Chapter 4

In such a manner, the curtain rose on this year's social season, but there's really a lot to do!

The main event of this social season is Jessica and Percival's wedding.

Transferring the viscount title of the Wilcox family to Percival.

Percival Mayfield, the younger brother of the Earl of Mayfield, has been engaged to Jessica, the youngest daughter of the Wilcox family, for several years.

When my engagement became officially recognized in society, the procedures for the wedding venue and the evening reception, as well as the related work for the Rockwell border territory, made my schedule quite full.

Fortunately, while the Earl is not very familiar with the management of his territory, the development of Eubachar is receiving requests from the military and the academy, and the Earl himself is handling the liaison for this.

Last night, on the way back from the evening reception, the Earl informed me that the construction site near Eubachar village has been decided and the surveying has already begun.

Such facilities are not something I want to entrust to ordinary nobles (general companies).

Oh, oh, I was so disappointed that despite the grand recruitment of civil engineering and construction companies at the evening reception... Of course, that's not true!

The construction of trade routes, villages, and the lord's mansion is still ongoing, so there's no problem involving them!

The Earl is a military man, but he can't immerse himself in military facilities, as he is the lord of the territory.

He must make his territory a proper, prosperous town that protects the people! After all, this engagement and marriage were ordered as such.

Moreover, being granted a border territory means being entrusted with a defense line, so it's impossible to leave it as a small, poor village.

I've heard various stories from the lords who surrounded me at the recent evening reception.

There are some who stay in the capital without visiting their territories.

Some have failed in territorial management after a succession and have returned their territories to the royal family, or have sold them to neighboring lords.

Eubachar, having just been granted, cannot be returned to the royal family, nor can it be immediately ceded.

The Earl could, if he wanted, sell it to a major noble, but he has been told by the high-ranking officials, especially those from the military, to handle it himself.

By the way, I have also been told by these high-ranking officials to "keep a close eye on things"...

I will, I will.

After inspecting Eubachar, I invited the Earl to my territory, the Wilcox territory, just before the start of this social season.

This was because the Earl said he wanted to see my viscount territory.

When I showed him the Wilcox viscount territory, the Earl was very moved and envious.

Our territory is primarily agricultural.

It has transformed into a textile industry—there are few aggressive magical beasts, so it remains a small, peaceful rural territory.

Every time I return to the territory, the people greet me as "My Lord" and I greet them casually.

While I have a bad reputation in the capital's social circle, here I am recognized by most of the people as "young but thoroughly dedicated to the territory's industry and the people's well-being, far more reliable than the previous generation."

When I visit the Wilcox territory, I am warmly welcomed.

It truly is a healing homeland.

Thanks to them, I have been able to manage as the head of the viscount family despite the bad reputation in the social circle.

"Nice... I can see why Grace frequently returns to her territory."

The Earl said this...

"I will help Eubachar become like this. I want the people to wave and welcome the Earl with smiles, just like that..."

The process to make the territory like this... it's a long journey, like a flowchart or a roadmap.

But, as someone once said, if you give up, the game is over!

"...Grace..."

A few days after the engagement announcement evening reception.

Patricia, my older sister, entered the Wilcox family's office and sighed, looking around the room in exasperation.

Sister... today was supposed to be the planning for Jessica's wedding... Why is she in the office?

Vanessa, the maid sent by the Russell's Chamber of Commerce, stopped helping me with my work and bowed to Patricia, then looked at me and Patricia.

"Patricia, welcome..."

"You might want to hand over this office."

What?! What are you saying all of a sudden!?

"The documents and materials related to Lord Rockwell's territory and the Wilcox territory might be mixed... or rather, they are already difficult to distinguish?"

Ouch.

No, it's still... well, it's only taking up one corner... right?

"Grace, as your future husband, I have to say, we really need to organize this office... If we don't, it will be in the state Patricia mentioned in just a few days."

Percival entered the office, looked at the scattered documents, and started to gather and sort them into Rockwell and Wilcox-related materials.

Ugh.

Jessica peeked into the office from the doorway... Hey, don't come in, don't step on the documents!

Jessica skillfully avoided the scattered papers and entered the room, helping Percival pick up the documents from the floor.

"Wow, just as I expected, Grace! Once the engagement is decided, it's like this! A mountain of documents related to the development of your new territory! Wow, this is amazing! A list of families with related businesses to contact!"

So, so...

"I've seen this scene before! This is just like when Father was useless and Grace, still a student, took over the management of the Wilcox territory! Or even more so?"

Guh...

"That's right. I can see your dedication, Grace, but you are going to marry into the Rockwell family. This is not the work you should be doing in the Wilcox family's office."

...The Wilcox family's townhouse in the capital is very small. To me, a former Japanese person, it's a mansion, but in the noble district of the Razlith Kingdom, it's a compact house.

"Our brother has been criticizing the Wilcox family for a long time. While it's true that they were on the verge of decline a few years ago, their current prosperity makes this townhouse seem unsuitable... I agree."

What... are you saying... Percival.

"Of course, I'm not saying you should sell this townhouse where Jessica grew up. However, it should be leased out, and a new house should be purchased—"

What? This place? Lease it out...?

Is this house not good?

This is the house where we sisters were born!

To me, it's more familiar than my previous life...

"Oh... It seems Grace has more attachment to this house than Jessica."

Patricia says this with a slight surprise, but does she not think anything of it? This will be her in-laws' house! Abigail, who became a magic earl, also built a house, but the Wilcox family's house... this house is important to them...

Lease it out?

As I look at the documents, my sisters, and my future brother-in-law, trying to find the right words, the butler Hans appears by the door and says,

"Miss Grace, the Earl of Rockwell has arrived."

My facial muscles are already dead, and my body doesn't move at all. Jessica pokes me with her finger.

"Grace, the Earl of Rockwell has arrived."

I know! I can hear it! What should I do... I need to clean up quickly!

It would be bad if he saw this chaotic office full of documents!

Please, Earl, wait in the parlor!

"Even though you're not selling it..."

"I was surprised... I didn't expect Grace to have such attachment to this house... If it were the lord's mansion in the Wilcox territory, I could understand this reaction..."

"I get it, you don't seem like the type to have attachment to a townhouse..."

"That's true... I was surprised. It seems Grace doesn't have much consistency in her choice of accommodations, so it's unexpected that she would have such attachment to a house..."

Patricia, Percival, and Jessica say this one after another.

Ignoring them, I frantically gather the documents.

This scene might make me look like I'm hiding some evil deed...

Only Percival and Vanessa are diligently helping me gather the documents.

Please, Patricia and Jessica, entertain the Earl in the parlor!

As I try to say this, Hans, who was standing by the door, bows and steps back, looking down the hallway.

Then, the Earl enters the room, looking at us with a tilted head.

Chapter 5 will be released tomorrow at noon.

The Wilcox sisters are as usual.

If you found it interesting, please bookmark it, rate it, and the author will prostrate themselves in front of the monitor. Thank you.

This book will be published by Kadokawa BOOKS on February 9th. The cover can be seen in the activity report.