The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 50: A Perfect Completion Ceremony (2)

[Special rewards have been granted for a monumental achievement.]

“Huh?”

Lloyd’s eyes widened in surprise.

The completion ceremony for the Marez reclamation project had just ended.

It was right after he had finalized contracts with the estate residents who planned to relocate to the reclaimed land.

As he was organizing the paperwork, an unexpected message appeared before his eyes.

“What’s wrong, my lord?”

Javier, who was helping with the documents, asked.

He must have found Lloyd’s behavior odd—staring into thin air without reason.

“It’s nothing. Uh, just a bit of eye strain.”

“If you’re tired, you should rest for a while. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Thanks, that’d be great.”

Lloyd handed over the remaining paperwork to Javier and turned away, pretending to rub his eyes. In reality, his gaze was fixed on the messages popping up before him.

[You have received a large amount of skill experience points as a reward.]

[Surveying skill has leveled up by 2 stages.]

[Intermediate Surveying: Lv 3]

[Surveyable area per attempt: 3,600㎡]

[Skill-exclusive options: ① Land Price Assessment, ② Underground Scanning]

[Design skill has leveled up by 2 stages.]

[Intermediate Design: Lv 3]

[Designable structure volume per attempt: 216,000㎥]

[Skill-exclusive options: ① Blueprint Output, ② Floor Plan Display (2D), ③ Simulation Mode]

“What the…?”

Lloyd couldn’t help but be amazed. He had been considering investing RP to upgrade his surveying and design skills, especially after working on the Marez Swamp development. The scale of the land made him feel his skills were insufficient.

But now, the levels had increased by two stages on their own.

“And it didn’t even cost me any RP. It’s totally free!”

Lloyd was never one to believe in sayings like “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” If something was free, he’d grab it, even if it meant waking up in the middle of the night. That was his rule of life.

But the rewards didn’t stop there. The real jackpot was yet to come.

Ding-dong.

[You have gained unique experience through designing and constructing on a large scale.]

[This unique experience has greatly influenced your skill.]

[Skill option ②: Floor Plan Display (2D) has been upgraded.]

Zzzzzzt!

The details of the 2D Floor Plan Display skill option changed before his eyes, as the text erased and rewrote itself in real-time.

The updated details read:

[Skill-exclusive option ②: Floor Plan Display (3D) – Visualizes the designed structure as a 3D hologram on the desired terrain. (Note: Only visible to the user.)]

“…”

Lloyd clenched his fists instinctively.

This was insane—an absolutely game-changing feature.

“This means I can preview the design as a fully realized 3D hologram in its actual terrain.”

A holographic 3D perspective, nearly identical to the real structure. It could be viewed in advance, allowing for modifications at any time. When combined with the Simulation Mode, he could even assess structural stability in real-time during construction.

This was beyond amazing. Words like “incredible” felt insufficient.

“I should test this, just to be sure.”

Lloyd quickly turned his head, focusing on a section of the embankment slope opposite Javier. He swiftly surveyed the area and designed a simple hut as a test.

Then, he applied the hut model to the slope.

Ding-dong.

[Skill-exclusive option ②: Floor Plan Display (3D) has been applied.]

Zzzzzzt…

Lines and points appeared in real-time on the slope, expanding and connecting. Soon, a 3D hologram of the hut materialized in place.

“Hey. Look over there.”

Lloyd tapped Javier on the shoulder and pointed at the slope where the holographic hut stood.

“Do you see anything over there?”

“Pardon?”

“Over there. Anything unusual?”

“I see the embankment. Anything else?”

“What about at the tip of my finger?”

“I see your unusually unattractive fingers, my lord.”

“…So, nothing else?”

“Nothing else.”

“Perfect.”

“Perfect? What’s perfect?”

“It’s perfect because you can’t see anything.”

“…?”

Javier tilted his head, thoroughly confused by Lloyd’s cryptic remarks. But to Lloyd, it confirmed one thing:

“The upgraded 3D Floor Plan Display is still visible only to me.”

There were also minor rewards to follow. Perhaps from all the digging involved in constructing the embankment, his tool proficiency had improved.

His Shovel Mastery skill leveled up to Beginner Lv 3.

This reduced his stamina consumption while using a shovel by 20%. His shoveling speed and power increased by 10%, and the likelihood of dropping the shovel decreased by 30%.

Additionally, there was a generous influx of RP. His rapport with Baron and Baroness Frontera increased by 5 points each, with Javier by 3, and with Sir Bayern by 2. His overall relationship with the estate residents rose by 3 points, granting him a total of 206 RP.

