Chapter 51
Why didn’t I realize it until now?
I felt frustrated as I looked at the long line of research reports Brother Aiden laid out for Kylen.
“Carriages are inefficient. Horses are expensive, and since they are living animals, the distance they can travel in a day is limited.”
Brother Aiden was full of excitement.
“If what we’re developing becomes commercialized like trains, many things will change.”
He pointed to one of the blueprints in the center of the research papers, saying it would transform daily life in the Empire.
“If it can carry not just people but also goods, then supplies can reach areas without train tracks. Regions that have been neglected will finally have a chance to grow.”
Brother Aiden was developing a car.
What he explained yesterday at dinner was about the car’s engine.
Now that I think about it, this world has trains, but no cars—it always felt strange.
It was a bit amazing that my brother was creating something that didn’t even exist in this world.
I crossed my arms and stared at the design.
“I have a question.”
Except for Dylan—who was studying the blueprints with the excitement of someone discovering a treasure map—everyone looked at me: Brother, Kylen, Isaya, and Caspian.
“Trains are used commonly not just in the Empire but between kingdoms, right? So why didn’t anyone think of making something like this before?”
“Oh, good question.”
Isaya stroked his chin.
“Well, that is because—”
Brother Aiden was about to speak, but Dylan pushed up his glasses and answered first.
“It was the previous Emperor’s personal preference.”
I frowned slightly, confused. Dylan shrugged.
“That’s right. I wasn’t the first to start this research.”
Brother picked up the top document and handed it to me.
“A man named Rob Fishburn from the Viscount Fishburn family designed the first version, but it was buried and forgotten.”
Dylan quickly added:
“The first design was extremely crude. Unlike trains, it couldn’t carry much, and the appearance was unimpressive. The former Emperor chose to focus his investments on trains.”
So it was all personal judgment.
Building train tracks and developing them required huge amounts of capital, so car development was neglected.
Someone later revived the research, and Brother decided to study abroad to learn from that famous scholar in Volos.
What Kylen said yesterday was half right and half wrong.
Brother Aiden’s invention wasn’t just for Winterford.
It was something that could shake the whole Empire—no, the entire continent of Lersha.
A lottery win right next to me.
No—like a goose that lays golden eggs.
Brother’s research papers started looking like money to me.
I stared hard at Rob Fishburn’s early blueprint to stop myself from laughing.
“But… what should we call it?”
Brother had been calling it “this,” “that,” or research-1 and research-2.
He scratched the back of his head shyly.
“I haven’t decided on a name yet. I want something cool, but nothing comes to mind.”
Isaya raised his hand.
“Mini train! How about mini train?”
“Ah… that sounds good! Haha!”
Kind Brother. He should’ve just ignored it.
I clicked my tongue and shook my head. Isaya, disappointed, lifted his chin at me.
“Her Grace must have a better idea, yes?”
Everyone in Kylen’s office turned to me.
“Wait—just give me a moment.”
I wanted a cooler name than simply “car.”
It was the goose that would give us golden eggs, so I needed to choose carefully.
Car… in English, it’s “car,” hmm…
Then suddenly, something flashed in my mind.
“Carforward! How about Carforward?!”
Easy to pronounce, cool-sounding. Mixed from here and there—but who cares.
“Eli! That’s an amazing name!”
Brother’s soft brown eyes shimmered with emotion. He grabbed my hands and shook them up and down, praising me as if I could do anything.
I squeezed his hands proudly—but then Kylen’s cold voice cut in.
“Judging from the research material, you should’ve been able to start building already. What’s stopping you?”
Brother’s shoulders drooped like a wet puppy.
“Well… as you know, Volos lacks resources. It’s hard to obtain iron and other necessary materials…”
“Why not import them from the Empire?”
Dylan asked quickly.
“A short while ago, the Empire restricted the export of iron ore. So we couldn’t get the materials and had to pause the project.”
Brother sighed deeply and looked over his scattered documents.
So that happened.
Since my reincarnation, I’d been too busy adjusting to this world and trying not to die.
Then I suddenly married Kylen and got buried in work in Winterford…
I didn’t know anything about the international situation of the continent.
“Well, thanks to that, I got to come see Eliana!”
Brother tried to lighten the mood cheerfully.
“Why did the Empire suddenly block exports?”
“They say they’re expanding the railway network to the south. I suppose that’s why…”
Dylan trailed off as Kylen waited for him to continue.
“The family in charge of the southern railway expansion is the Platters.”
Kylen’s face hardened instantly.
The Platter Marquis family—the Empress’s family—controlled the railway business.
“This won’t be easy.”
At the mention of the Platter family, Isaya groaned and leaned back.
Kylen rubbed his lips with his finger while staring at Brother’s research papers.
The railway was the source of the Platter family’s wealth.
There’s no way they would sit quietly while something like Carforward threatened their foundation.
“Dylan. Make a list of families that own iron mines.”
After deep thought, Kylen finally spoke. Dylan bowed and stood up. Brother looked confused.
“Iron mines? Why…?”
Kylen picked up the newest Carforward blueprint.
He placed it on his knee and tapped it with his finger.
“This project—I’ll support it.”
Kylen’s green eyes shone sharply.
Brother swallowed hard.
Winterford nights were long.
Kylen stretched his stiff neck after eating a simple dinner in the office.
He glanced at his left wrist to check the time.
Past 11 p.m.
He chuckled as he saw Dylan still absorbed in Brother Aiden’s research.
Dylan was extremely excited.
He was writing down a list of questions to ask Aiden—pages worth of questions.
Kylen wondered how Aiden would react when he saw them.
Probably widen his eyes like a startled rabbit and blink slowly.
Like his sister, Eliana, who made the same face whenever she was surprised.
She was probably fast asleep by now.
There was still more to review, so when he returned to the bedroom, it would be even later.
He would have to enter quietly again.
Eliana didn’t wake easily once she slept,
but if there was a loud noise, she would groan softly and toss in bed.
Kylen didn’t even realize how often—no, how very often—he had been thinking about Eliana lately.
