Chapter 22

It was finally the day Hubert was to arrive.

Despite the preparations made in advance, the manor was in a flurry of activity from morning.

Only Omar and Lind knew that most of the duchy now belonged to Opal, and everyone was excited about the return of the lord after seventeen years.

Amidst this, Opal remained in her room, gazing blankly outside.

(What kind of change in mindset could this be...? Could it be that he can even buy this manor now?)

When Opal heard that Hubert, just a twelve-year-old boy, had been trapped in a carriage with his parents' bodies for two days, her view of him had changed significantly.

It was understandable that the people around him had become overly protective.

If he had started living with the Northams and Stella after his parents' death, it was only natural that he would treat the ailing Stella with special care.

Losing someone dear is painful, bitter, and sad.

Opal had also been deeply saddened when she lost her mother.

Now, she can recall it calmly, thanks to the support of those around her.

But Claude, one of those people, is no longer here.

Some time after moving to the manor, Opal wrote a letter to Claude.

She wrote about taking the land from Hubert.

The content was almost like a confession, and Opal later regretted it.

She had written it because she wanted someone to listen, but Claude must have been disappointed.

She waited anxiously for a reply, and the letter that arrived was from Claude's mother, the baroness.

It seems Claude has been missing since he left home after graduating from university.

The baroness, though deeply worried, promised to forward the letter if she found him.

However, even after three years, there has been no news.

Opal wrote several letters to the baron's manor, but the butler, Orton, only replied that Claude's whereabouts were still unknown and expressed similar concern.

If only she had talked more with Claude at that time—when they last met.

She should have asked what he planned to do after graduation.

Instead, she was preoccupied with her own feelings—realizing she liked Claude and thinking about her marriage to Hubert.

She often recalls Claude from that time, but only a stiff smile comes to mind.

(I hope he is well...)

Even if she never sees him again, it's fine.

Even if he hates her, it's fine.

As long as he is well and happy, that's all she needs.

She's not sure if she still likes him, but he is undoubtedly important to her.

(Maybe Lord Hubert feels the same way about Stella...)

Given that he bought a new house for Stella before reclaiming the mansion in the capital, it must be so.

Even if he can't express his feelings, making Stella happy might make Hubert happy too.

If so, it should only be a little longer.

Opal watched the grand carriage with the ducal coat of arms arrive, took a deep breath, and headed to the entrance to welcome him.

"It's been a long time, my lord. How was your journey?"

"Oh, it's been a long time, Opal. Fortunately, the weather was good, so it went well."

"That's good to hear."

Opal welcomed Hubert, who entered the manor, with a calm smile.

They had all decided in advance to help him forget the unpleasant memories.

However, more people were excited about the long-awaited reunion with Hubert.

Therefore, Opal stepped back and let the butler Lind and the housekeeper Debbie take the lead.

The manor was buzzing with the excitement of the reunion after seventeen years.

Lind and Hubert shook hands firmly.

Watching everyone's smiling faces, Opal felt happy too.

She even thought about wanting to return to the baron's manor.

It seemed that Hubert had also managed to forget the unpleasant memories of the past.

That night, a feast prepared by the chef was laid out on the table, and for the first time in a long while, Opal and Hubert enjoyed a meal in a warm atmosphere.

However, the next day.

When Hubert revealed his plans in the study, Opal was stunned.

Dizzy, she opened her mouth to ask for more details.

"…My lord, could you please repeat that?"

"I bought the land in Mantes. It's wrong not to get it."

"…How did you secure the funds? It hasn't been that long since you reclaimed the land…"

"Don't worry, it's fine. It's true that it's currently an infertile area, but there is a mine there. The railway is already partially laid. If we can extend it to the city, it will be profitable."

"But the funds to buy that land! It must have been a huge amount! How did you secure it!?"

Hubert's explanation was something anyone interested in investment would know.

Frustrated by Hubert's evasiveness, Opal pressed him.

"Of course, I used all my available funds and borrowed money, using the mansion in the capital and the land as collateral."

"My lord… Do you know why that land is left undeveloped? There is indeed a mine there, but it requires a huge amount of money and technology to transport the extracted minerals. The previous owner went bankrupt because of this. The reason is the deep valley between the mine and the city. It's impossible to build a railway through that valley with our country's current technology. If it were possible, how much would it cost? It would take a considerable amount of time to recover the investment."

If there hadn't been a succession dispute in the Kingdom of Taisei, the development of the Mantes land might have gone well.

With the technology and engineers of that country, they could have built a railway through the valley.

However, the plan to connect the city and the mine by railway failed.

The land, left untouched for three years, was too risky for anyone to invest in.

Even Opal's father, who had called it a pity, had judged that it wouldn't yield enough returns.

"I plan to raise funds from investors. I hope you will cooperate."

"…What did your father say?"

Hubert's face turned slightly red at Opal's question.

That was enough to know the answer.

"The baron said… he would consider it if the engineers were secured… Of course, he can't invest the entire amount, so we need other investors. But if the baron invests, everyone will be happy to do so. So it's fine."

What was fine, Opal wanted to ask.

It was almost impossible to secure the necessary engineers.

The reason engineers had become so valuable was that many had died in the epidemic and subsequent civil war in the Kingdom of Taisei.

Now, with the protection of the new king, it was difficult for them to leave the country.

Suddenly, Opal realized that the price of the Mantes land—untouched treasure—was far too high for Hubert's wealth.

"…My lord, did you really have enough funds to buy the Mantes land? Or did you not buy all of it?"

"That… I used the entire duchy as collateral."

"The entire duchy…?"

It took Opal a while to understand Hubert's answer.

To be honest, she didn't want to understand.

"Surely… surely, this manor and the land in my name too?"

"All of that was taken from me by you. Besides, if this development goes well, you will get what you want. Isn't that fine?"

"But that's a crime! Using my name as collateral without my consent!"

"You also did something criminal-like!"

"That's different!"

"Even so, if you keep quiet, there won't be a problem."

"Such…"

Hubert's firm words made Opal feel dizzy again.

She had thought Hubert had changed over the past three years.

She believed he had overcome his emotional wounds by coming to the manor.

However, while he had developed his investment skills under his father's guidance, his arrogance remained unchanged.

Even geniuses make mistakes.

Opal knew that her father had failed in investments several times.

Despite that, he had continued to succeed because he always prepared for the worst.

Opal had learned from her own painful failure and had since always prepared for the worst.

And then, she aimed for the best.

"My lord, if… if this investment fails, what will you do?"

"I don't intend to fail. But… if it doesn't go well, we can live on the outskirts with Stella and use the funds set aside for her to start investing again and increase our wealth."

"I see…"

Saying this, Hubert stared at Opal.

Indeed, the duchy was taken from Hubert by Opal, and since it was widely believed to be his, he could use it as collateral without the necessary documents.

However, that didn't matter anymore.

What mattered was how to protect the land and the people.

Opal took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and left the study.