BGFV Chapter 107

Chapter 107

“…Tia.”
“…Hestia.”

A voice calling her name slowly brought Hestia’s drifting consciousness back from deep sleep. But her body felt so heavy that she couldn’t shake off the drowsiness.

“Just five more minutes…”

“I’d love to, but we’ve already arrived. Get up.”

“Ugh… Mom… Just five more minutes…”

Like when she used to whine to Anna at home, Hestia groaned and protested against the one waking her up. There was a brief silence, as if the person hesitated. Just as she was about to fall back into sleep—

“Hestia.”

Rustle—

She felt someone gently tucking her hair behind her ear, accompanied by a warm, tender voice.

“Wake up. We’re at the abandoned mine.”

The moment she heard those words, Hestia’s eyes shot open.

“The mine!”

She quickly lifted her head—only to be met with Luciard’s face, filling her entire vision.

Luciard’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, his lips slightly parted.

Hestia, momentarily frozen in place, quickly recoiled in shock.

“Ah, wait…!”

Thud—!

Luciard reached out and cupped the back of her head.

“You’re going to bump your head like that.”

Thanks to him, she narrowly avoided slamming her head against the carriage window.

Still dazed from waking up, Hestia struggled to process what was happening.

‘Wait a second…’

“Were you always sitting here?”

She had a strong suspicion that he had been seated across from her earlier.

“Ahem! You kept leaning toward the window, so I had no choice.”

With that, Luciard stepped out of the carriage first.

“…Wait, does that mean I was sleeping on his shoulder?”

Still in disbelief, Hestia hesitantly climbed down from the carriage. Then, something else clicked on her.

“…Didn’t you say you’d wake me in thirty minutes?”

Luciard’s shoulders twitched.

“I slept for over two hours! I have so much to do—what do I do now?!”

Panicked, Hestia grabbed his collar as if demanding an answer.

“I checked the documents for you, so it’s fine!”

“You checked them…?”

“Yeah. I organized everything while you were sleeping.”

Hestia’s grip on his clothes loosened slightly.

“As if you would’ve woken up in just thirty minutes when you couldn’t even wake up now.”

“Ugh…”

“Anyway, let’s go inspect the mine. If we waste time, we’ll get back late.”

Luciard started walking ahead, and Hestia watched his back for a moment before clicking her tongue.

“Tch… Who told you to do unnecessary favors?”

She was a little worried about whether he had done the job properly, but he had been learning well lately and handling work efficiently.

His back looked… reliable.

Hestia smiled slightly and followed him.

“Hey, the little lady is here!”

As soon as she entered the mine, Gus greeted her enthusiastically. Hestia firmly shook the hand he extended.

“It’s been a while! How have you been?”

“More than fine! Thanks to you buying the mine, the workers have returned, and we’ve got new equipment. Mining was never been this better here!”

Gus, the man who first told her about the “Tear of the Jewel,” was much friendlier than when they first met.

Covered in dust, it was clear he had been working just moments ago.

“How’s the mining progress?”

“It’s only been a week, so no major developments yet. But just wait.”

Gus grinned widely.

“I’ll make sure you get your Tear of the Jewel.”

“Haha, I’ll look forward to it. If you find it, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded properly.”

Their eyes gleamed with ambition.

“Any inconveniences or needs while working? The rest area looks a bit worn down—should we rebuild it?”

“That’d be great. Wait a second, let me gather the workers. Hey, guys! The new owner is here!”

As Gus called the workers over, Hestia attentively listened to their concerns, making sure not to dismiss even the smallest requests.

Luciard watched her quietly from behind.

‘Just a moment ago, she looked like she was barely alive in the carriage.’

But now, she was brimming with energy.

Looking at her, Luciard realized—she seemed to enjoy working directly with people more than sitting at a desk.

‘You can’t put this much effort into something unless you really care about it.’

It was impressive to him.

After about an hour of inspecting the mine and listening to the workers, Hestia was satisfied.

“I’ll make sure to improve the conditions soon. It might take some time, but bear with it for now.”

“That’s more than enough. The old lord told us to keep reusing rusty pickaxes.”

“Compared to him, this is heaven!”

“Did we ask for too much?”

“Not at all. You’re the ones who’ll bring me valuable jewels—this is the least I can do.”

“Haha! You’re generous for a young lady! We’ll work even harder now!”

