Flare woke before the sun had fully risen. A small shiver ran through her.
It was spring. Quinta lay in the southern part of the country, a warm region known for its mild winters-the sea winds kept snow from falling here.
But the early morning was still cold, and with most of her clothes discarded, a single blanket wasn’t enough to keep the chill away.
Beside her lay Kyle Walker.
Last night had been their wedding night. As his wife, she had fulfilled her duty, giving him her virginity.
Careful not to wake Kyle, she slipped out of bed, gathered her undergarments, and draped a light robe over her shoulders. Then she quietly left the room and tapped on the door of the adjacent chamber.
”Taris?” Flare called softly. “Are you awake? I’d like you to accompany me…”
”Yes, just a moment, Lady Flare,” came the reply-a whisper barely audible through the door.
Taris’s voice answered without hesitation. Was she awake already? Or had she been trained to wake at the sound of Flare’s voice? Either way, less than forty seconds later, Taris appeared in the doorway.
”I apologize for the wait, Lady Flare. Where to?”
”Last night, I successfully fulfilled my duties as a wife. But as a result, I find myself in need of… the bathhouse again. I’d like you to come with me.”
”…As you wish.”
In other words, Flare wanted to wash the blood from her first night from her lower body and change into fresh clothes. Taris understood without needing everything spelled out. She fetched proper clothes from Flare’s room-not her nightwear-and followed, carrying the bundle.
”I was thinking, after using it yesterday-it’s remarkably convenient, having hot water available at all times,” Flare mused, a small, amused laugh escaping her. “Especially in this cold weather. I admit, when I first heard he’d spent a fortune developing a device just to heat water, I questioned his sanity…”
The device Kyle had developed was exactly that: it drew water through one hose and released it from the other at around 40degC. That was all it could do.
A Magicraft Device, in this world, was a machine powered by arcanos-crystallized magical energy extracted from gemstones called magic stones.
Magic stones themselves were rare. Naturally, their prices were astronomical. And the number of mages with the talent and skill to extract and crystallize arcanos from those stones was even smaller.
So the cost of arcanos crystals rose even higher.
To put it in perspective: a single battery that could last ten years might cost a hundred thousand or more-comparable to a few years’ wages. A larger portable power source could cost millions. And after all that expense, the energy it provided was still weaker than animal or human labor, and useless as a weapon.
That’s why researchers who tried to build machines powered by such energy were seen as eccentric crackpots.
And Kyle-who had poured a fortune into a Magicraft Device that did nothing but heat water to bath temperature-was, by any worldly standard, one of those crackpots.
Yet using it, there was no denying its convenience. The problem was simply that the cost didn’t justify it-after all, why not just boil water the normal way?
And if you boiled it the normal way, you could also use it for cooking or tea.
”So the rumors are true, then,” Flare said, her voice carrying a hint of dry amusement. “He really is an eccentric… His values are different from normal people?”
”That may well be, my lady,” Taris replied. “Indeed, I do believe Lord Kyle has a rather unusual perspective.”
They chatted as they reached the bathhouse. Flare activated the water heater, and the cold, leftover bathwater quickly warmed, filling the bucket.
She washed her lower body, and a dull ache shot through her groin. As she rubbed away the dried blood of her first night, the water turned pink and swirled down the drain. Rising steam caught the lamp’s glow, scattering orange light.
”How tragic..,” Taris murmured, her face drawn as if she herself had been wounded. “For one such as Lady Flare to be wed to such an odd man…”
But Flare’s clear voice cut through.
”Taris,” Her tone was firm but not unkind. “I chose to become his wife. So watch your tongue. Lord Kyle is my husband-and he is also your master.”
”Forgive me, Lady Flare.”
”It’s all right. I know you say it out of concern for me,” A soft smile touched Flare’s lips. “But I’ve come to rather like this marriage. Somehow I feel that tomorrow-no, today already-it’s going to be enjoyable.”
