Chapter 90

When Zirconia returned to her room, she closed the door behind her and slumped down on the spot.

"......,......g......"

She forcibly suppressed the sobs that threatened to spill out, hugging her trembling body with both hands.

She had been observing Ichiraku for a while, trying to figure out how to make a good impression on him. Watching how Lise skillfully ingratiated herself with Ichiraku, Zirconia had tried to emulate her actions. It seemed to have worked, as she felt Ichiraku had become more friendly towards her than before. However, she never expected to be summoned to his room so soon.

She had been prepared for the possibility of being called to his room for the night, ever since she started trying to win his favor. She had thought she could do anything to gain power. She had even considered seducing Ichiraku and becoming his favorite for the night.

But when the moment came, the terrifying scenes from her past flashed back, and she was overwhelmed with fear. Just the thought of offering her body filled her with an uncontrollable terror. It was different from before. She wouldn't be defiled in the same way, and she wouldn't be shown those scenes again. No matter how much she tried to convince herself of this, she couldn't stop her body from shaking.

"How... pathetic..."

Tears streamed down her face as she cursed her own weakness. Regret swirled in her chest, as she had let a golden opportunity slip away.

It wasn't a summons for the night. When she was offered a way out, she felt a sense of relief, which made her feel even more pathetic. She mustered the courage to offer herself again, but he refused without even considering it. She doubted she would ever be summoned to his room again.

From now on, she could only hope that Lise or Eira would become Ichiraku's favorite. She wasn't sure if this would result in the blessing or additional support, but she couldn't help but hope for the best.

"Father... Mother... everyone... I'm sorry..."

Uttering words of penance, Zirconia continued to cry for a while.

---

The next morning.

Ichiraku, who had fallen back asleep after turning off his alarm clock, was awakened by a knock on the door. He had been so exhausted that he had fallen back asleep. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he got out of bed and called out, "Come in."

The door opened immediately, and Marie entered the room. Unlike Ichiraku, who still looked groggy, Marie was already in work mode with a sharp expression.

Marie was carrying a basket with clothes that had been ironed with a flat bronze pan containing hot charcoal. The clothes in the basket were a shirt with a stiff collar and a pair of high-quality trousers. The clothes Ichiraku usually wore at the Nelson residence were mostly of this type. The clothes he used as pajamas were a simple, loose-fitting shirt and trousers.

"Good morning, Kazura-sama. I hope you have a good day today."

"Good morning. I hope you have a good day too. Can you come over here for a moment?"

Marie bowed and replied with a smile, then Ichiraku got out of bed and headed towards the refrigerator by the wall. Marie followed him quickly, still holding the basket.

"Um, this is a refrigerator. I'll explain how to use it, so please remember. From now on, you'll be taking ingredients from here."

Ichiraku opened the door of the refrigerator's cooling compartment to show Marie. Inside were various foods, such as salmon flakes, bottles of pasta sauce, tubs of butter, and canned vegetable soup.

"The inside is kept cool, so it helps food last longer. ...Is that okay?"

"Yes!"

Marie, who had never seen the inside of a refrigerator before, was wide-eyed and stiff. She had received canned goods and frozen vegetables from Ichiraku before, but this was the first time she had seen the inside of the refrigerator. She had wondered how frozen food could be available in the middle of summer but had never asked Ichiraku about it.

Marie had been strictly instructed by Haber not to pry into or talk about Ichiraku's personal affairs. She had also been taught from a young age by her mother to focus solely on her assigned tasks. She had been warned that getting involved in rumors or unnecessary tasks would not end well.

The people of the Rouson family, except for the considerate Haber and her overly strict brother Arond, generally did not interfere with Marie. Therefore, she had made it her motto to stay out of the spotlight and focus on her work. She never touched the strange gadgets in Ichiraku's room.

Now, she was suddenly being given an explanation of the gadgets and told to learn how to use them, which made her start to tremble.

"Below this is the ice-making compartment, where ice is made."

Ignoring Marie's trembling, Ichiraku pulled out the ice-making compartment. Inside were several blocks of ice.

"You can use this ice freely. If you want a cold drink, feel free to take some. You can also use it for cooking cold dishes."

"Yes!"

