The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 384: A Sincere Resolution (2)

It hurts.

Every time I see him like that.

Whenever he tries to bear everything on his own.

My heart aches.

‘Fool… Why do you…’

Javier let out a faint sigh.

He leaned silently against the wall of the corridor.

And he stared at the door across from him.

The firmly closed bedroom door.

Behind it, he could hear a small sound.

The sound of the fake Lloyd Frontera quietly sobbing.

Where had his usual confidence gone?

What happened to that brazen, composed demeanor he always showed?

Now, he was crying quietly, like a completely different person.

Only when he was alone did he show his true feelings.

‘I don’t want to die…’

Did he just say that?

As Javier recalled Lloyd’s sobs, his fists clenched involuntarily.

He didn’t know why.

But he felt angry.

‘Why do you try to carry everything alone? Why?’

You’re not even the real son of the Frontera family.

You’re just someone wearing Lloyd’s shell.

So, in truth, when things get really tough, you could step back.

Why do you insist on taking on all the responsibility more than the real Lloyd would?

Why do you go so far, even risking your life?

And then, why do you cry quietly, hiding it from everyone?

‘You should just say it. That it’s hard. That it’s a burden. That you’re scared. It’s okay to say that.’

Of course, he knew that wasn’t possible.

He knew Lloyd wasn’t the type to do that.

Always pretending to be fine.

Always acting like everything was under control.

Javier knew that about him.

‘You’ve always been like that. During the Ant Hill incident. At Cremo. In Namaran. Even when facing the Bone Dragon at the Great Garden of Termina. You always looked for a way out first. At one point, I thought it might just be part of your plan.’

But in hindsight, all of it had been genuine.

He had been scared every time.

He had feared for his life.

And yet, he had pretended everything was fine, overcoming all the hardships.

‘Idiot.’

Javier clenched his fists even tighter.

And in that moment, he made a resolution.

He decided he would protect this foolish friend, even more steadfastly.

No matter what.

No matter what situations arose.

He would protect this brave coward who acted like everything was fine.

‘So, stop whining that you don’t want to die. That’s not going to happen. When that moment comes, I’ll be the one to die instead. For your sake… I’ll gladly do it.’

A soft sigh escaped his lips.

Meanwhile, the fake Lloyd’s sobs continued.

Whether he was covering his face with his hands or burying his head in the blankets, Javier didn’t know.

But even though he was trying to stifle his sobs, they could still be heard faintly, and each sound tore at Javier’s heart.

‘Damn it.’

This night was unnecessarily long.

He wished the darkness would leave soon.

Javier stared up at the ceiling of the corridor, his thoughts a tangled mess.

It really was a painfully long night.

♣

Javier’s wish was granted.

The laws of time eventually banished the dark night.

The darkness retreated, leaving a clear, bright sun to fill the sky.

And the expression on Lloyd’s face as he stepped out of his bedroom…

“Huh, what the…”

Lloyd flinched as he opened his door.

He froze mid-step, his eyebrows knitting together.

He stared across the hallway at the wall opposite his bedroom.

Javier was standing there.

Leaning against the corridor wall.

His arms were tightly crossed.

His expression was difficult to read.

His eyes, usually calm, had a slightly different aura today, and they met Lloyd’s sharp gaze without wavering.

“What are you doing here, first thing in the morning?”

Lloyd asked, trying to suppress a feeling of unease.

But Javier just let out a long sigh instead of answering.

“Phew.”

“What’s with the sigh? Why are you sighing first thing in the morning?”

“I just couldn’t sleep.”

“Couldn’t sleep?”

“Yes.”

“Then how long have you been here?”

“Not long.”

“Really?”

“Yes. By the way—”

Javier nodded calmly, and Lloyd felt a subtle sense of relief.

But what Javier said next made his heart drop.

“Lloyd, did you do something last night?”

“What?”

“Something seems off.”

“Off, how?”

What is he talking about?

Did he… could he have heard me crying last night?

But I covered my mouth with my hand.

I wrapped my face tightly in the blanket.

I even made sure to muffle the sound perfectly.

So there’s no way he could have heard anything outside.

Lloyd felt his heart pounding in his chest with nervousness.

But Javier’s voice reached his ears, still calm and steady, even as Lloyd’s anxiety grew.

“Lloyd, your eyes seem a bit swollen.”

“What?”

“It’s true. Your eyelids are more swollen than usual. Did you… cry?”

“……”

Damn it. Did he hear me?

Crap. Did he hear me?

No way. That can’t be it.

