episode_0010

“Hey, isn’t that nice?”

Rachel said with a sneering tone.

It was because she didn’t like the counseling today.

‘He’s a wastrel.’

Rachel clearly heard it that way.

David Albert, that guy is called a wastrel.

It must be true since it was directly said by the duke and duchess.

She confirmed it herself as well.

Because of his excessive drinking and disgraceful behavior in social gatherings, all nobles regarded him unfavorably.

It can be asserted.

No woman in the world would want to marry him.

Yes.

Certainly, it should have been that way.

“Why on earth…?”

Rachel felt confused.

It was because the Albert she faced today was so different from what she knew.

Instead of being drunk, he was polite and upright.

He even seemed uncomfortable with Luna, and they went for a walk together.

That’s why she was angry.

A wastrel should live like a wastrel, but he seemed to enjoy happiness.

Rachel spat out sharp words filled with emotions.

“Your mother passed away because of you, and now you’re going to be happy? Is this how the world works? Where could I live with such injustice?”

An illegitimate child.

Luna Iris carries the surname Iris, but her mother was a different illegitimate child.

From the moment the Duke brought her, the Duchess’s already poor health deteriorated rapidly.

It was still vivid in Rachel’s mind.

Her mother shedding tears over her father’s infidelity.

The pale image of her mother lying in a coffin with bright flowers.

Things she could never forget, no matter how hard she tried.

Of course, it’s not Luna’s fault.

She was born of her parents’ affair, not by her own choice.

But she had already come too far.

Since that day, the unplaceable emotions had solely directed themselves towards her.

“Rachel, be careful what you say.”

“Ha-.”

At the landlord Decaron’s words, Rachel smirked, then nervously exhaled, turning her gaze out the window.

Silence returned to the carriage once again.

Decaron found it difficult to listen any longer.

For whatever reason, it was a fact that his wife had been sad and her health had deteriorated.

So it was natural for him to feel guilty.

Even if his wife’s death had already been predetermined.

In the heavy atmosphere, Luna’s gaze slowly lowered.

There were no thoughts or feelings.

It was a hardship she had experienced since childhood.

It had become familiar, and her emotions had worn away to tiny grains of sand.

And it wasn’t an untrue statement.

She herself thought so too.

Rachel’s mother passed away because of her.

Because of her speech impediment, the lady died, and her sister’s mother died.

If she wasn’t the devil, then who was?

So she didn’t feel unjust.

All of this was justifiable.

“I am not needed in this world.”

That was the first thing she realized after becoming an adult.

Just living without being able to die.

Because she didn’t even have the courage to die.

That’s why this engagement didn’t matter at all.

Even if the other party was a scoundrel, it didn’t matter.

“What is happiness?”

At times like this, she would suddenly think.

In common romance novels, there are men and women who marry after going through hardships.

They form a family and live happily and joyfully.

It was a question.

What is the feeling of happiness really?

What kind of love do they feel?

Why do they smile and enjoy each other’s company like that?

It was an emotion she couldn’t understand even after reading dozens, hundreds of books.

Because she had never been happy, never loved, never smiled.

She knew nothing.

“Will the day come when I find out?”

Suddenly, the moonflower came to mind.

A flower that stood alone in one corner of the garden.

It bloomed beautifully only at night, so unfortunately she couldn’t see its appearance.

– The language of flowers is waiting.

Somehow Luna thought that the way the flower waited for night to come was similar to herself.

* * * * *

Luna’s engagement with him was successfully concluded.

This time, she could become his family.

She could make her happy.

While her heart swelled with these facts, she also worried.

Exactly, one year.

Since I pulled myself together and started living normally.

Have you made Luna happy all this time? It hurt my heart, but I had no choice but to nod.

I was in a hurry to recover from being drunk for a long time and was busy learning Yeongji’s work.

I wanted to treat Luna as well as possible, but I probably couldn’t do much better than ordinary husbands.