Taris felt it had been a long time since she’d heard her mistress sound so genuinely cheerful. Certainly, since the so-called Bridal School, she hadn’t seen this smile. She didn’t understand what Flare saw in Kyle Walker. But at least that part-her mistress’s happiness-was good news.
”Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
When Kyle woke and found Flare not beside him, he briefly wondered if it had all been a dream. But this wasn’t his usual bedroom-it was the room he’d given to Flare-and her scent lingered on the sheets.
He went to the bathhouse and found signs that someone had used it. Hurrying to wash up and heading to the kitchen, he found Flare already there, elegantly sipping tea.
”Oh… uh, yeah. Morning,” Kyle managed, his face going red.
The events of the previous night came flooding back. How could she be sitting there so calmly, sipping tea like nothing happened? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Shouldn’t she be the flustered one?
”Did you sleep well?” Flare asked, her gaze serene. “Martha’s tea is quite lovely-I’ve taken the liberty of starting without you.”
She woke at the same time as usual, but the morning bath had delayed her arrival. In this world, he could roughly tell the time from the sun’s position or the church bells, but without minute-by-minute precision, it was frustrating-so different from the world he’d left behind.
Breakfast wasn’t ready yet. Normally if he overslept, Martha would come bang on his door-but she hadn’t today. Which meant she’d intentionally adjusted the schedule, anticipating he’d wake later.
(Which means Martha and the other servants are all thinking, “Ah, newlyweds-they had a busy night,” aren’t they?… Well, I mean, they’re not wrong.)
”Come, sit down,” Flare said, gesturing to the chair across from her. “Martha will be bringing breakfast shortly.”
”Right.”
He wasn’t sure who the master of this house was anymore.
”About today,” Flare began, setting down her teacup, “would you show me the maps of this territory? And if possible, the financial ledgers as well? I’d like to learn about the land where I’ll be living. And I did learn quite a bit at my father’s estate-I might be able to help.”
Over breakfast, Flare made this request. Kyle, still reliving every detail of the night before, and painfully aware that Martha and everyone else knew about it, was mortified. But Flare was already back in full operation mode.
”I was thinking we didn’t need to rush into that,” Kyle said, scratching the back of his neck, “but it’s great that you’re so eager. I’m happy you’re taking an interest as my wife. Let’s head to the study after breakfast. I don’t buy many books-they’re expensive and, honestly, not very interesting-so the room has become more of an archive and office.”
The truth was, coming from Japan-the holy land of manga and light novels-he found this world’s books dreadfully dull. Picture-book-level storytelling, all of it. So the study had become his workspace.
Kyle had no reservations because Flare seemed competent-and if she’d learned anything from her father, Jack, she might be exceptionally capable.
As they talked, Martha summoned him as soon as the meal ended.
”Master Kyle! Just a moment-come with me, please!” Martha’s voice was urgent, her weathered face creased with concern.
”What is it, Martha?” Kyle asked, puzzled. “I was about to go with Flare-“
”Just for a moment!”
Martha dragged Kyle to the servants’ quarters, looked around cautiously, then lowered her voice.
”Master Kyle, this is strange!” she whispered, her eyes darting nervously. “A bride who, the very morning after her wedding, wants to know about lands and money-I’ve never heard of such a thing! There must be something behind this…”
”Behind what?” Kyle replied, raising an eyebrow. “House Regal is richer than us-they have bigger lands too.”
”Then perhaps she’s trying to expand even further,” Martha pressed, her tone darkening, “or bring us under their control…”
Their territories weren’t even adjacent. House Regal’s lands were a fair distance from Quinta. That seemed unlikely. Besides, if his father-in-law Jack wanted him as a vassal, Kyle honestly wouldn’t mind. Hmm.
”Martha, I think you’re overthinking this,” Kyle said, shaking his head. “Flare treats me sincerely. She married into Quinta, and now she’s genuinely trying to contribute. I think that’s great, actually.”
