Chapter 93
Patrasche had been so angry that he hadn’t slept properly for several days. Every time he lay down to rest, the thought of Morta Village flying away before his eyes filled him with such fury that he couldn’t remain still.
But that wasn’t all. He had also heard that that reckless Chloe had even visited Idor Village, on the brink of rebellion, and opened the village chief’s grain storage.
Just a little more provocation, and it would have been enough. And all the money poured into Pig Doc—what a waste! The more he thought about it, the more infuriating it became. That foolish Pig Doc just took it sitting there, and yet expected help from him? Patrasche crumpled the letter from the courier without a second thought.
If anything, to ensure that his own involvement remained hidden, Pig Doc would need to be killed quietly, without anyone noticing. Just then, Barth came along to report on the recent events.
“This failed again, didn’t it?”
Patrasche glared at Barth with eyes full of disdain.
“There is no failure in my dictionary,” Barth replied.
Yet Barth remained stiff and composed, his gaze cold.
“Then what is this now? According to the plan, Morta should have already been rendered useless. By now, that foolish Chloe should have come running to me for help. But how is it now? Nothing has gone according to your plan, has it?”
“It will succeed.”
Barth repeated the same words as if he couldn’t say anything else.
Eileen, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, set her teacup down on the table with a loud clack.
“Father. How about this?”
Patrasche’s head, which had been fuming with anger, turned toward Eileen, sitting prettily like a single blooming flower.
Though he was furious enough to nearly lose his mind, seeing his beloved daughter slightly calmed the storm in his chest. To Patrasche, Eileen was the center of his world, as precious as his own life. He would do anything for her, even if it meant leaving the entire Grace estate to her.
“Eileen, do you have a good idea?”
Unlike when speaking to Barth, Patrasche’s voice was gentle.
“Rather than ruining Morta Village, there’s a better way,” Eileen said softly.
“A better way?”
Eileen let out a light sigh and continued in a calm voice:
“My cousin isn’t married and has no husband or children. If that poor child were to have an accident, all the estates would go to Father, right? Then there’s no need to laboriously buy up the lands one by one.”
Patrasche had considered killing Chloe before. Although she wasn’t born from the same womb, her older brother Karl had treated her sincerely. When he had been forced to leave for a remote estate under their father’s orders, Karl had secretly given her money and jewels.
With that money, Patrasche had built his business and accumulated his current wealth. Taking away only the property from Chloe without harming her was the last act of respect and duty toward her brother.
A shadow fell over Patrasche’s face. Eileen knew well what her father was struggling with. But to Eileen, that lingering sentiment was useless; she didn’t understand why her father would take the long way around when a simple solution was at hand.
“Let’s do it this way, Father,” Eileen said gently, calling him with a tender voice.
“Leave this matter to me. You’ve already given Chloe enough chances. The one who wasted that opportunity and acted foolishly is Chloe, not you. Her poor judgment and recklessness aren’t your fault.”
“Eileen, but—”
Eileen approached her father and held his hands firmly. Her gaze was resolute.
“I don’t want Chloe to get hurt either. But what if Chloe harms me? Would you hesitate like this then?”
“How could Chloe ever hurt you?”
Patrasche’s face turned pale at the thought, as if imagining it was unbearable.
“You even fought Cullen, didn’t you? With a magical weapon. What if that weapon had been aimed at me instead of Cullen?”
Eileen watched her father’s expression change moment by moment and smiled with satisfaction. The clever girl knew better than anyone how to stir the right feelings in him.
“So please, leave this matter to me. I’ll make sure you become the lord of Grace in the simplest and fastest way.”
Late into the night, the village chief’s reception room remained brightly lit. Donghee was anxious to return to the castle immediately after Pig Doc’s public trial the next morning.
“Your Lordship, are you sure it’s okay to send the Red Bear Commander first? I’m worried about your safety if he leaves the castle ahead of you.”
Once things were settled, Scrooge expressed his concern, unable to relax about sending the commander ahead of time.