Lloyd quickly plastered on a nonchalant expression.

“Ha. What are you talking about?”

“I’m just saying it because it really looks like you did. You didn’t have a nightmare or something that made you cry, did you?”

“Hey, of course not. I’m not a kid.”

“I figured.”

“Then why do you keep asking?”

“Hmm.”

“What? Why? What is it?”

“It seems like you’re trying too hard to act normal.”

“Excuse me? I’m not. You need to wipe off the coating of bias from your eyes, my friend.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. You seem like you have something on your mind.”

“Of course I do.”

Lloyd took Javier’s sharp questioning in stride and replied with exaggerated calm.

“The Hell Legion is coming, right? Who wouldn’t have concerns?”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Exactly. Even though I’m mentally exhausted and under a lot of pressure, I’m still living a true life in these times. Isn’t that something to be admired?”

“…Hmm. It sounds like you’re just spouting random words.”

“It’s ‘sounds like,’ not ‘spouting,’ you brat.”

“Sounds like.”

“Pfft. Whatever. Let’s just get to work.”

Lloyd chuckled.

He was eager to change the subject.

It was true that he had seen the most terrifying Ending Spoiler ever last night.

It was true that the contents of that Spoiler had haunted him in a nightmare.

It was true that his heart had momentarily broken because of it.

But he didn’t want to show it.

‘It would just be a burden to others.’

After all, in this world, you live alone.

Sure, you might exchange help with others from time to time.

But in the end, you’re responsible for your own life.

Lloyd had learned that harsh lesson all too well, far too early, during his time in the tiny study rooms of Korea.

‘Especially when I was working part-time as a clinical trial participant.’

There were so many people around him with the same expression.

Faces that were blank as they had their blood drawn every few hours.

And he had sat among them with the same vacant look.

That’s when he realized it.

That everyone, including himself and the people around him, had come this far because no one else would take responsibility for their lives.

‘It’s the same now.’

The Hell Legion is coming.

No one will stop it for him.

Someone might help him out.

But in the end, it’s something he has to deal with.

And he has to bear all the responsibility for it.

‘Because this is all a result of the restoration of fate that happened because of me. All of this is happening because of me.’

He had tried to live diligently.

He had tried to live well.

And in doing so, he had naturally changed a lot of things.

The once-doomed estate had revived.

The fates of people who were originally doomed in the story had changed.

He had worked hard and accomplished a lot.

And he felt a sense of fulfillment each time.

He felt proud.

But he had overlooked something.

Even those actions carried responsibility.

And now that responsibility was placed squarely on his shoulders.

‘So, I have to deal with all of this.’

He couldn’t shift it onto someone else.

He shouldn’t try to.

With a renewed sense of determination, Lloyd pressed the burden of responsibility deep into his heart and smiled.

“I’m thinking of using the Jewel of Truth again, for the first time in a while.”

“You’re using the Jewel of Truth?”

“To find out how many troops the Hell Legion is planning to bring.”

He still didn’t have that information.

Last night, he had learned the timing of the invasion from the Ending Spoiler, but not the exact scale of the attack.

The situation in the Spoiler had been too chaotic for that.

‘So I need to use the Jewel of Truth.’

Using the Ending Spoiler again was out of the question.

If he tried, he would only see the same scene from last night.

And now, his remaining CP was dangerously low.

He had been spending CP too freely lately.

He needed to conserve it whenever possible.

With that thought, Lloyd began walking with Javier.

They left the lord’s mansion.

Following the paved road, they passed through the village and the apartment complex until they reached the dam reservoir on the outskirts of the estate.

The reservoir where the Jewel of Truth was submerged.

‘Hmm. Thankfully, the dam’s maintenance is in good shape.’

As

soon as Lloyd arrived at the reservoir, he habitually inspected the dam and its surroundings.

Fortunately, everything seemed in order.

“Alright, I’m going in. Stay here.”

He instructed Javier before plunging into the reservoir.

He took a deep breath and dove deep.

Into the still waters that glimmered with the morning sunlight.

At a depth of 70 meters, a pyramid-shaped structure lay quietly in the water.

It was the Jewel of Truth.

Lloyd climbed to the top of the structure.

There, like an altar, lay the essential material, Kyaora, which he had brought from Seoul.

‘Good. The Jewel of Truth is in good condition. It doesn’t look like anyone has used it in the meantime.’

The even layer of algae covering the Kyaora indicated that no one had disturbed it since he had last checked.

‘Well, no one would be able to touch it anyway.’

