Chapter 79

"Um... Was it alright for Miss Rosalimonde to not come?"

"If she came, things would get complicated."

Well, I understand that, but if she comes without saying anything, it might become troublesome when she finds out later, right? Of course, you will handle it, right, sir?

Today, I am heading back to the village for another meeting with the sir. Miss Rosalimonde is not here.

I asked if I should call her, but the sir firmly said it was unnecessary.

I understand that having Miss Rosalimonde at an important meeting could escalate the problem, so I couldn't say anything.

"We don't have much time, and I want to settle this today, you understand, right?"

The sir is not idle, after all.

"Will the meeting end well?"

"It will, if the other side remains calm."

The other party doesn't seem like someone who would shout, so I'm not worried about that.

I don't know how it will end, though.

Personally, I'm more concerned about the villagers' reactions when they hear the news.

"In the end, it's impossible for everyone to be satisfied. However, it seems that if the higher-ups make a decision, everyone will follow, so it might be enough to convince one person."

While we were talking, the carriage arrived at the mining village.

However, as soon as we entered, I felt something was different from yesterday. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but there were no people around.

Yesterday, even though it was a small village, there were some people around, and some women were even chatting by the well.

The absence of these women was quite suspicious.

The sir frowned and asked me.

"It's not even noon, is it this quiet?"

"No, I think the village women were doing their chores outside and even chatting."

I thought it was strange, but I couldn't figure out why.

However, I thought we might find out the reason at our next destination.

"Could it be that everyone is gathered somewhere?"

"I doubt it. Even if something is expected to happen soon, I don't think they would come the day after yesterday."

It usually takes a few days to report the inspection results to the lord.

Saying, "Let's go the next day," would mean the lord is either very idle or very quick on his feet. The sir probably wants to finish things quickly.

The carriage stopped, and we arrived in front of the tavern, which was unusually quiet.

The sir took my hand, and we entered together. The tavern owner, Illegar, was sitting in the same spot as yesterday.

His eyes seemed exasperated when he saw us enter.

"I thought you might come soon, but the next day?"

Are you idle? His gaze seemed to ask. Ignoring it, the sir walked in confidently, as if he owned the place.

"Are you alone?"

Given the situation yesterday, it was hard to imagine him being alone.

The village, which should have had some people, seemed empty.

"One problem after another. Really, why is it always this village..."

"Problems don't just happen in this village."

"An objective opinion? Impressive, just as I expected from the lord. What business does the lord have in this desolate village? Can you do anything for us now?"

Illegar knew who the sir was the moment he entered. He knew the sir was the lord of this territory.

However, he didn't pretend. His raised eyebrows and glaring eyes clearly showed his disdain. The sir, on the other hand, didn't seem to care.

He might have expected this.

"This is a desolate tavern. If you want to drink, order something. If you don't, the exit is that way. Or is there something you want to ask? Unfortunately, this small village doesn't have much to offer in terms of entertainment."

"I'll decide if it's entertaining or not. It's my first time here, so how about a recommendation from the owner?"

He wasn't there to disrupt business.

The sir sat across from Illegar with me, and he brought out a glass of drink from the back, looking unamused.

Despite the variety of bottles on display, he brought this one from the back, which seemed to be a recommendation.

The dark amber color and the strong alcohol smell were evident.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have any high-quality drinks for you."

Do we have to drink it...? Normally, it's polite to drink, but I can't.

I can handle a bit of alcohol, but this one was too strong, and I was already feeling dizzy from the smell. Even if it's not poisoned, I want to be a bit cautious.

It seems like harassment.

If I don't drink, I might get scolded, and if I do, I might pass out.

As I was thinking, the sir drank the glass in one go without changing his expression.

Wow! Sir, you're amazing! Illegar looked surprised too!

"It's just cheap wine. A bit harsh, but better than the stuff I drank in my youth."

"Doesn't it burn your throat?"

"It's a matter of getting used to it. When you're young, you often compare how much strong alcohol you can drink."

Getting used to it? Can you really handle it just by getting used to it? The world of men is a bit complicated...

"If it's harassment, you'd serve something that burns the throat even more."

"You can handle it, right?"

"As you know, the men in my dukedom are generally strong drinkers. Fortunately."

The sir seemed strong, as I had suspected. I, on the other hand, am not much different from an average woman, or even a bit weaker.

I usually only drink one or two glasses at dinner.

Being a strong drinker can be a kind of weapon. However, if the alcohol content is over 80%, it would burn your throat and possibly kill you. It could even lead to poisoning.

Illegar frowned, as if remembering something unpleasant.

"Oh, right. The previous lord, who had no other talents, was also a strong drinker."

"On the contrary, alcohol with no taste is harder to drink."

The sir said the drink he had was almost tasteless, indirectly saying it was bad.

Despite this, he finished the glass, and I, who hadn't touched mine, felt dizzy just watching.

Right after he finished, the sir's eyebrows furrowed for a moment.

"This one has a lower alcohol content and a decent taste."

"I can't serve women the same drink as men."

In this country, men are generally stronger drinkers. Of course, there are some women who can drink like men, but they are a minority. Some people even die from strong alcohol.

Therefore, the drinks served to women are usually weaker or mixed with other things.

In other words, the drink served to the sir was a form of harassment.

A tasteless, strong alcohol. Just thinking about it made it hard to drink.

However... these two—were they acquaintances...?

I had suspected this when I read the report, but I didn't ask for details.

The sir had said he wanted me to judge without any preconceptions.

"What's next, sir?"

"You know we didn't come here to drink."

"If you're disrupting business, I'd like you to leave."

"Calling me here during a busy time and then asking me to leave is quite amusing."

"I don't know any noble people. I might recognize a face, though."

"I'm curious why you're so hostile to someone you just recognize."

"Sir."

I pulled on the sir's sleeve, sensing that the argument might continue fruitlessly.

We didn't come here to argue.

The sir isn't the type to be swayed by the other party's intentions, but I could sense his desire to win the argument.

Neither of them seemed to have good feelings towards each other.

Frowning, he stopped arguing when I pulled his sleeve.

Illegar raised an eyebrow, as if finding the situation amusing.

"Have you mellowed out a bit after getting married... or are you head over heels for your young wife? Interesting."

No, neither is true. The sir is always self-centered. He makes decisions without consulting anyone and increases my workload.

I had a lot to say, but it would be endless, and we didn't come here to talk about that.

"Is this enough?"

The sir placed a few coins on the counter.

Illegar looked at the coins on the counter expressionlessly.

"With this, it's not harassment. We're customers now. So, can we have something easier to drink? And the information we want. I'm willing to pay the price."

"Price? Money, money, money. You think people can be moved by money, don't you?"

Illegar distorted his face in a mocking way and didn't touch the coins on the counter.

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