Chapter 9

"Alright, then, anyone have any good ideas?"

One of the knights raised his hand, and Blan nodded to allow him to speak.

"What about praising the lord to the lady? If she hears a lot of good things, she might start to see the lord in a new light, right? They say that three people can even create a goblin where there was none before."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room, which had just settled down, began to get noisy again.

"The saying 'three people can create a goblin' means turning something that isn't true into something that is. Are you saying the lord isn't a good person? If I tell the lord what you said, you're done for, done for!"

"That's just a figure of speech, you idiot! Trying to tattle like that is despicable!"

As the two argued, others joined in the commotion.

"What about sending the lady a gift, like the lord did?"

"She came from the capital, where everything good is said to gather. Would a gift prepared by our standards even catch her eye? She might even think we're mocking her."

"Or we could get both of them drunk and put them in the same room. Something is bound to happen, right?"

"The lady might not, but the lord definitely won't get drunk."

"You're right. I've never seen the lord drunk before."

They had gathered for a strategy meeting, but the knights were just as clueless about matters of love as anyone else. They knew Altair's behavior was frustrating, but they were far from coming up with a solution to resolve the situation. If they had the insight, they wouldn't have remained single.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

In the midst of the chaos, someone clicked their tongue. The knights, spotting the source, brightened as if they had found a ray of light and gathered around him.

"Hey, Cain! You're here!"

"Right. You're the best at this kind of thing among us!"

Unlike the stiff other knights, Cain was close to the young ladies of the estate due to his naturally friendly personality.

"Listen up."

Cain smiled, enjoying the attention.

"Do you know the easiest way to make someone like you?"

"I don't. If we knew, we wouldn't be here, would we?"

"Stop showing off and get to the point!"

Faced with the heated criticism, Cain shrugged.

"Help them when they're in trouble and isolated. If you're the only one who can save them, you can win their heart in no time."

"Oh...!"

"The size of the trouble they're in will be proportional to the affection they develop for you."

"Ohh...!"

"Do you get it now? To make the lady feel affection for the lord, what should we do?"

Cain looked at the knights surrounding him, but the answer came from Pavel, who was standing far away.

"Get the lord to help the lady when she's in trouble."

"Correct!"

Pavel frowned and shook his head at Cain's cheerful exclamation.

"It's not a bad idea, but deliberately putting the lady in a difficult situation doesn't seem like something the lord would agree to. He even gave up a comfortable bedroom for her, didn't he?"

Altair, who detested underhanded tactics, wouldn't join such a plan. Cain, who suggested it, also knew Altair's character well.

"So we have to do it without the lord knowing. Besides, he's not a good actor anyway."

"Hmm?"

Cain seemed to have a plan in mind, judging by his confident tone. Pavel, looking at him with curiosity, saw Cain smile and gesture to everyone.

"Come on! Everyone, over here!"

* * *

"Achoo!"

My nose tickled as if someone was talking about me somewhere. I sniffed and continued organizing the stacks of ledgers on the table. My hands were busy, but my mind was preoccupied with other thoughts.

‘He definitely helped me this time, right...?’

I was thinking about the small accident that just happened. Altair protected me when I stumbled and fell. He even said it wasn't my fault on the day of the incident. His tone wasn't particularly gentle, but the 'villain sprout' Altair in my mind would have ignored me rolling on the stone floor, or even in a fiery pit. But the 'real' Altair didn't. Discovering the gap between the ruthless character in the novel and the real Altair was a very positive sign for my survival.

‘Altair must really like Eilsworth.’

He even defended me, someone who seemed likely to cause trouble, just because I belonged to Eilsworth. This confirmed how much he valued the estate. When we met in the corridor, he said, "I can't stand anyone getting hurt in my castle" and helped me adjust to the dark.

‘That means...’

Does it mean I'll be safe as long as I'm part of Eilsworth?

‘Yes! That's what it means!’

The sudden realization made my eyes widen. If that's the case, I can't afford to give up the position of 'Baroness of Eilsworth.' I want to fulfill my role as the lady and stay in this safe haven forever, just as I promised Altair.

‘But...’

What if I fail in my role as the lady and tarnish Eilsworth's name? My mind filled with dark imaginings. In my imagination, Altair said, "How dare you make a fool of Eilsworth?" in a sinister tone, and swung his sword, severing my head, which rolled on the ground.

‘Eek!’

The thought of blood made my hemophobia kick in. I tried to calm my trembling hands and took a deep breath.

‘No, no! If I work hard, it'll be fine! What's the problem?’

I had another reason to work hard as the lady.

‘What the estate needs most right now... is money, no doubt.’

If I solve this problem and show that I'm a capable baroness, Altair will recognize that I'm useful.

‘Hmm. Is there any way to make money in the eastern region?’

I closed my eyes and recalled the contents of the book. The novel's setting was primarily the capital, the center of high society, so there wasn't much about the eastern region. It only appeared a few times as the birthplace of the fearsome villain duke...

‘Ah!’

A forgotten fact flashed through my mind.

‘The mine!’

