Chapter 24

"Opal, is it all right for you to be awake?"

"…My lord, I am already fully recovered. I am only staying here as a precaution and was planning to return to the manor soon. I am truly sorry for troubling you to come here."

"No…."

Opal had fallen ill with a severe flu and had suffered for about ten days with a high fever.

It seemed that her fatigue had caught up with her, and her resistance had dropped, which is why she had not recovered quickly.

Even after she was able to get out of bed, the people in the mansion were worried, and she ended up staying at the earl's residence for over a month.

During that time, Hubert had been informed by her father and had sent letters and flowers while she was bedridden.

He had refused direct visits to avoid the risk of infection.

"I came to see you because the earl told me you had fully recovered. Also, I have some wonderful news to share."

"---Thank you. What is the wonderful news?"

Hubert smiled and handed the bouquet of flowers he was holding to Opal.

This was the first time he had directed such a smile at her since he had thanked her for helping Stella.

Confused, Opal accepted the flowers and thanked him, then asked what had happened.

"Guess what, an investor has appeared!"

"…For the Mantes land development?"

"Yes. In fact, I have been visiting the Taisho Kingdom for almost a month."

"My lord, you went to the Taisho Kingdom?"

"Yes. I wasn't just sitting around. I intended to negotiate directly with the kingdom to bring engineers here. The earl introduced me to someone—Lord Lucel, a marquis, who went to great lengths to help. Thanks to him, I was able to meet with the king. Moreover, the marquis persuaded the king to send engineers from the kingdom! And the marquis is also investing!"

"That's…amazing."

"Isn't it? Opal, I'm sorry for worrying you. Now that your father has promised to invest, everything will surely go well."

Unexpected news made Opal's heart finally feel lighter.

At the same time, she wondered why Hubert had been so proactive—why he had been so anxious as to travel to another country.

However, she did not voice her doubts and listened intently to Hubert, who was sitting across from her.

Hubert was in a very good mood, and his enthusiasm for the future was evident.

Of course, profits would not come immediately, but with the kingdom's technology, the investment could be recovered much faster than her father's calculations.

Profits would not come from the mines alone.

The construction of the railway would require both people and money, and a city would be built.

Once the railway was completed, not only those working in the mines but many others would gather, and the land would develop further.

Moreover, Mantes was in a position that made trade with the Taisho Kingdom easier, and Lord Lucel seemed to have noticed this.

The kingdom, which had regained stability, needed to rebuild its relations with other countries.

The marquis had supported the new king financially and materially during the succession dispute three years ago, contributing significantly to his victory.

He had been elevated from an earl to a marquis for his contributions and was rumored to be working hard on reconstruction, possibly even earning a dukedom in the future.

It was fortunate that Lord Lucel was a friend of her father.

Hubert had been seeking investors in this country for the past month, but he had been avoided because his father-in-law, Earl Holloway, had not invested.

However, when the marquis saw the letter of introduction from her father, he did not miss the treasure trove of Mantes and decided to bet on its potential.

Thanks to this, her father had decided to invest a significant amount, and Hubert predicted that other investors would soon follow.

"…But, if Lord Lucel and my father are investing so much, are more investors still needed?"

"To be precise, the marquis has agreed to lend a significant amount of money for the land purchase at a very low interest rate. He says it's fine to pay only the interest for now. And with that interest rate, the income from my estate can cover it. The majority of the development funds will be invested by the earl, but not all of it."

"It seems like a very good deal, but is the marquis trustworthy?"

"Yes, I understand your concern. However, the earl has already reviewed the contract and assured me it's fine. All that's left is for me to sign it."

"I see… Then, I will invest the rest. That was our agreement, wasn't it?"

Although she was worried that Hubert might be deceived again because everything was going too smoothly, she felt relieved that her father had confirmed it.

Sighing in relief, Opal offered to be an investor, but Hubert shook his head awkwardly.

"That… Can you forget about it? I was out of my mind back then. I was anxious about the Mantes land being snatched up by others because of the price drop, and I used your land as collateral without your permission and said terrible things to you. Of course, I will immediately proceed with the cancellation of the collateral loan contract—"

"My lord, regardless of what happened back then, this is a pure investment for me. Of course, you can choose your investors, so if you say no, I will give up."

"There's no need to choose. I welcome your investment. However, please don't take unnecessary risks. There's no guarantee that Mantes will be a success, even if it is a treasure trove."

"…Thank you for your advice. But I'm fine. As you know, I have a considerable fortune."

Finally, with Hubert's calmness, Opal felt relieved and smiled in response.

There were still challenges ahead, but she believed everything would go well this time.

With a peaceful heart, she watched Hubert leave the earl's residence.

***

---Four years later.

The railway connecting the mines to the urban area and the newly built port was successfully opened, and Opal attended the ceremony.

Although the recovery of funds was still in the future, the development had proceeded without major issues on the surface, which was fortunate.

