TLDOWN 73

Chapter 73

That Is Happiness

The Biarritzcal headquarters of the Magnolia Trading Company. While listening to a staff report, Akkia’s eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean we can’t get the ‘mejuseok’? What’s the meaning of that?”

The mejuseok were bricks made of granite. Since the Biarritzcal hot springs contained salt, stone was needed to prevent corrosion when building structures.

That was why Magnolia had placed an order for mejuseok from the granite-rich eastern region. Payment had already been made, so they believed the deal to be settled. Yet, that very morning, they suddenly received notice that supply was impossible.

“Well… it seems to be the work of the Parcia Trading Company.”

Saturn, the construction overseer, trailed off awkwardly.

“Parcia…”

Parcia was the trading house run by Count Leorod, the empress dowager’s younger brother.

So this is the doing of Ilei.
Or perhaps the dowager herself.

The eastern region supplying the mejuseok was completely under Parcia’s thumb. Practically the region’s financial lifeline. It was only natural that suppliers would fall in line with them.

Akkia’s lips curled into a slanted grin. He had somewhat expected the emperor to interfere. The problem was that he had overlooked the fact that the supplier lay within Parcia’s jurisdiction.

I was too careless.

To miss something so critical while leading a project as large as the hot spring development—his mouth tasted bitter.

But regret wouldn’t change anything. The laborers had already been gathered, and they were only waiting for the stones to arrive. Any delay would mean enormous losses.

“Is there no way to source stone elsewhere?”

“We’ve already tried, but it looks like Parcia intervened beforehand. No matter the price, they won’t sell to us.”

“Tch.”

Akkia clicked his tongue. Parcia must have blocked every possible alternative while interfering in the east. That left only imports from abroad.

The fastest method would be by sea, but the weight of stone risked sinking the ships. Land transport would take too long. Time was the enemy.

“What if we just use wood instead? The same kind that’s used as supports inside mines—maybe it could serve as a substitute…”

One of the staff timidly suggested. Akkia immediately cut him off.

“Build a bathhouse in a damp hot spring with wood? It would rot the moment it’s erected. That would be quite the sight.”

Realizing his mistake, the staffer lowered his head.

Unbelievable.

Things had gone too smoothly up until now. Akkia sighed as he pressed his temples. That was when a familiar voice pierced his ears.

“Duke!”

“…Lea?”

He thought he misheard. But when he lifted his gaze, there she was, standing at the doorway, waving.

“How did you get here…?”

“You weren’t coming back, so I came myself!”

Half a month.

It had been nearly two weeks since he’d last seen Lea. Seeing her bright smile, his pounding headache seemed to vanish at once.

But Lea, quick to sense moods, noticed the heavy atmosphere in the office.

“Did something happen? The mood feels a bit gloomy.”

She cupped Akkia’s face and inspected him closely.

“You don’t look well either. Something really happened, didn’t it?”

He’d tried to hide it, but there was no deceiving Lea. With a dry chuckle, Akkia replied:

“There’s a bit of a problem, but nothing you need to worry about.”

“What kind of problem?”

“The mejuseok deal fell through. It’ll be hard to source domestically. We might have to import from another continent, but transport is tricky.”

“Hmmm…”

Lea stroked her chin as she listened.

“So what you’re saying is, you don’t have the stone to build the bathhouse?”

“Exactly. If it were ordinary spring water, I could work around it. But Biarritzcal’s hot spring water contains salt. We need solid stone.”

Though there were rocks in the Biarritzcal region, they were salt-soaked and unsuitable for construction.

But what if there’s no need to build at all?

Lea’s eyes sparkled with a sudden thought.

“Then how about turning the mine itself into the hot spring?”

“…What?”

“Instead of building a new structure, use the mine directly as the bathhouse. Let people experience the hot spring in its natural form.”

Akkia turned to the architect beside him.

“Do you think that’s possible?”

Startled by the duke’s sudden question, Saturn unrolled a map. The salt mine was enormous, covering nearly half of Biarritzcal’s land. Scribbling notes, Saturn sketched on the map.

“I—I think it’s possible. With the mine already collapsed in parts, the springs have surfaced naturally, so there’s no need for further excavation! And we wouldn’t need to construct water conduits to draw up the hot spring, either. We’d save both time and cost!”

