The conference hall was huge, and it had several elaborate golden chandeliers dangling from the ceiling. If one were to remove the high-class desks where everyone was gathered, then this hall would make an excellent place for dancing.
The House of Lords is located in one of the royal palace, the Alectoria Castle, and I was standing with my mouth wide agape at seeing how high the ceilings were. There were stained glass windows with religious drawings and silver frames, giving the sunlight various colours as they hit the hall. This castle was only used for political matters, so a lot of nobles, other than the royal family, used this castle a lot, and even the conference hall was gorgeous.
“Is it unusual?”
“Well, yes.”
Earl Thelesia’s voice sounded from beside me and brought me back to my senses. We’re not here for sightseeing, I quickly refocused myself.
“Marquis Rettalgau has arrived. It will begin soon.”
The Earl pointed at the innermost desk with his chin. On the most esteemed seat was an old man who resembled Earl Thelesia so much that their differences couldn’t be understood with a glance. It’s normal for them to resemble each other; Marquis Rettalgau is Earl Thelesia’s older brother and the head of the Thelesia House. I was introduced to him during my birthday celebrations, but I was so surprised at that time that I thought my heart was going to pop out of my mouth. After all, Marquis Rettalgau is the Prime Minister of this kingdom. I knew that the Thelesia House was a mighty family in the royal capital, but I never imagined that the Earl was a direct relative of the family head. He did come to Kaldia fief, a remote area on the verge of destruction, after all. I thought he was a part of a branch family.
On the table where Marquis Rettalgau was about to sit down was the commanding general, Marquis Lorenzorell, the highest-ranking noble, Archduke Dorvadine, and various economic ministers and priests, all the ‘Seniors of the House of Lords’, and prominent leading figures. Margrave Junas and the person in charge of Jugfena Fortress, Earl Einsbark, were among them.
I wasn’t sure how nervous I was, but my palms were becoming damp with sweat. Even though I had known that it would happen, I had always felt it as a concept, and only now was reality rapidly setting in. It was like participating in congress in my previous world. So, it was impossible not to be nervous about this.
The meeting hadn’t started yet, and the hall was filled with a quiet buzz. A lot of people were looking at me curiously as I sat covered by Earl Thelesia, and most of them seemed to be curious that there was a child at the House of Lords. I thought they would stare at me in disrespect, but they couldn’t take such a vulgar attitude at the House of Lords.
The nobles finally quietened down, and the clanging sound of a bell was heard from the centre. It was like ocean waves had settled down and became a still sea. Perhaps because the stained glass was mostly blue, so that was why I recalled the sea when I saw this scene.
They must have already decided on the official, because a man announced the start of today’s meeting from his centre seat, and stated the two agendas for the day.
“The first item is with regards to the refugees from the former Artolas Kingdom that are under temporary protection in Jugfena royal fief, and what we should do with them. The second item is about going on military alert against the conflict between the Sill tribe and Densel Dukedom’s army. Senior Earl Einsbark, please inform everyone about the refugees who are currently under protection.”
“――― There are nearly 1200 Artolas farmers and Cellion residents under our protection at Jugfena Fortress. We’ve loaned them 100 tents to camp on the outer plains, and provided them with supplies from our reserves, but Jugfena Fortress doesn’t have enough food in our reserves to keep this up for long. We can probably hold out until autumn if the refugees don’t increase by that much, but according to the refugees, the women and children of the Sill tribe are on their way to Jugfena Fortress. We don’t know their numbers, but if another thousand people arrive, then our food stockpiles will be completely exhausted by summer. The people keep coming, and it’s already to the point where some have to sleep outside, exposed to the elements.”
Earl Einsbark is a tall, sturdy build man in the prime of his life, and his deep voice resounded well throughout the entire hall, and even I, who was sitting at the back, could hear him clearly.
“… That many people? As expected, we shouldn’t have offered them our protection, to begin with…”
Someone in the conference room commented. After that, a commotion began in the hall.
“No, they also believe in the same religion as us. We can’t abandon them.”
“But, that was in the era of the Ar Xia Holy Kingdom! Arxia is no longer a coalition of small kingdoms dedicated to Misorua.”
“When Zereulterziwizia converted to the Ar Xia church, weren’t they recognised as independent fiefdoms?”
“That was more than 50 years ago.”
“While it was indeed from more than 50 years ago, Arxia Kingdom was established more than 600 years ago, and we’ve never forsaken those who believe in the same religion as us.”
“But, we’ll create a breeding ground for future troubles with Rindarl if we intervene in Densel’s civil war.”
Without looking around the conference hall which had heated up with debate at once, Earl Thelesia asked me quietly, “Do you understand?” I glanced at the arguing nobles and somewhat noticed the meaning behind his words.
“It’s a dispute between the borders and the inner nobles, isn’t it?”
The inner areas are fiefs that are located between the borders and are sandwiched between at least two other fiefs.
“The nobles that live in the inner areas lack a sense of crisis. However, it won’t just be the border fiefs that are in danger when it comes to the issue with Rindarl.”
Indeed, Jugfena and Junas, and their neighbouring fiefs, who would be affected first if war were to break out with the eastern kingdom, were silent, and we were probably included in that as well.
“The people who say the word ‘Rindarl’ are mainly the northern feudal lords.”
They were people who had fiefs along the northern sea. They had pale skin and were saying that they didn’t want to provoke Rindarl with bitter faces.
“Without having to cross Bandishia Plateau, it’s easier for Rindarl to cross Amon Nohl which is directly in front of them, since it isn’t that steep. If they set their troops in Lemesh, then they can cross the mountains by land and invade us by sea. Densel isn’t known for their ships, but Parmigran is known for its sea trade with their southern neighbours.”
