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Translator: Nonon
Proofreader: Silavin
“I see, so that’s what it was. I was surprised because I was suddenly treated like a mother.”
I explained the details to Lady Violet, who had returned to her normal self after freezing for a few seconds, while we ate a late breakfast.
Lady Violet is still only 15 years old. It’s not surprising that she would be shocked to be called a mother by somebody of Gray’s age. On the contrary, I was worried that she would show contempt, but judging from the way she was drinking tea after the meal, that didn’t seem to be the case.
I thought she was so serious that she wouldn’t be good with talks like this.
“I’m sorry about that, Gray. I did receive an explanation yesterday, but… to be honest, I only understood that you’re a secretary.”
“No, you were tired, Mistress Violet, so it is only to be expected. And it is not a problem to treat me as a secretary in public. It would not be accepted well in the society if a word got out that a Baron family adopted someone like me.”
“…You’re right. I will also treat you as a secretary.”
“Thank you very much.”
She doesn’t have to worry about that too much though. Well, since slave trading is more or less forbidden in this country (possession is allowed, for some reason), it’s true that the public wouldn’t think favorably of it. Lady Violet also seems to understand that and has decided to treat Gray as a secretary.
But I’m still surprised. Although the matter of him being a slave is a secret, Lady Violet, who’s fussy about social status, didn’t say anything about adoption. Even if she wasn’t herself yesterday… Wait, now that I think about it, I feel like there was a slave character in Ring of Fire too. I wonder who it was.
“Hmm, but… I see. There is no change in me being a mother.”
Wait, Lady Violet?
“Okay, Gray, my child. Outside of social gatherings, you may address me as your mother.”
“Which variation of ‘mother’ should I use?”
“Hmm… nobles would use a more respectful or a formal name.”
“I’ve also heard of Your Ladyship being used.”
“It sounds noble somehow.”
Wait, how serious are these two? No, at least Lady Violet is serious. She seriously thinks that her child is really her child, whether they’re adopted or not.
I’ve been thinking about this since yesterday, but maybe this person isn’t an overly serious and arrogant noble lady, but rather a natural airhead. Maybe I just misunderstood her because of her villainess reputation and she’s actually just a sheltered noble lady who’s easily influenced.
“Calm down, Lady Violet. You’re not mistaken but you’re still not right.”
“Lord Clo, I was just reflecting on how inflexible I have been until now. I should try to become more flexible.”
“That doesn’t mean you should accept everything!”
In the end I still stayed as Lord Clo and Lady Violet ended up being called Mistress Violet. It seems like it will be a long time before Lady Violet’s flexibility is honed.
◆
After eating breakfast and drinking the after-meal tea, Gray, Lady Violet and I went outside to do the work of the feudal lord.
At first I thought it would be nice to show her around the land while introducing her to the residents, but I had some urgent business so I decided to take care of that first. I was going to give her a tour in the afternoon so I thought I’d have her wait at the, but
‘As a wife, I want to have a good understanding of my husband’s work. And, I also want to help.”
She declared, so I couldn’t refuse her.
For the time being, she would be observing for a while and then help with simple things. Lady Violet wore clothes that were comfortable for going out, but she was dressed in the kind of black clothes that you would expect to wear when going outside in the city. Gray and I were also dressed the same way though.
“By the way, Lord Clo, there is something I would like to ask you.”
“What’s wrong?”
Then Lady Violet questioned me and Gray as soon as we arrived at the workplace. When I looked at her, she looked sincerely curious. She was probably curious about what we were carrying and the place we were at.
“I heard that there was an urgent job for the lord.”
“Yes, it’s urgent.”
“I’m sorry, I forgot to ask what it was about. May I ask about the details?”
Come to think of it, I only said that it was urgent but didn’t mention the details
Gray and I probably had some difficulty saying it, but as long she’s helping, we have to explain it to her.
“We’re farming.”
“We are farming.”
“… I’m sorry, can you repeat yourself?”
“Yes. We will be plowing fields, with a hoe.”
“Yes.”
“Huh… what?!”
◆
“Is this really the feudal lord’s job…?”
On the miraculously hot day, Gray and I were plowing the fields.
In this world, due to the wondrous power of magic, the harvesting season and cultivation methods for vegetables and other crops are often different compared to my previous life, but it’s still necessary to till and fertilize the soil to sow seeds.
“It can’t be helped, Mr. Green hurt his back.”
“Yes, it seems that if we don’t plant them this morning, the harvest will be delayed.”
“No, I get it… but still…?”
Lady Violet was bewildered.
The work of a feudal lord varies greatly.
They manage local products and maintain the housing environment. Sometimes they mediate disputes among residents, and when monsters appear, they may request help from outside or exterminate the monsters themselves. It’s not surprising for barons and viscounts to cultivate the fields with their own hands.
Although there are times when paperwork and contributions to the country are a headache, the feudal lord’s job is basically to protect the daily lives of the residents and to aim for development.
“Do you have any experience with this kind of work, Lady Violet?”
“… I’ve been taught by my father that this is not the kind of work we should do. I’ve honestly never even touched the soil except as material used for classes.”
“Oh… there are certainly people like that in the royal capital.”
In addition, as a daughter of the ducal family, she wouldn’t even think about playing with dirt. This might be a strange sight for Lady Violet, whose family is more involved with work like management and negotiation.
Come to think of it, I seem to recall a scene in which the heroine touches soil normally as an alchemy material, His Highness helps her, and when Lady Violet sees him covered in dirt, she admonishes the heroine. Maybe she does not have a good image of playing with dirt.
But here in ‘Shiki’, things are more troublesome. Today was still a normal work day due to Mr. Green’s physical condition, so I thought Lady Violet would’ve been fine as well, but … maybe it would have been better to have her stay at the mansion and mention it to her casually when showing her around.
“Lady Violet, please rest in the shade of the tree. It’s hard to do it all of a sudden when you’ve never even held a hoe before.”
“……I’ll take you up on your offer. I’d like to take a look around, but I can’t just wander around on my own.”
While looking at the soil, Lady Violet moved to the shade of a nearby tree without trying to touch it until the end. And she just stared at me without even trying to sit at the base of the tree. Is she really trying to learn? Or does she have something on her mind when looking at me?
“I think it will take some time for her to get used to it.”
I just hope she won’t give up on me by then.
Gray and I plowed the field while holding our own hoes.
During that time, I was really being watched… It’s hard to work like this.
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