Chapter 10

I was carried in vertically and entered the castle.

“Ronnie!”

When Lord Lance called out, Lord Ronnie hurried over.

“I’ll leave as soon as I’m ready. Take care of Em.”

“...So, I’m staying behind this time?”

“As long as Em isn’t officially the ‘Lady of the Manor,’ you’re the best fit for the role.”

...Well, she still doesn’t understand what being the ‘Lady of the Manor’ entails.

Lord Lance finally set me down on the floor.

“Where to?”

“To a hunt. Ask Ronnie for the details.”

He was about to turn and leave, so I hurriedly grabbed his arm.

“What’s wrong?”

I beckoned him with a finger, and Lord Lance bent down. Thinking it was a secret, he leaned his ear towards me. Perfect.

*Peck.*

I kissed Lord Lance on the cheek.

“Lord Lance, have a good trip. Good luck.”

*Haha!* I did something proper as the ‘Lady of the Manor’! Something Lord Ronnie definitely couldn’t do!

I smiled at Lord Lance.

For some reason, Lord Lance was frozen, his hand on his cheek.

“Lord Lance?”

“...I’ll be back...”

Lord Lance stumbled, bumping into the wall before disappearing through a door a bit ahead.

“Lord Ronnie, is that room the study?”

“No, it’s the linen room.”

“Linen room? Isn’t it strange to have a linen room so close to the entrance? What business does Lord Lance have in the linen room?”

“...He probably wants to change the sheets.”

“! As expected, Lord Ronnie! I’m a failure as the Lady of the Manor! Next time, I’ll notice and change them myself!”

“Haha, hah, hah! So frustrating! Em is the best! Hah, hah, come on, if we stay here, Lord Lance won’t be able to come out, so let’s go to the real study!”

Lord Ronnie, who usually gives an impression of being an intellectual beauty with glasses, bent over laughing and led the way. I was a bit disappointed.

The study, with its good sunlight and a uniform dark brown color, was still empty. It would probably fill up with Lord Lance’s belongings and books over time.

“Here, my lady.”

He pointed to a large, black leather chair behind a particularly large desk by the window, the chair for Lord Lance, the master of this house and this domain. I couldn’t sit there, of course.

I walked around the desk, placed my hands on the back of the chair, and stood beside it.

“Won’t you get tired standing?”

“I’ll bring a chair next time.”

Lord Ronnie smiled slightly and spread a map on the desk.

“This circle on the hill is our current location. From here, to the south, in this forest, a pack of wolves has descended into the plains and is ravaging human territory. The lord is heading there to deal with them.”

“I don’t understand the scale of this map. How far is it?”

Lord Ronnie glanced at me and continued.

“Half a day by horse. But it’s farther than we’ve traveled this morning. Since it’s a plain, we’ll ride faster.”

“What’s the size of the wolf pack?”

“Reports say 20 to 30. All adults.”

“...Does Lord Lance need to go?”

“Until he fully understands the terrain, he will lead from the front.”

Hmm. He’s a perfectionist. That means Lord Lance won’t have a break for a while. He’s a workaholic.

“How long do you think it will take to resolve this hunt, Lord Ronnie?”

“Since I’m not familiar with the area... three days, perhaps.”

“What should I do during those three days?”

“First, get to know this castle, rest, and then take it one step at a time.”

I nodded in agreement.

“By the way, was the kiss on the cheek just now spontaneous?”

I was caught off guard and didn’t understand at first.

“Huh? ...Ah, huh? What do you mean by spontaneous? When my father left, my mother always kissed him... Was it taboo in the East?”

“No, no, it’s fine. So, the Balt family is close, huh? Hehehe...”

Lord Ronnie laughed and left the room, saying he would be back in a moment. He left in a way that left me hanging.

With nothing to do, I looked out the window and saw about ten soldiers galloping out of the gate, with Lord Lance, talking to Sir Douglas, bringing up the rear.

He’s gone.

I grabbed the window frame and gazed in the direction Lord Lance had disappeared when I heard a knock. I answered.

Lord Ronnie entered with three people in tow.

“My lady, let me introduce you to the staff of this castle. First, the head butler, Stan.”

“Nice to meet you, I hope we can work together.”

“Huh???”

A tall old man in a fine black suit stuck out his ear towards me.

“Oh, Stan is hard of hearing. Speak louder, please.”

Is there such a thing as a hard-of-hearing butler? Well, if he’s the head butler, he probably leaves the practical work to younger staff. I raised my voice.

“Stan! I’m Emeline! I hope we can work together!”

“Yes, yes, nice to meet you.”

“This is the head maid, Sara.”

“Nice to meet you.”

The middle-aged woman in a standard maid’s uniform bowed silently... and glared at me as she straightened up. Why?

“And this is Claire, who left the army to join us. If you need anything or have any errands, please ask Claire. It might be easier to ask a woman.”

No, this young, beautiful Claire with straight black hair is also glaring at me... clearly.

“I have some business to attend to. My lady, please discuss what you need.”

Lord Ronnie hurried out. He probably has a lot to do.

“...How dare you tarnish the face of our hero!!!”

As soon as Lord Ronnie left, Claire glared at me.

“I don’t understand what you mean?”

“To not even understand... Are you a defective product on top of being a blemish?! Someone like you isn’t worthy of the hero, Lord Lance! I feel so sorry for Lord Lance!”

Lord Lance... is a fan of Claire’s. But,

“It’s by royal decree.”

“You must have used dirty tricks to get the royal decree!!!”

That’s ridiculous. How could a girl like me manipulate a royal decree?

Claire gnashed her teeth beside me, while the head maid, Sara, looked me up and down.

...I’m still dressed as a boy, of course.

“Truly lamentable. For someone like you to be the lady of the honorable Carillon domain...”

“Carillon? It’s Kiara domain.”

“Did no one bring a maid with you?”

I was ignored.

“It was sudden. Everyone has their own schedules.”

I laughed. In truth, many maids, like Canon, were worried and offered to come with me. But this place is so far from home, and I felt it would be cruel to separate them from their families. I’m now deeply regretting it. The first day in the domain is starting with regret for both of us.

“Indeed, that’s why poor nobles...”

...I have to be patient, for now. I’ll let them vent their frustrations first. It’s a rule of thumb in student guidance.

“This house was supposed to be inherited by Lady Elena! When the lord married in! And then someone like you forced your way in!!!”

“Lady Elena?”

“Lady Carillon, born and raised in this house, my princess. Because of you, she had to leave. She would have been a perfect match for the lord!”

Lord Lance was supposed to marry the daughter of the previous lord and take over, right? And was he in love with Lady Elena? He said he wasn’t popular, but maybe that was modesty, and they were in love but couldn’t take the next step because of the ‘blessing’?

I’m confused.

“...At least, can you tell me the rules of this house? Like wake-up times and meal locations?”

“You’re the lady of the house, you can decide freely.”

Sara raised her nose and left, followed by Claire, who glared at me again. They’re already calling me by my first name in their heads.

I didn’t want this kind of ‘freedom.’

“Hohoho”

The calm-looking Stan with white hair was smiling.

Looking at his white hair and the wrinkles around his eyes, I was reminded of my grandfather from my previous life.

“I hope we can work together...”

I took Stan’s hand in both of mine and shook it.