“Does that mean that there’s no way to guard against Rindarl?”
“There’s also the matter of them lining their pockets in the name of defence.”
Earl Thelesia added, and I agreed with him, “I see.” I finally understand the relations between the eastern Arxian nobles with this.
The feudal lords of the smaller fiefs which surround the royal capital, also called the inner areas, and they don’t possess a decent army; they also lack a sense of crisis. They were former priest nobles who received a portion of the inner area. They have plenty of money and believe that others only think that money would be shifted if we accept refugees. Some may believe that the kingdom might be revitalised if war were to take place. Unlike the royal capital, where people gather, and the remote fiefs, which border foreign countries, it was easier for the inner areas to become stagnated. Probably because of their lack of crisis, most of them insist on accepting the refugees.
On the other hand, the northern fiefs, which face the sea, and the outer fiefs consider the influence of Rindarl uniting as their number one priority. They probably won’t become places which will accept refugees, and if their own fiefs become a battlefield, then they would need to invest all their surplus funds into naval defence; they hope that we would remain neutral against the problems in the east. So, of course, all of them rejected the refugees. The fiefs along Amon Nohl are also reluctant to accept refugees because they were aware that they were on the outer edge, even though their fiefs were natural fortresses.
Jugfena royal fief, Junas fief and their neighbouring fiefs, who were at the vortex of this issue, were mostly silent, since they were going to follow the decision of the House of Lords. There were benefits and disadvantages to accepting the refugees, and they were the greatest at defence in Arxian, thus what they said held significant weight in the House of Lords, so they couldn’t speak up irresponsibly.
The southern border feudal lords had to maintain a different line of defence, so this issue had the least impact on them. Therefore, most of them were acting indifferently as they watched the conference hall in silence.
“To begin with, this is different from the time of Zereulterziwizia. The refugees have no land nor money, and they speak a different language. Even if we take them all in, which fief would accept them?!”
One of the nobles got heated up by the debate and raised his voice in frustration. Everyone went silent at once.
Oh, this seems like the best time. Earl Thelesia and I looked at each other, then he nodded quietly.
I stopped my shoulders from trembling with nervousness and took a deep breath.
“If you accept the refugees, then my fief can take them in.”
The voice I had mustered up wasn’t that loud, but it resounded clearly throughout the silent conference hall.
Everyone’s eyes were focused on me at once. My heart was beating so fast that it became painful.
“… What did you say, Viscount Kaldia?”
The first person to speak was Marquis Rettalgau. He didn’t hide his harsh tone. I managed to stop myself from flinching at his threatening attitude.
“I said, we can accept the refugees into Kaldia if it’s necessary.”
I said clearer than before. After all, it would be Kaldia who would most likely accept them. I had discussed with Earl Thelesia in advance about being able to draw out favourable conditions if I said we would take them first.
“I don’t think that’s a very clever idea.”
The first person to spat out that remark with a cynical sneer was Marquis Nordsterm, a central figure of the northern nobles. He had a slightly cruel smile on his face, and his comment also told me not to say anything unnecessary. The northern nobles don’t want to accept the refugees at all.
“I only stated that my fief can accept them, not that it’s my idea. As you know, my fief had a serious shortage of human resources due to the disasters the previous feudal lord caused. If we can afford them, then I don’t mind if they’re not born and raised in Arxia.”
I saw Margrave Junas quietly averting his gaze from the corner of my eyes. He secretly knew that Kaldia needed the refugees.
“Even for an instant, what your father said…”
“My father was the previous feudal lord, and he did evil things that made him inferior to beasts, but what does that have to do with this?”
I heard stifled laughs in the conference hall, but I don’t know if it was because I had inflicted damage to myself with my words or if my retort was good. Marquis Nordsterm glared at me with eyes that could kill, but he didn’t say anything else.
“… But how would Kaldia look after a thousand people when it’s small and poor? You also wouldn’t have enough stock. If you pour tea into a cup once then, it will spill if it’s not a very deep cup. If the heat from the tea breaks the cup, then it would be horrible to look at.”
The next person to speak was Marquis Rettalgau. Some nobles took advantage of his relentless question.
“I’ll invest.”
Earl Thelesia made a brief counterattack, but the Marquis shook his head slightly. It certainly was impossible to accept all the refugees with an Earl’s personal assets. The House of Lords got noisy again. It wasn’t looking good. Kaldia needed to have the image of being able to take in refugees, so I couldn’t argue anymore.
“… It’ll work out somehow if they don’t all come at once. If Kaldia promises that they will eventually take care of all the refugees, then we can temporarily house them at my fief.”
Timely help slipped in at the last moment. It was Margrave Junas. He was willing to give me some support as long as his supply route doesn’t collapse someday.
“Hmm,” Marquis Rettalgau agreed. His concerns were considerably lightened since I had the support of Junas, one of the kingdom’s most prominent fiefs.
“――― We should go back to the main agenda.”
“Y-yes. Then, Viscountess Kaldia has nominated herself as a candidate for accepting the refugees…”
The Marquis said, and the hall became lively again.
I took a deep breath. My whole body was exhausted because I was too tense.
The inner nobles came up with more realistic ideas one after the other since they were probably not the ones who had to accept the refugees.
The northern nobles complained about their concerns about Rindarl again, but they were forced to remain silent by the high priest who stated that it might cause a significant impact on in the kingdom if we stop accepting our brethren, who we have accepted since the founding of the kingdom. In the first place, Densel Dukedom is Arxia’s hypothetical enemy, so even if war does happen, it wouldn’t cause a big disturbance in Arxia. The border Earls each talked about their military preparations, and they also spoke about the south-eastern feudal lords’ military alert status and cooperation.
