Chapter 33

Translator’s Note: Nazelbert’s POV. Author used 1st person then 3rd later on.

The following week, the new maids began arriving at the estate.

Due to the lingering rumors of the previous lord, they were still incredibly wary of Agnes and me.

According to the talk I’d heard in town, the former lord treated physical abuse of servants as a matter of course, enforced harsh working conditions, and was stingy with their wages. We had no intention of doing such things here, of course…

On that front, I suppose I’ll just have to let them figure it out for themselves over time.

Kelly, the head maid, was in charge of training the new recruits.

Since she was the only one capable of educating the staff, we kept the initial number of hires small. Our plan was to gradually increase the workforce once these first few grew accustomed to their duties.

It seemed Kelly intended to make Mocca the leader of the cleaning and gardening sector, Marilyn the head of the kitchen and service sector, and Lori the leader of the laundry sector. However, since we were still short-handed, everyone was currently working together to get things done.

Agnes mentioned that she planned to have Meiza memorize a variety of different recipes.

Fortunately, because the previous lord had been quite the gourmet, the manor was stocked with an abundance of cookbooks.

The newly hired members worked efficiently, and the mansion was becoming noticeably cleaner by the day.

I couldn’t hide my surprise at the transformation of the hallways and the entrance hall.

When we first arrived, the house was cluttered with eerie ornaments, but now, more and more rooms were being cleared out and organized.

Furthermore—I’m not sure where she found them—Kelly had begun placing tasteful, easy-to-use furniture in the guest rooms.

Apparently, she’d managed to secure them through a trader named Bell. It seemed he had also been helping us by carting away our unwanted junk.

Even so, we were still lacking manpower, so Agnes would occasionally change into a maid uniform herself to help with the cleaning, or sometimes head out nearby to do some shopping.

She claimed that wearing a maid uniform allowed her to go out casually without drawing attention, but she looked so good in it that it actually made me worry.

Kelly informed me that Agnes—who was hardworking and perhaps a bit too kind-hearted for her own good—was actually quite popular with the men in town.

Perhaps it was because her life had improved so much since leaving her family home, but Agnes was becoming healthier and more beautiful with every passing day.

I’m sure that was part of the reason.

Alongside the hiring of the maids, Henry had somehow started frequenting the mansion as well. For work purposes, naturally.

With his cooperation, we were able to bring corrupt minor nobles like Baron Kigyonne to justice.

Apparently, even when Henry had evidence in the past, it had been impossible for him to oust them on his own.

However, I knew his primary objective was actually our cook’s lunch.

Meiza, who used to work at Henry’s favorite tavern, was now the chef here at the lord’s manor. If he did his work here, it came with the added bonus of her cooking.

Henry had seemed like a strictly somber man, but it turned out he had a bit of a carefree side to him.

We talked about recent events and other matters while sharing a meal.

During that time, Agnes was in the kitchen learning how to make jam from Meiza.

She had attempted it once before by following a book, but the endeavor had resulted in nothing but a burnt pot.

Though, even that was quite charming in its own way.

I wanted to spend time with my wife, but work called. Henry and I were currently reviewing the current state of the territory. There was still so much to be done.

“Lord Nazelbert. Since the beginning of this year, we’ve had a string of incidents where magical beasts have been destroying the fences for the livestock—specifically for the riding beasts. We haven’t been able to keep up with the repairs due to budget and labor shortages.”

“Is the cause due to the fences aging?”

“That’s part of it, but once a magical beast gets a taste for livestock, they learn that breaking a fence is a more efficient way to get a meal than hunting in the forest… They’ve started appearing much more frequently than before.”

“I see. Most of the fences in Sutrena are made of wood, aren’t they? It would be ideal if we had the metal fencing used in the Royal Capital, but… the issue is the budget. This territory is broke.”

Thanks to the previous lord’s extravagance, our finances were currently in dire straits. We were working on a countermeasure for that simultaneously.

“It is exactly as you say, Lord Nazelbert. We are moving to secure sturdier fencing, but we simply don’t have enough to cover the necessary areas…”

“I understand. In that case, Agnes and I might be able to manage something. Could you list the locations where the damage is most severe?”

“Oh. Certainly, sir.”

As my relationship with Henry improved, I began to be accepted at the fort as well. It wasn’t as uncomfortable as it used to be.

After the meal, I finished up my paperwork and stepped out into the garden, where I found Agnes and Henry standing in front of the fields.

It seemed that after finishing her jam-making, she had moved on to inspecting the crops.

“…So, because I overdid it with the reinforcement magic, I ended up creating a very hard vegetable. I don’t think this one is edible.”

Agnes was showing Henry a giant turnip she had just pulled from the ground.

“It might have other uses. Let’s look into it.”

“By the way, Henry, what is your magic?”

“I can change the color of physical objects. It’s not very useful, honestly. The material stays the same; only the color changes.”

“In that case, could you use your magic on the walls of our house? Perhaps it was the previous lord’s taste, but there are so many unbearable walls and floors. The primary colors and golds are all mixed together—it’s just gaudy and Louche.”

“If it’s during my off-hours, I would be happy to help.”

The conversation had shifted from crops to a home renovation project.

Until she came to the frontier, Agnes had very few interactions with others. Due to her family’s restrictive upbringing, she hadn’t gotten along with noble ladies of her own age, and she tended to be avoided in high society because of the nasty rumors about the “Potato Lady.”

Because of that, she seemed genuinely happy to be able to talk to so many different people here.

Henry, too, had a soft spot for Agnes ever since she saved him when he collapsed on the road.

“Truly, Lord Nazelbert and Lady Agnes are nothing like the rumors. I feel pathetic for being misled without seeing the truth for myself.”

“Rumors…?”

“Yes. The word that reached us here was that you were ‘a man who committed a crime and had his engagement annulled by the Princess, and the ugly lady who shielded him.’”

Nazelbert reflexively stiffened his body. This wasn’t the kind of talk Agnes needed to hear.

However, Agnes herself simply tilted her head in confusion and answered Henry.

“That’s just misinformation. My own reputation aside, everything regarding Lord Nazel is a complete lie.”

“I thought as much.”

“I can’t say this too loudly in public, but everything was caused by the Princess’s own selfish behavior. Lord Nazel is entirely a victim in this. Correspondence from the castle is censored, so the reports were likely rewritten to suit the royal family’s convenience.”

“That makes perfect sense. Thank you, Lady Agnes.”

As Nazelbert watched them, Agnes suddenly turned toward him.

“Oh, Lord Nazel! Are you finished with your paperwork?”

As she came running over, she looked so adorable that he reflexively reached out and pulled her into an embrace. Startled, her face turned bright red as she flustered.

Despite being a noble lady, she was strong and resilient through and through.

And that was exactly what he loved about her!

When he was with Agnes, he felt as though everything would start moving in a positive direction.

By now, Nazelbert felt like he actually wanted to thank them for annulling his engagement.