When the Mid-Boss Villainous Noble Recalls Memories of a Past Life and Gains Game Knowledge. I Will Never Accept a Future Where I'm Called the Jealous Earl - Chapter 17

“Khalil-sama, Khalil-sama. We’ve arrived at the Earl’s estate.”
“…Ah, understood.”

The shocking revelation about the wages of my household staff had weighed heavily on my mind. After dinner, I fell into a deep, almost comatose sleep. It seemed to be my body’s way of protecting itself—once I fell asleep, I didn’t wake until Mina shook me awake the next morning.

“Is Bosco here?” I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

“Yes, he’s giving instructions to the guards.”

Poor Bosco. I’d burdened him with so much—my sudden decision to visit the Duke’s territory, training my sister in estate management, and countless other responsibilities. He deserved a proper update.

“Bosco.”

“Welcome back, Khalil-sama. I’m relieved to see you safe.”

“Can we speak now about the results of my visit to the Duke’s territory and our next steps?”

“Of course. However, what about Maria-sama?”

Maria? Was she upset? It wouldn’t be surprising, given how I’d thrust the responsibilities of acting head onto her without any prior discussion.

“Perhaps I should see her first.”

“That would be wise.”

“Very well. Come find me once you’ve finished your tasks.”

I leaned in close and whispered to Bosco while scanning the area for potential eavesdroppers.

“Ensure the mother and daughter in the curtained carriage are kept safe. No information about them is to leave this estate. For now, they’ll remain under our protection.”

“Are they… troublesome?” Bosco asked, ever pragmatic.

“Yes. Until I resolve the matter, exercise the utmost caution. Don’t share this information with anyone—not even trusted individuals.”

“As you command.”

With those instructions given, Mina and I entered the estate.
“Welcome back, Khalil-sama,” the staff greeted in unison.
“Thank you for the warm welcome. Also, please call me Khalil, not ‘Earl.’”

“As you wish, Khalil-sama.”

The absence of malice in their gazes was refreshing—a stark contrast to the hostility I had faced in the Duke’s territory. Yet, the memory of their meager wages gnawed at me, dampening my ability to fully enjoy the moment.

“Now then, I hear Maria has been holed up in her room…”

According to the staff, she had locked herself in her chambers, buried under piles of estate management documents. My first task was clear: apologize.

Knock, knock.

“Wh-What?! Work?!”

A panicked voice, tinged with desperation, came through the door.

“It’s me,” I said calmly.

“Waaaah! Drop dead!”

The door flung open, and before I could react, a ferocious kick aimed directly at my shin landed with full force.

“Argh! What the—?! That hurts!”

The enchanted ring I wore activated its protective magic, treating the kick as an attack and deflecting it. Maria likely felt as though she’d kicked a stone wall.

“…”

“…”

“Ugh… ow…” Maria muttered, clutching her foot in pain.
I felt genuinely sorry. I had been prepared to endure a slap or two as recompense for dumping responsibilities on her, but I’d forgotten about the enchantments on my ring.

“Y-You’ve got a gift for me, right?!” she demanded, her voice shaky as she tried to regain composure. Her teary eyes, however, betrayed her pain.

Ah, the gift. I had completely forgotten about it.

“Yes,” I said quickly, pulling out an accessory from the Temple of Jealousy: a hair clip.

“A hair clip?”

Explaining that I had forgotten wasn’t an option. Instead, I handed her the clip, which had no combat applications—it simply allowed the user to change their hair color at will.

“It lets you change your hair color freely,” I explained. “I’m not entirely sure how it works, but removing it will return your hair to its original color. Experiment and see.”

“Really?!”

“Yes. It seems to work by channeling mana into it.”

Excited, Maria immediately infused the clip with mana. Her hair began flashing between red, blue, green, and other colors, like a chaotic light show. She appeared to be trying to settle on one color, but it continued to flicker uncontrollably.

“This is so hard!”

“Well, keep practicing,” I said, suppressing a chuckle.

“With such an amazing gift, I suppose I can forgive my dear brother for thrusting the role of acting head onto me without warning.”

“…That was my fault. I’m sorry.”

With her mood significantly improved, Maria—her hair still flashing like a rainbow—happily skipped off to another part of the estate.

“Khalil-sama, would you like to rest for a while now?” Mina asked.

“No, I need to head to the study immediately to review the estate’s finances. There are also matters I need to discuss with you. I know you’re tired, but bear with me a little longer.”
We entered the study, its slightly more opulent door leading to a room I rarely used. I spent most of my time in the laboratory, and this space was reserved for receiving reports from Bosco in the mornings and evenings.

“Now then, where are the ledgers…”

I decided to skim through them before Bosco arrived. Having even a basic understanding would help expedite our discussion.

“…”

The estate’s monthly income consisted of two large gold coins and ten regular gold coins.

Out of this, one large gold coin and fifty regular gold coins went to supporting the Duke’s territory, leaving only sixty gold coins for the estate’s expenses.

From this remainder, the wages of the household staff, maintenance of the territory’s guard force, and other necessary costs consumed nearly everything. Additional expenditures, such as food, replacement tools, damaged equipment, inspections of outlying villages, and countless other necessities, further strained the budget.

As for my research, its costs were barely covered by government grants, which had been steadily decreasing due to my lack of recent progress.

“Ugh…”

If this ledger belonged to another household and I were asked for advice, even the most diplomatic assessment would be: ‘This is unsustainable.’

“This expense will have to be cut next month,” I muttered. “The Duke may complain, but I’ll deal with that when it happens.”
Mina was still in the room, but I had neither the focus nor the energy to acknowledge her as I slumped over the desk, groaning at the dire state of our finances.