I don’t know how to make her happy.

I don’t know how to be a good husband.

Lack of confidence was causing worry.

But I have to do it.

If you don’t know, you have to find out and learn by doing.

Fortunately, there isn’t much time left.

It should be possible if I make an effort.

“Let’s start by fixing Yeongji first.”

I wondered how Luna could be happy, and the first thing that came to mind was that I needed to solve Yeongji’s problems.

She always struggled with Yeongji’s work.

She’s been a little better since I started helping, but she still had a hard time.

Of course, she won’t have to take on the work in this lifetime.

My parents are alive and well, and I’m no longer a wastrel.

But it’s natural to worry if the husband’s family is in trouble.

Perhaps I might feel even more so because I can’t handle the work myself.

And I wanted to relieve my parents’ burden a little.

When Yeongji’s situation improves, the day to smile will come sooner.

Whether it’s mana crystallization or whatever, patients shouldn’t have to deal with stress.

Fortunately, I had the power to solve all of those things.

A whole 10 years.

Since I’ve gone back in time, it was entirely possible to use that information.

Knock-knock-.

As soon as I knocked on the study door, a voice came right away.

“Come in.”

As I opened the door and stepped inside, I saw my parents.

My father was writing on some documents, and my mother was patting his shoulder earnestly.

It was the desirable sight of a happy couple.

Maybe I don’t need to look far for a mentor.

“No, that’s not it.”

Anyway, I didn’t come to see my parents for that reason.

I put aside my feelings for a moment and got to the point.

“Recently, isn’t the mine causing trouble?”

“Hmm…?”

My father’s gaze turned to me.

His eyes were filled with doubt.

Thud-.

He sighed as he put down the documents he had been reading on the desk.

“Sigh…. You’re right. The situation is not good. The amount of minerals being mined recently has decreased significantly, and to make matters worse, the mine collapsed this time, trapping the workers. I really don’t know what to do about this…”

The northern part of the Empire where the Duke of David reigns is famous for its barren land.

Therefore, it is not suitable for agriculture, but instead, it has many mines, so the mineral industry has developed.

The mineral industry has the advantage of being less affected by climate compared to agriculture, but it cannot be sustained permanently.

The amount of stored minerals is limited.

And that amount is gradually approaching depletion.

Unless new mines are excavated or a different direction is taken, the situation in the territory will only worsen.

But there’s no need to worry.

If my memory serves me right, there is a way to survive.

“May I offer my opinion?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“How about trying a tourism business?”

It must have sounded absurd.

The only things in the territory are rugged mountains and the mines carved into them.

My father’s reaction was as expected.

“Tourism? What is there to see in our territory for tourism?”

“If there’s nothing to see, then we can create something.”

Yes, there isn’t anything right now.

But it will be discovered in the near future.

‘Hot springs.’

Finding a new mine led to discovering a water source that brought hot springs.

While investigating what to do with it, I came across information that in an adjacent country, they cultivate it well and use it as a tourist attraction.

When I put that into action, it surprisingly brought in considerable profit.

People from all over started coming, naturally increasing the money flow.

…Luna told me about it.

At that time, I was sitting and having a drink.

Anyway, yes.

It’s just moving forward something that will happen in the future a little sooner.

And thanks to Luna telling me, her presence once again loomed large.

Why am I only receiving from you like this?

I regret leaving without being able to repay her from my previous life.

Carrying that thought in my heart, I continued speaking.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but I hope you’ll at least listen to the explanation for now.”

“Alright, I’ll take a break and listen for a moment.”

“Thank you.”

I approached the map of the territory hanging on the wall of the study and began to explain.

I pointed out the locations where hot springs would be created and where new mines would be established.

When I finished explaining, fortunately, a positive response came back.

“Well, then, won’t we go on an inspection together tomorrow?”

“Yes, I’m fine with that.”

An inspection.

It was the first time in my life.