The Ugly Wife of the Shady Duke - Chapter 49.2
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“Let’s discuss who will participate in this trade. It is important to be directly involved so that we can argue for a fair distribution of income.”
It was a deal made with a small textile workshop in the first place. They had a better understanding of the value of fabrics, so they had no choice but to work together.
“And I have another proposal.”
Cleta’s eyes widened at Grace’s use of the word “proposal.” It meant that it was more directly related to Cleta than a simple request.
“Considering the orphanage that burned down, how about moving to a new location?”
“Even if we move, we don’t have the funds for that.”
“We may not have used all the tea bags we made and couldn’t sell, but that’s not all, is it?”
Recently, there were discussions about various contracts, and they were preparing for mass production, but the materials had not arrived yet.
“I propose moving the residence to an area near the tea fields. There should be vacant houses in that area. They may be a bit old, but you and all the children can live there.”
“…I see.”
“And there is a long-term trade agreement with the tea fields we decided on. The people there actually like children quite a bit.”
Upon realizing the meaning of “like,” Cleta’s expression turned sad.
The people running the tea fields had lost their young families. As a result, they couldn’t treat young orphans harshly, as the sight of young individuals reminded them of their departed families.
‘Because, it hasn’t been that long since they lost their families.’
The Western contamination had been ongoing for a longer period than expected. It may have been faster than in the original story, but the Saintess discovered it too late, and there were many contaminated areas.
Even in the Empire, the remote Western regions didn’t receive help quickly due to their slow development.
The individuals from the Western regions had gathered their remaining assets after losing their families and purchased land to cultivate, including the tea fields.
This information was also revealed through the conversation between Aria and the owner of the tea plantation in the original story.
In hindsight, I used to wonder, if it might have been better to move to that location from the beginning, but it was determined that initial promotion should be done within the capital city.
However, the relocation incurred significant costs. When starting a business, it was best to save as much funds as possible.
‘But that almost made it more dangerous.’
Grace felt that her judgment had been wrong. She hadn’t anticipated such an incident, but it was the result of her being careless.
She blamed herself and continued speaking.
“If we send a letter in advance, we can proceed with the move. And if we receive permission, it will save us even more money if we move together.”
“Where are you planning to go?”
“Probably… I need to discuss it with His Highness.”
Cleta looked at Grace with a deeply apologetic expression.
“We only receive help from you, My Lady. This favor is something we can never repay, even in death.”
“Oh no, it’s nothing.”
“Please don’t say it’s nothing.”
“It’s just information I happened to come across.”
That was truly the case. Grace could present a solution so casually because she knew the original story.
That was her thought. But Cleta said,
“Just because everyone has the same information doesn’t mean they all act the same way.”
“…”
“So, My Lady, you are truly remarkable.”
It would be wonderful if everyone used the shared information to do good deeds, to help someone.
Unfortunately, not everyone did.
Grace realized this once again and fell silent.
‘But it’s not really that great…’
She believed that if she hadn’t had this information, she wouldn’t have readily extended her hand to help them.
She knew it all along and had simply taken the actions that the protagonists in the original story would eventually take.
Receiving praise for stealing felt embarrassing.
‘I wish I could be more proud.’
⋆★⋆
As fate would have it, Benjamin’s visit to the palace was related to Western contamination.
Thanks to Aria’s ability, they were able to discover within 24 hours that the contamination was connected to the far outskirts of the Western region.
After Benjamin returned, the two of them walked slowly through the garden and discussed the matter.
“We were able to speculate that the source of contamination is located quite far away with the help of the Saintess. Actually, it was thanks to your suggestion, My Lady.”
“I was able to think of such a method because of the presence of the Saintess.”
“It is always necessary to have people who think from different perspectives. After all, no one else came up with this idea. You are truly remarkable, My Lady.”
“…”
Grace’s heart trembled as she heard these compliments in succession. It felt as if something was welling up inside her heart.
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