“FIONA, these are the two budget officials I’m assigning to you. The man is Budget, and the woman is Management.”
The two individuals bowed their heads politely when Linus introduced them to her the next day in his office in the royal palace.
“Do you come from a venerable family whose ancestors have been in the business of budget management for generations?” When Fiona tentatively asked them about their names in a roundabout way, the woman burst out laughing, and the man’s shoulders drooped dejectedly.
“They’re fake names,” Linus answered her with a blinding smile. She was relieved to hear the truth but also confused about the need to use aliases in the first place.
“Perhaps this is a way to protect your identities in case our scheme is found out? If so, I sincerely appreciate your consideration,” she said.
“Even should the worst happen, I would never abandon you, Fiona,” Linus insisted. “No, there’s a different reason I had them use pseudonyms. Because I’d be green with envy if you said theirs constantly.”
“Excuse me?”
Did he really make such a confounding statement with his dulcet voice, or was it simply her imagination?
“I did think about letting the woman keep her real name, but ultimately, I decided to treat them equally.”
For the sake of fairness, both of them had taken on aliases. However, the reason they even existed continued to baffle her.
“Do they have the kind of names that bring misfortune on people when said aloud?” Fiona inquired.
“As if I would ever let anyone like that near you, Fiona.”
“Well, it would make more sense if there were no such names.” Fiona glanced surreptitiously at the two government officials, but they responded by shaking their heads as if telling her not to talk to them. “At any rate, let’s get to work, shall we?”
Though she still didn’t understand, they couldn’t afford to waste time. When she sat down on one of the sofas, Budget and Management seated themselves on the other across from her.
“There was originally a proposal to repair the bridge at the royal capital’s entrance.” So saying, Budget presented a bundle of documents to Fiona. As she leafed through the pages, she saw any requests related to the bridge, notes on necessary repairs, and the estimated costs for all of it. “Unfortunately, the prime minister requisitioned all the funds for the saint summoning budget, so the work couldn’t proceed.”
“Will this much be enough then?” Fiona handed over the draft budget that had initially been set aside for the “Ball to Celebrate the Saint’s Summoning,” which, incidentally, had officially been canceled. Budget quickly read through the data.
“Absolutely. I believe we’ll even have some left over. However, are you certain it’s all right to use this amount?”
“If the Saint of Cost Performance squanders money, her power will decrease. So, for the sake of the country’s citizens, let’s ensure the money is utilized effectively.”
When she heard a honeyed voice chuckling from next to her, Fiona turned her head to see Linus combing her hair as he laughed. She returned her gaze to the documents since it was business as usual with the crown prince. Budget pointed out how much of a surplus would remain.
“I recommend that the levees around the bridge also be serviced. A few areas have collapsed, which makes it dangerous.”
“You’re quite familiar with the issues, hm? We did, in fact, receive many requests to shore up the embankments.”
The fact that Management sounded so surprised by Fiona’s knowledge made her suspect the other woman was a noble. No wonder, too, since Linus wouldn’t recruit anyone but the best in budget management into his office.
“It’s difficult to notice the crumbling portions from a carriage but very easy to spot on foot. The bridge is vital for transporting goods into the royal capital, so any issues with it could cause significant disruptions to people’s daily lives. For now, we’ll prioritize the repairs to the bridge and levees. May I leave the arrangements of builders and materials to you?” Fiona asked.
“Of course.”
With those issues settled, Fiona moved on to the repairs for the lake’s sluice gate and maintenance for the highways. Numerous requests had been sent in for those as well.
“The lake is one of the water sources for the capital, yes? However, it’s unclear to me where on the priority list we should place the sluice gate. Is it far from here?” Fiona asked.
“I’d say an hour’s ride on a coach moving at a leisurely pace.”
Which equated to an easy day trip if departing on foot early in the morning.
“Then I shall visit it tomorrow,” Fiona decided.
“Alone, Lady Saint? That’s dangerous.”
“Well, I have been put in charge of the budget, so I must work to earn my keep.”
Particularly because Fiona was a false saint. If she didn’t do her job right, it would be unfortunate for the budget she obtained through lying. Then, a hand from next to her stretched toward her head and patted it gently. When she turned her head, she found a gorgeous face and indigo eyes glittering like jewels beside her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Never fear, ladies and gent, for I’ll be traveling too.”
“And where might you be going, Your Highness?”
“Why with you, of course, dear Fiona.”
Her premonition turned out to be correct. Linus intended to accompany her to inspect the lake. If Charles were her father, then Linus was like an older brother. Regardless, they both worried too much about her.
“A large entourage, including guards, is a waste. I’ll go alone,” she said.
“No.”
He didn’t even hesitate to deny her. That told her he would fret endlessly should she make the trip alone. In the same vein that Charles said the heart of a father beat in his chest, Linus, too, possessed strong brotherly instincts. His protectiveness was one thing when she was ten. But she was already a full-fledged adult of twenty, so she wished he would just trust in her independence by now.
“Then I’ll ask one of the priests to go with me.”
“That’s even worse. No times two.”
“Why?”
Even though Fiona had acknowledged his concern and compromised with an alternative, he had still rejected her suggestion, and she didn’t understand why.