The wizard, wrapped in a thick robe with the hood pulled down to his eyebrows, was snoring softly.

His appearance was somewhat gloomy, even a bit ridiculous.

“Humph! A perfectly healthy young man behaving like this,” Sir Kane muttered, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

But the wizard, with his arms crossed and head lowered, didn’t stir.

Being able to sleep in such an awkward position was, in its way, impressive.

“Was hiring a wizard a mistake?”

Penelope swallowed the sigh rising in her throat.

Hiring a wizard had been a necessity for her.

Employing a large number of mercenaries who might cause trouble was far riskier than hiring a single wizard.

Besides, a Mage Tower wizard was far more trustworthy than wandering sorcerers.

Sir Kane shared the same opinion, which was why he hadn’t opposed her decision.

If the magic stone barrier was properly set up, it would protect against intermediate-level monsters and below. Higher-level monsters rarely left the deep forests, so their attacks weren’t a major concern.

This would allow the territory to allocate a minimal number of soldiers to guard the lord’s castle through the winter.

Though the wizard they brought back from the Mage Tower seemed far from ideal.

“At this point, I just have to trust Rector’s guarantee,” Penelope thought.

Rector, who had introduced himself as the branch manager of the Mage Tower, had personally written a letter of guarantee to alleviate her doubts.

“If the hired wizard neglects his duties, the Mage Tower branch will take full responsibility and send a replacement.”

Essentially, it was an after-sales service promise.

Only then had Penelope felt reassured, while Sir Kane had secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“You should try to get some rest. We’ll be arriving early in the morning,” Sir Kane said.

“That sounds like a good idea. I’ll leave things in your hands.”

“Protecting the Baroness is my duty and honor.”

Sir Kane threw another disdainful glance at the wizard, snorting in irritation.

Penelope, appreciating Sir Kane’s concern, closed her eyes.

“At least I’ve put out the immediate fires,” she thought.

Though the wizard seemed unreliable, she had hired a professional. Emergency supplies had been purchased, and she’d secured 80,000 gold coins along with 150,000 gold worth of magic stones and purification stones.

If nothing else, this would be enough to last until next year.

A faint sigh of relief escaped her lips.

“All I need to do is hold out until next fall. By then, Durek Railroad Company stock should skyrocket.”

Penelope had firm confidence in her plan.

After all, she had the original story advantage.

Like most romance fantasy novels, the original ended on a happy note. The heroine’s struggles guaranteed her a rewarding future.

That included the massive success of the heroine’s railroad business.

Penelope saw no reason not to benefit from the rewards the heroine was destined to receive.

“If the stock price increases tenfold, I’ll be able to pay off both the principal and interest at once. Life’s all about taking big risks,” she thought, choosing to ignore how much she now sounded like a gambling addict.

The next steps were to build a foundation for the territory, develop business plans, and achieve financial independence for Halo.

“Once the territory becomes self-sufficient, I’ll be rich enough to live comfortably as a carefree retiree.”

Her vision for the future brought a faint smile to her lips as her eyelids grew heavy.

Fatigue from days of constant effort washed over her like a wave, and she quickly succumbed to sleep.

In the early hours of the next morning, Penelope awoke suddenly. A faint, eerie light pierced her vision.

Startled, she held her breath.

“What’s going on? Is this a dream?”

Across from her, the wizard was holding a round crystal orb in both hands, staring intently into its center.

The bluish light emanating from the orb cast an ominous glow over the wizard’s face.

Through his tousled blonde hair, she could make out pale green eyes rolling as they focused on the orb.

“A communication orb?”

There was no sound coming from the orb. Perhaps the other party had disabled the signal.

Yet, the wizard continued to pour magic into the orb, his gaze filled with obsessive longing.

“…Are you asleep?”

Penelope froze. That voice—it wasn’t her imagination. The words had actually come from the wizard’s mouth.

“Asleep? Asleep?!”

She instinctively reached into her pocket to check her pocket watch. It was three in the morning.

