After finishing all her preparations, Hestia gathered with her family to prepare for the festival.
As they opened the front gates of the mansion…
“Wooooah!”
A huge cheer broke out, and a long line of people gathered in front of the Frost Mansion.
Hestia was momentarily startled.
Looking closely, she saw that a path had been cleared in the middle for her to walk through, and flowers were scattered along it.
“This… is even grander than my coming-of-age ceremony.”
“It was everyone’s idea. I guess they felt a little bad that your birthday is in the winter and they couldn’t hold a bigger festival.”
Hestia, who had let out a small, disbelieving laugh, suddenly felt her nose tingle with emotion.
‘This didn’t happen before I went back in time.’
Back then, the Frost family was on the verge of bankruptcy, and along with that, Byron had fallen into poverty, causing people to leave one by one.
When walking through the streets, there were more people with gloomy faces than cheerful laughter.
But now, everyone was smiling happily, and the town was filled with life.
‘I… changed all of this.’
Not only had she changed her own fate, but she had altered the destinies of many people here.
As they reached the plaza, it was obvious that a spot had been reserved for her and her family.
To Hestia’s eyes, it looked more precious than a throne.
Before sitting down, Derrick climbed onto the platform and cleared his throat.
“Ahem! Today is a farewell celebration for our beloved Tia, and also a party to congratulate her on becoming Lord Winston’s guardian! Even though her time here was short, thank you all for putting together such a splendid festival.”
Derrick nodded lightly to the crowd.
“Before the festival begins, let’s hear a speech from the guest of honor.”
Hestia stepped forward to stand beside Derrick and calmly looked at the faces of the townspeople.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect you all to hold such a big festival for me. If I had known, I might have stayed a little longer.”
“It’s not too late, miss!”
“Stay a little longer! Tomorrow is too soon!”
Someone shouted, and laughter erupted from the crowd.
“No, I can’t. Lord Winston is waiting for me,” Hestia replied playfully with a smile.
“I suddenly remembered 10 years ago. Back then, Byron was just an ordinary village like any other. But with Isaac’s soap workshop doing well, other businesses started to improve too. As we brought in more skilled artisans, Byron transformed into the artistic city it is today.”
From the old residents who had lived in Byron for generations to the artisans who had moved here on Hestia’s suggestion, and even the newly arrived citizens—everyone wore expressions of nostalgia.
And then, someone yelled out.
“It’s all thanks to the Frost family and the young lady!”
“The Frost family made Byron what it is today!”
One by one, similar words of agreement were spoken, and as Hestia listened, she shook her head.
“No, this is something we all accomplished together. If Jerome wasn’t here, if Uncle Paul wasn’t here if Grandma Sasha wasn’t here… and if all of you weren’t here! None of this would have been possible.”
Memories of the difficult times they had all endured flashed through their minds, and many faces momentarily looked moved.
“I may be leaving for the Duchy, but once my guardianship is complete, I will return here. So until then, please keep things just as they are. Let’s call today not my farewell party, but a festival to celebrate all of your hard work! Thank you, everyone!”
As Hestia lifted her skirt and gracefully bowed her head, cheers and applause loud enough to shake Byron rang out.
And so, the festival began.
* * *
The cheerful sounds of music and the delicious smells of food, along with the stalls scattered around, filled the festival atmosphere with energy.
Hestia’s siblings were busy enjoying the festival with their friends, while Hestia found herself caught by various people, offering her drinks, making it hard to keep up.
“Heh! Our young lady is already old enough to be drinking!”
“Miss! Please accept my drink too!”
“Hey, take it easy! Can’t you see her glass is already full?!”
“Miss, in the world of socializing, having a drink or two is important. I don’t know about nobles, but for folks like us, sharing a drink is more meaningful than a hundred words!”
“That’s just because you’re a drinker, isn’t it?”
“Hahaha! You caught me!”
Most of the artisans Hestia had personally brought in surrounded her, chatting excitedly.
“Miss, don’t overdo it. You can pass it to me,” Jerome stepped in, concerned that Hestia might drink too much.
“Jerome, did you know?”
“Know what?”
“I’ve never been drunk before.”
Before going back in time, Hestia had been known as quite the drinker among her colleagues.
She couldn’t afford to drink often due to poverty, but whenever there was a company gathering, she was always the last one standing, taking care of her passed-out coworkers.
Hestia took the large wooden mug of beer and downed it in one go.
Without taking a single break, she gulped it down, leaving everyone around her wide-eyed in shock.
“Ah! That’s the stuff! Another round!”
Hestia wiped the foam from her mouth and held out her mug again, causing those around her to laugh heartily.
“That’s our lady!”
“Bold and strong! Let me pour the next one!”
“And here’s some food to go with it!”
Hestia took a bit of chicken skewer and gulped down another mug of beer in one go.
The people around her cheered and praised her, and Hestia, feeling great from the long-awaited drink, really enjoyed the festival.
Before long, she was dancing in the middle of the square with everyone else to the beat of the music, while Derrick shared a drink of wine with Anna and Melvin as they watched her.
