Chapter 73

Leord returned to Zeato, having concluded his life in the capital, which seemed short but was long.

When it was time to leave, his mother hugged Leord, reluctant to part.

"Take care of your health, won't you? It's getting cold, so make sure to stay warm when you sleep. And please, send a letter occasionally. If you forget, I'll come to Zeato to give you a lecture!"

"Yes, Mother."

Despite the mother's persistent affection, Leord eventually said his goodbyes and returned to Zeato.

A week had passed since Leord returned to Zeato, taking full authority over the region entrusted by his father. As the acting lord, Leord was leading a whirlwind life.

Mornings were spent on administrative duties, afternoons on training, and evenings on more administrative work, followed by magic studies before bedtime. Physical activities were enjoyable, but administrative duties required mental effort and more hands. After all, only Leord and Gilbert were capable of handling the administrative work in the manor.

Leord decided to recruit clerical staff urgently. Initially, he relied on his father, but was told to solve the problem on his own. Therefore, he had to find clerical staff among the residents of Zeato. Ideally, they should be able to read, write, and perform basic arithmetic, but it was difficult to find suitable candidates.

As if to add to Leord's troubles, a problem arose. Since returning from the capital, Shelia had started making mistakes at work. The reason was simple: she was lovesick.

Leord wanted to scold her for mixing personal and professional matters, but Shelia was still a teenager. However, he couldn't show favoritism.

Shelia had come to Zeato with Gilbert and had been managing the manor. Now, despite being the youngest, she held the position of head maid. However, it was unacceptable for someone in her position to neglect her duties due to lovesickness.

"Gilbert, about Shelia..."

"I am aware. I will speak to her sternly."

"No, let's be clear. I will dismiss Shelia."

"What!? That's too hasty!"

"Gilbert, you don't know, but the other servants have been complaining to me, not to you. While it's understandable that you are lenient with Shelia, as her grandfather, if things continue like this, other servants might plot something against her."

"I won't allow it."

"I know you are lenient with your granddaughter. However, I have my reasons this time. Shelia is an excellent maid, but she is still emotionally immature. Therefore, I will dismiss Shelia and pass her on to Siegfried."

"That's..."

"There's no need to hesitate. You talked so much about Siegfried in the capital. Even though you didn't know about his duel with me, you are different, right?"

"I apologize! Apologizing now won't change anything—"

"That's right. Your apologies are unnecessary. I knew you were lenient with your granddaughter."

In Fate 48, Gilbert is killed by Leord. The legendary assassin Gilbert was killed by Leord by taking his granddaughter as a hostage and then killing the defenseless Gilbert.

Leord knew from his real memories how lenient Gilbert was with Shelia.

Moreover, despite everything, Leord had been taken care of by Shelia and wanted her to be happy. Whether this was the right decision or not, he believed it would be better for her to be with the person she loved rather than spending her life in Zeato. Whether they would end up together was another matter.

"...Young Master"

"Siegfried, or rather, Baron Zexia, will likely hire Shelia if I write to him. However, if I do it, it might raise suspicions, so I'll ask my father."

"I am deeply sorry. This is not something that should be forgiven..."

"It's fine. You and Shelia have taken care of me. More importantly, we need to secure clerical staff and find someone to fill Shelia's position. I'll continue looking for clerical staff, but I'll ask my father about the maids."

Most likely, he would be told to find the staff himself. Leord sighed, realizing that his busy days as the acting lord would not end anytime soon.

He even longed for his previous NEET life.

Later, Leord called Shelia and explained the situation. Initially, Shelia turned pale and bowed repeatedly, but she was overjoyed when she learned of Leord's kindness. She never imagined that her master, Leord, would go to such lengths for a mere servant.

After hearing Leord's explanation, Shelia returned to her room to pack her belongings. She left only the essentials and returned to work, excited about the possibility of being with Siegfried.

Thanks to this, the work that had been neglected was now being handled with renewed vigor. The other servants were surprised by the change but were relieved that things were back to normal.

With the first problem resolved, Leord stretched his back and relaxed his stiff body.