“Just don’t overwork yourselves. Stick to the work hours I set—this job is physically demanding, so rest is important.”

“See? Compared to that stingy old lord, she’s an angel.”

In just one hour, Hestia had completely blended in with them.

Even though the workers were dirty from labor, she didn’t mind at all.

“Alright, we’ll head back now. We still have a lot to do.”

“Wait a second.”

As she turned to leave, Gus stopped her and went into the break room. He soon returned with something wrapped in cloth.

“Take this.”

The bundle was heavy and fit snugly in her hand. Curious, Hestia unwrapped the cloth—

Her eyes widened.

“This is…!”

“A raw gemstone I dug up before.”

A large, blue-tinged crystal, unrefined but undoubtedly valuable.

“Sapphire?”

“No, it’s a little different. I think it might be a blue diamond.”

“A blue diamond this big…?!”

If sold, the price would be unimaginable.

“How did the old lord not find this?”

“He never inspected the mine himself. This is why I was sure the Tear of the Jewel was here.”

Despite everyone saying the mine was exhausted, Gus never gave up.

And just before the mine was put up for auction, he discovered this gem.

“If we dig deeper, there will be even more precious stones. I swear on my life as a miner.”

Hestia shivered in excitement and clasped his hand.

“I’ll make sure this becomes an unrivaled jewel. Get ready to live the rest of your life in luxury!”

“Haha! I’ll be waiting!”

After saying their goodbyes, Hestia and Luciard boarded the carriage.

Hestia gazed at the gemstone in awe for a long time.

“If these really come from this mine, we made an incredible purchase.”

“Haha, remember when you doubted me?”

“Well… it was an abandoned mine…”

Anyone would’ve thought the same. But Hestia had no hesitation in buying it.

“You have good intuition?”

“Trade secret. We are going to be rich, though, if we continue to mine gems like this.”

She smiled as she pictured the effect on the jewelry market of the empire.

“Haa… Just thinking about it makes me happy.”

Seeing her so delighted, Luciard chuckled.

“Glad to see you energetic again. You looked like you were about to collapse from exhaustion.”

“…It wasn’t that bad.”

“Leon was worried you’d collapse at any moment.”

She went silent.

“Are you going to work as soon as we get back?”

“Of course.”

“Then sleep a bit more. You still look tired.”

“But I still have work—”

“I already finished it.”

Hestia looked at the neatly organized documents, momentarily speechless.

“…Huh, you really did.”

Now left with nothing to do, she fidgeted with the gemstone.

Luciard took it from her hands.

“Why…?”

“You’ll stay up staring at it.”

“Why are you so determined to make me sleep?”

“Because you only sleep three hours a night.”

Hestia shivered at his accuracy.

“You always stay up working after we part ways. You think I wouldn’t notice?”

“…Are you watching me 24/7?”
“I can hear every movement from the room next door.”

Even though she thought she was being quiet, it was useless against Luciard, whose senses were sharper than most.

“I don’t want to see my fiancée collapsing on our engagement day.”

At his words, Hestia’s cheeks turned red. Hearing him call her “fiancée” directly made her feel oddly embarrassed.

Since she stayed silent, Luciard suddenly got up and gently pushed her down onto the seat.

“W-What are you doing?!”
“Just sleep.”
“What kind of noble sleeps like this?”
“It’s just the two of us here. Who cares? Besides, I need some rest too.”

With that, Luciard crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Hestia grumbled but soon gave up and leaned back against the soft seat.

‘I just slept a little while ago, so I’m not sure if I’ll fall asleep again…’

But before she could even finish the thought, she was already drifting off.

Hearing her soft breathing, Luciard opened his eyes slightly and looked at her. Just like on their way to the mine, she slept soundly all the way back to the ducal estate.

Even after arriving, Luciard didn’t wake her. Instead, he carefully lifted her into his arms, carrying her in a princess style.

The surprised expressions of Gallian and the other servants greeted him at the entrance. Luciard spoke in a quiet voice.

“Let her sleep. She hasn’t been resting properly.”

Gallian and the servants exchanged knowing smiles and nodded.

“Hehe, it seems the two of you are getting closer.”

Gallian quickly followed behind, helping to guide Luciard as he carried Hestia to her room.

Once she was gently placed on the bed, Hestia smiled peacefully in her sleep and sank into an even deeper slumber.