The Radiant Young Lady of the Dark Family - Chapter 12
‘Could it be mere coincidence?’
He thought his daughter had changed in an instant.
After Anelia left, she became noticeably quieter, refusing to form relationships with anyone and confining herself to her room.
So he hadn’t known that she liked lamb this much, enjoyed reading and that her cheeks would turn such a pretty color when she spoke.
While this change was welcome, there was something familiar about it.
Vanwilhelm began softly.
“What if…”
“Yes?”
Vanwilhelm asked, looking at Hartbisa who had widened her eyes innocently.
“If it were you, which of these lands would you choose as a middle point?”
“Hmm, if it were me…”
Hartbisa rested her chin on her hand and studied the map intently. Finally, she pointed to one spot.
“I would choose this place.”
The place Hartbisa chose was Dux Mountain, which was further north than Viscount Merian’s land.
“…Dux Mountain, you say?”
“Yes.”
“Why? It’s not particularly close to the capital, and the northern cold freezes the ground, making mobility just as poor as in the south.”
To Vanwilhelm’s question, she carefully began.
“Because the river flowing down from the capital passes through there.”
“You mean the Pale River?”
“Yes, I heard from Salam that two years ago, the imperial blessing filled the capital’s soil with nutrients.”
“Indeed, it brought unprecedented harvests because of that.”
“Then wouldn’t the blessed nutrients have affected the surrounding lands through the river flowing from the capital?”
“What?”
“I’m just speaking about possibilities, but in the book you gave me, it said that river from the capital is called the River of Life because it affects so many fields. So I thought if such a strongly blessed river flows through there, wouldn’t it affect areas outside the center? Enough to thaw the frozen northern lands, for example.”
Vanwilhelm furrowed his brow. It wasn’t an impossible possibility. It was worth checking at least once.
Orsay, who had been listening nearby, seemed to have the same thought as he stood straight, ready to handle the matter immediately.
“Orsay.”
“Yes.”
“Send a survey team immediately.”
“I will execute it.”
With his response, Orsay vanished in the blink of an eye. As expected of a Swordmaster, despite his stoic face, his actions were swift.
Hartbisa quietly gazed in the direction Orsay had disappeared, then straightened her head when she felt a gaze from the side.
Only then recognizing the Duke, she hurried to compose her expression, but her father’s expression was peculiar.
His dark eyes seemed to peer deep into her inner self. Caught in that gaze, Hartbisa couldn’t easily continue speaking.
‘Did I perhaps show off too much?’
She swallowed hard from nervousness, wondering if he found her suspicious.
“Hasa.”
“……”
“Thank you.”
Hartbisa stiffened even more than before.
***
After leaving for the kingdom in her previous life, she could only learn about family news through newspapers.
That land bought from Viscount Merian was what had troubled her father then.
Not only did it waste money and time taking long to establish a foundation due to the muddy ground, but later it even became imperial territory, receiving only minimal compensation when it had to be donated.
It was land that only made her aunt profit from backdoor deals while causing her father nothing but trouble.
While she was certainly resentful of her aunt’s schemes, Hartbisa had another reason for specifically visiting her father’s office.
Dux Mountain, which she recommended to her father.
Though she had created plausible reasons, in truth, several artifacts were buried beneath that land. She had guided him there because she wanted one of them.
So it wasn’t purely helping him…
“Hasa, thank you.”
At those words she’d never heard before, Hartbisa momentarily forgot to maintain her expression and froze in her seat.
These were words she couldn’t hear in her previous life no matter how hard she worked herself to death.
“No, if I was able to help Father, that alone is a great joy for me.”
Hartbisa stood up. After adding thanks for sparing his precious time when he was busy, she left the room almost like she was fleeing.
Her heart was pounding. It was a different kind of trembling from when she had said everything she wanted to say to her aunt.
The very depths of her chest grew hot, and she nearly cried in front of the Duke.
That she had missed him. That after his death, she regretted saying hurtful things.
