Chapter 64: CH 63

“You like economics?”

Was he that surprised?

Fran couldn’t even talk to Reina properly these days, but he went ahead to ask a question like this, all the while with his eyes so wide that they looked like they’d pop out.

“Yes.”

Reina took a sip of her juice and nodded. Then Paul, who was sitting across her, shook his head and mouthed the words:

Don’t open your mouth and show off your head that’s full of air.

Reina didn’t imagine that. He really said that.

“……”

She’d have to get that silver spoon to hit him later, she thought. And, no, she’s not joking about that.

“What part of economics are you interested in?”

Douglas wasn’t well-acquainted with Reina, but even he knew—that House Chantra’s youngest child was not at all interested in studying.

“Really. I love economics. I just didn’t have the chance to tell anyone because no one asked.”

I’m so dumbfounded that I can’t even laugh, was what the atmosphere was saying right now. Everyone who was eating here was rendered speechless.

“What do you mean…”

“Ridiculous.”

While everyone was busy denying Reina’s statement, only one person directly responded to her.

“Oh? Then that’s great.”

There’s no reason for it to be ‘great’ to Lehman that Reina had become interested in economic history, but he was pleased anyway.

“It’s unfortunate that most students in the Academy don’t seem to be interested in economics these days.”

What’s with the creatively thoughtless statement here.

Why’s he turning the students who were just studying normally into economic illiterates? Naturally frowning, Reina calmly refuted his remarks.

“That’s a bit strange to say.”

Catching onto her slightly sharp tone, Lehman quickly responded with another question.

“Then Reina, in your opinion, do you think that the implementation of the gold standard¹ is unreasonable?”

Still as ever, Lehman showed his ‘kindness’ with the way he asked his particularly specific questions.

Reina pursed her lips as though she got worried, and at this, the others looked at her while they resumed eating as they thought, ‘Yeah, of course’.

However, there’s one more thing that they didn’t know.

Being as crazy about money as she had been, though Han Jae-hee was a science major, what did you think was her minor?

‘It’s economics, you dang punks.’

She was well-versed in the broad subject of economics itself, but out of all its intricacies, what she was most interested in was the world’s economic history.

In other words, everyone in this room–except Fran—was about twenty-four steps below Reina’s level.

Leaning back against her chair, Reina sighed lazily as she lifted her glass, rolling her hand to make the juice inside rotate in a small vortex.

“Well, considering the silver shortage, the gold standard would seem like a breakthrough.”

The same moment she said that, everyone’s mouths gaped open. They all turned to the woman who said that, their eyes full of shock.

“Silver shortage…?”

“A breakthrough?”

“Reina knows such a word…?”

Briefly scanning through their reactions, Reina then continued.

“However, will it really be a fundamental solution? In the first place, the silver shortage that the Empire is experiencing right now is happening because the amount of silver being mined is significantly less than the amount of silver that’s being issued.”

As they were all still gawking at her, Fran was the first to come back to his senses. Though with a puzzled expression, he nodded in agreement.

“T-That’s right…!”

He agreed with her, but so far, it seemed like he was still doubting just how that ‘Reina Chantra’ was capable of such an analysis.

Making eye contact with Fran, she conveyed her thoughts clearly.

“In the end, the same problem will occur again in the future if we continue to go by the gold standard. So, Lehman’s assertion about the gold standard… Well… How should I put it?”

“……”

“Ah! Okay, I found the right words. The gold standard will be nothing but a short-sighted alternative, one that’s made without finding the root of the problem properly. Furthermore, it only panders to the status quo. It feels just like that.”

When it came to discussions on the economy, Fran tended to get a bit immersed. So, he then gave an immediate response to Reina’s straightforward analysis.

“That’s right, Reina! You took the words right out of my mouth!”

Going ahead to even clap furiously, Fran unthinkingly said the very thing that would make Lehman extremely embarrassed.

‘This idiot, now Jeremy’s going to target you, too.’

“Just as Reina said, the alternative that Lehman said earlier is useless!”

In the end, Lehman’s face began to crack.

However, Reina didn’t stop there.

“It’s also said that gold mines will be discovered one after another soon enough, but… Well, we aren’t actually sure about just how much resources those mines have inside…”

Reina hadn’t been able to do a proper counterattack against Lehman thus far, but Lehman himself had graciously provided an opportunity for her like this. She wished to convey her gratitude.

“And even if a lot of gold can be found… Looking at the trend so far, to think that gold reserves can surpass silver reserves, um… Doesn’t that sound like more of a pipe dream?”

Thanks to this wonderful opportunity, her choice of words became much more pointed, but the other members of the nine households did not even register this. They were too distracted by the combination of ‘Reina’ and ‘economics’.

“So the argument that’s been said about the gold standard is nothing short of rash, and, umm… it’s quite sloppy as well.”

After being subjected to all of Lehman’s underhanded attacks until this point, Reina grinned and threw out one favorite line of hers.

“Oh, but I hope you’re not offended, Lehman. I’m only being honest.”

And so she repeated one of the lines that Lehman kept saying over and over again. She smiled and gave him a subtle, knowing look.

Any time now, Lehman would get so annoyed that his expression would harden—

“Yeah.”

…What?

“There’s nothing for me to be offended about. It’s your personal opinion.”

Huh? Why wasn’t he angry?

“I was too short-sighted, sorry.”

On top of that, he quickly admitted to his shortcomings.

So, Reina was taken aback.

‘This kid isn’t the type to give up easily though…’

Wasn’t that the case during their confrontation at the palace tour?