CH 51

I was waiting impatiently for Alexandra’s arrival while hiding the blond drill curl wig that was finally completed yesterday. That said, I’m busy with various other things, so I do my work properly before Alexandra comes and after she leaves, too. I’m just looking forward to her visit, wondering if she will come soon.

And so… that’s why I can’t just play around, so I’m going to work as usual until Alexandra comes. First, I check the ranch and farm sales. Recently, the royal capital’s ranch seems to be doing well, and the recovery of the initial capital is already done, and now it’s making a lot of profit. Carruzan’s farms and ranches are even bigger than them, so sales are good.

In addition, sales of ancient concrete and U-shaped grooves are also coming in. After all, it’s my pioneering village that uses it the most, but since it’s also sold to others through Kruck Trading Firm, for some reason, I get a share of the profits, too.

Part of the sales of wigs and treatments will also be paid to me, so I wonder if Kruck, or rather Victoria, will be okay? I think it would be hard to run a business if she was paying so much money to someone who just came up with a few ideas.

I’m constantly having money troubles and I want to get what I can get. It would be rude not to accept it when the other person offered it first. However, I start to worry about whether Victoria will be okay with all that she has given to me.

Well, putting that aside, I’m somehow pushing forward with the development using the budget I’ve secured, but things aren’t going as planned. Or rather, I didn’t feel like the above-ground part had progressed much since the underground burial work was advanced first. Even though it’s been several months, there’s still a chance that I’ll get scolded for what I’ve been doing up until now if there’s still a little bit of work left to get things off the ground.

After that, I would like to take a long vacation and go to the sea in the north. Ultimately, I would like to create a port town on the sea and connect it with the pioneering village to develop a distribution route for maritime products. I want to select a route for that and a candidate site to build a port town. Is it better to cross the mountains in the north, or is it better to go down along the river in the northeast?

If the river is used, there is a possibility that large-scale transportation can be carried out using ships. I just don’t know if it’s okay to expand my settlement in the northeast direction. This is because the range initially shown by Father is unclear. Besides, it’s quite a distance to the river in the northeast, so even if we use the river, we’ll end up taking a land route from the river to the pioneering village.

Also, even though the river flows into the sea, it is not clear what route it takes and how far it is. In such a situation, there’s no way I can judge just by looking at the map, so I’d like to actually go to investigate someday.

“Nnh…! Hmmn…!”

I was stuck to my desk doing paperwork, so I stretched out a little. When I put my hands together and stretch them upwards, my spine stretches and it feels good. It’s just that the tip of my chest is rubbing against my clothes and it’s itchy or tingly… it’s probably because I’m growing up, so it’s kind of a strange feeling and I can’t calm down.

Maybe next time I’ll ask Kruck for some underwear… in this world, and even in early modern Europe, underwear was underdeveloped. Also, I didn’t think that the bareness was bad. As you can see from the fact that the bottom is a hoop skirt so that you do things while standing, the default is not to wear it in the first place. And it wasn’t a society where people felt ashamed just because they were seen in them.

There was a time when it was a trend for women to keep their chests open, there were even messenger logs about the queen of a certain country paying no mind that her chest was fully exposed to a foreign country’s messenger.

Is there really a demand for underwear in such a society? It’s not that they don’t wear anything at all, but they don’t want to wear anything so elaborate and don’t develop much of it as a consequence.

I have the sensibilities of a modern Japanese citizen, so I think underwear is important, and I feel embarrassed when this and that is exposed. But there’s not much of that sensibility in this world.

Because of my secondary sex characteristics, my breasts are swelling and even the slightest stimulation makes me feel a little pain. There is no underwear, and even if there was, there would be nothing as suitable as modern underwear. There may be a way to adjust by using a chest wrap, but I don’t think I should use it as it would be too tight.

I don’t really know what to do in the end. I came to this world without such knowledge, so I can’t judge. Rather, it would be strange if I, a man in my previous life, was abnormally familiar with such things. Anyway, there is no problem with my daily life, so for the time being I have no choice but to consult with the adults around me while keeping an eye on the situation…

Moving on from all that… Alexandra, aren’t you late? It’s already past the time she would normally have been here.

