Truthfully, he was still doubtful.
She said he would receive sponsorship, but not all the questions were answered.
‘I’ve investigated everything, but nothing came out.’
It was clean with nothing at all.
Rather, he could only see that everything Daphne said was true.
So it was all the more suspicious.
‘But I can’t keep it far away.’
Sponsor.
That’s exactly right.
Every piece of information that Daphne casually leaked was precious to Kael.
And the power to suppress the curse.
Daphne generously gave what she had, but she didn’t ask for anything.
‘It was like that when she wore those beggar-like clothes.’
Furs worn by adults, fancy dresses, and other barely-obtained clothes were often dragged along, but Daphne simply wore them.
The same was true for other things.
I want to eat something, read something, and take a walk in the garden.
There were no words like that.
Except for when she said she’d go to the garden to find a bracelet on the first day.
‘She didn’t even say anything at the wedding either.’
It was a wedding ceremony held without any preparation with the ring that was urgently obtained at the pressing request of the emperor.
It was a wedding where everything was shabby.
Daphne didn’t say anything either.
She looked as if she had no regrets.
A face like a person who will suddenly disappear one day.
He’s seen that look before.
‘……’
So Kael swallowed the essential questions.
Where did you get the power, where did you get the information.
And what the hell you are.
The questions were stuffed into his mind.
The investigation into her past has also stopped.
It felt like if he pushed her a little, she would really disappear.
Kael stared at Daphne walking down the path, looking around with curious eyes.
Her pink hair swayed among the white snowfield and the white trees.
The golden eyes twinkling with a smile were innocent.
‘Ugh…’
Kael unknowingly clenched his hand.
It was the same hand that Daphne held to quell his thirst on the day she came to the study.
‘This again.’
After that night.
His hand often felt numb as if they had been burned.
He went to Selma to see if he was injured, but there was no problem with his hand.
Yes, on the hand.
Huu.
Someone called Kael from afar.
However, Kael only stood there and fixed his gaze on Daphne’s back.
“Your Grace?”
“Ah.”
Daphne called him.
Only then did Kael realize that he had stopped.
Kael, who strode closer, stood next to Daphne.
“Are you tired?”
She asked with her head tilted.
“No. I had something to think about.”
She nodded in response and soon focused on the scenery again.
While walking along the path created by the bare winter trees, Kael’s gaze remained in one place.
He will not let go of his doubts.
But he was convinced that he couldn’t let go of this hand either.
***
‘What is it, a hot spring?’
Daphne looked at the endlessly rising stream with a proud face.
‘I didn’t know it was this big.’
It was a hot spring discovered by a traveler in the future.
A lightning strike cracked a rock, and the hot spring beneath it was accidentally discovered.
That’s why even the name was Traveler’s Hot Spring.
‘I was worried if I could find it because the terrain was different from then, but I was fortunate to find it at once.’
Daphne has only one concern.
It was about how to find the rock that was holding down the hot spring.
The rock that Daphne saw in her previous life was already split in half, so she couldn’t determine its original shape properly.
However, Daphne’s concerns were for naught.
“Milady, isn’t that it? It’s exactly like you said.”
Mariel, who had been following her, found it at once.
Daphne took out the pouch that Count Coman had given her for self-defense.
There were all sorts of things in it.
The knife was basic, and there were some strange needles that she had never seen before, and some unidentified powder.
And an explosive mana stone that can lightly blow away a big rock.
“…This must have been given to be used on monsters, not humans, right? It’s not for people… is it?”
“…Right?”
The two coolly decided to blow the rock after looking at the explosive mana stone for a while.
That was now.
“This—this is ridiculous.”
“What is ridiculous?”
It’s already exploding.
“How on earth did you find this!”
The viscount forgot his manners and pressed Daphne.
“Umm, by chance?”
“By chance?”
The viscount asked back with a somewhat despondent face.
“In fact, I’ve heard about hot springs from a hot spring expert. I heard a lot about hot springs at that time.”
It was a lie.
“He also said he found a lot of hot springs in places like these, so I looked carefully.”
It was bogus.
“I didn’t expect it to really be so!”
Daphne smiled brightly.
On the contrary, the viscount’s face grew darker and darker.
“There is a hot spring expert…? No, rather than that, a hot spring like this?”
“Beginner’s luck. Isn’t it something like that? I may not find it next time.”
Actually, she knew a few more places.
She was going to blow them up later.
“Anyway, how is it, Viscount? An inspection will have to be done, but it looks pretty good.”
The viscount only made a sound of pain without answering.
“It gives the villagers who lost their livelihood the right to permit accommodation or convenience facilities near the hot spring.”
People who come to enjoy the hot springs will need a place to eat and rest.
