Chapter 24 - The Ceremony
"Opal, are you sure it’s all right for you to be up?"
"…My Lord Husband, I am quite well now. I have only been staying here as a precaution, and I was planning to return to the Estate soon. I am so sorry to have troubled you to come all this way."
"No…"
Opal had caught a terrible flu and had suffered with a fever for ten days. Apparently, her accumulated fatigue had been the cause, and with her resistance so low, her recovery had been slow. Even after she was able to leave her bed, the people of the house worried over her, and she ended up staying at the Count’s residence for over a month. During that time, her father had informed Hubert by letter, and he had sent get-well letters and flowers while she was bedridden. She had declined a direct visit, citing the risk of infection.
"The Count told me you had fully recovered, so I came to see you. And I have brought wonderful news."
"Thank you. And what is this wonderful news?"
Hubert smiled brightly and offered Opal the bouquet of flowers he was holding. It had been a long time since he had shown her such a smile, not since she had helped with Stella. Flustered, Opal accepted the bouquet with a word of thanks and asked him what had happened.
"An investor has appeared!"
"…For the Mantest land development?"
"Yes. Actually, for the better part of the last month, I was visiting Taisey Kingdom."
"You went to Taisey Kingdom, My Lord Husband?"
"I did. I was not acting without a plan. I intended to go to the kingdom and negotiate directly to have their engineers come to our country. The Count introduced me to a certain gentleman, a Marquis Rousel, and the Marquis went to great lengths to help me. Thanks to him, I was even able to have an audience with His Majesty the King. What’s more, the Marquis convinced His Majesty, and he has agreed to dispatch engineers from the kingdom! And on top of that, the Marquis will be investing as well!"
"That… is incredible."
"Isn’t it? Opal, I am sorry for worrying you. Your father has now promised to invest as well, and from now on, everything will surely go well."
At the unexpected news, Opal’s heart finally felt lighter. At the same time, she wondered why Hubert was acting so aggressively, why he had been in such a rush as to travel to another country. But she did not voice the question, instead listening intently to Hubert, who sat opposite her.
Hubert was in a very good mood, and as he spoke of his future prospects, he was filled with motivation. Of course, profits would not be immediate, but with the technological prowess of Taisey Kingdom, they would likely be able to recoup the investment much faster than her father had calculated. The mine was not the only source of profit. The railway construction would set people and money in motion, and a town would spring up. Once the railway was complete, not only would miners gather, but many other people as well, and the land would develop even further.
Mantest was also well-positioned for trade with Taisey Kingdom, and it seemed Marquis Rousel had noticed this. Having restored stability to its domestic affairs, the kingdom now needed to rebuild its relationships with foreign countries. The Marquis, it seemed, was a man who had greatly contributed to the new king’s victory in the succession dispute three years ago, supporting him with both funds and materials. He was apparently promoted from Count to Marquis for his services, and it was rumored that he was now pouring his efforts into reconstruction and would soon receive a dukedom.
It was fortunate that this Marquis Rousel was an acquaintance of her father’s. Hubert had been seeking investors in their own country for the past month, but they had shied away, seeing that his own father-in-law, Count Holloway, would not get involved. But upon seeing the letter of introduction from her father, the Marquis had not overlooked the treasure trove that was Mantest and had decided to bet on its potential. Thanks to him, her father had also decided to invest a large sum, and Hubert said that investors would now likely come flocking.
"…But if the Marquis and my father are investing so much, do you still need other investors?"
"To be precise, the Marquis has agreed to provide a loan for the land purchase at a very low interest rate. He said that for the time being, just repaying the interest would be fine. And at that rate, I can somehow manage with the income from my own holdings. My father-in-law will invest in the majority of the development costs, but he can’t cover everything."
"That sounds almost too good to be true. Is the Marquis a trustworthy man?"
"Ah, I am sure you would think so. But the Count has just confirmed the contract and vouched for it. All that is left is for me to sign."
"I see… In that case, I will provide the rest of the investment. Was that not our promise?"
Things were going so well that she worried Hubert was being deceived again, but if her father had checked it, it must be fine. Letting out a relieved breath, Opal offered to become an investor, but Hubert shook his head with an awkward look.
"Please… could you forget about that? I was not myself at the time. I was so eager not to be beaten to the newly affordable Mantest land that I rashly used your land as collateral and threw harsh words at you. Of course, I will immediately begin the procedures to cancel the loan contract secured by your land, but…"
"My Lord Husband, setting aside what happened then, this is a genuine investment for me. Of course, the choice of investors is yours, so if you say no, I will give up."
"There is no choosing about it. I would be delighted if you invested. But it feels strange for me to say this, please do not be reckless. No matter what a treasure trove Mantest is, there is no guarantee of success."
"…Thank you for your advice. But it is all right. As you know, I have a considerable fortune of my own."
Relieved that Hubert had finally regained his composure, Opal replied with a smile. There were still many challenges ahead, but surely, things would work out. This time, Opal could believe it too, and she saw Hubert off from the Count’s residence with a peaceful heart.
＊ ＊ ＊
Four years later. The railway connecting the mine to the city and to the newly built port was successfully opened, and Opal was attending the ceremony. Recouping the funds was still a long way off, but it was a stroke of luck that the development had proceeded without any major surface-level problems. She had struggled at times to stop a reckless Hubert from going off the rails, but while he would not listen to Opal’s words, he readily accepted those of her father or Marquis Rousel, so they had managed to avoid disaster.
I wonder why most men think women do not understand business. I have produced real results, so at the very least, my own husband should acknowledge me.
