The Alvarez estate was, quite literally, drowning in grain as of now.

Every warehouse, every repurposed barn, and even the basements of the guest wings were bursting with sacks of wheat.

She had bought them all months ago, every bushel she could have gathered at that moment offered.

She also bought each and every surplus stock from the neighboring barons, and every scrap the Merchant’s Guild was willing to sell at the inflated prices of the previous month.

If one had to say it poetically, they can literally say that she was the Grain Queen of the North, holding enough wheat to feed the Empire for half a year.

But the cost had been staggering. The Alvarez treasury, once brimming with the spoils of Ace’s military campaigns, was now prestigious in name surely but still barely not on the peak as its former self. She was rich in starch, but dangerously starving for liquid cash.

And the sky had also managed to surprise Evelina to quite an extent.

A soft breeze drifted across the balcony as the thought crossed her mind and it carried the scent of damp earth and blooming jasmine.

The weather was perfect by all accounts. For thirty days, the Empire had enjoyed a suspiciously beautiful spring. The rains were frequent and gentle, the sun was mild, and the farmers were predicting a record-breaking harvest for the upcoming season.

It was a dream for the common folk. It was a nightmare for a woman who had bet her entire fortune on a 100-year drought that had happened in her past life.

A sharp knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Enter," Evelina said, stepping back into the room.

It was Mr. Henderson, the head steward. He looked ten years older than he had a month ago. In his hand, he clutched a silver tray with a wax-sealed letter.

"A missive from the Snow Estate, Your Grace," Henderson said, his voice straining slightly, "The messenger said it was... urgent."

Evelina broke the seal. Her [Merchant’s Eye] immediately caught the shimmer of the paper: [Cheap Parchment, 2 Copper, Reeks of mockery].

The letter was from her father, Baron Snow.

’To my dearest, "brilliant" daughter,’ it began, the handwriting sprawling,’I must thank you once again for your incredible generosity. The gold you paid for my useless grain has allowed me to renovate the family stables and purchase a new fleet of carriages.

I hear the market price for wheat has plummeted now that the spring rains have guaranteed a surplus for every other province. It must be difficult, sitting on all that rotting flour while the rest of us enjoy the bounty of the heavens. Do let me know if you need a loan; I’m sure I could find a few copper coins in the stable sweepings for you.’

Evelina was slightly surprised. She had indeed gotten her hands on the large amount of grains that was monopolized by the Snow Family. But she never expected her father to discover it, as she had done it secretly.

More so, she hadn’t expected the man to come mocking her for it. Alas, it looked like his ego and pride had been shattered rather terribly the last time. So, he found a chance to vent on her.

Evelina crumpled the letter into a ball, calmly, though her grip slightly tightened until her knuckles turned white.

"Your Grace," Henderson spoke up, his voice trembling.,"We cannot wait any longer. The price of wheat has dropped another ten percent this morning. The Merchant’s Guild is laughing at our buyers.

If we don’t sell ay forty percent loss now, we won’t have enough gold to pay the guards’ wages by the end of the month. The grain is starting to hold moisture, My Lady. If the dampness sets in, it will all rot."

He looked at her, his eyes pleading.

He was a man of logic and numbers, but those numbers were currently screaming that Evelina had led them into a financial abyss.

"The Duke has been asking questions as well," Henderson added quietly, "He has been approached by the Imperial Council as they have gotten sniff of your purchases. They are calling your grain-hoarding a sign of mental instability brought on by... social stress."

Evelina’s voice was cold as ice, "How kind of them to be concerned for my health."

"Please, My Lady," Henderson begged, "Sell the stock. We can still save the estate if we act today."

Evelina didn’t answer him immediately this time.

She walked past the steward and out into the hallway, heading toward the grand gardens.

As she stepped outside, a light drizzle began to fall. It was a beautiful, refreshing rain, the kind that brought life to the fields and hope to the hearts of the farmers. It was a blessing to the others.

To Evelina, every drop of the rain felt like a hammer blow against her coffin. She realized that even with the knowledge of her past life and the System’s existence, she was still prone to making mistakes.

After standing there for a few minutes, Evelina inhaled a deep breath.

The fact that the Drought wasn’t approaching was a good thing and it comforted her heart slightly, knowing that the tragedies of the past life wouldn’t repeat this time.

She walked until she reached the center of the courtyard, standing perfectly still as the rain soaked into her silk gown. She looked up at the gray clouds.

System, she called out internally. I don’t understand one thing. How could everything change so suddenly? Where is the heat? Where is the ’Critical Anomaly’ that happened in my past life and that you predicted in this life as well?

The System remained silent, offering no response or update.

Evelina stood there for an hour, resembling a lonely figure in the downpour.

Behind the windows of the manor, she could see the shadows of the servants watching her. They were no longer gushing about her but rather, they whispered about how the Duchess had finally lost her mind, driven mad by a gamble in the fit of her brief success.

Evelina reached out a hand, catching a few droplets of water in her palm. The [Merchant’s Eye] flickered briefly over the water: [Pure Rainwater, Value: 0, Status: Abundant].

"Are you wrong?" she whispered to the sky, a flicker of genuine doubt finally piercing her composure, "Or has the world truly changed this time?"

There was something that kept unsettling her but she couldn’t put a finger on what it was. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

[Current Balance: 4900 Heart-Wrecker Points]

[Warning: Estate Liquidity at 12%]

The System finally beeped.