“Well then, the Artolas refugees shall be moved to Margrave Junas’s fief in groups of 200, and Viscountess Kaldia’s fief in groups of 50 starting from next month. Food supplies will be provided by Henznite fief as well as the various feudal lords in the Ryunfeld region. Margrave Junas has offered up 20 simple tents, and Freche fief, Luctfeld fief and the Royal Army will lend more tents shall they be necessary. We’ll be counting on everyone.”
In the end, other than the northern fiefs, most of the other fiefs agreed to give some kind of support for the refugees. On top of that, a large number of funds will be provided for us from the national treasury as well as the church.
The south-eastern nobles, especially the inner nobles, will probably stimulate their own economies, and they looked rather cheerful, but in return, the northern nobles who had lost their right to speak were glaring at them resentfully. I hope that they won’t have any ill feelings from this.
“Did the House of Lords meeting go well, Liliza-dono?”
“It’s Eliza, Claudia-dono…”
Even though I was exhausted after returning from the House of Lords, the first voice that greeted me was so carefree, and the residue emotions in me were secretly carried off somewhere. Outside the door of Earl Thelesia’s townhouse where we were staying in the royal capital, this girl was spinning a spear. Her beautiful long golden hair sparkled in the sunlight. She would always get my name wrong no matter how many times we spoke, even though I corrected her every time. Seeing the dazzling smile on her face from the side, I felt as if she was making a further attack on my tired body and mind.
“I’m sorry. I’m just not good at remembering people’s names…”
“Yes, I already know that.”
“Uh, really? Anyhow, things went well at the House of Lords, right?”
“Yes, well,” I answered somewhat sloppily, and she didn’t seem to mind. “That’s great!” She replied in an energetic voice that caused my mind to suffer more damage.
This girl’s name is Claudia Lorenzorell, and she’s the daughter of the most prestigious military family in this kingdom. She’s staying in Kaldia as my playmate alongside Elise. Probably due to how she was raised, she’s unusually chivalrous for a woman and is a little smothering. To tell the truth, she was tiring to be around. However, she believes in fairness, and if she stopped fussing over everything, then she’d be quite a likeable person.
“I truly admire your boldness, since you’re willing to accept them in your fief even though they don’t speak our language. Giving a helping hand to the weak without any motive is such a wonderful cause!”
“Well, leaving that aside, why are you here, Claudia-dono?”
Claudia had welcomed me as if it was natural for her to do so, but when we had left Kaldia fief two days ago, she had remained back at Golden Hill Mansion. It takes two days to get here on a carriage, so why is she here?
“Elise-dono said she wanted to give you flowers. I rode all the way here to deliver it to you.”
I finally felt my head hurt as Claudia said that indifferently while handing me some wilted flowers. What did she mean when she said she rode here, when it took two days to get here by carriage? I don’t understand what she said. Even including my previous life, this is the first time I’ve met someone hard to understand. I have no idea how to handle her.
“She also wanted me to pass this message to you. ‘I met your distant relative, Elise-sama. I heard from Bellway-sama that she has a weak body as well. I wonder if girls who are named Elise are prone to being sick…’ Apparently, she received those flowers from the other Elise-dono.”
What the fuck is Bellway doing? I asked him to take care of the child who was trapped at the back of the mansion, but I never thought that he would make a mistake and let the Elise, whose name was borrowed, see the child.
Of course, there’s a reason why we invited Elise and gave the child the same name as her. We did it so accurate information wouldn’t be leaked out of the mansion. Only a few people have met Elise, since she has a weak body, and only a few people have met Radka, who is said to reside at the back of the mansion because of her frail body. I don’t want people to find out about her if possible. If two sick Elise’s reside in the mansion at the same time, then others will get confused even if information about them leak out. If the details are fuzzy, then the pieces of information they can get on Radka will mix with those of Elise’s. That’s what I want.
Thus, I can’t let the real ‘Elise’ know about this either. But Elise already found out about that child’s existence. I won’t be able to hide her if people investigate this… It’s a hassle for her to be discovered. Should I speed things up a bit?
The flowers I received while my mind was a mess, smelt similar to Elise’s room. She probably used this flower as decoration a lot because she liked it. I felt a little more relaxed.
“Now, you must be tired from constantly sitting down in the carriage and at the House of Lords. I’ll loan you a spear, so how about we loosen your body with some spear practice?”
… Don’t bother me as soon as I feel relaxed. It seemed like she was concerned for me, but did she want to drive the exhausted me into an early grave with her proposal? Claudia cheerfully dragged me into the garden and didn’t hear my objections at all. I looked at Earl Thelesia for help as a last resort, but he was just as tired as I was, and only nodded placidly as if to say to do my best. No way… Do I have to spar with her, for a bit?
Earl Thelesia’s garden at his townhouse was covered with stone pavement rather than grass. Claude was probably aware of this since she had a close relationship with the Earl. “Swing your spear as much as you like, since there’s no lawn here!” She smiled and cheerfully said, so I nodded ambiguously.
“You’re six right now, aren’t you Elsa-dono? I’m ten years older than you. Old Thelesia must be expecting a lot from you since you’ve already started practising with the spear.”
“It’s Eliza, not Elsa. I’ve heard that the Lorenzorell House start sword practice at the age of three, but do they start spear practice a few years later?”
What’s fun about this? Claude’s smile didn’t slip at all, and she wrapped cloth around her hands. She has a custom-made spear, but it didn’t have leather bindings on the hand, so she had to wrap cloth around her hands to keep the spear from slipping out.
“No, my brothers and I started sword practice at the age of two. I only started spear practice after I turned seven.”
My face twitched when she said that she had started sword practice at the age of two. As expected of the Lorenzorell House, known for their military might.
