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Chapter 10
After returning to the Hess territory, Nadia heard that Heinrich had been involved in resolving the matter cleanly.
He had even sent a letter apologizing for causing her trouble.
It seemed he felt responsible, since the incident had occurred within his own domain.
Nadia wore a touched expression and gently ran her fingers over Heinrich’s short letter several times.
“His Grace the Duke of Baldwin is indeed a kind man, isn’t he?”
When Nadia asked in an unusually bright voice, Vivian’s expression stiffened.
“Kind? Who is kind?”
“His Grace the Duke of Baldwin. Heinrich Baldwin.”
“If you didn’t know, His Grace is famous for being extremely cold-hearted. This incident probably wasn’t about looking after you—it was more likely his anger at the disturbance caused within Baldwin territory.”
“That’s even better. It means he’s very decisive.”
Nadia smiled faintly and carefully placed the letter into her drawer.
Vivian paced behind her, looking puzzled. Her restless movements were so distracting that Nadia eventually turned around. Only then did Vivian speak, as if she had been waiting for it.
“Lady, do you perhaps like His Grace the Duke of Baldwin?”
“Yes, I like him.”
“W-what? Really? Seriously?”
“He’s handsome, good at his job, has a nice voice, and he’s tall. Why wouldn’t I like him?”
“So you really want to marry him…?”
“What?”
Nadia covered her mouth with one hand as if she had just heard something amusing.
“What are you talking about? When I say I like someone, I simply mean they seem like a wonderful person. There’s absolutely no chance I would marry him.”
Smiling, Nadia shook her head and returned to her desk. She resumed reading her book—another ancient historical text. It looked like the kind of book that would give anyone a headache just by looking at it, yet she read it all day long without complaint.
Vivian stood behind her, watching quietly, then shrugged.
From what I can see, she doesn’t seem to like him romantically… but she is very interested in him.
Well, as long as life with Nadia stayed interesting, that was enough.
They sold magic stones, used the money to buy mining artifacts, discovered new veins again, sold the minerals, and with Conrad’s help, collected large bounty rewards as well.
On top of that, the massive compensation received from Viscount Royce caused the tiny assets of the Hess territory to swell in an instant.
Since they had started with so little, it was no exaggeration to say their wealth had increased a hundredfold.
Baron Hess was flustered, unsure how to handle such a large sum of money for the first time in his life.
In contrast, Nadia—who had once governed the Duke of Baldwin’s territory—handled everything with practiced ease.
“First, we need to rebuild the roads. Right now, transportation is too inconvenient, making it difficult to interact with other territories. And we should upgrade the miners’ equipment. If we purchase large quantities of magic stone lamps and install them in the mines, safety will improve significantly.”
“Y-yes, let’s do that!”
“Once we begin interacting with other territories, our reputation will matter more. We should buy better clothes and renovate the estate. Also, both Mother and Father should each have at least one attendant.”
“We don’t really need servants…”
“You do need them! Even if you’re a baron family, lacking attendants makes people look down on you easily. I’ll choose candidates for you, so pick whoever you like. Understood?”
“O-okay…”
While Nadia swiftly organized everything, Baron Hess hurriedly followed behind her. It seemed he felt guilty for letting his daughter handle everything alone and was trying his best in his own way.
Nadia couldn’t help but smile while watching him struggle through the documents.
Just as she was about to stretch and refocus on her work, a maid peeked into the office.
“Um, Lady… a guest has arrived…”
“You should knock first.”
“Oh, I’m sorry!”
The maid quickly apologized, covering her mouth.
Nadia had been gradually changing the overly informal atmosphere of the Hess household to raise its dignity.
She liked the comfortable atmosphere, but it was unacceptable for maids to enter the lord’s office without knocking.
It was fine when it was just family—but from now on, guests would likely visit more often.
“You don’t need to apologize. It’s hard to change habits suddenly. Just take it slowly. So… who is the guest?”
“Well… it’s His Grace the Duke of Baldwin! He says he wants to see you. What should we do?”
“…What?”
Nadia stood up in shock. Baron Hess was so startled that he spilled the ink bottle.
Nadia quickly grabbed a handkerchief and approached him, trying to wipe his ink-stained sleeve—but Baron Hess suddenly grabbed her shoulder.
“Nadia, I have a bad feeling about this. Let your father handle it.”
“Pardon?”
“The fact that the Duke of Baldwin invited us to a party after ten years was already strange. And now he’s come all the way here… Could he be angry about us discovering the magic stone vein?”
“Father, that’s not likely. Even if he were, I was the one who found the vein, so it should be me who meets him. And above all, we can’t ignore such an important guest.”
“But… but…”
Nadia gently patted Baron Hess’s hand.
“Please trust my judgment. From what I can see, His Grace is not the kind of person who reopens settled matters just to harm others. He may actually be here to propose a business deal.”
Nadia smiled brightly, and Baron Hess’s expression softened slightly.
“I-is that so? Well, you are quite intelligent…”
“I am your daughter, and the heir of the Hess barony. I will meet him, and if there is anything we need, I will inform you immediately.”
After reassuring her father for a few more minutes, Nadia quickly headed toward the reception room.
He wouldn’t have come all this way just for business… so why is he here?
She signaled the nervous maid outside the door. The maid hurriedly opened it.
Inside the reception room sat a nobleman who did not belong in such a worn and modest place.
Heinrich wore a perfectly tailored formal suit, making the contrast with the shabby room even more pronounced.
Nadia greeted him in a simple dress.
“Nadia of the Hess Barony greets Your Grace, the Duke of Baldwin. I did not expect your visit, so I ask for your understanding regarding my attire.”
Though her dress might not have been proper court etiquette, every movement she made was that of a flawless noblewoman. Her gestures were neither excessive nor awkward—graceful enough that no one would mistake her for a commoner.
“That is fine. I came unannounced, so I should be the one apologizing. I am sorry if I startled you.”
“It is no trouble. Your Grace is free to go wherever you please. I am simply curious as to why you have come to our humble territory.”
Nadia tried to get straight to the point, but Heinrich ignored her and pointed to the seat opposite him.
“Sit.”
“It is my honor.”
Nadia sat across from him. The maid brought tea, though it was cheap leaves that would hardly suit Heinrich’s taste.
Heinrich did not even bother to smell it before speaking.
“I heard your circumstances have improved significantly.”
“Yes. However, with roads still undeveloped, we could not afford luxury tea. My priority is my mother’s health and the stability of the territory’s people.”
“I see. Though I find it difficult to understand.”
“Do you not also spend your days and nights managing your duchy, Your Grace?”
At Nadia’s casual remark, Heinrich let out a quiet scoff.
“I’m referring to your overly impressive abilities, Lady Hess. I have a very competent secretary, and even he said this about you: an orphan with no memories before age ten, adopted into the Hess barony, yet not given any remarkable education afterward.”
Nadia’s fingertips trembled slightly.
Heinrich was admitting he had investigated her background.
Direct, blunt, with no attempt to test her gently.
Nadia deliberately shrank back as if frightened.
“Your Grace… did you come because I discovered the magic stone vein? I believed you had already accepted that matter…”
But Heinrich did not let it slide.
“You are quite skilled at acting. Just like in my mother’s garden. Even my mother was deceived by you, thinking you were an innocent young lady who had nearly been harmed.”
“….”
“Ah, you made a mistake. You shouldn’t have revealed that you knew about my walnut allergy.”
Heinrich stared directly at her. His crimson eyes seemed to dissect her, trying to read every hidden emotion.
But seeing Nadia remain completely unmoved, he let out a faint laugh and continued.
“There is more. About ‘The Emperor’s Bird.’”
