Episode 13
If you’re strong enough, you’ll have a lot of money at home.
To fall into a family that has nothing, even if it’s only a small fortune, shouldn’t you be in good health?
‘It’s unfair. It sucks.’
If I had spent this much money on the game, I would have gotten a higher rank according to the amount of money I paid.
A sudden wave of sadness washed over her, and April snorted.
Mrs. Nora, noticing, interjected.
“But you’re not feeling well, don’t you think we should know what’s wrong?”
“I do know the cause.”
It was the old woman.
The stress of the conversation had overwhelmed the sunfish’s body.
“The fever will come down after a little rest…….”
Being a sunfish, she’s prone to fainting, but the good news is that her fever comes down quickly.
She glanced around and noticed the ice pack next to my head.
“Did you bring that to cool me down? You have more sense than I thought, and you’re quick on your feet.
But I didn’t say it out loud.
April struggled to pick up the ice pack and put it back on my forehead, muttering to herself.
“Did Mrs. Nora bring me all this way?!”
“No, she called for you, so I came straight here……. Mrs. Nora had fainted and collapsed.”
Well, what then?
“Did my unconscious mind crawl all the way here with its strong homing instincts?!
April lifted her upper body slightly with all her might.
‘Your clothes seem to be clean for such a thing……?!
After frowning slightly at the oddity, April flopped back down onto the bed.
She reattached the ice pack that had fallen off again.
Again, the fever came down quickly.
Her foggy mind began to clear a bit.
“Hah……. I have a lot of work to do.”
I rest a little longer, then get up.
“…… I want an iced Americano.”
The elixir that could raise the dead!
I was in desperate need of a strong caffeine fix.
The mere thought of it made her thirsty, so she took a bite.
***]
An hour later, April’s fever was completely gone.
“Mrs. Nora. Help me up.”
The maid helped her to her feet.
“My lady, you haven’t rested.”
“I have no time to rest.”
And even if she didn’t, she couldn’t help it.
She didn’t have time to lie around and recuperate now.
“How are you doing with the hamachi?”
“Who…… you mean?”
“My godfather.”
“Oh……. The old lady is being dealt with by the butler…….”
The way she trailed off, it was obvious what was going on.
April clicked her tongue briefly.
“You’re probably screaming at the top of your lungs.”
As if her guess had been correct, Mrs. Nora could not deny it, but simply kept her mouth shut.
After a short tongue-lashing, April said bluntly.
“Give her a boiled potato for her meal. If you get bitten, you’ll go back to where you came from.”
“But you’re an old woman, how can you serve such food…….”
“Besides that, is there anything to eat in this mansion?”
Mrs. Nora pursed her lips for a moment, unsure of what to say.
“You have no money, nothing to eat, and you have no food? If I say anything, you’ll use my excuses, and you’ll do as you’re told.”
“……Yes, ma’am.”
“And later, when you have a chance, remove all the expensive items from the room.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Oh, and tell Gordon that from now on, all money, all goods, must pass through my authorization.”
April added a final word.
“And bring me the seal of the dead Quorn.”
“…….”
But there was no reply from Lady Nora. After a moment of waiting, April snapped sharply.
“What is your answer?”
“……I apologize, my lady.”
Mrs. Nora bowed her head and opened her mouth.
“We don’t know where that is either.”
“……What?”
She raised her voice with a frown, and the maid hesitated, then gathered her courage and began to speak.
“My late master had many businesses, and he valued his seals very highly, so he kept them in a place only he knew……. We don’t know where it is.”
“You say you don’t know where it is…….”
April muttered, fiddling with the already-melted ice pack.
“I guess we’ll have to find that.”
Deborah declared that she would take it, too.
She had to get it first so she wouldn’t add to the debt.
“Okay. We’ll figure that out later, but first, …….”
April took a deep breath.
“I guess I should go see that guy, huh?”
Oh, bother.
April grimaced and pouted her lips.
But even she knew it was unavoidable.
Whether she liked it or not, she was the master of this place, and the other man was a duke and a lord.
So it would be in his best interest to be as polite as possible.
“If I make good connections, I might be able to get some help in the future.
