After finishing reviewing some of the documents, I head to the central hall with the maids following me.

In the end, the financial situation of the castle seems stable, even though I can’t figure out how come they pay so little for the raw materials. These poor farmers are exploited to the core.

It’s a relief, though, since paying at market prices would be too much for the Duke’s finances. My share is satisfying, and I’ll be able to do much with it. However, I think that the Duke was too generous.

The allowance is high in comparison to the whole budget. Maybe, it was better if my Duke used part of it for emergency funds.

I reach the main hall, and I notice the long line of people in front of the central door. They’re mostly farmers and merchants, but somewhere I can spot a noble or two. They’re all waiting in silence, not even trying to use their name to pass first.

What an odd show! My Duke really is dogmatic. However, he’s doing the right thing. Nobles need to be kept in check, especially when they’re asking for personal favours.

I’m sure Alexander would have accepted to meet them in private if it was a matter of their responsibilities.

I use a small door on the side to get in. The big one is opened to let the applicants pass one at a time.

My husband’s eyes locate me the exact moment I step in, and he smiles at me happily. He’s sitting at the Lord’s place, and he seems already at his limit. Dealing with people sure isn’t easy.

The applicants, this time, are an old woman and a child.

«My Lady is already here!» Alexander exclaims, guiding all the attention to me. «Would you like to solve some of the problems for me?»

«I would like, my Lord,» I nod, and I walk to him.

I stand at the side of the big chair and look at the applicants, trying to figure out what the problem can be.

«This woman is asking for justice,» Alexander starts. «The little boy stole from her, is that right?»

«It is, Lord,» she confirms and bows down.

I observe the boy trembling in fear. His clothes are ragged and dirty, his bones can be seen through the skin, and his eyes are almost soulless. How hungry must he feel, when he accepted to steal to survive?

«What did he steal?» I inquire. I would say some vegetables, or maybe fruits…

«A chicken, my Lady,» the woman says, and her face turns red in anger. «One of my best chickens, at that…»

A chicken? Oh, well. Hunger is hunger. Yet, he could have avoided being caught if he was more careful.

I walk to the boy and crouch in front of him.

«Why?» I inquire while looking at his frightened eyes.

I smile reassuringly, but it doesn’t seem to have any effect.

«Because I was hungry,» he answers while tears start flowing on his face, black of dust and desperation.

«All right, but why a chicken? Wouldn’t it have been easier to steal some vegetables?»

«Once I’ve eaten the vegetables, I have to look for more,» he reveals. «A chicken makes eggs, so I wanted to have eggs every day.»

«But chickens need to be fed and grow up before giving you eggs.»

I notice the woman murmuring something, and I turn to her.

«What?»

«It was a male chicken,» she reveals in a hiss.

I get up and look at my Duke. He won’t be proud of my decision, but I can’t stand children’s suffering. It’s one of my weak points.

«Give her a gold,» I say to the accountant next to the Duke. He must have allocated enough funds for today, so my decision won’t make any difference to them. Still, it will pay back the woman for the rooster and also the disturbance the child caused.

The accountant stares blankly at the Duke for a while, and then he follows his order. It’s not like we will go bankrupt for a single gold. Not now that I’m here, at least.

In fact, Alexander doesn’t seem bothered by my action.

I offer my hand to the little boy.

«Now that I’ve paid your debt, you owe me,» I say.

He crooks his mouth, trying to understand how dangerous I am. Kids from the streets see so many horrible things. I can’t blame him for his diffidence.

«And I’ll make sure you have as many eggs as you want,» I add.

Now, he grabs my hand and follows me to Alexander.

The latter is just observing the situation and smiling.

«Any other complaints?» I ask the woman, and she shakes her head and bows down gratefully.

«You don’t want to cut his hands anymore?» Alexander adds, grinning devilishly.

The little boy stops his trot and hides behind my skirt, while the woman continues to shake her head.

«The Lady’s benevolence made up for any sin of the child,» she murmurs.

Cutting the hands of a child so small?

«Do you have a family?» I inquire, wondering whether his parents know about this.

«My granny died last winter. Now I don’t have a family,» he utters, confused. «Do I need a family to have eggs?»

His eyes fill with tears, and I pat his head, trying to reassure him.

«No, you don’t,» I whisper. «It’s fine like this.»

I entrust the child to one of the maids, and she accompanies him out.

I sit on the chair next to Alexander’s, and I smile at him.

«Let’s hear the next issue,» I exclaim.

He bows over to me, and he whispers two words that make me realise the reason behind the reaction of the accountant and the woman.

«Kyre’s currency.»

I blink, wondering how much of it have I got wrong.

Polis is a city for merchants. Especially before the war, it had several currencies circulating. It was also natural for us to have a surplus of money, given the type of activity the harbour was used for, which decreased the value of the single coin.

As a result, in Polis, gold wasn’t worth much.

In Kyre, though, people live out of farming. They produce goods, and they even work on them to deliver finished products.

The mines that the Emperor took away from my Duke were those where he extracted minerals and precious metals. His coins have a higher percentage of gold, making their value way higher than that of any other currency in the world.

Especially Polis’s.

«How much?» I ask, trying to figure out the scale.

«You can buy a goat with a gold coin, my Duchess. Not a single rooster.»

Oh, it was that woman’s lucky day.

«I’m sorry,» I whisper. Now everyone must think that I’m a wasteful Lady that doesn’t know the value of coins…

«It’s fine. People should know about the new, generous Lady. Am I right?»

«Right,» I nod, but it feels like an excuse.

«However, I expect that you will use this tactic again.»

«Every time someone threatens to cut a hand to a child,» I admit.

«Solve the next issue for me, Theodora.»

I observe the two men that come in. This is starting to feel like a tribunal rather than the Lord’s day for applicants.

«This man broke my carriage!» one of them accuses.

«I didn’t do it on purpose, though.»

«It was my only carriage!»

I sigh, realising the reason behind the expression my Duke had when I came in.

«Pay him back,» I declare.

«I don’t have money,» he replies. «I would have already paid the waste, but I don’t own anything.»

«You do own yourself,» I say.

«Is my Duchess suggesting to solve it with slavery?» Alexander whispers to my ear.

«Don’t distract me, I’m working,» I reprimand him.

Then, I turn to the men and reorder my thoughts.

«You’ll work for him until you repay your debt. Plus two days. During that time, you will be provided with a meal a day.»

The man that lost the carriage crooks his mouth, but the other nods happily. He just gained a few meals by doing some damage.

«You will be furnished with a carriage from the Lord,» I say to the displeased man. «You’ll pay it back by carrying goods for the Lord once a month for three years. After that, we can discuss whether to change the carriage with a new one and continue the contract. All right?»

The man widens his eyes and starts bowing like the woman from before.

«Thank you, my Lady! Thank you for your generosity!»

I turn to Alexander with a victorious grin. I don’t have time to compliment myself, though, because he’s already wearing a proud expression.

«My wife’s ideas are always the best!» he exclaims.

Also, this time I didn’t involve any money. I have to re-read the budget for the castle since I don’t have a clue about it anymore. All my conclusions are wrong, I have to re-allocate resources with this new knowledge.

Also, if Kyre’s currency is especially worthy, then my allowance…

Oh my, I’m a rich woman!