Chapter 108
Time passed quickly, and before anyone knew it, it was August 16th.
Many carriages passed through the gates of Chest. All of them carried guests who had received invitations from Winston.
“They’re holding both the engagement ceremony and the young master’s birthday party at the same time?”
“I guess it wasn’t just a rumor. I can’t believe they’re actually having the engagement ceremony.”
“Who in the world schedules an engagement ceremony the day before a birthday party? It’s ridiculous.”
“Well, at least it’s better than making us come twice.”
“They’ve been so busy, but seeing how they rushed to set the date, I think I can guess the reason.”
“Mom, Mom! What is the young master like? Are we really invited?”
“Yes, all of us are invited. But don’t forget what I told you at home—no causing trouble at the Duke’s house, understood?”
“Wow! Can we go sightseeing in the city later?”
The guests, each with different reactions, made their way to the duke’s mansion one by one.
Among them was one particular guest who had just arrived at the mansion.
“This is my first time coming here.”
It was none other than Kenneth Oklin.
Recently, he had been in contact with Hestia to work together on resolving the refugee issue under the emperor’s orders. A few days ago, he received an invitation to the engagement ceremony, so he made the journey to the south.
‘I’ve only heard about Byron through rumors, but it’s really impressive.’
After deciding to work with Hestia, Kenneth had done some research on her.
He had heard that she played a big role in making Byron a city of arts, but seeing it in person still surprised him. Not only that, but the people of Byron seemed to adore her. They even held a small festival to celebrate her engagement.
This was proof that Hestia wasn’t just a skilled administrator—she had also won the hearts of her people.
‘Even the best lords get criticized at least once, but neither Byron nor Chest showed any signs of that.’
In fact, the people of Chest seemed genuinely happy about Hestia and Luciard’s engagement.
At first, Kenneth thought she was just a lucky young lady who found a powerful guardian or perhaps a bold and ambitious youth. But now, he was growing curious about her.
“Welcome, Count Oklin, to Winston Duke’s estate.”
A servant checked Kenneth’s invitation and politely bowed.
“The engagement ceremony hasn’t started yet, has it?”
“No, sir. It will begin in the garden in an hour. Most of the other guests have already gathered there. If you’re feeling tired from your journey, I can guide you to a lounge to rest.”
“Then please take me to the lounge. The trip was long, and I want to take some rest.”
“Understood, sir. Please follow me.”
Kenneth followed the servant to the lounge.
Inside, two other people were already there.
“If you need anything, please let me know,” the servant said before leaving.
Kenneth looked around the quiet and cozy lounge.
‘Hmm? That person…?’
At first, he only saw the back of a man and didn’t recognize him. But when he saw his face, Kenneth realized it was someone he knew.
‘Does she know Melvin Waynes too?’
When Melvin was actively working, Kenneth often ran into him.
“Why aren’t you with your younger siblings?”
“If I stay with them, I’ll just end up babysitting. There are lots of kids Eric’s age here today, and I’d rather have some peace and quiet.”
“You say that, but you always play around with Tia. Now you act all grown-up?”
“W-When did I ever do that, Master?!”
Melvin was talking with a younger man who seemed to be his student.
Then, Melvin noticed Kenneth looking at him and turned his head. Their eyes met.
Feeling like he had been caught staring, Kenneth quickly smiled and greeted him.
“It’s been a long time, Melvin. How have you been?”
“Oh! Kenneth? What brings you here?”
They had known each other for a long time and were of similar age, so they got along well.
“I received an invitation, of course. But what about you? You said you wanted nothing to do with nobles after retiring.”
“Haha, well, I somehow ended up teaching kids now.”
“Again? Are you back to being a professor?”
“No, not exactly. I’m working as a private tutor for the Frost family.”
Kenneth widened his eyes in surprise.
“You? A private tutor?”
“Hard to believe, right? Honestly, I still find it a bit strange myself. Eight years ago, some kid showed up and asked me to be his tutor.”
Kenneth thought about it for a moment before realizing which family Melvin meant.
‘Frost… That’s the family of Hestia’s guardian.’
“This is also my student. Elvin, introduce yourself.”
“Nice to meet you. My name is Elvin Frost.”
“That means you’re the younger brother of Winston’s guardian, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Through his research on Hestia, Kenneth also learned about her family background.
‘So, he’s her half-brother.’
Judging from their earlier conversation, it seemed like they got along well. But Kenneth was curious to see how they truly interacted.
At that moment, the door opened, and someone walked into the lounge.
“You’ve arrived, Count. Was your journey difficult?”
It was none other than Hestia.
She looked incredibly beautiful, likely because she had been preparing for the engagement ceremony.