I warmed up for a few minutes according to Claudia’s instructions, and my body definitely felt a bit lighter. I’ve been so busy lately, so I haven’t had much time to practice the spear, and this might actually be good. I apologised to Claudia in my mind since I felt guilty.
Even so, Claudia was more skilled with the spear that I had expected. This was the first time I’ve actually spared with her using a spear, but I knew that she spent a lot of time at the barracks since she came to the Golden Hill Mansion, and I figured that she would be skilled at all sorts of martial arts, since she came from the Lorenzorell House and acted knightly. However, her skills with a spear seemed to exceed that of Gunter’s, no matter how I look at it.
“How are they, my spear skills?”
“They’re better than my master’s.”
“Gunter, huh. Maybe my family’s technique is just too strong. If it’s alright with you, then let’s spar again with spears. You can use a sword next time too.”
Claudia still showed no signs of fatigue and was laughing happily while cleaning up. I really don’t understand her. I couldn’t refuse her invitation to spar with spears as long as she stayed in the Golden Hill Mansion. I nodded, and she suddenly changed her expression.
“I was wondering what to do if you had refused me. Old Thelesia asked me to practice with you, so I’ve been wondering how to fulfil that promise!”
Did he actually agree to my spear practice? I was dumbfounded by Claudia’s completely unexpected remark and completely lost all my energy.
With so much going on, there was no time to leisurely take two days to return home by carriage. I finally arrived back in Kaldia while feeling extremely exhausted since we had ridden horses for a day before switching them once in a town on our way. Of course, I didn’t have enough strength to control a horse for an entire day, since I was a child, so Kamil and Claudia had taken turns riding with me.
Earl Thelesia, who held the real power, headed straight to his office and had no time to rest his weary body, even after returning, since he had to make preparations for the large scale project of receiving the refugees we had agreed to accept. Claudia had headed for the training grounds, and I wondered where she could possibly get all that excess energy from…
“What happened while we were away?”
I asked Bellway, who had been in charge during our absence in place of the busy Earl.
Bellway immediately reported everything that had happened, and nothing stood out; there had been no particular changes in these four and a half months for Elise and Maya, who had moved in recently, or for the new nanny who was mostly in charge of taking care of Elise.
“And, about ‘Ojou-sama’…”
Bellway timidly said, but I had already expected this when I heard the message from Elise. Bellway and the other maids call Radka ‘Ojou-sama’.
“My deepest apologies. We happened to come across Elise-sama when I took her out of the mansion the other day.”
“I know. Claudia-dono came and brought me a message from Elise-jou. I heard that you told Elise-jou that she’s my relative. If Elise-jou asks anything about that child in the future, then I will tell her. Guide her in that direction.”
As I thought, he told me about Radka. Bellway understood how that child will be treated from now on, since he’s the Earl’s secretary. Therefore, he had clearly made a big blunder when he took Radka out without grasping the movements of the few people in the mansion, and Elise had found out about that child. It was rare for him to make this kind of mistake.
I instructed him on how to deal with this in the future and asked him if there was anything else he had to report. Bellway suddenly lowered his head deeply for some reason.
“I’m truly, deeply sorry about this. To have betrayed Eliza-sama’s trust… I’m ready for any punishment you have for me.”
There was passion in his voice… It must be hard to be the Earl’s secretary. I felt something like pity as I looked at him, bowing his head at me. Earl Thelesia didn’t like having more staff than necessary, so Bellway actually does more than just secretarial work without complaining. He had to deal with a troublesome job, and he was even lowering his head to a child who wasn’t even half his size, so his work must be quite stressful.
I thought as if escaping from reality. That was the difference in our commitment. It was quite surreal to stare at someone lowering their head from above.
“… Earl Thelesia is the one who trusts you, not me. There won’t be any punishment from me.”
I asked Bellway to take care of that child while we were gone because there was nobody else in the mansion who was qualified to take charge, and also because the Earl had insisted that I leave it to him. I had been the person who had asked Bellway to do this, but that’s only because I’m the one who was responsible for the child. If he wanted to tell someone that he had betrayed their expectations, then he shouldn’t have said it to me since I hadn’t trusted him from the start.
I confirmed that the report was over since Bellway was speechless. Bellway looked as if he wanted to say something, or as if he was sad, and it was striking since he usually had on an iron mask.
In the newly established office made for me, I summarised the aid provided by the House of Lords along with the acceptance of refugees onto a single piece of paper.
The refugees who are taking shelter at Jugfena are Cellion farmers who have a connection with the Sill tribe. We have expectations for the Sill tribe members, but we also have hopes for the farmers. Some refugees have brought out grain seeds to negotiate for a new place of residence. We want their labour and their grains.
They have foreign grains not grown in Arxian because they come from abroad. Rare things are worthwhile because they are rare. We have to limit how much we grow because we’re afraid of destroying the ecosystem, but out of all the seeds they have, pumpkins are probably the ones we could use straight away.
According to what I heard in my previous life, pumpkins are nutritious and are strong crops. In Arxia, white pumpkins called ‘cubis’ are only cultivated in the southwest, and it will be Arxia’s first time cultivating dark green pumpkins, brought by the refugees. The most important goal is to improve the people’s food by cultivating pumpkin since we only grow wheat in Kaldia, but I think we could sell a lot of them in the future. Incidentally, I thought they would negotiate with potatoes, but the soil in Kaldia has a high water and nutrition value, so it was impossible to grow them here.
