Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 30: Chapter 30

Ruth rubbed his temples as he pored over the ledger. Maxi searched his face, her head hung low like a child who had been scolded. After inspecting the receipts at length, Ruth sighed loudly and ran a hand down his face.

“I don’t even know where to start, my lady. Are these all the receipts?”

“Y-Yes, they are!” she managed to respond despite wanting to crawl into a hole in the ground.

He narrowed his eyes at the pile of parchment, then closed the ledger with a thud.

“It’s late. Let us continue tomorrow,” he said dourly.

“You c-could show me n-now…”

“Look at the state of this ledger. This isn’t something we can take care of in a day.”

Maxi heard his teeth grind. There was nothing more she could say. Crestfallen, she nodded.

***

The next morning, Maxi rushed to the library as soon as she awoke. There, she was greeted by Ruth yawning.

“You’re early,” he said.

Maxi could tell by his unkempt appearance that he had slept in the corner of the library again. She narrowed her eyes. She had sneaked out of her room at sunrise to avoid being humiliated by Ruth’s sharp tongue in front of the servants with barely enough time to wash her face. But lo and behold, the man who had frightened her out of her wits just the previous night was lounging about without a care in the world.

“Let’s have a look at the list of purchases first. We must cancel unnecessary orders at once.”

Ruth rose from his corner and sat down at the desk. Maxi seated herself across from him, running her fingers through her uncombed hair.

“Th-The m-merchant will c-come th-this afternoon. T-Tell me w-what I sh-should c-cancel, and I’ll d-do it.”

“Very well,” he said, organizing the papers by date.

Maxi clutched her skirt while he inspected the papers.

“Twenty liram for a slab of marble one kevette long and wide… You’ve written down the wrong currency. It was twenty derham, and that’s an inexpensive price.”

She sighed in relief, but Ruth was not finished. Tapping the desk with the tips of his fingers, he sighed and continued to explain painstakingly.

“Is it really necessary to change the flooring of both halls to marble? The flagstones are only a few years old. I suppose there’s nothing we can do now since construction has already started. Well, Lord Calypse does deserve some luxury, so we’ll just leave that be.”

“B-But c-construction on the g-great hall hasn’t b-begun yet… There is still t-time to c-cancel…”

“If you please, my lady,” he replied dryly and flipped the page. “Nothing else seems amiss. Banisters, railings for the balcony, window frames, curtains and carpets, tapestries, furniture, chandeliers, sculptures, a fountain… Fountain?!”

His flat voice rose sharply. Maxi flinched as if she had been lashed across the back. He whipped his head around, his eyes narrowed. Maxi could not bring herself to look at him and began stammering excuses in a barely audible voice.

“Th-The merchant s-said it w-would look s-splendid in the g-garden…

“Do you know how much work it takes to maintain a fountain? The plumbing alone requires large-scale construction! And the fountain is to be made of marble and crystal! This accursed merchant is trying to swindle the Calypse estate!”

Maxi shrank back at his cry of outrage. But his admonishment did not end there.

“And whose idea was it to use high-quality glass panes for all the windows? Only Roemian emperors of the bygone era would pay for such extravagance! Have you any idea how expensive glass is?”

“Th-The w-windows of C-Croyso Castle were all g-glass…”

“Your father is easily one of the wealthiest people in the Seven Kingdoms! But it’s not just a question of affordability. Glass windows are impractical because they cannot insulate. It would be no different from keeping the windows wide open.”

Ruth thumped his chest in frustration and continued.

“And remember, my lady, that the training grounds for the knights are in the courtyard. The day will come when those fools misfire their blade aura in a show of strength and shatter the expensive glass. Besides, glass scratches easily, and the servants will have to work twice as hard to keep it polished. We’re short-handed as it is.”

These points had never crossed Maxi’s mind. She remained silent.

Ruth’s face softened only when he had finished examining the receipts.

“I see that not everything listed here has been ordered yet. Let us replace the windows in the great hall, banquet hall, and a few guest rooms with glass. Balt glass or a double covering can be used for remaining rooms. Adding shutters would be practical for the winter so the windows can be opened occasionally for air flow. That should be more than sufficient to show visitors our wealth.”

