Became the Owner of a Poor Estate
Chapter 40
As soon as Donghee finished speaking, the carriage immediately slowed down.
“My Lord, are you feeling unwell?”
When the carriage came to a halt, Handsome asked with a worried expression. Even to his eyes, the young Lord’s recent schedule had been quite murderous.
Even as a grown man, his entire body was aching, yet the Lord was merely a fragile girl who had never experienced hardship in her life before this. Furthermore, she was only a year older than his own younger sister, who waited with bated breath for her brother to return home. This was why Handsome constantly saw glimpses of his sister in the Lord.
“No, I want to inspect the land while walking.”
Despite the dark circles under her eyes, the Lord’s reply was quite firm. Her eyes, which knew exactly what needed to be done as they scanned the surroundings, shone with keen intelligence.
The gap between her youthful appearance and her experienced gaze sometimes made him forget her age entirely.
Now was one of those moments.
“Yes, I understand.”
Handsome wiped away his worried expression and immediately found his task. As the carriage stopped, Red Bear, who had been escorting them nearby, approached to open the door and escort the Lord out.
Donghee stepped down from the carriage and strode into the land overgrown with dry weeds. Even to Donghee, who didn’t know the first thing about farming, the dust-blown soil looked devoid of nutrients. A sigh escaped her lips involuntarily.
“What are we doing with the Dural stalks?”
According to the information she had obtained for a staggering 500 points, fermenting dried Dural leaves with Moh Moss would create an excellent fertilizer. She had initially thought the information was absurdly meager compared to the points paid, but those were the very nuggets of practical knowledge that could be applied immediately.
“We haven’t had time to process the stalks yet, so they are still in the fields.”
It meant they had been left untouched.
Handsome stole glances at the Lord’s profile, worried he might be reprimanded for not clearing the Dural stalks yet. Fortunately, she didn’t look angry or annoyed. If anything, she looked relieved.
“Really? Then don’t throw them away; bring them here.”
“The Dural stalks?”
Handsome’s eyes widened at the unexpected command.
“Yes. The leaves are the most important part, so be careful not to let them fall off.”
Handsome wondered what she intended to do with parts that weren’t even edible, but since it was the Lord’s order, he nodded without a word of complaint.
Before he knew it, the Lord of Grace had become someone Handsome could fully trust and follow, despite her young age.
“Yes, I understand.”
“I also need Moh Moss. Is there a way?”
“I will have the village women gather it.”
“It’s not a dangerous area, is it?”
She was worried they might have to enter the Black Forest. Since they hadn’t hired mercenaries yet, there were no more protective forces to mobilize.
“No, Moh Moss can be easily found near the village.”
“That’s a relief. Once they bring the moss, make sure to pay them well according to the weight. Ask the Financial Officer for an appropriate rate. Bring the collected Moh Moss here as well.”
“Yes!”
Handsome had many questions, but he suppressed them and answered loyally. Strangely, it felt as though everything the Lord said was correct, so he couldn’t bring himself to question her carelessly.
Watching the young man, who was a delight just to look at, act and speak so charmingly before her made Donghee very satisfied.
As she wore a pleasant smile, a blue status window floated up before her eyes.
It still appeared without warning, but she wasn’t as startled as she had been the first time.
Donghee diligently read the words displayed on the status window. Her chocolate-colored eyes, filled with anticipation, sparkled.
[Status Window]
- User Name: Chloe Grace
- Occupation: Part-timer / Lord of Grace Territory
- Abilities: 1.5 / Power-up Punch (when wearing gloves), Terrain Information Level 1 (Limited to Morta Village), Level 1 Architecture Field, Acquire Agricultural Advice
- Activity Radius: 4 / Basement Studio, Convenience Store, Borimdang and surrounding area (Time limit removed)
- Traits: 0.2 / A territory that is still dirt poor. (When on earth are you going to revive the territory…?) ★ Tends to be obsessed with Choco Rolls, enjoys taking credit for small things. Gradually taking on the appearance of a Lord. Slightly praiseworthy.
- Residents’ Favorability: -95,000p (An endless cycle of negatives. There is a high possibility of falling back into the negatives even if this is overcome.)
- Inventory (Level 4) Storage. Base Capacity (0/400)
- MP: 125 / 86,400
The residents’ favorability had risen by over 70,000 points.
It had indeed been rising frantically.
Donghee felt proud seeing the favorability jump by a whole digit.
Furthermore, her abilities and traits had increased by a tiny fraction, and a peculiar compliment had been added to the traits section.
It was clearly a compliment, so why didn’t she feel great about it?
After that, Donghee circled the outskirts of the territory again and again until sunset, but she saw no land that looked suitable for immediate use as farmland. She had ordered the Dural leaves and Moh Moss to be brought to this vast, barren land, but she wasn’t certain it would improve. It was a mystery how much this land, which was as good as dead, would change with just two types of plants.
