Chapter 1. The fiancé is back
Kalian’s crumpled face straightened up. A gentle smile spread across his lips.
“Well thought.”
Kalian got up from his seat. He took something out of his desk drawer and put it down in front of Leila.
It was a round piece big enough to fit into the palm of a hand. The marble sculpture was engraved with a blue dragon, the crest of the empire.
“It’s a pass. If you have this, you don’t have to get my permission when you enter the palace in the future, ”
It’s an important item.
Leila kept the pass in her pocket.
“You can fill out the aide document when you meet my aide, Baron Delrond. You know who he is, right?”
“Yes. I know.”
They had already met once, and if not, there was no noble who didn’t know Baron Ver Delrond, the emperor’s only aide.
“Then, I will come to work tomorrow.”
“That early? You came to the capital yesterday. There should be things you need to organize, right? Ah, will you be okay staying at Duke Williot’s mansion?”
Leila smiled faintly at the indifferent words and lowered her gaze.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No. It’s not that… I don’t stay at Duke Williot’s mansion.”
“Hmm? Why?”
Leila’s complexion darkened.
Something must have happened.
Why can’t Philen Williot’s fiancée stay at Duke Williot’s mansion?
Does she have a fight with Philen Williot?
He was curious, but even if he asked, she seemed unwilling to answer.
I’ll have to investigate this separately.
“So, where are you staying right now? I don’t think Count Thebesa is in the capital.”
“For now, I am staying at an inn.”
“Inn?”
Wrinkles crept into Kalian’s forehead.
“Did you not find a suitable house?”
“I am trying, but…”
Leila hesitated, unable to speak about it easily.
Why did she act like that?
“Perhaps, you don’t have money to buy a house?”
Leila blushed and nodded.
He was just saying it without knowing that it was the answer.
He couldn’t believe she, who was the fiancée of a duke not too long ago, couldn’t find a house in the capital because of money.
It was an absurd story enough for a passing dog to laugh, but there’s no way she would lie about something like this.
“Then, I’ll help you find it.”
Leila’s eyes widened. Her two tightly clenched hands finally fell and waved in the air.
“It’s okay. It’s my house, I’ll take care of it myself.”
“Are you able to do that?”
Leila shut her mouth at the words that hit right on the mark. Her hands slid down to her knees again.
“I know what the Lady is thinking, but it’s better to accept this.”
“But…”
“You don’t have to think hard. Think of it as a kind of welfare. If the Lady has any inconvenience when working, it makes me uncomfortable too.”
Leila’s expression became a little more comfortable at the added explanation.
“Thank you.”
“Then I should look for a house.”
There were several mansions owned by the Imperial family, so he could give her one of them.
Kalian shook the bell, and Rahel came in.
“Call Ver. Tell him to bring the aide’s employment contract when he comes.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
After Rahel left, Kalian immediately called the handmaiden, Audrin.
It was to fit Leila’s uniform.
“I’ve never had a female aide before, so there are only pants in the uniform. It’ll be okay, right?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Audrin, fit Lady Thebesa’s uniform.”
“I understand. My Lady, this way.”
Leila followed Audrin to measure her body.
After taking the measurements, she was given explanations from Kalian about the body and mind she should have as an aide.
“There’s nothing very special. Just be loyal to me. And do what I tell you to do well.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“The uniform doesn’t have to be worn regularly, but it should be worn on special occasions or formal events.”
Kalian said it as if it were nothing, but Leila listened carefully.
After talking about many other things, Ver finally came.
“It’s been a while since I called you, you come really early.”
“My boss forced me to do too much of what I had to do, so I couldn’t help it.”
As Ver skillfully responded to it, Kalian smiled.
“Oh my, I don’t know who the boss is, but I have to scold him.”
“I sincerely hope you do that.”
…is this a conversation between an aide and a superior?
The superior is not an ordinary nobleman. He’s an Emperor.
Leila looked at them in bewilderment because it was something that didn’t make sense to her common sense.
It was an obvious result. In this long battle, it was Kalian who won the battle of words.
“Ugh, really.”
Ver grumbled openly and put down the aide’s employment document, a quill, and ink in front of Leila.
“Read it and sign the last page. If you have any questions, please let me know.”
“Yes.”
Leila took the document and read it thoroughly.
In the meantime, Kalian gave Ver an order.
“Ver, give one of the mansions owned by the Imperial family to Lady Thebesa.”
Ver looked at Leila.
“Is there a house you want in particular? Whether it’s the size of the house or the shape of the house you wish to have.”
“It doesn’t matter. I will take what you give me.”
