Han Jihyeok was known to be running scams around this time at Klanklin’s Confectionery — I knew this from reading Bing.Heuk.Son.

‘He really does show up right at 4 o’clock.’

A scammer with such punctuality was impressive in a way.

His seat was the second to last at the very end.

Not a spot favored by nobles who preferred the quietest and best places.

I quietly listened to Han Jihyeok bragging as I ordered cake.

“Captain Kun is so cautious that he doesn’t take other investors... Ah, what kind of merchant are we? I prepared a place for your grace.”

“You mean my seat?”

“Yes. But the amount is fixed. One hundred thousand gold.”

“One hundred thousand?!”

“Ah, we don’t accept ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) more than that. Even for your grace, that’s too much.”

“One hundred thousand...”

“Well, will you invest?”

Han Jihyeok asked softly, and the other party hesitated.

But soon after, he slammed the table.

“Alright!”

“Good choice! Then when will the money—”

“I’ll discuss it with my wife!”

“...Excuse me?”

“Oh, these things must be discussed with my wife. If I do things she forbids, there’s always trouble. Haha! I’ll go ask her quickly.”

Then the other man hurriedly packed up.

The next room was silent for a long while.

Then after a while,

“Damn it...”

A curse was heard.

Han Jihyeok ground his teeth and muttered,

“I thought they were stupid enough to be totally ripped off, but the wife’s well-educated, huh?”

Han Jihyeok sighed deeply.

Then I heard him flipping pages of a notebook.

“Lord Hoku failed. Then Baron Mashas...”

“If you try to scam Baron Mashas, you’ll die, you know?”

“What, what?”

Han Jihyeok was startled by my words.

I felt along the wall under the chair.

When I pressed on something, a small hole just big enough for a child appeared.

I crawled through the hole.

Han Jihyeok was shocked to see me suddenly appear from under the chair.

“Y-you, what—”

“Shh.”

I quickly covered his mouth.

“Be quiet. The maids can hear you.”

Han Jihyeok shook his head and removed my hand with a frown.

“How do you know about this secret place?”

“It’s in the novel.”

There’s a small hole here, so they deliberately take this seat.

If the target of the scam looks dangerous, they put weapons through that hole.

Han Jihyeok’s expression hardened at my words.

“What nonsense is a tiny hole supposed to do? Don’t disturb the elder’s work and get lost—”

“You’re reincarnated too. Do you find it strange that I’m reincarnated?”

“What?!”

I smiled wickedly at the shocked Han Jihyeok.

Then I said,

“Pick one.”

“What...?”

“1. Give all your scammed targets your information and get exposed.”

“What?”

“2. Team up with me for a legal nighttime business.”

Han Jihyeok’s mouth dropped open.

I watched him go from pale to white, struggling to speak.

I smiled brightly and added,

“Of course, you provide the capital.”

Let’s share the scam money a little.

I’m three years old, so I don’t have much money.

Han Jihyeok glared at me with his arms crossed.

Then he glanced nervously outside the door and whispered,

“So this is a novel, I’m a character, and you’re the possessor?”

“Mm.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

I stirred the iced tea he’d left untouched and said,

“Han Jihyeok. Before reincarnation, you were twenty. You died boasting at freshman orientation. Biggest regret? Not clearing your external hard drive. But why is that a regret?”

As I rattled off his personal info, his face paled.

There was no denying it now.

I was also a reincarnator like him.

Han Jihyeok swallowed dryly.

“...Because I had important data.”

“Important data... aha.”

I smirked, and Han Jihyeok’s face flushed red.

“Don’t act like you know it all!”

“I’ll pretend I don’t.”

“Don’t make that kind expression!”

“Alright, alright.”

Han Jihyeok ground his teeth.

Then muttered with a snarl, “They write everything in the novel.”

“I get that you want to collaborate. But if I’m providing capital, the split is 9 to 1. Naturally, I get 9.”

Typical scammer, the ratio was ridiculous.

He provided the capital, but I had information — very precise information.

‘I was planning to take 30%, but...’

Now that he said that, I changed my mind.

“I’ll take 9, you take 1.”

When I said that, Han Jihyeok jumped up.

“Are you crazy? Who do you think I am—”

He jumped up, and I rested my chin on both hands.

“The one-eyed mercenary group is still after you, right?”

Mentioning the scariest person he scammed, Han Jihyeok sat back down quietly.

He looked very wronged.

“Why are you so against me?”

“Three million gold. That’s the money you can take at 1%.”

“L-lies... How can I believe a brat like you!”

“I’m bratty, but I don’t scam.”

“...”

“Think it over and contact me.”

