The Villainess Lives Twice

In the past, salt tax was a flat-rate payment, similar to a permit tax for a salt business.

However, as the Emperor became de facto controller of the Duchy of Riagan, it was changed to a profit-sharing system.

The standard of salt tax is now 90% of production.

Most of the manufactured salt is sold. Salt is a daily necessity, and the only salt sold as a commodity throughout the Empire is produced by the Duchy of Riagan.

In addition, there have been cases where an individual mines rock salt little by little or produces a small amount in an area where there is no salt merchant at all. Usually such salt was of poor quality and was consumed only in small quantities in the vicinity.

So, the stock is reserved for emergencies, not because it cannot be sold.

It was the Emperor himself who decided the market price anyway. So, just by grasping the production volume, they could know the size of the sales.

The remaining 10% was left to the Duchy of Riagan to fill in errors in the ledger or to be used for business expenses.

The book manipulation Bellon said was that the Duke had manipulated the ledger that identified the amount of production.

“We have closed a few small factories and warehouses. To offset this, we corrected the number by saying that we increased production at a large manufacturing plant.”

However, in reality, large manufacturing plants did not increase production to match the closed ones.

Due to the limitation in the supply of wood, each manufacturing plant has a limited production capacity. The number was fixed by saying that production was increased in a place where it could not be increased further.

“Duke Riagan has filled the reduced amount with his personal finances.”*

Bellon said in a cold sweat.

The Emperor did not check the ledgers one by one. Neither did Bellon.

The lower-ranking officials of the Ministry of Finance, who really matched the number in the books, were rather happy that Duke Riagan filled it in, even though the production was actually reduced.

They were afraid of angering their superiors because they could not maintain as much tax revenue as the previous year.

But from Bellon’s position, this was a completely different matter.

Paying the salt tax in money is a temporary expense, and the business is continuous.

The Duchy of Riagan made it impossible for the Imperial government to determine the exact scale of salt production.

This has been going on for at least five years. Since the salt tax has gradually increased every year, they have never looked directly into the ledger.

When Bellon learned of this, he felt a chill in his spine.

There is no guarantee that the closed manufacturing plant is really closed.

The Emperor’s face turned red. As he leaned against his desk and clenched his fists, some of the papers were crumpled.

The chief attendant hurriedly ran and supported the Emperor. The Emperor gasped for his breath and sat down on the chair.

“When did you find out about that? Why are you only reporting it now?”

“I beg your mercy, Your Majesty. I was foolish …….”

“Who told you to apologize! Didn’t I ask when did you know?”

“It hasn’t been long. After this incident, while investigating other businesses of the Duchy of Riagan……. I couldn’t tell you right away because I thought that it was true that Duke Riagan filled the treasury with his personal expense, or maybe there was a real business problem and he could not tell His Majesty, so he might be paying with his own money.”

Bellon trembled as he spoke,

“But if it is true that the coarse salt business has been so big, this ledger…….”

“Stop it now.”

The Emperor waved his hand violently and touched his head. His back was stiff and he felt dizzy.

“Confiscate all the ledgers from the Duchy of Riagan. No, no. Just go through all the documents in the treasury and bring the results.”

Other parts were intended to be investigated by the secret police.

“Go away. Get away!”

The Emperor half-roared.

The officials rushed out of the office like driven goats.

Bellon took out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his palms, and wiped his forehead as well.

It wasn’t hot anymore, but from his face to the collar of his neck he was wet with sweat.

Others looked at Bellon with concern. Everyone knew that he was timid.

Chancellor Lin asked softly.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry for the troublesome appearance. It was all my fault.”

Bellon made excuses as if muttering.

“I was going to check with Duke Riagan first and then tell His Majesty.”

“Because there were a lot of things.”

“Yes.”

Bellon bowed his head.

“Anyway, be careful. This is not a political issue. He will feel betrayed as much as His Majesty had trusted Duke Riagan.”

The reason Chancellor Lin gave such advice was because he knew Bellon had no talent for politics.

Joining Lawrence’s faction was the opportunity of a lifetime. But he failed without a hitch.

The reason Bellon is still here is probably because the Emperor did not feel the need to do anything.

The officials comforted Bellon with a few more words. And they decided to move to the Ministry of Finance together.

On the side of the Duchy of Riagan, the Emperor would issue an order after investigation, but he would have to hold a meeting with Grand Duke Roygar on the matter of the Eimmel Kingdom.

Bellon said he would go out of there.

“I have to hurry up and go back to the Treasury to match the old ledgers and documents. Because His Majesty has not specifically ordered us when to go back.”

They’ll probably have to go through everything from the last 18 years.

“Okay. You must hurry. Go on.”

Bellon bowed his head to greet the others and left the place alone at a quick pace.

He went to the carriage he was riding in, and a middle-aged attendant approached him.

“Are you on your way back to the Treasury, Sir Bellon?”

Bellon hardened his face.

“Attendant Cobb.”

“It looks like you have something important to do.”

Cobb asked softly.

Bellon’s jaw trembled.

On the surface, Bellon, a bureaucrat of the Ministry of Finance, is of a much higher rank. However, Cobb was the Emperor’s attendant and an officer of the secret police.

Besides, Cobb had some of his weaknesses.

Bellon secured the budget with the power of the Treasury when Cobb formed an organization within the Ministry of Interior and the secret police for Lawrence.

Things that wouldn’t have been a big deal before Lawrence was overthrown. The Emperor would have regarded it as Lawrence’s ability.

But Lawrence was dismissed. That being what happened, what Bellon had done would be a problem retroactively.

