My Dream is to Get My Own House - Chapter 78

Episode 78

“Just, one month.”

“……?”

“If you work diligently in my mine, in addition to the remaining half, I will generously reward you with labor earnings.”

The residents of the territory hesitated and asked, “How diligently do we have to work?”

“I swear on all my honor. It will never be excessive labor.”

About a hundred residents looked bewildered and glanced at each other.

“…R-Really?”

Truly innocent. 

They fell for a scam once and still trust people again.

“Just like my past self.”

They were such easy targets, no, innocent residents. I hope they can live well.

“If this mining operation becomes active, everyone can live well together.”

Entrusting the standard procedure and gold mine operations to the residents was a kind of New Deal policy. 

It aimed to help some of the unemployed residents, provide money, and revitalize the territory.

“In that case, will you do it?”

They opened their surprised eyes and shouted loudly, “We will!”

“Th-Thank you.”

“You’ve thought of us!”

The emperor had not shown much interest in the Ast Peninsula until now. 

The residents naturally lived their own lives. 

However, with the news of a new lord, they might have felt uneasy. 

Perhaps they were afraid that their livelihoods would be shaken. 

That’s why they fell for the scam, filled with such worries.

I looked around. 

I saw a gentle-looking older lady and a young girl with a mischievous expression. 

The older lady seemed to be knowledgeable about various rumors, and the girl appeared to be quite clever.

“Come to my villa.”

Before starting the actual mine development, it was time to understand the sentiments of the territory.

* * *

As Bunny and Riley entered the villa, they nervously swallowed their saliva. 

Why did she summon them so urgently?

Bunny had encountered Ishael and Dylan at the market before. 

“It’s probably because of the taxes. The new Duke Odette must get a lot of taxes!”

“The new Duke Odette? Why?”

“Ugh! Whenever I talk about that person, I get so mad! Just collecting taxes by force, what does he know!”

…A moment of horror overwhelmed them. 

How dare someone speak ill of the Lord at the market! 

They couldn’t regain their composure.

In fear of their lives, they arrived at the villa, where a shocking scene unfolded. 

A knight, who probably hadn’t even touched a drop of water, suddenly raised his sword. 

At that moment, Riley and Bunny thought that today might be their last.

However, just then, Duke Odette spoke as if it were nothing. 

“Would you like me to cook for you?”

Cook…?

“Yes. Grilled cod and clam dishes would be nice.”

“Oh, that sounds great.”

“Then, I’ll serve them with a fine white wine.”

The knight did not strike them down with his cold face.

Instead, Dylan was skillfully handling the knife and preparing the minced cod. 

Bunny and Riley couldn’t keep their composure. 

It was because they were not accustomed to nobles cooking instead of commoners like themselves. 

However, as Ishael introduced the villa, they gradually relaxed. 

“Why, why are you doing this so well?” 

“I want to know.” 

Surprised by the simple answer, Bunny and Riley stammered, “What does a noble like you want from commoners like us?” 

“To tell you the truth, the villa caretaker believed in false rumors and ran away.” 

“Ah, you mean the embezzlement rumors?” 

Riley’s flippant reply made the sound of the clean knife waver slightly. 

Then, Bunny sighed, as if she felt sorry. 

“The villa caretakers were already corrupt. They must have taken everything from the villa and ran away.” 

“Hmm, I see…” 

That’s why they looked uneasy. 

It was during that simple conversation that dishes and cleanly-prepared clam dishes were placed on the table. 

The delicious scent filled the air.

Ishael, Bunny, and Riley prayed with a solemn expression. 

Their mouths watered. 

“Now, let’s eat!” 

As Riley tasted the soft cod flesh, she thought, “I will gladly answer any questions from the person who made this magnificent dish!” 

* * * 

Indeed, Dylan’s cooking undoubtedly melted people’s hearts. 

I could see what the little girl was thinking. 

When their hearts were unguarded, I casually spoke up, “When ruling a territory, it’s necessary to hear subjective stories in addition to objective indicators.” 

As an introduction, Bunny made a puzzled expression, seemingly not understanding what I meant. 

