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Chapter 11
I straightened my back and spoke confidently.
“I will provide a place where you can hold group classes at the Wiltson Ducal Estate.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“Teacher, how long are you planning to lead Yosokin classes through only school lessons and private tutoring? Here’s what I think. I believe Yosokin will become even more popular in the future.”
“Do you really think so?”
The small woman with pink hair looked at me with wide, round eyes, clearly surprised.
To be honest, the words that had just flowed so confidently from my mouth were mixed with a bit of exaggeration born from my own hopes.
I didn’t know what exactly had caused her to fall into massive debt in the future, or why that debt eventually drove her to leave worldly life and enter the Grand Temple.
If my memory was correct, the original novel never mentioned the details.
There probably hadn’t been enough room to devote many words to an extra character’s backstory.
Still, one thing was certain: before Meryl Swaide entered the Grand Temple, Yosokin had been an incredibly trendy form of exercise.
So if she had never fallen into terrible debt… if she had never entered the Grand Temple… then Yosokin would likely have continued to flourish.
That was my extremely subjective prediction.
No—my wish.
It was obvious the author of the original novel had created the “huge debt” setting solely so Meryl Swaide could eventually meet the heroine, Veronica.
Just like how Elfwin had been fated to die during childbirth so Zecron could remain a widower.
As I dreamed of creating a new destiny for myself, I hoped Meryl Swaide could dream of a new future too.
Just as I wished to avoid falling into the abyss of death, I wanted Meryl Swaide to avoid falling into the abyss of debt.
I suddenly grabbed her hand and spoke with shining eyes.
“Of course. A few years from now, far more noblewomen will line up to take Yosokin lessons. You need to start thinking of it as a business and looking toward the distant future.”
“A… business? A distant… future?”
Meryl Swaide looked at me with a bewildered expression.
She loved exercise, and her creative mind had allowed her to invent a brand-new training method.
But it seemed she had never considered growing it into a real business.
Well, even though she was a teacher at the Royal Academy, this wasn’t exactly a world where a woman from a minor noble family could easily dream on such a grand scale.
I raised my voice enthusiastically.
Like a salesperson trying to win over a customer—or a real estate agent closing a deal.
“Yes, a business! Build its foundation at the Wiltson Ducal Estate.”
“Th-that…”
“Since these are classes for noblewomen, you can’t just hold them in any random building in some random district, right? But if the classes are held at the Wiltson Ducal Estate, that changes everything.”
“Ah… that’s true.”
Meryl Swaide nodded.
Her heart was slowly opening up.
Growing even more excited, I continued.
“I’ll provide a spacious and luxurious classroom. It’ll also be much easier for noblewomen to gather privately. And all magical carriage transportation to and from the estate will be covered by House Wiltson.”
“Wow… that’s an incredible offer. But House Wiltson isn’t exactly close with the other noble families…”
Meryl Swaide hesitated midway through her sentence and trailed off.
I immediately understood what she was trying to say.
“You’re absolutely right, Teacher. House Wiltson doesn’t interact much with other noble families. We don’t have friends.”
“Th-that’s not what I meant.”
Meryl Swaide’s face turned as pink as her hair.
The corners of her mouth twitched into an awkward smile.
“It’s alright. I understand. That’s exactly why I’m proposing this to you. In truth, this proposal is also for my own benefit. You’ll be able to hold group classes at the estate, and I’ll get the chance to make new noblewoman friends.”
“This is what some places call a win-win strategy,” I said with a playful wink and a cheerful laugh.
What do you think? I asked her silently with my eyes.
Meryl hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded.
Her pink eyes shimmered faintly with moisture.
“Very well, Duchess Wiltson. Let’s give this ‘win-win strategy’ a try.”
We clasped each other’s hands and shook firmly.
The exercise instructor’s slender hand wrapped lightly around mine, yet it was surprisingly strong.
“My lady, that was incredible. To think you came up with such a proposal!”
Matthew said with sparkling blue-gray eyes.
Careful with that look!
I swallowed dryly and answered vaguely.
“I just thought group lessons would be more fun than private tutoring. That’s all.”
I shrugged as if it had been a casual idea.
But in truth, I had been thinking about this for a very long time.
‘Actually, I had everything planned out!’
Heh heh. I turned my face away to hide the sly smile threatening to spread across my lips.
In my previous life, what comforted me during exhausting commutes was reading romance fantasy web novels on my phone.
The phone I tightly clutched in one hand while standing in rattling buses and overcrowded subway cars packed like bean sprouts.
And within that tiny screen unfolded worlds of fantasy.
Most protagonists and supporting characters in those novels were nobles living in enormous castles.
Yet their main areas of activity were always limited to bedrooms, reception rooms, offices, and libraries. There was barely any mention of the other rooms.
Despite living in gigantic mansions filled with spacious rooms, most of them seemed completely unused.
‘That’s such a waste. You could rent those rooms out and make money!’
To someone like me, born and raised in South Korea where land was scarce and real estate prices climbed every day, it always felt incredibly wasteful.
So I used to indulge in ridiculous fantasies from time to time.
‘If I ever lived in a giant noble castle, I’d rent out every unused room and make a fortune!’
It was the kind of delusion I couldn’t share even with close friends or family.
But without those fantasies, I probably wouldn’t have endured my previous life.
‘Thank you, my fantasies.’
I’d like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my old delusions—ah, wait, that’s not the point. Ahem!
Anyway, back to the main topic.
After my unfortunate death at twenty-five, I obtained Elfwin’s body and came to live in a vast ducal estate.
The plan I’d once made in my previous life—to “earn money through renting”—had changed slightly.
Now it had become: “live a healthy life through renting.”
Because what I needed most right now wasn’t money.
It was health.
I already had more money than I could ever spend.
Though technically it was all my husband’s money, but well.
Still, people say married couples are one body and soul, so couldn’t I basically consider my husband’s money my own?
Anyway, I felt pretty good now that my first rental agreement had gone so smoothly.
Teacher Meryl Swaide had gained an excellent location for her classes, and I would finally be able to attend lessons I previously couldn’t.
After finishing my meeting with Teacher Meryl Swaide, Matthew and I walked along the long street lined with shops in front of the school.
Before returning to the ducal estate in Dempsha, I suggested stopping by a dessert café to enjoy some sweets and rest for a while, and Matthew readily agreed.
‘If I’d known this would happen, I should’ve paid more attention to the restaurant lists while reading gossip magazines!’
Suppressing my regret, I looked around.
The many cute little shops were delightful to the eyes.
“But does His Grace the Duke know about this? About holding group exercise classes at the estate?”
At Matthew’s question, I shook my head.
“Not yet. I thought it was more important to get the teacher’s agreement first. I’ll tell him after we return.”
“Aren’t you worried? His Grace might not approve.”
“That won’t happen. He promised he’d support anything necessary for my health.”
I still felt uncomfortable around Zecron.
To the point that I wanted to avoid being alone with him whenever possible.
But I did know one thing—he was the kind of person who kept his promises.
“Matthew, please speak well to His Grace too. Tell him regular exercise is very important for pregnant women, and that Teacher Meryl Swaide is an excellent instructor.”
“Ah, I think you may be able to tell him that yourself. Look over there.”
“Huh? Where—”
I turned toward where Matthew was pointing.
