Chapter 21

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Two days after Opal's declaration, Hubert visited the attic room. However, he only looked around curiously without saying what he had come for. It seemed he was surprised by the shabby room with a low ceiling, a cramped space, an old bed, a desk, and a chair crammed into it.

"Sir, what is your business here?"

"Well, I... I’ve been thinking about what you said the night before last."

"Then you’ve come to a conclusion?"

"Yes."

Opal, thinking that waiting in silence would be a waste of time, asked a question she already knew the answer to. Hubert, hesitating, finally responded. Seeing his reaction, Opal encouraged him to continue, and Hubert nodded seriously.

"Through this experience... I have realized how arrogant and foolish I have been. I do not deserve your generous offer. However, I intend to change my heart and seek the Earl’s guidance with your assistance, and strive to do my best. I swear to buy back the land from you as soon as possible."

"Understood."

Though Hubert sounded a bit pompous, this was who he was. More importantly, it was Hubert’s determination that mattered. As she answered calmly, Opal felt a great sense of relief. If Hubert had not intended to change, she would have had to push him further into a situation where he would have to work. Of course, she doubted how long this resolve would last, but for now, she decided to believe him.

"Then, shall we proceed with the formalities immediately? Is that alright?"

"---Yes. Then... please, I ask for your help."

"I will inform you of the details later."

Hubert seemed to have more to say, but Opal ended the conversation in a businesslike manner. After Hubert left, she sighed in relief and hurriedly wrote a letter to her father. She was glad to be able to pass Hubert back to her father, who had pushed him onto her. However, she was soon troubled by the servants who came one after another to apologize and pledge their new loyalty.

However, it was different with Romit and Beth. Opal had already hired a new butler and several servants. If Romit wanted to leave, that was fine, but if he stayed, she intended to place him in a position to assist the new butler. As for Beth, Opal did not need a lady’s maid, so if she stayed, she would be demoted to a senior maid. When she finally informed them of this, both Romit and Beth looked humiliated but did not say they would leave.

(What, is that all...?)

Opal was disappointed, expecting more resistance. In the end, both of them had only been able to act under Hubert’s protection. Thus, she completed the formalities in the attic and, exactly five days later, Opal finally left the ducal mansion.

"Ah, what a relief!"

Hubert, the new butler, and the servants saw her off as she boarded the carriage and called out quietly to herself. Kayb, who would take her to the ducal estate, had his wages doubled. Kayb, feeling embarrassed, tried to refuse, but in reality, his previous wages had been too low. The new butler, recommended by her uncle, would likely change the ducal mansion. She had entrusted the evaluation of the other servants to him.

During the five days she spent in the attic, she did not meet Lady Northam or Stella, and frankly, she did not care. Those were Hubert’s problems, not hers. Instead, she had a rewarding job of reforming the vast estate waiting for her. Thinking of the reforms in Omar’s domain, she headed for the former MacLaud ducal estate in the carriage.

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Three years later.

Opal placed several cards on the table and sighed deeply.

"I lost. I lost..."

"It seems so. Then, I will leave the bookkeeping for this month to you, madam."

"Unbelievable... Why am I paying you such a high salary?"

"To bring out the enthusiasm of us servants."

"Without any mercy, huh?"

"There is no need for mercy in a game, is there?"

Omar, collecting the cards from the table, answered, seemingly trying to comfort or tease Opal. The card game had been a habit since Opal moved to the estate. To distract Omar from his old habits as a manager, she and the butler Lind played card games every night, betting on household chores.

At first, Omar seemed quite restless, but with strict supervision and no trips to the town of Nobori, his excitement over large bets gradually faded. Now, he enjoyed the card games as a true pastime. Omar, when serious, was an excellent manager, and Opal learned a lot from him. Of course, she was gradually getting her money back from his high salary.

"Hey, someone’s coming, it seems."

"---A letter, perhaps?"

Just as Opal was about to leave the study to start her afternoon work, the sound of a carriage approaching the mansion was heard. From the sound of the wheels, it seemed to be a delivery carriage. Since food and other deliveries usually went to the back door, Opal guessed it was a letter and decided to wait in the study.

Over the past three years, Opal had hardly left the estate. Naturally, she had not appeared in society during the season, and various rumors were circulating. It was speculated that maintaining Hubert’s vast estate was difficult, and that this was indeed a marriage for money. Some even said that she was a dissolute wife locked away on the estate, while others claimed that Hubert, having fallen for Opal’s schemes, was keeping her from leaving out of jealousy.

(In the end, it’s the same as being locked away...)

Opal laughed, not caring about the rumors. In fact, Hubert had invited her to the capital many times during the season and to visit friends’ estates during the off-season, but she had declined all of them.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t leave the estate. Over the past three years, the estate had been developed through Opal’s investments and Omar’s proper management. Thanks to favorable weather, she would soon recover her investment. However, Opal found the social obligations of the society tedious, and as a duchess, she no longer cared what others thought of her.

However, she had a slightly better opinion of Hubert. Surprisingly, over the past three years, Hubert had already bought back nearly a third of the estate and the capital mansion from Opal. Opal was relieved that she didn’t have to resort to her next plan. Moreover, Hubert had bought back the capital mansion and a bit of land in just over a year. When Opal visited the ducal mansion in the capital for the formalities, she was warmly welcomed, and the room prepared for her was that of the lady of the house.