Even Alexandra isn’t free every day, so she doesn’t come every day. Just like a noble lady, she has a proper schedule, so I keep in touch with her when she comes and when she can’t come. She said on her way home yesterday that she would come again today, so she should come today.

In the unlikely event of an emergency or schedule change, she will contact me promptly. No matter how much we became friends, there is a courtesy to your close contacts, and she keeps in touch without forgetting about it. Even so, if there is no contact today, she doesn’t show up past her usual time. What’s wrong…….?

Do I want to visit from here? But it would be silly if we ended up missing each other on the road… should I wait a little longer? If she doesn’t come in a little while, how about sending a messenger? But if that’s the case, I feel like I’m asking for her time and it’s not very good to do that.

Hmmm… hmmm… what should I do?

“Alexandra is late, isn’t she? What’s wrong?” I asked.

At times like this, I’ll consult Helmut and Isabella for the time being.

“Shall I go and check on her as a messenger?” Helmut offered.

It’s the same as I thought. But I wonder what it’s like to go out of the way to check it even if it’s only just a little late in arrival.

Of course, I think it’s fine for us to send out a messenger. But I wonder if we should go contact them first? There must be something happening on the other side. If something comes up or their schedule changes, they usually contact me. Should I wait until someone contacts me from their side?

“… No, let’s wait a little longer. If she still doesn’t come, let’s reconsider,” I said.

In the end, I postponed the problem and decided to wait and see how things went.

She’s so late… it’s just not possible…

Normally, it would be about time for Alexandra to go home, but let alone arrive here, she didn’t even contact me. Did something happen to her? A lot of bad things cross my mind.

“Helmut, Isabella, let’s head to Manor Lingerburg,” I said.

“Yes,” Isabella said.

“We are ready to depart,” Helmut said.

The two knew that I was going to Manor Lingerburg, and they had already made preparations. I left the hut in the forest in a hurry, got into the carriage parked outside, and then headed for Manor Lingerburg.

There is Manor Carruthers in the northwest corner, and the aristocratic district spreads out in front of it, so it’s very close to the farm, to the north of the aristocratic district. Manor Lingerburg is built on a prime location among them, so if you enter Carruzan from the northern end, it’s a bit far away, but it doesn’t take much travel. In no time at all, we arrived before Manor Lingerburg, where many people had gathered before it.

“What is this? Shall I ask them to let us through?” I asked.

As the coachman, the armed men blocking the entrance to Manor Lingerburg called out to Helmut:

“Who are you people!? This place is under lockdown now! If you don’t have any business here, leave!”

Locked down? Who are they? It’s not House Carruthers’s army. They are armed, but they are not the Margrave’s army, so are they private soldiers of some nobles? But why are they locking down Manor Lingerburg?

“The the Head of House Caan is on board here,” Helmut said. “We have business with Count Lingerburg.”

The words are polite, but Helmut’s voice is scary… it feels like he’s forcing compliance. I can’t see his face, but I can clearly feel Helmut’s pressure just from his voice.

“Uu! The Head of the House? Wa-Wait a moment,” the armed guard said.

Apparently, he succumbed to Helmut’s pressure. Perhaps because he knew that this was a nobleman, he knew that he and the other soldiers on guard could not make a decision, so he headed in to inform his superiors. After a while, we finally passed through the gates of Manor Lingerburg.

I parked the carriage in front of the entrance and got off. There was a maid of House Lingerburg with a surprised expression. I’ve come to this mansion many times, so the maids also remember my face. The maid was about to say something but ultimately let me through without stopping me.

I hear yelling coming from the back room. I went there without hesitation. It’s like the drawing room where I once entered and spoke to Nikolaus in.

“What in the hell is going on?” I asked as I opened the door and entered.

“Floto…!?” Alexandra cried, exhausted and surprised.

