Chapter 273

Having never once been the object of such friendly attention, Talia had no idea how she was supposed to respond. She would merely tilt her chin arrogantly in acknowledgment or frown as though she found it bothersome.

Yet even in the face of her cold attitude, the gazes filled with curiosity and admiration showed no sign of diminishing.

Before long, she realized that the sight of her and Khan reminded them of the old legends of the East. Apparently, to their eyes, the sight of her accompanied by an enormous wolf made her look almost like an incarnation of Tiramer.

“This is the oldest weaving workshop in Kalmor. Artisans who have passed their craft down through generations produce exceptionally fine woolen fabrics here.”

Guided by an attendant, Talia entered the stone building on the outskirts of the city and slowly looked around the workshop. Not only the weavers working at their looms, but even the apprentices carrying bundles of yarn had stopped what they were doing and were staring blankly at her and Khan.

Paying little attention to the gazes she had already grown accustomed to, Talia began examining the woolen fabrics stacked in layers against one wall. The administrator, who had approached her at some point, spoke with a subtle note of pride.

“This is our finest woolen fabric, woven from wool sheared this spring. Its weave is dense and it retains heat exceptionally well, so it is highly popular even among the nobles of the central regions. We supply it to the Imperial Family as well.”

Talia unfolded a deep red piece of cloth and slowly ran her fingertips over its surface. At first glance, it looked coarse, but its thickness was even and the weave was firm.

Turning the fabric this way and that beneath the light, Talia asked casually,

“How much do you produce in a year?”

“This workshop alone produces approximately two thousand bolts. If you include the smaller workshops in the surrounding villages, Kalmor’s total textile production would be roughly three times that amount.”

That meant this single weaving workshop produced a third of all the textiles in Kalmor.

After estimating the amount of woolen fabric piled on the counters, she turned toward the workshop, where a steady rhythmic clatter could be heard.

The weavers were working the cloth with practiced hands. The sight of dozens of enormous looms moving in steady rhythm was a spectacle in itself. She had occasionally seen the castle maids weaving cloth on looms, but this was her first time seeing production on such a large scale.

Talia watched, captivated, as brightly dyed woolen threads were transformed into elaborately patterned fabrics by the regular movements of the looms. Then, following the administrator’s guidance, she went out into the rear yard.

Rows of iron cauldrons as tall as a person stood across the spacious yard. The dyers standing before them plunged long poles into the steaming cauldrons, constantly stirring cloth and skeins of yarn soaked in dark crimson liquid, while other workers hung the finished fabrics over long wooden frames to dry.

“The dyes are mixed and the fabrics dyed here at this workshop.”

“Where do you obtain the dyes?”

“Forty percent are imported from Lakasim, while the rest are purchased from merchants throughout the continent.”

The administrator, who had answered without hesitation, suddenly let out a heavy sigh.

“Recently, however, supplies have become difficult to secure. Many of the major trade routes have been blocked, and the cost of raw materials has doubled. As a result, it has become difficult to maintain the same volume of production as before.”

Talia knitted her brows.

The textile industry was hardly the only thing to have suffered from the civil war. With several trade routes leading north closed, the circulation of goods throughout the East had contracted considerably.

Fortunately, they were still managing by obtaining supplies through the distribution networks of the southeastern regions, but if the war continued for just a few more years, the prosperity Kalmor had accumulated would soon begin to run dry.

She mentally organized the various pieces of information she had learned while touring the city.

Kalmor’s primary sources of revenue were taxes collected from the sale of woolen textiles, livestock, and grain. In addition, the tolls and market taxes collected from the thousands of merchants who visited Kalmor each year accounted for a substantial portion of the territory’s finances. Unless the war was brought to an end quickly, Kalmor’s finances might suffer a considerable blow.

“That’s enough here. Take me somewhere else.”

Having finished inspecting the weaving workshop, Talia turned toward the exit.

The administrator, who had repeatedly cast sidelong glances at the enormous wolf following closely at her side, suddenly stiffened and hurried to escort her outside.

After leaving the weaving workshop, Talia immediately headed toward her next destination. Despite being on the outskirts of the city, the streets were crowded with people. Perhaps because word had spread that the Grand Duchess had begun inspecting various facilities throughout Kalmor, crowds of onlookers had started gathering wherever she went.

Ignoring the hundreds of pairs of eyes watching her as though she were some rare spectacle, she headed toward a large grain warehouse near the city gate.

