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When the barbarian raid began, Reina headed to the Volkanov estate with Ariel.
It wasn't as if she had to follow.
Even if Ariel hadn't gone to the estate, Reina would have taken Dias and returned.
The reason was simple.
'Our village should be fine if it's in the Sisyphus Mountains. But there could still be damage.'
She and Dias were also from the Volkanov estate.
Although her family lived in a village on the outskirts of Ashlan, and thus outside the immediate danger zone, one could never be too sure.
Unless one was a noble with a private army or someone capable of defending themselves, the situation was dire.
Her parents, who were fundamentally farmers, would be severely impacted if barbarians swarmed.
This was why Reina had no choice but to take Dias and return to Volkanov.
'Still, it's fortunate that Ariel suggested going to the estate. Otherwise, we might not have made it in time.'
The northern region was quite far from the capital, and it cost a lot of money to rent a carriage, especially when the destination was the Volkanov estate, surrounded by rugged mountains.
For her, who had to save every bit of her scholarship and monthly stipends to barely afford the trip home, it was a tricky situation.
Fortunately, Ariel also expressed her intention to return to her family, allowing them to save money by traveling together.
From there, things went smoothly.
While Ian Volkanov stormed into the enemy camp and crushed them, she and Ariel took care of the remaining enemy forces.
The imperial family also quickly dispatched reinforcements, and as a result, the barbarian threat was swiftly eradicated.
A clear success.
'Normally, at times like this, we'd rent a nearby shop and always have a toast.'
But this time, they couldn't do that.
Reina recalled Ariel's expression.
When she heard that the barbarians had been annihilated.
"…Am I really helping by not getting involved? Is it right to live like a puppet, only listening to my brother?"
Her friend's defeated look.
Was it the shock from her mistake during the war game? She had been out of sorts lately, for reasons Reina couldn't quite understand.
At first, Reina thought it was because Ariel was shaken by her mistake. But thinking back, that didn't seem to be the case.
Ariel had never been one to be completely flawless.
'She tends to be a bit rough. She wants to take the lead, which has caused problems before.'
Hadn't Ariel caused trouble multiple times due to her impulsive nature?
But every time, Ariel would stand back up and accomplish great things.
That's why Reina admired her and became close friends with her.
'That was the Ariel I knew.'
So why was she so down now?
It would be great if she talked about it, but no matter how much Reina asked, she only got vague answers.
'She was like that even when Celia asked her.'
Unlike Reina, who was just a close friend, Celia had been with Ariel since childhood, yet even she couldn't get through to Ariel.
Eventually, Reina had to find a new way.
The means of comfort she chose was food.
'Ariel liked winter strawberry smoothies, didn't she?'
If she made a smoothie using the winter strawberries her mother had sent, Ariel used to enjoy it.
She hoped that making it for her would bring back Ariel's smile.
So, Reina headed to her house on the outskirts of Ashlan, but….
"Huh? This is definitely where my house was, right?"
The village she hadn't visited in a long time had changed too much.
The house was gone. Reina's body trembled as she looked around.
'What is this?'
She hadn't taken a wrong turn. She had lived here her whole life, not long enough to forget the way just because she had been away for a bit.
The ground still bore marks indicating a house had once stood there.
This was definitely where her house had been. There was no doubt about it.
'So why is it gone?'
Where did her perfectly intact house disappear to?
At that moment, a thought flashed through her mind.
She recalled the villagers who had said there was no hope in Volkanov and that they needed to leave as soon as possible.
'Of course, father remained silent on such matters.'
Her father was essentially the representative of the farmers in the village.
What if the village's complaints about the Volkanov family had reached the ears of the estate managers?
'Could it be? What if Father was punished?'
It wasn't a trivial matter for a commoner to insult a noble.
Insulting the noble blood was an unthinkable offense.
Especially since the Volkanovs were not an ordinary family.
'Insulting the Count, the Empire's shield, wouldn't end with mere punishment.'
Such a crime could only be atoned for with one's life.
"No! No!"
She ran madly.
The village elders who widened their eyes at her and the children who begged her to play with them couldn't stop her.
Nothing mattered to Reina at that moment.
Unless she confirmed her family's safety with her own eyes, she felt she would lose her mind.
"Huff! Huff!"
How long had she been running through the village?
Her relentless feet finally stopped in front of a respectable house.
"What is this?"
It was a house she had never seen before.
Not as large as a mansion, but meticulously built.
