ANGSD 06

Chapter 06

“Ah, anyway! It’s such a shame that this southern region is being neglected when it should be flourishing by taking advantage of its strengths.”

The handsome escort knight began explaining the situation in the south to Eileen.

“…Actually, the Duke of the South is more focused on trade with foreign countries than on developing inland territories. On the surface, it may seem like there’s nothing but wasteland…”

He glanced over the barren land in view before continuing.

“These lands are currently being prepared to accept immigrants from other countries. As trade has increased, more people want to immigrate to the southern territory.”

“Oh… immigration?”

“Yes, that’s right. That means various cultures will mix here. Of course, I also think the South should be much more developed than it is now—but the Duke has only recently begun ruling this region directly, so there’s still much for him to learn.”

“…Is that so? Hasn’t the Duke of the South been here all along?”

“He’s mostly been abroad. Diplomacy with other nations and so forth.”

“And so forth? What’s with that vague ending?”

Eileen pounced on that with mild suspicion.

“Well, if he was that busy, I guess it makes sense. Which means, if a passionate duchess like me were to arrive to revitalize the South, it would be perfect, wouldn’t it?”

With a sly smile, she subtly tried to promote herself. The handsome escort knight gave a faint chuckle, like air leaking from a balloon.

At that moment, Eileen was in a bit of danger. What kind of danger?

‘Wow, he’s kind of my type when he smiles…’

No, not “kind of”—it was almost a direct hit to her tastes.

“I’ll be sure to speak with the Duke so he doesn’t focus only on foreign matters.”

With a playful smile on his face, he spoke, and Eileen almost smiled back involuntarily.

‘I must be crazy… Pull yourself together, woman!’

She gave her cheeks a couple of light smacks with both hands.

“Are you hot, Lady Eileen?”

“No. No, I’m fine. Don’t come closer. Where is the Duke?”

Eileen tried her best not to look at him.

‘Get it together. Have you already forgotten how dangerous handsome men are? Just close your eyes and ignore it! Ugh, if I become duchess, I’m firing him first thing.’

While she was freaking out internally, the Duke of the South arrived.

“Lady Eileen, I’d love to hear your thoughts after seeing this place.”

Seizing the chance, she dashed over to where the Duke stood.

The Duke of the South had a plump, rustic face like a well-fed grandfather at a countryside family gathering—an utter contrast to the knight who had just made her heart flutter.

‘Ah, peace returns to my heart. His round, harmless-looking face—’

With a sigh of relief, Eileen felt her previously unsettled heart finally calm down.

“You called for me, Your Grace?”

“Ah, yes. I said I’d like to hear your thoughts. About the South, I mean. What do you think? Maybe it’s a bit too rural for a beautiful lady like yourself—”

Honestly, it’s the worst. How could you let such a beautiful land go to waste like this? And you call yourself the Duke of the South?!

…is what she wanted to say. But she held back.

‘First, I need to stay alive. And besides, I can develop the region myself later.’

“Oh, please don’t say that, Your Grace. This is such a lovely place, perfect for a peaceful life. Hoho. You couldn’t even dream of a sea like this in the capital. The lush greenery, the rustic atmosphere—it’s all so warm and comforting.”

The Duke beamed at her words.

Okay, that worked!

To have a peaceful wedding, she had to hold back any sighs or clucks of pity.

“I’m so glad you like the South. I was a bit worried it might seem too humble—”

“Oh, not at all! I’ve already fallen in love with the South! Ohoho. So, when do you think our wedding might be…? I’d love for us to agree on a date together, wouldn’t you?”

“Oh my, Lady Eileen, you’re quite bold.”

“No reason to delay—! Ohohoho! I’m so looking forward to a warm, peaceful life here in the South—!”

“Is that so? Oh, well… then, please give me a moment.”

The Duke scratched his head bashfully, then turned to consult his escort about something.

‘Wait, why is he discussing the wedding date with his bodyguard? Or is that a secretary?’

The Duke pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead, explaining something at length to his aide.

Was he hesitating?

The aide looked at his boss and let out a rather arrogant sigh.

A brief pause. Then he said something else and finally turned his bright yellow eyes to look at Eileen.

‘What are you looking at? Ugh, just like a handsome guy to be full of himself. Once I become duchess, I’ll send that aide straight to the capital. He’s too handsome for the South. Dangerous. Extremely dangerous.’

After what seemed like a long discussion, the Duke returned.

Whatever they were talking about, it was obviously related to her.

It was written all over their faces.

Probably something like: What do you think of this woman? Should we go through with the marriage? I kind of want to.

And sure enough…

“Lady Eileen, would you like to come with me to the ducal estate? Now that I think about it, I haven’t properly treated you as a guest. Why don’t you spend the night there? Ah, I mean—nothing weird, of course!”

Eileen cheered internally.

Not only was he inviting her to the ducal estate—he was asking her to stay overnight?

This was an opportunity!

“I was honestly worried about the long ride back, so I truly appreciate the invitation.”

“Then let’s have dinner together and talk about the wedding.”

“Ohoho, I’d love to—!”

And so, Eileen headed to the Southern Ducal Estate.

Everything was going smoothly, and she was confident this smoothness would continue all the way to the wedding.

They arrived at the Southern Ducal Estate.

Maybe it was because there was so much land to spare, but in front of the estate stretched a vast courtyard and garden.

It was even more lavishly filled with trees and flowerbeds than the imperial palace garden she’d seen at a royal banquet.

“My goodness, the garden is beautiful.”

“Our Duke—ah, I mean, our family has always loved gardens. There’s something so calming about looking at greenery. Haha.”

After touring the garden and several grand parts of the estate, they finally entered the dining room prepared for the evening feast.

Inside, the table overflowed with succulent fruits and delicious dishes, making Eileen’s mouth water.

As she gracefully sliced into the steak and took a bite, her expression melted into joy.

“Oh my, the meat is so tender…”

“Our southern pigs and cows are raised warm and well-fed, so their meat is top quality. And they eat grass instead of feed, so they’re really healthy too.”

And not just the meat!

“My goodness, how are all the fruits so incredibly sweet…!”

The fruits were heavenly. Never in her life had she tasted a peach so sweet and delicious.

She’d had the most expensive peaches money could buy, but none compared to the peaches of the Southern Territory.

And it wasn’t just the meat and fruit.

With the sea right next door, the table was truly a feast of land and sea.

Each time Eileen took a bite, she let out a sincere exclamation of delight, and the Duke looked at her with growing pride.

Then, he even offered her some wine himself.

“This wine is only made in the South. There’s a huge vineyard further down. It’s one of our proudest products.”

As the red wine clinked into her glass, a rich aroma of grapes filled her senses.

Ah yes—Eileen had once been a famous influencer who had tasted all the finest liquors the world had to offer.

She was a heavy drinker, especially fond of wine.

On her birthday, she once bought one of the world’s most expensive wines for over 100 million won just to taste it.

“My goodness, I’ve never had such delicious wine. This flavor is just—oh my, oh my!”

The Southern wine was so heavenly, she couldn’t even remember the taste of that million-won bottle.

“This is like… like a sacred wine personally gifted by Dimoninas, the god of wine in the Gryphon myth!”

“Wow, Lady Eileen, you sure have a way with words.”

With a genuine smile of bliss, Eileen continued sipping the wine.

“Careful now. Drink too much and you’ll end up flat drunk!”

But there was one thing Eileen had overlooked.

In her past life, she might have had a strong tolerance—but in her current body, even a small amount of alcohol was hard to handle.

She was, in short, an alcohol lightweight.