Chapter 11
If the word coincidence ever had a purpose, it would be for moments like this.
“Wait, isn’t that…? Milady.”
Karlin called out to me in surprise.
And understandably so—because of who we’d just run into at the entrance of the mine.
“We meet again.”
“Well now, this must be a troublesome situation for someone who doesn’t believe in coincidences.”
Grand Duke Lahan responded to my greeting with a wry smile.
Of all people, we had the same destination.
“So, this was where you were headed.”
His gloved hand came into view.
The pair he’d bought earlier was now covered in the dirt and dust of the mine.
So he needed gloves just to use here and toss away later.
That explained why he bought gloves from a street stall, despite having finer ones in his pocket.
“You’ve already been inside, I take it.”
“This isn’t my first visit—but a lot has changed since the last time.”
“Are you planning to bid?”
“I was under the impression Mergen’s contract hadn’t expired yet.”
“If you really believed that, you wouldn’t be standing here right now.”
At my words, the Grand Duke pulled off his gloves and looked at me intently.
The setting had changed—from a market stall to the mouth of a mine—but the atmosphere between us was completely different.
“You seem to know a lot about this mine.”
“It became my responsibility, after all.”
“Deborah’s… no, Mergen’s matters, now in your hands.”
That reaction was getting familiar.
Every time Irene tried to do something, people acted like it was shocking.
As if they knew anything about her to begin with.
“This could get interesting.”
“What exactly?”
“Competition isn’t something you can do alone. Competing with yourself? That’s something fools say to make themselves feel noble. There are plenty of things in the world worth competing for—why waste time fighting yourself?”
“Surely many nobles are already eyeing this place.”
“Yes, but none of them can measure up to Deborah.”
How strange.
So many remember me—remember her—as someone exceptional.
He’s just another one of many who did.
And yet… because it’s Lahan, the man who always clashed with Deborah, it somehow feels different.
“Then I suppose I’m worse off than them. At least they’re not starting from the very bottom of the food chain like I am.”
“If anything, I’m in an even worse position.”
At that, a slow, curved smile formed at Lahan’s lips.
“You never know until you fight. And…”
And—
That one word hung between us for a moment. He looked as if he were caught in a memory.
“…you remind me of what it felt like when I first met Deborah.”
When did they meet again?
I tried to recall the first time Deborah met Lahan, but I must have been too young then. The memory just wasn’t there.
“So then, what’s your take—do you think the mining rights will go up for auction again?”
“Isn’t that why you’re here, covered in dust, trying to assess the value for yourself?”
“I wanted to hear what Mergen thinks.”
“There’s no need for that.”
I answered firmly.
“Hm. That’s not the same stance the rumors suggest.”
“What do the rumors say? That the Imperial family is desperate to sell off the rights?”
“Hah.”
Lahan chuckled as he turned to look back at the mine.
His gaze swept across the landscape in a bold arc.
“Do you really believe Mergen can handle this without Deborah?”
“We’ll know once we try.”
“The original contract was for five years. There are still three left. What difference does it make if it ends a little early?”
“If we intended to stop at five years, we wouldn’t have started at all.”
This mine was secured not for just five years—but for the next five decades, centuries even. It was meant to be the cornerstone of something far bigger.
“That must’ve been her intention, then.”
“And I don’t understand why you’re speaking about the past in front of me, when I’m right here.”
Lahan’s gaze snapped back to me, sharp and focused.
“It is my intention.”
Securing control of the conversation always comes first.
If I allowed myself to be treated like a mere stand-in for someone gone, I’d be dismissed in every future negotiation.
“I see. So, it’s your intention, then.”
“This mine won’t be taken—not by anyone.”
Not even by the Imperial family.
“Confident, aren’t you.”
Lahan folded his arms, his sharp gaze fixed on me from above.
His gaze drifted toward my flushed, reddened forearm.
Well, if I were him, I’d probably also be wondering how much to trust the bravado of a frail woman who flinched under mere sunlight.
His eyes eventually settled on the parasol in my hand.
“Looks light. Practical, even.”
Grip.
Of all things, I was holding a parasol in front of this man—not a sword, not a pen, but a parasol.
I tightened my grip on the handle.
“Your Grace! Would you like to take a look over there as well?”
Someone called out to Grand Duke Lahan, and his gaze finally turned away.
“I believe that’s enough for today. Prepare for departure.”
“Yes, right away! I’ll go bring the horses!”
His attendant, it seemed.
At his command, the servant scurried off to retrieve the mounts.
“Safe travels.”
