Chapter 66

Delma, who had nearly driven Isabel to death for not immediately reporting that Nerys had returned to her room right after stepping out to meet Valentin the night before—meaning the plan had failed—finally sat down on the sofa, exhausted.

Back at the main house, Delma had to contend with the senior maids favored by the duchess, but here, she naturally acted like she half-owned the place.

When Nellusion and Valentin were out attending classes, she was unmistakably the lady of the house.

Most of Nellusion’s direct servants were men, so Delma’s duties didn’t overlap with theirs, and she had no need to be cautious.

Delma, elegantly sipping a chilled drink brought by a maid, played the role of a noblewoman. Isabel cast greedy glances at her.

If she could, Isabel wanted to be like that too. To be the object of a noble’s favor, wear expensive clothes, wield influence within the estate, and become someone feared by the subordinates.

“Get up.”

Having finished her drink and taken a breath, Delma spoke coldly. Isabel awkwardly stood. Her knees hurt from kneeling for so long. Delma beckoned to her.

“Come here.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Fearing another round of scolding, Isabel quickly approached Delma. A moment later, something cold and sticky splashed across her face.

Delma had thrown the remaining drink at Isabel, then looked down at her with disdainful eyes.

“Make sure that lowly thing doesn’t act out of line. From now on, report to me every day about everything it says and does. Don’t miss a single thing. Understood?”

“Y-Yes, Madam.”

Isabel, with the drink dripping from her hair, chin, and eyebrows, responded in terror.

“Leave!”

At that command, Isabel quickly left the drawing room. Delma continued to glare at her retreating figure with contempt. Useless thing.

Until yesterday, Delma had no particular concerns about Nerys. She figured that after being scolded a few times, the girl wouldn’t even dare to protest and would stay quiet.

But after seeing that face again in person, for the first time in a while, Delma changed her mind.

That one would cause harm.

Delma knew it instinctively. So, one could say that the dear Lady Valentin had foresight.

Bad sprouts must be pulled out, so the good ones can reach the sunlight.

* * *

It took about two hours by carriage from Carten Station to Sedona.

As the hired carriage traveled along, the scenery in Nerys’s view changed rapidly.

After passing gently rolling hills, forests, and a shallow river, the picturesque village of Sedona nestled in a mountain valley came into view.

They bypassed the town center, which occasionally hosted markets, and continued out to the outskirts. After passing through another forest, a field surrounded by trees came into sight.

Next to the field stood a small cabin.

More than anything, Nerys liked that the field hadn’t been visible until they’d passed through the woods. There wasn’t a single house or even a hunting sign nearby. It was the perfect location for keeping secrets.

“We’ve arrived.”

As the carriage stopped by the field, the coachman spoke. A man ran out of the cabin. The carriage door opened immediately. Click.

“Thank you.”

Nerys thanked the man who opened the door. It was Aidan, whom Cledwyn had sent.

From their meeting at the station at noon until now, Aidan had only given short answers to Nerys’s questions, so she knew very little about him.

Judging by his vocabulary, he seemed to be a student, but he looked so old that he could easily be mistaken for a full-grown adult.

It wasn’t like Cledwyn had just sent an actual adult—he had gone out of his way to pick someone who looked older than his age. He could be mischievous like that.

Aidan got off the carriage first, then helped Nerys down. The man from the cabin bowed deeply to Aidan without any suspicion.

“O-Oh, sir!”

Sir.

Betty’s younger brother Rob didn’t even look twenty. And in his previous work at Kinia village, he’d only interacted with commoners, so he didn’t know proper etiquette for dealing with nobles.

Nerys, who had already heard all this from Betty, suppressed a smile.

Aidan, who could almost pass for thirty with a bit of exaggeration, showed slight discomfort on his stoic face.

But he didn’t correct Rob. He understood perfectly why he was here today.

Since Nerys didn’t know how much Aidan understood the situation, she spoke up first.

“You’re Betty’s younger brother, right?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes! Miss.”

Rob bowed his head deeply to Nerys as well. He looked reasonably smart and, above all, his voice carried a tone of honesty. Nerys pointed to Aidan and said,

“This is Sir Gavin, your employer. You can call him ‘Sir,’ no need to go as far as ‘Elder.’ Since I introduced you through Betty, I brought you today, but from now on, he’ll give you instructions by letter. You can read and write, correct?”

It was common for commoners to receive only minimal education—just enough to read or recognize a few words.

Of course, since she would be giving instructions in writing under the guise of an adult noble, Nerys had confirmed Rob’s literacy before hiring him.

Rob replied humbly.

“Yes, Miss. I learned a little.”

“Good. This is Sir Gavin’s first time visiting, so you’ll need to show him around.”

Aidan didn’t say anything helpful. But he didn’t say anything unhelpful either. When Rob offered to guide him and pointed toward the field, Aidan just looked at Nerys silently.

