Chapter 56
"Alistair, lock him up. He will never see daylight again."
"Yes, My Lord."
"Turner, I want a full report. Every detail. Every transaction. Every person he has met. Send knights to watch Bracken. I want every secret, every mistake, every piece of dirt we can find. I will take him down and make him regret ever laying a hand on my family."
Turner straightened immediately.
"Yes, My Lord."
Owen left the dungeons and headed for his chambers. After hours spent in the cold stone cells, covered in sweat, blood, and dust, there was no chance he would allow either Eleanor or Aurora to see him in such a state.
After bathing and changing into fresh clothes, he finally made his way toward his study.
The moment he opened the door, he stopped.
The study looked as though a paper storm had swept through it.
Reports were stacked on tables.
Reports were stacked on chairs.
Reports were stacked on the floor.
There was barely enough room to walk.
In the middle of the disaster sat Aurora, Emily, and Philip.
Owen blinked.
"I am not sure if I walked into the wrong study..." he said slowly. "Or if I have officially been evicted."
Aurora looked up from her papers and grinned.
"Daddy, you weren't here, so I decided to help."
"Help?" Owen looked around. "This looks more like a hostile takeover."
Emily immediately covered her mouth to hide a laugh.
Philip coughed suspiciously while looking away.
"Good day, Duke."
"Good day, My Lord."
Owen nodded before walking straight to Aurora.
His stern expression instantly softened.
He placed a hand on her head and gently ruffled her hair before kissing her forehead.
"How are you feeling? Why are you not resting"
"Better. I got bored sitting."
"You should be resting."
"We tried telling her," Emily said with a sigh. "But she refuses to listen."
"She's as stubborn as her father," Philip added.
Owen looked offended, "I am not stubborn."
Three pairs of eyes stared at him.
The duke cleared his throat, "Fine. Perhaps a little."
That earned several laughs.
The warmth inside the room eased some of the tension that had been weighing on everyone's shoulders for days.
As Owen sat down, he thought about something.
Both Alistair and Turner had been unusually attentive whenever Aurora was mentioned.
Especially Turner.
The knight always seemed to watch Aurora just a little longer than necessary.
Owen hid his smile behind his teacup. Interesting. But that was a matter for another day.
For now, he turned his attention to the mountain of reports.
"What exactly are you working on?"
Emily handed him a cup of tea.
Aurora pointed toward a stack of documents, "These are reports on every family living in the Duchy."
Owen raised an eyebrow.
"Every family?"
"Names, ages, occupations, skills, number of children, grandparents, everyone."
The duke looked impressed.
"And why exactly do you need all of that information?"
Aurora's eyes sparkled, "Because I want to build a school."
The room fell silent.
"A school?" Owen repeated.
Aurora nodded eagerly.
"If children can read and write, they can learn skills. If they learn skills, they can earn better incomes. If they earn better incomes, the Duchy becomes stronger."
Philip and Emily exchanged surprised glances.
Neither had expected Aurora to be thinking so far ahead.
Owen leaned back in his chair.
"It is a wonderful idea, Aurora, but the Duchy is struggling financially. It could take years before we recover from what was stolen."
Aurora smiled.
"That's why I have a plan."
Owen immediately felt nervous.
Aurora's plans tended to become very large very quickly.
"Go on."
Aurora slid several papers across the table.
"This is a list of our blacksmiths."
Another stack followed.
"This is a list of our carpenters."
Another.
"And this is a list of women who know how to sew."
Philip and Emily leaned closer.
This was the first time they were hearing any of this.
"For starters," Aurora continued, "instead of selling most of our raw iron and gold, we can create finished products."
Owen studied the papers.
"Such as?"
Aurora handed him several sketches.
The duke's eyes widened.
Jewellery.
Beautiful jewellery.
Elegant necklaces.
Hairpins.
Bracelets.
Rings.
Every design looked unique.
"You drew these?"
Aurora nodded, "I've been practicing."
"They're beautiful."
Aurora beamed, "We can hire local blacksmiths and craftsmen to create them."
Owen studied the drawings again.
His admiration for his daughter grew with every passing second.
"When did my little girl become so talented?"
"Dad, I've always been talented."
Philip nearly choked on his tea.
Emily burst out laughing.
Owen shook his head.
"The confidence is definitely inherited from your mother."
"Excuse me?" Eleanor's voice suddenly appeared from the doorway.
Everyone turned.
The Duchess stood there with her arms crossed and an amused smile.
Owen immediately pointed at Aurora.
"Your daughter started it."
"My daughter is perfect."
Aurora smiled victoriously.
Owen stared at his wife, "I see there is no justice in this family."
"There never was," Philip muttered.
The room erupted into laughter.
Eleanor walked over and kissed Owen's cheek before sitting beside him.
Aurora continued enthusiastically.
"We can also produce farming tools. Better tools mean better harvests. Better harvests mean more income."
Owen nodded slowly, "That could work."
Aurora handed over another stack of sketches.
This time they contained clothing designs.
Children's clothing.
Men's clothing.
Women's clothing.
Simple.
Elegant.
Practical.
The Duchess's eyes widened.
"You designed all of these?"
Aurora nodded proudly, "We can train local women and create jobs."
Eleanor looked genuinely impressed, "My daughter continues to surprise me."
"We can open a small store in town," Aurora continued excitedly. "Half jewellery, half clothing."
"And who will buy them?" Owen asked.
Aurora grinned, "We lower the prices."
Owen blinked, "Lower them?"
"Sell more items with smaller profits instead of fewer items with larger profits."
The duke stared at her.
Philip stared at her.
Emily stared at her.
For a moment nobody spoke.
Then Owen slowly smiled.
"You've thought this through."
Aurora nodded proudly.
"If the people earn money, they spend money. If they spend money, the Duchy prospers."
Owen looked at Eleanor.
Eleanor looked at Owen.
Their daughter had truly grown.
The immature girl who once chased after a prince had become a young woman capable of rebuilding an entire Duchy.
"Let me review the finances," Owen finally said. "If we can spare the funds, we'll begin."
Aurora practically bounced in her seat.
"Daddy, there's an empty building on the estate. Can we turn it into a school?"
Owen chuckled.
"You may."
Aurora immediately jumped up and threw her arms around him.
"Thank you, Daddy!"
The sudden movement sent a sharp pain through her side.
"Ouch!"
Instantly Owen was on his feet.
Eleanor rushed forward.
Emily nearly dropped the teapot.
Philip looked ready to summon every physician in the kingdom.
"I'm fine!" Aurora protested.
"You are not fine!" Owen barked.
"Call a physician!"
"Dad, I literally have medical knowledge."
"And I literally do not care."
Eleanor pointed a finger at Aurora.
"You are going to send your father to an early grave with your recklessness."
Aurora looked guilty. Then she smiled sheepishly.
"At least you'll know exactly how to treat him."
For a moment there was complete silence.
Then everyone groaned.
Even Owen couldn't stop himself from laughing as he pulled his daughter into another careful hug.
No matter how capable Aurora became, she would always be their precious daughter
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