"Stella was advised to convalesce in a place with good air, so I bought a small piece of land and a house near the capital. Lady Northam and Stella have moved there, along with a few familiar servants like Romit and Beth."

"See..."

"Truly, I am grateful to you. If you hadn’t suggested a different doctor for Stella, she might not be here now. But, thank goodness, an effective medicine was found. Thank you, Opal."

"---No, it was only right to do so for your important person."

In truth, the effective medicine had been available for a long time. Dr. Harrison, the attending physician, had been unaware and had prescribed expensive traditional medicine. It seemed that Dr. Harrison had provided free medical care and medicine to the poor, and compensated by charging high medical fees to the rich, including Hubert. Realizing this, Hubert fired Dr. Harrison and wrote a long letter of gratitude to Opal. Dr. Harrison’s intentions were noble, but his methods were problematic. Opal did not interfere and ended the matter with a routine reply.

"No, but I must thank you."

"---Yes..."

Hubert smiled and held Opal’s hand. Without Romit and Beth, and with the other servants and Hubert, this sudden change in attitude left Opal bewildered. However, swallowing her thoughts, she spent the day with a forced smile. The next morning, she left the mansion early, citing concern for the estate, despite Hubert’s attempts to hold her back.

After that, Hubert continued to buy back the estate regularly. Even her father, the Earl of Holloway, was surprised. Initially, her father’s letters often mentioned, "Is it alright to abandon that fool?" but gradually, the content became more reluctant acceptance. It seemed that Hubert had been working hard as he had promised. Now, he no longer needed Opal’s allowance and had even returned the amount equivalent to a year’s allowance.

Recently, rumors of Hubert’s successful investments had spread in society, and he was becoming popular among women. At the occasional evening parties he attended, he never brought a wife or any woman, and always talked with the men. Women were plotting to get closer to him, and the fact that he talked with his father-in-law not only at evening parties but also at gentlemen’s clubs fueled various speculations.

Hearing the butler Lind greeting someone at the entrance, Opal waited, lost in thought. Omar, ignoring Opal’s daze, quickly resumed his work. The land Hubert had bought back was still managed by Omar, and he occasionally visited the capital to report and teach detailed management techniques, so there was no need to worry about the future. At this rate, Hubert might recover half the estate by the end of the year.

(In short, he could do it if he tried. He had just been spoiled and had abandoned his duties...)

However, Hubert’s success also had a bit of luck. The civil war in the Taisei Kingdom, which he had heard about from his uncle three years ago, had ended in about half a year. Now, with various supplies being provided for post-war reconstruction, the economy of the country was good.

(It’s frustrating that war can boost the economy, but this time, it was mostly a conflict within the palace, and no blood was shed among the people, which is a credit to the victorious younger brother of the king.)

Originally, the Taisei Kingdom was a country rich in resources and highly skilled. Unfortunately, much was lost due to the civil war and the plague before it, but under the leadership of the victorious younger brother of the king—the new king—it was gradually recovering. As Opal’s thoughts drifted to the Taisei Kingdom, Lind entered with a letter on a tray after knocking.

"A letter for you, madam."

"Thank you, Lind."

As expected, the carriage that had arrived earlier was to deliver a letter. Opal took the letter from the tray, turned the envelope over, and checked the sender. She was immediately disappointed.

Neither Omar nor Lind said anything, seeing Opal’s reaction. Everyone in the estate knew that Opal had been waiting for a letter for nearly three years. However, they never discussed who it might be, out of respect for Opal’s personal matters and a wish for her happiness.

"Well..."

Opal quickly read the letter and couldn’t help but exclaim. She had thought Hubert was planning to buy back another piece of land, but her guess was wrong.

"What is it?"

Lind, who knew the sender, asked out of concern. He glanced at Omar, who had also stopped working out of concern, and told him it was from Hubert. When Opal first came to the estate as the lord, there had been an awkward atmosphere between Lind and Omar, but now their friendship had returned.

Lind had blamed himself for not noticing Omar’s misconduct after the previous duke and duchess died. He believed that Omar’s occasional trips were for land management and that things had been difficult since the great drought. When Opal exposed Omar’s misconduct, Lind was very angry. However, as he supervised Omar’s return to serious work, his anger subsided.

"Sir is coming here—soon, to this estate."

"Really...?"

Lind, surprised by Opal’s words, turned to her. Her calm and composed demeanor was unusual. Omar, seeing this, explained.

"Sir hasn’t returned to this estate in seventeen years, not even after the accident that killed the previous duke and duchess—his parents. After that, he seemed to detest this place. So..."

Omar’s face turned red as he hesitated. The reason he could commit misconduct was that Hubert had left the estate in his hands even after adulthood.

"---When the previous duke and duchess had their accident, Sir was only twelve years old. It took us two days to find the carriage they were in... During that time, Sir was locked in the carriage with his parents’ bodies."

"Such..."

Opal paled at Lind’s words. She knew that Hubert had not visited the estate since losing his parents, but she had not realized the extent of his traumatic experience. She remembered blaming him for being irresponsible without knowing the truth.

"But, if Sir is coming here, it means he has come to terms with his past. We will do our best to help him forget the past."

"---Yes. Thank you. I’ll tell Debbie too."

Opal, seeing Lind’s worried face, smiled and answered. She left the study and headed to the housekeeper Debbie. However, she was regretting not trying to understand the young, wounded Hubert.