I offered my farewell with the composed air of a host seeing off a guest.
The Grand Duke responded with a curious smile.
What is he thinking…?
I had no way of knowing.
And yet…
I overreacted. Too emotionally.
Just like I did back then, when I was desperate to protect what was mine.
Was it because he used to be my greatest rival?
Or perhaps I was simply falling back into old habits—habits I hadn’t yet shaken off, as shown by how I handled Henry earlier.
“Are you from the House of Mergen?”
A miner cautiously approached and asked.
I gave a small nod.
The man’s face lit up instantly.
“I’m the overseer of the mine! Everyone, come over here! Someone from House Mergen is here!”
At his call, the other miners gathered, watching with interest.
Just like back when I came here as Deborah.
I walked toward the mine with graceful, steady steps.
“The way the miners treat her is… quite different from how they treat us.”
Lahan spoke to his attendant, who had returned with the horse.
His gaze remained fixed on the woman walking confidently into the mine.
“The miners all but revere House Mergen like gods.”
“Why? I imagine it’s more than just business acumen.”
“I heard they hired people from dying villages as miners and paid them generously. They even funded repairs and provided aid to the towns—much more effort than one would expect.”
“Hmm. All that just to secure a few miners? They could find workers anywhere.”
“Exactly. No one knew how long House Mergen would even hold onto this mine, yet they invested anyway.”
Lahan fell quiet for a moment, recalling a conversation.
‘If we intended to stop at five years, we wouldn’t have started at all.’
So it hadn’t been mere bluster after all.
His eyes followed the pale pink strands of her hair, swaying in the sandy breeze.
“Irene Mergen.”
There wasn’t a single retainer or distant kin of House Mergen he didn’t know.
Yet she had always been an exception—shrouded in mystery.
He’d only seen her face for the first time at Deborah’s funeral.
She was Deborah’s twin, they said, but he had thought—perhaps still thought—that she resembled her not at all.
“Born of the same womb… maybe the blood isn’t so different after all.”
“Pardon? What do you mean, Your Grace? Could it be… you’ve taken an interest?”
His attendant’s comment drew a sharp crease between Lahan’s brows.
“Interest…”
For a fleeting second, a red silhouette overlapped in his mind with her pink hair.
“Let’s not define it just yet. I’m sure we’ll meet again soon enough.”
He smiled broadly as he mounted his horse.
With his towering frame atop the steed, he looked like a deity surveying the world.
His black hair whipped in the wind, and his crimson eyes lingered on Irene a moment longer before he turned away at last.
“Let’s go.”
I took a full tour around the mine.
Compared to the last time I saw it, there were more carts now.
“Um, about Lady Deborah…”
The overseer hesitated before finally bringing it up.
“There’s no need to worry. Regardless of whether Deborah is here or not, nothing about the work will change.”
“Oh, of course—no one would ever doubt House Mergen. We only grieve for her loss, truly.”
“I see…”
So, there were people here who mourned me too.
“The heavens can be so cruel…”
“Isn’t it always the capable ones who are taken early?”
“Even so, it’s hard to accept. You may not hear it aloud, but there’s not a single miner here who hasn’t benefitted from Lady Deborah’s generosity. That’s why we’re upset. That’s all.”
“Hey! Don’t go saying things like that in front of a Mergen lady!”
The other miners glanced at me anxiously and fell quiet.
“It’s fine. I’m grieving too.”
“L-Lady Irene…?”
“Speak.”
“Well… there’s a rumor going around lately that the mine’s ownership is about to change. And with all the noble visitors lately…”
So the rumor had already grown wings and spread in such a short time.
“To be precise, the mine has always belonged to the Imperial family. House Mergen has only been managing it.”
“Ah, well… it’s not really about who owns it, is it? What matters to us is who we end up working under. Honestly, everyone’s scared. If it falls into the hands of some ruthless noble, we might all lose our livelihoods…”
“Don’t worry.”
“Then… will Lady Irene be the one overseeing things from now on?”
There was a faint trace of uncertainty in their expressions.
It seemed they still found it difficult to trust me completely.
“Until someone more suitable is found, I’ll take responsibility.”
“Then what about the nobles who’ve been coming around…?”
“There’s no need to entertain every noble who shows up uninvited. Just say it’s too dangerous right now and turn them away.”
“Y-Yes, understood.”
Just as the conversation was finally settling smoothly, a commotion stirred at the entrance to the mine.
My gaze naturally turned toward it, as did the miners’.
“Hey—what are you doing here?!”
The loud arrival… turned out to be someone from my own family.
