episode_0179

It cannot be said that all of the kingdom’s territory completely belongs to the king.

Nominally, the concept of ‘fief’ is both the lord’s and the king’s. However, the fief is only nominal, and in reality, the king calls the fief itself ‘his’ and cannot confiscate it.

It is not that there are no cases, but for this to happen, there must be a huge difference between the power of the lord and the power of the king.

And the case applies similarly within the territory.

Of course, it does not apply completely equally.

If this world was truly a stale medieval world with ‘serfs’ rather than ‘commoners’, all humans within the fiefdom would be the property of the lord, and of course anything produced on the land would also belong to the lord.

But this world is a very mediocre fantasy world.

The majority of the people in this world were not ‘serfs’ but ‘commoners’. Although limited, they had individual rights and private property. Of course, they also had their own land.

Since there is also a common nobility without territory, their rights cannot be completely restricted.

Of course, the concept of ‘ownership’ itself is very different compared to modern times, but in any case, depriving a lord of his ‘ownership’ without any special reason is treated like a king doing something similar to a lord.

There were several famous landowners within the Grattonmount duchy, but there were also commoners among them.

Coincidentally, one of the commoners had a very beautiful daughter, and Ted fell in love with her.

“All I have to do is grow a ton of crops on that land, right?”

“Is that really okay?”

After hearing the story, I sent Ted away and told Amelia the idea.

Amelia looked at me as if she was very sorry.

“Yes, well, there are a few conditions attached.”

“Of course it should be added.”

Yes, there are conditions.

Because I don’t plan on doing what I’m good at for free.

First, I need to receive a portion of that land that I can use freely. I can build a mansion there and live the rest of my life in peace.

And, I was thinking of asking the Grand Duke for someone to live there with me.

The person who will spend the rest of my life with me.

The Archduke may be shocked and may feel betrayed by me, but I can’t help it. I want to live together.

Moreover, once a country can completely solve the chronic food problem of the entire North, it will not be able to just give up on its existence. Once we know that ‘it can be done,’ we will not be able to pretend not to see the benefits that will arise from it.

Although it may only be a benefit for one generation.

“What are the conditions?”

“The condition is—”

I was about to speak, but I kept my mouth shut.

And then I looked at Amelia.

“Huh?Why?What’s wrong?”

Amelia looked a little surprised as she suddenly saw me staring at the road without speaking.

“I don’t want to tell you.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll let you know when I get there.”

Because, in a sense, it would be a proposal.

I still don’t know if Amelia likes me completely or not. She kisses me in her own way and sometimes sleeps close to me in the same bed.

But at least I know that you don’t have bad feelings about me.

Would you ask someone like that to stay by your side for the rest of your life?

So, whatever.

It’s a bit odd to say this, but, um.

Should I say that I feel a little more confident?

“… … .”

Amelia looked up at me with narrowed eyes.

Well, what should I do?

I quietly looked down at Amelia’s pretty face and held her cheek with both hands.

“Huh?”

And before Amelia could react, he brought her face closer and stole her soft lips.

Does Amelia think this is ‘practice’?

I thought it was real for a while.

*

“Lady Hoover, I brought you a meal.”

“… … .”

Even when Becky came into the room and said that, Diane just stared out the window.

The information I got while at the Intelligence Guild said that Becky had an active personality, but in reality, Becky worked near Diane and had never seen her active.

When Becky looks at Diane, the only bright side is her shiny blonde hair.

I always stay in my room without saying a word and study quietly, or sometimes I just take out a letter and smile a little.

Now even that letter has been burned.

“… … The letter was delivered properly.”

“Really!?”

Diane said, turning her head.

Becky seriously thought about whether or not to reveal her identity.

Until now, I had built up an image as a maid who only did what she was told without any emotions. Originally, when sneaking somewhere, it was best to act as if I was a person who had no feelings about everything around me and only thought about myself. That was why I was able to stay here like this.

The reason Diane clung to Becky wasn’t because she knew Becky was Amelia’s side. It was simply because she had no one else to cling to at the moment.

They even drove away the maid who was said to be Diane’s nanny.

Becky decided that this was a measure to thoroughly monitor them to prevent them from escaping.

“Yes, I wrote down the location of this place as accurately as possible and sent it to you.”

So Becky was confident that those two would eventually come to Diane’s rescue.

Because they were beings who could dispose of themselves as sword masters without any hesitation.

I don’t know what will happen after that.

… … No, more than anything, if you don’t come to save Becky, it’s just as difficult. Still, there hasn’t been any contact with her recently, and it’s a little scary to see her neglected like this. Isn’t she Count Huber? A person who casually cuts off those who think they don’t need him.

So Becky desperately hoped that the Grand Duchess would send someone this way.

“But… … How?”

Diane’s fond expression suddenly sank and changed to a suspicious look.

No, what are you going to do if you leave me hanging like that and now you look suspicious?

“… … There is a personal means of contact.”

Becky looked around a bit. Couldn’t someone be listening somewhere?

Fortunately, the wall was thick to prevent Diane from escaping. There may be people watching, but they are all watching from the outside. If they could have heard the conversation, they would have already been caught when Diane gave Becky the letter and asked her to send it.

“I am actually the person planted by the Grand Duchess.”

“… … Are you Amelia?”

Diane’s expression became more suspicious.

I knew that would happen.

Becky exhaled softly and put her hands in her apron pockets.

What was inside—

“Tweet.”

It was a sparrow that Amelia planted with Becky.

Amelia has a total of four sparrows. Two of them were always with Becky. Having only one sparrow could cause problems when information needs to be sent in succession.

“Oh!”

The sparrow spread its wings and flew out of Becky’s hand, soaring up and landing on Diane’s lap.

“Tweet.”

And as if she heard that sound, the blanket on Diane’s bed moved slightly.

Another sparrow came out from the corner of the blanket.

The sparrow, which made a sound of joy, flew onto Diane’s lap and came face to face with the sparrow that had flown from Becky’s hand.

“Amelia, someone to me?”

“… … Probably, it was a time when I didn’t trust you yet. At that time… … That kind of relationship would not have been formed between the Lady and Lady Carlins.”

“… … Did you really read the letter?”

“… … .”

Of course I read it.

I even copied it and wrote it down somewhere else.

As Diane became closer to Amelia and her friends, she contacted Becky less and less, but for now she had to work.

I was promised to receive a lot of money, and more than anything, I felt like if I worked lazily and one day it was revealed, I would have all the joints in my body ripped out.

“Do you remember the contents of the letter!?”

When Diane jumped up and shouted, the sparrows chirped and flew up.

At first I thought he was angry, but somehow I guess he wasn’t.

Diane’s eyes sparkled brightly.

“Uh, that is.”

Diane grabbed Becky’s hand as she hesitated for a moment without understanding the reason.

To be honest, it was a little scary.

Why, it seems like all the people around the Grand Duchess are like that, Becky thought to herself.

“Then, can you rewrite the contents of that letter? Please! Even the parts you remember are fine! I will be there to help you! Those letters… … It’s a report!”

“… … Lady, please calm down a little.”

Diane’s expression darkened a little at Becky’s words.

“No?”

“… … .”

how will we do it.

If you just tell them that you copied the letter and wrote it down, they may like it now, but they may hold you accountable later.

Anyway, I discovered the secret.

then-

“Yes, my lady. Although I knew it was rude, I thought it was the best way.”

Becky said with a very professional look in her eyes.

“I thought something like this might happen, so I copied the documents in advance.”

She shamelessly decided to go out.