“You’re sleeping, aren’t you? I haven’t been able to sleep since you left. Only now do I realize how precious our time together was.”

Penelope felt a sudden jolt of clarity. There was no mistaking it—the wizard was a classic case of an ex-boyfriend lost in his late-night emotions.

“So that’s why he looked so broken. Heartbreak. And I have to witness this live?”

“I hope you’re happy where you are. I want you to be the unhappiest person in the world.”

This is peak idiot behavior.

Penelope discreetly glanced around.

The dimly lit space was empty save for her and the wizard. Sir Kane seemed to have moved to the coachman’s seat outside, likely to avoid witnessing this nonsense.

“Looks like he fled to spare himself the secondhand embarrassment.”

Penelope shivered as a chill ran down her spine and squeezed her eyes shut. At times like this, ignorance was bliss.

***

The retainers of Halo’s lord were overjoyed at Penelope’s return.

“You managed to secure a loan of one million gold from the Imperial Bank branch manager!”

“Truly remarkable.”

“You’ve worked so hard for this!”

The retainers gathered around, marveling at the pouch of gold coins Sir Kane held.

As the glittering coins sparkled like stars within the pouch, they collectively let out gasps of astonishment.

“Out of the one million, I used 200,000 gold to purchase stocks my father recommended. He assured me the prices will skyrocket next year, so I plan to let them sit for a while before cashing out.”

“If it’s information from your father, it’s bound to be reliable,” the treasurer replied, his face bright with enthusiasm.

At this, Sir Kane’s expression turned slightly uneasy, though he said nothing.

The treasurer continued, “The smoked ham and flour you brought in the carriage will be distributed among the people of the territory. You should have seen how delighted they were at the news! I nearly cried alongside them.”

“You’ve truly outdone yourself,” the treasurer added, his voice thick with emotion. Having gone sleepless for two days trying to secure food for the territory, his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

The other retainers, equally moved, began tearing up as well.

For the past two days, the retainers had scrambled in every direction, desperate to borrow funds. They all looked haggard and worn, yet their honest and good-natured demeanor remained intact despite their ineffectiveness.

Then, the administrator interjected.

“But does the territory even have the means to repay a loan of one million gold? Even covering the interest on the principal will be a struggle. What collateral did you offer to secure the loan?”

“Here it comes,” Penelope thought grimly.

She decided it was time to share the critical detail with them.

“I used the lord’s castle as collateral. The repayment period is one year, with an interest rate of ten percent.”

The retainers were struck speechless.

“One year? How can we repay one million gold in just a year?”

“That’s impossible!”

“Using the lord’s castle as collateral is practically the same as handing over the entire territory!”

Led by the administrator, the retainers descended into a state of collective panic, murmuring anxiously amongst themselves.

As always, it was the treasurer who stepped in to calm the situation.

“What are you all saying to the acting lord? Did you honestly expect the bank manager to hand over money to this struggling territory without collateral? You should have anticipated this much!”

“The treasurer is right! We were on the verge of starving to death, and you’re worried about appearances now?” the chief steward chimed in, seizing the opportunity to support Penelope.

The retainers then broke out into a heated debate, arguing back and forth.

However, no amount of arguing could change the fact that Penelope had used the lord’s castle as collateral for the one million gold loan. The deed was done; all that remained was to deal with the aftermath.

“You useless lot! All talk and no action! Why don’t you go borrow the money yourselves? Go cling to the bank manager’s coattails if you’re so concerned!”

“That’s not what I meant. I just think we should be realistic about this…”

“Then be realistic and go hungry for a while!”

The treasurer’s thunderous voice made the administrator shrink back. It seemed that while he disliked the idea of borrowing money, the prospect of starvation was even less appealing.

With his booming voice silencing the retainers, the treasurer sighed heavily.

“Grow up, all of you. Aren’t you ashamed that the acting lord had to go to the bank herself to secure gold coins? That should have been our job, not hers!”

The retainers fell silent, their heads hanging in shame.