Lea clapped her hands together.

“Exactly! Think about it. Every hot spring in the Empire is just some stiff, rectangular building. But Biarritzcal’s salt springs will be different—a special hot spring in harmony with nature!”

The scenery from the mines was already breathtaking. To soak in a hot spring there while gazing at the view… even imagining it was enchanting. Akkia nodded in agreement.

“Good. Then Saturn, redesign the plans around the salt mines.”

“Yes, my lord!” Saturn answered, his voice excited at the prospect of such an unprecedented project.

“I’ll be off, then. Much work lies ahead.”

“Right. Prepare all the construction materials in advance. As soon as the plans are finished, we start immediately.”

“Yes, sir!”

Once Saturn left, Akkia turned to Lea.

“Thank you. You just solved a huge headache.”

“Oh, I only shared an idea, that’s all.”

Blushing at his praise, Lea lowered her gaze. Akkia, finding her shy demeanor endearing, ruffled her hair.

“But what brings you all the way here? I doubt that old man gave his permission easily.”

“Old man? Duke, even if he’s also a duke, you should still show respect to your elders!”

“Heh.”

Akkia clicked his tongue. He had called Duke Belarus a sly old man countless times in front of her. Now she was defending him. Akkia narrowed his eyes.

“Something must have happened with Duke Belarus.”

Lea flinched, as if struck to the core.

So it’s true.

Akkia muttered, conviction settling in.

“You must have become family with him.”

“H-how did you…!”

Lea asked in shock.

“You knew? That my real mother was the late Lady Belarus?”

“I had a hunch.”

“What?! You knew and didn’t tell me?”

“I wasn’t certain. If I told you wrong, it might have hurt you.”

“…Ah.”

Akkia, too, had wrestled with the matter. He had ordered an investigation, but it seemed Belarus had acted faster.

“So how does it feel, finding your family?”

“I don’t know… it feels surreal. Like I’m dreaming.”

As she fidgeted with her fingers, Akkia clasped her hands.

“In times like that, just call it happiness.”

“…Happiness?”

Warmth spread through her hand. A real family, for the first time. A grandfather.

“Happiness…”

As though entranced, Lea whispered softly.

“You’re right. I think I really am happy.”

Then she smiled more radiantly than ever, savoring the moment.

And a few months later, long-awaited spring came to Biarritzcal.

❀ ❀ ❀

Count Leorod gazed at Marquis Rodrigo, who had come calling early in the morning.

He had already received reports from his men stationed in Biarritzcal—through Parcia, all stone trade in the Empire had been cut off.

To think, when the granite was blocked, they’d simply decide to use the mines themselves.

Such a bold idea. He had never imagined the supposedly frail duke would be so astute.

Marquis Rodrigo’s mouth was dry. Compared to the count’s leisurely demeanor, Gerald (Ilei) seemed the one truly on edge.

Every morning, the papers overflowed with praise for Akkia and stories of the hot spring project. Ilei’s foul mood worsened daily. Rodrigo feared he’d be crushed between them.

“Count. The hot spring’s completion day is near. At this rate, won’t it open successfully?”

“…”

“His Majesty is concerned as well.”

Leorod lifted his teacup slowly, then looked at the tense marquis with something close to a sneer.

“So His Majesty sent you, Marquis? At this early hour?”

“…”

“Do not worry. It will not be so easy for the project to succeed.”

The count drained his cup and set it down.

“You have another plan?”

Rodrigo asked carefully. Leorod gestured to a pile of documents on the table.

“A warning must be given.”

“A warning? What kind…?”

Leorod flipped through the papers as if idly, then pulled one sheet and tossed it toward Rodrigo.

“Duke Heidern seems to cherish that woman quite a bit.”

Rodrigo’s eyes flickered as he read.

The apothecary, Lea.

She was the only person Duke Heidern had brought with him from his lands to the capital.

When Rodrigo raised his eyes again, their gazes locked in the air.

“What could be more unfortunate than someone dying, right before the grand opening?”

As if savoring the thought of what was to come, Count Leorod’s smile turned razor-sharp.