“I’m curious about the atmosphere among the residents and how everyone is living.” 

“Oh, the residents are ordinary. Except for the somewhat harsh environment and high unemployment rate in the territory…” 

It truly felt like a ruined territory. 

And Riley was adorably chubby as usual. 

We continued talking about the people living in this territory, the neighbor Sam, and the front neighbor Frodo, and so on. 

After a few conversations, Riley, who was happily eating the dish, suddenly spoke up, “Oh, nobody was originally interested in our Ast Peninsula! Our territory is next to Grand Duke Castilla!” 

“Hmm, that’s right.” 

“So, there are many bad rumors about Grand Duke Castilla! Everyone is scared, so they rarely come to our territory. Occasionally, a few travelers who like peculiar things or visiting merchants come, but that’s about it.” 

“I see…” 

Then, Riley hit her knee as if she remembered something. 

“Ah, right! Mom, there was a rumor that the Grand Duke completely left the Grand Duchy!” 

“Yes, Riley. That’s right!” 

“Hmm, maybe all the curses have been lifted.” 

I mumbled to myself, and Bunny clapped her hands as if she thought of something. 

“Ah, yes! Riley. Grand Duke Castilla may not have visited us, so we don’t know for sure, but that’s not the case.” 

“I see.” 

I stroked Riley’s head and thought.

As expected, I must personally go to the Grand Duke.

* * *

That night, Dylan diligently prepared Ishael’s dinner. 

It was a dish made with the root of the recently purchased Mangu root and mushrooms. 

It was truly delicious. 

Before they knew it, the sun had set, and it was already dawn. 

The villa had more rooms compared to the newlyweds’ town. 

The knights who protected them under the Emperor’s command also existed in the shadows. 

“To be prepared for an attack, we should share the same room.” 

“Hmm, an attack? I don’t think we’ll be attacked…” 

“No, I don’t know that for sure.” 

“Well, come to think of it, if Grand Duke Castilla happens to be a villain, he might target me.” 

With Dylan’s cunning, they ended up sharing the same room. 

He lay down next to the soundly sleeping Ishael and got lost in thought. 

He had decided to reveal his identity during this journey. 

However, he missed the chance to leave a good impression about himself due to the terrorist group “Red Castle.” 

“Grand Duke Castilla must be a good person.” 

It wasn’t too late. 

He needed to leave Ishael for a short time during the dawn to do so. 

Although the elite knights hidden in the shadows would protect Ishael, he couldn’t help but worry. 

He had to return in just about ten minutes. 

He cast a barrier around Ishael. 

She should be able to feel it when she wakes up. 

He carefully covered Ishael’s body with a blanket. 

He was worried that she might catch a cold during her short nap. 

After all preparations were complete, Dylan tore up the teleportation scroll to go to Grand Duke Castilla’s residence. 

With a small tearing sound, his body moved quickly. 

Dylan didn’t have high expectations for Grand Duke Castilla’s residence. 

He expected to arrive in the land of ice where darkness had descended. 

However, when he opened his eyes while holding the torn scroll and looked ahead, he saw a splendid sight before him. 

The dawn was breaking, and the sunlight faintly wrapped around Grand Duke Castilla’s residence. 

There was lush grass growing on the chilly ice-covered land where not even a single life had survived. 

The winter-like ice that had consumed all of Dylan’s youth was melting away. 

Spring was about to arrive in his world, where only ice and snow had existed. 

Vibrant greenery emerged, bringing life. 

The beautiful chirping of birds was heard in his ears. 

The ice lake created by the curse turned into chilly waves. 

The power of wondrous life vibrantly shimmered with blue. 

He turned his gaze away from the ground and looked at the winter castle, which had been completely covered in frost and snow. 

Everything had disappeared.

With emotions stirring within him, even Grand Duke Castilla had changed little by little. 

All of this was because of Ishael. 

But some things remained unchanged. 

He gazed at the millennium snow that was still present at the top of the winter castle’s tower. 

Even if he had come to desire and envy Ishael, the presence of the millennium snow, which symbolized the curse, hadn’t vanished.