Marie nodded vigorously, responding with a sharp, sporty-like reply.

"Below that is the freezer, where frozen ingredients are stored. The large box next to it is also a freezer."

"Yes!"

"I want you to use the ingredients in there to cook. It might be hard to imagine the flavors at first, so let's choose together for a while. If you want, we can cook together in the kitchen."

"Yes!"

With Marie responding like a bot, Ichiraku started to choose the ingredients for breakfast.

---

An hour later.

After preparing breakfast with Marie, Ichiraku headed to the room where he usually ate, accompanied by Marie. When they arrived, Lise and Nelson were already seated. They greeted Ichiraku with soft smiles.

"Good morning, Kazura-sama. I hope you had a good rest. How are you feeling?"

"Good morning. I had a good rest and feel much better... By the way, where is Zirconia?"

Smiling at Lise, Ichiraku glanced at the seat where Zirconia usually sat. The seat was empty, and no food had been prepared for her.

"It seems she has been overworking herself and is not feeling well this morning. She has been instructed to rest in her room today."

"Is that so..."

Ichiraku's expression darkened, and Nelson tilted his head in confusion. Realizing Ichiraku was worried about Zirconia, Nelson suggested he take a seat.

"While you were away, Zirconia worked even harder than usual. She must have pushed herself too hard, and all the fatigue caught up with her. She might need a few days of rest."

"Yes... I see. Please let her rest."

As Ichiraku sat down, he recalled the events of the previous night, feeling awkward. He hadn't known Zirconia had been working so hard while he was away. However, her absence was undoubtedly his fault. He would need to follow up with her later.

"I'll take over Zirconia's duties today, so you don't need to worry. If there's anything else, just let me know."

"No, I'm fine. Thank you."

From Nelson's reaction, it seemed Zirconia hadn't told him about last night. If she had, the atmosphere would have been like a funeral.

"Kazura-sama, I will assist you as much as I can from now on. The water wheels have been installed everywhere, so I can help with other tasks as well."

Surprised, Ichiraku asked, "All of them? Even in the eastern and southern canals?"

Lise smiled. "Yes, everyone worked very hard, and we finished much earlier than expected. We also expect to improve the precision of the water wheels soon."

"That's impressive... But how did you manage to improve the precision so quickly? I thought there weren't enough workers to make it happen."

"We had some of the injured veterans, who had served in the military, take over some of the carpenters' tasks. Many of them have experience with fortifications and weapon repairs, so they have some carpentry skills."

"Indeed, the day after you left, Lise visited each citizen's home with the carpenters. She selected those who could handle the work based on the severity of their injuries and found them new jobs while reducing the carpenters' workload. She negotiated the payment so that the carpenters would cover the costs, which didn't strain our finances."

Ichiraku was taken aback by Nelson's explanation. He hadn't expected Lise to take such initiative in his absence. She was not just following orders but thinking ahead and taking the lead, which showed she was a very capable young talent. Her close relationship with the citizens had certainly helped her achieve this.

"Lise also instructed the veterans to handle errands like purchasing materials and cooking, which should significantly reduce the carpenters' workload. By assigning multiple people to each workshop, they can take turns and avoid overworking."

"I see. If the carpenters don't have to handle those tasks, they can focus more on their work... And with a proper rotation system."

Previously, the carpenters had to handle all the purchasing, deliveries, and even cooking and laundry. If they could offload these tasks, they would have more time for their work. The injured veterans, even if they couldn't earn high wages, would have jobs. With Lise's support, they could work with peace of mind. It was a win-win solution.

"If the carpenters have more time, their work precision should improve. Also, I have something I'd like to discuss with you... If you have a moment after breakfast, could we talk?"

"Sure. Is it about the carpentry work?"

"Yes, the carpenters have made some adjustments to the water wheel design, and I'd like you to review it. The design is in the archive room. We can go there after breakfast. Father, is that okay?"

"Of course, Kazura can go anywhere."

Nelson nodded, and Lise looked relieved. The archive room contained important documents for the Isteer territory. If Nelson had objected, Lise could have moved the documents, but that would have been inconvenient. She needed to be alone with Ichiraku in the archive room.

"The archive room? I haven't been there yet."

Lise smiled sweetly, as usual.