Inside, there was Nikolaus, Gabriella… and all other members of House Lingerburg. A fat old man and a little girl with a small nose pointing upwards are sitting stubbornly across from them…

Hm? This girl looks familiar… I think she’s… she’s the girl who poured grape juice on me at our social debut party. She was then slapped by Alexandra…

…… Could it be?

I feel like I’ve already figured out what happened this time. But it’s not good to make arbitrary conclusions until you hear everyone out.

“Huh?” the greasy old man snaps. “Who the hell are you? I’m talking to House Lingerburg right now. A brat like you should stay out of it,” he barked with a loud voice.

Ordinary children would probably wince if they were told this by this thug-like old man. Next to me, a cheeky-looking girl with an upward point nose was giddy with excitement.

“I will not suffer the daughter of a knight! Hurry up and disappear,” the girl said. “You’ve angered House Alco, so brace yourself, for your House won’t be safe, either. First of all, there’s crushing the barbaric Lingerburg who slapped me on the cheek.”

“That’s right!” the old man said. “I heard you hit my cute daughter!? Well? How are you going to deal with this? A county on the verge of bankruptcy! I hope you know what hell will be upon you now!”

Ah…. after all, I should say I knew it… the way it’s unfolding is so predictable… it seems the House of these two people was the Viscountcy of Alco. In terms of family status, a count is superior, but House Lingerburg is falling, so they probably think that they are in a higher position. They must have come here thinking that if he threatened them with that, they would get away with whatever they wanted.

It’s been a long time since that party, but what they’ve been doing now is laying the groundwork and destroying the evidence, or waiting for the memories of the people around us to fade, and preparing false witnesses to testify in their favor. He must have moved after all that, thinking that he would definitely win.

Daughters are daughters and do whatever they want with the authority of their parents on their shoulders. I guess her parents are like thugs, making connections here and there, threatening them like this, and doing all sorts of bad things…

“There is no doubt that Alexandra hit this young lady,” I said, “but that was to try and stop her from pouring juice on my head. Alexandra is not at fault.”

“And? So what’s it matter?! It matters not what happened to the daughter of a knight, yes?! That is not the point. My daughter was beaten by this Lingerburg girl. That’s all that matters!” Viscount Alco yells.

It’s no good, huh? To begin with, I don’t think they intended to be diplomatic.

“And now what is this all about, that you summoned me all the way out here?” someone new said.

“Fa…” I went.

Oh, oh no… I was about to say “Father” to him as he suddenly appeared from behind me. I don’t know why he’s suddenly here, but from what he said, maybe Viscount Alco summoned him?

“Well, well, Margrave Carruthers, Hero of the Frontier,” Viscount Alco said. “My apologies for summoning you all the way here. To answer your question…”

Yeah, what should I say? Viscount Alco told Father about Alexandra and my misdeeds. And he complains that his family is a victim and he wants to have a judgment about it. The Viscountcy of Alco seems to be the type of parent-and-daughter duo who take advantage of others’ authority.

Here, they will tell Father that there is nothing to be argued, put him on their side, and have him make a ruling in their favor and make the other party accept their demands openly. Once they make demands, you can continue to extort this victim as many times as you want, even if Father isn’t around. That’s how they’ve been able to rise to where they are now, I reckon.

“…I see. Is this all true?” Father asks, looking at me and House Lingerburg.

“No, it’s not,” I said. “There are quite a few lies. To be precise…”

The members of House Lingerburg couldn’t talk with their stiffened faces, so instead, I explained what had happened at that time in detail. I haven’t lied about anything.

“Hmm… then, what about the emergency that used the private back room then…?” Father asked.

“Yes. I met Lord Carruthers then after I borrowed that room to wipe my wet down my wet dress,” I said.

“…Viscount Alco, it seems that your story is inconsistent?” Father said.

My father glares at Viscount Alco. He’s terrifying……. maybe it’s because I’m being stared at by those eyes every day as he tries to swing a sword at me, so when I look into those eyes, my body reflexively braces itself so that I can move immediately.

