Following the advertisement seeking mine workers, an overwhelming number of applicants flooded in.

Not only commoners who had been following Kristin’s recent actions applied but also those who had previously worked at the Levi Mine.

Thanks to this, the mining operations at Levi Mine began smoothly without any setbacks.
With his professional training, Oliver personally inspected the mine alongside the workers, taking responsibility for safety management.

To ensure the workers’ well-being, Kristin provided salaries far above the previous standard.

Any internal issues that could arise were addressed by hiring specialists to reinforce the mine’s support. Additionally, in preparation for emergencies, she stationed several doctors on-site and even established a medical facility.

Kristin frequently traveled between the Edith estate and Oakley, where the mine was located, to oversee operations. Thanks to Raphael, who provided soldiers and carriages, her travels were secure and uneventful.

On one such visit, after inspecting the Levi Mine and meeting with Oliver and the workers, Kristin was about to return to the estate when she encountered Winston Zenon, the Marquis.

“Lady Kristin.”

“Marquis Winston Zenon?”

“How have you been? There’s something I wish to discuss with you.”

Kristin, hearing Winston’s words, decided it was time to convey her true feelings to him.

Her heart had already shifted toward Raphael Rodney.

While Winston was a good man, she couldn’t feel the same yearning or love for him that Raphael inspired in her.

The pang in her chest every time she saw Winston came from recognizing her past self in him when she had harbored an unrequited love for Raphael.

Now that Kristin fully understood her feelings, she responded to him with certainty.

“Yes, Marquis. I also have something to discuss with you.”

“Lady Kristin, there’s a café nearby. Shall we go there for a moment to talk?”

“Yes, that sounds good.”

But just then, as Kristin was about to step into her carriage, a miner came rushing out of the mine, shouting in her direction.

“L-Lady! Look at this! What is this mineral? It doesn’t seem like iron ore or anything I’ve seen before!”

Kristin immediately sensed what it was.

It was the diamond she had been hoping for.

“Is there some sort of problem?”

Feigning ignorance, Kristin approached the miner.

The miner held up a thumb-sized, glimmering mineral and continued speaking.

“I’ve worked in mines before, but I’ve never seen anything like this. Some of the other miners said it might be a diamond. They said they’d seen diamonds in a neighboring country before, and this looks very similar. It’s so rare that even the most seasoned miners only see it by chance.”

“Diamond, you say?”

When Kristin questioned the miner, Oliver, the head manager, hurried over, having heard the news.

“I heard that a diamond ore has been discovered. The miners are in a complete uproar over it.”

At that moment, Marquis Winston, who was examining the diamond in the miner’s hand, leaned in for a closer look.

Even coated in dirt and dust, the diamond sparkled more brilliantly than any other gemstone.

What shocked Winston even more was that he had never heard of a mine in the Union Empire producing diamonds.

Now, with Kristin as the mine owner, and diamonds being unearthed so soon, he thought it must be a blessing from the heavens upon Kristin.

Smiling, he turned to her and said,

“Lady Kristin, you may not be familiar with mining, but this is an exceptionally precious mineral. This could be crafted into earrings, necklaces, rings, or even adorn a crown. Such a rare mineral being discovered—it feels like the hardships you’ve endured are finally being rewarded.”

Kristin gazed at the glittering diamond in front of her and replied,

“You flatter me.”

Initially, Kristin had considered taking over the diamond mine from Raphael to develop a business that would benefit her family.

But now that diamonds had undeniably been found, she had a different priority: showing the discovery to the emperor.

If it meant protecting Raphael from the neighboring country’s princess, Princess Rebella, then such a valuable mine held no importance to her.

Remaining calm, Kristin studied the diamond and then requested Oliver.

“Oliver, if more diamonds are discovered, please let me know immediately. And one more thing— When you finish for the day, inform the newspapers that diamonds have been unearthed at Levi Mine. Make sure everyone hears about it.”

“What? But, Lady Kristin, are you certain that’s wise?”

Kristin already had a detailed plan in place.

The diamond discovery had come just as she had hoped after days of mining efforts, and now, the entire empire’s nobility needed to know.

If rumors continued to spread widely, Kristin anticipated that those who wanted to do business with her or attend social gatherings would naturally reach out to her.

She wanted to meet them naturally and host a banquet at the Edith estate.

If her pursuer wasn’t among them, she could assume there were no threats against her from the nobility of the Union Empire.

Becoming known throughout the empire as the lady who owned a diamond mine carried significant risks, but given that she was already under the threat of death, she felt there was little left to lose.

