The Military Doctor Excels at Being a Contracted Duchess - Chapter 61

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 61】

In the end, Angelm agreed to being adopted. Relieved, Ebel announced that she would go on a honeymoon but would return, even making a pinky promise.

Damian became quite sulky, but improved a little when she promised to buy him lots of gifts.

Several days passed like that, and today.

“Wow!”

Ebel arrived at Tarifa, a southern coastal city.

“My goodness, it’s really lively, isn’t it?”

Tarifa was the farthest city she had ever traveled from home.

Merchants putting large fish up for immediate auction after claiming they caught them. People loudly bargaining passed by.

Just by sticking her hand out the carriage window, the scorching sunlight rushed at her, while the salty wind brushed her nose.

What moved Ebel most was the sea rippling in the distance.

Vast nature itself that no paint could ever imitate.

“We’ll be staying here for several days.”

“It’s a hotel!”

The pure white building overlooking the sea had an elegant gold-plated sign.

The magnificent lobby built of marble was carpeted in red, decorated with fresh flowers everywhere, making it incredibly splendid.

There was even a separate telegraph room for guests’ convenience, as well as a banquet hall, conference room, billiard room, card room, and prayer room – a state-of-the-art hotel.

What surprised Ebel most was none other than the ‘elevator,’ with a uniformed employee in navy blue standing in front opening the door.

“This is my first time seeing an elevator, Victor!”

“We’ll have to renovate the manor due to the fire damage anyway, so I’m thinking of installing an elevator then too.”

“Really?”

It was very rare for Ebel to show her emotions like this.

Having observed Ebel’s reaction, Victor resolved to definitely install an elevator in the manor this time.

“What’s the principle behind this elevator? How can we avoid walking up stairs?”

“If you’re curious, I’ll call the manager.”

“Oh, that’s not necessary. I’ll look it up in a book next time. Ah, Ebel’s Brother would have loved riding this too.”

“Damian wouldn’t have wanted to get off, so it would have been troublesome.”

Gas lamps were densely mounted on walls with ivory-based wallpaper decorated with gold patterns, making it seem like it wouldn’t be dark even at night.

Ebel looked around here and there in admiration.

“How did they build a 9-story building?”

Moreover, as soon as they got off on the 9th floor, the first thing they saw was the open sea.

A shocking sense of openness, as if they owned all that blue.

“People look so small from here.”

“Indeed.”

“Many foreigners must come to this hotel too. When there are events. With so many gas lamps, it would shine especially bright at night…”

Ebel couldn’t bring herself to enter the bedroom, too busy looking at the sea.

Victor stood behind his wife and pointed to the vast ocean.

“Actually, they say when you look this way from that sea, it’s so dazzling. They call it the star of the land.”

“Star of the land… that’s a poetic expression.”

“Quite a few nobles deliberately change their routes to stay at this hotel. It’s a perfect place to stay briefly while ships load supplies.”

She could spend all day just looking at the sea here.

Ebel decided to just let her racing heart be.

What can I do about being so excited.

“Before coming here, I heard something from Lady Hermine. She said Tarifa has sailors of various nationalities living here, so the cultures are mixed too?”

“That’s correct. What’s especially famous is a drink called chupirrito.”

“That… lime! You mean the one where you cut lime and dip it in spicy powder? I wanted to try it.”

Naturally, there was no opportunity to eat street food within the Archduke’s Mansion.

The charm of travel is probably experiencing things like that.

“I heard they sell it here and there on the streets in the evening.”

The two had a pleasant conversation as they headed into the bedroom that the staff opened for them.

There was only one door on the 9th floor.

A special suite for the upper class, containing all the guest facilities mentioned earlier.

There were even servant quarters attached so servants could stay together, but they would remain empty throughout this trip.

Since they didn’t bring anyone.

Anyway, basic services like carrying luggage or buying things would be handled by dedicated hotel staff, so it didn’t matter.

If she had to wear formal banquet dresses, she might have considered it, but that wasn’t the case.

What Ebel would wear here were very ordinary dresses.

Things she could easily put on by herself.

‘Huh, but…’

There’s only one bed.

Ebel, who had entered the bedroom after passing through the elegantly decorated living room that would satisfy even the discerning upper class, hesitated for a moment.

Of course, they used the same room at the Bayern mansion too, but they slept at different times, and Victor usually tried not to stay in the same room.

Out of consideration for her, he would sleep in another room or deliberately rest in his study.

Knowing this, she felt sorry too.

But… well, here…

‘Will we really sleep in the same bed?’

After pondering briefly, Ebel decided to just go with the flow this time too.

It was somewhat irresponsible behavior, but after long consideration, she sometimes needed to do that.

This trip was the best opportunity for her to change herself.

“Where would you like to look around first?”

Today’s Victor was dressed in a simple shirt and brown pants.

It was clearly working-class clothing you could commonly see anywhere on the street, yet why couldn’t his presence be hidden?

“I’d like to go to the market first.”

“Would it be alright to go right away?”

“Of course. I’ve been in the carriage for so long, I want to walk.”

There were several reasons for wanting to go to the market first, but the biggest was this.

“Fresh cod that came in today! 5 shillings per crate!”

“Herring here! 4 shillings per crate!”

“Welcome, customer!”

Ebel, who came out to the street wearing a green skirt and white top, carefully memorized the merchants’ calls.

“The wholesale prices are quite cheap. Why is that?”

“The catch has been good these past few days. Plus, they’re graded. The highest quality goes out as pre-contracted stock, and what’s left goes to the market.”

Victor stopped in front of a shop selling smoked fish.

“Bayern purchases a considerable amount of this high-grade smoked stock. The price is set at a predetermined rate.”

“Then what came to the market is…?”

“What’s left after selling to Bayern. Since there’s enough quantity, there’s no reason to raise prices. It’s more profitable for merchants to move it quickly too. Since the catch continues.”

“Ah… so that’s why it’s cheap.”

“Yes. It’s a structure where they catch a lot from the sea, contracted stock goes separately, and the remainder is sold quickly. Most importantly, if market prices were raised, Bayern threatened not to buy from those vendors.”

Ebel nodded and fell into deep thought.

“War preparations are progressing well.”

“Yes. We should be able to meet our target preservation quantities. We plan to secure enough food for the entire south for at least 5 years, not just Bayern territory.”

What’s important in war?

A well-fighting army?

No.

It’s the supply lines that allow that army to eat.

“If necessary, we’ll gather southern people to Bayern and turn the entire estate into a massive base.”

Ebel looked up at the man standing under the sunlight.

She wasn’t the type to enjoy looking up at someone like this, but… her husband was certainly extraordinary.

She might have been able to corner him once, but not twice.

“I believe in you, Victor.”

And for Victor… those words were enough.

Ebel wandered around the market, buying and eating various things. She even tried some liquor served in a lime, but it was so strong she almost spat it out right away—that’s a secret though.

While watching sailors arm wrestle, people pushed them forward and Victor ended up participating.

Naturally, he won and earned prize money, which he used to buy a round of drinks for everyone who had gathered.

“What a spirited young couple!”

“You’ll live well together. Be happy!”

People who didn’t know their true identities laughed boisterously and congratulated them.

Ebel’s ears turned slightly red at being called a ‘young couple.’

She wondered if that’s really how they appeared to others.

That’s when it happened.

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