Chapter 38: Crumbling Foundations
[Villa Year 423, June]
Lately, nothing was going right.
Banaji Diner, head of the Diner Dukedom, was seething with frustration.
“Hey!
Still no new gold veins?
The last test dig was a failure, and we took a huge loss!”
“I understand, but finding veins is the hardest part of mining—”
“Shut up!
Don’t make excuses for your incompetence!
You’re fired!”
In a fit of rage, Banaji shouted at the mine manager.
The manager flinched, bowed, and scurried away.
‘Damn it!
Everyone’s useless!’
His father passed away a few months after Banaji’s marriage to Reina.
As the heir, Banaji inherited the Diner Dukedom and began managing the estate.
But crop yields started declining, and the Lilit gold mine, their main revenue source, saw dwindling output.
Feeling the crisis, Banaji pushed for new gold vein exploration and invested in new ventures.
None succeeded, and debts piled up.
At that moment, the door opened, and a cheerful “Banaji!” rang out.
“Look!
It’s a new dress from Madame Cynthia.
I’m wearing it to the marquis’s tea party.
I got it for that.”
Reina entered, twirling to show off her new dress.
“You bought another dress?!”
“Another?
It’s only my second this month!
Riana, the fashion leader, will be at the tea party, so I can’t lose.
Oh, I also ordered shoes and jewelry to match—they’ll arrive tomorrow.”
Banaji was speechless at Reina’s nonchalant attitude.
Madame Cynthia’s bespoke dresses, favored by royalty, cost enough for a commoner to live on for a year.
With shoes and jewelry, the expense would be astronomical.
“You already have plenty!
Return them now!”
“What?
Return them?
They’re custom-made!
The shoes and jewelry were just ordered today!”
Seeing Reina’s anger, Banaji’s frustration grew.
‘While I’m scrambling for funds…’
The Diner Dukedom’s once-plentiful coffers were nearly empty due to failed investments and Reina’s extravagance.
Tax revenue from the populace should’ve stabilized income, but poor harvests had slashed it far below expectations.
Something had to be done urgently, yet Reina, the dukedom’s lady, spent recklessly, flitting between tea parties and galas without a care.
‘I thought her naivety and silliness were cute, but marrying her was a mistake.’
Had he married Fine, she would’ve tirelessly worked to rebuild the dukedom.
Regret washed over him, though it was too late.
“Forget dresses!
What about the Divine Blessing I asked you to handle?
Crops are failing.
Your ‘Green Hand’ could fix it, so do something!”
“That’s impossible.
My ‘Green Hand’ only speeds up potted plants or keeps a rose garden pest-free.
Oh, have you seen the flowers in the greenhouse?
Aren’t they beautiful?
I used my blessing to grow them.”
Reina laughed brightly.
‘Using her blessing on greenhouse flowers?
For flowers no one sees?’
It was beyond disappointing.
Something snapped inside Banaji.
“Get serious!
Think about the situation we’re in!”
“What?
Who promised I’d ‘never want for anything if I married him’?
Breaking that now?”
“Back then, Lilit’s gold output was high, and we had years of bountiful harvests!
Things are different now!”
“It’s not my fault!
You’re the lord—you fix it!”
Banaji’s open frustration was met with Reina’s defiant retort.
“Useless man!”
Reina shrieked hysterically, slamming the door as she stormed out.