-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Warnings and Wristwatches
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I rubbed my eyes and called for Mera.
Mera brought me a substitute for the breakfast I had missed: meat stew, some easily digestible bread, grilled mushrooms, fried asparagus, and a refreshing salmon salad.
After filling my stomach and taking my medicine, some of my strength returned.
I then had tea with Rose, who had been waiting for me.
Rose watched me with pity as I sniffled from time to time.
“You really are astonishingly weak. It’ll be a problem even if we undo the sealing spell, won’t it? That body of yours wouldn’t be able to handle it and would just break.”
“B-Break?!”
A strangled cry escaped my lips.
Rose quickly added.
“I’m just talking about your current condition, so don’t worry. Anyway, that pitiful body of yours will grow, won’t it?”
“…”
“…It will grow, right?”
“Of course it will!”
I spoke with conviction but subtly avoided Rose’s gaze.
Rose rested his chin on his hand.
“Well, Del must have known this would happen, which is why she chose the inefficient method of entrusting you to Jaehae. Did Kivrin have anything to say?”
I recalled what Kivrin had said.
“The Young Lord also said he’d rather not undo the sealing spell, since he still doesn’t know how Del died.”
“…He does seem to care about you.”
Rose admitted reluctantly.
A question suddenly occurred to me.
“If it were Kivrin, could he handle Del’s supernatural ability right now? His hearing is incredible, and animals flock to him.”
“If you stretch the definition, Del at least falls into the category of human, you see? He, on the other hand, is not.”
What do you mean, ‘not at all’?
“But the Young Lord is the Duchess and Duke’s son.”
“I told you, he’s not, right? That hasn’t changed.”
“…”
“I’m not telling you to be suspicious, though.”
“Right. It’s not like the Young Lord would ever do anything bad to me, anyway.”
Rose narrowed his eyes.
“What makes you so sure?”
“Because the Young Lord is cute. And kind!”
E-Even if he did briefly think about torturing Rose and Cheshire!
I answered with a slight bias, but Rose gave me a look as if he were worried about my future.
“Even his parents can’t bring themselves to call him kind, yet you have the stomach for it. Didn’t your mother teach you not to be swayed by a pretty face?”
Why, my dear parents-in-law!
I pouted.
“The Young Lord has pretty hands, too.”
Rose clicked his tongue and ruffled my hair messily.
“Alright, alright. He’s right. No good will come from finding out how Del croaked any sooner.”
I muttered under my breath.
“But that means it’ll take longer for me to remember you, too…?”
Rose’s face crumpled.
“That’s the one thing I really don’t care about, you know? You’re already overprotective enough as it is. You’re not even my real parent, but you take such good care of me that I don’t know what to do with myself.”
“Rose, the tips of your ears are red.”
“Shut up!”
I grinned. Rose fanned himself with his hand and said.
“Anyway, if by some chance someone bullies you, go tattle to Kivrin or your precious parents-in-law. Don’t you get angry. If your ability manifests unconsciously, it won’t end on a light note, you hear? You getting hurt is one thing, but your surroundings will be devastated.”
Rose spoke those grim words and stood up.
“I promised to help clear the snow today, so you stay inside and get plenty of rest. Oh, right, the Duchess was asking for you. What do you want to do? Should I tell her you can’t go in your condition?”
I shot up from my seat.
There was no way I couldn’t go!
There was so much I wanted to say to Mother!
“No! I can go! Besides, if I don’t, Mother will worry and come here herself.”
And so, I parted with Rose and went to see Winter with renewed vigor.
Outside the window, heavy snow was still falling in thick flakes.
No matter how much they shoveled, it kept piling up endlessly, keeping the servants incredibly busy.
It made sense that Winter had prepared so thoroughly for the blizzard.
Even in the hallway, where the temperature was maintained by magic stones, I felt a shiver run down my spine, so I quickened my pace.
Vassals were standing in front of Winter’s office.
In the novel, one of them had been famous for his warhorse business, while another had been hell-bent on promoting opera performances.
