Raising the Grand Duke of the North as a Farmer Behind Dad’s Back - Chapter 41

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 41
My trembling gaze fixed on the scarf.
Whoooosh!
[Red Scarf imbued with Haniel’s Purification Power (x1,000)]
‘It’s done……!’
The other objective of this Eastern Region incident.
‘Passing half the Holy Power I earned to Father!’
At last…… I’d done it!
‘I synthesized 1,000 stickers and ended up with an XL size that was a bit too large, but…….’
I hesitated for a moment, then stuck the XL sticker to my own body—the same way I’d done it when purifying the pillar.
Then I breathed all 1,000 stickers’ worth of Purification Power circling my body into the scarf.
Thinking of Father, with all my heart.
And just like that, the effect seemed to complete itself as I’d hoped.
‘Father…….’
I clenched my lips tight.
My throat burned, and something nameless surged up, but I barely managed to swallow it down.
Truth be told, it was half a gamble.
There was no guarantee that the Duke Loweyn would point to the Holy Knight Dantelion.
Of course, if things didn’t go according to plan, I’d prepared to throw a tantrum and offer something else instead.
‘But according to my memories from my past life, Father was also inspecting the Crop Disease situation in the Eastern Region around this time…… and more than anything.’
I glanced sideways at the impressive gentleman before me.
‘I knew that the person the Duke trusted most at the Temple was Father.’
I’d heard that it all began when Father saved Duke Loweyn from nearly being killed by a monster long ago.
And right now, the Duke held me in extremely high favor.
So when I made this request, there was a high probability he’d choose the most renowned Holy Knight he knew.
And it turned out exactly as I’d predicted.
‘Things went well thanks to the cure!’
Of course, even without the cure, I’d intended to forge some connection with Duke Loweyn no matter what.
‘Because I already know about some of the events that will happen in the Loweyn Household later!’
Either way, that was something for later, but things were moving faster than expected.
‘……I’m so relieved.’
I clasped my trembling hands tightly behind my back.
‘I’m so, so grateful……!’
This autumn.
The fruits of my first harvest.
Had finally been delivered to Father too!
* * *
A few days later.
Carts arrived endlessly.
“Your Highness, the money…….”
“The purses……!”
The knights were at a loss for words.
“They’re being sucked into our treasury!!!”
It was the payment Duke Loweyn had sent.
Along with it came a steady stream of construction materials.
“Woooohoooo!”
Bounce-bounce. Haniel danced.
“Your Highness! We’ve become rich!”
“Ahem. You shouldn’t say it that way.”
“……?”
“You should say we’ve become wealthy—well, rather, filthy stinking rich.”
“We’ve become filthy stinking rich! Wahoo, wahoo!”
“…….”
Camila shot a look telling her to watch her tongue…….
“Though there’s quite a lot of material.”
“Ah. I hear tell he’s having a little library built for our precious one here.”
“What?”
As Camila spoke, Basil glanced down at Haniel standing beside him.
Just how far was this child planning to wrap people around her finger?
“You. Is it me you like, or the Duke Loweyn you like?”
“What? I’m sorry, what was that?”
Basil’s expression sank like a stone.
“You didn’t answer right away……?”
“Hmph!”
He was even pretending not to know!
In any case, the reward didn’t end there.
Squawk-squawk. Oink-oink. Moooo~
A cart was rolling in laden with blinking chickens, cattle, pigs, and goats.
Two bulls and two cows. Five sheep. Twelve chickens. About four pigs.
Since the village was small, it wasn’t a vast number. Especially with winter coming, there was no sense in blindly multiplying livestock.
‘I’ll need oxen right away.’
The harvested fields had to be ploughed.
With oxen, labor capacity would increase roughly tenfold.
The human ox Basil began dreaming eagerly of retirement.
Either way, additional livestock would arrive in spring next year, and the year after that, in spring — fed gradually to the village as it developed further.
“Animals! Animal friends!”
Hop-skip-hop.
Haniel danced again.
‘She’s in a good mood, it seems.’
