***

Logging was even slower than expected. From selecting the redwoods that could be sold to carefully felling them without causing damage, each step was painstakingly slow.

Normally, even if some trees had been damaged, the work would have been speeded up without too much concern. But now, every single tree that could be sold was precious and they had to be extremely careful.

With so much to consider, progress was painfully slow. By now the disease had spread to four estates. And there were six more areas adjacent to them that would soon be affected – including the Doan Estate.

“This is a headache. But if we cut down everything recklessly, the losses would be enormous…”

Martian sighed heavily. She had even rummaged through her mother’s old diaries for ideas, but nothing particularly helpful had come up.

She had hoped to find some record of a similar situation, but all she had found was a fresh reminder of how difficult estate management really was.

“We’ll just have to endure for now.”

It had been more than a week since they had sent the petition. A third of the Empire’s redwood supply came from this region, so if things continued as they were, the available supply would shrink drastically.

Still, it was uncertain whether the central government would be willing to help this region.

‘It’s probably more efficient for them to subsidize other regions’ production increases than to save a dying area like ours.’

What gave her a glimmer of hope was the fact that this outbreak was targeting redwoods, which are renowned for their resistance to disease.

Even if they couldn’t provide dramatic relief, they would at least want to study the disease. The value of such research was undeniable.

The only problem was how slow the central government could be – no one knew when they might finally send someone to deal with the situation.

‘The bigger problem is the work piling up here. I need more qualified foresters…’

As the livelihood of the area depended on timber, skills in forestry and timber management were crucial.

All the surrounding areas valued their skilled foresters highly. There were usually only one or two skilled managers per estate, and most were closely associated with their noble houses.

Managing a forest required long-term familiarity with the area, and each family had its own proprietary management methods.

Security concerns meant that most estates deliberately kept their forestry teams small. The Doan estate had two forest managers.

These two were responsible for everything from supervising the logging sites, grading the timber, inspecting the seedlings for health and culling, to monitoring the spread of disease. According to the butler, the two men barely slept.

“I knew it was going to be a problem, so I can’t blame anyone else.

It’s my own fault for not training more people sooner.”

It had been eight years since her parents died and she took over the estate. She had often thought about expanding the workforce to modernise the outdated systems – but those thoughts had always remained just that, thoughts.

There were simply too many daily tasks and decisions that required her attention.

Of course, now that she was facing the consequences, she realised that they were all just excuses.

Just as she was about to plunge back into the documents, there was a knock at the door.

Thinking it was the butler, she called for him to enter – only to find an unexpected visitor.

It was her younger brother, El Doan.

“My goodness, what are you doing here?”

Martian rose immediately and hurried towards him. El Doan greeted her with a radiant smile.

“How have you been, sister?”

“I have been well. But you said you were busy preparing for your final exams. What are you doing here? Nothing bad has happened, has it? You’re not ill, are you?”

“Too many questions at once, sister. Don’t worry. Nothing bad has happened.”

He seemed to have grown again – he was even taller than she remembered. He had been small and skinny when he was younger, but he had grown late and now towered over her.

She led him to the sofa, overjoyed to see him again.

“You look like a real grown-up now.”

“And so are you, sister. I’m twenty-one now – you know, a full grown adult.”

“Still, twenty-one is only twenty-one. You’re seven years younger than me.”

“Well, there’s nothing I can do about the age difference. No matter how much time passes, that won’t change…”

“Exactly. Which means you’ll always be a kid to me.”

At her words, El sighed heavily and accepted them quietly. He knew he couldn’t win an argument with her.

With such a huge age difference and the early death of theirparents, Martian was more like a parent to him than a sister – and to her, El was like a son.

As they sat facing each other, El took an envelope from his coat.

“First, I have something to give you.”

“What is it?”

She opened the envelope to find a document inside. On the fine, gilt-edged paper was the Imperial Seal, proof of the Emperor’s authority.

