Chapter 51

(Hello! While working on Chapter 113, I realized I had made an error in translating the Empress’s title. This does not affect the storyline, but I had misunderstood the distinction between the titles.

– The Empress frequently mentioned in the story should actually be referred to as the Interim Empress.

– The late/former Empress is the Empress Consort (the true Empress).

To clarify:

– Florian and Patrizia’s mother: Interim Empress

– Crown Prince Matthias’s mother: Empress Consort

I will gradually update previous chapters to reflect these corrections. For now, please keep this distinction in mind as you read. Thank you!)

A few days later, Penelope, who had almost fully recovered her health, came down to the central entrance hall where the servants were gathered.  

The servants smiled when they saw her in a newly tailored, bright light green dress.  

“…Oh, Goddess Hecate, thank you!”  

“We are truly glad that Miss Penelope has regained her health.”  

They approached around Penelope, offering words of blessing.  

“Thank you all so much for worrying about me.”  

Penelope, with her eyes brimming with tears, bowed her head in greeting to the servants.  

“Thank you all, truly.”  

Isabella also expressed her gratitude and handed them pouches filled with gold coins.  

The gold coins carried the meaning of celebrating and thanking them for her daughter’s recovery.  

The pouches were quite hefty, and the servants’ eyes grew wide with surprise when they checked inside.  

Afterward, Penelope went with her mother to the dining room to have a meal with her family for the first time in a long while.  

Not only Johann and Rafaella, but Lia was there as well.  

For the appetizer, her favorite pumpkin cream soup was served.  

“It’s really delicious!”  

“The chef said he put in special effort for you today.”  

“Really? Lia, it’s all thanks to you.”  

Penelope spoke to Lia, who was sitting across from her.  

“Thanks to you healing me, I can eat this delicious soup with my family. Thank you so much.”  

“I’m also very happy to see you so much better, Miss.”  

Lia smiled contentedly.  

“…Um, can I hug you, Lia?”  

Penelope asked, her face reddening.  

“Now? If that’s what you wish, Miss….”  

At those words, Penelope approached Lia and embraced her.  

“…Truly, truly thank you, Lia.”  

Lia, hearing her voice thick with emotion, also felt tears well up as she gently patted Penelope’s back.  

Isabella, watching the scene, also felt her eyes moisten.  

After such a warm lunch, Penelope and Rafaella went outside the mansion hand in hand.  

“I’m going to talk to Lia for a bit, so please watch over Peppy and Raffy.”  

“Yes.”  

Isabella entrusted the children to Johann and headed to the parlor with Lia.  

“Penelope has really gotten much better.”  

Sitting on the parlor sofa, Isabella took a sip of tea and spoke.  

“Thank you, truly, truly.”  

“…You already thanked me last time.”  

“Even a hundred times wouldn’t be enough. How could I ever repay this grace? Still, I want to do whatever I can to repay you.”  

Isabella tightly held both of Lia’s hands.  

“…Loving and caring for Rafaella is enough repayment for me.”  

“That goes without saying! I’m Rafaella’s grandmother, after all.”  

Lia truly wished for nothing else from her.  

“But I want to give you something, Lia….”  

“…There’s really nothing I need.”  

“Is it because you’re planning to leave that you don’t want anything?”  

Isabella asked cautiously.  

“……”  

“…So it’s true. I suppose you can’t tell me why you’re leaving.”  

“I’m sorry.”  

“No need to apologize, I’m sure you have your reasons. We haven’t known each other that long for you to confide in me.”  

She gazed at Lia with sympathetic eyes.  

“…But if you ever want to talk to me, please tell me anytime.”  

“…Yes.”  

Isabella gently patted the back of Lia’s hand.  

That touch was so soft and warm that Lia felt tears coming to her eyes.  

“Before we talk about repayment, I was thinking of moving your room.”  

“Pardon? There’s no need for that. I’ll just stay in Raffy’s room.”  

“No matter what, it’s not right for the benefactor of Penelope and Johann to be in a side room!”  

“My things may be in the side room, but I’m almost always with Rafaella.”  

“Still, sharing a room with a child is….”  

“…While I’m here, I want to stay as close to Raffy as possible.”  

Lia really didn’t want to move rooms.  

Just like in the cottage, she wanted to stay as close to her daughter as possible.  

“If that’s how you feel, there’s nothing I can do. But please don’t refuse my gift.”  

Seeing Lia’s firm refusal, Isabella relented a little.  

“You may say you want nothing, but at least let me give this much to the one who saved my children.”  

Tears welled up in Isabella’s eyes.  

“…Ah.”  

Lia let out a short sigh.  

‘She doesn’t know I’m terminally ill, but maybe I was too focused on myself….’  

She thought that if someone saved Rafaella, she’d want to give them everything she had too.  

‘Refusing too much would be rude, so I’ll accept it.’  

“Yes, then I’ll accept it gratefully.”  

“Thank you. It’s nothing special, just something I received from my family, Crysel, when I got married. I hope you’ll like it.”  

Gulp.  

Lia swallowed.  

‘Crysel is one of the five great ducal families of the Empire, with vast lands and mines in the west, isn’t it?’  

And she says what she received from there is nothing special?  

Was I about to receive the finest magic stones from the mines?  

“‘The Bart Mine’ will be my repayment.”  

