Laborers Smile When Paid
“Haaaaah!”
A spirited yet powerful cry echoed through the training grounds of the Legrian family mansion. Elena’s sword flashed as she unleashed a relentless barrage against the training dummy at the center of the yard. Her movements were nothing like before.
‘It’s light!’
The final piece of the puzzle had clicked into place. Her body no longer lagged behind her perfected swordsmanship; instead, it moved in flawless harmony with it. Fast. Concise. The blade traced smooth, beautiful arcs as it struck the dummy, like a brush painting across pristine white paper. Each trajectory left an elegant trail that drew gasps of admiration from any onlooker.
Graceful curves and flowing lines, yet beneath that beauty lay unyielding strength and rigidity. A seamless blend of change—sometimes swift and supple, sometimes fierce and razor-sharp. This was the swordsmanship created by Rian Legrian.
“Ah……”
When Elena finished her form, her face was awash with satisfaction and deep emotion. Sweat traced a gentle curve down her forehead before dripping from her chin. ‘I did it.’
A wave of accomplishment surged through her, so intense she could hardly put it into words. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had felt this kind of fulfillment. A thrill that sent shivers down her spine coursed through her body. When she had been cursed, simply holding or swinging a sword had been agony. Now she never wanted to put it down.
‘I want to keep going……’
“My lady.”
The nanny approached, offering a freshly laundered white towel. “Wipe yourself down.”
“Thank you.”
The towel carried the warm scent of morning sunlight. Or, more precisely—
“Oh my, this towel smells wonderful.”
“Young Master gave me something to try when doing laundry. It removes stains and odors so well, and the scent is lovely too.”
“Aaaah.”
It was the scent of detergent. In this world, laundry was done with nothing more than herbs. Even the nanny had been surprised. She had tried it with the mindset of “nothing to lose,” only to discover it left clothes smelling fresh and removed even stubborn grime. Things that once had to be discarded because of stains now came out clean, and foul odors vanished completely.
“He said it was something used in the other world. It really is excellent.”
“Wow…… it really is good……”
“By the way, you’ve been sweating so much…… yet you look so happy?”
“Yeah!” Elena answered brightly.
Ever since she had regained the ability to use mana, her body felt noticeably better. She had never woken up feeling so light. Her eyes were clear, and no matter how much she swung her sword, she never grew tired.
“You like holding a sword that much?”
“Yeah, I love it! I’m so happy right now.”
The nanny smiled softly as she watched Elena beam like a child who had finally received the toy she had always wanted. When Elena had lost the ability to use mana, her eyes had been dead.
‘Nanny…… I can’t use mana anymore…… What happened……?’
‘Am I being punished? Huh? Why all of a sudden……’
‘Neither the temple nor the mages’ guild knows anything…… What do I do, Nanny? If I can’t use mana like this……’
‘Nanny……’
The sight of her sobbing bitterly in the nanny’s arms had torn her heart apart. If she could have taken the pain in Elena’s place, she would have. That anguished cry had remained vivid in her ears—until now.
Yet everything had changed the moment Young Master Albert returned. The territory was improving. The farmland had become cultivable again, and through negotiations they had even secured alimony from the Carnival family.
‘He really is remarkable. I wonder what kind of “conversation” Young Master had that made the Carnival family hand over such a sum?’
Since she had no idea what “conversation (physical)” meant, the nanny simply assumed Albert had handled it well. She had heard the other side had apologized in tears and even promised regular financial support.
‘Young Master keeps saying he doesn’t want it, but he really should become the head of the family.’
Albert himself refused outright, but the nanny believed that if he took the position, he could lead the Legrian family not just back to its former glory, but even higher. Of course, that would probably mean blood would be shed around him.
‘And even Lady Elena’s curse……’
A warm smile refused to leave her face. Just days ago she had walked around with nothing but worry and concern; lately, a joyful expression never left her.
“You know, I want to keep holding my sword……”
“My lady.”
“Hm?”
“Holding a sword is important, but as the lord, you also have duties to attend to.”
“Eh?”
“Lady Elena may swing a sword, but Lord Elena must pick up a pen.”
