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Chapter 7

"The prosperous Kiddleland, lacking not just private soldiers but ‌‌even laborers, periodically assisted Grunvalt in exterminating monsters. Then one year, when Kiddleland let its guard down for a moment, monsters descended all the way to the Lord's Castle."
"So the lord suffered at that time? From the monsters?"
"That's the most likely explanation."
Since Kiddleland had exterminated monsters for Grunvalt all this time without compensation out of old affection, they couldn't hold them responsible for the accident.
After that, Grunvalt, which was already declining gradually, collapsed even more rapidly.
Or so the story goes.
'But that's ‌‌‌different from the truth I know from the original work.'
I gazed at the Lord's Castle visible beyond the Wasteland.
"So Dale, how do I go about purchasing land? Do I pay the Lord's Castle?" ‌‌‌
"No, the owner of this land is not the lord of Grunvalt."
"Then who is it?"
Dale pointed beyond the Lord's Castle, toward the back.
"The lord of Kiddleland."

* * *

'How could the lord of Kiddleland, not even a person of Grunvalt, own Grunvalt's land?'
It might seem questionable.
But recalling the power structure of the Empire that the Previous Emperor had ruined, it wasn't strange at all.
Considering that before the current Emperor—the male protagonist—ascended to the throne, the hierarchy between the Imperial Family and the noble houses had ‌‌been ‌‌completely jumbled, it was possible.
The Previous Emperor, to win over people, had authorized any noble he favored to purchase land from other territories for money.
"The land transaction ‌‌law was the problem."
The next day, I returned to the Wasteland and gazed at the Lord's Castle again.
Poor.
Extremely poor-looking.
Not that I wanted to disparage the Lord's Castle, but the stone walls were crumbling, the vines weren't even maintained—I could lie and say it wasn't an ‌‌old castle but a ruin, and people would nod and say, "I see!"
But people live there.
The lord of Grunvalt and his granddaughter.
And the con artist—no, the Real Estate Agent who sold me Dale's ‌‌‌house, who is also a butler, accountant, civil affairs manager, and advisor, lives there too.
There aren't many other people.
With so few hands to manage the castle, I could understand Grunvalt's current situation.
'I'm curious how Dale even gets ‌‌‌‌paid.'
I surveyed the entire Wasteland slowly and carefully, taking measure of it.
"Over there is the Lord's Castle."
As it appears in the original work.
"To ‌‌‌the side is the ‌‌Ginkgo Forest. And beyond that, the border dividing us from Kiddleland."
Finally, even the soil composition of the Wasteland itself.
The moment sand filled my palm, it scattered with a whisper.
I inhaled the scent of earth.
'This soil smells nothing like the land of Grunvalt.'
Something else was mixed within it.
For someone like me who made a living off a sensitive nose, it was unmistakable.
*Scritch, scritch.*
I swept my fingers broadly across the soil surface.
'I need ‌‌‌to go deeper.'
"Heave!"
As I drove the shovel down with all my ‌‌strength, fresh soil ‌‌‌hidden beneath should have emerged—
but it didn't.
I needed to dig further.
"Hngh!"
*Thunk!*
"There it is."
Upon discovering ‌what I sought, I hurled the shovel aside and leaped with joy.
The scent of the soil was distinctly different.
Fresh earth rich with microorganisms from the land connected to the Gonia Mountain Range.
"The fragrance alone is different."
Just as the original work suggested, this was land worthy ‌‌‌‌of Duke Hexagon's ‌‌covetousness.
House of Hexagon was the villain faction, and they despised ‌‌not only The Emperor but also our House Lockhart, ‌‌and most importantly—
they also produce medicinal herbs.
'I produce them too.'
But Duke Hexagon never acts directly.
He merely plants pawns.
"It's here too."
The lamp beneath the stand casts no light; blood relations trust too easily. The good are exploited while ‌the wicked grow cunning and wealthy—such is the law.
This world was no different.
"Kiddleland."
I turned the name of the count's house over in my mind.
If they are the masters of this land, then all the better.