“…Pardon? ‘The Bart Mine’?”  

She’d heard that it was the third richest magic stone mine in the Empire!  

“All the income from that mine will be yours from now on.”  

At Isabella’s gesture, a maid placed a piece of paper on the table.  

It was a ‘transfer contract.’  

The transferor’s name and signature were already written.  

If Lia signed there, she would become the owner of the Bart Mine.  

“…No. That’s really…”  

She had decided to accept anything, but she never imagined she would be given the Bart Mine, so she was left speechless.  

The western region had far more mines than other parts of the Empire, and the mining output was enormous.  

Moreover, the magic stones from there were of such high quality that it was said all the finest stones came from the west.  

Bart Mine might be third, but its income was not much different from the first and second mines.  

Owning that mine would make her wealthier than most nobles.  

“Honestly, from my perspective, even this feels insufficient. If it weren’t for you, the Blumhart bloodline would have ended! But since you seem uncomfortable, the mine is the least I can give….”  

Isabella truly seemed regretful.  

Calling the Bart Mine insufficient?  

‘Goodness. Then what else was she planning to give?’  

Feeling pressured, Lia leaned back slightly.  

“I prepared the contract in advance, just in case you changed your mind. Now, just sign here.”  

Isabella herself dipped the quill in ink and handed it to her.  

‘I said I’d accept, so I can’t refuse to sign now. …All right, I’ll take it! If I die, it’ll go to Raffy anyway.’  

With trembling hands, Lia signed the ‘transfer contract.’  

“Congratulations, you’re now the owner of the Bart Mine.”  

Lia had now joined the ranks of the Empire’s wealthy.  

Something unimaginable for a commoner.  

“If you visit together next time, it’ll feel more real.”  

Isabella smiled in satisfaction as she looked at the ‘transfer contract.’  

* * *

‘I can’t believe I’m the owner of the Bart Mine….’  

Still dazed, Lia went to find Dorothea.  

Dorothea, who was leaving for the Mage Tower today, was packing in her room.  

“Are you leaving now?”  

“Yes. It’s time to go.”  

Hearing she was leaving already, Lia felt a pang of regret.  

“…I see. Dorothea, thank you so much for helping make the magic potion.”  

“I should be the one thanking you, I learned so much while helping!”  

Dorothea waved off Lia’s thanks.  

“Oh, Lia. Once I settle in at the Mage Tower, I’ll contact you, so come visit.”  

“Can I?”  

“Of course, we’re friends, aren’t we?”  

Dorothea replied, scrunching her nose.  

“I’m really glad to have become friends with you, Dorothea.”  

Feeling warm inside, Lia gently hugged Dorothea.  

Dorothea hugged her back as well.  

“I’m happy to be friends with you too, Lia.”  

“Be sure to contact me, I’ll come visit with gifts.”  

“Yes, I’ll be in touch soon!”  

Lia saw Dorothea off as she left in the Blumhart family’s carriage.  

Then she headed to the garden to find her daughter, but neither Rafaella, Penelope, nor Johann were anywhere to be seen.  

“His Grace has gone to teach the young lady how to ride a horse.”  

A servant nearby approached the flustered Lia.  

“Horseback riding?”  

Was it already safe for her to learn horseback riding? Lia, who had never ridden a horse, worried as she walked in the direction the servant indicated.  

After hurrying along, she reached a wide field.  

In the distance, Rafaella was sitting in the saddle, holding the handle and riding a pony.  

Next to her, Johann was holding the reins and slowly leading the horse.  

“Mom!”  

Rafaella, spotting her, waved her hand.  

“Raffy, hold the reins!”  

Seeing that, Lia shouted in surprise.  

“It’s fine!”  

Rafaella, seemingly unfazed by her mother’s worry, laughed and waved again.  

It seemed she would keep waving until Lia got there, so Lia started running in that direction.  

‘Honestly, he should be stopping Raffy from letting go of the reins, not just standing there….’  

She grumbled inwardly toward the nonchalant Johann.  

“Raffy, it’s dangerous, so you have to hold the reins.”  

“It’s okay, she has great balance.”  

Johann reassured Lia.  

“Still….”  

“It’s not her first lesson today.”  

It turned out Rafaella had already had several riding lessons.  

“When did she start learning?”  

“While you were making the magic potion, I took Rafaella riding a few times, and now she wants to try riding on her own.”  

“Raffy, why didn’t you tell me you were learning to ride?”  

Hearing this for the first time, she questioned her daughter.  

“Hehe, I forgot.”  

“You’ve been so busy with the potion from morning till night lately, so Rafaella probably didn’t have a chance to tell you.”  

What Johann said was true, so Lia had nothing to say.  

And seeing Rafaella up close, she looked comfortable on the horse. Lia realized she had worried for nothing.  

“Mom! Ride with me!”  

“No, Mom’s fine.”  

She had never even imagined riding a horse.  

“Why? It’s so much fun!”  

“It’s only hard at first. Once you get the hang of it, anyone can do it, so why not try learning?”  

As Lia hesitated at the sudden suggestion, a knight on horseback approached from afar.  

“Your Grace.”  

The knight, having dismounted, strode over to Johann.  

His expression was very stiff.  

“Her Highness the Princess has arrived at the ducal estate.”