Chapter 49

Even now, knowing that the Sanluan royal family would probably be eradicated by the Empire and the Allied Nations, Berthine's life remains unchanged. She continues to keep the books, take orders, and repeatedly order and ship local specialties.

But her heart was restless.

(What will His Excellency do about Sanluan?)

She had been thrown into the midst of events by the royal family, regardless of her own will, but since she was involved, she couldn't help but be concerned. Would His Excellency Cécilio tell her about his plans someday?

"But even if he tells me, there's nothing I can do about it."

She tried to convince herself and avoid thinking about it, but she couldn't help but think about it again. What specific plans did Prince Claudio and Prince Erenfried have for the Sanluan royal family? She spent her days in a state of unease.

Hiri continued to sell well.

The canned fruits and seafood were also selling well. According to a letter from Cécilio's father, Delio, people in the Callisto region were planting Hiri seeds everywhere and growing them. They decided to save the revenue from Hiri sales to buy a larger ship in joint names, which would be more stable and reduce the risk of shipwrecks.

"The larger ship will reduce the danger of shipwrecks. Hiri is helping to protect people's lives."

That's what Delio wrote in his letter. If it could save lives, there was nothing more gratifying. Berthine closed her eyes and held the letter to her chest.

She decided to start meetings with Evans in addition to her current work.

She hadn't heard anything from Evans. He was still as bad at writing letters as ever.

Reluctantly, she inquired with a trading company to contact Evans. The company's president replied that Evans was living as an apprentice in the home of a famous architect, not attending school.

"What does that mean? Why didn't he go to school?"

As she read on, she learned that Evans had been rejected from the architecture school.

"If he had contacted me, I could have done something. Really, what a thoughtless person."

She wrote a letter to the address of the architect, as given by the company president, while feeling annoyed with Evans.

"I have decided the location for the hotel in your hometown and brought in the former manager of the imperial capital hotel to prepare. The funding for the hotel construction is also in place."

She entrusted the letter to a delivery carriage bound for the Empire.

While waiting for a reply, she received a letter from Prince Claudio and wrote a response.

The prince was secretly studying not only imperial science but also the history of the Kingdom of Sanluan and the unique economic system of that country. Prince Erenfried had arranged for his tutors, and he had also obtained the emperor's approval. The project was being kept secret from the empress and the first prince.

"The matter is proceeding confidentially. I heard Miss Berthine's opinion from Uncle. He said it would be better to wait until the age of fifteen. I agree. We will act after reaching adulthood. Thank you for your calm advice. The emperor and Uncle share the same opinion. We will build our strength without rushing. I am also getting valuable advice from someone who will surprise you."

In other words, someone Berthine knew was involved in the matter.

(Is it my father? Or His Excellency Cécilio? Both seem possible.)

Prince Claudio's letter was full of enthusiasm, and she thought that if he became king, Sanluan's future would be bright.

She thought she might feel sympathy for the Sanluan royal family, who were unaware of the situation, but she couldn't. The anger and emptiness she felt when she learned that her life, which she had dedicated to the country, was not as she had thought, still lingered.

Prince Erenfried had said something like, "You spurred Prince Claudio on," but she hadn't intended to do so at the time.

However, as things started to move, it seemed like a miracle that Prince Claudio would fit into the role of the king of Sanluan, like a missing piece of pottery fitting perfectly.

She wrote to her father asking what would happen to the current three members of the Sanluan royal family, but his reply was a short message: "Don't worry. Leave it to me."

The doorbell of the shop downstairs rang, and a familiar voice called out.

"Berthine! Are you there?"

"Evans!?"

Dorote and Diego ran down the stairs before Berthine, and she hurried down after them. A large man, Evans, stood at the door with a big load on his back, smiling. Next to him was a small, elderly man.

"Evans! What's going on! And who is this?"

"Hello! Actually, when I showed your letter to my master, he said, 'Let's head for the Allied Nations.'"

The old man took off his hat and bowed slightly.

"Nice to meet you, Lady Juana. I am Eckart Beck, Evans' instructor."

They were asked to put down their luggage and were led upstairs to sit.

Eckart explained the reason for his sudden visit while drinking hot tea with jam.

"Upon reading the letter you sent to Evans, I couldn't sit still. This big man is so inarticulate that he never told me about his ideal house. When I learned that the plan was already in motion, I thought, 'This won't do,' and rushed over."

"I don't understand," she tilted her head.

"To build a house, you need to calculate the various forces acting on the building. But Evans' idea of a house is so unique. It could take him ten years to be able to do these calculations on his own, even with experience."

"I see..."

"I have a lot of experience in architecture, but at sixty-five, I can't guarantee such a long-term project. I might be called to God's garden at any time. Since the plan to build Evans' house is already underway, I want to see and build the house he designed while I can. He has a natural talent. That's why I decided to be the one to do the calculations for Evans' house and came here."

Eckart Beck bowed and said,

"Please let me join your hotel construction project."

Berthine didn't know Eckart's name, but she knew the large buildings he had designed, such as the imperial capital's trading company, the academy's school building, and the chapel. He had also been involved in the construction of the Azdar Kingdom's palace. He was a man of great achievements.

"It is an honor to have such a renowned master join us. Please lend us your expertise."

The hotel, which she thought would be completed in about five years, suddenly seemed much closer.

Eckart was very impatient and said,

"Let's go to the site right away. We need to check the strength of the foundation."

When asked whether they would use a river boat or a carriage, he immediately replied, "The faster one."

Diego went to make a boat reservation, and they decided to have a welcome party at Ursula's upstairs that night.

"Delicious! What is this?"

"It's clams from the southern sea, cooked in oil. This is a white wine steamed liver of a large fish."

"Delicious. I didn't think I could enjoy such delicious seafood without going to the seaside."

Eckart not only loved alcohol but also poker, so he would surely enjoy the river boat trip.

The deepest part of the journey was familiar to Evans, and they would stay at Evans' house, so it would be fine. The problem was Evans' poor writing skills.

"Oh, don't worry. I will keep in touch with you frequently. I will handle all the progress reports, issues, and inquiries. I can't rely on this big man."

"Thank you, Master!"

Evans was shrinking in the presence of Eckart and Berthine's conversation.

"You can give the letters to the river boat crew with some money, and they will pass them to the delivery service in Ibit."

"Got it, got it."

"Here, I will give you some funds for now. Use them for purchasing materials, construction costs, and living expenses."

Berthine tried to hand over the money in a leather bag to Eckart, but Evans refused, saying,

"Berthine still has plenty of money. We'll use that, so it's fine."

He was so honest and sincere, which was endearing, despite his terrible writing skills.

There were only two years left until Prince Claudio's coming of age.