.
Luckily, that scenario never happened—and we were able to board the carriage together.
Cecilia immediately snuggled against my side.
Her clinginess was a bit overwhelming.
Among the Hero Party, Leah and Cecilia were the most physically affectionate.
Leah had childhood trauma to explain hers, but Cecilia never hesitated to link arms or hold hands.
—“Where to, Baron?”
The coachman’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.
“Take us to the central district.”
—“Yes, sir! To the central district! Hyah!”
The carriage began moving slowly.
Cecilia nuzzled her face into my chest.
“Hehe… It’s been so long since we’ve done this.”
“We used to date often in the Imperial Capital, didn’t we?”
At my words, she lifted her face, her blue eyes sparkling.
“Yes! Almost a year now!”
We’d last met in the capital a few months before defeating the Demon King—
so her estimate was about right. I nodded.
“That’s true. We had quite a bit of fun back then.”
Honestly? It wasn’t fun at all.
Aside from buying romance novels and watching melodramatic operas, I barely remembered anything.
And I never understood opera—the pitch was either too high or too low, and the tempo so frantic I couldn’t make out a single word.
I just sat there blankly while Cecilia wiped tears with a handkerchief, raving about how tragic the hero was and how pure the heroine’s love.
Now, Cecilia looked up at me with innocent eyes.
“Come to think of it… Father Hans is incredibly rich, right?”
“You know it.”
“And you’re the lord of this territory too?”
“Hmm? So?”
Her intense gaze made me uneasy.
“I was so looking forward to supporting you… and now I feel a bit disappointed.”
“Huh?”
“Being a passive wife is so outdated! These days, proactive women are all the rage.”
“Is… that so?”
“Yes! Because if I’m only good at ‘supporting’ you… then I’m useless!”
Seeing her suddenly sullen, I replied,
“Well… to be honest, I’ve always wanted to live as a rich idler—spending money without lifting a finger.”
After all, that was my childhood dream.
“Then I’ll earn the money!”
Her words stunned me.
‘You—with a head full of flowers?’
A troubling thought crossed my mind:
If I let Cecilia manage all my assets, wouldn’t she invest in nonsense and lose everything?
She was kind-hearted—sure—but she’d likely fall for scammers’ tall tales or donate the entire fortune to orphanages.
I knew if I said that outright, she’d whack me with a full-powered ‘Divine Magic’ slap.
So I reluctantly nodded.
“Uh… sure? Okay.”
“Yes! I want to… open a bookstore! I’ll run it and support you, Father Hans!”
Even if Cecilia was naïve, she could handle basic math…
But still—
“Where will you get the money to open a bookstore?”
She looked at me as if I were the unreasonable one.
“You’ll provide it, of course.”
‘It’s my money…’
Her audacity was unbelievable.
“Well… alright.”
There was no point taking her seriously—
I’d just run away anyway.
—Creak.
The carriage finally stopped.
“We’re here.”
I opened the door and stepped down.
“Father Hans?”
Cecilia called after me.
I turned—only to find her staring blankly.
‘Sigh… She hasn’t changed at all.’
I extended my hand to her.
“Shall we go, milady?”
“Okay!”
She took my hand and stepped down.
Cecilia gaped in awe at the central district.
“Wow…!”
Tall, elegant buildings filled the area—
Pisa’s central district was the heart of the empire’s manufacturing and logistics.
“Come on. I know a lovely spot.”
As I led her forward, I heard her giggle.
“Father Hans, you’ve become so successful! Owner of such a magnificent place… I thought a barony would be ordinary, but this is incredible!”
“We’ve still got a long way to go. Look—construction’s still ongoing.”
I pointed to several half-built structures.
“That’ll be a grand cathedral, that’s commercial zoning, that’s a large smithy, and that’s for lodging.”
As I explained, Cecilia stared wide-eyed.
“But even if you’re rich, Father Hans… how can you afford to build so many buildings?”
“I didn’t spend a single coin. Once they’re complete, they’ll generate tax revenue—more money for me.”
All I’d done was grant permits.
At most, I’d offered lower taxes compared to other territories to attract craftsmen, guilds, and trading houses—
since lords here could set their own tax rates.
“But who’s paying for all this?”
Explaining economic incentives to Cecilia would be futile.
“People who want to live here. Now come on—we’re in a hurry.”
