Chapter 76
“I—”
“Lady Clotilde has come all this way as my fiancée to help the territory. Treat her questions with sincerity, as you would treat me.”
“Yes, y-yes! Understood!”
With Damian putting it so plainly, Baron Zelden immediately nodded.
Seeing this, I couldn’t help but compare him to Polyus… Polyus was so clueless.
‘He even greeted me strangely late earlier.’
It was funny how he seemed to realize only after getting off the carriage together.
I didn’t know exactly what kind of expression he had, but it was clear he didn’t like me.
“Anyway, expecting Count Beldert or Master Polyus to negotiate properly with neighboring territories is a stretch.”
The management of the territory, which had been shaky since the previous generation, had worsened after the current Count Beldert inherited it.
Recently, it had gotten even worse as they tried to clean up after Polyus’ messes.
‘But I didn’t expect it to be this bad. So that’s why the neighboring territory blocked the waterways to try to engulf Beldert’s land.’
Looking deeper, it wasn’t just a waterway problem, but the most urgent issue was the water supply.
“Still, the recent rains have helped sustain us to this point. If it continues like this, things could get serious.”
“Even if we open the blocked waterway, the neighboring territory will just keep causing trouble with it.”
“That’s true. After all, dealing with Nexis territory over water has been ongoing for years.”
Damian muttered that it was a big problem. I was lost in thought as well.
‘Even if the negotiations go well, how can we be sure this won’t happen again?’
Coming to Beldert’s territory, I hadn’t been idle either.
Although my first priority was the saint, my desire to help Damian and the people of Beldert was genuine.
So, I spoke the idea I had been considering while looking at the map.
“Instead of struggling with the neighboring territory, how about creating a new waterway?”
“Eh?”
“There doesn’t have to be just one river flowing this way. With Master Damian’s abilities, it’s possible.”
Of course, normally creating a new waterway would take tremendous time and resources.
But the man in front of me was the head of the mage tower.
Having read the story, I knew just how formidable Damian’s power was—probably more than an ordinary person.
“Is it really possible to create a new waterway?”
“Yes, if it’s Master Damian, he can do it.”
I answered Baron Zelden’s question for him. After all, the final boss in a story isn’t someone anyone can do.
Baron Zelden’s face brightened with my answer, but he asked another question.
“B-but, Lady Clotilde… if not from Nexis territory, where would the water come from?”
There was a problem here, of course.
“You’re not talking about the Eington territory, are you?”
“Is there another place?”
“Ah, I thought so!”
Baron Zelden, who had looked cheerful just moments ago, clicked his tongue and frowned.
“Even though you’re engaged, you don’t seem to know much about the situation here. The Eington Marquisate is certainly Damian’s maternal family, but…”
Baron Zelden let out a deep sigh and glared at me.
“What rudeness is this?”
“Hmmph.”
But before he could lash out at me, Damian quickly intervened.
“Lady Clotilde has no obligations here, unlike myself, who was raised in this territory. No, more than that, she…”
“Wait, that’s not important right now.”
Well, I’m no pushover who tolerates someone climbing over me.
We’re not going to see him again anyway, and Damian and I are only engaged by contract.
…So there’s no need to enforce discipline on someone beneath me.
After meeting him this time, we wouldn’t need to see him again.
I tasted bitterness and spoke to Damian.
“Even if relations are poor, we can’t keep being dragged around by Nexis territory. I don’t know exactly how the negotiations went, but it would be hard to undo the mess Count Beldert and Polyus already made.”
So, I suggested bringing water from a river in Eington territory instead of Nexis.
Of course, we couldn’t fully trust Eington either, but creating a new waterway would give us more options than being at Nexis’ mercy.
“That’s true.”
Damian understood as well.
“Master!”
Baron Zelden looked worried, but Damian didn’t hesitate long.
“I’ll go to the Eington Marquisate.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“As I said before, Lady Clotilde isn’t obliged to do anything. Just the idea of bringing water from elsewhere is enough.”
“No, I’m your fiancée, after all.”
Though temporary, I reminded him of our engagement.
At my words, Damian’s eyes flickered nervously.
Even his calm red eyes rippled because of me.
“So I can’t let you do this difficult task alone.”
Now that Eington territory had been mentioned, I wouldn’t leave Damian to handle it by himself.
“The person who suggested this should take some responsibility, don’t you think? Perhaps I, as Lady Clotilde of the Duke’s house, could help with negotiations too.”
It wasn’t about showing off my family’s status—it was more about feeling guilty for asking Damian to take a hard path alone.
But I didn’t say that aloud.
Instead, I lifted my chin and met Damian’s gaze steadily.
“The Eington Marquisate is my maternal family, but they don’t like me. We might hear harsh words if we go together.”
“Even so, we’ll go together.”
I didn’t say it directly, but I wanted Damian to understand my feelings.
It wasn’t because I was a pushover… but because I owed him so much in my daily life.
“I’m not sick now thanks to you, Damian. I want to repay that kindness.”
Damian nodded at my stubbornness.
“Th… thank you both. If possible, creating a new waterway sounds like a good idea.”
Baron Zelden looked confused by us but was glad that the plan was moving forward.
At least this time, he thanked me as well. Yes, that was enough for now.
We got into the carriage heading to Eington territory.
Fortunately, it wasn’t far, being adjacent to Beldert territory.
I was glad we wouldn’t be on the carriage for too long…
‘Honestly, I’m worried about Damian, who doesn’t get along with his maternal family.’
It seemed Damian was thinking the same thing.
“There might be things you see that aren’t pleasant.”
Wait, is he thinking about my perspective? Why is he voicing that here?
“You’re worried about Master Damian more than me, aren’t you? You have strange priorities.”
“…Since you’re close with your father, Duke Clotilde, you might be surprised by what you see.”
“You should think of Damian first. I’m fine either way.”
“…”
After a long silence, Damian spoke.
“It won’t be very fun, but shall I tell you an old story? Actually, my maternal grandparents, the Eington Marquis and Marchioness, don’t like me.”
He said it casually, but it was clearly not casual.
I instinctively guessed it was something he never told others and sat up straight.
“Alright… where should I start…”
Beldert’s family wasn’t well-regarded.
They constantly caused accidents and scandals, spreading rumors wherever they went.
However, the first son of the previous Count Beldert, perhaps like his mother, grew up upright and elegant, becoming a highly sought-after match.
The Eingtons thought it would be acceptable for their daughter to marry the first son and proposed a match.
But the first son died in an accident a few months later.
The second son inherited the countship and the marriage proposal with Eington’s daughter.
Though the proposal was originally for the first son, marriage negotiations were between families, not individuals.
The previous Count Beldert had no reason to reject Eington’s proposal.
The second son, seeing the first son’s elegance in his mother, felt inferior.
“You’re like my older brother, you know? That look in your eyes—looking down on people!”
“That’s ridiculous—”
“Don’t annoy me, shut your mouth!”
The couple wasn’t particularly close, but noble marriages weren’t based solely on love.
In any case, the couple had Damian, the heir, and that was enough.
However, when Damian turned seven, his father died, and the second son became Count Beldert. He probably thought he no longer needed to care about others’ opinions.
By the time Damian turned seven, his father’s mistress, Lady Mila, had brought Polyus into their home.
“So this is the older brother you only heard about? Nice to meet you! Let’s get along!”
But there was something odd about calling him an older brother.
Polyus, who came claiming to be his younger brother, was the same age as Damian.
Timing-wise, Lady Mila was also pregnant with Polyus when she was carrying Damian.
