Britia slowly opened her tightly closed eyes.
“It seems that Kyra was impressed by the wine produced in Lockhart.”
Britia tried to justify, suggesting that might be why she had included it in the painting. However, perhaps her expression didn’t seem very natural. The Crown Prince chuckled.
“Of course, I also enjoy the wine you produce.”
As it is their main source of income, it’s only natural to take pride in it. However, Britia explained that she didn’t indulge excessively or let alcohol consume her life just because she liked it.
“There seems to be something special about it.”
The Crown Prince tilted his head and looked down at the painting. It wasn’t simply about the arrangement of background objects.
In the painting, she held the long neck of a bottle. It was as if she was about to light a fire or do something immediately.
“If that’s not the case, I’m not sure what Kyra’s intention was in drawing it…”
Britia turned her gaze away from him, her voice lacking confidence.
The Crown Prince observed her intently.
Since the last time, he had noticed that she wasn’t good at lying. It could be possible that she was skilled enough to deceive his eyes, but it didn’t seem like that was the case.
“Speaking of the Lockhart wine story, I think it’s remarkable.”
Without further probing, the Crown Prince moved on to another topic. The painting for today was just a bonus, and he actually had a separate curiosity about her.
When the Lockhart family’s power waned, he had expected that the name “Lockhart” would disappear from the map for everyone. However, after 10 years of their decline, Lockhart had paid off all their debts and was successfully rebuilding.
“Lockhart is daring.”
At the mention of being daring, Britia raised an eyebrow.
“I heard that among the wines produced in Lockhart, there are two made from grape varieties not cultivated in the Empire?”
Britia was surprised that he knew about Lockhart’s situation. While it wasn’t a secret within the family, the harvest of the new grapes was still not substantial. Naturally, information about the newly available wines for distribution was something that only those interested would know.
“May I ask whose idea it was? The Count of Lockhart? Or perhaps you?”
Feeling the gravity of the situation, Britia knew she had to give a proper answer. She straightened her posture and took a deep breath.
“Well, the one who first brought up that story was a farmer with whom we have a close connection.”
It was Philip, her cheerful friend and his father.
“We were encouraging people to clear land to increase our harvest.”
As a result, there were frequent gatherings in the castle where representatives from the villages would come together to share progress on clearing land or exchange surplus resources needed in each village. It was during one of those gatherings that the story came up.
“They said that the grapevines we currently grow require a lot of water, so if there are consecutive days without rain, they quickly wither.”
The fear of drought was well-known to both the Count of Lockhart and Britia. However, introducing new varieties was already a traumatic experience for Lockhart, so it wasn’t easy for Britia to readily nod in agreement.
Philip’s father understood the matter well enough. Still, he managed to convince both of them. He mentioned that the vineyards in the neighboring region of Vizhreng, located west beyond the imperial borders, had much less rainfall but were renowned for their wines. Making wine meant having a significant grape yield.
“He believed that the grapevines growing in the dry climate of Vizhreng were resilient.”
His argument seemed plausible, and ultimately, they decided it was worth a try. However, they couldn’t blindly trust his words without seeing the rumored vineyards for themselves, nor could they ask someone to go and personally verify it.
After all, they had sent away all the servants.
“So, Count Lock heart and I headed to the region of Vizhreng ourselves.”
“Directly?” the Crown Prince asked.
“We had no choice but to go there in person to see the trees for ourselves,” Britia continued, unfazed by the Crown Prince’s interruption.
His eyes urged her to continue the story.
“When we arrived, we found that the grapevines in the region of Vizhreng had slightly different colors and fruit sizes. So, we had to ask the farmers directly, while also helping them with various tasks. In one particular village…”
“Wait.”
The Crown Prince interrupted Britia, his expression suggesting he had caught something strange in her words. He slightly parted his lips, as if disbelief had crept in.
“You helped with tasks? What kind of tasks?”
“Weeding, clearing the stables, and other miscellaneous chores. I even chopped firewood.”
Surely he must have misheard.
Even if that were the case, the Crown Prince hadn’t expected such menial tasks to be involved. He scrutinized her closely, hoping to detect any signs of falsehood.
However, Britia accepted his gaze without hesitation and blinked her eyes, as if questioning why he looked that way.
“If you ask them directly without helping, they might not answer properly, as they’re always busy on the farm.”
She explained that if she offered assistance while asking questions, many of them would respond more kindly than if she simply inquired. She reminisced about her experiences, sharing that there were many who would answer questions graciously if she lent a hand.
On one occasion, she had even received permission to spend the night in the stable, as they said she could sleep there if she didn’t mind. Saving the cost of an inn stay was truly fortunate, given her meager finances.
Of course, there were moments when she lay on the hay, drifting off to sleep, only to have the unexpected smell of horse manure wafting through her nose.
‘Tia, someone farted! Ew, it stinks!’
