I was on my way to Marquise Larose’s mansion in the capital. I had to arrive at the capital much earlier than usual because of the piles of work that I had been putting off. I also planned to have the audience with the emperor, but news from the palace was that it was delayed indefinitely.

  On my way there, I kept thinking about my conversation with Count Issac this morning. When I confronted him about the movement of grain and his dealings with ‘that person,’ he kept evading my question. Although I strongly intimidated him, he still did not give me a proper explanation.

  It was well known that Count Issac was a pushover. I was surprised that he held his ground so well. I, too, could not bring myself to cause him great harm. Not only is he my childhood friend, but his good nature is very rare among nobles. I could not bring myself to do it. On top of that, both his parent and my parent also asked me to take care of him. What made him so scared that he was willingly defying my order?

  I knew he was shouldering a mountain of debt. It would be no surprise if he lost his state tomorrow because of it. It was more than double his family’s assets after all. The very reason that he could keep his state was that our family kept a close watch on others and acted as their guard. But that was all we could do. I could not drag our finances for my own selfish reasons. Was it because of his debt? Were they getting hold of his debt? I tried to confirm it with him, but he kept denying it. So, I wasn't entirely sure.

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  Was it his daughter? Because of the aftereffects of the plague, his daughter contracted weak heart disease. It was said to be an incurable disease. It was also because of this disease that he drowned himself in debt. Was it their scam? As a father, even if you know that it was impossible, you would like to grasp all the possibilities to help your children. What if they used this as bait to target him? Come to think of it, Marquise Larose’s daughter also contracted this disease. I was sure about it. When I asked him if it was related to his daughter, he couldn't answer. Then, he directed me to Marquise Larose. The only thing he could reassure me was that it was not for an evil purpose. So, was their purpose to prepare for the plagues? Then why did they have to do it so secretly? And who was this person? Was it Marquise Larose? What was he scamming?

  Ultimately, I was unable to reach a conclusion. And the last word Count Issac said to me put me in a more profound confusion.

  “Your Grace, all seedlings were born with no sin. The seedling cannot choose where it is planted. So, if there were a time that you must make a judgment, please consider this plea of mine.”

  Count Issac was a sentimental man. His words always revolve around nature. It should have had a deeper meaning, but I had no idea what he was referring to.