She clicked her tongue once more, then looked across at Lady Nora.
“The…… what duke did you say, the guest staying at our manor?”
“Oh, you mean the Duke of Fitzren, the lord of the manor?”
“Yes, that’s right. Where is his room? Please show me.”
The maid’s face lit up in an odd color.
“What is it?”
“Although this is the Countess of Falcon, I have offered the Duke a guest room, and it is now his private quarters for the duration of his stay, so why don’t we meet in public?”
She suggested cautiously, watching April’s eyes.
April smirked, realizing quickly what the maid wanted to talk about.
“I suppose this manor only has light-mouthed servants, huh?”
“To be honest, I can’t say there aren’t any.”
Lady Nora spoke her mind.
“My butler and I have served the Earl of Falcon for generations, but more often than not, the peripheral servants are not so fortunate, especially in the current climate of unpaid wages…….”
“So you’re saying that with discontent building up, bad words will travel faster.”
Mrs. Nora pressed her lips together, then bowed heavily.
“I’m ……sorry, ma’am.”
“Never mind. How could it be Mrs. Nora’s fault?”
April let out a long breath and muttered.
“What……. I suppose she has a point.”
The Beska Empire was not modern, and its worldview was strangely rigid in its gender stereotypes.
I’ve decided to stay, but I’m not going to scratch myself up and throw it to a bunch of gnomes.
April considered.
“Well, then, I suppose we should meet formally…….”
She was muttering to herself, but Mrs. Nora interrupted to offer advice.
“They usually meet in the tea room for a cup of tea and a chat.”
“Oh, that sounds like a good idea.”
April’s eyes lit up at the compliment, and Lady Nora’s face flashed with pride for a moment.
“Then tell the Duke I’d like to see him in the tea room, please.”
“Yes, my lady. I will tell him right away.”
“Very well, but where is the tea room?”
Mrs. Nora tugged at the string with a calm face.
“Another child will be up shortly to serve you, ma’am, and you’ll have to ask her.”
She’s quite capable, isn’t she?
April tugged at the corners of her mouth.
***]
We arrived at the tea room first, and April eyed the simple refreshments set before me with great displeasure. It wasn’t because she was dressed modestly.
She looked down at her mug of white steaming tea and made a small noise of displeasure.
“Hot coffee and tea in this heat.”
The life of an aristocrat.
She shook her head in disbelief at how incomprehensible it was.
She was thirsty, but she couldn’t bring herself to drink hot coffee.
“I suppose iced coffee will have to suffice for breakfast?
April’s shoulders sagged.
She felt like her eyes were on the verge of tears of disappointment.
“Can’t you make ice that doesn’t melt with magic?
Even if she wanted to ask Reike, she didn’t have the right to.
I had decided to go back on my word from earlier in the day and kick her out of there.
“Ew……. What an embarrassment.”
I sighed heavily, and then Reike appeared.
“Countess Falcon.”
He bowed to April, making sure to be polite.
April flinched, then scrambled to her feet.
“I swear, you’re a sight to behold.
April stared into Reike’s eyes.
“I like the color purple.
The color of his eyes was strange and mysterious, and she couldn’t stop staring.
“Did you get something on my face?”
“Oh, no, my duke. I am only grateful to you for honoring my request.”
“A gentleman should always know how to respond to a lady’s request.”
April smiled slightly, then offered Reike the seat in front of me.
“Please, have a seat. Tea is ready.”
“Thank you, but…….”
Reike’s voice trailed off as he stared at the tea table.
His gaze was fixed on April’s table.
“What don’t you like, do you want me to bring you another cup of tea?”
“No, not that.”
His voice trailed off for a moment, then he looked at April again.
“The Countess hasn’t touched…… her coffee, has she?”
“Oh, me?”
April smiled embarrassedly.
“Do I have to drink it?
I said no.
“Is that because it’s hot coffee?”
“Yes, it is.”
April smiled sheepishly and nodded.
“Then I’ll have to help you.”
Reike placed his hand over April’s teacup as if to cover it.
A blue energy surged from her palm.
There was a crack and the sound of something cracking.
April’s eyes widened.
“That sound is……!
It was clear!