They will live at the centre of the fief initially, at the eastern bank of Sera River, which separates the East and West. In the future, we want to use this as a starting point to develop the eastern part of the river, which is an untouched area. Since the citizens of the fief live in the western part of the river, they will have limited contact with the refugees, and it reduces the risk of conflicts. It won’t be difficult to quarrel with someone who speaks a different language… but I will have their children learn the Arxian language. I’ve talked to Earl Thelesia about this, but we will need to set up a language education system for age groups who can’t participate in irrigation work. The children of the refugees and their refugees must know the Arxian language.
They won’t hold the title of refugees forever. They will be citizens of Kaldia once we accept them. Should I change their title to ‘new citizens’? I’ll talk to Earl Thelesia about this tomorrow.
I carefully thought about the refugees but was interrupted when the door opened.
“Are you still awake?”
The woman who entered the room said in amazement. It was Mrs Hortensio, a newly hired maid who had replaced my nanny and has her own room. Her voice echoed in the dimly candlelit room.
“You’ll harm your body if you stay up later than this.”
“I know, Mrs Hortensio. I’m going to sleep now.”
“That’s good. You seem to forget that you’re still only a six-year-old child.”
I was a bit startled by her remark, and my heart raced. She was right on the mark.
“Even if you’ve matured early, your body hasn’t caught up. Your body will be fragile if you don’t sleep well, eat well and exercise well.”
I didn’t even have time to reply that I understood since Mrs Hortensio said what she wanted to say before leaving the room. She wasn’t naggy as my previous nanny, but it was difficult to grasp her personality.
I woke up when it was still dim outside.
The air was cool and not cold, but I rubbed my cheeks and shoulders to drive away my drowsiness. I didn’t like lying around in bed when I’m wide awake, so I crawled out of bed.
I looked at the water clock in the corner of the room and saw that I had woken much earlier than I usually do. I didn’t want to catch a cold, so I quickly wore my dalmatica. I decided to take a walk in the mansion instead of lazing around in my room. It would be fine as long as I return before Mrs Hortensio comes to wake me up; I’ve thought the same thing on a particular morning long ago.
Rashiok, who was sleeping on the opposite side of the water clock, raised his head. Growl-, a whining sound came from his throat, indicating that he wanted to be spoiled, so I took him with me on the condition that he would be quiet.
The hallways were just as dim as my room since the curtains haven’t been opened yet. Rashiok had night vision and acted as a guide dog, helping me avoid obstacles, so bringing him along was quite useful.
For a feudal lord’s residence, Golden Hill Mansion was really small, so there weren’t many rooms, and they weren’t that big either. The barracks next door was actually larger, and it made one wonder which building was actually the feudal lord’s residence. It might be better to think about building a new castle at the centre of the fief to manage the citizens in the eastern part of the fief when things settle down. We will have to build new military facilities anyways if we do go to war with Rindarl. The House of Lords will surely order us to strengthen our military might if we succeed in training cavalry troops.
I kept my right hand on Rashiok’s belly as he trotted along, and continued to think without knowing where we were headed, then Rashiok suddenly snorted. He rubbed his nose against my cheek, as if he was troubled by something, and nudged my back. Rashiok had become an adult, and his mouth was big enough to easily chop off my head in a single bite. I secretly looked in the direction where he had stopped while realising how big he had gotten. I saw someone’s shadow and immediately hid in his shadow. Rashiok was bigger than me, so it was easy for him to hide me.
“… Hmm, oh? Is that you, Rashiok?”
The person who was walking down the corridor seemed to have noticed that Rashiok was sitting in the dark. From his voice, I guess it’s Bellway. After he heard Rashiok answer with a small snort, he entered the nearby room. I thought about where we were for a moment and realised that we were close to Earl Thelesia’s room.
But, isn’t it still too early for Earl Thelesia to wake up? I decided to remain here for a bit since I still had my doubts. I know that eavesdropping is a pretty bad hobby.
Before long, I heard two voices whispering to each other from inside the room. They talked about the plans for today, and about the pigeons that arrived last night. They got up earlier than usual due to the preparations that needed to be done so we could accept all the refugees. Earl Thelesia hasn’t informed me about these matters, so I still woke up at my usual time. Earl Thelesia overworked himself in his old age even under normal conditions, and now he had more work under his plate. I prayed that he wouldn’t collapse from overworking.
I continued to eavesdrop on them for a while. I knew why Earl Thelesia had woken up early and was about to return to my room.
“And, about what happened with Eliza-sama yesterday…”
Bellway mentioned my name, so I raised my hand to signal Rashiok to stop. I remembered my conversation with Bellway from yesterday and was curious to hear about how he would report to the Earl.
Bellway deliberately spoke in a quieter tone and explained what had happened yesterday to Earl Thelesia. It was hard to hear what he was saying since his voice was quiet.
“… My future master doesn’t trust me.”
Bellway’s agitated voice seemed to return to his normal speaking volume, and I could hear him clearly. My mind chilled as soon as I heard him. It’s that feeling again. The ice lump at the back of my chest spread even further.
His future master was referring to me. I wonder if Earl Thelesia is planning to have his servants work for me. Out of all the servants in the mansion, only Bellway was from noble society. Bellway’s father was a titled knight, but that was only an honorary position and didn’t hold peerage. Unlike nobles who can retain their nobility throughout generations despite not having peerage, there is a law that states that once a titled knight died, all their children will be stripped of their noble rights. I wondered if Earl Thelesia gathered people like that in this mansion so that I would lose all manpower once I leave his protection.
“It’s not just you.”
Earl Thelesia replied with a low growl. It sounded somewhat bitter.
“She doesn’t even trust me. It seems like she’s sounding out Kamil, the soldiers and the maids.”
… So he knows about this? As the years pass by and the number of people around me increases, I gathered information on the citizens of the fief by controlling them indirectly; that does indeed seem like I don’t trust the Earl.
