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“Sweetheart, why did you come here?”
“I couldn’t find Grify and Finny, so I came looking for them.”
“But… why playground suddenly?”
“Papa said he would make a playground last time, but he didn’t.”
“Huh, did I……?”
When I blurted out at the end of my words as if I couldn’t remember it, Speranza pouted her cheeks, then said pointing at Bebeto, who was sitting across the table.
“That uncle promised to make it for me, but he didn’t. He’s a liar.”
“Oh, it’s a misunderstanding, Miss. I…I… no liar?!!”
Bebeto jumped up from his seat with the expression of someone who suffered from injustice. He hurriedly shook his hands and tried to explain his innocence while stuttering.
“Then, will you make it for me this time?”
“If the lord allows me, I will make the best playground in the Demon world.”
“Really?”
“Of course, Miss Speranza. I, Bebeto, have a lot of credibility in this industry. Trust me.”
He proudly pounded his chest, boasting about his credibility in the industry. Thanks to this, Speranza’s mouth, which had been inflated, slowly returned to its original state.
After receiving a promise from Bebeto, Speranza clung to my arm and acted cute.
“Papa Papa! Please make a playground Papa. Builder Uncle said he would make the coolest playground for me. Pleaseeeeeee Papa.”
“Haha…….”
The figure of Speranza scrounging for a playground was so lovely that I felt like my face would melt.
This feeling… I guess it’s a privilege that only a father with a daughter can enjoy.
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea to build a playground near the mansion. I think the children in the village can play together.”
“Yes, my Lord. Then I’ll include the playground as part of the design of the mansion.”
“As I said earlier I don’t want the mansion to be fancy, but instead, please make sure that the Playground is as sturdy and stylish as possible.”
“Yes. I will definitely look into it, my Lord.”
Even though I want to spend the money as efficiently as possible, I don’t want to think about the cost-effectiveness when it comes to things for my daughter.
“YAYYYY! Playground! Playground!”
Speranza was so happy that she threw herself into my arms.
“Oh…darling, do you like it?”
“Yes! I like it sooooooooo much.”
“Hahaha!”
Speranza waged her fluffy tail gently and smiled like a satisfied cat.
I couldn’t hold back the burst of laughter, and I laughed so hard that it resonated throughout the room. Bebeto also looked at us happily.
“Grify, Finny! Papa is going to make a playground for me.”
Biip?
Biip?
“If there is a playground, we can have a lot of fun. We’re going to go play every day.”
Biip! Biip!
Biip!
As soon as they heard the word “We’re going to play” the baby griffins got excited and started running around. Speranza also ran around the room with the two.
Looking at the happy children, I said to Bebeto with an awkward look.
“I’m sorry, Bebeto. The kids must be very excited.”
“Haha. It’s okay. It’s rather nice to see. Is there anything else you need? If you don’t, I’ll start designing based on what you’ve told me so far, my lord.”
I couldn’t think of anything else other than the playground that Speranza wanted. Just as I was about to nod, a big shadow fell to my side.
“Hmm. Don’t we need a workshop, too?”
A large Demon appeared out of nowhere and started talking about a workshop. I quickly recognized who it was without turning back.
“Ha… Why do you need a workshop, you already have one on the farm, Andras.”
“It’s a farm workshop. Don’t we need a workshop in the new Lord’s mansion? Trying to leave me out of such an important plan…… I’m really disappointed, Sihyeon.”
Andras sat quietly next to me and immediately began to talk to Bebeto. It was about the barriers and magic devices for the safety of the mansion to be built.
Starting with him, other farm members also appeared one after another.
“Um… I don’t need anything else. I just want the kitchen and the dining room to be pretty.”
Lia’s demands were quite reasonable, but that wasn’t the case with others.
“Senior, of course, we should make a training ground.”
“Why do we need a training ground…”
“There are many friends who train with me in Eldon Village. We need to make it for them.”
“Are you building a permanent residence? Then give me one room with the best view. It should feel like a vacation home so that I can take a break from time to time.”
Following Alfred, even Kaneff asked for something in the new mansion. And, by the way, I don’t understand what he meant by taking a break. Is he trying to take a break from taking a break?
In an instant, the room became chaotic with all the orders from the farm members. For a while, I had to sweat a lot while trying to mediate with the greedy farm family.
The plans for the construction of the mansion proceeded quickly.
Based on my opinion, Bebeto completed the design. The engineers also immediately started the foundation work.
When the news that the construction of the mansion had begun spread throughout the Eldon village, everyone rejoiced as if a festival had been held.
I never thought they would rejoice like this……
When I put on a bewildered expression, Lagos, who was looking at me, laughed and said.
“It is natural to be happy. Sihyeon building a mansion means you are going to stay here for a long time. It gives us the assurance that we will not be abandoned any time soon.”
“Is that really why they’re happy?”
I asked with a slightly dumbfounded expression.
“Maybe most villagers think that way.”
