Chapter 3

Two years had passed. In just two years, the appearance of the domain had completely changed.

Outside the open window, beyond the wall, the golden waves of wheat swayed in the breeze.

Thinking about how much had changed in just two years, I felt a deep respect for Count Terezia.

──The human resources had been reduced to the limit by the tyranny of the Caldia family.

The people who suffered the most direct harm, feared by my father who was wary of the people's rebellion, were the biggest problem in this domain.

If they did not till the fields, the domain's income would disappear. It was clear that this would lead to our own downfall, even a fool could understand that.

But to say that my father, who ravaged the domain, did not understand this would be a lie.

He knew very well that reducing the people would decrease income. Knowing this, he cut off agriculture, the people's livelihood, from the income.

How did he maintain that grotesquely opulent and gaudy lifestyle?

...When I learned about that worst possible 'source of income,' I, his own son, was repeatedly sickened by the bottomless human desire and malice.

Among the levies imposed on the people, there was one called 'corvée.'

Perhaps it would be easier to understand if I called it forced labor. It was not something I was familiar with in my previous life, so I was confused when I first learned of its existence.

Among the corvées set by my father nineteen years ago, there was one that conscripted girls aged twelve to eighteen and boys aged ten to fifteen for service.

To put it bluntly, he treated the people as slaves.

In the Kingdom of Arcia, 'slavery' is not recognized.

Not only is it prohibited by national law, but the national religion, the Church of Ar Kshar, also strongly criticizes the institution of slavery.

In reality, the majority of the population in this country lives as serfs, who can be considered a form of slaves. However, they are given the freedom to choose their occupation, marriage, inheritance, and residence, and they can move to other domains with the lord's approval.

My father's despicable cunning was fully displayed in his ability to circumvent the definition of 'slavery.'

First, it was not a lifelong reduction to slave status.

Then, the conscripted people were dispersed and sent to other domains as labor, and their assignments were changed annually to hide the fact that it was long-term labor, treating it as 'corvée' – the system was designed to exploit legal loopholes and conceal information.

In this country, and indeed on this continent, the people are merely the property of the lords, and the citizens are merely the property of the king.

This is the prevailing common sense, though it is not my opinion – in other words, earning rental fees by renting out this 'property' would not be punished as long as it was not done ostentatiously.

──In Arcia, where the aversion to slavery is strong, if this had been done openly, excommunication from the national religion would have been a possibility.

I thought Count Terezia was a man of strong ethics, but it seems that even the nobility of Arcia have their corrupt sides.

Perhaps it is because this country has enjoyed a long period of peace that the pillars have begun to rot.

Unfortunately, the 'dispatch' destinations of the labor could not be found, even after searching the entire estate. ...And even now, some are still engaged in this 'corvée.'

With my father dead, their whereabouts remain unknown.

My father's abhorrent laws, represented by this corvée, directly depleted the people's physical and mental strength.

It was the worst. The increase in the abuse of girls who returned from 'corvée' after being impregnated, among other secondary damages, was considerable.

Even with the abnormally heavy taxes, the people's hunger was severe, and the number of people suffering mentally delayed the domain's recovery.

That is why, it could be said, Count Terezia started with the protection of the people.

First, to address hunger.

All the unnecessarily expensive items in the estate were sold.

It was for the best. I would not have been able to find buyers. This was how the funds to support the people were raised.

Food was distributed to the villages, and those who had turned to banditry, having been cut off from the community, were protected.

I did not know at the time, but it seems that Count Terezia had initially spent his own money to gather supplies and food. He had even calculated it as a loan to the Caldia domain.

Next, the arrest of those who clung to my father and benefited from him.

They fled immediately after the assassination of the Caldia family. I later learned that the noble council had taken action. After all, they had accumulated a great deal of wealth.

They were made to use their wealth for reconstruction and to take responsibility for the numerous crimes of the Caldia family, leading to their deaths.

This prevented the hatred and resentment of the people from being directed at Count Terezia, who had taken temporary control of the domain. At least, a state of uneasy calm was maintained between the people and the count.

Then, the care for the people's mental health.

They were in a state of decline, having lost the will to rebel.

Literally, they were in shambles, both physically and mentally.

Recovering individuals were engaged in reconstruction work, and more help was provided to those who were still weak, reviving jobs that generated funds and increasing support for the people.

This is how Count Terezia, working tirelessly day and night, has spent two years.

Tears welled up as I looked at the golden waves swaying outside the window.

The wheat fields, the most valuable agricultural product in this domain, which the people had eaten to the root in their hunger upon learning of the Caldia family's death, had been revived as a source of income for the domain.

This was a clear sign of the domain's recovery, achieved by Count Terezia, who had sacrificed his body and life.

The count had long surpassed the average life expectancy of this country.

Given the living standards, he was probably around seventy years old.

I could only watch as the old nobleman grew increasingly exhausted from overwork. In fact, I had even added to his workload.

Nevertheless, since I had to pretend to be an ignorant child, I could not even properly thank him.

Moreover, I had not even spoken to him once.

At first, it was simply because Count Terezia was busy.

There was an urgent need to help the people as quickly as possible.

There was no time to rest, and his work continued in a torrent for two years, and would continue in the future. Count Terezia must have regretted spending time on a useless child.

For me, that was fine.

I did not seek a parental figure. I had no complaints.

Just that he had saved the people of this land.

◆

──It was that night.

I was leaning against the window frame, gazing at the stars shining brightly in the clear night sky.

I did not have any particular reason for doing so.

I was simply looking up at the stars, as I had done spontaneously during the day.

"Do you want to go outside, Eliza?"

A low, powerful voice that made me shudder without any effort came from right beside me.

It was a voice that reminded me of thunder. My back had straightened involuntarily, and a tingling sensation ran through my skin, making me tense.

I do not know what triggered it, but after two years, Count Terezia finally seemed to want to say "hello" to me.

"…Why did you think that?"

I knew it was rude to answer a question with a question, but the count did not seem to mind, and his gaze shifted from me to the starry sky.

"I heard you cried when you looked outside during the day."

"Huh?"

"I thought you were lamenting your inability to go outside, but it seems that was not the case. Given your unusual nature, having never cried even once despite being a child, it was unlikely that you would suddenly shed tears over such a trivial matter."

...So it was reported by Mrs. Goulton. I see.

During the day, I had indeed cried when I saw the golden wheat swaying in the sun.

The nurse had been watching, and she had been taking care of me for most of the past two years.

And – do children around three or four years old cry?

I had thought that since I could speak, there was no need to cry and complain, but it seems I was considered strange.

"I do not remember ever going outside from this estate as far as I can recall. However, I understand that it is necessary now. I have never felt a particular desire to go outside."

"……"

"Today, I was looking at the wheat, not the outside."

The count, who had been silently gazing at the stars, suddenly turned his gaze back to me.

I met his eyes directly, but I could not read his thoughts at all.

"I was just thinking that the wheat had finally ripened, and I couldn't help but cry."

After that, we stared at each other in silence. His dark eyes held a strong light, but I could not discern any thoughts in them.

Looking into the depths of his eyes, I remembered a phrase I had heard somewhere before.

When you look into the abyss...

"...The abyss also looks into you."

"Huh?"

Surprised by the unexpected words, I blinked. Before I knew it, Count Terezia had turned his back on me.

Without another word, he disappeared around the corner of the corridor.