Stopping Hubert from going off the rails a few times was challenging, but he listened to her father and Lord Lucel, so things went smoothly.

(Why do most men think women don't understand business? I've shown results, so at least my husband should recognize me…)

When she complained about this, her father chuckled and said, "It's because you're you."

As a husband, he must feel his pride is hurt when his wife points out his mistakes.

Although it seemed trivial, women were still expected to rely on men in society.

In reality, many women used their perceived weakness to their advantage.

Opal glanced at Hubert, who was surrounded by women, and sighed.

The land prices in Mantes had risen sharply, and both Earl Holloway and Hubert had become wealthy, making Hubert very popular with women, regardless of his marriage.

Naturally, attention returned to Opal, and people of all ages tried to approach her for various reasons.

Especially young men, who seemed to remember old rumors, kept inviting her, which was annoying.

Feeling fed up with the current situation, Opal planned to retreat to the countryside after the ceremony.

She had only attended this ceremony to thank Lord Lucel, but unfortunately, he was absent.

Opal had tried to contact Lord Lucel several times through her father or Hubert, but she could only communicate through them.

(Does Lord Lucel also think women can't do business…)

This plan's success was due to Lord Lucel, and Opal had hoped to meet him directly today, but that didn't happen.

It seemed Lord Lucel preferred to stay out of the public eye and was happy to have an excuse to avoid it, her father laughed and told her.

(Perhaps I'm destined not to meet the people I want to…)

Even after four years, Claude's whereabouts were still unknown.

When she visited the earl's estate recently, the baroness had seemed reluctant to talk about Claude, so Opal quickly changed the subject.

Lost in thought about that, Opal was startled back to reality by the loud music from the band.

(It's almost over… It's almost over…)

Watching the radiant Hubert, Opal waited for the ceremony to end.

She actually disliked noisy places.

Ten years ago, when she had just debuted in society, she had been enchanted by its glamour.

But by the time she realized that living quietly in the countryside was much happier, it was too late.

Determined not to admit defeat, she had pretended to enjoy society, but now she thought it was foolish.

Her married life had been different from what she had dreamed, but it had been fulfilling.

Even though it wasn't as planned, living in the countryside and rebuilding the estate while seeing the joy on the villagers' faces had been truly enjoyable.

(But, my life in the countryside won't end here.)

No matter how much attention she received, Opal had no intention of attending social events more than necessary.

She might even get a dog.

While thinking about this, Opal attended the party after the ceremony and slipped away at the right moment.

The venue was a new hotel built with the land development, and Opal was staying in its most luxurious room.

Naturally, Hubert was in the same room.

Although they were a married couple, the room had two bedrooms, so it wasn't a big deal, and Opal accepted it honestly.

Once in the room, she called a maid to help her take off her dress and let down her hair.

Feeling relieved as the tightness in her head and body was released, Opal sighed.

Then she heard a knock and Hubert's voice.

"Opal, are you all right?"

"Um, yes, of course. Why do you ask?"

"Well… You left the venue early. I thought you might not be feeling well…"

"I'm sorry to worry you. But I'm really fine, so please return to the venue, my lord."

"…I have no intention of going back. Opal, can you come out? I need to talk to you."

The conversation through the door was surprising, and Opal and the maid exchanged glances.

But she couldn't go out in her current state, so she called out to Hubert.

"I'll be right there. Can you wait a moment?"

"Sure."

To avoid keeping Hubert waiting in the living room, Opal quickly changed into a casual dress.

She instructed the maid to leave her hair down and combed it herself while the maid helped with the dress.

After getting ready, Opal entered the living room.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

"No… I'm the one who should apologize for the sudden request."

Opal sat on the sofa, puzzled by Hubert's unusually restless behavior.

When she declined a drink, Hubert poured himself a brandy and sat across from her.

"…This time, I've finally managed to secure enough funds to buy back all the land from you."

"That's… congratulations. But, more funds will be needed in the future, and I—"

"No, it's not about losing assets. I want to buy back all the former duchy lands."

"---I understand. Then, I don't think we need to sign a new contract. I'll give you the documents from back then, so please destroy them."

This was what Opal had decided from the moment she had used the fraudulent documents to take Hubert's land.

She had planned to return everything once he had bought back half of the duchy's assets.

Including the increased value from the investments.

If Hubert hadn't bought the Mantes land, the issue would have been resolved much sooner.

Although the past four years could be seen as wasted, Opal had been able to live in the countryside as planned, even with a nominal husband.

And Hubert had become one of the wealthiest men in the country, so it had worked out well.

Opal was already calculating the increased assets and planning the transfer procedures in her head.

Then, she heard Hubert's nervous voice, which brought her back to reality.

She found Hubert kneeling at her feet, his face flushed, looking up at her.

"…Excuse me, what did you say?"

"…I said… Opal, will you marry me formally?"

The shocking words rang loudly in Opal's head.

So loudly that it hurt.

And she thought, this must be what they mean by a bolt from the blue.