Chapter 28

Afterward, Lord Nazel relayed the news about the seedlings to Sir Henry, and it was decided that he would be visiting the mansion soon.

It seemed that the appearance of a plant capable of solving a food crisis was something that simply couldn’t be ignored anymore.

I hoped that this would be the catalyst for Lord Nazel to finally be accepted by the people of the frontier.

As for my management of the mansion, hope was beginning to shine on the plan to hire servants now that we had found a dealer to buy our unwanted items.

Kelly had found the dealer through a reliable source.

The person she brought was a young merchant named Bell, who conducted business extensively in the surrounding areas. In appearance, he seemed to be around the same age as Lord Nazelbert.

He was an incredibly refreshing man with blond hair and green eyes; his white teeth practically sparkled as they caught the light.

He had such a flamboyant aura that everyone else around him seemed to fade into the background.

…Isn’t he a little suspicious, though?

I promptly invited him inside, as he claimed to buy unwanted goods and resell them to those in need.

Bell had brought along a large crew for hauling luggage, and every one of them moved with brisk efficiency.

He seemed quite accustomed to giving orders to people.

“Hmm, so this is the mansion of the ‘cursed’ lords… This place is incredible, in more ways than one. I didn’t think it was possible to have such bad taste.”

Bell commented as he appraised a statue in the foyer that looked like a cross between a lion and a tortoise.

Did this man just bluntly say “bad taste”?

“However, there is value here. The gems embedded in this piece are extremely rare.”

“What about the statue itself?”

“Hmm? These bizarre objects are all worthless. If anything, they’re a negative factor that significantly detracts from the beauty of the gems. I question the aesthetic sense of the person who designed this.”

“…I thought so too~. Please take these paintings as well. They’re quite creepy.”

For a split second, the merchant’s true self had slipped out, but he quickly returned to a polite tone with a refreshing smile.

“Understood. There are certain nobles who collect nothing but paintings like these, so I shall introduce them to the collection. As for the interior decor over there, I know a lady who is fond of that style.”

“There are many people with strange hobbies, aren’t there?”

“Yes, indeed. It truly defies understanding.”

…Is it really okay for a merchant to say something like that?

His mannerisms were very refined, yet there was something strangely suspicious about him; he didn’t quite feel like a merchant.

As I was looking at Bell with these thoughts, it seemed my inner voice had leaked out, earning me a wry smile from him.

“I’m not suspicious, not at all. I am a perfectly legitimate merchant, I assure you.”

“…I’m sure you are~.”

Setting my own aesthetic eye aside, since the reliable Kelly had summoned this merchant, he likely wasn’t a fraud.

In that manner, we toured the inside of the mansion.

Bell seemed to have quite a wide network of acquaintances and was knowledgeable about the circumstances of various nobles. Though his stories were mostly harmless small talk, I found listening to him quite enjoyable.

“Lady Agnes, you are a very frank person, aren’t you?”

“Am I?”

“My apologies; you simply weren’t the kind of lady I expected. Your husband is a lucky man to have such a beautiful and interesting wife.”

“I certainly hope so.”

I wondered if this man was also familiar with the rumors of the “Potato Lady.”

After finishing his appraisal of the suspicious artworks, Bell began issuing various orders to the haulers.

With this, the mansion should become remarkably less cluttered.

Bell was an unusual merchant, but since he paid a fair price in cold hard cash, he wasn’t a bad business partner. After seeing them off, I asked Kelly to handle some light cleaning.

I had been so preoccupied with dealing with everything that, before I knew it, the sun had already set.

“Kelly, I’ll go buy dinner today. It’s nearby, so I’ll be fine if I go dressed as a maid.”

“Absolutely not, Lady Agnes. If anything were to happen to you, I wouldn’t be able to look Lord Nazelbert in the eye.”

“But the nearest shop is just outside the mansion gates? I’ll only be gone for a moment… Or would you rather I handle the cleaning instead?”

“We’ve moved a massive amount of furniture and strange ornaments; every corner is buried under mountains of dust. You must not go near it, Lady Agnes.”

“…Then I’ll only stop at the neighborhood shop. That should be fine, right?”

Lord Nazel would be returning to the mansion soon. I wanted to have the meal ready by then.

On the condition that I absolutely would not take any detours, I successfully won the right to go out.

Though, as I said, the shop in question was very close to the estate.

“…My first solo errand. My heart is racing.”

Tucking the money into my bag, I suppressed my excitement and hurried out of the mansion in my maid uniform.

“I have to hurry, or the shops will close.”

Closing times are early in the frontier, so I sprinted through the garden, swung open the large gates, and stepped onto the street.

The mansion was situated slightly away from the center of town, so there wasn’t much foot traffic.

Even so, there were a few shops nearby that sold food.

There was “Solar Hall,” a shop selling nuts and mushrooms gathered from the forest; “Ham and Coins,” a stall selling simple side dishes; and “Flower Mole Pavilion,” a small diner that offered takeout.

I headed for the last one, “Flower Mole Pavilion.”

If I recalled correctly, they stayed open the latest.

When I opened the wooden door, illuminated by the warm glow of a lamp, a bell chimed tinkle-tinkle.

Inside the quiet shop were a few customers and the middle-aged couple who ran the place.

“Welcome. Hard at work so late, aren’t you? You aren’t being treated poorly at the mansion, I hope?”

The proprietor and his wife looked at me with concern.

Since I had visited with Kelly before, they seemed to remember me.

Maids aren’t exactly a common sight around here, after all…

Apparently, the previous lord was the worst kind of employer, so Kelly and I were met with worry everywhere we went shopping.

This was something I had to correct.

“The working environment isn’t bad at all. Room and board are guaranteed, and the wages are higher than elsewhere. Oh, that’s right…”

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper.

This was a recruitment flyer that Kelly and I had been working on for some time.

—Now that I have the funds, the plan to hire servants is finally moving into action!

“Please, take a look at this. It’s a recruitment flyer for servants at the mansion.”

I believed the conditions were better than any other job around here—honestly, probably better than jobs in the royal capital.

“My word! I’ve never seen a job with such good conditions around these parts,” the wife exclaimed.

The husband nodded along in agreement.

“Guaranteed room and board, commuting is an option, three or more days a week (negotiable), various allowances included, bonuses provided, and a workplace with little overtime… Isn’t this almost too good to be true?”

I told the startled couple, “We are currently looking for our founding members.”

I also made sure to aggressively promote the fact that “the master is highly capable and possesses a generous heart.”

Lately, I had been going around various parts of town like a missionary, spreading the word of Lord Nazel’s greatness.

“Um, if it’s alright with you, could I post this recruitment notice on your wall?”

Many other recruitment notices were already plastered on the shop wall. When I asked if I could add mine to the mix, expecting to be turned down, the couple readily gave their permission. They were truly kind people.

“Thank you so much!”

Having successfully purchased the food I came for, I began my walk back to the mansion feeling thoroughly satisfied.