“Byron’s going to feel empty from tomorrow.”
“…Indeed. If only I could take her place as the guardian right now.”
“A parent can’t keep their child at their side forever. We have to start preparing to let them go.”
“Do you think our Tia will do well?”
Melvin, watching the baron and his wife who couldn’t take their eyes off Hestia, laughed heartily.
“To be honest, worrying about Tia is probably the most pointless thing. That child could survive just fine even if she were stranded on a desert island.”
“You’re right.”
“She’s turned out so well thanks to Lord Waynes’ teaching.”
“All I did was polish that diamond. Everything after that, she chose herself. And I have no doubt that Tia will continue to make the right choices.”
The three of them looked toward Hestia once again.
They prayed that her future would be filled with happiness rather than hardship.
* * *
“Take care. Write to us once a week, and if you need help, don’t hesitate to ask. We’ll try to visit as often as—oh, oops.”
“Don’t worry, Father. Sniff… I’m your daughter, aren’t I?”
“…Oh dear, I knew something like this would happen after how much you two drank yesterday.”
Elvin cast a disapproving look at Derrick and Hestia, narrowing his eyes. The two were still suffering from the aftermath of the festival.
Though Hestia had managed to make herself presentable, Derrick was pale and staggering from a terrible hangover.
“Sis, you’re incredible. I heard you beat all the old guys in drinking last night?”
“Haha, your sister is quite the drinker, you know.”
Late at night, Hestia had taken part in a drinking contest with the master craftsmen of Byron, who were famous for their heavy drinking, and she came out on top.
“My sister is stronger than Dad! I want to be just like her!”
“No, no. That’s not something to copy,” Elvin quickly interrupted, trying to prevent his younger brother Eric from going down that path. Hestia felt a pang of annoyance, but today wasn’t a day for arguments.
“Did you pack everything?”
“Yes. And if I forget anything, I can always buy it later.”
“…Always take care of yourself, and don’t push yourself too hard. Even though we’ll be far apart, remember we’re always by your side,” Anna said, hugging her warmly.
Hestia hugged her mother tightly in return. “I’ll be back soon.”
After saying their goodbyes to her siblings and Derrick, Hestia finally boarded the carriage. Leaning against the seat, she tried to settle her nervous heart.
“Whew… I can do this.”
She had helped Byron grow this much, after all. Surely, she could protect Leonhard without any trouble.
To snap herself out of it, she slapped her cheeks lightly. While passing through the southern gate, Hestia noticed a familiar carriage.
“Jerome!”
“My lady.”
The owner of the carriage was none other than Jerome.
“Where are you off to so early in the morning? Was there a trip planned?”
His carriage was packed with luggage as if he were heading out on a long journey.
“Yes, I’m heading out on a rather long trip.”
“Really? Why didn’t you mention it?”
“Because… I’m traveling with you, my lady.”
“…What?”
“I gave it some thought after hearing your plans, and I figured you might need someone by your side, someone to act as your hands and feet.”
“So, you mean…?”
Was he saying he was coming with her to the duke’s estate?
Hestia, stunned, stared at him, and Jerome chuckled.
“We recently opened a branch of our workshop in the duchy. I’ll be staying there, and whenever you need help, I’ll be available. After all, wouldn’t it be easier to rely on someone you know than a stranger for discreet matters?”
He had a point. She did need someone trustworthy. Even if she found someone in the duchy, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t be a spy.
“Besides, my lady, have you forgotten?”
“Forgotten what?”
“The fact that I have access to information from many nobles.”
Jerome’s brand had expanded throughout the empire. With so many people, both commoners and nobles, visiting his workshops, information naturally flowed into his hands from all over.
Recently, even the royal family had started dealing with him, and his intelligence network was becoming as valuable as a guild’s.
“Jerome! What are you waiting for? Get in the carriage!” Hestia called out, waving him in.
Jerome burst out laughing.
* * *
After two days of travel, they arrived at Chest, the duchy’s territory. Before heading to the ducal estate, they made a stop at the local branch of Jerome’s soap workshop, Tiers.
“Nice to meet you, Lady Hestia. I’m Trison, the branch manager of the Chest location.”
“Nice to meet you too. I’m Hestia Frost.”
“I’ll lead you to the VIP room where we can talk more comfortably.”
It seemed Jerome had already arranged everything, as Trison led them to a private room.
Soon after, a woman entered, carrying refreshments.
“I specially requested this woman from Trison. She’ll be assisting you from now on, my lady,” Jerome explained.
“My name is Hilde. It’s a pleasure to serve you.”
“Whenever you need anything, you can contact me through Hilde,” Jerome added.
“Wow… Jerome, you really are something, aren’t you?” Hestia said, impressed by how smoothly things were progressing.
Jerome laughed. “I can’t thank you enough, my lady. If it weren’t for you, Tiers wouldn’t be where it is now. Otherwise, we’d probably still be struggling, living up to our name, and running the workshop through tears.”
“Ah, you would’ve done fine even without me, Jerome.”
After all, he had succeeded in the previous timeline too.
But Jerome didn’t seem convinced by her words.