I respect and am grateful towards him. But, while that may be true, I have never thought of confessing my sin to him. I’ve never thought of him as ‘family’ much less a ‘father’ even though he had raised me.
Earl Thelesia and I have a relationship of mutual benefit rather than trust. That’s why he’s in charge of the fief rebuilding project, and why he has participated in the early stages of the refugee acceptance plan that he had suggested as well. He also lets me use his own subordinates who he doesn’t need. And, all the grains produced in Kaldia will be sold by merchants affiliated with the Thelesia House. It could be said that he has a monopoly deal. I’m basically loaning the fief to him until I come of age since the Thelesia House is full of noble priests and don’t hold land of their own. Both of us receive plenty of advantages from this relationship.
… What fucking meaning and value does my trust hold? I frowned, and the conversation between Earl Thelesia and Bellway continued.
“It’s because she distrusts humans since long ago. It seems like she doesn’t realise this herself… but it’s gotten a bit worse since that incident with that commoner child.”
I heard a sound in my mind as if all the pieces were snapping into place.
――― Ah, I see. Is it alright to call the cold feeling in my mind that? Distrust of humans. I couldn’t come up with what that feeling was called, but everything fit.
“Then, what about Kamil? It looks like she trusts him.”
… Kamil? My lips curved without making a sound. The smile I had on my face didn’t have enough power to be called a self-mocking smile.
If what I feel is really distrust of humans, then why did I break down and reveal the secret of my birth to him? I certainly thought that he would scorn me and distance himself from me once he heard about my origins, but he’s still by my side. At that time, he had silently stayed in the dungeon.
“He is the only one who she treats differently. They’re too similar… They’re not close, they’re just not good at driving each other away.”
We’re similar? I do feel a strange affinity with Kamil. When Kamil had that stiff and failed smile on his face, I don’t know why, but I felt really close to him… However, I have never questioned him on the secrets he holds. Now that I know the words ‘distrust of humans’, I can definitely say that I was indifferent to him. Or, I might have unconsciously put up a wall around myself. I don’t want people to enter my world, so I don’t try to step into theirs.
But, I was curious about his circumstances now since he always pretends to keep his distance, like it had nothing to do with him. If that’s the reason why I can’t push him away, then I want him to explode and tell me.
I thought, and my ears became clear. However, the next thing the Earl said made me choke.
“But that too… If she knew that his father was the merchant who had poisoned her family, then she might not keep him by her side anymore.”
The merchant who had poisoned my father. I immediately paled, and my head was spinning. My vision flickered, and I leaned against Rashiok’s back. It was as if cold water had been poured on my head.
He’s a man I killed.
I was the one who had killed my father. But, the person who had been accused and executed for the crime was the merchant who had sold the food to my parents on that day.
My heart thumped violently in my chest. It was cold, but sweat was dripping down from my forehead.
… I had only heard that he was an unscrupulous merchant. He was a man who did a lot of shady things and was suspicious.
Although Kamil hardly ever talked about his father, I can tell from his expressions that he still misses him. He even boasts that his father was a wealthy merchant.
If Kamil ever discovers that I’m the true culprit. A chill ran down my spine. The reason why he follows me, the reason why he stays by my side… The reason why he tries to get close to me….
Urgh… a moan died at the back of my throat without making a sound. I felt extremely dizzy. The back of my temple was aching in pain.
I somehow managed to lift my trembling fingers and poked Rashiok’s back three times. He seemed to have understood my signal and laid down on the floor. My chest felt painful and I wanted to vomit, but I managed to hold it in and got on his back. Then, he carried me to my room without making a sound. He swayed more softly than usual, and I knew that he was worried about me, and this was his way of being gentle.
“You want Claudia to join the fief army?”
“Yes, I want her to register in the army as a guest, and have her become my bodyguard. What do you think?”
The weather changed mid-day, and it was raining heavily right now. There was a lot of water in Kaldia, but it didn’t rain often. As the rain tapped against the window of the office, Earl Thelesia blinked several times at my sudden proposal.
“… I was going to suggest this after you two get to know each other better.”
“Then, can we send Kamil to the east to develop the lands there?”
If Claudia becomes my bodyguard, then it’s possible to move Kamil, who has been my bodyguard up until now. One of the more predictable ways to move Kamil in the future is to place him at the refugee settlement. He understands cultures other than Arxia’s and can get along with others, he can speak Artolas, do paperwork, is skilful, and above all, had Earl Thelesia’s trust. There was no suitable position for him except to send him to the development site. The only vacancy that will open up is that of my bodyguard, so if I have Claudia substitute for him, then he can move right away.
Earl Thelesia nodded and agreed with my proposal.
“Claudia-dono already goes to the barracks quite often. The soldiers have been a little restless since my birthday celebrations, but they will probably calm down once Claudia has a position.”
A lot of soldiers were deeply impressed by Claudia’s spear skills. Our soldiers respected the strong. That’s why no one complained about Gunter even though he is young and has a position above the older veterans. Most of them used to be thieves, so they weren’t against following a woman’s orders. There were many women amongst the bandits, and there were some who were ruled by women who earned more, since they recognised ability. If I’m not mistaken, Claudia will definitely help organise the army.
“I want to accept the refugees who are currently suffering outside of the fortress as soon as possible. I have no objections to having Claudia as my bodyguard and sending Kamil to the development area. Kamil will definitely be able to manage the area well since he understands our intentions.”
“Eliza…?”
I summed up my thoughts on the matter, and the Earl suddenly seemed confused for some reason. His dark black pupils looked directly into my eyes as if he was trying to peek into my mind. I felt as if he could see straight into my heart, so I avoided his gaze by looking out the window, then he closed his eyes, and seemed to be thinking about something for a while.
