“My Lord, a convoy is coming.”
Rex followed her gaze into the distance.
On the dusty horizon, a massive convoy was heading this way.
At least a few dozen vehicles.
As the convoy drew closer, the most ornate carriage at the front broke away and headed toward the ancient castle.
Before the carriage had even stopped, the door swung open.
Li Ya jumped out. She wore a sharp cowboy outfit—a dark blue top tucked into high-waisted pants, with sturdy leather boots.
Mud splattered onto her boots and pant legs, but she didn’t seem to care at all.
“Miss me?”
Her voice was fast and bright, carrying an irrepressible excitement.
The moment the words left her mouth, she seemed to realize something.
Her smile froze for a second, and she quickly added, “I’m here to fulfill the deal! Don’t get the wrong idea!”
Rex looked at her, then at the massive convoy behind her.
“Are you going to tear down my castle and rebuild it?”
“It’s renovation, not rebuilding,” Li Ya corrected, her tone instantly switching to business mode.
“I’m helping you develop your territory—roads, farmland, houses. It’s all within the scope of our contract.”
“I never signed a contract.”
Li Ya snorted, lifting her chin slightly.
“Oral agreements are legally binding. According to Federation commercial law, that’s how it works~”
She drew out the last syllable with a self-righteous little triumph.
Rex looked at her serious expression and couldn’t help but laugh.
“Fine, if you say so. Thank you for your generosity.”
Li Ya’s face flushed bright red.
She spun around quickly, pretending to inspect the castle wall.
“Hmph. I don’t like owing favors.”
Her voice came from behind, muffled.
“You helped me so much. This little return is nothing.”
Li Ya had brought a full four or five dozen craftsmen.
The wagons were stacked high with tools and materials.
Leading them was a lean middle-aged man with a goatee—clearly a veteran.
“Let me introduce you. This is Gregor, the chamber of commerce’s engineering director. Half of the best roads in the Federation were built by him.”
Gregor bowed respectfully.
“Mr. Rex, I look forward to working with you.”
“Much obliged.”
Rex nodded and led the three of them to the potholed dirt road in front of the castle.
“The road needs to be done first. From here all the way to the riverbank, then to that farmland. Do you have enough materials?”
Gregor examined the road surface, then looked at the stone being unloaded from the wagons.
“More than enough. The foundation is still there. Just lay down gravel and compact it. I guarantee it’ll be finished in three days.”
“And the waterwheel?”
“Needs to be rebuilt. The original frame is completely rotted.”
Gregor crouched to study the riverbank terrain.
“The current here is fast enough. A large waterwheel can irrigate a big area. We have the materials. It’ll take about a week. As for the castle repairs, that’s simpler.”
He looked around the outer walls.
“New roof tiles, patch up the walls, repaint the interior. My people can finish it in a day.”
Li Ya listened intently, occasionally interjecting with highly professional questions.
Gregor answered each one.
She nodded and jotted notes in her booklet.
Rex watched her profile and suddenly thought she looked quite pretty when she was serious.
“What are you looking at?”
Li Ya asked without lifting her head, as if sensing his gaze.
“Nothing.”
“Hmph~”
Gregor tactfully stepped aside to direct the unloading.
Li Ya closed her booklet and turned to face Rex.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing!”
She said quickly.
“I’m just… doing the math.”
Rex didn’t press. Instead, he pointed into the distance.
“There are a few households over there. I want them to help too.”
“What kind of people?”
“Hunters, lumberjacks. They’re old residents of the North. They know this land better than anyone.”
Li Ya paused, then nodded.
“I’ll pay their wages.”
“No need.”
“But it’s in our contract.”
“That’s your contract, not mine.”
Rex looked at her.
“They’re people of my territory. They work, I pay. That’s my rule.”
Li Ya was momentarily stunned by his gaze, then quickly turned away.
“Th-then suit yourself.”
Soon Rex called over those households.
The old hunter, the lumberjack Sair, the old woman from the riverbank and her family.
They stood in front of the castle, staring at the swarm of craftsmen and wagons, flustered with amazement.
“This is President Li Ya of the Granchester Chamber of Commerce. She brought people to help us build roads, a waterwheel, and houses.”
Sair’s eyes grew red as he looked at the piles of stone and timber.
In his whole life, he’d never seen such good wood.
“You know this land better than anyone. You decide how the roads should be built, where the waterwheel goes, what needs fixing first. These craftsmen will take your orders.”
“Lord…”
The old woman began, her voice hoarse.
“This… we can’t possibly…”
“Nothing to be embarrassed about. You’ve lived on this land your whole lives. You know it better than I do. I provide the money and manpower; you provide the ideas. It’s settled.”
Li Ya stood behind Rex, watching.
Her expression didn’t change, but there was a soft light in her eyes.
“You’ve all heard Mr. Rex. Time is tight and the work is heavy. Let’s get started!”
The craftsmen answered with a shout and dispersed with their tools.
Sair and the old hunter followed Gregor to survey the route.
The old woman led some young people to move stone.
The open ground in front of the castle suddenly came alive, breaking the centuries of silence in the North.
Rex stood to the side, watching the busy crowd.
Li Ya had quietly walked up and stood beside him.
Neither of them spoke; they just watched the workers in silence.
After a long while, Rex suddenly turned to her.
“Thank you.”
The tips of Li Ya’s ears turned red.
She was about to say something when Rex’s next words followed.
“By the way, where are they staying tonight?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve already booked all the inns in Wangfeng Fortress at a very fair price. Enough for all of them.”
“All the inns?”
“Yes, it’s all part of the project cost. Oh, and this project will take some time. Coming back and forth would be too much trouble.”
She paused, then said with a hint of shyness, “I don’t mind staying here a few days. That’s okay, right?”
Rex glanced at her, then turned to Hilda.
“We do have a spare room, my lord. It’s just a bit small.”
Hearing that, Li Ya quickly strode over to Hilda and grabbed her hand.
“No problem, no problem! I’m not picky!”
Her voice was fast and urgent, afraid Hilda would change her mind.
“Any place to sleep is fine! A study will do! A storage room too!”
Hilda looked down at the hand gripping hers, then up at Li Ya’s excited face.
She gave a faint smile.
But Rex, watching from behind, felt something was off.
‘Hilda didn’t resist?’
Normally, she would instinctively avoid anyone other than himself touching her.
But now she just stood there quietly, letting Li Ya hold her hand.
Was she even…
Smiling?
Rex rubbed his eyes.
‘I must have seen wrong.’
Li Ya seemed to realize she had gotten too excited.
She let go, took a step back, and cleared her throat.
“Th-then it’s settled.”
Though her tone remained neutral, the blush on her face betrayed her excitement.
“I’ll go check on how the craftsmen are doing.”
She turned and walked away, her steps quick as if she were fleeing.
Rex stood still, watching her figure disappear into the crowd.
“My lord, she’s very happy.”
“Yeah… I can tell. But I’m more curious about why you let her touch you.”
“Because I can see her heart clearly, so I don’t dislike her.”