“Who do you think I am and who would I contact?”

“I’m Erilot Astra.”

“...!”

Hearing my name, Han Jihyeok stiffened.

Only one kind of person can use the Astra name.

Duke Astra’s direct lineage.

And among them, only one child this young.

“Daughter of Daymond Astra...”

I smiled and got up.

“Some escaped from drunken, violent woodcutter fathers, and some are noble heiresses...”

Leaving a grumbling Han Jihyeok, I crawled back through the hole.

But then.

“...Miss?”

Betty and Heidi froze when they saw me come out of the hole.

They tilted their heads and asked,

“Why there...?”

‘I’m busted.’

I rolled my eyes.

“Uh, it’s a, it’s a hole—”

“...?”

I couldn’t think of an excuse, so I muttered with a resigned expression.

“Erilot, you’re a doggie.”

Trying to act cute, Han Jihyeok’s room burst into a hollow laugh.

‘They must’ve heard everything.’

We had such a cool conversation until now...

Damn.

I got into the carriage with the maids and Mosco.

We approached the checkpoint to Daymond’s jurisdiction in the shopping district.

But the carriage didn’t move for a long time.

I tilted my head and asked,

“Why aren’t we moving?”

Heidi answered,

“There are unusually many people today, so the checkpoint is slow.”

“Why so many people today?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t know. It’s almost ‘Evaluation Day.’”

“Evaluation Day...?”

I mulled over Betty’s words and suddenly realized,

‘Right, Evaluation Day!’

There was such a setting in Bing.Heuk.Son.

A day when the factory sends people to each jurisdiction to evaluate operations.

To check if the jurisdiction is being properly managed.

And the rankings determine the budget for the next half year.

‘So that’s why Father didn’t come with me.’

He’s incredibly busy.

Since returning to the jurisdiction, he’s been stuck with paperwork.

He even got reports from Enzo during meals.

‘I forgot Evaluation Day doesn’t matter at the Twelfth Tower.’

I asked Heidi,

“How many days until Evaluation Day?”

“Let’s see... It’s the 23rd, so ten days left.”

‘I’m doomed.’

How do I prepare in ten days?

The first thing the evaluators see is the jurisdiction.

If the jurisdiction is in a mess, first impressions will be bad.

The budget was already cut for the first half; if it happens again in the second half...

‘Our jurisdiction will fail.’

If the jurisdiction fails, the direct branch nobles will look down on me. Then I’ll be in danger of bullying again.

The carriage finally started moving.

I was deep in thought the whole way back.

‘Let’s get the jurisdiction in order. With Heidi and Betty’s help, we can at least entertain the evaluators decently... Hmm, probably not.’

I rubbed my small hands on my face.

Heidi and Betty were quick and meticulous, but lacked charisma.

Their experience wasn’t long either.

It would be hard to command the servants.

Most of all, there were too few servants to manage the estate.

‘Then...’

While I was pondering, the carriage arrived at Daymond’s jurisdiction.

It was already night; the estate was brightly lit.

I sighed internally and entered.

But then.

‘Huh?’

I blinked entering the courtyard.

Heidi, Betty, and Mosco also looked around wide-eyed.

Someone walked along the long carpet laid in the courtyard.

Then bowed deeply to me.

“Welcome home, Miss.”

Michelan, the icon of loyalty and skill, greeted me wearing a tailcoat.

On his chest was the eagle and rose badge symbolizing Daymond’s jurisdiction.

Michelan said,

“I am Michelan Rogue, steward of Daymond’s jurisdiction.”

“Ah...”

“It is an honor to serve you.”

“Ah!”

My face brightened as I grabbed Michelan and jumped up and down.

Since he helped bring the Late Empress’s remains, I thought he would become the steward of our estate.

‘Though I thought it’d take quite a while.’

Because they had to make her tomb on the land she gave and tidy up around it.

“Why are you here so early?”

“I thought there’d be things to do in this estate.”

He must know about Evaluation Day.

‘Kruuu.’

Michelan, as expected.

The estate was very clean.

“Haingdeul Taiga was born. Each has different colors?”

When I said that, Michelan whispered mischievously,

“It’s a ranking. Salaries will vary accordingly. So they’ll do their best to climb ranks.”

It was a way to get maximum effect with limited staff.

The courtyard was perfect. Not a speck of dust and all the ugly decorations were gone, even though they were rare artifacts.

Instead, beautiful paintings were hung, distracting eyes so that worn parts of the estate weren’t obvious.

“Michelan is the best!”

I jumped into Michelan’s arms. He caught me saying, “Ouch.”

Then he looked at Heidi and Betty behind me.