“……”
“First, go wash up and head straight to the office. Butler Hans is waiting for your approval on documents.”
“But……”
“Now.”
Faced with the nanny’s stern and resolute tone, Elena found herself answering without thinking.
“O-okay……”
That day, Elena realized something. The strength to wield a sword lightly and the stamina to swing it endlessly meant nothing in front of a pen.
The pen…… was heavier than the sword.
A week had passed since Albert returned from the Carnival family, and the Legrian territory had changed dramatically.
“You lot! Stop slacking and move! We have to fix the wall, don’t we? Hurry up and carry those stones!”
“Lord Hot! P-please, slower!”
“That’s right! We’re going to die at this rate!”
At Hot’s thunderous commands, the workers groaned. It was no surprise—once Hot started working, he moved without rest. He barely gave them time to straighten their backs, let alone take a proper break.
“Humans don’t die from this much! Move it! There’s a mountain of work to do! Huh? You there! Who told you to stack the bricks like that!?”
“Eh?”
“Good grief, you hopeless fools! Stack them like that and they’ll collapse in no time! How many times do I have to say the foundation is what matters for a wall! Here, like this, properly……”
Even while working, Hot’s lectures never stopped. Yet a single question kept surfacing in his mind.
‘Why am I fixing the wall here? The contract only said one house per day, so how did I end up……’
Just as the thought arose—
“Uh, should we stack it here?”
“I don’t know, let’s just stack it first.”
“This should be fine.”
“You idiots!”
Irritation won out over curiosity. Hot was an expert in this kind of work and possessed an artisan’s spirit that refused to tolerate anything half-hearted. That was probably why, upon seeing unskilled workers doing sloppy repairs, he had started giving instructions—and eventually took command out of sheer frustration. It was always the person watching who ended up stepping in. Otherwise, the frustration would build until it burst, and he’d die of high blood pressure.
‘Feels like I’ve been roped into something dirty. What’s this strange sensation of doing more work than I’m being paid for?’
“Lord Hot! Please, at least rest while……”
“Rest where? Can’t you see over there?”
Hot pointed with his finger. There stood Albert, diligently carrying and stacking stones. There was a saying that laborers at work were beautiful, but—
‘That doesn’t look like beauty because he’s a laborer.’
‘Wow, Young Master Albert really is handsome. Even doing that, he looks like a painting.’
‘Look at him sweating. Why does that look like holy water?’
Whether it was because he was a laborer or because he was Albert, it didn’t matter. What mattered was—
“That guy over there is working too! You want to rest? Really?”
“……No, I’ll work.”
Albert was the lord’s brother and a noble. If a noble was leading by example, how could commoners or territory residents dare slack off? It was unthinkable.
‘That scheming bastard.’
Hot could see Albert’s intentions clearly. A noble—family of the lord—personally working in the field. Who would dare slack off? He was there purely for show, to keep everyone working without rest.
‘What a terrifying man. He’s perfectly exploiting human psychology.’
That sweat was probably deliberate too. A man who could beat a dragon wouldn’t break a sweat just from moving a few bricks. It was all part of the performance.
‘I’m a noble sweating away while you lot rest? Really? Seriously?’
To motivate the workers this way, a noble had come out to work himself. It was something beyond the common sense of this world.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
The sight of people being manipulated by such a man was almost pitiful. But Hot didn’t realize—
“You lot! That’s not how you do it there! How many times do I have to say it! You have to stack this stone here! This one! Who cut it!? It has to be cut straight!!”
He himself was being thoroughly used by Albert, and that he was the “pitiful dwarf” he spoke of.
“Good heavens.”
Richel, leader of the Flower Merchant Group, was speechless as she took in the transformed Legrian territory. Only a short time had passed since her last visit, yet so much had changed.
The most striking difference was the houses.
“Huh…… weren’t they all falling apart? Now they look like brand-new homes.”
Abel, who had earned Richel’s admiration, quietly elaborated.
How was this possible? They had left the Legrian territory only a week ago. Even if everyone had devoted themselves entirely to repairs, fixing every single house here should have been impossible. Moreover—
“They weren’t even roughly patched up. Every single one…… has been perfectly restored. As if it had always been this way.”
