Chapter 9

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It's been a while since I've been here.

How many years has it been?

As I looked up at the even larger mansion than the one in the capital, the front door opened, and an elderly man appeared from inside.

It was Warren, the steward of the estate.

"Welcome back, Lady Sophia."

"Thank you, I'm back."

Despite not having seen him for several years, Warren had hardly changed.

The only difference was that there were a few more white hairs mixed in with his slicked-back hair.

He still exuded a strict demeanor, looking every bit the capable butler.

A few servants also came out from beside Warren.

They would probably carry the luggage piled up in the courtyard into the mansion.

The servants bowed when they recognized me, then headed for the luggage.

As they passed by, Maggie and I made our way to the entrance where Warren was waiting.

Led by Warren, we entered the mansion, and in the entrance hall, a line of servants, including maids and footmen, was waiting.

It seemed that those nearby had gathered.

"Welcome back, Lady Sophia."

"I'm back. I'll be staying for a while, so please take care of me."

After returning their bows, Warren, representing the servants, replied, "Of course, my lady."

It was then that I noticed the absence of someone who should have been here.

My uncle, the current master of the mansion, was nowhere to be seen.

When I asked Warren, he said that my uncle was unfortunately out on business but would return tomorrow. I decided to greet him when he came back.

The servants, having work to do, dispersed after the greetings.

I couldn't stay in the entrance hall forever, so I was about to head to the room prepared for me when Warren stopped me.

"I'm sorry to trouble you, but you have a visitor, Lady Sophia."

"A visitor? Who is it?"

"Lord Crowne is waiting for you in the parlor."

I couldn't help but widen my eyes at the name Warren mentioned.

Crowne was an old friend.

Before he became engaged to Prince Henry and moved to the capital, we often played together in this mansion.

Saying "played" might be a bit misleading.

To be precise, Crowne would often come to the mansion, lured by our family's meals.

After I moved to the capital, he came less often, but I remember my father reporting that he still occasionally visited the mansion.

It seems today was one of those "occasional" days.

Since he was here, I might as well greet him.

I told Warren I was heading to the parlor and made my way there.

There was no need to change clothes since I had used a teleportation spell to get here from the capital.

Maggie went to the room prepared for me to organize the luggage brought from the capital.

She would come to the parlor once she was done.

When I entered the parlor, a man sitting on a large sofa with his legs crossed looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, you're back."

"Hello, Crowne."

The tone of voice I hadn't heard in the capital was nostalgic.

I greeted my old friend with a smile, and Crowne lifted the corner of his mouth in a satisfied grin.

As I sat across from him, he opened his mouth with a mischievous expression.

"I heard your engagement was broken off."

"You're well-informed."

"The wind spirits love gossip."

"I see."

The engagement with Prince Henry had been broken off just yesterday.

Despite this, Crowne knowing about it wasn't because someone from my family had told him.

It was likely that the wind spirits, who had overheard the message delivered to the mansion yesterday, had informed Crowne.

Yes, spirits.

In this world, there exist beings called spirits.

The weaker, lower-level spirits are more numerous, while the stronger, higher-level spirits are fewer.

In general, when people talk about spirits, they refer to the lower-level ones, which are everywhere but invisible.

Only those with a spirit-related title can see or hear lower-level spirits.

However, Crowne doesn't have a spirit-related title.

He can recognize spirits because he is not human.

He calls himself a light spirit.

Crowne is indeed a spirit.

Moreover, he is a powerful spirit that can be recognized even by those without a title.

I'll leave out how I know this, but whether he is a light spirit is uncertain.

After all, his appearance is far from that of a light spirit.

Crowne has slightly wavy black hair, black eyes, and wears a black suit and tie, along with glasses.

His face is well-featured, but his gaze is very intense.

At first glance, he looks like what would be called an "intellectual yakuza" in my previous life.

Given his appearance, it would be more fitting to call him a dark spirit.

Despite his suspicious appearance, the people in my household know him well and don't reprimand his attitude towards me.

After all, Crowne and I have known each other since I was a child.

We first met in the forest.

When I got lost in the forest on our estate as a child, Crowne, who happened to be passing by, rescued me.

The commotion caused by a suspicious-looking man carrying the lord's daughter was a black history for both of us.

Nevertheless, we've been friends ever since.

Our long-standing relationship is due to my accidental habit of feeding him.

As a thank you for bringing me home, I offered him a meal, and he ended up liking our family's cooking.

The reason I chose a meal as a thank you was simple: there was nothing else suitable.

Status, honor, and money, which would be appropriate for humans, were unnecessary for a spirit.

After some thought, I decided on a meal.

I thought that offering a dish from my previous life, which didn't exist in this country, would be a suitable thank you.

Considering that offering something too advanced might be problematic, I chose tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet).

Using the ingredients available in the mansion, I made something different from what I remembered, but Crowne particularly enjoyed it.

Of course, offering only tamagoyaki as a thank you would be a bit lonely, so I also provided various other dishes.

However, suggesting various unknown dishes as a child would be suspicious, so the subsequent meals were prepared by the mansion's cook.

Despite this, I received high praise from Crowne.

And that's how he started coming to our house frequently to eat.