Then, just as she was about to fall asleep, Crave shouted in surprise.
‘Did the potatoes I ate earlier go bad? The smell is disgustingly strong!’
At that moment, he either slapped himself on the side or did something unexpected that left Britia dumbfounded. Looking back now, it seemed like he was purposely playing a joke to make her laugh amidst the difficult situation.
There had been a lot of hardships and sad moments during that month, but now, with it all behind her, a faint smile escaped her lips.
However, it was too embarrassing to tell the Crown Prince about it, so Britia decided to keep it as a cherished memory and moved on.
“Listening to various information about the grapevines, tasting the fruits and the wines made from them, I eventually chose three different types of grapevines and brought a total of five saplings back.”
“Do the trees thrive in the changed environment?”
“As we feared, two of them withered and died.”
For a while, she felt anxious and insecure, thinking that all her efforts and time had been in vain.
“But fortunately, the three saplings have taken root well. Now, they have grown to twenty in number, and I am looking forward to the harvest this year.”
Britia suddenly felt overwhelmed by the current situation. If she had only suffered and gained nothing in the end, she would have been truly saddened.
“Now that I’ve heard the story, I’m curious about the taste,” the Crown Prince remarked.
Britia happily smiled, asking him to wait for the harvest.
“The prosperity of Lockhart now is thanks to the efforts of the Count and yourself,” he said, crossing his arms and exhaling softly, as if finally realizing that she had personally gone and even lent a hand on the farm.
“I hope our Sig can learn a little from your spirit of challenge and execution, instead of remaining idle.”
At the mention of Sig’s name, Britia blinked her eyes. The Sig Turas she knew was someone who took on challenges one by one, even in unfamiliar situations like social gatherings, and had the drive to explore and find his favorite tea.
Moreover, being idle didn’t match his image at all. How busy his tail moved.
No, it wasn’t just about his tail moving, but a different meaning altogether.
“He doesn’t pay much attention to anything other than becoming stronger. Well, recently he seems to have developed a significant interest in something,” the Crown Prince said, looking at Britia with a subtle smile.
“Do you know that the territory he possesses is larger than any noble family within the Empire?”
The Crown Prince closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders, as if he wasn’t expecting an answer from Britia.
“But the farmland won’t be enough to cover Lockhart’s peninsula. He’s just leaving that vast land untouched.”
“Is it because the northern lands are too cold to be used for farming?”
“Have you actually been to the north?”
Britia hesitated and lowered her head in response to the Prince’s question.
“Except for the northernmost regions or the purple mines, perhaps. The north is not a place where snow falls all year round and everything is frozen, as the popular image suggests.”
At his words, Britia realized that she had prejudices about the northern lands. The heavily forested north was hard to imagine.
“Considering its vast size, even if a small portion of it were converted into agricultural land, the production would be tremendous. But Sig doesn’t have such intentions.”
“Why is that?”
“A very good question, Britia.”
The Crown Prince repeated, gently shaking his index finger.
“I truly have no idea why. So, can you please ask Sig yourself why he’s behaving like this?”
Seeing him speak with a smile, it seemed like a lie that he didn’t know the reason. However, Britia wondered if there was some special circumstance regarding Sig.
If it’s not because he can’t convert it into farmland, then it must mean that he chooses not to.
‘Why on earth?’
The two of them continued their conversation while sipping their tea. Some time had passed, and Britia was about to excuse herself.
“Britia, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”
The Crown Prince called out to her, stopping her from leaving with a painting in his hand.
“I actually collect various works of art.”
Britia, having heard the famous story before, nodded with a curious mind. Why would he bring up this topic at this moment?
“I want to buy this painting.”
Britia blinked her eyes slowly.
“Pardon?”
With a mischievous smile, the Crown Prince took the portrait directly from her hand.
“In this painting, you can feel the artist’s growth as they painted it.”
Could someone who is known as one of the most famous collectors in the Empire really sense something like that from just a single painting? Britia was taken aback and widened her eyes in surprise.
“When I see a completed painting, I appreciate it. But I also love works that reveal the rough and immature aspects of a talented individual, like their early works.”
His black lion tail rhythmically tapped against the chair.
“And as I savor the painting, I became curious about the hidden meanings within it. Especially when, at first glance, it appears unnatural, but upon closer inspection, there is harmony in the composition of the bottles.”
At the mention of seeking hidden meanings, Britia swallowed nervously. She absolutely did not want to get caught up in something like uncovering Rutherford Scandar’s secrets. It was something she must not get involved in.
“I’m asking you, Britia.”
As she struggled to apologize, the Crown Prince interrupted with a remarkably gentle voice. Strangely, to Britia’s ears, it sounded like a different message.
Hand it over with kind words.
In such a short time, not even three hours since her portrait had been completed, Britia had to let go of the painting from her embrace and send it away.