At Leila’s reply, Ver smiled and made a little sarcasm.
“What will you say if I give you a shabby and dirty house that makes you terrified, My Lady?”
“I don’t think there will ever be such a house among the houses owned by the Imperial family.”
Leila replied calmly without panicking.
Ver looked at Leila with interest and then nodded.
“All right. I just remembered a mansion suitable for the Lady.”
Ver looked back at Kalian.
“Then I’ll bring the house gift document.”
Gift? Doesn’t that mean you’re going to give me the house?
“Wa, wait!”
Leila was bewildered and stopped Ver, who was about to get out.
“Gift? It’s not making any sense. I’m okay with rent.”
“Why?”
Ver asked with a face that he didn’t understand at all.
“You can live it without paying, but why on earth are you paying for it? If you like to waste money…”
“Stop.”
Kalian cut off Ver’s words.
“If you don’t want to act like a senior already, do it in moderation, Ver.”
“Act like a senior? I’m asking because I was genuinely curious.”
Ver protested that he was wrongly accused, but Kalian neatly ignored him.
“Lady Thebesa, do you really want me to rent the mansion? I don’t mind giving it to you.”
“Rent is enough.”
Leila was determined, and Kalian respected her opinion.
“Ver, I will rent the mansion as Lady Thebesa wants. And guide her to the mansion.”
“I have to do it personally?”
Ver’s eyebrows twitched.
“I apologize, Your Majesty. I have a mountain of work to do…”
“I’ll be doing it, so go.”
“I will go right away.”
Ver, who changed his words as quickly as turning a palm, looked at Leila with a bright smile like a child who got a sweet cookie.
“Come on, let’s go. Lady Thebesa.”
“Please wait.”
Leila, who had just finished reading the employment document, signed the last page and stood up.
“Wait.”
As they were about to leave, Kalian grabbed Ver’s shoulder and spoke in a voice only audible to him.
“Find out what happened between Leila Thebesa and Philen Williot.”
As Ver looked at Leila unknowingly, Kalian grabbed his shoulder a little harder.
Only then did Ver, who recovered his eyes, respond with his eyes that he understood. Then he went outside with Leila.
*****
Williot estate, which had been a mess due to the rainy season and flooding, was quickly recovering.
Houses that were flooded and broken were repaired, and the riverbanks were also repaired.
The riverbank repairs were carried out according to the report written by Leila before.
However, the crops that were swept away by the flood were, of course, not restored. Most of the crops were flooded and couldn’t be used.
“Even so, I’m glad. Thanks to Young Lady Leila’s annual storage of some harvest, we don’t have to worry about food this year. But…”
Tail, who was reporting with a smile, shut his mouth when he looked at Philen’s serious face.
The other aides also looked at Philen’s serious face.
Since Leila left the mansion, Philen’s mood hit the floor and hadn’t come up until now.
He seemed fine when Cecily was around, but he wasn’t actually feeling better, he was ‘pretending’ to be.
What’s wrong with him when he’s the one who kicked her out first?
Tail sighed consecutively inwardly and asked Philen carefully.
“May… I continue the report, Duke?”
“…yeah.”
I really can continue it, right?
Tail smiled awkwardly and spoke again.
“As I’ve already said, we don’t have to worry about the food this year, but next year is the problem. Much of the farmland has been eroded and needs restoration.”
“So, what’s the conclusion?”
It was the moment when the report that he had spent a lot of time on was overshadowed.
Tail answered with an awkward smile.
“We need to hire a wizard.”
It was the surest and fastest way to restore vast areas.
There’s a disadvantage that it cost a lot of money, but in the long run, it was beneficial to borrow the power of a wizard.
Therefore, Leila hired a wizard every rainy season. This was to reduce the damage of the rainy season.
However, Philen canceled the wizard’s employment.
As long as there was no flood, it didn’t really matter, so the aides agreed with Philen’s opinion.
But there was a flood. It was also such a great flood, with 60% of the territory submerged.
It was crazy not to hire a wizard in this situation.
“If we don’t hire them, we can’t guarantee the farming for next year or the year after that. The food problem will eventually happen.”
At the added explanation, Philen looked at the report with a serious face.
As expected, did the budget bother him?
He’s been obsessed with money since last time.
It was also because of money that the situation became like this.
Such a catastrophe wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for rejecting Leila’s document, saying that the budget was too high.
No, it would have been better if Leila had taken care of everything in the first place.
Suppressing a wish that couldn’t come true, Tail said to Philen carefully.
“If hiring a wizard because the budget is too high…”
“The budget is fine.”
Philen cut off Tail’s words and said.
“The problem is Cecily.”