Martian’s eyes widened as she quickly scanned the document. It contained something she hadn’t even dared to hope for.

“Our estate has been selected as a research site for the study of the redwood disease?”

“Yes. A team will be coming here soon. I’m also one of the researchers chosen by the Academy. As soon as the list was announced, I asked my professor for permission and came straight here.”

He pointed to the densely written notes at the bottom of the page.

“Look at the attached regulations—it clearly states that all redwoods within the survey area will be bought for research purposes, and that researchers will also receive support for housing, meals, and other expenses. When a region is chosen for official research like this, the financial backing is significant. That’s why I was so relieved—no, thrilled—when I heard our land had been selected! I was genuinely worried when news of the redwood disease first broke.”

El continued, his voice full of excitement.

This particular disease caused black spots to appear inside the wood, eventually causing the trees to wither and die.

Once the disease struck, the wood lost all commercial value; damaged trees could only be used for firewood.

So even if the central government hadn’t offered to pay, the surrounding estates would have willingly given up these trees.

The fact that the government was not only buying all the trees for research, but also paying for their accommodation and living expenses, made the deal look suspiciously generous.

Martian unconsciously furrowed his brow.

“How was our settlement chosen? I didn’t even know they chose research sites.”

“Ah, I wasn’t told that either…Perhaps they had some criteria? Like choosing places where the disease hasn’t spread too much yet, or something like that.”

“Is that so?”

“If you’re curious, I can ask around later.”

There was no doubt in his face. He was simply overjoyed at the thought of bringing good news to his estate.

Martian shook off the uncomfortable suspicion that was forming in her mind.

‘I’m just overly sensitive these days. What could anyone hope to gain from this backwater estate?’

She decided to take the luck for what it was.

“How many people are in the survey team?”

“Counting myself, ten. Including the Professor, eleven. Looks like we’ll be here for about three months.”

“Eleven people for three months? We’ll need to stock up on food. And we should also clear out the guest rooms.”

“I already informed the butler before I came up here. I thought it was better to give a warning as early as possible. Besides, it’s great news, isn’t it?”

“Yes, you have done well. The butler and I have been worrying about so many things lately…”

Just then the door opened and the butler entered. He had seemed to age years in just a few days, but now his face looked surprisingly refreshed. He entered with a bright smile.

“I’ve brought you some refreshments. Actually, it’s more like a full meal, but the kitchen was excited when they heard Young Master El had arrived. Please feel free to leave anything you can’t finish, young master.”

“As if I’d leave anything! Don’t worry, butler.”

El said with a broad grin.

The table quickly filled with what could only be described as a full course meal. There were sandwiches layered with thin slices of meat and cheese, a vibrant salad mixed with corn and nuts, pickled fruit, a generous selection of cheeses and freshly baked bread, and no less than five kinds of biscuits. To call it merely ‘refreshment’ was laughable – it was clearly a feast.

Martian raised her teacup with a quiet chuckle.

“Do you really think you’ll have room to eat after all this?”

“Of course I will! You know how much I eat. Back at the Academy, I missed real home-cooked meals so much… Honestly, I feel like I could eat five times a day now.”

He grabbed a sandwich and took a huge bite, his cheeks puffing out in the most adorable way. It wasn’t the most noble behaviour, but Martian didn’t have the heart to scold him.

In contrast to her own bold and striking features, El Doan had inherited her mother’s delicate features – a refined face, gentle and well groomed. Watching him nibble like a squirrel, completely absorbed in his food, was as endearing as ever.

The butler moved about quietly, filling empty plates with a face that was noticeably softer, more at ease than usual.

Martian smiled.

The weight that had been on her seemed to be lifting. And now, with her treasured younger brother by her side, it truly felt like a blessing.

‘Maybe heaven hadn’t turned its back on us after all.’

With that thought, she leaned further into the sofa, a warm feeling of contentment settling over her.