There was also a scholar who had written a book so brilliant it was adopted as an academy textbook.
In , they were all minor characters, but now, they were the talented individuals who would support the duchy.
The old man at the very front of the group of vassals spotted me.
For some reason, he opened his mouth with a look of delight, but just then, Winter’s aide-de-camp swung the door open.
“Please, come in. The Duchess is waiting.”
She urged me inside as if she had been waiting for the sound of my footsteps.
I gave the vassals a minimal, polite greeting and entered.
Just then, a young woman behind the old man shouted.
“The Young Lady greeted me!”
Huh?
The old man immediately retorted.
“Has the young whelp gone senile already? The Young Lady was looking at me!”
What in the world?
The door closed before I could even turn around in my confusion.
Winter clicked her tongue.
“To think they all stood there for twenty minutes just to get a glimpse of your face. Even though I told them I’d arrange a formal introduction soon, they’re all so impatient.”
Me?
Why?
The aide-de-camp cleared her throat softly.
“As if you were planning to arrange it ‘soon’… ahem.”
My eyes darted back and forth.
“S-Should I go back and greet them again?”
The aide had signaled me to hurry in, so I’d rushed!
Winter’s lips curved into a gentle smile.
“So kind of you. But there’s no need for that.”
Winter moved to the sofa.
After a moment of hesitation, I scurried over and sat down beside her.
“I thought I was the only one who found you adorable, but to think those other fools feel the same.”
The aide, who was bringing over a basket full of cookies, flinched.
Ignoring her, Winter kept her eyes only on me.
“I heard you weren’t injured, but you look pale. Perhaps I should have interrogated the Marquisate instead of preparing a gift of gratitude?”
“I’m fine.”
Winter’s hand caressed my cheek.
“I’m not very fond of those words.”
“…My head feels fuzzy, and my nose runs sometimes.”
I confessed immediately.
“Hehe. I’d better call for Yelena before the tip of your nose turns red.”
Winter laughed softly.
“Since he allowed you and Kivrin to stay at the marquisate, however briefly, I asked Marquis Ingram what he desired. He said that, if it was alright, he’d like the Marquisate to have a part in the wristwatch business I recently started.”
It’s not alright!
I barely managed to swallow the curse that almost escaped my lips.
He was demanding an excessive price for having let us stay for a mere few hours.
That business was a massive success in the novel!
Winter chuckled as she watched my eyes go wide.
“I refused, so calm down. It’s still in the early stages, and I’m still considering the designs.”
“It’s going to be a huge success, no matter what!”
I exclaimed confidently.
The portable timepieces currently on the market were heavy and clunky, so people rarely sought them out.
Even in , Winter had been searching for a light wristwatch that Menelik could wear.
Hearing the rumor, artisans had come to the duchy themselves.
They were mostly individuals who had skill but lacked business acumen, or who had been exploited by unscrupulous employers.
Charmed by the endless material support, a few of them ended up settling in the duchy for good.
Thanks to them, a lightweight wristwatch, even one studded with dozens of brilliant jewels, was completed in short order.
However, since no one dared to look at Menelik for more than a second, the wristwatch only caught the public’s eye after the Empress herself wore one.
After that, people were desperate to buy one, no matter the cost.
Winter took my confident declaration as simple encouragement and smiled.
“I’ll have to resume the work quickly to meet your expectations. I had to put it on hold when we left the capital.”
My eyebrows twitched.
The capital again.
“It was a project you were working on in the capital?”
“That’s right. I had to visit personally to check on the progress. Now that we no longer need to humor those curs from the Temple, I’m considering relocating it.”
“…”
Marquis Ingram hadn’t been expecting the wristwatch business to be a hit.
He didn’t know the contents of , and if he’d had a good eye for business, he wouldn’t have been drowning in debt in the first place.
He was simply creating a pretext to get my parents-in-law out of their own territory.
Winter watched my suddenly serious expression with interest.
“We’ll end our involvement with the Marquisate by sending them a gift and nothing more. However, Rick said he wants to go himself.”
Huh?
