Episode 27. The Devil's Land
Martha's hand stopped as she was organizing documents related to the estate's supplies. It was a map. A map of the entire Valois estate was tucked between the papers. Maxim had taken it out while discussing the distribution of supplies with the Viscount Muller family.
Martha scanned it and stopped. The eastern edge of the estate. A single plot of land adjacent just outside the boundary line. There was no star mark. There was no color. It was just an empty plot of land.
Looking at it, Martha thought. That land. It was before the regression, when Martha was over sixty. Duke Claude summoned her to his study. Right there, he handed her a document. It was a land deed. It was a plot of land adjacent to the eastern edge of the Valois estate. It was quite substantial in size. The terrain featured a mountain below which a gentle slope continued.
Claude said.
"Because you have served the family for a long time."
Martha looked at Claude.
"You suffered as a vassal. Take this."
Martha took the deed and went to see it for herself. It was barren. Trees did not grow properly. The soil was a strange color. And it was muggy. It wasn't even midsummer, yet heat rose from the ground as soon as you stepped onto it. The villagers whispered.
"They say a demon dwells in that land. That if you go in there, you'll go crazy."
Martha looked at the ground as she listened.
"Why did Lord Claude give this to me?"
She thought he had dumped a nuisance on her. She felt it would be useless to keep it. Then, a few years passed. Something erupted from that land. At first, the villagers said it smelled. The smell of sulfur. Then, water began to rise from one side of the ground. It was only a little at first, but it grew larger and larger. It was hot water. It was hot spring water. It gushed.
When Claude heard the news, he sent laborers. Under Martha's name. He said he would properly develop the hot spring. A few years later, a large hot spring was built on that land. A hot spring in Martha's name. When Martha first saw that hot spring, she was speechless for a while.
"Why me?"
She was alone. She had never married. She had no children to leave it to. There was no one to enjoy it with. A hot spring had appeared. She died before she could even fully use it. Oh my, what a fate. It used to be like this, but this time it's different. She's going to build a hot spring early on, spend all that money lavishly, and then die.
Besides, since it was a hot spring for the nobility, she never even got to dip her body in it, even though it is her own. Now, even if her body swells up and bursts, she's going to stay in the hot spring for several hours a day. She'll sign documents there and eat her meals there too.
Martha wrapped her rising heart in a deep breath, took her eyes off the map, and immediately called for Maxim.
"Butler Maxim."
Maxim entered. Martha pointed to the map of the estate and said.
"Is this land here currently our property?"
Maxim looked at the map. Over there...
"No. It is adjacent to our estate, but I understand it is empty land. It is land that no one has used for a long time."
"Why?"
"There are rumors that it is cursed land. It is a place the village avoids because they say a demon dwells there."
Martha's eyes widened at those words. A glaring glint. Just as she thought.
"It used to be managed by the Imperial Household, but even that fell through, and now it has become empty land."
Maxim stopped, watching the look in her eyes. Martha said.
"Let's go buy the land."
At the moment Martha spoke, Maxim froze. Lucy heard the story and said.
"My Lady, you are buying cursed land?"
"Yes."
"Surely you don't believe in the devil?"
Martha looked at Lucy.
"I do. A devil who possesses a very great piece of land."
At these words, Lucy froze. Martha continued.
"He is a very good devil."
Lucy was speechless. This story reached Edward's ears in an instant. It must have been clear that Maxim had gone to Edward and asked him to dissuade the Lady.
Upon hearing the news, Edward rushed over to find Martha. Then, pointing to the land on the map Martha had spread out, he looked at her.
"Serena, you are buying this land?"
"Yes."
"But it is cursed land."
"It is a good curse."
Edward looked at Martha.
"Where is there a good curse?"
"There is."
Edward looked at Martha for a moment and said.
"I'll go with you."
"Thank you."
Edward muttered as he left, looking bewildered.
"A good curse..."
Finding the landowner wasn't difficult. It was in a neglected state, as no one paid it any attention. Many people had simply left it there, deeming it useless. Edward met with the manager in charge and negotiated. The price was ridiculously low. After all, it was land that no one wanted to buy. It was land rumored to be cursed. It was land that only required maintenance costs. Edward looked at Martha as he took the contract.
"Is this right? At this price?"
"Yes."
"It's too cheap."
"I'm buying it because it's cheap."
Edward looked at the contract, then at Martha.
"Are you really going to buy it?"
"I already bought it."
"It's cursed land."
Martha said as she stamped it.
"It's a good curse."
Edward said, looking at the contract beside her.
"... That's enough. It's your land."
As Martha put down her stamp, she thought to herself. It's my land. It's back in my hands.
"I'm going to make the most of this time."
After signing the contract, Martha returned to the mansion and reported to Claude. Claude looked at the documents, and his eyes widened. He checked them several times as if he couldn't believe it, then looked at Martha, and his expression immediately hardened. It was a look of utter devastation. It was the same look as the old Claude she had seen before. Thinking, 'She's caused trouble again.'
"You bought this land?"
"Yes."
"This is a useless piece of land. It has been abandoned for a long time."
"There are rumors that a demon possesses it, so even the villagers avoid it."
Martha looked at Claude.
"That's why it was so cheap."
"Even if it's cheap, a useless thing is useless."
Martha thought for a moment before speaking.
"Father."
"Yes."
"I'll give you a giant bathtub as a gift soon."
Claude looked at Martha. Martha grinned and left the study. Claude stayed behind to mull over those words. A giant bathtub. What does that have to do with that land?