Still, the information provided by the status window had never yielded a desperate result, so Donghee decided to go through with it boldly this time as well.
Handsome and Red Bear, knowing the Lord was looking for farmland, scanned the surrounding area with gazes as sharp as hers.
However, no matter how much they looked, no land suitable for farming was visible. Then again, land that hadn’t existed until now wasn’t likely to suddenly fall from the sky just because they were looking for it.
Feeling as though they understood the Lord’s heavy heart, Handsome and Red Bear sighed deeply every time their eyes met.
By the time the carriage carrying Donghee crossed the drawbridge of Grace Castle, the sun was already sinking low.
As she scanned the outside of the carriage with weary eyes, the houses inside the castle walls came into view one by one.
Fires were being lit here and there against the chilling weather.
Since they hadn’t been able to repair the houses yet, many lacked fireplaces, so people gathered in houses that had them or at the hall to escape the cold.
Was it called Kondal?
Donghee recalled the name of the village inside the walls she had heard from Anna.
Maintenance had begun for Morta and Enol villages, but she hadn’t yet looked into the place closest to Grace Castle.
While no one was currently starving to death thanks to the Dural harvest and grain purchases, these people would also need work to generate income.
After getting off the carriage, Donghee went straight to her office and summoned Scrooge and Handsome.
Though they looked haggard from the suddenly increased finances and schedule, their expressions were full of life.
“We need to refurbish Kondal.”
“Yes, I understand. Shall I call Builder?”
“Should we start with cleaning the village? Shall we proceed with hiring workers as we did in Morta Village?”
Donghee had only briefly mentioned it, but having done it once, the two were perfectly in sync.
“Yes. Scrooge, you take charge of Kondal Village. Morta Village has settled down to some extent, so it should be fine, right?”
“Yes. However, it will be a bit overwhelming alone, so may I hire more people?”
“Of course. Hire as many as you need.”
At the Lord’s gallant permission, Scrooge’s face brightened.
“Oh, by the way, you said the room next to mine is empty?”
“Yes, it is the bedroom reserved for distinguished guests.”
“And who would those distinguished guests be?”
“Young Master Ray, for one.”
At the mention of Ray’s name, the Lord’s face crumpled instantly, and a startled Scrooge quickly changed the subject.
“Or Viscount Patrasche.”
The Lord’s expression crumpled even more severely than before.
Seeing the Lord’s reaction of distaste toward those two, Scrooge somehow felt excited, his shoulders twitching. As the Financial Officer of Grace Castle, Scrooge had been the one who hated those two the most.
Wasn’t it said that good things should be heard once more?
“Young Master Ray and Viscount Patrasche were the ones who primarily stayed there. You personally! Granted them the finest room in Grace Castle.”
“No more of those unlucky names!”
“Yes, Ma’am!”
When Donghee waved her hand dismissively, Scrooge answered with a broad grin. Meeting Scrooge’s eyes, Donghee smoothed out her annoyed brow and let out a chuckle.
“It’s not a guest room anymore. I’m going to do some remodeling.”
“What is… rimodal?”
“Remodeling. I’m going to change the guest room for another purpose.”
“For what… purpose?”
Scrooge couldn’t fathom how the Lord intended to use that room.
“A vault room.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m going to make a vault room, literally. Is there a blacksmith in Kondal?”
Scrooge and Handsome looked at each other as if on cue, wearing awkward smiles. Seeing the two of them hesitating to answer, Donghee asked impatiently.
“Why? Is there not one? Do I have to bring one in from another region like the tailor?”
At the repeated question, Scrooge scratched his head and answered.
“There is one, technically.”
His answer was strange.
“What does that mean?”
“The forge has completely collapsed, and Smith hasn’t worked in over three years. The calluses on his hands have likely disappeared by now.”
A castle where the blacksmith doesn’t work.
Iron wasn’t just for weapons. Farming tools and small daily necessities would all be made through a forge. Hearing that the forge had been idle for three years sounded no different than saying that farming and other aspects of daily life had been put on pause.
“Sigh.”
A sigh escaped Donghee naturally.
“Has Smith not left for somewhere else?”
“No. His wife is ill, so it’s difficult for them to travel far. Fortunately, with the food situation improving lately, I heard his wife’s condition has slightly turned for the better.”
That was a relief, at least. The more she heard about the village’s situation, the angrier she became, and her whole body felt like it was shrinking with guilt.
“Bring Smith to me. I’ll have to task him with creating the vault room. And the key to the vault room will be held only by me and you, the Financial Officer.”
“My Lord…”
Scrooge didn’t know what to be moved by first.
Whether to rejoice at the change in the Lord who had stopped the foolishness of willingly yielding a good room for that eyesore Ray and that thief Patrasche, or to rejoice at her words that she would trust him with the vault key. Or perhaps to rejoice at the fact that Smith could finally do the work of a blacksmith.
It seemed he would have to raise a celebratory toast today.