The Treasury issue is sensitive. So, Bellon was more guilty than Cobb, who gathered people.

All the more so because he knows that Cobb must have had a proper excuse for himself.

Bellon wanted to somehow prevent Lawrence’s downfall.

That’s why he sent the information to Lawrence as Cobb told him to while he was in custody.

Lawrence, however, was driven helplessly, unable to do anything.

And he himself was caught by Grand Duke Evron in which it became a weakness.

[“I have no intention of making a request to Sir. It’s hard to say what kind of weakness this is.”]

Cedric said calmly,

[“Even if I actually tell His Majesty, I’ll hear people say that I am trying to accuse those who love Lawrence by fussing over the smallest things.”]

[“…… Yes.”]

[“However, I need to know who measures the weight between the Imperial Order? Palace? and Lawrence.”]

Bellon made a list as he was requested and handed it over.

Cedric invited him to dinner. The dinner was also attended by the Gayan couple, and the pregnant Grand Duchess presided over the table as hostess.

It was a sign that they could put Bellon in their shadow.

Bellon decided to believe it. He hadn’t committed any major sin anyway.

Compared to this case of coarse salt, handing information to Lawrence was not a problem.

“Your Majesty will inform Attendant Cobb if necessary.”

“Sir Bellon.”

Cobb raised his eyebrows slightly.

Bellon sticks out his belly with pride. He didn’t say anything wrong. The coarse salt incident was not something anyone could talk about.

“I have told His Majesty everything. You don’t have to try to find out first, Attendant Cobb.”

If Cobb needs to get the information first, what else would he do other than send a message to Lawrence?

He informed the Emperor, and he did his duty. Bellon recalled that fact.

Cobb frowned.

It was not the attitude of an imperial attendant who had to be kind to everyone. It was to press Bellon.

But Bellon greeted him and turned around.

To be honest, Grand Duchess Evron was four times more terrifying.

[“Your wife is from Southern nobles, isn’t she?”]

[“Yes. That’s right. I can’t even say that she has a high title.”]

[“Then, you must be familiar with the situation in the South. Do you often interact with your in-laws?”]

[“It’s relatively like that. Because my parents are commoners. I get a lot of help from my in-laws for living and educating my children.”]

Artizea said with a bright smile,

[“You’re probably close with Duke Riagan, right? Are you worried about the recent events? Is everything okay with your in-laws?”]

[“Fortunately, they didn’t get caught up in the battle because they weren’t living near the beach. They were worried about the incident of the Duchy of Riagan. The Duchy know that we have a relationship even though we are not very close.”]

[“I heard that the Duchy of Riagan is very active in expanding friendships. There are probably very few families that are not related to the Duchy of Riagan when it comes to families that are stepping into the social world.”]

It was an ordinary conversation.

Saying hello to family and relatives and finding out where connections are coming from was, of course, everyone’s job when they started making a relationship.

It was the same with the story of the Duchy of Riagan. Was there anyone who didn’t talk about the Duchy of Riagan back then?

It was just before farewell that the insignificant conversation suddenly took on meaning.

[“Come to think of it, the Ministry of Finance will have a hard time because there is no salt tax coming from the Duchy of Riagan.”]

[“We have ample national treasury, so there is no need to worry.”]

[“However, it is difficult to match the numbers in the ledger, so once His Majesty begins to pay attention, it will become difficult in a different way.”]

And Artizea said,

[“What is the probability that a family who wanted to dominate the social world and with a complex in their lineage will not be obsessed with wealth and power?”]

[“Yes?”]

[“The profits His Majesty allowed to the Duchy of Riagan are enormous. But they say power is like salt water. The Duchy of Riagan wants more than a wealthy life.”]

Combining Artizea’s words clearly led to a warning. To Bellon, it felt like a threat.

Bellon’s wife has a connection with the Duchy of Riagan. The Duchy of Riagan wanted more than a wealthy life, perhaps becoming the ruling family of the South, like the old Duchy of Riagan.

If the number in the ledger had not been properly matched and provided the basis for it, and if it was discovered by the Emperor, there was no way for Bellon to call it safe.

If so, he had to find it and tell the Emperor first.

It was for this reason that Bellon began to search the ledgers.

—

Somnium’s weekly chapter breakdown:

*So some of you might be wondering how the Duchy of Riagan makes money by paying the Crown out of their own pocket. This financial scheme is rather complicated (and some of it is a speculation on my part).

First thing first, we need to understand that as long as the supply of Sea Water is constant, the Duchy doesn’t really pay anything. If say a production plant that used to produce 10 units of Salt was closed and the Duchy opened a new one off the book that also produces 10 units of Salt, the Duchy effectively paying nothing. The only difference is that now there is a production plant that is not within the Empire’s account. And the big production plant somewhere is ‘larger’ on paper.

Now, the Empire expects monotonically increased tax revenue. So, the moving of this production plant might seem like a hassle for no gain. But we need to understand that the logistics of the medieval era are very different from ours. For one thing, there is no pipe or high output pump. Carrying a ton of Sea Water inland is mostly a dream. So the location of the production plant will be quite important. If you can move a plant to somewhere that is easier to supply it with Sea Water and Wood, the production will increase.

My guess is that Riagan who knows and understands all of this improves the production capability of his region as a whole. And while doing so some old plants were shut down, a more productive new plant was established. And instead of reporting an improvement, he reports a steady production. He pays some money out of his own pocket, but those weren’t his to begin with. He pays what is needed, and reap all the profit from any improvement.

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