CH 41

‘Let’s avoid it.’

She could understand why Jen hated her. To think that the young master she served was heading to the capital hugging a wealthy commoner who was confused as to whether or not she was helpful. Besides, in fact, weren’t they planning to take her to the imperial castle, not the capital? Of course Jen wouldn’t like her.

“Do you think so?”

The voice was scary. Adler, a great knight, was the owner, but why should the butler be so frightened? The butler was the housekeeper. Why did she look like a knight? Why was she scared?

Even though she was beaten by Jamie, she was a person with a personality that would stand up every time, but after coming to that mansion, she didn’t want to bump into anyone. There was even an insignificant corner of her image, what really was here…

She thought that at once she would fly to the underworld.

“Of course. I just wondered how the young lady would live… It won’t be easy living as a commoner, but I’m just worried.”

“But I heard that the commoner class should eat meat once a month or so.”

“Yes? So what did she do? Aren’t bread and jam not enough?”

“Nope. It’s difficult for every meal, so they say they make soup with potatoes.”

“Oh my gosh. Nutrition must be very difficult.”

She nodded vigorously. She thought just a little bit, ‘These nobles…’, but those words were irrational themself.

“Ho-ho-ho. Then I’ll just go.”

She got up from her seat. Anyway, She didn’t often run into the tenants of the annex. She would even go after a month. It was best to avoid any argument.

Jen’s eyes followed her. She got goosebumps for nothing, so she sped up.

* * *

Slowly but surely, Leone found stability.

The distance to the annex gradually narrowed, and it got closer to the point where she could hear the sounds and smells of the annex. Still, Leone was fine. He wasn’t surprised when someone yelled at him or when the plate was broken.

For Leone’s sake, she pretended to be calm even if she was startled by the sudden sound. Somehow, training for Leone made her feel like her heart was being trained.

“Leone. You did so well!”

He clung so tightly to the annex that he even succeeded in walking a lap. She couldn’t see it from her line of sight, but as she stood there, she could see servants coming and going through the window.

“Oh, my, oh, my. How are you so smart?”

She crouched at Leone’s eye level, looked at him face to face, and gave him a lot of love. Leone nodded his head with a polite innocent face.

“I have won them all. Leone, you owe me a lot of wishes. Maybe ten?”

Leone smiled faintly. Leone didn’t want to lose to Adler or Benjamin, but losing to her was okay. It’s not even a fist away anyway. No, just look… It wasn’t good enough, but she thought he liked it.

“Trixie, your wish is.”

“Wish? I can’t think of anything.”

“Yes.”

“Yes. I’ll think about it slowly.”

“Yes.”

Leone opened his soft eyes and sat down on the floor. Unlike his usual self, his hips on the floor, cross-legged, like a man.

“Oh, Leone. Are you comfortable with that posture now?”

“-Tricksy.”

It was a meaningless word, and the next action was even more so. Leone held out his hand.

She wondered what he was doing when his hand landed on top of her head. A hand large enough to hold her head in one hand stroked her fluffy, curly hair.

“To touch. Like this, sit down- yes.”

“Aha. You sit like that because your hands are comfortable.”

“Yes. All right, Trixie.”

She thought he was getting pretty… Adults were like children’s mirrors, so was he copying her actions?

It seemed that he was very fond of her. Leone stroked her hair for a while and even touched her cheeks. At that point, she grabbed Leone’s hand and stopped him.

“Leone. I am not a puppy.”

That kid kept trying to take the guardian’s seat. She scolded him lightly, but Leone didn’t even care. Was he listening well or not? Could it be puberty?

He had completed his target training just one month before she had to leave.

“If you do this to anyone other than me, it will be a big deal. It’s against etiquette.”

“Others…”

“Yes. I might not be there.”

Leone looked at her.

“Trixie. Where.”

“Yes?”

“No, are you trying to go?”, he asked frowning.

It’s a surprise. She thought her heart had fallen.

“My, why would I be disappearing?! It can’t be. Leone, let’s go back.”

She hurriedly led Leone to the main building. Leone followed without saying anything, but he continued to stare at her as if he was going to pierce her. Why was he so scared…!

It’s not like she was caught. Did she say ‘without me’ too many times?! Fortunately, as soon as we arrived at the main building, Leone was immediately snatched and dragged away by Benjamin. She went to see Adler.

“Sir Adler. Are you busy?”

“It always is.”

The appearance of Adler who opened the door and faced him was spectacular.

“What is it?”

She immediately forgot what she was about to say and stared blankly at the man in front of her. Adler was not sitting at his desk in the study. He was working in the sunlight on a table by his window, with a pack on his skin and oil on his head.

“Why are you standing like that?”

“Beauty… A man who works hard is good to see!”

The forced flattery was just that. Adler calmly nodded his head.

“Yes. But what’s your business?”

Given the situation she decided to go to the point right away.

“Sir Adler. I think you need more face-to-face training with Leone.”

He made up his mind, but even as he spoke, he noticed.

“It’s deep… Did I hear something wrong?”