After checking the quantity and condition of the food stored there, she returned to the castle and briefly organized what she had learned from that day’s inspection.

Despite several years of civil war, the territory had been managed astonishingly well. Even so, there was no avoiding the gradual economic decline. Was there any way to break through this situation?

She laid out a list of Kalmor’s major products.

Foodstuffs had limitations when it came to transportation and storage. With the trade routes restricted, they needed to develop products that could be stored for long periods into their primary source of revenue.

In the end, their only option was to increase the commercial value of woolen textiles, one of Kalmor’s main sources of income.

Talia racked her brain for a way to lower the procurement cost of dyes while simultaneously raising the value of their woolen fabrics. But there was no reason to expect some revolutionary solution from the mind of someone who had never done anything productive in her entire life.

After struggling at her desk for several hours, Talia felt as though her head were about to split apart and finally rose from her seat.

At that moment, her vision suddenly blurred, and cold sweat broke out all over her body.

Clutching the edge of the desk, Talia panted harshly as she hurriedly pulled open a drawer. She fumbled for a medicine bottle, but before she could take it out, her entire vision turned white and her body rapidly tilted to one side.

Talia blindly reached out into empty air before collapsing onto the carpet. Through the haze, she could vaguely sense Khan barking loudly and circling around her.

She had no idea how many minutes passed before the door suddenly flew open and hurried footsteps rushed into the room.

They lifted her from the floor, laid her on the bed, and wiped her face with a cold towel.

Before long, her vision cleared, and she saw Tiuran and the maids looking down at her with worried expressions.

“Are you all right?”

Talia moved her parched lips.

“...I’m fine. I’ve simply been overexerting myself lately, so I got dizzy.”

“It may be a side effect of the medicine. Have you increased the dosage?”

“All I did was drink about half a bottle of the medicine you prepared after my meal.”

Tiuran studied her complexion thoughtfully, then walked over to the fireplace and began preparing medicine.

“For now, I’ll make you some medicinal tea to help ease the dizziness. Please lie down and rest.”

Talia obediently lowered her head onto the pillow and rubbed her throbbing eyelids. Then she noticed Khan standing pressed close to the side of the bed, staring anxiously at her, and forced herself to smile.

“Sorry. I scared you, didn’t I?”

Khan pushed his head against her chest and let out a low rumble. He seemed to have been badly startled, his massive chest still rising and falling as Talia gently stroked him.

Tiuran approached with a cup of warm medicinal tea and carefully held it out to her.

“It’s still hot, so please drink carefully.”

Talia accepted the cup and cautiously drank it one sip at a time. As the refreshing fragrance spread throughout her mouth, the waterlogged fog inside her head gradually began to clear.

She lightly waved a hand at the maids, who were anxiously studying her complexion, indicating that they could leave.

“I’m fine now. Go and rest.”

“Your condition may worsen again, so I’ll stay a little longer.”

Tiuran pulled a chair over to the bedside and sat down, drawing the blanket higher over Talia’s chest.

Talia silently stared at her gentle face for a moment, then turned onto her other side and replied brusquely,

“Do whatever you want.”

Then she wrapped both arms tightly around Khan and closed her eyes.

She did not know how long she remained like that. For some time, the quiet sounds of Tiuran tidying the room continued around her.

Talia cracked her eyes open and stole a glance at her face. Then she saw Tiuran holding in one hand the ledger Talia had begun keeping a few days ago, and her face flushed. For some reason, it felt as though something shameful had been discovered.

“Why are you reading that without permission?”

At the sharp accusation, Tiuran hurriedly put the ledger down.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I noticed it while tidying the desk....”

The healer trailed off awkwardly, then cautiously asked,

“Are you thinking of beginning to personally oversee the territory’s administration as a whole?”

“I only scribbled a few things down so I could at least pretend I’m doing some work. I have to make it look like I’m doing something for the vassals who treat me like a useless parasite.”

“For something you merely scribbled down, it was remarkably well organized.”

“What could you possibly know from glancing at it for a moment?”

Talia snapped at her somewhat irritably, and Tiuran fell silent.

For some reason, Talia began to feel increasingly restless and moistened her dry lips. Just then, Tiuran gently covered the back of her hand with her own.

Talia looked down at their overlapping hands in surprise, and the healer’s earnest voice reached her ears.

“Your Highness, there is nothing shameful about honestly expressing what you want.”