Chapter 1

"……W-What do you mean?"

Her parents had passed away in a carriage accident, and the funeral had just concluded last week. The man who appeared at the mansion, a close business associate of her father, looked apologetic as he told Sisilia,

"We need you to pack up and leave the mansion by the end of the month, as it will be put up for sale."

He continued, "I know I haven't told you, Sisilia, but your father had quite a bit of debt… Ah, but to speak in his defense, it wasn't due to any shameful spending on gambling or the like—"

In our territory, the Viscount's land, last year's heavy rain caused significant damage to the crops. Our family, which was not particularly wealthy, suffered a major blow. Her father had borrowed money from long-time business associates to buy fertilizer and seedlings, with the plan to repay the debt gradually from this year's harvest.

"If it were a baronial family, Sisilia could have inherited the estate, married a suitable husband, and taken over the responsibility of repaying the debt. However, as a viscount's family, the estate will be returned to the state. All that will remain is the mansion and its furniture. Even if we don't get the full amount, we need to sell it to get some money, as we don't have a particularly comfortable life either."

The people who lent the money are not devils. It's painful for them not to get their money back. Especially since it's not as if he ran away; he passed away, and there's nothing that can be done about it.

Normally, I would have to become a commoner, and it would be tempting to sell myself to a brothel to get money.

However, my father was a serious and kind man. He had been helped during tough times, and he believed it was inhumane to push the responsibility onto an orphaned daughter. Therefore, he decided to handle the situation by selling the mansion and its contents, which he estimated would recover about 80% of the debt.

I am very grateful for this arrangement. I can only thank my father for his usual good behavior.

However, being told to leave by the end of the month means I have only a little over two weeks.

Even if I look for a live-in job, will I be able to find one immediately, given that I am a former noblewoman with no particular skills?

"Um, I understand what you're saying, but I'm not sure if I can find a live-in job right away. Could it be extended to the end of next month?"

I want some time to say goodbye to the house where I lived with my parents. But Mr. Roots shook his head,

"I'm sorry, Sisilia. The house isn't something that can be sold immediately, and we need to bring in contractors for any necessary renovations to sell it as quickly and at the highest price possible. I've already extended the deadline as much as I could."

"…I see. I am truly grateful for your consideration. Then I will pack up my things and look for a job to move out as soon as possible. But the servants…"

Although it's a small mansion, we have three staff members: a maid, a cook, and a butler.

"Don't worry. I've spoken to a baronial family that needs more staff, and they will hire the servants after you leave."

He must have tried to help the 18-year-old, naive girl who was left alone as much as possible. Mr. Roots, who had been kind to me since I was a child, was truly a good person.

"I am very sorry to trouble you. I also want to apologize to the others…"

"It's fine, it's fine. I'm in charge of this. Sisilia, you need to prioritize your own life. I've written a letter of introduction to a job placement agency, so go there. They should be able to find you a job. I'm sorry I can't do more."

He stood up from the sofa in the living room.

"Thank you, Uncle Roots."

I saw him off to the front door and bowed until his carriage was out of sight. I then showed a smile to Eliza, the maid who had been watching me worriedly.

"I'm glad you won't be left homeless."

"Sisilia-sama…"

"We only have a little time left, but please take care of things until then."

Tearful Eliza nodded with moist eyes.

"I'll rest in my room for a bit. I need to think about what to do next. Can you leave me alone until dinner?"

"Of course."

I returned to my room, sat on the bed, and sighed deeply. The reality of the situation was so overwhelming that I felt a cold sensation rush through my head, and my vision went dark.

Thank you for reading.

I plan to complete this by March, so if you would like to follow along, please do.