“Did you not hear anything about the mine from Ines?”

Carson realized from Andrew’s attitude that he knew nothing and decided to keep his mouth shut for now.

“Which mine are you talking about? We have a small iron mine that’s easy to manage.”

“No, Ines will probably inform you.”

However, at that moment, Andrew was more shocked by the fact that Carson referred to his daughter as ‘Ines.’

Then, the hostess of the Swalden estate hurriedly appeared in the reception room.

“Your, Your Highness, I apologize. I said I would prepare quickly but…”

“It’s fine. You can simply call me a Count or a Lord.”

“Yes, My Lord. Would you like some breakfast?”

“I’ve already eaten.”

He gently refused with a soft smile. Now that he had even charmed the hostess, there was no reason to stay any longer.

The soft smile, enough to melt anyone’s heart, left the Lady of Swalden momentarily dazed. She had golden hair, exactly like Ines. A color that could not be replicated by any paint. Seeing her, his expression softened.

“I now wish to see Ines…”

“Yes?”

The Lady of Swalden was also surprised to hear the Lord refer to her daughter as ‘Ines.’

“I will call for her to come here.”

“No, I will go to where she is, if she’s not in her room.”

The Lady looked around frantically. Then, a long-serving maid approached and informed her that Ines was currently in the garden.

“I’ll go to the garden then. I don’t need to be guided. I saw the way there when I took a walk with Ines last time.”

As he stepped out, Noah followed him.

“Stay here. Have a conversation with the Lady of Swalden.”

Noah obediently listened.

Today, there was to be a sudden meeting about railway franchise rights at the palace.

Though they were ill-prepared, there was no alternative. The route they prepared was longer than what Drofinua had proposed and had not been fully surveyed yet.

But he had massive funds and had secured significantly more iron for the railway tracks.

He absolutely had to get it. The railway franchise rights.
My lord had said so. The person connecting the railroad from the northwest end to the southeast end of the empire would be the most powerful in the empire.

And the journey began, linking Hwangseong to Randhill, and then to Lusonia.

The reason for visiting this place today was clear. To gain permission from the woman who would become his wife before receiving the Emperor’s consent for marriage in Hwangseong.

Carson was one who would never act until everything was certain, but this time was an exception.

He was uncomfortable with how quickly everything was moving, so he couldn’t even get a wink of sleep last night.

As soon as his lord’s figure disappeared out the door, Noah smiled and looked at the married couple. While his lord was in the garden, finding a beautiful woman to romantically resolve matters, he had to find out the scale of the dowry of the noble family in a completely non-materialistic way.

Moreover, he had to carry out his excessively romantic lord’s order of not receiving that dowry at all.

In the empire, a woman’s dowry meant dignity.

It was also his ability to not be able to bring the dowry without hurting dignity. He let out a sigh and ordered a warm cup of tea.

However, before he could take a sip of tea, an unexpected question shut Noah’s mouth.

“Is it a trend for a man to go to a woman’s house and ask to meet her daughter at the pond?”

“Pardon?”

Elena Swulden, Ines’s mother, was just as peculiar a woman as her daughter.

“Or is it natural for a noble to randomly call a woman’s name?”

“Would that be the case?”

“So…?”

“You’re correct in what you’re thinking. Our lord plans to propose to the Swulden family soon. As soon as he receives the Emperor’s permission on this trip to Hwangseong.”

“No way…”

“Honey!”

Shocked by his wife’s abrupt words, Andrew yelled.

Noah closed his eyes for a moment, not knowing how to react.

In truth, Noah was skeptical about how Ines, who had accepted the proposal, would react. She was a woman whose inner thoughts were unfathomable.

The beautiful woman he was meeting in the garden had never once shown the same feelings as his lord. The atmosphere inside the reception room was the same.

Carson’s feelings were not based on soft emotions like love, so he would not suffer a great shock from a broken heart.

However, he was not someone who could imagine rejection. Perhaps for the first time since he was born, his lord might experience something bitter called rejection.