The next day. Martha went to the land with Edward. They were going to see it for themselves. They stepped out of the carriage and onto the land. Sweltering heat rose to their faces from the very beginning of the ground. Since it was hot land, naturally, not a single blade of grass grew. Edward was seething with anger that they had bought such land without even seeing it. So, he was preparing to walk around the land and give Serena a good scolding.
Martha, completely oblivious to Edward's mood, walked around this sweltering ground while leisurely fanning herself. Her expression was so irritating that he wanted to give her a good smack. That was about it. Edward said.
"It's really muggy."
"Yeah."
"It's winter, so why is it so warm?"
Martha walked, looking at the ground. The soil was a strange color. What kind of plants could have grown in such strange soil? The trees hadn't grown properly either. It would be more accurate to say they had withered and died rather than not growing. And there were rocks here and there. In some places, faint smoke was slowly rising, accompanied by a peculiar smell. As she examined them, Martha thought.
'Right. This is it. It's just as it used to be. It has come back into my hands.'
Lucy followed, saying.
"My Lady, this is a really strange land. Why is it so warm?"
"There is a good reason."
"What is it?"
Martha stopped in front of a rock. She looked around. A worker had been following her, holding tools. Martha gestured for him, and he stood in front of her.
"Hit that rock."
The worker looked at Martha.
"Yes?"
"Hit that rock with the pickaxe."
The worker looked at Edward. Edward looked at Martha and nodded. The worker stood in front of the rock holding the pickaxe. Then, after glancing at Martha's face and tilting his head, he struck the rock Martha had pointed to with all his might.
Crack.
Instantly. Water burst from the crack in the rock. Along with hot steam. The worker screamed.
"Ouch, that's hot!"
"Ouch, it's hot!"
The worker stepped back. Edward froze, and Lucy's eyes widened. The water continued to gush out. The rock continued to expel water with a steady force, its end unknown. Hot, white steam rose. The worker looked at his hand and said.
"Water is coming out!! Ouch, it's hot! It's hot spring water!!!"
Water gushed out from the crack in the rock from which the steam was rising. Edward watched the scene, then looked at Martha. Martha had been standing there watching the scene. Her face was radiant, as if she had everything in the world. But there was something in her eyes. And Serena raised both arms high and shouted.
"Eureka!!!"
"Serena, calm down."
Martha looked at Edward. Edward looked at the gushing hot spring water, then looked at Martha
"...You knew?"
"You'll learn as you live."
Edward froze. Lucy looked at the hot spring water, then at Martha, then at the hot spring water. Then she took out her notebook and began to take notes.
The hot spring had burst. The Princess knew. As you live.
The worker said, still waving his hands wildly.
"It's real hot spring water! It's hot and smells of sulfur! The water is gushing out!!!"
Edward stared blankly at the gushing water. Watching this, Martha thought to herself.
'Duke Claude, this time I will give you a gift. The giant bathtub you wanted so much. One that gushes out hot water. I will make proper use of it this time.'
The corners of Martha's mouth curled up.
Inside the carriage returning to the mansion, Edward spoke with a still dazed expression.
"The cursed land was a hot spring."
"Yes."
"How did you know?"
Martha looked out the window.
"If the ground is warm, the trees aren't growing properly, and there's a smell of sulfur, a hot spring is nearby."
She said. Edward looked at Martha.
"How would you know that?"
"You just live it."
Edward looked at Martha for a moment and said.
"You really are something."
"What do you mean?"
Edward said, suppressing a laugh.
"I'm going to report this to Father."
"I can tell him I'm gifting him a Great Bath."
Edward looked at Martha.
"What do you mean?"
"If I tell him that, he'll know."
Edward thought for a moment, then his eyes widened.
"No way."
Martha said, looking out the window.
"I'm going to build the Duke of Valois's hot spring here."
"Containing all sorts of herbs grown on the estate."
"Serena will get rich in no time; life goes by."
Edward stopped speaking and burst into laughter. Edward laughed frequently throughout the carriage ride back to the mansion. Enough to make anyone think he was crazy.
Martha looked out the window and laughed inwardly. Lucy jotted it down in her notebook.
The Young Master smiled. The Princess plans to gift her father a hot spring. That was the meaning of the Great Bathtub. Life goes by.
[Lucy's Secret Shock Journal - Episode 27]
The Princess Bought Cursed Land Today.
Shock No. 1: The Princess was looking at the estate map when her eyes suddenly widened. "Let's go buy some land," she said.
When told it was cursed land, she replied, "It's a good curse."
Shock No. 2: The land price was ridiculously low. Young Master Edward asked, "Is this price right?" but the Princess replied, "We're buying it because it's cheap." She signed the contract.
Shock No. 3: Reporting to the Duke, she said, "I'll present you with a giant bathtub soon." She came out grinning. The Duke sat there in a daze.
Shock No. 4. They went to the land. She told a laborer to hit a rock with a pickaxe. The laborer tapped it. Hot spring water gushed out. The laborer shouted, "Ouch, hot! It's hot spring water!!!" Young Master Edward froze.
Shock No. 5. "How did you know?" the Young Master asked, and she replied, "As life goes by." Today is Episode 2 of "As Life Goes By."
Shock No. 6. The Princess said she planned to present the hot spring to her father. That was the meaning behind the giant bathtub. The Young Master smiled in the carriage. The Princess already knew. That the cursed land was a hot spring.
I wonder if you really come to know everything as you live. I still don't know.
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