The villain duke Altair in the novel was incredibly wealthy, unimaginable compared to the current poor state of the estate. He had a magic stone mine within the estate, so he never had to worry about money. Magic stones are the energy source that powers magical devices, making life more convenient. They are like batteries in modern terms. The difference is that batteries are common and cheap, while magic stones are very rare and expensive. Even wealthy nobles couldn't use them freely and reserved them for essential purposes. The expensive magic stone mine belonged to the villain duke.

‘The estate must be poor because the mine hasn't been discovered yet.’

It's like going on monster hunts for small earnings while a treasure trove lies buried in the ground. It's like having a winning lottery ticket in a drawer and working a minimum wage part-time job.

‘If I discover the mine and make the estate wealthy, I can earn Altair's recognition in one fell swoop.’

Fortunately, the novel also revealed the location of the mine. It mentioned that the mountains, thought to be the lair of monsters, were full of magic stones. Investigating the mountains within the Eilsworth estate should quickly lead to the mine. A gold spoon wouldn't be more enviable than a magic stone spoon! I was eager to grab a shovel and head to the mountains to start digging.

"Lady!"

I was grinning at the beautiful future in my mind when Anna, who had entered the room without my noticing, stood beside me with a shocked expression.

"Are you feeling unwell? Your face just twitched!"

Hmm. I must have been too excited by the unexpected good fortune to manage my facial expressions properly.

"No, no. I was just thinking a lot."

I quickly composed myself and gave a slight smile to pretend nothing was wrong. Anna's lips drooped in a sympathetic expression.

"You've been worrying a lot these past few days. You've been cooped up in the castle, looking at ledgers... You should go outside and get some fresh air to regain your strength."

After rambling for a while, Anna cautiously asked, looking for a reaction.

"So, Lady, how about a short walk?"

"A walk?"

"Yes! You haven't had a proper look around the castle grounds yet. There's a large lake just a short walk away, and you can even take a boat ride. The view of the mountains from the boat is breathtaking."

‘The mountains!’

I was already curious about the mountains. Sensing my positive reaction, Anna clapped her hands and smiled widely even before I answered.

"There's no need to think about it! I'll guide you, Lady!"

* * * Anna was right. Following her lead, we left the castle and walked a short distance to reveal a vast lake backed by the mountains.

‘Wow...!’

The grandeur of nature, unseen in the capital, made my heart feel wide open. I was so captivated by the scenery that I almost forgot about the mine.

"See, it was a good idea to come out?"

Anna looked proud, seeing my open-mouthed expression. I nodded in agreement, unable to take my eyes off the scenery. While I was admiring the view, Anna busily prepared a small boat for the lake. It was just the right size for two people.

"I'll row, so you can enjoy the scenery, Lady. The view is even more beautiful closer to the mountains!"

Enchanted by the scenery, I forgot my original purpose and boarded the boat as if on a leisurely cruise. Anna rowed confidently, steering the boat toward the center of the lake. As the mountains grew closer, filling my field of vision, I felt an inexplicable sense of awe. The vast natural landscape has a power to move people without any reason. I was so absorbed in the tranquility of nature that I temporarily forgot about my worries. Of course, it didn't last long.

"Aaaaah!"

Anna's scream shattered the peace. Turning my head, I saw the oar, which should have been firmly in her hands, floating far away from the boat.

‘How did the oar get so far...’

"Sorry, Lady! I lost my grip and dropped the oar! Oh, what do we do now! I can't reach it even if I stretch my arms!"

Anna flailed her arms in the air and raised her voice. She seemed very flustered, her tone and voice different from usual.

"What do we do! We're stranded on the lake! I'm so scared, Lady! It would be great if a handsome knight appeared to save us!"

Anna looked around anxiously, but I didn't think the situation was that serious. We weren't far from the castle, so someone would eventually come to our rescue if we waited. However, Anna's state seemed too unstable to wait calmly. Her rambling and flustered behavior was worrying.

‘Hmm...’

I estimated the distance between the boat and the oar. It was too far to reach with my arm, but I could swim to it easily.

"Calm down, Anna. I'll get the oar back. I'm a good swimmer, so it's no problem."

"Y-Yes...?"

She was so shaken that she didn't understand what I was saying. To reassure her, I clenched my fists and turned toward the lake.

"L-L-Lady? What are you doing? S-Swimming, surely not...!"

Anna, more flustered than before, started to stutter. Her state was concerning, so I couldn't delay any longer. I took a deep breath and jumped into the lake.

"Lady!"

Anna screamed in shock as I splashed into the water. The water was much colder than I expected, but I ignored it and swam toward the oar. However, for some reason, my body didn't move forward as smoothly as I thought. It felt as if someone was pulling me back, making my entire body heavy. I also felt a chill running through me.

‘That's strange. Why is this happening?’

Before I could figure out the reason, my strength started to drain from my body. Anna's voice, repeatedly calling "Lady!" and the splashing water mixed into a buzzing sound in my ears. My vision alternated between dark and light, and my senses gradually faded. My heavy body began to sink. As my consciousness and vision were completely consumed by darkness, a strong force suddenly pulled me upward. A strange sense of calm, which shouldn't have been possible in this situation, overcame me, and I lost consciousness.