Chapter 10

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Marianne sewed together a large amount of silk fabric and shaped it into a sphere with a hole at the bottom. With the help of her technical colleagues, they evenly coated the inside of the sphere with liquid rubber and heated it, creating the envelope of the hot air balloon.

After that, Marianne and her familiar technicians repeatedly improved the balloon, aiming to make it lighter and stronger.

And now.

The balloon and the basket were connected with a thick wire rope, and the gas cylinders, burner, and blower were installed.

"It's done."

"It's done, indeed."

"All that's left is to take off."

"But, Alex still insists on being the first to ride it."

"Your Grace, please."

"If anything happens to Your Grace, the development of the balloon will be over."

"Oh, Alex, always so worried!"

"Did you call me?"

"Ah! Your Grace!"

"Oh, Alex!"

Alex appeared at the entrance of the workshop, and the workers straightened their postures.

"Don't be so mean, let me join Marie's experiment too."

"Alex, you can only use that cute talk until you're ten."

Marianne laughed and ran to her husband.

The men in the workshop smiled wryly, thinking, "This couple will always feel like newlyweds."

On a calm, windless day, the balloon was scheduled to take off at the coldest time of the morning, just before dawn.

Marianne and the technicians had been busy since late at night.

Because Marianne wanted her sisters to see it, Katarina and her husband Peter had stayed at the duke's house since the day before.

They were not told any details and only heard, "Look forward to it."

"I wonder what Marie is going to show us."

"Marianne went to the trouble of calling us, so I feel like we're going to see something amazing."

Peter, Katarina's husband, used to be in charge of selling self-driving machines in the neighboring country of Holland and was passionate about inventions and vehicles.

"I know, but I was told to keep it a secret."

Nicholas smiled.

"Nicholas, you're up early. What about Harold?"

"He won't get up. He's still sleeping."

Alexandre, dressed in riding clothes, walked over to the three of them.

"Your Grace, please don't be so mysterious. What are you going to show us?"

"You'll see."

"Oh!"

In the wide riding field of the duke's estate, the gas burner was ignited at Marianne's signal. The sound of "Boo! Gogogog!" and the bright red flames echoed.

The gas burner's flame was adjusted to avoid igniting the silk envelope, and the metal propeller blades were sending hot air into the balloon.

The crumpled white silk fabric on the ground gradually began to inflate.

"What? Could it be?"

Peter shouted in surprise.

"What's wrong with you?"

When Katarina, surprised, put her hand on her husband's arm, Peter spoke excitedly.

"Katarina, this is a dream vehicle! Damn! I didn't expect this! Marianne was thinking of something like this!"

"I don't understand, but if it's that exciting, I'm glad we came."

Katarina still didn't understand why her husband was so excited.

Nicholas, bundled up in warm clothes, clung to the fence, determined not to miss a single moment.

Eventually, the silk envelope, filled with hot air, began to rise, lifting its head.

"This is too far away!"

Finally, Peter couldn't stand it anymore, jumped over the fence, and ran towards the balloon.

Nicholas was captivated by both the balloon and his mother.

Illuminated by the red flames, his mother's tied-up golden hair glowed red and sparkled, and she was giving instructions to the men around her and reporting to the recorder with a determined face.

Nicholas was proud of his mother's appearance.

As the eastern sky changed from indigo to gray, the huge, fully inflated balloon rose in the riding field, and Alexandre nimbly climbed into the basket.

"Wait, Your Grace?"

Katarina, surprised, looked at Nicholas, who laughed.

"Yeah! Dad is going to be the first to ride it!"

"Whenever you're ready!"

Alex said with a slightly tense face.

"Three, two, one, go!"

At the command of the team, the eight ropes that held the basket to the ground were simultaneously released from their hooks.

Gently.

The hot air balloon took off quietly.

Marianne looked up with a mix of worry and joy. The men involved in the work smiled brightly, and some cheered.

"What an elegant and beautiful vehicle."

"Yeah, it's really beautiful."

Katarina, excited, held Nicholas's hand and waved her arms. Nicholas, while his arm was being waved, kept his eyes fixed on the beautiful balloon.

The balloon, which had been tied to the ground with a particularly thick rope, was now tied to a tree on the side of the riding field.

Eventually, the thick rope tightened, and the balloon stopped at a height of about three stories.

"Marianne, Marie, who's next to ride it?"

Peter, with an excited face, asked, hoping it would be him.

"Oh, Peter, of course it's me next!"

Marianne, her face glowing like a young girl, lifted her chin and declared to her brother-in-law.