Chapter 22

‘Could it be that all the griffin appearances in the orchards of Galad were orchestrated by Altair?’

As I opened my eyes wide at the meaningful conversation between the two, Altair pretended not to notice my gaze, turned away, and helped the prostrate viscount to his feet.

"If you apologize to this extent, there's nothing I can do. For the sake of your dignity, I will accept the request to exterminate the monsters. My wife will likely agree as well."

"R-really? That would be great!"

"But as promised, the compensation must be substantial. After all, we are solving a request that no one else will take on."

"Of course, of course!"

The viscount, seemingly forgetting his shabby appearance, bowed repeatedly, expressing his gratitude. It was hard to imagine the arrogant man who used to flaunt his status as a viscount.

‘He probably won’t dare to cause trouble again after being thoroughly humiliated today.’

Moreover, with the fear that the monster problem could arise at any time, he wouldn’t dare to turn Eilsworth into a complete enemy.

‘If all of this was planned by Altair...’

He’s really amazing! I looked at Altair in admiration. In the novel, Altair was a character who boasted of his physical strength. I never knew he could also think so strategically. It was fascinating and exciting to discover a hidden aspect of the novel I had read so diligently.

"Don’t worry! If you just drive away the griffins, I’ll give you as much money as you want!"

"Money... I see."

Altair, still avoiding my gaze, tilted his head.

"As you well know, our estate’s situation has changed significantly from the past. Receiving money as compensation doesn’t feel very appealing."

"T-then...?"

"Transfer a portion of the orchard’s shares to us."

"W-what, what, what are you saying?"

The viscount jumped in surprise.

"Are you now taking revenge for making me give up my share in the magic stone mine?"

"Not revenge. I’m simply asking for fair compensation. Fortunately, you informed me that transferring a portion of one’s assets as compensation is a viable option, so I’m applying it here."

"T-that’s ridiculous!"

"Ah. If you think it’s unreasonable, you can refuse. We don’t have to accept the request if we don’t want to."

"T-that’s... "

The viscount trembled at Altair’s calm response. It was a difficult situation, neither easy to back down nor to accept. Altair stood quietly, waiting for his answer, displaying the confidence of someone who had the upper hand in negotiations. This alone showed the difference in their stances. The outcome was already decided.

"How much... do you want?"

"I don’t have too high expectations. Just 20%."

"20%?!"

"If you leave it as it is, you’ll have to abandon the entire orchard."

"But 20% is too much... 10%... how about 10%?"

"Is that so? Then let’s make it 10%."

Altair nodded as if it was no problem. It seemed he had planned for 10% from the beginning and asked for 20%. The viscount, realizing this, made a ‘Oops!’ face, but it was too late.

"Shall we document the agreement you two have made?"

Once the deal was settled, Pavel, who had been quietly observing the situation from behind, stepped forward, adjusting his glasses. His cold gaze swept over the viscount through his glasses.

"A contract is essential for any request. Last time, someone broke their word and gave us useless land instead of the promised compensation."

"R-right, what a despicable person... "

The viscount, clearly aware that Pavel was criticizing him, cleared his throat and looked around. He hoped no one would realize he was the subject of the story.

"Well, it’s fine. Thanks to that, our estate has gained a great fortune."

"Y-yes... congratulations..."

Mentioning the fortune he had lost, the viscount’s spirits completely sank, and his shoulders drooped. It was a complete defeat. The viscount, following Pavel’s elegant guidance, shuffled into the castle. His large figure looked very pitiful.

‘What should I do?’

It’s so satisfying! I had never experienced such satisfaction, as I usually couldn’t even express my feelings properly. It felt great. I was so happy that my face even felt a bit flushed. Unable to express this joy in words, I tightly gripped the hem of my dress, and Altair, standing beside me, frowned and bent down. His eyes, now very close, carefully examined my face, making my already flushed cheeks even redder.

"Why...?"

"Is my way not to your liking?"

"Wh-what...?"

Confused, I blinked, and he straightened up, roughly ruffling my hair.

"I can’t stand being wronged. I don’t like it when someone messes with my family. I know it’s not very noble, but that’s just who I am. If you’re disappointed, there’s nothing I can do. I’ll continue to push away anything that bothers me."

‘Disappointed? What is he talking about?’

While trying to interpret Altair’s words, he sighed and turned around. Thinking I shouldn’t let him go like this, I instinctively grabbed his sleeve.

"I’m not disappointed!"

If Altair had cut people’s heads off with his sword, I might have thought, ‘So he’s the villain I read about in the novel!’ But this kind of revenge was actually more elegant, wasn’t it? It was a refreshing way that a timid person like me could never attempt, and it made me feel a bit excited. However, Altair, not fully trusting my words, narrowed his eyes.