“What are you talking about?!” Viscount Alco yelled. “Certainly, there will be some discrepancies between our accounts! But my daughter is the daughter of a Viscountcy! A daughter of a knight should not be allowed to contest her! Then, we would be breaking the laws of the kingdom!”

“…Viscount Alco, does that mean that say we must respect the clearly defined class system according to the laws of the Kingdom of Ploiss?” Father said.

“That’s right! That’s exactly right! There’s no way a Knight’s House can go against a Viscount’s House! If such a thing is allowed, the kingdom’s system itself will collapse!” Viscount Alco said so proudly.

You’re just a walking minefield, aren’t you?

“… Kuh!” Alexandra went.

She’s looking down and her voice trailed off… maybe she can’t hold back her laughter?”

“Kuh… fuu… fuuh… Sir Floto?” Alexandra said, grinning even as she looked down. “Perhaps it would be better for Viscount Alco if you introduced yourself, as well?”

Viscount Alco and his daughter didn’t seem to think that Alexandra was laughing.

“Haa… it can’t be helped. Well then, Lord Alco: I am the Head of House Caan, Sir Floto von Caan, of the Imperial Guard Division. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Ahahaha…! You, a knight? You should cease this joking at once!” Viscount Alco yelled.

“……… Huh? You’re a knight, you say~? Hahahaha…! What kind of joke is this!?” Lady Alco snapped. “Don’t let this foolishness pass! Margrave Carruthers, it seems there was no need to listen to these people’s nonsense!”

“Even though Sir Caan is a knight, she is still an aristocrat. You, daughter of Viscount Alco, are a daughter of a viscount, but you do not have a peerage. It means that she outranks you… do you have any excuse for intentionally insulting her, by throwing juice on her head?”

Father, you’re so cool! This is the decider.

“Huh…?” Lady Alco said, stiffening up in surprise. “You’re serious? She really is a knight, not a knight’s daughter?”

It seems she can’t believe someone like me can be a knight.

“W-Wha… what are you… this little girl is a knight? Such a thing… no!” Viscount Alco yelled. “Even if that were true, within the Margraviate of Carruthers, everything should be decided by its lord, Margrave Albert!”

Oh… Viscount Alco still hasn’t given up? It’s like he’s bad at giving up, or rather, he likes digging his own grave…

“Sir Caan is a direct retainer of His Majesty, King Wilhelm,” Father said. “Although there is a difference in rank, we are on an equal footing. I am not qualified to say anything about House Caan. And you are a vassal. Shouldn’t you be showing respect?”

“A-A royal retainer…?! Impossible… that can’t be…” Viscount Alco whimpered, collapsing.

His daughter doesn’t seem to understand it yet, and it seems that she doesn’t know what to do just by looking at her father’s condition.

“(You’ve done it, Floto!)” Alexandra whispered into my ear after leaning in.

Alexandra is smart, so she probably knew what would happen if his father and I came.

“Sir Khan, my vassal has been rude to you. I apologize,” Father said.

“No, please don’t worry about it,” I said. “Thank you for your fair judgment.”

It’s rare for my father to bow his head to me. It’s weird, isn’t it? Since I became independent from House Carruthers as a knight, we treat each other with respect as fellow nobles. At home, we’re just parent and daughter.

“However, we can’t just keep quiet and overlook the fact that you caused trouble in my territory,” Father said.

“Huh?” I went.

My father’s face suddenly changed. Is that so? No matter how bad Viscount Alco was, if only Viscount Alco was punished, there would be a backlash from the other vassals of Carruthers. If the other party is a high-ranking aristocrat, it’s fine, but even if he’s a direct retainer, as a knight he would be looked down upon by the other vassals, and if someone so low on the hierarchy got away scotfree, resentment will build up. If you don’t make me receive punishment as things are, the matter won’t be settled.

“From now on, House Caan will be completely prohibited from entering my territory,” Father said. “Passage and traffic will be prohibited, and the only exception will be when you are carrying a letter from His Majesty, King Wilhelm granting it. Is that agreeable to you?”

“Yes……” I said.

I can’t resist. Thus, I was expelled from the Margraviate of Carruthers.