Chapter 45

Thank you for reading.

This is the second part of today's story.

It is common for lords or their representatives to visit the royal palace for tax consultations.

Especially in regions with many magical beasts, they often consult the Ministry of Defense about support for the knights or weapons.

Noel and her companions, having learned that Count Merlo would be visiting, arranged a meeting under the pretext of discussing Lord Jace.

There was no need for small talk with the busy count.

They had planned to get straight to the point.

Count Valente Merlo was a handsome man.

He resembled Jace but with a gentler, more delicate appearance. They were brothers, so they looked similar, but their auras were different. Jace, the younger brother, seemed to be taller.

When Noel and the others bluntly asked, "How about Lady Farol of the Farol viscount family as Jace's fiancée?" the count's eyes widened. It seemed to be a rather unexpected suggestion.

"Could it be the Farol of 'Farol's Dairy Products'?"

"Yes, that's right.

The youngest daughter is 22 and still unmarried.

She apparently fell in love with Jace at first sight, finding him very handsome after seeing him at the Vionne household."

"Really? Is that true?"

The refined and intelligent count couldn't help but exclaim.

—Is he that surprised?

Everyone present thought so, including the attendants and the head maid.

"So, if Count Merlo agrees, we could proceed with the discussions..."

Noel began, and

"Absolutely!"

the count eagerly replied.

The count immediately started talking about business, saying, "Actually, I'm very interested in Farol's smoked meat. We have a half-magical beast that can be hunted in our territory, and it's a bovine type."

"Please do proceed with those discussions. I'll inform the other party."

Noel responded enthusiastically, and Amalie nodded just as eagerly.

With the count's agreement, it felt as though there were no more obstacles.

—Well, there are still some challenges...

They tentatively agreed to "proceed with the discussions once the Farol family is ready."

After all, there seemed to be some "issues" with Lady Lara, including her extremely shy personality.

As they were leaving, Count Merlo looked at Noel and the others with a hopeful gaze.

"I am deeply grateful for your concern for Jace.

I have always felt a great debt to my younger brother.

My late father caused us a lot of trouble.

Especially my brother, who always carried the burden for us.

As an older brother, I was quite inadequate.

I truly wish for my brother to be happy."

"Please leave it to us. We will bring you good news."

Noel and Amalie assured him.

Count Merlo left in a pleasant mood.

That day, Sirius heard a detailed account of the meeting from the attendant who was present.

Sirius was concerned about the count, who worked hard in a region with many magical beasts.

He listened to the report and pondered deeply.

—The count must have endured a lot of hardship.

Marriage doesn't always guarantee happiness.

Sirius was glad to have met Noel, but not everyone finds happiness through marriage.

—For a devoted husband like the count, finding a good partner for his brother must have been a form of atonement...

"What's wrong? Sirius?"

Noel was in a good mood because the talks were going well.

Sirius didn't want to dampen her spirits.

"No, I was just thinking about something unrelated.

I hope Jace's matchmaking goes well."

"Yes, I agree."

Since Sirius often gets lost in thought about official matters, Noel decided not to worry about it.

Sirius continued to be lost in thought.

—Count Merlo was very talented and famous during his student days.

The count was a couple of years older, but even Sirius, who usually doesn't pay much attention to others, had heard about him.

However, his reputation after graduating and returning to his territory was not good.

This discrepancy was puzzling. He had been such an excellent person.

His father, the previous count, was known as a "fool." The knights' opinion of him was particularly bad.

With a region full of magical beasts, the country had to pay close attention.

It was problematic if the head of the Merlo family was a fool.

—He is deceased, of course.

Still, for the brother to say that he owes so much to his younger brother...

Their father must have been even worse than it appeared.

The previous count died before Sirius was named crown prince.

It was near the end of the previous king's reign.

Sirius read about it in the newspaper. Gossip magazines also covered the story, and all the articles were harshly critical of the deceased lord.

The previous lord was said to be fond of card games, which essentially meant gambling.

He would nitpick about the budget needed for the territory.

When the outer wall of the lord's residence was damaged by a magical beast, the eldest son, Valente, paid extra to the local mason to prioritize the repairs.

The lord was displeased.

He complained endlessly, saying, "There's no need to pay extra!" and frequently checked the progress of the repairs.

When the lord had an accident, he was slightly drunk.

He had gone out onto the terrace from his bedroom to observe the repairs from the balcony when a dark bat tore out his throat.

It was a tragic accident.

The article mentioned that the Merlo territory was short on herbs to repel bats.

There were suggestions to cultivate these valuable herbs or to maintain the surrounding hills to increase their numbers, but the deceased lord himself had rejected these ideas, saying, "Don't waste money on just some herbs."

Given that the unpopular lord had died, an investigation was conducted, but the main figures in the lord's residence were beyond suspicion.

The eldest son and his wife were confirmed to be in their separate quarters, and the second son, Jace, was in the capital.

The lord was alone in the main residence. The lady of the house had died of illness years ago. The actions of the servants were also verified. The lord's room was locked.

The public quickly forgot about the count's death.

He was not a person who would be missed.