Now It's My Turn to Be Moved
Only after hearing Rozan's trembling words did Jelina hurriedly touch her own lips, her face turning deathly pale.
"It's... gone... My, my mask!"
Realizing too late that her mask was missing, Jelina collapsed to the floor in a pitiful heap, fidgeting uncontrollably.
"Ah, Miss!"
Rozan, startled by the sight of Jelina tumbling from her wheelchair as if she'd fallen, rushed to help her up. But Jelina curled into herself, burying her face in her body, refusing to budge. Rozan wrapped her arms around her lady's back, embracing her like a frightened little animal shaking in terror.
Pat— Pat— Pat—
Rozan, who was only a couple of years older than Jelina, silently patted her back for a while. Then, in a whisper meant only for her ears, she murmured softly.
"Miss... you don't need the mask anymore. Your pronunciation is perfect now too. Didn't you notice?"
"Pro... nunciation?"
"Yes, say more. Your lips, your pronunciation... everything's been healed."
Rozan nodded lightly at Jelina's surprised echo, placing the hand that had been patting her back over Jelina's own. Gently, she guided Jelina's fingers to her lips.
"Ah...."
As Jelina let out a soft gasp, Rozan finally broke into a bright smile. No one else there—not even Jelina herself—had noticed, but Rozan, who had always watched over her, spotted it immediately.
Her vision blurred with tears, Rozan couldn't see Jelina clearly. But from the girl's steadier breathing and the way her hands trembled more violently as they touched her lips, she could read her emotions perfectly.
"Miss... your lips have been healed so beautifully. Shall we take a look in the mirror together?"
Rozan wrapped her hands warmly around Jelina's, which had been caressing her lips as tenderly as a kitten's fur. Then, slowly and calmly, she pulled her up toward the mirror.
"Open your eyes, Miss. You're truly beautiful."
Her voice was low and soothing, like a gentle lullaby, full of kindness. At Rozan's words, Jelina slowly, cautiously lifted her head toward the mirror.
"Ah, ahh...."
"Miss...."
Jelina stared blankly at her reflection, incredulously examining her new face. With reddened eyes, she touched her lips, opened her mouth, poked and prodded as if verifying that the image in the mirror was truly hers.
"Hic... sob. Sob sob...."
"Miss...."
The lips that had been cursed as monstrous, the face she couldn't even love herself—it was gone from the mirror forever. And only then did Jelina notice Rozan, beaming with joy at the reflection even more than she was.
The one who had stayed by her side no matter her appearance. Not just a mere maid, but a friend who had embraced her. The one who had worn a mask alongside her since she'd started hiding her face.
Turning around, Jelina silently pulled her precious friend into a hug. She untied the straps of the mask covering Rozan's mouth.
"I'm sorry... and thank you."
"Miss...."
The two girls, now maskless, shared their warmth for a long while, as if conveying their true hearts to each other.
* * *
'As expected... even though it's my own surgery, it's perfect.'
Just as I smiled contentedly at the girls clutching each other and sobbing in realization of my surgical perfection—
Whirr—
The elevator doors slid open with a mechanical hum, and Walter stepped out with a man and woman in their forties.
Faces I'd already seen in photos, so they were familiar.
"Director, this is Baron Dudein and his wife."
At Walter's introduction, the couple approached and greeted me.
"It's an honor to meet you, Count Gold. I'm Pablo Dudein."
"Virginia Dudein... Je, Jelina? Jelina!"
"...Mother."
"Oh my goodness! How... Jelina, my daughter... Jelina."
"Hic-sob... M-Mother."
The baroness, who had just descended the elevator and introduced herself, locked eyes with her daughter and rushed over, enveloping her in an embrace.
"My apologies, Count. Such rudeness in the middle of greetings..."
"It's fine."
With her daughter's cleft lip tormenting her for over a decade now vanished in one go, decorum was the last thing on her mind.
"Then, Baron Dudein, if you'll come this way. I have something to discuss privately."
"Privately...?"
"Leave the past in the past. Now, we should look to the future, don't you think?"
Now it was time for me to get my moment of emotion.
* * *
While Baron and Lady Dudein shed tears of deep emotion outside the OR, I entered the director's office with the Baron, overlooking lush greenery through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
"No... are you serious? Ownership of an entire silver mine... to me?"
His utterly unexpected words left me feigning wide-eyed shock, and Baron Dudein responded with a Joker-like grin.
"The grace of healing my one and only daughter Jelina... words cannot express it. Though I'm just the head of a humble baron's house, I wanted to show the utmost sincerity I could muster."
"Oh, Baron!"
To think such deep familial love! A profound sense of shared emotion welled up from my heart, and before I knew it, I had seized his hand.