“I’m fine. I can protect myself. If the time both Red Bear and I leave Grace extends too long, who knows what Barth might do? I can’t let him snatch away the bait we’ve set.”
“But—”
Scrooge still looked uneasy.
“Don’t worry. Delma, the strongest in Grace, is with us too,” the lord joked, and Scrooge chuckled, though worry still lingered.
“There are plenty of other knights, so stop worrying and let’s finish the meeting quickly.”
Billy felt his heart swell as he listened to the casual conversation between the lord and the treasurer.
‘So this is the kind of lord we have. I can’t believe I was unaware all this time.’
Billy had spent years cursing and resenting Grace’s lord for being deceived by Pig Doc, but now he felt genuine regret.
“Recruit workers for the bridge construction along with the treasurer. And tell them they’ll be paid wages.”
Billy could hardly believe his ears. Though the commander had mentioned wages during the day, most people wouldn’t believe it. Usually, just being given work and food was considered lucky. But here, actual wages were being promised.
“Of course, anyone who works should get paid. Berga will explain the exact amounts and types of work,” Donghee added.
Ber was the second treasurer recently hired as Scrooge’s assistant. If Scrooge handled major construction funds and estate management, Ber managed smaller tasks like paying the laborers. Despite being young, Ber was competent, meticulous, and rarely made mistakes.
When her name was mentioned, Ber’s face flushed bright red with joy. Though she had learned from the treasurer and assisted with tasks, working directly with the lord for the first time made her extremely nervous. She vowed not to make a single mistake.
“Yes, I will guide them thoroughly,” Ber said, her trembling voice betraying her excitement.
“Then when can the bridge construction start?” Donghee asked.
“Well…”
Listening to the continuous meeting, Billy once again felt the overwhelming emotion of a full heart.
Because the meeting had run late, Donghee went to bed later than usual. Her body was heavy, but compared to when she first arrived in the village, her mind felt much lighter.
Although Pig Doc and Rose still faced punishment, she could provide a better life for the people of Idor Village, and that alone eased her burden. Her only regret was not arriving sooner.
“Your Lordship, you must be exhausted. You’ve been so busy every day,” Delma said, pulling the blanket up to her lord’s neck, sighing as if she couldn’t bear it.
Feeling cared for by Delma, Donghee couldn’t help but act a little spoiled.
“Yes. But I like that you’re here with me. You must be tired too, Delma. You’ve been serving all day.”
Delma, along with about ten Grace Castle servants, had spent the whole day in Idor preparing and distributing warm meals. There weren’t many kinds of food—just Dural soup and Dural stew—but the villagers were all delighted. Despite being physically exhausted, Delma’s spirits were lifted remembering the joy of the people.
“Compared to what you do, this is nothing. Always be careful not to hurt yourself, alright? Don’t collapse like last time and scare everyone.”
“Oh, nagging. Alright, I’ll do my best, moderately,” Donghee said, teasing.
“That’s right. Moderately, diligently. Understood?” Delma mimicked her words, making Donghee smile as her eyelids slowly drooped. The tension eased, and she quickly fell asleep.
Delma sat beside her sleeping lord, gently patting the blanket. Unlike when she commanded people or charged at monsters without hesitation, seeing her lord sleep so peacefully brought out a tender, protective side.
“If the Marquis and Marchioness were alive, they wouldn’t even know about this. They’d grow up so carefree.”
Even when her lord acted impulsively and immaturely, it had frustrated her. But now, seeing her lord suddenly grown and selflessly caring for others, Delma’s heart felt an unfamiliar ache.
“How I wish I could take care of everything for you. You’re still so young.”
Delma carefully removed a strand of hair from Chloe’s sleeping cheek and checked her forehead for a fever. Only after a while did she rise from her spot.
Watching the lord grow every day was certainly a joy, but it also made Delma afraid that one day she might be unable to help at all.
Before leaving, she checked that all windows were closed and curtains drawn. But as Delma stepped out and closed the door, she noticed that a window, which had been firmly shut just moments ago, had quietly slid open.
