Chapter 23

Opal watched from her bedroom window as Hubert set out in an open carriage with Omar.

Opal, who had stayed awake all night thinking about the future, finally managed to fall asleep at dawn.

And now, she had been awakened by the sound of the two of them leaving.

She vaguely recalled that Hubert had mentioned going on a tour of the estate last night.

Over the past three years, thanks to Omar's diligent management and Opal's generous investment, the estate had regained its former prosperity.

She had almost recovered the funds she had invested recently.

But for Opal, it was not just about the profit; she had already grown attached to this land.

The people of the estate were all kind-hearted and did not resent the hard times they had endured. They were happy with their improved lives and respected Opal.

Yet, she might have to give up this land.

Of course, she knew that eventually everything would belong to Hubert.

However, she had never imagined that she might have to give it up to pay off debts.

She thought she had always considered the worst-case scenarios, but it seemed she was still naive.

Still, she could not give up.

If the next landowner turned out to be a tyrant, the people of the estate would suffer.

Opal steeled herself and began to take action to achieve the best possible outcome.

That night, at dinner, she announced her intention to return to the capital.

Hubert frowned immediately.

"Finally, I have returned to the estate, and if you go to the capital, what will people think...?"

"Don't worry, the rumor that our relationship has broken down is already circulating. More importantly, everyone in this manor and the estate is very happy that you have returned. Please, take the time to tour the land. I will go to my father and ask him to invest in the Mantes land again."

"―I see. I'm sorry. But I..."

Hubert answered awkwardly and apologized to Opal.

Seeing Opal's surprised expression, Hubert started to say something but then fell silent.

"Lord...?"

"No... I said too much yesterday. I owe my current position to you, yet I reverted to my former arrogance. I'm truly sorry."

"...No, I was also disrespectful. I apologize."

"You don't need to apologize. Just... be careful on your journey."

"―Thank you."

In reality, Opal had taken the land, and there was no denying Hubert's words.

She had used the land as collateral to secure a loan and invested the funds in new land. Opal had only one task: to work hard to make the Mantes land development a success.

If the old Opal had never apologized, the past three years had not been in vain, even if only slightly.

After that, the two of them ate a peaceful meal, and Opal returned to her room to hurriedly prepare for her trip to the capital.

The next morning, she set out for the capital in her personal carriage.

Fortunately, the journey to the capital went smoothly, and five days later, she arrived at her family's earl's mansion.

Unfortunately, her father was not expected to return until the day after tomorrow due to work.

She had sent a letter before leaving, but it had not arrived in time. Disappointed, Opal spent two days being entertained by the servants and relaxing at the earl's mansion.

When her father finally returned, Opal requested a meeting through the butler.

She could not be aggressive since she had to ask for a favor, and she had no idea how her father would react.

Despite living as his daughter for twenty-two years, Opal still could not read her father's thoughts.

The butler informed her that the meeting would be the next afternoon.

Opal spent the night in bed, thinking of various ways to persuade her father and unable to sleep.

(Why can't I sleep when I need to...?)

She needed to be well-rested to face her tough opponent—her father. But due to lack of sleep, she was not in top form when she got out of bed in the morning.

Still, Opal asked for a bath to be prepared to wake herself up, soaked in the tub to clear her head and body, and had a hearty lunch.

(Alright, time to face the challenge!)

When the time came, Opal entered her father's study with determination, but she was quickly defeated.

She asked her father to invest in the Mantes land, but he rejected her request outright.

"Opal, I do have money, but I have no intention of throwing it away."

"There is treasure buried in the Mantes land. It's not a waste."

"No matter how much treasure you dig up, if you can't transport it, it's just a storage shed. You know that, don't you?"

"If we had an engineer... an engineer who could build a bridge strong enough to carry ore cars over that gorge, it would be possible."

"But such an engineer does not exist in this country. There are only a few in the Taisei Kingdom. In short, it's too early to develop that land. However, it seems that MacLaud ignored my advice. I don't understand why he's in such a hurry. Even if you don't rush, the duchy will not be given to anyone else as long as you live."

Opal realized something from her father's words.

Indeed, why did Hubert take such a risk when things had been going smoothly? Investment is inherently a gamble, but with careful judgment, the chances of winning are higher.

Hubert had the talent to make such judgments.

(I was so focused on raising funds that I didn't ask about this...)

As she was deep in thought, her father's voice reached her ears.

She snapped back to reality to find her father staring at her as if trying to read her mind.

"Um... then, if the time comes, the land can be developed, right? If so, if we continue to make regular payments, we can maintain the estate—"

"Stop it, Opal. Where do you plan to get the money for those payments? You're not planning to use your own fortune, are you?"

"But I've been using it for the estate so far."

"I didn't object to that because it was a short-term investment with a clear return. I did consider buying the Mantes land. It was quite cheap due to the difficulty of development. Moreover, I have enough funds to buy it without a loan. However, with our current technology, it would take at least five years just to start development. Laying the railway would take another five years at the earliest. It would take ten years for the land to turn from a bad asset into a good one. Only then would the investment start to pay off. Of course, we can't predict everything. But even if everything goes smoothly, it would take twenty years to start making a profit."

"Twenty years..."

"In short, even if everything goes smoothly and the investment is recovered, I might not be alive to see it. I'm not reluctant to leave you money. I just want to see the success with my own eyes. In fact, that's what investors want. And the only people who have enough funds to buy and develop that land are old. ...Opal, I'm not saying this to be mean, but MacLaud should be advised to give up the Mantes land as soon as possible. It will result in a significant loss."

Seeing her daughter fall silent, the earl sighed deeply.

Since Opal had not listened to his objections, Hubert would not listen to her either.

The earl, who had always regretted the mistake of their marriage, decided to lend a hand to the reckless duke for his daughter's sake.

But there was something he needed to confirm first.

"No matter how much wealth MacLaud accumulates, he has no heir. If you don't intend to fulfill your duty as a duchess, you should get a divorce. What does MacLaud think about this?"

"I don't know. I've said that if he wants to marry someone else, I will agree to a divorce and continue to sell the land. But there's no sign of that... If it's someone of lower status, I've said it's fine to have their child as mine. It's a pity, but perhaps that person could be a wet nurse."

"...I see. Regardless of MacLaud, I understand your thoughts."

With that, the earl looked straight at Opal.

His gaze was filled with strong resolve, and Opal struggled to hold back her fear.

"Anyway, if MacLaud goes bankrupt, it's his own fault. You will only lose the duchy, which you obtained with a piece of paper. I won't get involved any further. Wait for the results."

"Then... then, I have one last request."

"What is it?"

"If the development fails and the income from the duchy is not enough to repay the loan—when the duchy is put up for sale, please buy it, Father."

"...It's a ridiculous request, but it's a much smarter choice than investing in the Mantes land.―I understand."

"Thank you!"

Although she did not receive the support she needed, Opal was relieved that the worst-case scenario had been avoided, and she left the study.

Indeed, as her father said, whatever happened, it would be Hubert's own fault, and Opal did not need to worry about it.

She no longer needed to worry about the people of the estate.

(Somehow, I'm tired...)

For nearly four years since her marriage and nearly seven years since that incident, Opal had been living with a facade.

The fatigue seemed to hit her all at once, and she wobbled back to her room.

As soon as she entered, she felt a sudden dizziness and hurriedly sat down in a chair.

But her condition did not improve, and Opal ended up spending nearly twenty days in bed.