Chapter 34
Chapter 34
“Are you Aileen from the Urban Development Department?”
It was a peaceful weekend morning.
A middle-aged man wearing a luxurious suit and a bowler hat had come to our house.
“That’s correct… but who are you?”
I asked cautiously.
The man produced an identification badge.
The gold badge bore the emblem of an olive branch.
“My name is Conrad Marlow. I serve as an adjutant to Marquis Howell Smith.”
Marquis Howell Smith.
The moment I heard the name, the warning the lord had given me yesterday in his office resurfaced in my mind.
So he expected someone from their side to come looking for me and warned me in advance.
If that was the case, he could have said so directly. At least I could have prepared myself mentally.
“Please come in.”
Although the situation made me sigh inwardly, I calmly guided him inside.
We sat facing each other on the living room sofa, and Tabin immediately brought tea. It was the expensive tea we only used when receiving distinguished guests.
But after taking a single sip, Conrad Marlow frowned deeply and set the cup down.
What an ill-mannered person.
Even if the taste didn’t suit him, he should at least consider the effort of the person who served it.
My first impression of him had already been poor, and now it had dropped even further.
“I heard that you are the one who built the drainage channels.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“That’s truly impressive. Construction work is difficult enough even for men, yet you’ve achieved something like that. Quite remarkable.”
Well, at least he had an eye for talent.
“As you may already know, Nubiar suffers terribly because the river floods every two years.”
Conrad Marlow clasped his hands together and began speaking seriously.
“So I would like to ask—would you be willing to install drainage channels in Nubiar as well?”
“I can install them, but they won’t have any effect. Drainage channels aren’t designed to prevent a river from overflowing.”
If his attitude had remained disrespectful to the end, I would have refused outright.
But his earlier compliment had softened me slightly, so I explained in detail why drainage channels wouldn’t help.
“Ah… that can’t be.”
Conrad Marlow covered his face with both hands as though the world had collapsed around him.
I didn’t expect him to be this disappointed.
That probably meant he was truly desperate. I felt a little sorry for him.
“Is there any other solution besides drainage channels?”
He looked at me as though grasping for the last straw.
“The Raed River will flood next year. If we cannot stop it, many people will die and enormous property damage will occur. So if you know any method, please tell me.”
“Well… I’m not sure.”
I wasn’t a god.
There was no way I knew every possible solution.
A few ideas did come to mind, but whether they would work for Nubiar was impossible to know without seeing the place firsthand.
Giving uncertain advice might only create false hope.
It would be better to admit that I didn’t know.
[CH2. Main Quest Unlocked.]
Just as I was about to say that, a system window suddenly appeared before my eyes.
[2-1. Go to Nubiar and meet Marquis Howell Smith.]
[Reward: 10,000p]
[※ Complete the quest within ten days! Failure will result in a penalty.]
A new chapter unlocked at this moment?
No—more importantly, that man had clearly warned me not to even think about going to Nubiar. What was I supposed to do with a quest like this?
“Judging by your expression, it seems you’ve thought of a good method.”
Conrad Marlow’s eyes lit up as he misinterpreted my troubled expression.
“What method is it? No—rather than discussing it here, why not come to Nubiar and speak directly with Marquis Smith?”
“Ah, well…”
“Don’t worry about expenses. Our side will cover everything.”
Conrad Marlow continued excitedly.
“We’ll arrange the finest train and accommodations. And if you need anything else, just say the word.”
What I needed most was the lord’s permission.
Without it, I couldn’t leave Belheim.
Just as I was about to say that—
Bang!
The front door burst open with a violent crash.
Startled, I turned my head and shot to my feet when I saw who was standing there.
“M-My lord?”
Why was that man here?
Behind him stood Noah Rohime and several knights in full uniform.
When our eyes met, Noah Rohime slowly shook his head as though deeply regretting the situation.
That only made me more anxious!
“Y-Your Grace?”
Conrad Marlow also jumped to his feet in shock.
Tabin, who had been standing near the entrance to the living room, panicked and hid behind a pillar.
“What an interesting scene.”
Calix Craubel’s lips curved slightly.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he slowly walked toward us. The sound of his boots echoed loudly in the silent house.
The closer he came, the more suffocating it felt—like a noose tightening around my neck.
“I believe I made myself very clear.”
His gaze, sharp as a honed blade, brushed past me and fixed on Conrad Marlow.
“If I saw even the slightest sign of that happening, you’d better be prepared.”
Those words reminded me of the letter that had burned black, sending a chill down my spine.
I should have said it wasn’t true. That it was a misunderstanding.
But fear closed around my throat, and not a single word came out.
Conrad Marlow, equally stunned, forced an awkward smile.
“I-I believe there has been some misunderstanding, Your Grace.”
“What misunderstanding.”
Just two words, yet the air around us froze.
“I have no intention of listening to excuses from someone who sneaked into my territory using a false identity.”
“That was only because Your Grace would not grant permission—”
“So you’re saying you committed a crime because you had no choice. In that case, I suppose I also have no choice but to execute a criminal.”
“E-Execute?”
The terrifying word drained all color from Conrad Marlow’s face.
“I-I came here as the representative of Marquis Howell Smith!”
He shouted desperately.
“If you execute me, it may create a diplomatic issue…”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
Calix Craubel flicked his fingers.
The waiting knights immediately seized Conrad Marlow’s arms.
“The one I executed would simply be a commoner named Jack who has nothing to do with Marquis Smith.”
“E-Execute? What do you mean—wait! Your Grace! Your Grace!!”
Despite Conrad Marlow’s desperate cries, the knights dragged him away without even blinking.
That looks suspiciously like my future…
I bit down on my dry lips in tension.
After Conrad Marlow was taken away, Calix Craubel looked at me.
“I’ll give you a choice.”
The word choice had never sounded so terrifying.
“Will you be dragged away by the knights, or will you follow willingly on your own?”
Aren’t those basically the same option…?
“M-My daughter has done nothing wrong!”
Tabin suddenly stepped forward. His large hands trembled as he grabbed my arm.
“That man came here on his own. My daughter never asked to meet him—”
The lord’s eyes narrowed.
A clear sign that he was displeased.
“That’s enough.”
“Aileen.”
“It’s fine.”
I removed Tabin’s trembling hand. I couldn’t let him get dragged into this.
“I’ll go willingly.”
I expected to be interrogated the moment we arrived at the lord’s castle.
But that wasn’t what happened.
Calix Craubel simply told me to wait in what looked like a guest bedroom and then disappeared.
Three hours passed.
He still hadn’t shown up.
Eventually I grew tired of waiting and asked the maid who brought refreshments when the lord would arrive.
“I’m afraid I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything.”
“Could you ask for me?”
“You expect me to ask the lord?”
The maid widened her eyes as if I had said something absurd.
So I asked if she could at least ask Noah Rohime or the butler.
Reluctantly, she said she would.
But even when the sun set and dinner was served, the lord still hadn’t appeared.
Naturally, I hadn’t heard when he would come either.
What exactly is he trying to do?
Wasn’t he angry that I disobeyed his warning?
Then he should at least come here and confront me.
Why bring me here only to leave me waiting like this?
Meanwhile, they still served dinner properly, which made the situation even more ridiculous.
“Whatever. I’ll eat first.”
Starving wouldn’t help anyone.
I ate the entire dinner the maid had prepared, scraping the plates clean.
After finishing even the dessert, the maid stared at me as if I were some strange creature.