Chapter 12
I observed Ludger’s expression. He seemed calm and composed without any signs of distress. It appeared that he was capable of handling things without worrying too much. He was quite capable, so I figured there wouldn’t be any problems. I nodded in agreement.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Right, and make sure to eat well at every meal. Since you’re sick, don’t even think about being picky and eat a balanced diet.”
“I don’t have any dietary restrictions.”
“Sure you don’t. Didn’t you pick out and leave behind the broccoli?”
Ugh, who snitched on me?! It seemed someone had informed Ludger after seeing my empty plate.
“Don’t forget to take your medicine on time. If you eat well, by the time I come back, you should be able to get out of bed.”
I wasn’t planning on getting better until he gave up on his expedition. For now, I just nodded lightly to show I understood.
“If anyone else comes, call the butler to send them away. I’ll remind you not to let anyone into a house without a master.”
“……?”
I was starting to feel a bit strange. His attitude reminded me of parents sternly advising their child before leaving for a long time. It seemed like Ludger still had plenty of reminders left to give.
“It’d be good to start taking walks in the garden once your strength recovers. The sooner you build up your stamina, the faster you’ll recover.”
“……Okay, I get it. Please stop treating me like a child.”
I wasn’t at an age to be lectured like this.
“Just looking at you lying in bed and relying on others makes you look like a child.”
“What?”
Since becoming an adult, I hadn’t been treated like a child by my parents either. It was amusing to be treated like a kid after such a long time.
He chuckled lightly.
“If you’re feeling wronged, then get better quickly and return to Eckhart.”
Actually, I’m perfectly fine! If I argued back, I’d just enjoy a brief moment of triumph before being kicked out to Eckhart. I had no choice but to seal my lips and roll my eyes.
* * *
As soon as Ludger finished preparing, he left for the territory. I was still stuck in bed.
“Hmm, I’m really worried.”
Every territory has a regent to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances. Since Ludger was mostly spending time on the battlefield, the regent managing Northern Light was quite capable.
In my previous life, even after Ludger’s death, Northern Light continued to thrive. People often praised the regent for their exceptional business acumen.
‘Ludger is taking action himself.’
If it were nothing serious, I would have let it slide, but I was still concerned. This was something that hadn’t happened in the past, and he had the luxury to tease me like a child.
It was irritating, but I thought about ignoring it. However, there was a possibility that I might find answers with the future knowledge I possessed.
‘If there’s a problem, I should help.’
My ultimate goal was to place Ludger on the throne instead of Cesar. To become a flawless and perfect heir, I needed to solve issues like those of the territory with ease.
To find a solution, I had to understand the cause first.
‘I don’t have enough information to work with.’
Especially since this matter concerned the territory’s internal affairs, there wouldn’t be anyone willing to share that information with me, an outsider. However, since Shanette was somewhat on my side, she might share something.
I called her and asked about the situation in the Northern Light territory.
“His Highness the Duke didn’t order me to keep this a secret from you. So if you’re curious, I’ll tell you.”
“Go ahead.”
“To explain from the beginning… this spring has been particularly chilly, which caused the Northern Light family’s lands to thaw later than usual. As a result, the planting season was delayed.”
“Planting? Oh, you mean the radishes?”
The only crop that grew in the barren lands of Northern Light was radishes. Other regions couldn’t cultivate them, so their scientific name was Northern Light Radish.
“You know about them! After finally sowing the seeds, we were hit with heavy rains, which flooded some areas. Just when we were about to harvest, of course, the fields turned into a sea of water… This year’s crop is completely ruined.”
“That’s a big problem. So Ludger went to help with the flood recovery?”
“No, His Highness went to request that nearby territories sell their stored food. Winter is coming soon, so we need to stock up.”
“Even if the harvest is ruined, don’t we have some harvested radishes?”
“True, but the quantity is far too small to last through the winter. Well, we could use them to make broth, which would stretch the amount, but…”
This was strange. Why wouldn’t they consume all the radishes instead of selling them?