"But you were angry. Your face was flushed..."

"N-no! That was just..."

"Just?"

"Because it felt so good inside..."

My voice grew smaller under Altair’s intense gaze. I took a deep breath, braced myself, and raised my voice.

"It felt so satisfying to flatten that annoying person’s nose!"

"...Satisfying?"

"I guess I’m not that noble either. Watching Altair push Galad around was really enjoyable."

Altair’s mouth opened slightly, seemingly surprised by my unexpected words.

"Are you disappointed? Because I’m not as noble as you thought?"

"Ridiculous."

In response to my cautious question, Altair let out a small laugh. It wasn’t the elegant smile of a proper knight from the capital, but his awkward smile wasn’t bad.

‘No, it’s not just not bad, it’s actually...’

Good...? * * * The development of the magic stone mine was going smoothly, and we had even acquired a share in Galad’s prosperous orchard. With one good news after another, Eilsworth was in a festive mood. The news had spread throughout the empire, and when we posted an advertisement for workers, people from all over flocked to Eilsworth.

‘It’s probably because we set the compensation a bit higher.’

Skilled workers often stay with one family for a long time, so it was difficult to attract them without offering a clear advantage over their current jobs. The merits we could offer from a small barony in the east were limited. Therefore, we had to offer a considerable level of compensation, and fortunately, it seemed to be effective. When I went through the resumes with Pavel, I found many candidates with impressive backgrounds. One in particular stood out.

‘Marie!’

Marie was the maid who had always followed me from the Vain Marquessate. Even when my situation changed and everyone turned their backs on me, Marie stayed by my side without betraying me.

‘When I left the marquessate, she said she would follow me...’

My stingy uncle threatened that I couldn’t take people as well as money, so I had to leave for the east with only the trust fund my mother left me. To see Marie’s name again was a pleasant surprise! My joy must have shown on my face, as Pavel smiled and observed me.

"She’s a maid from the Vain Marquessate. I thought you might have a connection, so I moved her resume to the top."

"Yes. She’s the only maid who didn’t mistreat me after my parents passed away. Without Marie, I wouldn’t have been able to endure."

"…Mistreat?"

Pavel frowned, as if he couldn’t believe the word, but I was too excited about the prospect of seeing Marie again to dwell on it.

"I want to bring Marie. Not only because we have a connection, but because she’s very capable. She’s still young, but she can handle the role of head maid. She’s meticulous and calm, and she would be trusted wherever she goes!"

Worried that Pavel might object, I listed Marie’s strengths, and he nodded, returning to his usual expression.

"Since you’ve decided, we should hire her first. I’ll assign her as the head maid to oversee the maids and maidservants."

"Yes!"

Just as I nodded with a smile, the door burst open, and Anna rushed in.

"Lady!"

Pavel looked at her disapprovingly, clicked his tongue, and shrugged at me.

"If this Marie can control that girl, it would be great."

"Hmm..."

I imagined the calm Marie and the cheerful Anna side by side. They seemed very different, but they might actually get along well. Before I could make a decision, Anna tugged at me, urging me to stand.

"Lady! You shouldn’t be here now! Hurry up!"

"Not here now? Why?"

"Forget it, did you? The tailor is supposed to visit today."

"Oh, it’s today?"

I had completely forgotten due to the castle repairs and hiring workers. When I looked at Pavel for confirmation, he nodded.

"Yes. I was planning to guide you after reviewing the resumes, but this one couldn’t wait."

"The resume review can wait! We need to get beautiful clothes made. It’s been so long since a tailor visited the castle... I haven’t slept well for days."

Seeing Anna, who was more excited than I was, made me feel excited too. I didn’t refuse and followed her.

"Thank you for calling me, Lady."

The tailor, who had arrived long ago, was waiting in the reception room with all kinds of samples neatly laid out. I was impressed by the thorough preparation, but there was an unexpected problem.

"Why..."

‘All the samples hanging up are women’s clothes?’

Confused, I stood at the entrance, blinking, when I felt a strong presence behind me.

"Is this all the clothes you brought?"

Turning around, I saw Altair looking sharply at the hanging clothes. He had called the tailor to make his clothes, but seeing only women’s clothes, he was clearly upset.

"Um..."

Trying to cover for the tailor, suggesting there might have been a misunderstanding, Altair suddenly walked in, holding me by the shoulder, and said something unexpected.

"Besides the riding outfit for the upcoming meeting, I also asked for various women’s clothes to be made."

‘Huh...?’

Women’s clothes, not men’s?