Instead, she needed to time everything perfectly.

The plan was to align the moment when the nobles contacted her with her meeting with the emperor.

This was Kristin’s carefully laid-out strategy.

“It’s fine. Please proceed as I asked.”
“Yes, understood.”

“Lady Kristin.”

Kristin nodded as she looked at Marquis Winston in front of her.

She had finished speaking with Oliver and the miner, signaling that she was now ready to speak with the marquis.

“Shall we go, Marquis?”

* * *

After boarding the carriage, the two arrived at a café in the Oakley region.

Kristin and Marquis Winston exchanged glances before the marquis finally broke the silence.

“I’ve always wanted to visit a café with you, Lady Kristin. I wanted to sit face-to-face and have a close conversation.”

“This feels like the first time we’ve ever sat down to talk like this, Marquis.”

“Haha, yes, that’s true.”

Although Marquis Winston laughed cheerfully, his face was clouded with worry.

He seemed hesitant, his lips parting slightly as though to speak, but no words came out.

Kristin could sense the reason behind his hesitation. She decided it would be better to address the matter first rather than waiting to reject him after he spoke.

“Marquis Winston.”

“Yes, Lady Kristin.”

“I’ve known about your feelings for some time. But I can’t accept them. I believe you deserve someone far better than me.”

Marquis Winston felt a mix of relief and bitterness as Kristin spoke first, even before he could express his thoughts.

What had caused him to delay so long?
They had spent countless days together as childhood playmates, forming a close bond.

His feelings for Kristin weren’t born out of consideration for her family’s status; they were entirely about Kristin herself.

Yet, at some point, Kristin began to avoid him. After her mother passed away, Kristin withdrew completely, refusing to leave the confines of the viscount’s estate.

Like someone trapped in a deep cave, she remained within the estate, away from the outside world. Winston had wanted to show her the changing seasons, even if only from within the estate walls.

So, he had waited patiently until she came of age, sending her bouquets in silent devotion.

But had that been the problem?

Had he been too reserved, expressing his feelings only through flowers?

If he had been more assertive in showing his affection, might Kristin’s thoughts about him have changed?

Marquis Winston’s mind swirled with conflicting emotions.

He hadn’t expected to be rejected like this—without even having the chance to properly confess his feelings.

If Winston truly thought about Kristin, he could understand that her actions now were meant to hurt him less.

Having known each other so well since childhood, Marquis Winston understood Kristin deeply.

With that realization, he decided to bear his long-concealed feelings without reservation.

“So, Lady Kristin, you already knew. Yes, it’s true. At some point, you started to take hold of my heart. Since then, even when other ladies from noble families showed interest in me, I couldn’t open my heart to them. You’ve always been everything to me.”

Kristin felt a pang of sympathy for Marquis Winston’s words.

She, too, had experienced the pain of unrequited love.

In her past life, after falling for Duke Raphael Rodney, she endured a long, agonizing period of one-sided affection.

She couldn’t help but understand Winston’s feelings—how painful it was and how futile the hopes could feel.

“Marquis Winston, for years you’ve sent me flowers and treated me so kindly. But at this moment, I feel I must stand by Duke Raphael Rodney. You must wonder why I am acting like this, even after breaking off the engagement. It’s because the duke made a grave mistake with Princess Rebella of the neighboring country because of me. His life could be in danger.”

“His Grace made a mistake with the princess? What kind of mistake? The duke has always been cold, but he was never one to cause diplomatic issues. So why?”

“He told the princess, who has feelings for him, that he would marry me and said some rather harsh things. That’s why I feel the need to stand by him and support him.”

“Lady Kristin, I deeply regret the orphanage incident. If I had helped you sooner… I’m so sorry. I only wanted to give you time to find peace of mind. I didn’t want to make things harder for you. But now I see that was the wrong choice.”

Marquis Winston lowered his head.

Moments later, his shoulders began to tremble, and a single tear fell onto his uniform trousers.

“Marquis…”

Kristin, unsure of how to comfort him, pulled a handkerchief from her pouch and handed it to him.

“Please don’t let this pain linger because of me. You deserve to meet someone far better than me. So, please, don’t let your heartache anymore.”

As he received the handkerchief, Winston gripped it tightly. Then, lifting his head, he responded,

“I may meet someone better, but I don’t think I’ll be able to forget you, Lady Kristin.”

Kristin looked at him silently, and Winston forced a smile, lifting the corners of his mouth as if to show he was fine.

Years of building their bond seemed to dissolve in just a few minutes that day.