Hartbisa had to return to her room and suppress her surging emotions for a while.
And contrary to her worries about whether the purchase would go well, after quick construction proceeded and about three weeks passed, a letter arrived through the knights.
It was a message that several artifacts had been discovered during the ground-leveling process.
***
Originally, that land would have been purchased by Wolfgang.
He would have discovered several artifacts, sold them off to gain enormous wealth at once, and put his name among the ranks of the most influential young people in the empire.
“……”
Hartbisa stood in front of her father’s office, composing herself.
Father had retrieved the artifacts and returned to the mansion, and as soon as he arrived, he had summoned Hartbisa.
It was the first time seeing him since then. The last words father had said needlessly made her lips quiver again.
She composed her expression to avoid making mistakes and opened the door.
“Hasa.”
Vanwilhelm spoke as he saw her standing hesitantly at the open door.
“Come here.”
He was wearing glasses, presumably having been checking documents. It was rare enough to see him sitting at his desk, so this was a new sight.
As Hartbisa approached slowly, he removed his glasses and pressed the bridge of his nose. His slightly disheveled hair and wrinkled expression gave quite a cold impression.
So this must be why he got nicknames like “Boss.”
One way or another, up close he was definitely a cold beauty, and thinking that he would remain single going forward felt somewhat wasteful. In modern times, he would definitely be considered a distinguished middle-aged actor.
“Do you have something to say?”
Perhaps because she had been staring too intently due to these thoughts, Vanwilhelm asked suspiciously. Hartbisa quickly averted her eyes.
“I just thought the glasses suited you well.”
“How frivolous.”
He pulled up one corner of his mouth in a smile and walked to one side of the office.
On the desk was a black cloth covering what appeared to be a long box underneath. Vanwilhelm spoke as he pulled away the cloth.
“You probably heard the situation from Orsay, but seeing it directly is different.”
When the cloth was removed, several artifacts were revealed inside the long box. There were more than expected.
“We’ll need to request analysis, but before that, I want to give you ownership.”
“Ownership?”
“Hasa, it’s thanks to you after all.”
While it was true she had helped in choosing that land, and she thought she might receive one if she asked, she hadn’t expected him to offer first, so Hartbisa’s face became somewhat sour.
Seeing her expression, Vanwilhelm spoke again.
“If you want, all of them…”
“No. One is enough.”
Hartbisa quickly scanned the artifacts as if trying to avoid an uncomfortable situation.
Artifacts varied in their uses and shapes depending on which craftsman made them.
From accessories to tableware to sculptures – it was impossible to predict their abilities just by looking at their shapes.
So as her father said, it was better to request analysis. Except for one artifact that had appeared in the original story.
Hasa picked up a necklace with a dull black jewel.
“May I have this one?”
“May I ask why?”
Seeing how casually she chose, curiosity clouded Vanwilhelm’s dark eyes.
Hartbisa looked alternately between the artifact in necklace form and Vanwilhelm for a moment before answering naturally.
“I thought since it’s a gift from Father, something I could wear would be nice.”
“…A gift.”
Unlike Vanwilhelm who seemed somewhat dumbfounded, Hartbisa smiled with reddened cheeks as if truly delighted.
“Yes, so I’ll treasure it. Thank you, Dad.”
Hartbisa said this and left with a bright smile.
The Duke was left alone staring at the door through which Hartbisa had left, and spoke softly.
“Orsay.”
From the shadowy corner of the office, Orsay emerged smoothly, having been there who knows how long.
“Yes.”
Vanwilhelm asked, his face now completely different from when he was with Hartbisa, having turned pale.
“What do you think?”
His gaze remained fixed on the direction his daughter had left. Orsay glanced at his master’s face as he asked this.
While both Orsay and Salam were completely loyal to their master Vanwilhelm, there was one stark difference between them.
Namely, Orsay would speak his thoughts without hiding anything if it went against his instincts, whatever it might be.
