Chapter 40: Krueger Estate
The usual morning rays flooded his vision. Naturally, the light filtered through his eyelids and pulled him from his slumber. Luke only expected the sun to be in his eyes, not a system screen.
[New Task: Prove Her Power]
[During your birthday party, Valeria must prove that she has regained her mana to all in attendance. The means to accomplish the task do not matter.]
[Reward: Spouse Ability - Shared ???]
[Penalty: Destruction of Valeria’s Mana Core.]
Luke smiled.
The system had read his mind.
His plan was already to show off her power to her family, to prove that they had given up on her too early.
The task was just a consolation prize.
Luke planted his feet on the wooden floor and stood up. He stretched from side to side before walking through the house and into the training room to begin his morning workout.
The workout flew by as he excitedly imagined the gasps of the guests at his party.
He didn’t rest for too long afterward and made two servings of breakfast before plating them and checking on Valeria.
Luke slowly opened the bedroom door, finding Valeria just getting out of bed and pushing herself into her wheelchair.
Good morning. Breakfast is ready.
I’ll be there in a few minutes.
Valeria wheeled herself into the bathroom with a vigor that she hadn’t had before. Luke walked out of the bedroom and spent the time cleaning dishes until she entered the kitchen.
They both ate in anticipation. Valeria already knew Luke’s plan, so the party was something they both looked forward to.
When they finished, Valeria cleansed herself and entered the bedroom to change. While she was getting ready, Luke started to plot ideas to complete the task.
Everything he came up with felt one-dimensional. If he was going to do it, he was going to do it right.
Then an idea hit him. It wasn’t one that he particularly enjoyed, but it would more than satisfy the system.
The plan would take a while to set up, but it was worth it. He couldn’t wait to see the reactions of all the nobles who had written her off as a has-been.
Luke heard the bedroom door open and a set of wheels roll out from it. He peeked his head around the corner to find Valeria donning a stunning red dress. His mind always tried to ignore her beauty, since they were only married on paper, not romantically.
How do I look?
Valeria signed to him, then flipped her platinum hair over one shoulder, revealing one of the sparkling earrings she wore.
Luke swallowed what he expected to be saliva, but there was none. He wanted to pause, to ignore the question so as not to say something wrong, yet he didn’t think that was right.
They had gone through so much over the past two weeks, and he couldn’t shy away now.
You look beautiful.
He could see her cheeks redden, but she did not look away from him. It was Luke who broke eye contact and awkwardly walked past her.
’It was just a compliment. Why am I stressing so much?’
When Luke entered the bedroom, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His mind cleared, and he focused on the task at hand: an outfit that rivaled Valeria’s.
It wouldn’t be right for her to dress up while he came in a compression shirt and shorts.
He sorted through the hangers, finding the pairs of dress clothes he owned. Eventually, he landed on an outfit: a red button-up with black pants.
It wasn’t anything crazy, but he found that it fit his figure well.
Luke dressed quickly before heading back out into the living room where Valeria was waiting.
How do I look?
Valeria gave him a once-over before responding.
Your hair is messed up.
Don’t make me chase you again.
They both laughed at his response. Luke had grown used to her teasing comments and didn’t mind them.
Are you ready to go?
Yes.
Luke opened the front door for Valeria and then followed after her.
By the curb was a horse-drawn carriage, its driver sitting on the front bench.
They approached, and the driver tipped his hat to Luke.
"Are you here for Lucius Kreuger?"
"Yes, sir. Lord Kreuger sent me."
Checking the carriage’s crest, Luke went around the back and unfolded the collapsible stairs. He carried Valeria inside, then brought in the wheelchair.
Luke knocked twice on the wall of the carriage, signaling the driver to start the journey. He heard the driver whip the reins and the horse neigh to life. They jerked in their seats as the carriage lurched forward and down the road.
The trip would have been shorter if they had taken the train, but his parents needed to keep up the noble image, and their son couldn’t be seen taking the train to his own party.
He truly did miss the convenience and luxury of cars. Luke had only been in a carriage twice, but each trip was nauseating. There was no suspension, so he felt every bump in the road. He even flew out of his seat during the journey.
Valeria let out a snicker when she saw it, but when Luke looked at her, she was staring straight ahead.
To pass the time, Luke played a game he called How Many People Stared at the Carriage.
He finished playing halfway through the ride when his count totaled over three hundred.
Nobility wasn’t commonplace; it just happened to be common among explorers. There was a higher chance for a noble to be born with mana core big enough that it allowed them to become an explorer. Even though mana had been around for decades, no cause for the phenomena had ever been found.
Lucius had suspected it to be due to a bloodline that all nobles shared, but there was no proof, as DNA testing was not a thing in his current world.
Luke woke from his thoughts when the driver smacked the wall of the carriage once. He looked out the window to find two grand gates in front of them. In the middle of the metal gates was the initial "K," which stood for House Kreuger.
He had memories of the place, although they weren’t good from Lucius’s perspective.
The metal doors groaned as they opened, and the carriage continued forward. The path was made of stone, causing the carriage to shake. Along both sides were trees that blocked the view of the estate. It took almost a minute before the manor came into view.
Even with Lucius’s memories of it, Luke was still shocked by its size. It was practically a castle, stretching wider than any building Luke had seen in his own world.
It had a white aesthetic, with ivy growing along its walls.
The carriage pulled in front of the house. It followed the circular drop-off path until it reached the front stairs, where butlers and maids stood waiting. At the front of the crowd were his parents.
The horses whinnied as the carriage came to a stop in front of the head of House Kreuger
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