“Why would I suddenly leave when I’m the lord?”
“I don’t know… … Maybe it’s because you are so different from the greedy lords we usually know? If it’s the Sihyeon I knew, I feel like you wouldn’t care or regret it even if someone took away the land or the strawberry fields.”
“Huh…… Do I give that kind of an impression?”
I am not a monk who cut off attachments to the world or something. It was quite a bit of a shock that the villagers were looking at me that way.
At the same time as the construction of the mansion was carried out, another change occurred in the Cardis Estate.
It was the task of granting official positions to those who have worked hard to stabilize and develop the uneasy territory.
A rather shabby but high podium was prepared, and all the villagers flocked around it.
It was still awkward to be seen by so many people, but for today, I proudly stepped forward and stood on the podium.
“Mr. Lagos, please step forward.”
A Deerman dressed in neat robes stepped forward. He seemed very nervous that his steps toward the podium looked a bit awkward.
However, it was even more awkward for me to say the following words.
“You’ve contributed the most in stabilizing the unstable territory. I’ll give you a reward and a position worthy of your contribution.”
With the help of Andras, who was next to me, I handed Lagos a golden badge, a ring, and a letter of appointment.
“In the name of Sihyeon Lefmere Cardis, who rules the Cardis Estate, I appoint you as the administrator of the Cardis estate.”
When Lagos heard my declaration, he was very moved that his whole body trembled. He trembled so much that I was afraid he might fall down.
I said as I put the golden badge on his chest.
“I should have said it sooner, I’m sorry for saying it late. You did a great job, Lagos.”
“Oh, no, my lord. I will continue to work harder.”
Saying those words, Lagos kept bowing his head.
I held his trembling hands tightly, stopping his behavior. Only then did Lagos smile with a more relaxed face.
Great cheers and applause erupted from the villagers who were watching.
The next person on the podium was Reville, wielding stylish leather armor and a stiff cloak. Below the podium, vigilantes could be seen in similar outfits lined up.
I pulled out the appointment letter and a ring as I did before. The position assigned to Reville was “Defense Commander”. It was a position that was granted recognizing his contribution by leading the vigilante group and maintaining public security for a long time.
“Thanks to Mr. Reville, the residents of the estate were able to live safely. You did a great job.”
“Hmm. No, Sih…… I just did what I had to do, my Lord.”
Reville remained calm, unlike Lagos. The corners of his lips twitched softly when I gave him the golden badge.
The members of the vigilante under the podium, no, now the guards of the Estate, were also given a badge one after another. It was a badge indicating that they were the defenders of the Estate.
Greg and Heron were also seen among the group. The two had tears in their eyes when I gave them their badges.
Unlike the first time we met, the two have become more dignified, and I smiled proudly looking at that figure.
The next person on the podium was Locus with gorgeous blonde hair. He pretended to be calm on the outside, but annoyance poured out of his eyes.
I forced myself to hold back the laughter that was about to leak out and delivered the letter of appointment and ring to Locus. He was appointed as the ‘finance officer’ of the Estate.
Although his usual words and actions were that of a carefree person, he also contributed a lot in stabilizing the Estate. Considering that the period he worked in the estate was short, it could be said that he worked the hardest.
While I put the golden badge on his chest, I mumbled in a low voice that only he could hear.
“You did a great job, too, Locus. Thank you. Please continue to do your best as the territory’s finance officer from now on. And… drink moderately.”
Locus frowned for a moment as if he didn’t like the last words. However, he quickly managed his expression and greeted me politely.
As he went down the platform, the villagers cheered. Among them, Kroc, a large size Dragon descendent, clapped his hands the hardest and was delighted.
The last person to come to the podium was Elder Poco, the small Goatman.
He trembled much worse than Lagos. I asked him, supporting him with anxiety.
“Elder Poco, are you alright? Are you feeling uncomfortable?”
“Oh, no. My lord, it’s not that…… I don’t think I should be on this stand…….”
“What are you saying? Thanks to Elder Poco, we have been able to harvest many strawberries so far. Of course, you deserve to be here.”
I reassured the anxious Poco. When his tremors subsided, I carefully handed over the letter of appointment and the ring.
The position given to him was a Manager, who manages all the strawberry fields in the estate.
As I put on the golden badge, tears trickled down from Poco’s eyes.
“This is a great grace to me, my Lord, to this insignificant…”
“It’s not grace. You just got the reward you deserved.”
“Ugh… … Until this body continues to breathe, I will take care of the strawberry fields, my Lord.”
Not only I but also the villagers who were watching Elder Poco shed tears at his words.
At the end of the last appointment, I shouted looking at the villagers gathered around me.
“Today, Cardis Estate will take a new step forward. Let’s all celebrate this. I’ll pay for the food and drinks today. Everyone, enjoy to your heart’s content”
“Hurray!”
“Hurray!”
“Long live the lord!”
“Long live Lord Cardis!”