Chapter 86
Helena received Monel’s letter and, half in doubt, came to Grace. The rumors about Grace’s territory were so grim that when she said she would go there, all her friends tried to stop her.
But Helena was utterly exhausted in both body and spirit. No matter how harsh the environment, she felt she could endure if she had a friend she could lean on—Monel. Besides, Monel wasn’t the type to make things up.
Yet the Grace territory she arrived at, with her mind still unsettled, was nothing like what she had expected. She had heard that the streets were full of corpses of the starved and frozen, but instead, the place overflowed with children warmly dressed and laughing as they ran about.
She wasn’t the only one surprised. A widow, Lin, who had boarded the carriage with her stomach full, looked around with wide eyes, as though she couldn’t believe it either.
The day before, after arriving in Grace, they had been assigned temporary lodgings, where they had slept warmly and eaten a filling breakfast. Sharing a room with Helena, Lin had wept through her meal, saying it had been so long since she had eaten such warm, delicious food. After just one night together, they had grown quite close, and to their surprise, discovered they were the same age.
The work environment they stepped into, determined to work hard, was also excellent—clean, spacious, and warm inside despite the biting wind howling outside.
The tailors who had arrived earlier wore constant smiles. They eagerly shared their creations, ran to Monel, their foreman, to explain ideas, and tried them out together.
Even when the lord suddenly visited, the tailors did not startle or cower, but instead welcomed him like long-lost family. Helena had to rub her eyes repeatedly to believe what she was seeing. Lin, too, was just as astonished, meeting Helena’s gaze with widened eyes again and again.
“Have you been well? I see many new faces here.”
The lord even recognized the new tailors right away.
“Yes, these are Helena and Lin, who arrived yesterday,” Monel introduced, also presenting others who had come three days earlier. Each time, the lord shook their hands warmly and welcomed them.
“You will all become precious talents of Grace. I have great expectations of you, and I also have big dreams. You will be at the center of those dreams. So work hard. But don’t sacrifice your health—being ill taught me that health is the most important thing. If you’re unwell, speak up right away.”
The new tailors, hearing such kind words spoken like those of a good neighbor, were left at a loss for how to respond, their eyes wide. If not for the older tailors naturally replying, the newcomers might have worried it was some elaborate trick.
“Julia, have you been well?”
Julia was far healthier than when she had first arrived in Grace. She no longer had to worry about her little brother starving or fear being cast out, so each day felt like a dream.
“Yes, thanks to your grace, my lord. I am truly grateful.”
Julia always gave thanks whenever she saw the lord, no matter how many times he told her it wasn’t necessary.
“And how is Yujin doing?”
Hearing the lord remember her younger brother’s name brought tears to Julia’s eyes.
“Yes, everyone treats him warmly. Yujin is so happy. He was especially thrilled when you gave him such warm, pretty clothes.”
“But those were clothes you made yourselves. I could never have done it alone.”
Just then—
“My lord!”
A clear child’s voice rang out. Donghee turned toward the sound to see Yujin running to him with a big smile. He opened his arms, and Yujin leapt into them.
The boy, whose cheeks had plumped up, was even cuter and more lovable than before.
“Yujin! You’ve grown taller!”
“Yes! Since coming here, I grew thiiiiiis much. My sister said it was all thanks to you, my lord.”
“Really?”
Despite talking to someone as high as the lord, the child was completely at ease. The tailors watching couldn’t help but smile warmly as well.
“Yes! Oh! I even have a present for you, my lord.”
Yujin suddenly remembered and rummaged through his many-pocketed pants. Julia had made the pants specially, knowing how much her brother loved collecting things.
Cargo pants?
Donghee’s eyes widened as he examined them. Though sewn from leftover scraps of colorful cloth, the design and skillful combination of fabrics made them look stylish.
From one pocket, Yujin pulled out a small paper-wrapped bundle—it contained dried mushrooms.
“What’s this?”
The mushrooms looked odd—caps unusually wide and stems very short, almost like jellyfish instead of mushrooms.
“The cook gave them to me. The village chief of Enol brought them. They taste nutty when you chew them.”
