ITPMHFN 57

Chapter 57

“Why… can’t I?”

I pointed toward the towering piles of papers stacked on both sides of Denok’s desk — so tall I could barely see his face over them.

“Anyone can see you’re overworking yourself. If we did it together, the workload would be cut in half.”

But Denok simply shook his head, as if he could handle it all alone.

“You’re still a patient.”

“…What?”

No, seriously? I’ve been lying in bed so long my back hurts. Even when I thought I’d fully recovered, they forced me to rest longer.

Every time I tried to get up—

“Ah! Do you need anything?”

—Melisa would come rushing in like lightning.

And then—

“For now, we’ll have your meals brought here.”

“What?”

“The chef has prepared a restorative course. You can eat here.”

They had basically nailed me to the bed.

I was still searching for words when Denok suddenly frowned and stood, walking over to me with something in his hand — a thick blanket.

Before I could react, he draped it gently over my shoulders.

It was large — clearly his — so big it almost brushed the floor even after wrapping around me.

“You’ve only just recovered from a cold, and you come out dressed this lightly?”

“But there’s sunlight outside—”

“That doesn’t matter. You catch colds even when others think it’s warm.”

I had nothing to say to that.

“From now on, I’ll tell them to put a robe on you before you go outside.”

He paused, then corrected himself.

“No, it’s better if you avoid going out altogether. Whatever you need, I’ll have brought to your room.”

I just stared up at him, half listening to his endless stream of scolding.

‘Was he… always like this?’

At first, Denok had been calm and distant — a man who rarely showed emotion.

But now that I thought about it, our conversations had grown more frequent.

When I met his eyes, I could tell what he was thinking, what he was feeling.

‘This might… be dangerous.’

The thought came unbidden.

Summer would arrive soon.

Time would fly by, and before long, spring would return again.

‘When that time comes…’

I won’t be here anymore.

“…”

As I looked at him in silence, he frowned slightly, confused.

Then, with a hint of irritation, he said,

“Even if you look at me like that, the answer’s still no.”

‘Huh?’

Oh, he must think I’m still insisting on working.

Well, he wasn’t wrong — I hadn’t given up.

“I can do it.”

“No.”

He didn’t look away, simply repeated himself with the same firm tone.

So I took a step closer, refusing to back down.

The distance between us shrank to barely a hand’s width.

“I really can.”

My sudden closeness seemed to catch him off guard — his eyes wavered.

The rigid confidence that always surrounded him faltered slightly.

I seized the opening.

“If I don’t work, I just end up worrying. I can’t rest properly that way. But if I work right next to you, you can stop me if I overdo it.”

His gaze flickered again — hesitation.

Instead of pushing further, I simply looked up at him quietly.

After a brief sigh, Denok finally lowered his head.

Victory — mine.

So I dragged a spare chair beside his desk and settled in.

When I began to organize the mountain of papers, he handed me a small stack.

As the familiar scent of ink reached me, I couldn’t help but smile.

It might look like an unhealthy obsession with work, but I couldn’t help it.

I had no desire to spend my time like other noble ladies — gossiping over tea and luxuries.

If I wanted this place to remain independent of the Sertia Duchy even after I left, the domain needed strength — wealth and reputation both.

‘Why bother working so hard for a place I’ll leave anyway?’

Because… I’d grown attached to the people here.

And since I was the one who had pulled them into a contract, it was only right I take responsibility and make sure they didn’t suffer for it.

As I flipped through the papers, I quickly caught up on everything that had happened while I’d been bedridden.

First was a report — led by Chelsea — on the renovations of the Grand Duke’s residence.

Old furniture was being cleared out, even the long-sealed banquet hall reopened for restoration.

All this was possible thanks to the increase in tax revenue.

Apparently, after hiring Emil and Kyle as advisors, they had reviewed all the territory’s businesses.

They’d cut low-profit ventures and invested in new ones.

‘Hmm? What’s this?’

As I scanned another document, one title caught my eye.

[New Magic Stone Project]

Something about it felt like I shouldn’t be reading it.

“This… isn’t this your work, Denok?”

I asked cautiously.

He only glanced at me briefly before answering in his usual calm tone,

“It’s about the new project — reports on the magic stone workshops in the territory.”

The core business of the Duchy, and he was showing it to me this casually?

Even as I thought that, curiosity got the better of me.

After all, the Luciano family became famous as a house of magic precisely because of magic stones.

Of course, part of it was the mines that produced high-quality stones — but the real key was their processing technique.

Originally, magic stones had very limited uses.

Not every mage was born with Denok’s level of power.

Most relied on magic circles, channeling energy from magic stones as fuel.

Without them, a mage could collapse mid-spell from exhaustion.

But one of the former Grand Dukes — the brilliant Eclipse Luciano — succeeded in engraving magic circles inside the stones themselves.

That achievement alone was revolutionary.

Yet he hadn’t kept the method secret.

He declared, “The convenience of magic should belong to everyone,” and shared the process freely with all mages and craftsmen in the domain.

From that generosity, the famed Markana Workshop Street was born.

‘Let’s see how it’s doing now…’

I turned the pages, half curious, half hopeful — only to feel a pang of disappointment.

For something with such a grand name, it was pitifully small.

Barely enough workshops to call it a street.

Puzzled, I glanced at Denok.

“I heard Markana used to be lined with luxurious workshops.”

He nodded slightly.

“Yes. It was.”

“Then why…”

“You mean, why there are so few left?”

I nodded.

“When rumors about me began spreading through the domain, most of the craftsmen left. To other territories, other houses.”

“But… those rumors started only about ten years ago, didn’t they? Could that really empty the whole street?”

“They probably already had one foot out the door. Magic stone craftsmanship is valuable anywhere. Many would’ve been offered money or prestige elsewhere. The rumors merely gave them an excuse.”

“Then… the territory’s decline—”

“Yes. The workshop district was Luciano’s largest source of income. The blow was severe.”

He said it calmly, but I knew it couldn’t have been a small matter.

When I first arrived, they couldn’t even afford to refurbish the residence.

‘That’s… awful. Sure, the rumors were scary, but after everything the Lucianos did for them?’

The Luciano family had shared their knowledge freely for the sake of their people.

And yet that very generosity had become their downfall.

Feeling uneasy, I turned back to the list of remaining workshops — and froze.

A familiar name stared back at me.

‘Wait… why is that person here?’