Chapter 21

“I’ve heard the gist of the story. Apparently, the original lord’s family perished due to magical beast attacks. The next lord appointed to govern this land didn’t last long either—he retired early and is currently living in the royal capital.”

“That’s correct. Since the original lord had no heir, a relative from the capital was dispatched as the new lord. However, his health failed, and he passed the headship to his son. That unmarried son was then attacked and killed by a magical beast. Before long, rumors began to spread that anyone who became the Lord of Sutrena would be cursed…”

The death of that final lord was, by all accounts, a gruesome affair.

Since no one wanted the title, Sir Henry had stepped in to handle the various administrative duties until a successor could be found.

Perhaps because that arrangement worked surprisingly well, the decision for the next lord was delayed under the guise of ‘careful consideration,’ leaving the position effectively vacant until now.

And that was how things stood today.

Did they simply use the ‘cursed’ status of the lordship as a convenient excuse to force the position onto Lord Nazel?

Still, it was strange. Do lords really get attacked by magical beasts that often?

I had heard the frontier suffered greatly from magical beast damage, but it must be truly horrific here. I’d better be careful too!

“I may be an exile, but since I have become the lord of this land, I intend to fulfill my duties to the best of my ability.”

“Thank you, Lord Nazelbert. You must be exhausted today, so allow me to show you to the mansion. I will explain the specifics of the work from tomorrow onward. Please forgive us for being so short-handed that things may not be quite up to standard.”

“Don’t worry about it. Thank you, Henry. More importantly, you look exhausted yourself. I know your position makes it difficult, but please rest when you can.”

It seemed Lord Nazel was also worried about Sir Henry’s sickly complexion.

The sooner we headed to the mansion, the sooner the burden on him would be lightened.

“Well then, I’ll be heading home too~”

Tony tried to slip out of the room with us, but…

“Wait right there, Tony. I have words for you. You aren’t escaping.”

The pale and grim-faced Sir Henry firmly grabbed Tony’s sun-kissed arm.

I didn’t know why, but Tony’s face had suddenly turned pale as well.

After parting ways at the fortress, Lord Nazel and I arrived at the lord’s mansion. Naturally, Kelly was with us.

The sprawling estate was the residence of the ruler of this land, and from now on, it would be our new home.

I gasped as I looked up at the massive mansion.

I wondered why, despite being a frontier residence, the building seemed so extravagantly expensive.

For a house where generations of lords had supposedly lived, the outer walls looked brand new. Even the garden was cluttered with strange ornaments.

“Um, Lord Nazel. There’s a waterfall flowing right out of the mansion’s window… It’s incredible.”

“I’ve never seen a mansion like this either. It looks like the waterfall connects to an artificial river in the garden.”

“There are colorful fish in it. The flowers on the plants climbing the building are so large and beautiful, too. The petals are drifting down into the river…”

I had heard the frontier wasn’t a wealthy region, so why was the lord’s mansion so luxurious?

“Agnes, Kelly, let’s head inside.”

“Yes, Lord Nazel!”

“As you wish.”

Together, we passed through the massive doors, only to be greeted by an even more startling sight.

“Whoa… It’s so gaudy.”

I accidentally let my honest thoughts slip.

“There are so many expensive-looking ornaments. There’s even a stream flowing inside the house…”

“You’re right. Though it seems the upkeep has been kept to a bare minimum. It’s almost exactly as the previous owner left it…”

Lord Nazel looked around, appearing just as bewildered as I was.

“It looks like it will be worth the effort to clean.”

Kelly rolled up her sleeves, already entering combat mode.

“Kelly, don’t overdo it. This place is too large for one person to clean alone. You must be tired today, as well. For now, just check on Agnes’s room.”

“Understood. I shall prioritize checking Lady Agnes’s and Lord Nazelbert’s rooms.”

With that, Kelly hurried off toward the back of the mansion on her own.

“At the very least, we need servants to help with the cleaning. Finding people in this frontier region might be difficult, though.”

“You’re right, Lord Nazel. The scale here is completely different from the detached house back home.”

“There are only three of us, so we really don’t need such a massive mansion.”

“I wonder how the previous lord managed.”

As I stood there with a distant look in my eyes, Kelly returned.

“The kitchen, dining room, bathroom, master bedroom, and one servant’s room have been properly cleaned. It truly is the bare minimum… I suggest you spend your time there for today.”

“Thank you, Kelly. You should go take a break as well.”

“But…”

Kelly was just as exhausted from the long journey as we were. I chimed in with Lord Nazel to encourage her to rest.

“It’s okay. We’re just going to rest for the remainder of the day, and I can change my clothes by myself. Sir Henry arranged for food to be delivered later, anyway.”

“Then I shall at least assist you in the bathroom later.”

With a polite bow, Kelly picked up her luggage and saw us off.

Lord Nazel and I headed toward our room together.

While we had been talking to Sir Henry, his subordinates had already moved our belongings inside.

“Even so… the ‘master bedroom’?”

Surely not, right? The room must be divided inside, right?

I nervously made my way down the gaudy hallway.

If we have to share a room, my heart isn’t going to last!

“What’s wrong, Agnes? Shall we?”

As I dawdled, Lord Nazel gently took my hand.

We had held hands before, but I still felt a little nervous.

Ever since I met Lord Nazel, I thought he was a wonderful person, and I was happy just to be with him like this.

But… Lord Nazel probably didn’t feel the same way.

I knew he didn’t dislike me.

However, it wasn’t as if he was pining for me. Lord Nazel was simply fulfilling his duty.

Because he was such a kind person, he was doing his absolute best to act like a proper husband.