A year later, the first hot springs resort opened in Diamant.
Before its opening day, we had several influential people from across the duchy visit the facilities so they could spread the word about the resort. They seemed to understand what we were going for as those who had visited the hot springs previously were praising the experience. We didn’t need to lift a finger for them to start acting as our advertisers. Trips to the hot springs became a hot topic not only among the nobles but also with the general public.
Making reservations for the hot springs resort was different for nobles than it was for the public. Nobles could reserve trips through crystal transmissions, while the rest of the population could do it at special facilities throughout the city. We prepared thirty crystal transmission platforms and three reservation facilities.
We waited with bated breath for reservations to start coming in. Once people could begin making them, the crystals made sounds to announce the arrival of a transmission. In just moments, all thirty of the crystals were busy receiving requests.
We also received word from the city that there were long lines snaking around all three reservation facilities. Before long, all the available reservation slots had been completely filled. Lady Opera and Madeleine shed joyful tears at the news.
It seemed that Diamant’s tourism efforts were headed toward success.
After that, the hot springs resort was available for use, and Diamant became livelier than ever before. Employment opportunities for residents increased, and there were even people from other regions who moved there to find work. Villagers also opened new restaurants serving local bear meat. Making use of the legends surrounding the Burrowless that prowled the region, they advertised their dishes saying that they granted immense strength and vitality.
Well, bear meat is healthy, so they’re not wrong there...
A knight squadron had also been sent to the region, which helped reduce the risk of Burrowless and White Bear attacks.
The new tourist attraction had received an amazing reception, which led to Van’s councillors thanking me. It seemed that our tourism problem was on its way to being resolved.
Count Disque Praline had also announced that he wanted to come up with ideas for other tourist destinations. He was right—the hot springs and the lake region just weren’t enough.
Van—who, for some reason, was in his tiny dragon form—had just told me about all this.
“I wanted to entrust discussions of those tourist destinations to you, but for now, I put it on hold to ask for your opinion on something,” he said.
“Hm? Why?”
Van’s brow furrowed and he scowled at me. I had no idea what I had done to earn that expression.
“I’m sorry, but I really have no idea why,” I told him.
Van trembled and pointed his tiny claw at me. “You’ve been ignoring me ever since you started your tourism work! I haven’t forgotten that you’ve been leaving notes in my bedroom after finishing your work saying that you’re going to sleep in your own room! I’ve been crying myself to sleep every night you do that!”
“I’ve been working late into the night, so I thought I might disturb your sleep! I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad.”
“I don’t care if you get back late. I want to sleep with you beside me every night...” Van sulked.
“Okay. I’m sorry for neglecting you.” I picked up Van and rubbed his cheek. I thought he wouldn’t like it, but he didn’t seem to mind. “Thanks to all my work on the hot springs, I’ve found so many excellent and skilled people. I want to leave the administration of the industry to them,” I announced to Van, and he looked shocked at my declaration. “I want to stay by your side more.”
“Mille-Feuille, are you really okay with that?”
“I am. It was fulfilling to be preoccupied with my work in the tourism industry, but it’s starting to get exhausting,” I explained. “Lady Opera, Madeleine, and even Parfeil all think so too.”
In other words, I wanted to get some rest for a while.
“If that’s what you want, then I have no reason to object. That’s my policy,” Van said.
“Oh, really?”
“Of course. That’s why I told you about the discussions and asked for your opinion on them.”
Then, Van revealed that he had shown up in his tiny dragon form to earn my sympathy in case I was considering taking on the talks for new tourist destinations.
How could I neglect such an adorable man and get too absorbed in my work? I’m such a horrible wife.
“To be honest, I’d been so close to asking you to pick between me or your work,” Van confessed.
“So why didn’t you?”
“I probably wouldn’t be able to recover if you chose your work over me. And I thought that watching over you enjoying your work wasn’t half bad. So, I decided that I would support you and your efforts.”
“Van, thank you. I’m glad.” I embraced Van’s soft, tiny body. I felt more thankful than ever before that I had married him.
“Oh right, that reminds me! Don’t you think it’s a great time to go to Diamant and relax in the hot springs?” I suggested.
“That sounds like a great idea!” Van exclaimed.
“Okay, we should go on a hot springs trip with everyone.”
“Yes, we should!”
Before that, I needed to check if there were any available openings at Diamant’s inns. I was worried that we wouldn’t be able to get a slot since I had heard from Fenetra that all the rooms had been reserved for the next year.
“Maybe I should just use my power as the Dragon Duke...or not.”
“You’re not allowed to do that, obviously,” I scolded Van, and he looked quite disappointed. However, it made me sad to see him like that, knowing that he’d been spending every night looking as he did now. “I know, why don’t we check with Fenetra? I’m sure that House Noisette would be happy to let us stay in their mansion for a while.”
Van’s eyes sparkled at the idea and he started wagging his tail. “That sounds great! I can’t wait for our trip!”
“Me neither.”
And with that, we decided to take a trip to Diamant for the first time in a long while.