When she grumbled about this once, her father had replied with a wry smile, "It’s precisely because it’s you." He explained that for a husband, being told he is wrong by his wife wounds his pride. While she thought it was ridiculous, she supposed it couldn't be helped when society expected women to rely on men. In reality, many women used that perceived weakness to live shrewdly.
Opal glanced at Hubert, who was surrounded by women, and sighed. The land value in Mantest had skyrocketed more than expected. Count Holloway, of course, and Hubert too had now joined the ranks of the immensely wealthy, making him incredibly popular with women who did not care that he was married.
Naturally, the spotlight had turned to Opal again, and people of all ages and genders tried to approach her for one reason or another. Young men in particular, as if recalling the old rumors, would come up and try to ask her out, which was unbearably annoying. Fed up with the current situation, Opal intended to retreat to the countryside again as soon as this ceremony was over. She had only attended this event, which she was not keen on in the first place, because she wanted to thank Marquis Rousel, but unfortunately, he was apparently absent. Opal had asked her father and Hubert several times if she could contact the Marquis, but in the end, she had only been able to communicate with him through one of them.
I wonder if Marquis Rousel also thinks women are incapable of business.
This project’s success was thanks to the Marquis, and Opal had thought she would finally be able to meet him and speak with him directly today, but even that was not to be. Apparently, the Marquis did not like to appear in public, and her father had laughed as he told her that the Marquis seemed delighted to have an excuse to be busy this time.
Am I fated never to meet the people I want to see?
Even after four years, Claude’s whereabouts were still unknown. When she had recently visited her family’s fief and met with the Baroness, it seemed she did not want to touch upon the subject of Claude, so Opal had quickly changed the topic. As she was vaguely recalling that moment, the loud sound of the band brought her back to her senses with a start.
Soon… it will be over soon.
Gazing at Hubert’s brilliant figure, Opal waited for the ceremony to end. She was not fond of lively places. Ten years ago, Opal had just made her debut into high society and had been giddy with its splendor. But by the time she realized she was much happier living quietly in the country, it was too late. Her competitive nature had made her stubbornly pretend to enjoy high society, something she now thought was foolish. Her married life had also turned out completely different from what she had dreamed, but it had still been rewarding. Even though it was not the place she had planned, rebuilding the fief while living in the country and seeing the happy faces of the people had been truly enjoyable.
But this doesn't mean my country life is over.
No matter how much she was celebrated, Opal had no intention of appearing in social circles more than necessary. It might even be nice to get a dog. With such thoughts, Opal, who had been attending the party after the ceremony, slipped away when she saw her chance.
The venue was a new hotel built along with the land development, and Opal was staying in its finest suite. Naturally, Hubert was in the same room. As they were husband and wife it could not be helped, but the suite had two bedrooms, so Opal accepted it without much fuss, thinking it would not be a problem.
Once in her room, she called a maid and had her hair undone and her dress removed. As her head and body were freed from their constraints, Opal let out a sigh of relief. A knock sounded at the door, followed by Hubert’s voice.
"Opal, are you all right?"
"Y-yes. Of course. Why do you ask?"
"Well… you left the venue early, didn’t you? I thought you might be feeling unwell…"
"I apologize for causing you concern. But I am perfectly fine, so please, My Lord Husband, return to the party."
"…I have no intention of going back now. More importantly, Opal, there is something I want to discuss. Could you come out?"
The conversation through the door was full of surprises, and Opal and her attending maid exchanged glances. But she could not go out as she was. She called out to Hubert first.
"I will be right there, could you wait just a moment?"
"I understand."
So as not to keep Hubert, who had apparently returned to the living area, waiting, Opal hurriedly changed into a regular dress. She told the maid her hair was fine down and combed it herself while the maid fastened her dress. Then, having managed to get ready, Opal entered the living area.
"I am sorry to have kept you waiting."
"No… I am the one who is sorry for being so sudden."
Suspicious of Hubert’s uncharacteristically restless demeanor, Opal sat down on the sofa. He asked if she wanted a drink, but she declined. Hubert poured himself a brandy and sat opposite her.
"Well… with this recent matter, I have finally acquired enough funds to buy back all the land from you."
"That is… congratulations. However, you will still need more funds from now on, will you not? Besides, I…"
"No, it is not as if my assets will disappear. That is why I want to buy back all of the former ducal lands."
"I understand. In that case, I do not think we need to draw up a formal sales contract. I will give you the documents from that time immediately, so please feel free to dispose of them."
It was something Opal had decided upon from the moment she had taken Hubert’s land with those fraudulent documents. The truth was, she had always intended to return everything once Hubert had bought back half the value of the ducal family’s assets, including all the money from his previous buybacks which she had reinvested and grown. If Hubert had not purchased the Mantest land back then, this issue would have been settled much sooner. One could say four years had been wasted, but for Opal, who was able to live in the country as she had originally planned with only a husband in name, it made no difference. And for Hubert, he had become one of the wealthiest men in the country, so it was probably for the best.
Opal was already mentally calculating the currently growing assets and beginning the process of transferring them in her head. Hubert’s tense voice brought her back to reality. When she looked, Hubert was kneeling on one knee at her feet, his face beet red as he looked up at her.
"…I am sorry. What did you say?"
"I said… Opal, will you officially marry me?"
The astonishing words entered her ears, and a loud bell began to clang in Opal’s head. It was so loud it made her head ache. And Opal found herself thinking the completely irrelevant thought, so this is what they call a bolt from the blue.