Celebrity Lady

[Lubon Workshop]

About ten or so workers were busily moving around under the worn-out sign.

<Hoo. The working environment of the workshop, which generates astounding sales of 400 million marks per month, is worth seeing.>

Wishit said sarcastically as they stood beside me.

On the way to the studio, Sienna’s expression was also tinged with surprise when she heard me tell her everything.

“This is not an issue to let go of. I’ll report to the young duke immediately.”

“You don’t have to. I’ve already contacted him.”

“Ah, are you referring to the earlier letter you handed to the maid?”

“That’s right. I don’t want to blame my brother, but how is he so oblivious to the fief’s situation? Not to mention Lubon is just a stone’s throw away from the capital.” I added in bewilderment, “Does he not send inspectors to the territories?”

“No. Every territory is sent an inspector to report on the situation every six months.” Sienna opened the notebook in her hand, looked through it, and then said, “There is an Inspector Arthur Trickster assigned to Lubon.”

“But the fact that Brother didn’t know the fief’s circumstances in the slightest means that the inspector took some back money from Count Lubon?”

“Yes, maybe.”

“This is absurd. If I hadn’t come to Lubon, it would have been like this forever, right?”

It was pure luck. The confirmation of the isolation to the escort had happened in an instant, so it became a disaster for those people involved. If they had been given time for the rumor of Princess Diollus’s one-year stay to be spread around the neighborhood earlier…

‘The bullies must have prepared in some way. Fortunately, it looks like they ‘re caught in this surprise inspection.’

Filled with a sense of responsibility, I felt like I’d been unexpectedly given a secret quest for the Royal Secret Service of the Joseon Dynasty.

The inside of the workshop was a worse environment than the outside. Not to mention the narrow space, the few flickering lights in the dark room further strengthen my opinion. Poor ventilation, the musty smell that bothered the tip of the nose, and the flying dust that clogged the throat. If you work in a place like this, it’s only a matter of time before you get a bronchial disease.

“P-Princess?” At that time, a middle-aged man came running from a corner of the workshop.

Behind him were the siblings I’d seen earlier. Jeremy and Luna.

“You are Princess Diollus, right? I heard the story from my children. My name is Charlie Works, the workshop manager.”

“Nice to meet you.” I reached out my hand to Charlie Works, a kind-looking man with an untrimmed brown beard.

Charlie, who was about to shake my hand, hesitated and wiped his hands on his work clothes. Then he smiled awkwardly as if he was worried. “It’s an honor, but my hands are too dirty.”

“It’s fine.” I grabbed Charlie’s hand with all my heart and shook him up and down with a big shake.

Charlie, who laughed in embarrassment, said, “Uh, that… I heard from the kids that my son was rude to the princess.”

“No, no. It was not Jeremy who was rude to me, but Count Lubon and his servant Greg. Jeremy didn’t do anything wrong, don’t scold him.” I smiled at Jeremy, who hid behind his father and hesitated, and gestured into the air.

One of the escorts who followed me set down a heavy leather package at my feet.

Charlie’s eyes widened when he saw the glittering jewels through the gaps.

“What is this?”

“I heard wages have been delayed by three months. Is that true?”

“Ah…”

“The wages of the workshop employees have all been pushed back, right? It looks like less than ten people are around, but this may not be all…”

“No, all my friends are here. There are twelve of us, including me.”

“Yes?”

As could be guessed from the fact that sales reached 400 million marks per month, the volume of deliveries that Lubon Workshop provided to the capital was staggering.

But… Only twelve workers making it?

Charlie added a shy smile, probably recognizing my bewildered expression. “I couldn’t pay the wages on time, so everyone dispersed.”

“Mr. Charlie pays the employee wages? Didn’t you get that from the count?”

“Ah, if the count gives me the monthly wages, I distribute it to the employees. However, he said that the workshop’s income has not been good for the past three months…”

“Dad, do you believe that? The amount of hundreds of orders is the same, but why is the income decreasing? Does that make sense?” Jeremy, who was listening, interrupted with gritted teeth, and Charlie stopped him in surprise.

Charlie wasn’t an idiot, but he didn’t know if his little son was aware for sure. One should not say anything about the tyranny of the aristocrats.

He hid his trembling hands behind his back.

“I don’t have cash right now, so I brought some jewelry with me when I came here. If you cash in at the pawnshop, you’ll have quite enough. I heard you urgently need medicine too. I hope you can solve it soon.”

“Y-Yes? Oh no… Princess doesn’t need to be so considerate of our situation. There have been several cases in which wages have been delayed. Having worked with the count for a long time, I understand that much. It’s just that Jeremy’s been sensitive these days because his mother was sick…”

Seeing Charlie’s embarrassed expression made me frown.