I tugged her hand to steer the conversation away.
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere you’ll love.”
“Really?”
I led Cecilia to a doll shop.
“Here?”
For a woman with such girlish sensibilities, nothing could be more perfect.
“It’s a doll shop.”
I opened the door and pulled her inside.
She murmured shyly,
“Aren’t I… too old to play with dolls?”
Though she sometimes looked like a teenager, she was a full-grown adult—so it wasn’t entirely wrong.
“Just look properly.”
When she turned to survey the store, her eyes lit up like stars.
“Th-that’s—?!”
The shelves were filled with adorable, delicate dolls.
Local doll-making was primitive—far cruder than modern standards.
They were so bizarrely shaped that local children probably wondered how to play with them.
(Leah once mistook a doll on her bed for a ghost as a child.)
So I’d introduced dolls made to modern standards—cute, charming, and lifelike.
Sure, I’d copied famous designs from my former world—but so what?
Earth’s copyright laws couldn’t reach this realm.
“Aren’t they… just too cute?!”
Cecilia held up a kitten doll with a pink ribbon, eyes sparkling.
“Wow! That one’s adorable too!”
She admired the tiny feline dolls with childlike glee.
“You haven’t seen the best part yet.”
“Huh?”
“Wait till you see what’s in the center.”
I guided her to the main display.
“Do you know what these are?”
“Aah! Is… is this Dora?!”
These were exquisite toys designed specifically for romance novel lovers—
not stuffed plushies, but beautiful figures modeled after the famed ‘Bibi dolls’ from overseas.
But that wasn’t all.
As a modern man, I had to go further.
I’d collaborated with famous romance novelists to create ‘limited-edition heroine dolls’.
Thanks to that, these dolls were wildly popular among wealthy noble households.
And the current limited release—’Dora’—was the heroine of Cecilia’s favorite novel, ‘Euphoria’.
I’d heard she was visiting and thought, ‘What better gift?’—so I’d come here with her in mind.
“How was this even made?”
She examined the Dora doll in stunned wonder.
“Hmm? Something about rubber… I don’t remember the details.”
I’d heard it involved latex from rubber trees in the southern Old Continent—but I wasn’t sure.
“Can you… change its clothes?”
“Huh?”
She frantically flipped Dora’s skirt to check.
“It’s… it’s real?! Who… who came up with this?!”
Her voice trembled—either from excitement or rising “virtue points.”
“Hehe—I made it. Now… don’t undress her yet!”
But Cecilia was already yanking off the doll’s dress, eyes wild.
“A wedding dress?! Where’s the wedding dress?!”
The wedding gown appeared in the final illustration of ‘Euphoria’—
a story centered on Dora and Davy’s trials to marry.
Of course I’d made the dress too.
“Check the display. It should be there.”
She scanned the racks eagerly—then gasped.
“Found it…! Huh?! It’s… this expensive?!”
Only then did she notice the price tags.
Limited edition + rare materials = naturally steep cost.
Watching her carefully redress Dora with trembling hands, I said,
“I’ll buy it for you—as a gift. Bring both the doll and the wedding dress.”
“Father Hans…”
Her touched expression made me think:
‘Good thing I prepared well.’
Her flushed cheeks and radiant smile were… oddly cute.
“Since we’re shopping… get me Davy too?”
“Huh?”
Let me be clear:
‘Dora’ was a limited-edition product designed to bleed dry nobles who doted on their daughters.
Even wealthy lords found it burdensome.
And now… she wanted ‘Davy’ too?
I knew she was shameless—but this much?
At least I had an excuse:
“Davy hasn’t been released yet. Next season, probably.”
Her face fell instantly.
“Aww… Why… weren’t Dora and Davy released together?”
“That’s just business.”
My reasoning was perfectly logical.
‘Euphoria’ was a timeless masterpiece—
we had to squeeze every drop of profit from it.
Now that Dora was out, Davy would follow—
doubling the toll on doting nobles.
Kids who owned Dora would ‘demand’ Davy.
And Davy’s price? I was planning something truly extravagant.
Cecilia glared at me.
“You… you demon!”
I patted her pouting head.
“Hehe… I’ll let you know when Davy launches.”
“Really?”
“Yes. But you’ll have to pay for it yourself.”
Cecilia froze—turning to stone on the spot.
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