“Better than the house I live in, isn’t it?” Abel muttered with a small sigh.
“Did they commission the Architects’ Guild? Right after parting with us that day……”
“No, that can’t be. Even the Architects’ Guild…… considering the territory’s situation……”
The Flower Merchant Group had kept close tabs on the territory’s affairs. As merchants, they couldn’t neglect information gathering, and Richel spent a fair amount on it.
“I’m certain Young Master Albert commissioned the Architects’ Guild, but the request must have been rejected……”
“Huh……”
She looked around. The atmosphere and air felt unmistakably different. The shadows had vanished from the territory residents’ faces, replaced by bright, hopeful expressions.
“Just what did he do to make this happen?”
What could have occurred in such a short time to bring about this transformation? Richel instinctively sensed that Albert was at the center of it all.
‘As expected, he’s not just handsome—he’s exceptionally capable too! That man……’
“I absolutely must have him.”
Watching Richel’s eyes blaze with newfound determination, Abel let out a weary sigh, looking somewhat dejected.
“Oh! It’s the Flower Merchant Group!”
“We’ve been waiting!”
“We’d like to buy some goods……”
Having noticed the merchant group’s arrival, the residents stopped what they were doing and gathered around the carriages to make purchases.
“Hmm, so it’s just the two of you again this time?”
“It must be dangerous.”
The residents spoke with concern, worried that Richel had come with only Abel.
“Thank you for your concern. But it’s fine. I have a reliable guardian with me.”
At Richel’s words, Abel coughed awkwardly and turned his head, embarrassed.
“Well~ if Sir Abel is here, Lady Richel will be safe.”
“By the way, we’d like to buy some things this time.”
“Ah! Me too.”
“Oh my.”
Richel’s eyes widened in surprise. Until now, only the lord had purchased goods even when she visited. The residents had merely received shares of what the lord bought.
‘Where did they get the money?’
“Please give me those clothes! I want to change into something new.”
“I need scissors……”
“I need a kitchen knife. Do you have any meat too?”
The residents held purses filled with gold. Richel didn’t know where the money had come from, but it didn’t matter.
“Welcome~ Clothes~? Of course we have some~! Scissors too…… We just got some excellent meat in! You’re in luck.”
As a merchant, all that mattered was that she could sell. Abel shook his head as he watched Richel instantly switch into full merchant mode.
After selling goods for quite some time, Richel finally met Albert in an open clearing.
‘Wow, he really is a work of art.’
Albert’s face drew admiration every time she saw it. How could a person’s face be so handsome? His sharp eyes emphasized his strength.
“You’ve arrived.”
“Yes, we meet again.”
Richel smiled brightly, her eyes curving.
“By the way, everything’s changed so much. People’s faces are so much brighter than before.”
She gave him a meaningful look. As a merchant, she was skilled at reading people, and she knew exactly how to handle men.
‘Men are weak to flattery and praise.’
“This is all thanks to Young Master Albert’s return. The residents’ faces are so bright and full of energy, and……”
The residents were diligently moving materials and working. Farmers were sweating as they carefully tended their crops. Their faces were completely free of shadows, shining as brightly as the morning sun.
“Everyone working so hard like this—it’s all because Young Master Albert is here, isn’t it?”
‘If I praise him this much, he’ll feel good, right?’
She observed Albert’s reaction.
“No, it’s not because of me.”
“Goodness……”
‘Handsome, capable, and humble too?’
Where in the world could such a man be found? Most men would be busy boasting about their achievements, yet his humility in not showing them off was a virtue.
“It’s not because of me.”
Albert smiled brightly as he looked at the working laborers and continued.
“It’s because of the money.”
“Eh?”
“Now that they’re being paid, their faces have completely changed, haven’t they?”
“That……”
“The people working so hard over there are doing so because they’re receiving fair compensation for their labor.”
As she watched him insist it wasn’t because of him but because they were being paid, Richel clutched her chest.
‘As expected…… what a wonderful man.’
As a woman and as a merchant, Albert’s words had struck her like a perfect fastball.