<One has to be nice enough, but is this guy a fool?>

Wishit clicked their tongue.

It was strange that he defended the count like this even though he knew that the count was sucking up all the workshop income.

“It’s not a problem that wages are delayed. For the count to manage the workshop’s income is itself a violation of the contract.”

“Yes? Oh, no no. He rewrote the contract five years ago. He said that since the workshop is getting bigger, he should manage the income at the territorial level. It’s what Duke Diollus himself ordered…”

“I beg your pardon?” I turned to Sienna in surprise, and Sienna immediately and firmly shook her head. It meant there was no such thing.

<Ayy… The mean of that mustachioed count. The number of his crimes is increasing. This isn’t going to end nicely.>

It was as Wishit said.

Wage arrears, illegal labor exploitation, bribing inspectors, and even forgery of contracts…

I began to breathe slowly, feeling suffocated.

“Sienna.”

“Yes, lady.” The quick-witted Sienna immediately held her notebook, opened it, and grabbed her pen.

“The work environment is horrible. We need to rebuild the workshop building. Hire drafting carpenters right away, and find interior decorators as well.”

“All right.”

“Since the workshop members should be most comfortable when working, the construction process is carried out with Charlie inspecting it from beginning to end. In the middle, Sienna, please do your best.”

“Of course,” Sienna responded by quickly waving her pen, and Mr. Charlie, who was looking at me, stammered.

“P-Princess. You really don’t need to do this…”

“Of course it has to be done. I just couldn’t do it until now. And if possible, would you please contact the scattered woskrhop members and ask if they can work again?”

“Yes?”

“You don’t have to worry about wages. Even if there is no income from the workshop, the wages of the workshop employees will not be pushed back in the future,” I added, preparing to return.

“Let’s rewrite the contract immediately. I’ll make a proper employment contract, so please wait a little bit.”

“R-Rewrite the contract? W-What about Count Lubon?”

“Do I need to worry about the count? After all, Lubon is the domain of Diollus, and I am the daughter of the Diollus family, right?”

Charlie’s face was full of concern even when I said it lightly.

I could understand his concerns to some extent.

I might seem like a young aristocratic lady with a sense of justice who was trying to make things easier for a while, but I was only going to stay here for a year.

The workshop people always had to work under the acting lord, Count Lubon.

However…

‘I’ve already learned about all the bullying. How can I let him live?’

Assuming Charlie’s needless concern, I smiled. “As of today, neither Charlie nor the workshop family, Jeremy, nor Luna will ever see that bully mustache, so don’t worry.”

“Y-Yes? B-Bully?”

“I will be back soon.” Leaving the workshop, I managed to calm my troubled heart.

In Rubette’s previous life, she had never been isolated to Lubon. The bullying of Count Lubon had never been brought to the surface.

In other words, the bullies stealing the Lubon fief’s enormous income lived happily, and the workshop workers who had to pay for their labor went hungry for the rest of their lives.

‘I’m going mad.’

I couldn’t help but feel responsible.

Although it had been an unhappy life, because she was the daughter of a rich family, Rubette had lived her whole life without worrying about what to wear or what to eat. 

But it was ridiculous to find that the dresses were made with the blood and sweat of less fortunate workers.

“My lady, are you thinking of dismissing Count Lubon right away?” Sienna, who followed, asked, and I nodded.

“Mm. It would be a pity if I just cut his head off. I will do all the ledger investigation, have him spit out the stolen money, confiscate his titles and send him to the military police. Right now.”

“Oh, of course you should, but… You’re in isolation. If you step up yourself, you might get into trouble,” Sienna said, seemingly concerned about my position under investigation. “Once we get in touch, let’s leave it to the duke… He will soon visit with the investigation team to investigate the count. If the crime is proven, the case will be transferred to the military police, and through formal procedures-”

“Sienna.”

“Yes, my lady.” I cut off Sienna’s lengthy words and added, “Waiting for Brother Viego, hand it over to the investigation team, then investigate and transfer the case to the military police… If we wait for the entire process, it will take a year. Won’t we just give the count time to clean up the ledgers?”

“…”

“I know what you’re worried about, but don’t worry.”

Abuse of power was not good, but there were always exceptions.

The company president was my father, the CEO was my brother, and the investigation leader, the crown prince, who told me to do whatever I wanted even though I was isolated, was on my side.

“Can’t I do whatever I want right now with the head of the employee who embezzled public funds?” I patted Sienna’s shoulder and smiled. “I am the president’s daughter.”

“Ah…” Sienna was still concerned, but she nodded as if she was relieved a little by my confident attitude.

I reassured her one more time not to worry, then gnashed my teeth and turned around.

‘You bastard. You’re gone now.’