“The cost of building the facility is lent at a low interest rate. If the viscount doesn’t have enough, we’ll help too.”
“But one hot spring alone cannot feed the entire population.”
“It’s not just one hot spring, Viscount.”
Daphne looked around.
The viscount and the others also turned their heads following Daphne with dazed faces.
But there was nothing around.
‘What?’
Daphne’s voice was heard in the ears of those who were puzzled.
“Since the surrounding scenery is beautiful, we should make this place a tourist destination. Take a hot spring bath and enjoy the scenery.”
“Well, Milady. Are there people who will really come to see such a desolate place?”
This question was asked by someone else.
“There is.”
Daphne smiled and pointed.
It was precisely in the direction of the capital.
“Capital nobles and gentry.”
“…Will those high-nosed people really come? Aren’t there hot springs elsewhere?”
“That’s right, there are hot springs elsewhere.”
Daphne looked at the questioner and lifted the corners of her mouth.
“But isn’t this the only place where you can see snow all year round? And the capital has scarce snow.”
“Ahhh!”
The questioner nodded vehemently, as if they understood.
“Right, I’ve heard of it. I heard that the capital might snow once every few years.”
Correct.
“What would this place look like to such people? White snow and winter trees that can only be seen here.”
It must be a different world.
Both Daphne and Mariel looked at the scenery for a long time.
“I’m sure if word of mouth spreads, people will swarm soon.”
It will be good news for the bored, idle, rich aristocrats and gentry.
They’re always thirsty for new things.
“And you can make one big hot spring, but you can also make several small hot springs and put dried herbs in them.”
“You’re talking about herbs?”
This time, Wessler stepped forward.
The viscount seemed unable to keep up with what had just happened.
“That’s right. If you add dried herbs, the scent will be good and the color will be different from ordinary hot springs. Ah! I think dried flowers would be fine as well.”
“I see. Colors will come from herbs and flowers.”
“Wouldn’t it look better for your health if you put herbs in it?”
Let’s leave it to see if it actually works.
People nodded at Daphne’s words.
“That would definitely set it apart from other places.”
“Dried herbs and flowers are not difficult to obtain or store.”
“Or you can float fragrant wood.”
“Anything is fine.”
Daphne looked at everyone and said.
“In the meantime, Bertrand has been out of the spotlight because of the bitter cold, but not anymore.”
Didn’t the hot spring burst today that would make even that coldness an advantage?
“This…”
Daphne tapped the limp viscount’s shoulder and placed something in his palm.
Blue mushroom.
“Isn’t this a thief mushroom?”
“Yes, in fact, the hot spring is a bonus, and this was what I wanted to give to the viscount.”
“Why this?”
“Did you hear that Miss Selma invented Mister Zegman’s medicine this time?”
The viscount nodded.
“The medicine contains this mushroom.”
Honestly, this surprised even Daphne.
All Daphne knew was that wild fruit and Meirin tea leaves were used in the medicine.
She thought Selma would take care of putting whatever she wanted in the middle.
‘Still, I didn’t expect you’d put this in.’
Since the place has changed, of course, the experimental materials have also changed.
Selma put in the usual thief mushrooms.
The experiment was a success.
A more effective medicine than Daphne knew was completed.
“If Zegman’s recovery is known, people suffering from the same disease will flock here.”
“You’ll need a lot of ingredients, a lot of materials.”
“Yes.”
‘I’m going to sprinkle the basic recipe after getting a lot of money from the rich.’
Daphne grinned.
Medicine is a necessary thing. She didn’t intend to keep monopolizing something like this.
Of course, the ‘special medicine’ with the thief mushrooms will only be available here.
“There, that should be enough.”
Hot springs, tourism, and even medicinal herbs.
It was enough.
In the end, the viscount conceded.
“That’s right.”
“Then is the viscount keeping his promise the only thing left?”
Daphne’s head tilted.
“Well, Milady. I am still the viscount.”
“No, you have to keep your word.”
Someone tried to stop Daphne, but she was adamant.
‘I need to check with this.’
What kind of person Viscount Acmel is.
Is he a person who can overcome his stubbornness and obstinacy and apologize, or a person who only builds pride?
The outcome will determine the fate of the viscount.
‘If you forcefully take a guy who only builds his ego, it’ll be trouble.’
He obviously couldn’t escape from Ritena’s shadow and would continue to hate Kael.
If that happened, the results could be more terrible than the original and even more terrible than the previous life.
In that case, it would be better for Kael and the viscount to distance themselves from each other.
‘Now, what are you going to do, Viscount?’
Daphne intended to follow the viscount as he moved.
After a while.
“Grand Duchess.”
The answer has been set.
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