Even though he knew Davey's moonshine business was making big money, Uncle wasn't an accountant—he had no real sense of just how much. But once they arrived at Land Farm, everything became perfectly clear.
Mac had been at camp when Davey bought the place, so he hadn't known anything about the farm.
"Whoa, Davey, my brother—what the hell did you buy such a huge piece of land for?"
"This is… unbelievable."
"I remember this used to be Chadwick Farm! It was the best farm in Valentine, and you actually bought it?"
"How much did this set you back?"
Though Mac had been following Davey for a while, he never really knew how much money Davey was making. Back when they were drinking and partying at the saloon, money never seemed to be an issue. Donal would usually hand over two or three hundred bucks at a time, and if Mac ran out, he'd just ask for more.
But even though he spent freely, Valentine was a small town—there was only so much he could spend. At most, he could blow through a few dozen dollars a day. Compared to Davey's two thousand a day, that was nothing at all.
"Looks like I really can retire here," Uncle said, his eyes lighting up.
He could feel how wealthy Davey truly was.
Kieran, meanwhile, felt a bit uneasy as he looked over the vast farm. He wasn't sure what he could possibly do to help Davey.
"Alright, gentlemen, let's get washed up first. I'll have someone arrange rooms for you," Davey said, leading the three of them into the farmhouse.
The farmhands and several of Donal's men greeted Davey respectfully as they passed. Seeing that, Mac, Uncle, and Kieran gained a much clearer picture of Davey's standing.
At that moment, they truly realized Davey had become someone important.
Uncle felt deeply thankful he'd made the right decision coming along. Kieran, on the other hand, felt nothing but gratitude toward Arthur for helping him find a new place.
Inside the main house, aside from Donal and a few maids, none of the other men stayed there, so there were plenty of empty rooms. Uncle, Mac, and Kieran each settled in right away—they hadn't brought much with them anyway.
After bathing, Davey called for a maid to give him a massage to ease his hangover.
He had hired four maids in total, responsible for cleaning, cooking, and keeping the place in order. Given Valentine's limited conditions, their looks were rather ordinary. The one who usually helped Davey bathe was just a bit younger than the rest.
Her massage skills were clearly good—good enough that Davey soon drifted off to sleep.
When he woke again, it was already evening.
"Elisa, how long have I been asleep?"
Elisa—that was the maid's name.
"Sir, you've slept for about two hours. It's nearly dinner time now," she replied respectfully.
She had stayed by his side the whole time, as was her duty. Davey nodded and got up, and Elisa brought over his clothes.
"Sir, there's something I should mention," she said as she helped him dress. "A letter arrived for you from Saint Denis—it's in your study."
At the mention of a letter, Davey's eyes brightened slightly. The only person who would write to him could be Miss Catherine, the young woman he'd once met.
Once dressed, he went straight to his study and opened the letter.
Davey,
I was so happy to receive your letter, and please forgive me for taking so long to reply.
My summer break has ended, so I've had to return to the Union University to continue my studies. Perhaps only during winter break will I be able to visit Saint Denis again.
Like you, I miss you dearly. Please forgive a lady's modesty—it keeps me from writing overly sentimental things.
But I truly do miss you, and I'm always looking forward to the day we meet again.
If possible, could you come to Saint Denis for Christmas? I've already prepared a Christmas gift for you.
I can't wait to see what gift you'll bring me.
I wish time would pass faster so we could meet sooner.
Your friend,
Catherine Montoya.
After reading it, Davey didn't put the letter away right away. Instead, he read it several more times.
As his eyes followed the graceful handwriting, he could almost see Catherine's gentle smile, her head tilted slightly as she wrote. He could picture them together three months from now in Saint Denis—walking side by side, going to the theater, enjoying the evening together.
Maybe this was what being in love felt like.
After a while, Davey shook his head lightly, pushing those thoughts aside for the moment.
When he went downstairs, he found Kieran standing awkwardly in the hall. With the maids taking care of everything, he seemed unsure what to do with himself.
"Kieran, where did Uncle and Mac go?" Davey asked with a smile.
Hearing his voice, Kieran immediately stood up straight.
"Sir, Uncle and Mac went into Valentine."