* * *

Dale had arrived at the house before me.
"Who taught you to cook, Dale? You're incredibly skilled!"
I marveled at Dale's culinary prowess.
Every evening when he returned home from ‌‌work, he prepared lavish feasts for ‌‌‌us.
Tonight's main course was a perfectly seared steak.
With each ‌‌bite, the meat released its succulent juices across my palate.
His skill rivaled that of House Lockhart's own chefs—so masterful that he could have made a living as a professional cook rather than a mercenary.
Pasta dishes, meat preparations, seafood delicacies, vegetable-based creations, even ‌plating techniques! ‌‌‌
"This is genuinely ‌‌‌delicious. The best! Truly, who ‌‌taught you? Please tell me."
"I picked up these modest skills on my own as a child. I never received formal instruction."
"Really? Yet you're this accomplished?"
"Thank you."
He smiled faintly, his gaze settling on me. He seemed embarrassed.
Dale was an extraordinarily generous person—someone who always gave without expecting anything in return.
I felt I was beginning to understand him. ‌‌
'Young Dale must have had no one to prepare meals for him, so he learned out of necessity.'
It was uncommon for a child to have to cook for themselves from such an early age.
"Should I ‌‌cook for you sometime? I feel like I'm only ever receiving from you."
"I enjoy cooking."
He smiled and sliced the ‌‌carrot cake he'd prepared for dessert.
How did he know I loved this?
Though it might be coincidence, Dale's menu selections were always impeccable.
He placed a slice before me as my eyes remained fixed on the cake.
"As a ‌‌‌‌husband ‌‌worth 10,000 crowns, I must remain devoted to you every day, Enya."
"So I can keep accepting your kindness?"
"As much as you wish."
I took a bite of the carrot cake and was moved to tears.
"I think this marriage was the right choice."
In that moment, Dale's knife froze mid-cut.
His eyes wavered, and silence stretched between us. Dale's face flushed as he looked at me.
"You said you disliked this arrangement. Has that changed now?"
"What? Me? ...When did I say that?"
"Ah..."
Suddenly, Dale's face went pale.
He covered his mouth and rose from his seat, moving toward the kitchen counter.
"My apologies. You never said such a thing, Enya." ‌‌
"It's fine, really. It's easy ‌‌‌to get confused. Don't be startled—sit back down."
For a ‌‌simple misunderstanding, his reaction was oddly severe, as though he'd committed some grave transgression.
Oh, Dale...
Could it be...?
'Did I confuse her with another woman?'
I must have mixed up a conversation with some woman from my memories.
"Did you confuse me with someone else? It's ‌‌fine, so please sit down."
"No, it's not that. I was just...."
Flustered, Dale brought over the dried laundry ‌and folded it ‌‌‌‌with practiced efficiency. The edges of the towels were sharp as blades.
"I was worried that I might not be to Enya's taste."
He lowered his head, his face flushed crimson as he organized ‌‌his belongings.
"We're in a contract marriage anyway. Taste doesn't matter."
Dale's expression darkened abruptly.
He set down the folded laundry ‌‌neatly and looked ‌‌at me with a deflated expression.
"Wait! That's not what I meant—not that you're not to my taste or anything like that. Dale, you're not picky at all; you like everyone, right? ‌‌‌‌I just meant that to escape ‌‌‌The Emperor, I could marry any man."
*Crack.*
"...."
Did I just hear something break? What was that?
I looked around, but there was nothing obviously amiss.
"The reason I proposed ‌a contract marriage to Dale was because he was exactly what I needed."
"...!"
"An S-rank Mercenary, and your housing situation is solved too."
"...
."
"If anything, I'm the one who should apologize, aren't I? I didn't tell you beforehand that ‌‌‌The Emperor was pursuing me. Shouldn't you be the one who's upset?"
As I ‌‌‌‌looked at Dale, he washed the dishes with a ‌‌thoughtful expression.
"That's not a problem."
After pondering something for a moment, he continued.
"I also have a secret ‌‌‌‌I haven't told Enya."
"Really? But is it okay to tell me you have a secret like that? Isn't that supposed to be a secret?"
Dale seemed to hesitate slightly.
But I was prepared not to be surprised.
'Because the second-floor dressing room is a bit strange.'
The second floor, which Dale had given me as my private ‌‌space, had three rooms.
One was a bedroom, one was a dressing room, and one was a study.
When I first saw the dressing room, ‌‌I was truly astonished.

"Dale! The room is full of clothes!"

The second-floor dressing room was packed with dresses organized by season and ‌‌‌‌purpose.
It wasn't just dresses either.
There were dresses, riding habits, work clothes for farming—everything imaginable. And it ‌‌‌wasn't just clothing.
There were shoes and accessories as well.

"This was originally the house where I lived with my younger sister, so all the necessary items are already prepared. However, she's moved out, and since the belongings are now without an owner, please feel free to use them as you wish."

A stroke of luck ‌for me, though something made me tilt my head in puzzlement.
There wasn't a single trace of anyone having worn ‌‌‌anything. Everything looked as though it had been ‌‌‌‌tailored brand new.
And every single size fit me perfectly.
'Does his younger sister have a build similar to mine?'
Yet despite the room being abandoned, it was maintained with meticulous care. And when Dale introduced it as his younger sister's room, his expression seemed somewhat....
'Wistful?'
That wistful expression was undoubtedly. ‌‌‌
'The room of an ex-lover?'

---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support ‌‌‌our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------