He pulled out a fresh piece of parchment and drew a blueprint of the castle, indicating the halls and rooms he had mentioned. Maxi stared blankly and nodded.

“I u-understand. I’ll t-tell the m-merchant.”

“And that crystal fountain isn’t even worth discussing,” he said, discarding the piece of parchment in his other hand. He then dipped a quill in ink for her and opened the ledger to a blank page.

“Now, my lady. Let us try recording the purchases again carefully, without the overpriced items this time.”

Maxi eyed at the quill nervously. She had been expecting Ruth to take matters into his own hands.

“W-What if I m-make more m-mistakes…”

“You’ll have to keep accounts in the future. If you make a mistake, I’ll help you correct it. But you should have a try first, my lady.”

Her mind went blank as she looked at the ledger. Unable to recall a single thing she had learned, she began to sift through the receipts in a panic. She had to write down anything she could.

When she managed to compose herself, she began copying down item names and expenditures, starting from the oldest receipt. This time, her records included not only the quantity and cost of purchased items, but also the number of workers hired, their wages, and the length of their contracts.

As the calculations grew more complicated, cold sweat beaded on her skin. She added, added, and added again. But how much was each currency worth? The more she thought about it, the deeper her confusion grew.

After watching her struggle without a word, Ruth intervened with a frown.

“Forgive me if I’m wrong, but it seems that you do not know the currency conversions.”

“I d-do!” Maxi answered hastily, tightening her grip around the quill.

Ruth gave her a dubious look. She felt her mouth go dry.

“It’s j-just that… I’ve n-never b-bought anything myself… so I g-got a little c-confused…”

“How much is sixty liram in soldem?”

“F-Four?”

She blurted out the first answer that came to mind after hurriedly counting with her fingers. Seeing Ruth’s eyes narrow, she inhaled sharply and corrected herself.

“Th-Three!”

“How much is twenty-four denar in soldem, then?”

“Um…”

“How many derham coins would you get for ten liram?”

Ruth continued to scrutinize her. She was on the verge of tears, her face burning with shame.

He’s discovered that I’m incompetent beyond hope. What if he tells Riftan that I’m a stupid, stuttering fool?

As she lowered her head in fear, Ruth clutched his head and groaned.

“Not even Princess Agnes was this ignorant about worldly affairs! Has your life been that sheltered?”

She bit her lips. Ruth, too, was silent. Finally, he broke the stillness with a great sigh and pulled out a small pouch from the inside of his robe.

“Look closely.”

He fished out two silver coins from the pouch. One was a thick coin, its diameter about the length of her middle finger. An image of a bird spreading its wings was impressed into it. The other coin was small and thin, and only two-thirds the length of her little finger in breadth. Ruth tapped the larger coin with the tip of his finger.

“This large silver coin is a liram. The currency was minted during the time of the Roemian Empire and circulated widely throughout the entire continent. And this smaller silver coin here is a derham. Twelve derham make one liram.”

He pointed at the smaller coin before continuing.

“The derham originates from Lakazim in the Southern Continent. Trade with the southern realms has been more active in recent years, so we’re seeing a greater influx of these coins. They may be small, but they are stable and carry much value.”

She examined the small coin. It was the first time that she had seen real money up close. After placing the coin on her palm so she could see its details, Ruth resumed his explanation.

“On a scale, it takes exactly twelve derham to balance the weight of a liram. That’s why twelve derham can be exchanged for a liram.”

The next coins that came out of his pouch were gold. One was the size of a liram, and the other the size of a derham.

“The large coin is called a soldem, and it has been in circulation since the Roemian era. The smaller gold coin is called a denar, and it is from Lakazim, like the smaller silver coin. A soldem weighs as much as twelve denar, the same as the value of liram to derham.

“W-Why do they p-produce such small c-coins in the S-Southern Continent?”

“Trade in the Southern Continent is far more developed than ours. If the coins bore too much value, small-scale trade between individuals wouldn’t be possible.”

He scrunched his nose in annoyance at having to give such detailed explanations. Maxi was not entirely sure she had understood him, but she chose not to inquire further. Ruth set the coins down and continued his lesson.

“Gold is twenty times more valuable than silver. One soldem can be exchanged for twenty liram, and one denar for twenty derham.”