“… Nothing. Hmm, you’re right. I’ll talk to Claudia about it, and instruct Kamil about the settlement village.”
“Very well, then. I’ll go and call Claudia-dono right now.”
I bowed and exited the office. From behind me, I could hear Earl Thelesia say, “You don’t look well, so you should get some rest after that.” I know that myself. After all, my stomach and head have been aching since this morning, and I might throw up at any moment if I’m not careful.
Even Claudia stayed inside on rainy days, so I visited the room that was given to her. She gave me permission to enter her room in a less spirited tone.
Claudia’s room hardly had any of her personal belongings. She had basically almost nothing besides the clothes on her back when she arrived here. Her room left quite an expression on me, since it was the opposite of Elise’s, who had looked as if she had brought everything from her room. The iron spear lying on top of a piece of cloth on the floor was the only thing Claudia owned, and she was currently rolling around.
“How are you doing, Claudia-dono?”
“I’m so bored. It usually doesn’t rain, but I’m stuck in the house with nothing to do today because it’s raining so heavily today. I want to practice.”
Claudia was the personification of being bored. She sat on her bed and swung her feet around. She seemed unhappy and complained about her boredom. The way she was pouting made her seem like a little kid.
“If you want, I can have the maid prepare sewing tools for you.”
I proposed that she sew, which was what normal ladies enjoyed doing on a rainy day, since I wanted a little revenge. Although, I know she wouldn’t be interested in it.
“… You mean that, right? You found out that I hate sewing, so you’re having fun teasing me, aren’t you?”
“No, of course not.”
I bet she had only said that without noticing my intent, but I was surprised to hear her bitter reply. I sleekly objected, but I was surprised inside. Claudia was shockingly good at reading others. Perhaps, Claudia is usually hyperactive, so she just doesn’t notice other people’s remarks; she wasn’t ignorant. She stopped kicking her feet and pouted her lower lips out slightly. Just by remaining still, she looked like a lady from a good family, because of her elegant features. I don’t usually see her like this… I felt awfully disappointed.
“Jokes aside, Earl Thelesia would like to talk to you. Can you come to his office?”
“Alright, let’s go!”
Claudia seemed glad that she could get up and move around. She lightly jumped off her bed straight away when I told her the Earl wanted to talk to her. Where did her boredom from earlier fly off to? The young lady that I had seen earlier must have just been an illusion. She looks like a lady if she doesn’t move around, these words rolled on the inside of my mouth.
Claudia briskly left her room; she looked right, left, then right again. What is she doing? She won’t get knocked down by anything in a mansion corridor.
“Erina-dono… Where is the office?”
… It seems like she doesn’t know where the office is, despite this being a small mansion, and she also runs around here every day. I started worrying about letting her be my bodyguard. I managed to stop myself from sighing since she was too foolish. When I think about how she will accompany me every day after Kamil is sent to the development area, I felt an indescribable feeling, even though I had suggested this myself. Claudia seemed a little embarrassed, and her face turned slightly pink. The indescribable feeling I had doubled.
“My name is Eliza, not Erina. I’ll take you to the office.”
“It’s fine, you just have to tell me where it is. Eliza-dono, please rest for a bit on my bed.”
“Huh?”
“You don’t look well. It’s against the code of chivalry to force a child to do something when they look so pale. I’ll take you back to your room when I return,” Claudia said, while smiling.
She pushed me into her room, half-closed the door, and gallantly walked down the left side of the corridor. She had said something cool before leaving, but Earl Thelesia’s office is actually on the right, and up the stairs.
… She didn’t listen to me at all. She didn’t ask me why I looked sick. However, it was different from how Kamil and I interacted with each other when situations like this happened, since we just pretend not to notice anything.
She didn’t ask me anything out of consideration. Her innocence made me want to cry.
I heard someone knock on the wooden door while I was napping and woke up straight away.
“It’s Kamil.”
I felt sick in the stomach when I heard his muffled voice after the knocks. My throat felt sore, as if it was being burnt, and I couldn’t muster up my voice to reply. The door opened silently, and I reflexively closed my eyes and wrapped myself in the blanket.
After falling asleep in Claudia’s bed, I was brought back to my room because my condition got worse. I might have strained myself too much and tired myself out. I couldn’t eat anything because of nausea, so I spent the whole day sleeping, and here we are.
Kamil slowly approached me to see how I was. It felt as if my heart was being grasped, and I couldn’t breathe from the pain. It wasn’t cold, but I could feel myself shivering with every step that Kamil took.
“… Tsar?”
Despite my brain ordering my body to pretend to act calm, and answer him, my lungs stiffened, and I couldn’t even breathe. I could hear my heart beat noisily at the back of my ears. Kamil probably thought I was sleeping as he touched my cheeks with his fingers. Goosebumps ran down my body, and I flinched as if I was convulsing.
“Tsar?”
I desperately kept my eyes shut. I was petrified to see what kind of expression Kamil was making. Isn’t he keeping his other hand on his sword right now? There’s no way he would try to kill me now. If he had wanted to kill me, then he would have done so the moment he was appointed as my attendant. I reasoned, but I couldn’t stop my body from shaking.
Undoubtedly, I was afraid of Kamil.
Kamil brushed my cheeks with his fingers again. Tension and fear had frozen my body, and I didn’t flinch this time. I could hear the sounds of Kamil breathing slowly. Even though his actions were casual, it made my heart beat faster. Even though the blood was coursing through my body, I felt cold as if I was frozen.
“… It’s been decided that I’ll be heading to the development area.”
Although he was talking, it sounded as if he was talking to himself. He muttered in a very low voice.
“The Earl said he can’t leave this job up to someone he doesn’t trust. I heard you supported my move.”
