Chapter 105
The next day, as soon as Dong-hee checked the terrain data, she summoned Builder. Builder, who had already been worried about the lord’s health, dropped everything the moment he heard that his lord was asking for him and ran straight to the castle.
“You’re here? As you can see, I’m fine.”
Since everyone she met kept asking if she was alright, Dong-hee preemptively answered the question before he could ask. Sure enough, Builder, who had been about to voice the same concern as soon as he entered the office, sighed in relief when the lord greeted him with a bright smile.
“Thank you, my lord.”
“I’ll make sure to get even healthier.”
Builder had no idea just how bad her condition had been—because everyone who had witnessed it kept absolute silence. Having expected the worst, he was relieved to see that her complexion looked good and her voice was strong.
“I’ve been piling quite a lot of work on you, haven’t I?”
“Not at all, my lord. There are many helping hands, so it’s not hard at all.”
“Really? Then can I give you even more work?”
“P-pardon? Oh! Of course, my lord!”
Builder was momentarily startled but quickly nodded with enthusiasm. Every task assigned by the lord had always been for the development of the territory. Though he barely had time to breathe these days, he had never felt so fulfilled. The more work he took on, the more the land prospered—and the happier its people became.
“Don’t worry. I’ll assign you plenty of helpers. Normally I’d have a deputy handle this, but this one’s different. It’s a very difficult, very important project—one that determines the future of our territory. So I want you to take it on personally.”
The cheerful expression on Dong-hee’s face turned serious, and the weight in her tone made Builder swallow hard. Whenever the lord spoke like that, it always meant something far greater than he could imagine was coming.
“Take a look at this.”
The map she spread out on the table was of Morita Village. A line ran across the center, dotted with several marks.
“What is this, my lord?”
For a moment he wondered if she wanted the village split in two, but even if the command sounded strange or unreasonable, Builder was ready to carry it out without question.
As he stood there, fists clenched and face solemn, Dong-hee smiled and said confidently:
“We need to dig here.”
“Excuse me? Here?”
“Mm-hmm. Dig along this line—deeply.”
“Yes, my lord. I’ll assemble a work crew today and begin tomorrow.”
Watching him obey without hesitation, Dong-hee asked quietly,
“You’re not going to ask why?”
“All of your commands have always been necessary for the territory’s good, my lord. I trust this one will be no different.”
“Thank you.”
Dong-hee looked at him warmly, gratitude in her eyes.
“There’s a special pickaxe I had Smith make. It’s forged from a Qullen fang. As you dig, you’ll probably hit pearl-stone. Ordinary tools won’t work on that, but this one will.”
“With a Qullen fang, that’s possible indeed.”
“Right. Once you get through that rock, you should find groundwater underneath.”
“G-groundwater?”
Builder’s jaw nearly hit the floor. The construction sites had been progressing slowly because of the severe water shortage. Even drinking water was scarce, so they couldn’t afford to waste any on construction. But now—the lord was saying there might be groundwater!
That wasn’t just good news for construction; it could change the lives of everyone in the territory.
“Think you can handle it? You’ll have to dig very deep.”
“Yes, my lord! I’ll dig until I find water!”
“I’ll count on you.”
“I’ll do my best, my lord.”
Even after leaving the office, Builder kept stopping to unroll the map and stare at it again. Whether or not there was really water underground could only be known after digging—but since the lord had said it, he was certain it must be true.
Determination burned in his eyes. He had a feeling this would be the most important task he’d ever taken on.
As soon as Builder left, Dong-hee called for Red Bear. The Qullen cave couldn’t be approached by mere laborers alone. If they could extract thermal stones from there, the possibilities would be endless—perhaps even public bathhouses, powered by hot water drawn from the new underground spring and heated by those stones.
Just imagining it filled her with excitement.
“My lord, Commander Red Bear and Master Gallon have arrived,” said Handsome, who had just entered with the treasurer.
Red Bear she had called for—but Gallon? She hadn’t summoned him.
“Gallon? Why?”
“He said it’s time for your medical examination, my lord.”
“Oh, right!”
Dong-hee slapped her forehead, finally remembering. She had negotiated Gallon down from daily check-ups to every other day, but she’d forgotten even that.
After a moment’s thought, she decided to see both at once.
“Let them both in.”
Gallon entered first, bowed, and began his examination.