“So you are Heidi and Betty.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Answer once, don’t stutter. Follow me. I’ll teach you what a personal maid should know.”

Michelan sent me up to my room, then took the maids with him.

‘With Michelan here, I don’t have to worry about entertaining evaluators.’

I chuckled.

There’s Conrad at the factory.

Michelan at the jurisdiction.

I’d succeeded in placing capable helpers.

‘Now the only one left outside is Han Jihyeok.’

A few nights later.

Han Jihyeok looked out the window of his inn room.

Outside was deathly silent.

‘No one’s around. Good.’

He hurriedly shoved his luggage into his bag.

‘Did you really think I’d cooperate so easily?’

What did he expect?

If I take money as capital and then wash my hands of it?

If something went wrong and the investment failed?

The precious money scraped together through repeated near-death experiences would vanish into thin air.

‘I don’t care if it’s possession or reincarnation. What I know is I’m never getting mixed up with nobles again.’

Much time had passed since reincarnation.

He barely remembered his old face as Han Jihyeok.

He took a suitcase from under the bed. Opening it carefully, his cute gold coins sparkled inside.

‘If I gather one million more gold, that’s five million gold.’

Once he reached five million gold, he’d leave.

He’d settle somewhere like a resort, live like a noble bossing people around.

Grinning, Han Jihyeok slung his bag over his shoulder and hugged the suitcase.

Then hurried out to the inn lobby.

The innkeeper, dozing off, woke up groggily.

“What is it?”

“I heard there’s a carriage going out of Astra. When?”

“At night? What carriage? If you want to ride, come at dawn.”

He waved dismissively.

Han Jihyeok frowned.

“Then can’t I get even a horse?”

“All the horses here are pack mules. You wanna leave now? Have you paid the inn fees?”

“...I did.”

Han Jihyeok clicked his tongue and turned away.

No choice now.

‘I’ll go buy a horse in the shopping district. Expensive, but whatever...’

“Don’t we have bills to settle?”

Han Jihyeok scowled. In an irritated tone he said,

“So I paid the inn fees... huh!”

He turned and saw some large men entering the inn.

A one-eyed man with an eye patch chuckled.

“Paying the inn fees isn’t enough. You owe me a hundred thousand gold too.”

“L-lord...”

The one-eyed mercenary group.

They were the first ones he scammed.

The big mercenaries grabbed his neck.

Han Jihyeok begged the innkeeper for help, but the innkeeper just broke into a cold sweat and ignored him.

Eventually, they dragged Han Jihyeok outside.

The mercenaries violently threw him to the ground.

“Argh—!”

“Did you really think you’d steal my money and live?”

‘This is bad.’

How did the one-eyed man find him here?

That guy was ruthless.

Having scammed him and run away, Han Jihyeok was probably in for a horrible fate.

“Boss, just listen to me...”

“What’s that in your hand?”

The one-eyed man pointed at the suitcase, and Han Jihyeok tightened his grip on it.

“T-this isn’t much— Agh!”

The one-eyed man kicked Han Jihyeok’s shoulder, grabbed the suitcase, and flung it open.

Gold coins gleamed inside.

The mercenaries’ expressions changed instantly.

“How much is all this, boss?”

“Wow...”

The one-eyed man smirked and closed the suitcase, slinging it over his shoulder.

“This is payment for your scams. Consider yourself lucky.”

As he turned to leave, Han Jihyeok grabbed him.

“Give it! I want it! Do you know how I earned that money?!”

“You crazy fool! This is payment for the scams you did!”

“I worked for four years without a penny! From dawn till late at night without rest! I’m just taking the money I’m owed!”

The one-eyed man kicked Han Jihyeok.

“Ugh...!”

Han Jihyeok rolled on the floor as the one-eyed man took an axe from his back.

“Alright, you’re crazy enough to want to die, so I’ll send you to hell.”

As the one-eyed man raised the axe, Han Jihyeok closed his eyes.

Dying like this would be unfair.

Did he scam just because he wanted to?

He was worked to death under nobles and struggled hard in the mercenary group.

He was heavily used and never properly rewarded.

When he asked for back pay, he was beaten up badly.

So he decided to scam to survive.

Now, he wouldn’t be the victim but the one doing the victimizing.

‘Damn it...!’

But something was strange.

No matter how much time passed, he felt no pain.

Han Jihyeok opened his eyes slowly.

And what he saw was,

‘A giant?’

A man at least three meters tall was holding the blade of the one-eyed man’s axe.

The giant said,

“You’re Han Ji... Han... whatever. Are you a friend of Miss Erilot?”

“...Yes?”

Erilot?