Kamil’s fingers moved from my cheek to my forehead. He casually brushed aside my bands and traced the wrinkle between my eyebrows. I heard him laugh bitterly.
“You can make that face when things get hard, you know?”
Kamil said as he took his fingers away from my face. I heard a clear sound, and something slipped onto my pillow. I felt something cold slide down the nape of my neck.
“You’re really stubborn, Eliza-sama…”
Kamil called my name in a gentle voice, and it made my chest hurt. I opened my eyes in surprise when he called me by my name, but all I could see was his retreating back. My throat remained frozen until he left, and I couldn’t even stop him from leaving.
My heart pounded for a different reason than earlier. How long had it been? I felt like I’ve heard him call me that before. It happened recently, but I couldn’t seem to remember when. His voice was full of emotions, but it was certainly a heartfelt voice.
I looked for the item that had dropped on my pillow. It was a thin chain bracelet with an amber gem, the same colour as Kamil’s eyes.
My eyes felt burnt for some reason, and tears slid from the corner of my eyes. The back of my throat hurt badly.
I was finally able to get out of bed three days later.
My body strength had dropped, and I used my willpower to stop myself from staggering. I had the maids prepare a tub and hot water, and gave myself a simple bath. I can’t go to the barrack’s bathhouse anymore. I used a wrung cloth to wipe my body and heard Rashiok come up to me even though he hadn’t come into my room when I was bedridden.
I rubbed against his forehead as if I was spoiling him, and he tragically flopped onto the floor. It was easy for Rashiok to roll the body of a six-year-old since he was heavier than a warhorse, and the maids quickly tried to control the situation. I laid on his stomach since he had knocked me down, and he wrapped his wings around me.
“I won’t say that you’re spoiled, but think about the difference in our sizes.”
I lightly slapped his neck while saying that, and Rashiok growled. His growl seemed more reserved than usual, and I tilted my head in confusion.
“Phoebe, what’s wrong with Rashiok?”
“Hmm… What’s wrong, you ask?”
I asked the maid who was watching my exchange with Rashiok, but she seemed puzzled and didn’t understand my question. She had replied to me in confusion.
“He doesn’t seem to have much energy.”
Rashiok usually doesn’t act spoiled in front of others. Also, he has never wrapped his wings around me with that much force.
“Isn’t it… because Kamil isn’t here? You’ve been bedridden for a while too. Rashiok has been staying outside your door the whole time, so he might be lonely.”
“… Kamil? I see.”
I understood the maid’s reasoning and slowly closed my eyes. Kamil and I have always been taking care of Rashiok together after I received him from the Earl. Rashiok understood relationships to a certain degree, so the next person he became emotionally attached to after me was Kamil. This was the first time that we both couldn’t take care of him, so of course, Rashiok would be lonely.
Kamil won’t be in this mansion anymore. Rashiok let out a lonely cry.
Why does my chest hurt even though I was the one who drove Kamil out? But I also felt relieved at the same time. The contradictions in my own feelings felt awfully sad.
I was tired of these frustratingly complicated feelings, so I leaned against Rashiok. He licked my cheeks to comfort me as if he was saying he understood everything.
“You’re going to move that child to the barracks?’
“Yes. Most of the people who know about her have been sent to the development area. I want her to be your bodyguard together with Claudia, so I left her to Gunter.”
I got dressed, and the first thing I did was visit Earl Thelesia. It felt unpleasant, since he always had to do a lot of work regularly, and I couldn’t help him because I had suddenly collapsed. I also wanted to know what went on during these four days that I was bedridden.
The first thing I heard was a report that Radka had been moved to the barracks. Indeed, the soldiers had been mobilised for the initial stages of the development. However, there were still some soldiers at the barracks who had seen Radka get caught. I wondered how he was going to deceive them, and the Earl shrugged a bit.
“She’s been kept at the mansion for quite a while now. It’ll be difficult for anyone to tell that she’s the same malnourished, skinny, filthy child.”
“… I see. That’s true.”
Her messy, unkempt hair had been cut by Kamil in the pretext of preparing for the execution. Attaching that hair to the jute bag that was tossed into the river gave people the impression that she had really been executed, so none of the soldiers had seen her since the incident at Cyril village. She had more meat on her body since her diet has gotten more nutritious, and the maids were washing her every day, so her skin colour is different from when she had dirt stick to her skin. She had indeed changed so much that she looked like a different person.
“And no one thinks of that as ‘Elise’ right now.”
“You’re right about that too. I don’t want ‘Elise’ to have combat training in her history.”
It was the perfect time to get her some basic training since she currently had short hair and looked like a boy. She will continue to live in this mansion as ‘Elise’ from now on.
“I explained to her that she is also going to receive military training. She seemed enthusiastic and said she will work hard.”
Earl Thelesia said, while looking glad, but perhaps she hadn’t been enthusiastic, and her anger and resentment had been stirred because of her pride. Because of what had happened with her mother, she can’t stay sane unless she viewed me in the same way as my father, who had used his money to live extravagantly and exploited his people. Therefore, getting her to go through the same training as I did, and having her change her opinion of me was harder than dying for her. It is fine if she can mature through that training because of her murderous intent towards me, or if she fails and changes her view towards me.
“It’ll probably correct her distorted views on nobles a little.”
Earl Thelesia nodded, and I started pondering.
I first understood this when I went to the royal capital, but the image of a noble in the minds of the fief’s soldiers was affected by my father and was too extreme and crazy. The soldiers might be aware of this since they occasionally view Earl Thelesia and Claudia differently… Well, it might turn out to be good for that child. It would be easier to change that child’s beliefs if she can admire nobles around her by referencing ‘normal’ nobles.