CH 122

As Luca nodded and planned to include that in the day’s report, Sophie, who had never sat down or rested since she arrived at the mountain, clenched her fist and explained.

“Rest assured. Even if the seeds are provided for free, I’ll make sure to pay for the salary of the employee and research costs. I’ve already graduated from the era of unpaid labor!” 

People there wondered what she meant by that. Lars also muttered, “Unpaid labor?” in a small voice. It was an unfamiliar term for him, as he had been raised as a young master of an aristocratic family. However, his speculation worthy of a gold star didn’t stop there.

“In that case, wouldn’t it be better to make it a proper business instead of a hobby to recover the costs? What is the benefit for Sophie-sama doing so?”

“Once it spreads in the royal capital, wheat would become cheaper to procure, and the bread made would be sweet and tasty. Isn’t that enough of a benefit?”

“Isn’t that a benefit for the commoners?”

“It’ll indirectly benefit me as well.”

Lars tilted his head in confusion.

For Sophie, who intended to become a nun once her little brother became independent, the improvement of commoner’s eating habits would be to her own benefit, but there was no way she could talk about that in this place, so she used an appropriate excuse instead.

“Think in a broader perspective, Lars. By improving the variety and quality of goods, it would show that this nation is a strong nation to other nations. It’s an act that expresses the dignity of the Orlando Kingdom. Merchants of other nations would also avoid doing half-assed transactions with a dignified nation and treat us with respect. See, isn’t that also a benefit to the Linier family?”

“…Your perspective is so wide that I have a hard time understanding it with my narrow knowledge.”

Even as Lars was stunned, he spoke his honest opinion, which Sophie responded to with a smile.

“It’s okay. I think Lars will get used to it soon. That’s that, but…”

Sophie stopped her words there and looked at Lars’ exhausted appearance.

“I guess that’s unrelated to stamina. Lars, you can wait over here. You don’t have any stamina left, don’t you?”

“N-no! I’m okay, so I will do my best until the end!”

Lars panicked at the thought of being left behind by the girl who was energetic and motivated—also the possibility of encountering wild animals when he was all alone struck fear in him—so he quickly shook his head.

“U~hn… it can’t be helped then. I’ll lend you my back then.”

“Hah?”

“If it’s Lars, I could easily carry you on my back.”

Lars’ eyes went wide as the girl bent over and showed her back as she said that. Lars’ expression went beyond pale and became earth colored.

“…Ojou-san, just spare him already.”

“Eh?”

Marcus took Sophie’s crouching hand, made her stand up, looked straight into her eyes, and said as to remind her,

“That young master is already dying there.”

“That’s why I told him I would lend him my back to help him.”

“It makes me pity him as a fellow man, so please spare him!”

Marcus made a crying pose as he said that. No, he might be crying for real. It was such a heartbreaking voice.

From Sophie’s perspective, men lacked boobs, so it was okay for her. On the contrary, she really had no idea what was there to be anguished about.

“Ojou-san, I’m certainly a rugged man who grew up in a man’s environment, but even I thought that was just too much! Are you trying to finish off the man’s heart?!”

As Marcus asked if her actions could represent the grace of an aristocratic woman, Sophie finally realized and staggered.

“Y-you’re right… Oh my, perhaps I got too relaxed…?”

“How can you feel relaxed in this situation…?”

Isn’t it weird? continued Marcus.

She might belong to a baron family, which was low on the hierarchy of aristocrats, but she still belonged to an aristocratic family nonetheless.

However, Sophie’s appearance when Marcus first met her was her wearing a dress, giving an impression of a quiet, beautiful girl.

Why did she turn into this kind of incomprehensible ojou-san? Or perhaps she was actually this way from the beginning? Marcus began to wonder in his mind.

“Don’t feel relaxed when being surrounded by copper stars. Like me, there are a lot of us who came from slums and are orphans, so most of us aren’t polite or loyal.”

“Don’t say such despiteful remarks. There are many orphans and former slum residents among our employees. That remark is very rude to them.”

“Eh… Is that so?”

The name of the Linier Merchant Group was so famous that even Marcus knew of it.

Most nobles would hire well-identified people, and Marcus never thought one of them would actually hire orphans or people who came from the slums.

“………Ojou-san, you’re quite weird.”

“That’s a misunderstanding, Marcus. I usually act like a lady. Perhaps I feel stressed in an unfamiliar environment? Now that I am surrounded by the power of beautiful verdant nature, it makes me feel relaxed. Indeed, it’s all because of the power of nature!”

“No, I’m not talking about that… Well, that in itself is weird though.”