Nerys stepped forward naturally to make her made-up name, “Sir Gavin,” seem more convincing.

Rob began by circling the already well-prepared field and explaining to the two of them.

“The land is good. The lack of yield this year was only because of the season. If we plant anything now, it’ll grow well. When I first came, it hadn’t been touched in so long that I thought it’d take a while to clear, but it was easier than expected.”

When viewed through the eyes of the heart, Aidan’s expression looked vaguely satisfied as he gave a small nod.

Nerys thought that was generous of him. If it had been Cledwyn, he would’ve thrown in a cheeky remark or two, but Aidan wasn’t Cledwyn.

Since people from Rohez, Nerys’s hometown, primarily farmed, she had a fair understanding of such matters.

She realized that the land Cledwyn had secured was just the right size for a single person to manage. Even the color of the soil looked fertile, which pleased her.

Next, Rob pointed to the forest surrounding the field and cabin.

“I was a bit waorried since it’s far from any houses, but they say there aren’t any dangerous wild animals around. If you just cross over there, the village is a short walk away, so it’s convenient for living too.”

Nerys figured opinions could differ on what counted as “a short walk,” but at least Rob thought it was close, which was fortunate.

After chatting briefly about the nearby beautiful scenery and pleasant weather, Rob finally showed them the cabin.

The small wooden cabin came with a shed appropriate for the field’s size and even had a chicken coop.

“Having chickens is so great. Thank you so much for letting me keep the eggs. I’ll work hard, kind sir.”

Nerys hadn’t requested any chickens. Apparently, her employer was the kind of person who gave things properly when he gave them.

The cabin was neat, and it was well-equipped. From household furnishings to farming tools, nothing was lacking, and the hearth was clean.

With a stable salary, Rob would be able to accomplish a lot here. Nerys felt reassured.

Of course, without anyone watching, Rob could slack off or talk to others about her instructions. But she thought the likelihood was low.

First of all, Nerys knew Betty well. Betty wasn’t someone who told flattering lies even when speaking about her family.

In the letter Nerys had sent inquiring about Rob’s past work, Betty had emphasized his honesty several times.

‘Even if he tells someone, so what.’

Halograss and nettle pouch were plants known mostly in their respective hometowns. Even if Rob brought them to a doctor in Sedona and sold them privately, it wouldn’t matter much.

That said, all of this was just theory. One never truly knew a person until they were tested. Look at Nellusion—he had such a good reputation, and yet?

Still, Nerys liked Rob’s simple, blinking eyes.

He didn’t shift his gaze and scheme with his eyes; when thinking, he seemed to use every muscle in his face to ponder sincerely.

She had a good feeling. Nerys thought so as she breathed in the fresh air.

While wondering what else to show these important guests, Rob suddenly seemed to remember something and brought something from the cabin’s outer wall.

Aidan, who had stood like a discarded sack of barley throughout the Sedona tour, silently looked down at the flowerpot held up to his face.

“I sprouted a few of the seeds you gave me and planted them together, and just like you said, they’re growing well. I couldn’t just idle around all winter while being paid, and seeds don’t keep well for too long… I also wanted to get a feel for it.”

Rob then showed the lush flowerpot to Nerys as well.

There were about a dozen plants, each a handspan tall, looking like pouches with spines sticking out. Mixed in between were half-span herbs that looked like grass at first glance, but had thick silver coloring and fine hair.

Nettle pouch and halograss.

Despite having complete freedom, easy work, a home to live in, living expenses, and a salary, Rob was deeply grateful for the job.

That’s why he wanted to show this strange yet generous employer that he’d been doing something worthwhile.

But the person who had actually hired him and instructed him to grow nettle pouch from those seeds—Sir Gavin—didn’t seem particularly moved.

Instead, the one who had introduced him to this job—probably Miss Nerys, the one Betty had spoken of—seemed delighted, her eyes gleaming.

“Well done. Looks like you managed to acquire the nettle pouch safely?”

Unlike Betty, who served a highborn lady, the highest-ranked person Rob had ever seen was the tax collector from the lord’s castle in his hometown.

This young lady was so beautiful and elegant, it was hard to believe she lived in the same world as him—he couldn’t even sneak a glance at her. Looking awkward, Rob stared at the ground and explained.

“Yes, Miss. Just like the gentleman said, I offered to buy them at a high price, roots and all, and they were eager to sell them off before they wilted… so I was able to buy enough.”

In Kinia village, where nettle pouch was rapidly disappearing, there was no way an outsider like Rob could simply go and dig them up. So Nerys had instructed him to offer a high price and buy them whole.

The couple who had previously employed Rob felt sorry for letting the young man go despite his circumstances. When he told them he’d get a small commission, they quickly dug up and sold him a few roots of nettle pouch.

Telling him to use the commission for living expenses, even if just briefly.

After all, they likely figured there was no point in holding on to the last few roots of a plant that was nearly extinct.