[Current RP balance: 1337]

“At this rate, I might explode from all this.”

Messages announcing his rewards continued to flood his vision non-stop. Even on the way back to the manor, Lloyd was preoccupied with reading the seemingly endless list of bonuses.

But when he arrived at the manor, he was met with something far more tangible than numbers.

“Young master, welcome back.”

“Welcome home, my lord.”

“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask, young master.”

The butlers, servants, and maids all came out to greet him warmly.

“These were the same people who used to turn pale just by running into me in the hallway.”

They had once displayed outright fear, unease, and even genuine disgust toward him. But now, their attitudes had completely shifted.

They smiled just from seeing him—not out of mere obligation but with genuine warmth and delight.

“Ah, yes, I do have a certain charm. Hahaha.”

On his way to his bedroom, Lloyd couldn’t stop smiling awkwardly. After all, this was a completely new experience for him.

“Not just here, but even back in Korea…”

He had always been a nobody. Just a poor college student. After his family went bankrupt, he lived in utter misery. His parents, burdened by debt, passed away, leaving him to scrape by at the very bottom of society.

He couldn’t afford new clothes, surviving in shabby attire. Meals consisted of basic rice and kimchi provided at the boarding house. His complexion suffered, his confidence faded, and his expressions darkened.

Naturally, he was unwelcome wherever he went.

He wasn’t particularly welcomed even at school gatherings. Without money, he couldn’t attend events, and working on group projects was especially daunting. When his groupmates wanted to meet at a café, the cost of coffee was an unbearable burden for him.

Even a single cup of Americano, priced at a few thousand won, made his fingers tremble as he reached for his wallet. His group members, noticing this, would often sneer at him, calling him miserly or pathetic.

Outside of school, the treatment wasn’t any better. At convenience stores, he’d often feel the judgmental gaze of the clerk, as if he were a petty thief. The landlord at his boarding house would regularly remind him to pay rent on time with a sharp glare.

But the lowest point came when he participated in a clinical trial for quick cash—what was known as a bioequivalence study.

The humiliating memory of that experience stayed with him, etched into his mind.

Lloyd shook his head, pushing aside the flood of past memories.

‘This is different,’ he thought to himself.

Here, things had changed. At least now, people respected him, and their smiles weren’t just for show. This place had become his new beginning.

Participating in a clinical trial for a newly developed drug, he was essentially a test subject for physiological experimentation.

For several days, he was confined to a hospital, required to take prescribed medication, sit idly, and have blood drawn at regular intervals. It felt like he had become a lab animal.

‘The only person who ever welcomed me back then… was the lady at the Kimbap Heaven on the first floor of my boarding house.’

Occasionally, when he could afford it, he would buy a single roll of basic kimbap. The casual greeting of “Welcome, young man,” she would offer as he walked in was the warmest acknowledgment he ever received.

That was it.

He didn’t think of it as particularly pitiful. Accepting that he was nothing more than a doormat at the very bottom of society somehow made it easier to endure.

Instead, he focused on working hard.

He strove to make a living and studied furiously to keep up in school. This meant he ended up with nosebleeds at least seven times a week.

Despite it all, he held on to the hope that things would improve. That if he graduated and earned his qualifications, life would get better. He lived with that faint glimmer of hope, transforming his cramped boarding house room into a cocoon where he endured the trials of life.

‘Well, I guess that’s why it wasn’t too hard to adapt here when I first arrived.’

Being unwelcome was the story of his life. He was used to scornful and dismissive gazes. Even outright contempt or insults didn’t faze him anymore.

If they called him a spoiled noble brat or bad-mouthed him as an obnoxious troublemaker, it hardly bothered him. Compared to the disdain he had faced back in Korea, such treatment felt almost mild.

And, at least here, he didn’t have to worry about his next meal.

But now…

‘Is this what it feels like to truly fit in?’

There were no more hostile or dismissive gazes. No more contempt or rumors.

Instead, he was met with looks of respect and goodwill, accompanied by warm words of welcome.

It was evident even during dinner with the baron and baroness.

“Here, have plenty to eat.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Try some of this as well.”

“Uh, okay. Chewing… swallowing…”

“Why aren’t you eating more meat?”

“Chewing, swallowing… I am eating it.”

“You still need to eat more.”

“…”

The baroness insisted on sitting beside him throughout the meal. Whenever his plate seemed empty, she would call for a maid to bring more food—meat, bread, fruit, cookies, and more.