The ultimate gesture of sincerity from someone like me, who detested physical contact with others.
'A true noble... a noble indeed!'
People might wonder what joy I'd find continuing my doctor's life in this isekai world. Curing incurables? Saving the dying?
'No, it's receiving a silver mine.'
Handing over unlimited payment before we'd even haggled properly! Gratitude and respect swirled for the generosity of this world's people.
"Compared to the grace you've bestowed, Count, a single silver mine is truly nothing. I never even dreamed my daughter's face could be healed. I'm nothing but grateful."
You really can't judge by appearances. The baron's upper lip lacked outer volume, curling inward with only the corners lifting in a creepy Joker smile, but his heart brimmed with familial love and the warmth to repay kindness.
Right now, I could declare my micro-expression reading wrong. There are no bad people among those who know grace and grudges.
"We'll proceed with the ownership transfer immediately. The existing workforce will stay on, so if you wish, Count, you can use them as-is. Just sign here on the transfer documents, and the silver mine is fully yours."
Even keeping the manpower! Baron Dudein was a living fairy—no, a bodhisattva.
And the preparedness to bring the documents ready for instant payment!
'Gratitude must be repaid with gratitude.'
Was it the abundant consultation fee? An unfamiliar altruism flooded my body.
I beamed innocently at Baron Dudein.
"If you and the baroness can spare a moment, I'd like to offer a simple skin treatment as thanks. Free of charge."
"No... we couldn't possibly accept such generosity..."
His waving hands only confirmed his unpretentious manners. Even among nobles, the lowliest barons had imperial dignity.
I hadn't sensed this much poise even meeting the emperor.
"Baron, have a seat here first. I'll make you look ten years younger."
* * *
After the Dudein household departed Beauty Tower, I hurried to the territory office. Though the silver mine was now mine via ownership transfer from Baron Dudein, it needed separate registration there.
"...Did I hear that wrong?"
"You heard right. Gold, silver, and copper mines produce coinage materials, so they incur high base taxes by default. And if the owner is a titled noble—and the higher the title—the greater the tax allocation."
"..."
Rachel had become quite compliant since forgiving her 100-gold syphilis treatment debt. But her explanation left my mind anything but compliant.
It boiled like molten lava.
'That damn...!'
For scorning my ancestors' wisdom that physiognomy is science. That sin had dragged me into this pit of humiliation.
"...So, you're saying this silver mine won't generate much profit?"
Suppressing my rage, I spat out the words. Rachel glanced at my eyes warily and nodded cautiously.
"That's right. The silver mine you got from Baron Dudein has plenty of reserves, but low productivity means slim profits. To be frank..."
"Out with it."
"...The taxes from the 'one house, two mines' regulation are hefty, so he might've transferred it to you to qualify for the newly revised property tax benefits."
An unforeseen backstab. My gut bubbled with the magma spoon he'd shoved in.
But it wasn't a loss—just below expectations. Positive thinking would calm me.
"Bandits targeting silver mines or invasions by beasts and monsters happen occasionally, but if those issues don't arise, there won't be much loss."
"..."
Her follow-up made my neck tense. That implied potential losses!
And look at her smirking?
"If you don't want to pay the 100 gold lump sum, drop the grin."
"Ahem, cough. It's just my natural smile."
"Whatever. If it's not profitable, cancel the registration."
With that, I spun to leave the office—
"Can't let you do that."
"Can't? Why not? Figure out a way, Rachel—you owe me 100 gold."
My fierce glare flustered her into waving her hands.
"Th-that's... you agreed to forgive it!"
"Right! Yes, on the condition you do your job properly! But you're spouting nonsense like 'can't do that'—should I still forgive it? Do I look like a charity case?"
At my barrage, Rachel let out a soft sigh.
"It's not that! You signed the ownership transfer yourself."
"...?"
"Skip registration, and you'll pay fines for an unregistered mine! It's imperial law—even a mere territory clerk like me can't override it!"
"Imperial... law?"
What kind of bullshit law was this? Aghast, I echoed her. Rachel sighed again.
"As I said, gold, silver, and copper mines are strictly regulated as coinage sources. All titled nobles know the rules, but..."
"Ah, so since I'm a parvenu noble who doesn't know, it's all my fault?"
"N-no! Not your fault, Count—it's the law. I want to help, but there's no way."
Damn it. Micro-expressions were all I could trust. Her face screaming truth only fueled my fury.
I should've scanned Baron Dudein too! Believed my unknown ancestors' wisdom!
But I knew regret was useless.
'Haa...'
"St-still, it's not a total loss, right? If you massively boost output?"
"No, that's not as easy as—"
Wait. Just increase the output?