The structure was built 70 meters underwater.

To use the Jewel, one had to swim down here with their own strength.

That condition alone ruled out most people.

And to stay at this depth and use mana to activate the Jewel?

‘It would be difficult even for a high-level Sword Expert. They’d need to endure the pressure and manipulate mana at the same time. Without Asrahan’s technique, you’d have to be a Sword Master to manage it.’

That’s likely the case.

‘Plus, the elves in the estate aren’t greedy; they’re more introspective when it comes to seeking the truth. As for the orcs? They don’t even bother with the concept of truth—too worried it’ll cause muscle loss.’

Furthermore, Solitas, with the typical arrogance of a dragon, wouldn’t rely on something like the Jewel of Truth.

So, realistically, in the entire estate, who would use the Jewel?

Lloyd figured it was safe to say almost no one except himself.

‘Anyway, it’s time to ask what I need to know.’

Lloyd placed both hands on the altar.

He activated his mana heart.

He rotated his mana circle.

Whirr-!

The activated mana was absorbed by the altar.

The mana woke the Jewel from its deep slumber.

The entire massive Jewel began to vibrate faintly.

Light poured down from above.

It illuminated the entire underwater scene.

It awakened the eyes of the mythical structure.

Finally, the Jewel’s voice echoed in Lloyd’s mind, as if demanding something from him.

It reverberated through his senses with sound, light, and vibration, pounding his consciousness with all its might.

[To obtain a truthful answer from the Jewel of Truth, you must reveal a secret truth about yourself that only you know.]

It was a procedure he had already experienced before.

Lloyd drew on his past experience and confidently gave the prepared answer.

‘I will reveal my secret. The truth is, I genuinely care for and love the people of my estate, especially those who work with me in the field.’

He spoke boldly.

As if confessing.

It was a bit embarrassing.

But it was the truth.

That’s why he chose that answer.

‘Out of all my secrets, this one seems the least likely to cause any problems if revealed. But there is one thing that worries me. What if everyone in the estate and the workers already know how I feel?’

He was a bit concerned about that.

After all, he had worked hard to build up a good reputation.

He always showed kindness, warmth, and a broad-minded approach.

So he suspected that many people already knew how he felt.

‘Tsk. It’s my fault for being so wonderful. If this answer doesn’t work, I’ll just reveal another secret I’ve prepared.’

With that thought, Lloyd waited for the Jewel’s response.

Soon, the Jewel replied.

[In exchange for a truthful answer, you have revealed a secret truth about yourself that only you knew.]

‘…What?’

Lloyd flinched.

At that moment, letters of light appeared on the flat surface of the altar atop the Jewel.

It was the secret he had just revealed.

Fzzzt!

The letters shone brilliantly.

They rose from the water, breaking through the surface.

They were etched into the sky.

Visible to everyone nearby.

Clear, bold, and unmistakable.

[The Jewel of Truth declares: Lloyd Frontera truly cares for and loves all the people of the Frontera estate, especially those who work with him in the field! This has been an announcement from the Jewel of Truth, revealing only the truth to all!]

“……”

Lloyd was left speechless.

He stared blankly at the bold letters as they slowly dispersed.

The satisfaction of his answer passing in one try was fleeting.

But why?

Why did he feel so wronged?

‘…Was my sincerity unknown to everyone?’

I treated everyone with so much care and kindness!

A deep sense of injustice welled up within him.

Sure, he had been a bit money-focused at times.

And he had pushed them hard with the work.

But he had never missed a paycheck or delayed their allowances.

‘Isn’t paying them on time and taking care of their allowances a sign that I care for and love them?’

He didn’t understand.

Which only made him feel more wronged.

But Lloyd was an indomitable Korean.

Even as the feeling of injustice bubbled up within him, he didn’t forget to move forward with his goal.

‘Forget it. Let’s just get the answer.’

He gripped the altar tightly.

He asked his question in his mind.

‘I want to know the scale of the Hell Legion that will invade this place in 90 days.’

As soon as he asked the question,

Whirr-!

His mana heart activated without his control.

A small amount of mana was absorbed into the altar.

It was amplified through the altar.

And then it shot toward the water’s surface.

A massive wave rippled 70 meters above, disturbing the water.

Splash-!

The wave hit the dam’s walls.

The shockwave traveled down through the water.

And with it came the Jewel’s answer, resonating in Lloyd’s mind.

[The forces of the Hell Legion that will invade the Frontera estate…]

**TL Note: This chapter broke me. Damn!