“Yujin! How could you offer such a thing to the lord?”
Julia, anxious and embarrassed, tugged her brother, ashamed he had offered something so humble as a gift.
“But they’re tasty. You can keep chewing them, and they’re nutty. The cook said so too.”
Scolded in front of everyone, Yujin mumbled sadly, his chubby cheeks puffed out like a baby pufferfish.
Having been distracted by the cargo pants, Donghee now chuckled and patted the boy’s small head.
“You saved this instead of eating it?”
Feeling understood, Yujin’s face lit up again.
“Yes! I wanted to eat it yesterday, but I held back because I wanted you to have it.”
“Really? Thank you so much. I’ll enjoy it.”
Smiling, Donghee popped the dried mushroom into his mouth.
“My lord! You mustn’t eat just anything!”
Handsome, ever worried about the lord’s health, cried out in alarm. He knew the “mud mushroom”—a tough, chewy food that Enol villagers ate only when desperate. Nobles would never touch it.
But Donghee chewed it calmly. At first, he only pretended it was delicious for Yujin’s sake, but soon his eyes grew wide as he realized how strangely tasty it was.
Seeing no ill effects, Handsome felt relieved—though watching the lord savor it so much made him gulp with envy.
“See? Isn’t it good?” Yujin grinned proudly.
“Yes. Strange, but good.”
It must indeed be the mud mushroom the Enol chief had brought. The cook had dried them so they wouldn’t spoil. Donghee had never imagined such a flavor could come from them. It was almost like—
Jerky?
The mushroom tasted like meat. Maybe the cook had used some special sauce in drying them. Either way, Donghee felt it had potential as a new specialty product.
“It really is delicious. Thank you!”
With the lord’s praise, Yujin beamed with joy. Without looking away from the child, Donghee called to Handsome.
“Handsome!”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Since I got such a tasty treat, I must repay him. Take Yujin to the cook and have him fill a basket with cakes or cookies. He can bring it back to share with his sister and the others.”
“Yes, my lord!”
Yujin had never tasted cake before, so he didn’t know what it was, only staring with round eyes. Since Handsome had to stay at the lord’s side, a servant escorted Yujin instead. Holding the servant’s hand, Yujin skipped happily along, like a little rabbit, bringing smiles to everyone watching.
“Julia?”
“Yes, my lord.”
Julia, still dazed, stepped forward quickly.
“About the pants Yujin was wearing.”
The moment he mentioned them, Julia’s face turned pale. She bowed deeply, flustered.
“I’m sorry, my lord, I used precious fabric without permission…”
“What are you saying? Clearly they’re just scrap pieces otherwise unusable.”
“But still…”
“I really like those pants. Put together a team and make similar ones for the workers, with plenty of pockets for tools. And make a pair for me too. Also, design a matching vest with lots of pockets. Use the sturdiest fabric. Understood?”
“Y-Yes, my lord!”
Seeing her confusion, Donghee simply smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.
Leaving the workshop, he ordered Handsome to summon the Enol village chief to the castle. He wanted to study the mud mushrooms further—perhaps they could even be made into long-lasting food like jerky.
“Oh, my lord, word has come from Morta village. They’ve chosen a site suitable for the Durall bread factory.”
“Good. Tell them I’ll visit tomorrow. Also, make sure the factory building includes a daycare. Build it together.”
“Day…care?”
Busy scribbling notes, Handsome paused at the unfamiliar word.
“Oh. Well, since most factory workers will be young women, what about their children? We’ll hire a few wet-nurse-like caretakers so the mothers can work without worry.”
Handsome looked at the lord with new admiration. So much was changing so quickly, and to be at the center of it filled him with overwhelming pride.
“…So that’s daycare!”
“Yes. Tell the mothers we’ll hire from among them for the positions. They’ll be paid wages, just like the factory workers.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be entirely free—parents would pay a small fee, but families with multiple children would get discounts, and from the second child onward it would be free.
Handsome struggled to keep up, frantically writing down the lord’s groundbreaking ideas. He couldn’t fathom where such thoughts came from, but one thing was certain: Morta village would become a far better place to live.
