Chapter 59

"Even if one has influence, money still holds great power, doesn't it?"

That's true, isn't it?

I thought so too.

"But didn't you say, sir, that the production isn't high? Would it still be profitable to hire miners with such low production?"

"The phrase 'not high' was misleading. In reality, there is coal, but it's deep. I had geologists investigate, and they all said the same thing."

"That sounds dangerous..."

"It's fine on the surface, but deep underground, it's quite dangerous. There's a risk of collapse and harmful gases. Considering that, it would be better to abandon the mine. Human lives are irreplaceable."

What Sir is saying makes sense.

But there are always those who refuse to understand.

They are probably the ones causing the current commotion.

"The person managing that area was connected to Rockdel. I've already fired him and appointed a new top manager, but... it seems he can't control the situation."

I don't know if the miners are involved, but if they are, it's probably only a few. It's more likely that the majority of them have been working there without knowing the danger.

It's only natural that they would struggle if suddenly asked to switch to a different job. They would probably want to return to their familiar work.

Especially since the more they dig, the more money they make.

They were being exploited by Rockdel and the person managing that area.

"By the way, were all the people from your father-in-law's era like Rockdel?"

After all, it's an era of such a shortage of manpower that even talented people are poached by the central government.

Those who remain in the territory—well, they seem to be mostly people who can't be expected to do much.

"My grandfather wasn't that foolish. He did leave some behind... but they had their own aptitudes, didn't they?"

In other words, most of them lacked the aptitude to be butlers.

It really seems like bad luck.

"If Rockdel didn't have that extra ambition, my grandfather would have been able to entrust my father to him with peace of mind..."

Sir, you must have had a tough time.

I don't feel sorry for you, though.

"By the way, the estate steward is a junior and former student of Ragnaroth. Rockdel is also a junior and former student, no doubt about it."

"...What?"

Huh? A former student of Ragnaroth...?

Not understanding, I asked, and Sir said with a sigh of exasperation.

"What, you didn't know? Ragnaroth is a retainer of the Verdigo family, but before he actually worked for the Verdigo family, he was a teacher."

"Now that you mention it, I think I heard something like that before..."

"It seems to be a story from the time when your father was still alive. He said that cultivating talented people was part of his job. I didn't know, but apparently many people have been taught by Ragnaroth. It also makes him well-informed about other families."

Well, I thought our butler was incredibly talented! But who is he really?

It's quite a mystery.

"The moment he heard that Ragnaroth was appointed as the chief steward, he apparently turned pale. It's amusing to imagine how he'll react when he meets Ragnaroth this time."

Sir laughed with amusement.

The estate steward is the second-in-command to the chief steward and is usually left in charge of the estate while the lord and the chief steward are in the capital.

The chief steward works for the lord and requires many skills, including social skills, while the estate steward manages the estate and is required to handle practical matters.

By the way, there is one in the Verdigo family too.

When I got married, a young man in his thirties who was supposed to retire.

I don't know who is doing it now. Maybe Ragnaroth knows, but I don't want to find out.

Of course, the estate steward is required to have foresight comparable to that of a lord.

After all, they must make immediate judgments and take action when something happens.

Of course, in major cases, they must inform the lord immediately, but they must do as much as possible on their own.

In other words, they are often sharp and capable.

The same abilities are required of the chief steward, but it's only natural that someone who is always with the lord wouldn't be ignorant.

"Of course, Rockdel and I didn't get along, but he knows the estate better than I do. Before the central government took him, my grandfather had him quickly engaged. Now he has married into a branch family. My grandfather probably thought it was better to send Rockdel out rather than keep him in the estate."

If you marry into a family, you can use the excuse that you can't go to the capital to protect the family.

I see, that's a good lesson.

"When I took over, I made significant personnel changes, but there were still many troublesome people in important positions... Recently, with no war, the retainers who were united have started to develop ambitions. It's difficult to keep them in line."

Sir raised the corners of his mouth with a sharp, dark aura.

Why... those who have caught Sir's eye... I can only say, "I feel for you."

Sir, you intend to resolve everything this time with your return, don't you?

Is the system in place now?

"By the way, Risha. To avoid unnecessary trouble, it's better to make it look like we have a good relationship."

"By the way, how far should we go?"

Sir raised an eyebrow, a playful smile on his lips, and looked at me.

His eyes gave me a bad feeling.

He reached out and took a strand of hair from my shoulder, then kissed it.

The gesture was so natural that my cheeks turned red.

After all, he is a man of beauty that any woman would acknowledge.

With his lips still on my hair, he looked up at me—

"Should I show you a kiss?"

He said.

I immediately shouted.

"No way!"

"That's a shame. Then, I'll just have to wait until we're alone."

That's not possible either!

I glared at him, still red, and he shrugged with a mischievous look.

It was then that I realized.

I was being teased!

And...

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