”But a woman meddling in land management and politics..,” Martha’s voice trailed off, her expression troubled.
”There are people like that, aren’t there?” Kyle countered with a shrug. “Anyway, I trust Flare.”
”Oh..,” Martha clutched her chest dramatically. “The young master has been bewitched by that wicked woman of House Regal…”
Well, he had been bewitched-he couldn’t deny that. But Martha was definitely wrong about this.
Incidentally, besides Martha, four commuting servants had also come to work today. Their first impression of Flare and Taris wasn’t good-the two of them had an undeniable presence, an intensity that made the staff uneasy.
Kyle thought Flare’s deep blue dress today was beautiful-much more approachable than the black-and-red gown she’d worn yesterday.
Back in the dining room, Flare was waiting, chatting quietly with Taris.
”Sorry for the wait,” Kyle said, offering an apologetic smile. “Ready for the study? Taris, you can come too.”
”Yes, I’ll accompany you, my lord,” Taris replied with a graceful bow.
”Great-it’s this way.”
Kyle led the way, Flare following behind with an unmistakable poise. She looked less like a new wife and more like a lady surveying her domain-a mistress having her servant show her around. He was completely outclassed in presence.
But at night… she’d be under him, making those adorable sounds. Heh heh…
Thinking that, he didn’t care how they looked to anyone else. It only made the anticipation sweeter. Whoa, wait-now my head’s completely in the gutter. But he had to present himself as a capable lord-Jack had praised his territory management, after all. He needed to show his competence and put his new wife at ease. As it turned out, though, Flare was far more clever and capable than he’d expected.
”Oh, this guard-post construction project,” Flare said, tapping a finger on the map spread across the desk, “if you apply to the appropriate office in the capital, you could get subsidies for it. It would improve public safety.”
”Subsidies?!” Kyle’s eyes went wide.
”Also,” Flare continued, scanning the ledgers with a practiced eye, “I notice you’ve been having the same mage do all your arcanos crystallization. But he seems to be quite high-level-it’s inefficient to have him handle small jobs. For tiny crystals-no bigger than a fingertip-you could negotiate with half-trained mages who can’t find steady work and get them done more cheaply. In fact, since you use Magicraft technology so often, you might consider hiring a few of them full-time. And since that would create jobs, you might qualify for additional subsidies or incentives.”
Ah, right. Currently, he hired mages as independent contractors. But what if he brought them on as salaried employees? He’d never thought of that.
True, only a handful of mages had enough work to make a living that way. But if he offered a stable salary-guaranteed income even during slow periods-some would find it appealing. He might get arcanos crystals more cheaply and consistently. And if the government kicked in subsidies… that was even better!
Flare knew the country’s systems inside out-being from the capital clearly had its advantages. Though even in the capital, the norm was “women shouldn’t be involved in work or politics,” So Flare was probably exceptional-no doubt thanks to his father-in-law.
For a country bumpkin like Kyle, this was all new. Some of his projects could have qualified for subsidies-and he’d had no idea. What’s the point of having a system if you don’t use it? That lesson hit home.
Plus, there was no internet here-no government homepage listing available grants. Announcements were probably made, but in the countryside, information was slow and scarce.
Having a well-connected friend in the capital would have helped, but Kyle had never prioritized that-and his reputation as the Eccentric Lord had only made it harder. He’d never realized how much that cost him.
Flare also pointed out where merchants had overcharged him, suggested more profitable approaches, and offered other advice-all of it sound. Kyle had no choice but to listen. Some suggestions made him wonder why he’d never noticed the problems himself.
(Well, in my past life, I just did what I was told and moved cargo. I’m not good with numbers. Don’t have a manager’s mindset… I was blue-collar, okay?)
”That’s really helpful,” Kyle said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “I’ll apply what’s still possible now, and for the rest, I’ll keep it in mind going forward… I can’t believe half my merchants were ripping me off. I thought I’d bargained them down, but apparently not by your standards.”