The value of radishes grown in Northern Light was enormous. There wouldn’t be any problems if they sold the radishes and bought food instead. In fact, they had accumulated significant wealth to the point where they had an excess of funds.
With the regent’s talents added in, Northern Light could even surpass Eckhart in wealth.
I soon realized my mistake.
Ah.
‘I still don’t know.’
That the Northern Light radishes were a crop with tremendous value, enough to shake the empire’s economy.
‘This is troublesome.’
Even if I informed them right now, this year’s radishes had mostly been ruined. While the remaining radishes could still demonstrate value, it would be better to prepare properly before presenting them to the world.
Thus, revealing that Northern Light radishes were, in fact, like diamonds was a matter for later.
‘I now have a bargaining chip.’
Simply informing them of the radishes’ value would surely earn Northern Light’s gratitude.
For now, I needed to address the urgent food problem. This must have happened in my previous life too.
‘They probably used the expedition funds to cover it.’
In my previous life, Ludger immediately joined the war against the Baltara Kingdom. It seemed he had solved the territory’s issues with the substantial expedition funds that came in.
Shanette said, “But don’t worry too much. The nearby territories have agreed to trade.”
The surrounding territories were likely planning to take advantage of this opportunity. They would probably charge a bit more, but at least the lord was taking action himself. Even if they were low on cash at the moment, they could arrange the deal in such a way that they’d receive interest next year.
I nodded.
“It will be resolved well.”
Northern Light had maintained amicable relations with the surrounding territories. While they might take some advantage, they wouldn’t let anyone starve.
‘Once the deal is done, he’ll come back.’
Thinking that, I awaited Ludger, but even after a week had passed since we’d agreed to meet, there was still no news.
* * *
It had already been about two weeks since he left for the territory. I read the newspaper every morning, particularly scrutinizing the daily that focused on noble scandals.
‘There’s nothing about me.’
Due to a sudden accident that killed my parents, the sole daughter of the most affluent family in the empire, the Eckhart family, needed to bring in a son-in-law as soon as possible.
Even though I hadn’t debuted in society yet, many people must have been talking about my name.
And here I was, staying at Ludger’s mansion.
Due to the Emperor’s influence, Ludger was in a predicament where he couldn’t enjoy pudding, but he possessed noble status, abilities, looks, and a physique so impressive that one could recognize him at a glance.
Even if they couldn’t say it out loud, I’m sure everyone internally acknowledged that he was the best match for a husband.
In a situation like this, if Ludger and I got involved, it would be plastered all over the newspapers with big headlines.
Since it was quiet, I thought, ‘Serus is doing a good job.’
I would need to contact Eckhart soon to check on the situation at the mansion. The medicine made in Northern Light was said to be an excellent nutritional supplement, strong enough to make even frail old men run around.
If I continued taking it and didn’t see results, that would be strange.
Recently, I had been going out to the mansion’s garden for light walks with Shanette. Now that I could walk on my own, the doctor who had been seeing me daily was greatly pleased.
“Once you start walking, your recovery will be quick! You should be fine without taking the medicine now.”
The thought of being able to stop taking those torturous medications was music to my ears.
‘If I had known, I would have gotten up sooner.’
I was happy that I wouldn’t have to take that horrible medicine anymore, but I couldn’t fully rejoice. Now that I was up from bed, I would have to return to Eckhart as soon as Ludger came back.
I needed to start thinking about the next steps.
There was no need to overthink it…
‘If I marry Ludger, the problem will be solved.’
I had already proposed once and been rejected. If I kept pushing, he might get tired of me, so I decided to change my strategy and make him feel the need for me first.
Once his perspective changed a bit, I would have a higher chance of acceptance when I proposed again.
However.
‘Getting him to love me would be pushing it.’
Perhaps it was because we had met when we were so young and spent so much time together.
Being with him was too enjoyable and comfortable. That was the problem. It felt more like family than a romantic relationship.
Ludger probably felt something similar.
‘He doesn’t have to love me.’
It would be enough if he developed a desire to utilize everything I had in Eckhart.
I wanted to show Ludger the value of Eckart.