Even without any knowledge of architecture, she could tell that such a house was not something commoners like her family could afford.
Clearly, someone of high status must live here.
'Could it be an estate manager? In that case, that person might…'
Might know the whereabouts of her family?
With that thought, she cautiously knocked on the door.
Thud!
After a short wait, someone opened the door.
At the same time, Reina's eyes widened.
"Reina? When did you arrive? You should have let us know you were coming…"
"Mom?"
It was her mother who came out of the house.
Why was her mother here? Reina was too shocked to move.
But the surprises didn't end there.
"Huh? Our daughter is home? Really?"
Her father appeared next, and Reina was utterly flabbergasted.
***
"Father, why are you here? What happened to our house? Please explain!"
"I've been telling you, this is our house now."
"What? Are you serious?"
Even after returning home, Reina couldn't shake her doubt.
This made no sense.
How could her farmer father have acquired such a house?
Though he was responsible for the village's farming, he wasn't wealthy enough to live in such a nice house.
'The exterior was impressive, and the interior is just as incredible.'
The cozy house had facilities to block the fierce winds, plush carpets, and exquisite interior design.
There were even decorations that one would typically find in a noble's home.
Was this really their house? It was impossible to obtain such a home even after a lifetime of labor.
Her father, noticing her disbelief, chuckled and continued.
"A lot happened while you were at Ark."
"A lot?"
"Yes. You must have heard that our region's potatoes have recently gained fame."
"I know that, but what does that have to do with you?"
"What does it have to do with me? I'm the one in charge of the potato farming."
"What?"
In charge? How could a commoner like her father be in charge of such an important estate matter?
"That's absurd. Baron Oliver is in charge of the estate's farming. Although he's known for not discriminating against commoners, he wouldn't appoint someone like us as the head…"
"I thought the same initially. But the estate decided that the person responsible for farming should be an expert in the field. That's why the Volkanov estate entrusted it to me. Baron Oliver, busy with sales, agreed."
"Then this house…"
Seeing Reina look around in disbelief, her father smiled proudly.
"Yes, Young Master Ian recognized my contributions and built us a new house. It's not just our house; the entire village has been renovated."
"The entire village?"
She was astonished.
Nothing made any sense to her.
How could her father, a mere farmer, have become a person of responsibility, and why would the Count's family repair the village?
The Volkanovs, who had always treated farmers with disdain, did such a thing? It was unbelievable.
But the surprises didn't end there.
"Father! Why do you address Ian as if he were someone respectable? He's a bad person!"
"Bad person? How can you speak that way about Young Master Ian! Did I raise you to be so disrespectful?"
"Father, what are you talking about? Have you forgotten? When I was young, during the famine, the Count came to our village! Don't you remember what Ian Volkanov said to you back then when he stood beside the Count?"
Ian Volkanov.
Reina's opinion of him was anything but favorable.
Besides being a rival to her friend Ariel, the primary reason was the deep wound he had inflicted on her family.
During the famine, when the crops had failed, Ian, who had been standing beside Count Killain.
"He said the crops failed because you didn't put your heart into them! He said the failure was because we didn't try hard enough! Have you forgotten that outrageous statement?"
Reina still remembered the words her father had said to her mother in a bitter outburst after returning home.
"What happened, dear?"
"The Count came because of the famine… but I had nothing to say."
"Why? What did he say?"
"It wasn't the Count. It was the Young Master and Young Lady who said various things. Their words still haunt me." "What did they say?"
"The young master said the crops failed because I didn't put my heart into it."
"What nonsense is that?"
What nonsense does it mean to say that it is not sincere?
Reina couldn't forget how Ian Volkanov had belittled her father's lifelong dedication to farming. She couldn't bear to see her father now honoring him with a respectful title.
"Have you forgotten that outrageous statement, Father? Do you know how much that hurt us…?"
She had cried through the night because of those words. Even though she wasn't the one directly affected, it had been unbearable. How could her father forget?
Fuming, she tried to contain her anger, but her father just chuckled as if he couldn't understand why she was so upset.
"I haven't forgotten. Thinking about it still makes me angry."
"Then why do you call Ian 'Young Master' with such respect?"
"What are you talking about? The one who made that outrageous statement wasn't Young Master Ian. He merely questioned why we insisted on wheat farming during a famine."
"What? What do you mean…?"
"The one who said the failure was because I wasn't sincere was actually Lady Ariel. It's truly concerning if someone so unqualified becomes the head of the family."
Reina's pupils started to tremble at her father's words.
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