Adler put down the paper he was reading and looked at her. She really didn’t want to see him making an ‘ah’ sound while trying to frown and pressing down on his forehead with his fingers to open the pack.

“You heard me right. There’s a world of difference between meeting a lot of people in person and adapting only to the smells and sounds outside.”

“That’s true, though.”

“Yes?”

“It’s okay that things are going smoothly now, but…”

Adler groaned softly, neither refuting nor agreeing.

“Workers of the annex will not participate in the training. However, it is also ambiguous to do it with someone from outside. Since we have already discovered this place, we must reduce the risk of leaving the Meto Mountains.”

“If you’re looking for someone from outside, you’ll be even more embarrassed if they hear about Sir Leone’s condition. It doesn’t work in the first place.”

“Yes. Then there are no candidates. The knights and I will hate it even more.”

“… Yes. But just in case you don’t know, ask the people in the annex.”

She also thought no one would volunteer, but she asked again. The people in the annex who directly witnessed Leone’s condition and knew about what was going on here were the best candidates for training Leone.

“It won’t work out.”

“Yes…”

Even if she said it, she knew it wouldn’t come true. Still, one never knew. At least one person might be interested in Leone, or there might be someone with a big heart. She comforted her heart with vain hopes.

“Hey, Adler.”

“Yes.”

In any case, face-to-face training was showing signs of improvement, and it seems possible to expunge the marriage record. After that, Adler must sneak away. While thinking about what to do, she came up with something.

“Do you have a book called The History of Empire?”

『History of the Empire』 was a book that every citizen of the empire, from commoners to nobles, read at least once, whether rented or owned. It was because it was a book that raised the basic knowledge and patriotism of all citizens of the empire. As a result, a brief map of the empire with a history explanation was attached at the end.

She knew it because it was a book that the female protagonist, Leila, had used. She did a lot of things, befitting a socialite who helped the margrave seize the capital, one of which was to stock up on jewels and fabrics that would be fashionable in the empire. She even made it popular. As a result, she was familiar with the mines and regions where special products were produced, and there was always a map hanging on one side of her room. Just once. When she lost her map on her journey to the Empire’s frontier, Leyra borrowed this book from her husband’s study.

She also needed to know a little bit about geography if she wanted to make a living.

“I have it. why is that?”

Adler had cast doubtful glances.

“No, these days, I feel the limitations of having Leone repeatedly learn everyday words. I think it will be more fun if I make up a story from a history book and tell it, and I think I can tell him more about this and that.”

Even as she spoke, she admired herself. Wasn’t her improvisation pretty good?

“And the book is structured in a story style that is easy to read.”

“What a great idea, Trixie. You, too, must have been taught by this book, so it shouldn’t be difficult to tell Leone.”

“Yes. That’s it”

Adler nodded loudly and looked for the book. He looked at her with a happy and proud face. Seeing his eyes clear enough to sting her from being lied to, she thought she should pick out the right part and read it to Leone.

* * *

The night after work, she returned to her room and opened 『The History of Empire』. The intention was to move the map and draw it. When she lived as Lim Bobae, she had no dexterity at all, but Beatrice’s hands were quite tough. Was it because she was born as an aristocratic young lady and learned handicrafts or painting? She didn’t know why, but she was grateful.

The map was really brief. The locations of capital cities, several great mountain ranges, dozens of cities and towns, and influential churches were recorded. A very small village or detailed roads did not seem to be marked.

Since she was planning to avoid big cities and churches anyway, she would be grateful if she marked it like that.

“I’m sure this will be fine…”

It would be comfortable to run away to the end of the continent, but it was realistically difficult. Costs are costs, and one never knew what might happen on the way. After she found the resort town of Stud, where she would go on vacation, she marked the small-looking city, avoiding the mountains, the oversized city, and the church.

Run away from Stud and move, get information about other villages from this city… ok, perfect- And, as far as she remembered, there were information guilds rooted throughout the empire. It was such a huge guild that it even branched out in small towns. Well, even though it’s a branch, it’s just a request counter.

She could afford the cost of commissioning the guild, and there was no problem now.

‘No, are you trying to go?’

Leone, who asked with a frown, still bothered me.

“Nope. It will be fine. I just have to teach him well for a month.”

After struggling to clear her mind, she carefully folded the map she had copied from the book. She thought it would be better to hide it in the same place as her salary pocket. She turned to the mattress and got up from the chair.

“Tricksy, are you there?”

Someone knocked on the door. Surprised involuntarily, she responded reflexively.

“Yes, I am here!”

“I’ll go in.”

Before she had time to reach the mattress, the door slammed open. She stuffed the map into her pocket.

“Oh, Jane.”

“You were in the room. The butler is looking for you.”

“Yes? Why all of a sudden this evening?”

“I don’t know, but she said he had something to share.”

“Huh.”

“Stay in the office on the first floor. Ask them to come over there.”

“Yes.”

Jen was calling her? What’s going on? For some reason, she was convinced that it would never be a good thing.