Chapter 9

It is the day of the Duke's Harvest Festival.

From morning, the village square was bustling with energy, and the villagers' voices were bright and loud.

Harold and Nicholas, who usually don't have the chance to eat from food stalls, had the maids buy them all sorts of food. They ate grilled meat, grilled fish, fried snacks, and pudding until their stomachs were about to burst.

"Stop there, you two."

Even without Reia's worry about them overeating, both of them couldn't eat another bite.

However, Nicholas, who was curious about the candied fruits at a nearby stall, asked for some as a souvenir and got candied wild grapes.

People from outside who came to listen to Marianne's lecture in the morning were also enjoying the various dishes at the stalls.

"Maybe we should have a harvest festival in our territory too."

Such voices could be heard everywhere.

This land, originally part of the royal estate, was a regular territory that generated decent revenue despite its proximity to the capital.

However, since the arrival of the Alexanders, it has shown a level of vitality and productivity that far surpasses the norm, attracting many visitors who want to know their secrets, which in turn boosts the morale of the residents.

As the sun set and it grew dark, paper lanterns were distributed to everyone.

The residents knew what was about to happen from the practice runs, but the guests from the capital and other territories were clueless.

Each person lit a candle and heated the paper lanterns. Once the torches in the square were extinguished, making it dark, Alexander gave the signal, and everyone released their lanterns at once.

Sighs of amazement could be heard from all around.

The orange candlelight reflected brightly on the paper lanterns. Hundreds of warm-colored lanterns floated up into the night sky, creating a moving sight that touched the hearts of the onlookers.

This was the first time the residents had released so many lanterns, and some were even moved to tears by the beautiful scene.

The paper lanterns, carried by the wind, rose into the sky and then quietly drifted towards the lake, gradually becoming smaller.

The former king and queen, who had secretly joined the festivities, were so captivated by this beautiful and mysterious scene that they stood up, forgetting themselves, and watched the hundreds of gentle lights.

Eventually, the lanterns disappeared, and the torches in the square were relit.

Alexander led his two sons to their parents, with Marianne following behind.

"Father, Mother, did you enjoy it?"

"Alex, it was wonderful."

"It was beautiful. Was that Marianne's idea?"

"Yes, I thought you would like it."

"Grandpa, good evening."

"Oh, Harold, Nicholas. You seem to have enjoyed the festival."

Nicholas whispered something to Harold, who nodded with a smile.

"Grandpa, do you like candied wild grapes?"

As Harold said this, he took the candied wild grapes from Nicholas and offered them to the former king.

The former king smiled and accepted them, but Alexander and Marianne were alarmed.

It was not appropriate to hand over food made by the residents without a taste test.

However, the former king, saying, "It's fine. These are from my dear grandchildren," ignored the guards' attempts to stop him and put a piece in his mouth.

The thin, crispy sweetness of the candy and the tangy juice of the grapes complemented each other, making it incredibly delicious.

"Mm, it's good."

The former queen, elegantly dressed in a simple but obviously expensive dress, also smiled and said, "I'd like to try it too," and picked up a piece with her fingers and put it in her mouth.

When the residents noticed the former royal couple, a murmur spread through the crowd, and those nearby knelt and bowed their heads.

"Rise, rise. I came tonight to enjoy the festival and see my dear grandchildren. I am sharing the same sights and tastes as everyone else. Formalities are unnecessary."

"Ah! Those are the candied fruits I made!"

The farmer's wife who sold the candied fruits grabbed her husband's arm and let out a surprised cry. Hearing this, the beautiful former queen, who looked just like Alexander, smiled and said,

"They were very delicious. I must have the palace chefs make them too."

Her gracious smile won the hearts of everyone present.

The Harvest Festival ended with great excitement and was a huge success.

The excited children fell asleep early, and the Duke and Duchess bathed and were now leisurely drinking wine from the estate.

Then, Marianne, who had been sitting, stood in front of Alexander, straightened her posture, and bowed to him.

"Alex, thank you for taking all my ideas into consideration. I appreciate it."

"What's this all about?"

"While watching the lanterns, I realized how fortunate I am to be married to someone with such a broad heart."

"Is that all? I decided twenty years ago that I would be the kind of man who could support you. This is just a matter of course."

"…What? Since that long ago?"

"Surely you've forgotten. The things you told me while spilling sweets all over your grandfather's house."

"Hmm?"

Smiling gently without giving an answer, Alexander kissed Marianne's forehead and said, "Good night," before going to sleep.

Twenty years ago, when Marianne was six, she spoke to Alexander about her future. If you are curious about this story, you can read "Super Genius!!! The Powerful Land Reform of the Genius Inventor Lady" in Chapter 7, "Second Place Has Its Own Merits." In it, Marianne, while spilling sweets, seriously talks about various things.

I apologize for the inconvenience.