And heaven forbid he reached for salad twice in a row; she would immediately nag him to eat more meat.

‘I’m going to burst.’

His stomach had long since reached its limit and was sending out warning signals. It felt like his stomach might actually explode.

But the baroness’s dining “guidance” showed no signs of ending. Even the baron, who watched from across the table with a pleased expression, seemed complicit.

“You’ve worked so hard overseeing such a large project. No wonder your face looks so gaunt.”

“Well, I don’t think I’ve lost any weight.”

“Nonsense. Your face is half its usual size.”

“Uh, actually, that’s just…”

“Eat more. A man shouldn’t be so dainty with a fork.”

“Ugh. I really…”

“Oh, were you craving roasted duck? Here, have some.”

“…”

Just kill me now.

Lloyd wanted to cry.

But instead, he laughed.

Though his stomach was suffering, his heart felt warm.

When he thought of the barony’s fate during this period in the novel *Iron-Blooded Knight*, his emotions deepened.

‘Around this time in the story… yeah, the baroness would have fallen seriously ill.’

In the novel, the baron and baroness were no longer living in their manor. They had been driven out and were staying as unwelcome guests at an acquaintance’s residence.

Feeling ashamed of their situation, the baroness rolled up her sleeves to help out. She tried to earn her keep by cleaning, washing dishes, and taking on various chores.

But the baroness had never done such labor in her life.

At first, their host appreciated her efforts, but over time, they began to take her work for granted, piling on more responsibilities.

From summer through fall, she endured the unfamiliar household tasks and mounting stress, only to eventually fall ill.

It was tuberculosis.

She coughed up blood each night, soaking the damp, musty bedding with tears.

Although she survived, the ordeal was a nightmare.

In time, even the baron, who cared for her, contracted tuberculosis.

Crushed by despair, the couple eventually snuck back to their abandoned manor.

In what was once the warmest place for them, they took their own lives.

Right here, in the very dining hall where everyone was now gathered.

‘I’m glad that didn’t happen.’

Lloyd reflected.

Half a year had passed since he arrived here.

He was thankful for how he had spent his time, for working hard enough to prevent the tragedy that befell this family in the story.

Looking at the baron and baroness, he allowed himself a small, relieved smile.

“It feels strange to keep eating like this while you both aren’t. Shouldn’t you join me?”

“No, we’ve already eaten plenty.”

“Is the food not to your liking?”

“No, it’s not that, it’s just…”

“Hahaha! Of course, you wanted pork! A real man should. Here you go, eat as much as you like.”

“Hohoho. And try this freshly grilled steak while you’re at it.”

“…”

Forget feeling at ease.

That night, Lloyd clutched his overstuffed stomach and spent the entire night shuttling between his bed and the bathroom.

♣

The next morning came.

“Ugh…”

Lloyd groaned as he sat up in bed, holding his pounding head. His body felt as heavy as lead.

‘Is it because I didn’t sleep well?’

He had been up all night with stomach trouble, repeatedly visiting the bathroom. Naturally, he couldn’t sleep properly.

‘But I can’t just lie around all day. Up we go!’

The Marez reclamation project had only just begun. There was still much to be done—plot organization, designation for the migrating farmers, and improving the transportation routes to the main estate.

In other words, the work was far from over.

“Hey, wake up.”

Already dressed, Lloyd tapped Javier’s shoulder.

Ever since his “lullaby service” began, waking Javier had somehow become his responsibility, which made him chuckle wryly.

“Ugh…”

Javier frowned, opening his eyes.

Lloyd’s smile grew as he noticed the unusual expression.

“You don’t even get up now unless I wake you?”

“My apologies.”

“Forget it. Just get up. We have a lot to do today.”

“Understood.”

Javier began getting up slowly, but his expression remained troubled.

“What’s with that face?”

“Nothing, my lord.”

“Then why do you keep frowning?”

“Ah, my apologies. It’s just… my head hurts for some reason.”

“What? You too?”

“Yes. My lord, do you also…”

“Yeah, I’ve been suffering from a headache since this morning.”

“…Shall we have breakfast first?”

Sharing a wry smile at the odd coincidence, the two headed off together.

However, when a maid brought breakfast into the room moments later, their faint smiles vanished.

“What’s with that look on your face?”

“Apologies, my lord. My head’s been pounding terribly since this morning. I didn’t realize…”

“…”

The maid’s strained expression and her hesitant words unsettled both Lloyd and Javier. Something felt off. Their expressions hardened.