She wore a sky-blue dress, resembling a drop of ink on a white canvas, exuding elegance and grace.
“It’s been a while, Lady Frost. Shouldn’t you be busy preparing for the ceremony?”
“I should be, but I couldn’t just ignore the news that you had arrived. Ah, Master, you’re here too.”
“Tia, you look stunning. If you wore a veil, you’d look like a perfect bride already.”
“My dress isn’t completely white, though. But thank you for the compliment. Elvin, by the way, our parents were looking for you earlier.”
“I’ll go see them when the ceremony starts.”
Seeing the three of them interact so naturally, Kenneth found them quite interesting.
However, he knew that Hestia didn’t come all this way just to chat.
“Ahem, on my way here, I stopped by Larklin for a bit.”
“What did you think? Do you think it’s suitable for housing refugees?”
“Yes, it’s in a perfect location. It’s not too far from the port, and while that area is barren, the land across the river is fertile. I’m surprised such a place was available in the south.”
“For some reason, that specific area is hard to farm on. Since it’s unsuitable for agriculture, I figured we might as well use it for something else. Plus, it’s big enough to accommodate a large number of refugees.”
“It’ll take some time to develop, but it’s definitely better than randomly bringing refugees into the cities. The emperor will likely support—”
Before Kenneth could finish speaking, someone called out urgently from outside.
“Lady Hestia! Where are you? The engagement preparations aren’t finished yet! Lady Hestia!”
Hearing the commotion, Hestia let out a small sigh.
“Looks like I have to go now.”
“My apologies, Count. Can we talk in more detail later?”
“Of course. You’re the main star today, after all. I’ll see you soon.”
Hestia quickly apologized before hurrying out of the room.
“Refugees, huh? I heard about it briefly, but that sounds like a lot of trouble,” Melvin commented.
Kenneth just shrugged in response.
“Someone has to do it. It’s not a problem we can just ignore. Even if it seems like a loss now, if war ever comes to our empire, we’ll be no different from Novelli.”
If their homeland is destroyed, the people of the empire will also have to flee to neighboring countries.
And if those countries say, ‘Since Fastin Empire once refused to accept refugees, we won’t accept you either,’ that would be a disaster.
“Besides, other countries are already taking in Novelli refugees. We can’t just ignore the situation.”
“There must be people opposing this decision. It must be tough.”
“No doubt about it.”
The two elderly men chuckled, while Elvin sat quietly, unable to follow the conversation.
“Sigh, I wanted to talk to the Count in more detail.”
“I understand, but you can’t just leave in the middle of this. The engagement ceremony is soon.”
“Isn’t everything ready already? I think it looks beautiful enough.”
“It’s not done yet. Just a little more patience.”
At Hilde’s firm words, Hestia closed her eyes and let Hilde continue her work.
“Luckily, your makeup is applying well since you got some rest these past few days.”
“…Luciard and the young master were really strict about it. Last time, I woke up and it was already morning—I was so shocked.”
A few days ago, after returning from the mines, Hestia had fallen asleep in the carriage with Luciard. But when she woke up, she was already in her familiar room. She was shocked once, and then even more shocked when she found out it was the next morning.
“You overworked yourself. If Sir Luciard hadn’t intervened, you would have collapsed from exhaustion.”
“From now on, no working in the office after 10 PM. I told Nova to handle the engagement preparations. Learning about governance is good, but right now, rest is your priority.”
Because Luciard took away the office key, Hestia had no choice but to work only during designated hours.
Even when she tried to plead with him to let her do a little more, Luciard firmly refused.
Yesterday, she even tried sneaking some work into her room, but Luciard somehow found out and took everything away.
At first, she was just annoyed at how controlling he was, but…
“…I do feel the healthiest I’ve been in years.”
Luciard made sure she ate proper meals and prevented her from overworking. As a result, Hestia was having the most restful days she had ever experienced in years.
“I’m more shocked that you lived the same way back in Byron.”
“Really? I’ve always worked like this, so I never thought much about it. Doesn’t everyone work as much as I do?”
“Not at all.”
At Hilde’s firm response, Hestia closed her mouth.
“It’s because you always want to do your best, my lady.”
Hilde spoke gently as she styled Hestia’s hair.
“That’s why you always try to finish your tasks on time and make sure nothing is left undone. But that naturally leads to overworking. My lady, it’s okay to take a break sometimes.”
Hestia opened her eyes and smiled at her reflection—she looked even more beautiful than before.
“Why not set aside your worries and enjoy yourself for just two days?”
As Hilde finished by adding diamond earrings, Hestia chuckled.
“That’s not a bad idea. Maybe I’ll enjoy myself for these two days.”
Hilde responded with a warm smile.
