hotmtlnovel Chapter 111
Chapter 111
In the early 1900s, even on Earth, vacuum cleaners were developed.
Penelope worried that the development of vacuum cleaners might suddenly put countless servants out of work.
As a result, she decided to temporarily delay their development.
Stretching her arms, she let out an involuntary groan. Giselle, clicking her tongue in disapproval, spoke up.
“You should take breaks occasionally, my lady. Otherwise, you’ll wear yourself out.”
“I’ll do just that.”
“Oh, by the way, the Treasurer mentioned that he’ll be leaving soon. You might want to head out now.”
“Already? Was that scheduled for today?”
Penelope quickly left her bedroom. Just then, the Treasurer appeared in the hallway, already wearing his coat, with Sein following closely behind.
Upon spotting Penelope, the Treasurer bowed his head.
“I’m glad I had the chance to say goodbye to you before leaving, my lady.”
“Head to Halo ahead of me; I’ll follow shortly. I don’t think my stay in the capital will be very long.”
“Your ventures in the capital are going well, are they not? Please, don’t feel rushed to return. We can manage the estate just fine in your absence.”
The Treasurer’s tone was confident, and Penelope smiled warmly.
“It’s reassuring to hear that. Even so, I should be back before summer.”
After glancing around to ensure privacy, Penelope lowered her voice.
“You remember what I told you, don’t you?”
“Of course, my lady. I’ll begin preparations as soon as I return to the estate.”
The Treasurer replied with a serious expression, and the two exchanged a knowing look.
Penelope recalled the conversation they had shared the previous night.
“A railway is planned to pass through Halo territory.”
“W-where did you hear that, my lady?”
“Directly from Her Majesty the Empress. Construction is set to begin this summer.”
“...!”
The Treasurer’s eyes trembled, and he swallowed dryly. A railway would bring remarkable growth to Halo.
Penelope had given him clear instructions.
“Once you’re back at the estate, start preparing the area where the train platform will be built. Make sure the estate manages the land for the shops and inns that will spring up around it.”
“Understood.”
The Treasurer’s eyes gleamed as he responded, fully grasping the significance of her words.
“You’re leaving already, Grandpa Treasurer?”
It was Sein.
The Treasurer bent down with a kind smile, straightening Sein’s clothing.
“I’ll go ahead and wait for you, young master Sein. Stay healthy until we meet again, and listen to the lady, won’t you?”
“Yes, I will!”
Sein nodded firmly, his voice filled with determination.
Penelope chuckled softly and ruffled Sein’s hair. His face flushed red as he looked up at her.
“Take care on your way. Stay safe.”
“You too, my lady. And... no matter what decisions you make, you have my wholehearted support.”
“Pardon?”
Penelope blinked, momentarily puzzled. The Treasurer coughed awkwardly, a faint flush on his cheeks.
“Of course not. That’s why I can’t go to the palace.”
“....”
“Just don’t get lost and make sure you find your way home. You can manage that much, right?”
Ahwin stretched again, yawning lazily.
‘Find my way home? What am I, a child?’
Penelope debated whether to get angry at him for treating her like a troublemaker, but the exhaustion on his face held her back.
Then Ahwin spoke up in a disgruntled tone.
“You gave gifts to those noblewomen, to Betty, even to Yulis. When is it going to be my turn?”
“What?”
“You promised me a gift. Yet you’ve been handing things out to everyone in the capital except me.”
Oh, right! She’d completely forgotten.
Ever since arriving in the capital, she’d been so busy that repaying Ahwin had slipped her mind entirely.
Penelope felt a cold sweat running down her back as Ahwin narrowed his eyes at her.
“You didn’t forget, did you?”
“N-no, I didn’t forget.”
Anyone could tell she was lying. She squared her shoulders and tried to bluff her way through.
“...”
Ahwin gave her an exasperated look, then spread his hands wide, as if protesting silently.
Caught off guard, Penelope asked hesitantly, “What’s... that supposed to mean?”
“It means I’ll wait patiently until you finally give it to me. Just don’t forget.”
“I told you, I didn’t forget.”
Feeling cornered, Penelope snapped back defensively.
Ahwin let out a dry laugh and turned away, as if he’d decided to let it slide.
‘Thank goodness he’s letting it go... for now.’
Penelope sighed in silent relief.
***
Penelope, however, overlooked one crucial fact.
The longer you delay a gift, the greater the recipient’s expectations become.
And that expectation can weigh heavily on the giver.
‘I was planning to just buy something random that caught my eye while out in the market.’
But after two whole days of agonizing, she couldn’t think of anything suitable.
If she got him something mundane like a fountain pen, a wallet, or a pocket watch, Ahwin was bound to be disappointed.
‘He’d probably say something like, “Did you seriously take months to come up with this?”’
Even Penelope would be disheartened if she were in his place.
‘Honestly, I’ve been pretty shameless. Ahwin’s given me magical artifacts, expensive potions for free, and even his house in the capital. Meanwhile, I haven’t given him anything in return.’
Her conscience seemed to have taken a vacation.
Even the devil would be shocked by her audacity.
‘But what on earth should I give him? He’s not just wealthy; he’s the Tower Master. No ordinary gift will satisfy him.’
No matter how extravagant the gift, Penelope doubted it would impress him.
Her imagination spiraled into a vision of Ahwin scoffing as he received her present, dismissing it with a smirk.