”Your ideas themselves are excellent, Lord Kyle,” Flare replied, offering a small, genuine smile. “After all, you’ve been turning a profit without subsidies or aggressive negotiation. That’s ideal, really.”
That was a relief to hear. Ultimately, the people who made money in business were usually the ones who came up with the idea first-turning a zero into a one was the truly hard part. Though in his case, it was more cheating off his past life’s homework.
”It’s getting to be a good time,” Kyle said, glancing at the window. “We’ve looked at the maps-how about we go see the main sights in person? We can have lunch out. There’s something I really want you to try.”
”That sounds lovely,” Flare said, her eyes brightening. “I think it would help me get a feel for the place. And I’m curious-what could Lord Kyle possibly want me to taste?”
And so they told Martha they’d be eating out.
They’d be living here now, so Kyle wanted Flare to know the lay of the land.
Besides-he had a beautiful wife. Honestly, he wanted to show her off to the villagers.
”See? My wife is this gorgeous!”
So they prepared the carriage, hired one servant as driver, another as guard, and had the guard ride alongside on horseback.
The guard wasn’t a real knight-just an ordinary guy-but having an escort looked impressive. And Quinta was a peaceful, pastoral land with excellent public safety-he’d even set up a small guard post modeled after police boxes from his old world. But appearances mattered.
The carriage was simple compared to House Regal’s grand vehicle. But Kyle was confident it had one thing even that luxury carriage couldn’t beat-and he wanted Flare to experience it firsthand.
As they set off, Flare and Taris’s faces registered genuine surprise. Kyle was deeply satisfied.
”Barely any shaking…?” Flare murmured, gripping the seat.
”It’s more like… floating?” Taris added, her eyes wide. “The bumps don’t seem to reach us as directly…”
Heh heh-exactly the reaction he wanted. The carriage had a crude suspension system. He couldn’t build anything sophisticated, but as a former truck driver, he’d done basic maintenance and knew how suspensions worked. With a metalworking technology level that could produce springs, he could cobble together something passable.
”Did Lord Kyle come up with this?” Flare asked, turning to him with genuine admiration.
”Yeah,” Kyle said, unable to hide his grin. “Better for your backside, isn’t it?”
Carriages in this world had terrible ride quality. Passengers and drivers alike put cushions under their hips just to tolerate it. Hemorrhoids were common among drivers. Sitting for hours on end was bad enough-but with that constant jolting? Nightmare.
”Lord Kyle truly is a remarkable man,” Flare said softly, her gaze holding his. “How on earth do you think of these things?”
If I told you I stole it from another world, you wouldn’t believe me…
And so, swaying gently in the carriage, comparing the view outside with the maps, they made their way along the rural road. Their destination: Quinta’s fishing harbor-one of the liveliest places in the territory.
____________________To be continued
Trivia:
- Flare’s self-correction from “tomorrow” to “today” reveals her rapid psychological integration into her new life, signaling genuine commitment rather than resigned acceptance.
- The Bridal School reference implies a formal institution for noblewoman training, suggesting House Regal’s high social standing and Flare’s extensive education.
- Kyle’s invention of a water heater using arcanos crystals represents his unique blend of modern thinking and fantasy-world resourcefulness, a core theme of the isekai genre.
- The suspension system on the carriage is a subtle callback to Kyle’s past life as a truck driver, showing how his mundane skills translate into world-changing innovations.
- Martha’s suspicion of Flare reflects the tension between traditional aristocratic marriage politics and genuine emotional connection, a recurring conflict in the narrative.
- Flare’s detailed knowledge of subsidies and hiring practices demonstrates her father Jack’s influence and her own capability, subverting the expectation of a passive noble wife.
- The mention of hemorrhoids among carriage drivers adds a touch of grounded realism to the fantasy setting, enhancing reader immersion through relatable mundane details.