The True State Of The Domain

“Ask me anything! I—Rita—will answer everything!”

“A very admirable attitude. But we can’t talk properly with so many people around. Let’s change locations. Jonah, come along.”

“Y-yes.”

“……………………………”

When Marguerite took Jonah’s hand and started walking, the siblings followed with faces even paler than before.

They could have run away right then, but neither had the courage nor the presence of mind to try.

“Here, no one will disturb us.”

They had brought the siblings inside the very carriage Jonah and Marguerite had arrived in.

Indeed, no one could interrupt them here.

Though the carriage was surrounded by townspeople watching anxiously from a distance.

Jonah remained on maximum alert, ready to protect Marguerite at a moment’s notice.

“First… why is the boy who threw a stone at me yesterday so terrified now?”

“…………………………”

Marguerite asked, but the siblings only looked down in silence.

“I see. You have no intention of answering my questions. In that case—”

“…!? W-wait! I’ll answer!”

When Marguerite made as if to end the conversation, Rita hurriedly looked up.

“A-after you left yesterday… a rumor spread through town that the soldiers were desperately searching for the person who threw the stone and everyone who jeered… and so…”

“That actually happened!?”

Yesterday, Marguerite had said nothing and simply walked away—meaning she had let the matter drop. It should have been over then and there.

She had only been acting earlier to draw them out, so she never imagined such a rumor existed.

Meanwhile, Jonah realized exactly who had started the rumor.

Almost certainly Hans.

After returning to the mansion, Hans had said he had “other business” and left immediately.

In other words—that’s what it meant.

But Jonah understood why Hans had done it.

The Lord of Zwerg was Count Hagenberg, and allowing his daughter to be treated so rudely without consequence was unacceptable.

Yet Marguerite herself had chosen to let it go.

So Hans had spread the rumor as a compromise.

And the rumor had clearly worked—leading to the situation now.

“Haa… there’s a lot I’d like to say…”

Marguerite pressed her temples and shook her head.

Of course—she hadn’t wanted any of this, so it must be giving her a headache.

“Then may I ask the next question?”

Leaning forward, Jonah took over and spoke to the siblings.

“Since Count Hagenberg raised taxes, how much harder has life become for everyone? Is it so bad you can’t even live?”

“W-well…”

At Jonah’s question, the siblings exchanged glances and hesitated.

“Don’t worry—whatever you say here, neither of you will be punished. Right, Lady Marguerite?”

“Eh? Y-yes, exactly.”

Suddenly put on the spot, Marguerite nodded in slight confusion.

Jonah had deliberately asked her because people only believed such promises when the person in power conveyed them directly.

“I-is it… really okay?”

“Of course.”

Jonah nodded firmly to the timid Rita.

Then—

“Honestly, life is really hard now! It’s not like we’re starving to death, but we still have to cut back every single day…!”

“Yeah! If the Lord hadn’t done this, Mom and Dad wouldn’t have to make those faces!”

The two began pouring out their feelings as though a dam had broken.

“What sort of faces?”

“They always look like they’re about to cry and apologize to me… ‘Sorry we can’t feed you until you’re full’…”

As he spoke, Kurt’s face crumpled.

It seemed the Count had raised taxes to the absolute limit—any more and people truly wouldn’t survive.

“They used to say, ‘We’re so happy to live under such a wonderful Lord!’ But… this is just too much…!”

“…………………………”

At Rita’s strained, tearful voice, Marguerite bit her lip and looked down.

“…Thank you both for telling us. I understand everything now. And including what happened yesterday—Lady Marguerite promises she won’t do anything harsh to you. So don’t worry.”

“Y-yes…”

“Okay…”

After letting the siblings off, the carriage carrying Jonah and Marguerite headed back to the mansion.

On the way—

“Jonah…!”

Marguerite looked at Jonah with eyes on the verge of tears.

Torn between wanting to believe in the father she admired and the tearful reality the siblings had described, she no longer knew what to do.

“It’s all right… everything will be okay…”

“Sniff… y-yeah… yeah…”

As Jonah gently squeezed her hand and smiled, Marguerite sniffled and nodded.

Jonah silently vowed—he would absolutely save her heart.

That was why—

“Hm…”

“Count Hagenberg, I have something to discuss with you.”

That very night, Jonah went alone to the Count’s study.