The child was utterly thrilled.
Of course, I understood she was delighted — the medicine was selling well, and now she could raise the animals she’d always dreamed of.
‘But she’s awfully worked up, isn’t she?’
Basil let out a quiet chuckle and lifted Haniel into his arms.
The girl naturally nestled into his embrace, her eyes sparkling as she gazed ahead.
An unexpected wave of feeling washed over him.
‘……Just months ago, I couldn’t have imagined this.’
All because of this girl.
All because of this tiny little scrap of a thing.
The Northern Region…….
His entire life had been transformed completely.
“Little one.”
Basil called to Haniel softly.
“Hm?”
In that instant, Haniel’s eyes widened.
It was because of something quietly draped around her neck.
“This is……!”
“You said you’d lost it.”
A Red Scarf, knitted to a child’s size, sweet and perfectly proportioned.
The moment Basil heard that Haniel had lost her scarf, he’d sought out Helen and asked her to make it specially.
Along the hem were embroidered thumbs-up signs, trees, footprints, and little sprouts — like a child’s stickers arranged in colorful pattern.
“You said when you give something red with your first wages, you become even richer?”
“……!”
“I paid Helen to make it for you, so take it. Make me richer.”
“Wow……!”
To the giver, greater chances of wealth; to the receiver, fortune and happiness.
Haniel, now wearing the Red Scarf, wore an expression of genuine heartfelt joy.
“I’m so happy. I’ll really, truly treasure it!”
“Then do that.”
Basil gave a quiet laugh.
“But…… thank you, little one.”
Her rose-colored eyes widened slightly. Basil’s face was a touch bashful, but his tone was clear.
“For everything.”
Haniel, who had gone still for a moment, broke into a bright smile.
Then she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Basil leaned his head against her soft hair, gladly accepting the warmth radiating from her small form.
Even now.
He still doesn’t quite understand what “family” means, the way the world speaks of it.
A father and daughter’s bond?
That’s even more of a mystery.
He doesn’t even know if such a thing could truly become real.
But all at once…… it occurred to him that perhaps family isn’t something so complicated after all.
Simply eating together, struggling through hardship, finding happiness in the process, cherishing one another, crying, laughing, quarreling…….
Wasn’t that what family was—maintaining an ordinary, unremarkable life together?
‘Of course, I’ll never quarrel with this little fluffball.’
He patted the child’s back.
He knew Haniel still hadn’t accepted him as true family. But it didn’t matter.
Time was on their side.
Besides, what truly mattered wasn’t titles or appearances.
‘……young, and helpless beyond measure.’
And yet now an irreplaceable child.
My child. My…… family.
His heart felt constricted.
He couldn’t fathom what lengths he might go to for this child.
Basil kneaded Haniel’s soft cheeks, teasing her as usual, and she met his challenge without backing down.
Peaceful white clouds drifted serenely above their heads.
It was a season of abundance, autumn at its height.
* * *
A long, straight finger clicked open the box.
“This is…….”
Dantelion’s chin tilted slightly.
“I received it during an inspection tour.”
Duke Loweyn spoke with a generous smile.
“From a most devout believer. She wished for a bountiful harvest next year and asked that a renowned Holy Knight place it upon the altar as an offering.”
A red scarf woven from inexpensive yarn.
And a single, small barley stalk.
Dantelion held the barley stalk with careful reverence.
“I haven’t seen a crop in such perfect condition in a long while.”
“A small amount of barley and wheat happened to grow in a remote village at the far edge of the Eastern Region. Just enough for the village to sustain itself.”
“I see.”
Dantelion turned the barley stalk over in his hands for some time.
Temple priests and Holy Knights had been dispatched to the Eastern Region for Land Purification work. Dantelion served as their commander.
‘Curious. The Holy Knight commander’s complexion seems rather off.’
Duke Loweyn lifted his teacup, stealing a glance at the beautiful Holy Knight before him.
His austere robes and rigid bearing remained unchanged, yet his face bore an odd pallor.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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