“Any headaches or abdominal pain?”
“None. I’m perfectly fine.”
Dong-hee grinned, but Gallon frowned slightly as he continued his careful checkup. Even though she had seemed healthy during the last examination, she had suddenly coughed up blood and been unconscious for two days. As a physician unable to find the cause, he was deeply uneasy.
“If you notice even the slightest discomfort, please tell me at once, my lord. If you collapse again like before… I would have no reason to remain here.”
Dong-hee raised her voice in mock scolding.
“What nonsense. Thanks to you, our people are healthier than ever.”
Then she turned to Red Bear and handed him a sheet of paper she’d prepared.
“Can you take your knights and some workers into the Black Forest? We need the stones from the Qullen Cave.”
Red Bear looked down at the paper, then bowed deeply.
“Yes, my lord.”
Watching both Builder and Red Bear obey her without hesitation, Dong-hee felt a strange mix of pride and pressure settle in her chest.
I have to do better.
I have to make their lives better.
She renewed her resolve as she looked into their trusting eyes.
After the two left, Dong-hee decided to unwind with a little “healing time” in the vault room.
The vault—crafted jointly by Smith and Builder—was filled with the gold bars, jewels, and coins she’d diligently collected, including those she’d received from Gold-Rich. She had even gone to the jeweler again that morning, returning with another inventory full of gemstones that now glittered in piles before her.
“When am I ever going to organize all this?”
She had visited the jeweler so often that the sight of sparkling gems barely impressed her anymore. What once inspired awe now just looked like resources for territorial development. If anything, they were like shiny lumps of coal.
“Oh, right! I should use my assistant!”
Only she and Screwge could access the vault—but Screwge was far too busy managing the many construction sites and financial transactions. Having him organize the vault would be a waste of talent.
“Status window! Summon assistant!”
You’ve been calling your assistant quite often lately! We’re offering a 50% discount for our valued customer. Please continue using our service!
“Oh, I love discounts! I’m planning to have him organize the vault today. Do you think Taechang’s good at that sort of thing?”
Finding something he can’t do would be harder. Don’t forget, he performed wonderfully as a makeshift hot-pack not long ago!
“That’s true! That was a very warm night. Alright then, let’s summon him at the discount rate. Organizing this whole vault will be tough, but I might as well make use of the deal.”
Excellent choice! Vault Organization Service: from the first floor to the second, every gem will be displayed to its best advantage and sorted for easy access! 50% off—only 50 points! Proceed with the summoning?
“Of course. I’m rich in points, you know.”
Recently, Dong-hee had converted the people’s affection into hidden points, which had raised her total to over 45,000 points.
50 points deducted. We wish you a productive and pleasant session!
“Thanks!”
Maybe it was because of the discount, but the status window seemed unusually adorable today.
As usual, Taechang emerged awkwardly from the swirling blue light, looking utterly resigned to his fate. When he’d first been summoned as an assistant, he had desperately tried to dive back into the screen—but now he just looked… serene.
“Yeah. Acceptance is key,” Dong-hee said, smiling in satisfaction.
“You’re here?”
As the status window had promised, Taechang was a master organizer. If he’d been born in modern society, he could’ve become a professional tidying expert. He sorted gems not only by color and size, but also by price, arranging them so neatly that anyone could instantly find what they needed.
After three exhausting hours of organizing, Taechang suddenly froze mid-movement, his eyes widening. He turned to Dong-hee.
“You—this necklace!”
He was pointing at the silver necklace around his own neck, which, truth be told, looked quite good on him.
“What about it?”
Dong-hee averted her eyes, trying to look nonchalant.
“What was your true intention in giving this to me? I told you not to call me ‘silver hairtail,’ and now you mock me with a silver fish pendant? Is this your revenge?”
Even as he glared, he didn’t take it off.
“You don’t even know what a hairtail looks like, do you? They’re long and skinny—like you. But look at the pendant: small, plump, and cute. Totally different! I wouldn’t tease you with something you hate, especially when it’s white gold. And that tiny fish eye? That’s a diamond. It’s expensive.”
Her words flowed so naturally that Taechang’s anger began to deflate.
“So then… this is…”
He touched the little plump silver fish dangling from his necklace, still looking uncertain. Dong-hee answered casually:
“A Jagalchi necklace.”
