The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living [Novel] Chapter 82

Chapter 82

“…Hearing you say that, I suppose it is possible.”

“Furthermore, the House of Sayre has been in a state of historical decline for generations. Can we truly say that is merely an individual’s failing…”

Valery lowered her voice, speaking with grave seriousness.

“Seeing the Seldoche Plains finally sprout life from a dead land, I had the thought for the first time that perhaps ‘someone’ was afraid of ‘something’ belonging to Sayre.”

Hilbury stared at Valery in silence.

He had yet to tell her about Xavier and Leopold’s curse. He simply could not trust her completely.

Yet on the other hand, he knew Valery could never abandon Nosen.

Even if she had lived in the Imperial Palace for a long time, could she ever forget Nosen?

The endlessly vast plains, the wind brushing against the tip of the nose, the beautiful and antique residence of the Archduke of Nosen.

In the end, she could never stand against Nosen.

Despite clashing with Valery at every turn, Hilbury knew that fact well.

“There was a time when I was certain Nosen would only be safe if we did not defy the Imperial Family. In fact, I believed that until quite recently.”

Valery muttered, narrowing her eyes.

“Did you see what happened to the North after they fell out of the Crown Prince’s favor? The South, which vowed to remain neutral to the bitter end, has also been suffering for a long time. Truthfully, none of that felt like a coincidence to me.”

Hilbury’s eyebrows twitched.

The Imperial Family likely leaked that related information to Valery on purpose. They wanted a terrified Valery to pressure Hilbury exactly like this.

“That is why I kept warning you. Even if we had to bow our heads like the East, I wanted Nosen to avoid ruin.”

It was the first dangerous truth she had revealed to the brother born on the exact same day and time as her.

“Yet now, I am not so sure. All thanks to that ex-fiancée, the one Leopold sent flowers to even after breaking off the engagement.”

Had Leopold heard this conversation, he would have clutched the back of his neck in dismay.

The three elders, connected to Leopold by blood, were shamelessly gossiping about the young man’s private life without a second thought.

“I recommend that Leopold and Brisa get engaged again. Honestly, I still cannot understand why Leopold let that girl slip away in the first place.”

Valery muttered, a terrifying gleam in her eyes.

“I need to give him a good smack on the backside when I see him again. Sending her a notice to break the engagement the very day he failed to inherit the Marquis title, and then sending her flowers? Does he think he is some tragic protagonist sacrificing his feelings for his family?”

Hilbury cleared his throat with a dry cough.

Valery’s objective evaluation of her grandnephew continued.

“No, the more I think about it, the more ridiculous it is. Sure, Leopold has good qualifications, but was there really a need to act like that toward the Sayre lady? It is not as if the Princess proposed to him like she did to his father.”

“Let it go.”

In the end, Hilbury chose to sell out his grandson’s honor rather than sell out the family’s secret.

“He is going through puberty.”

“Ah, I see.”

Valery accepted it immediately.

“Then it really was your fault. If you knew your grandson had hit puberty, you should have immediately stripped him of all authority over his life and just let him bark pointlessly about his dissatisfaction with the world.”

She let out a heavy sigh and spoke without pausing for breath.

“Anyway, if my hypothesis is correct, Nosen needs Sayre in order to avoid bowing to the Imperial Family. If you want to solidify your stance, secure Brisa Sayre first. Before someone else snatches her away.”

“…”

“I have said my piece. If you act sluggish and foolish just because you are too attached to the Nosen name, I will step in myself.”

With that, she turned around and strode out without so much as a goodbye.

Watching her retreating back, Hilbury screamed in silence.

His insides burned with a secret he could not tell.

• * *

Wendy, Martha, and I arrived in the Central Region via the Warp.

“Oh my.”

Wendy’s eyes widened.

“It’s only been about three months, but it has changed a lot, hasn’t it?”

Jezel Street was located near the Warp.

The street had grown significantly larger than the last time I saw it.

“My Lady! Lady Brisa!”

As we were looking around, a child came running toward us.

It was a young boy who lived in Erenta.

“It’s been so long, My Lady! I missed you!”

Back when I was isolated without Alpheus.

I had gathered the residents of Erenta and taught them how to grow mushrooms, vegetative propagation, and things of that nature.

I also distributed eggs and salt to them, so it was only natural that we saw each other often.

“My Ladeeeey! Wait, are you finally returning to us?!”

A tall, lanky young man also recognized me and called out.

He was one of the servants who had been caught trying to steal potatoes from the field and was forced to brave the journey to the Western Region with me.

“You have no idea how much everyone has been talking about you! That potato field you used to feed us commoners? Just as you intended, it became a dairy farm, and now we are drinking plenty of cheap milk!”

The young man spoke with pure excitement.

“When I was in the Harwin Barony, I was sick and tired of dairy cows!”

“It seems you have reattached yourself to them. Congratulations.”

I replied haughtily.

“It’s good to be attached to something. You’ve gained some weight since I last saw you.”

“Ahahaha! Yes! I am just so relieved that the higher-ups don’t force me to steal anymore and let me peacefully raise cows!”

“Right. My uncle truly committed a grave wrong.”

I retorted, raising an eyebrow.

“Your stealing skills were terrible anyway. I wonder why he ever picked you… Was he really that short on manpower?”

Even as I clicked my tongue, I could not help the corners of my mouth curving up. It was nice to have people recognize and welcome me.

On top of that, it felt good to see that the instructions I left behind were progressing so smoothly.

Despite it being early winter, the market was brimming with life.

Yet as soon as I set foot in the Sayre Marquisate, a heavy concern weighed on my mind. It was the matter of when and how to reveal the truth to Alpheus.

Now that the incident with Dalia had occurred, I couldn’t keep it a secret any longer. Doing so might needlessly endanger the people of my estate.

“Alpheus, the truth is, Dark Mages are targeting me. I think that’s why the incident with Dalia happened. At this rate, wouldn’t they come to our estate as well?”

“Ah… Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Because I knew you would make exactly that face.”

I didn’t want to confirm the awkwardness that would inevitably wash over his face.

I was all too familiar with that specific brand of awkwardness.

Whenever I was summoned to the Imperial Palace at the age of ten, I saw that exact look countless times.

“Oh my, such flawless posture and etiquette. It is truly remarkable. No wonder Her Majesty the Empress Dowager continuously invites her to tea. My Lady, if it isn’t too rude to ask, could you tell me who your instructor is? I would love to entrust my own daughter to them…”

The noblewomen approaching me always wore the gentlest, most benevolent expressions.

They freely showered a lone child entering the Imperial Palace with gifts and smiles.

“That’s right. Could you share the name of your foreign language tutor as well? Your pronunciation is so precise and elegant. I should have them teach my son.”

“If the tutor is in the Central Region, we wouldn’t mind taking the Warp there ourselves.”

They were all good people who adored me.

“I learned everything directly from my mother.”

Yet the moment I gave them that answer, every single one of them would smile in dismay.

“Ah, I… see.”

“…Ah.”

It was common and highly honorable for a young girl to learn etiquette from the Marchioness.

Yet not a single one of them wanted to entrust their children to my mother.

Those awkward gazes, unsure of how to salvage the conversation…

I will say it again, but they were all good people. They didn’t react that way because they were malicious or wicked.

Therefore, even though Alpheus was a good person, he was fully capable of giving me that same look.

Yet I hated it.

But I couldn’t keep hiding it forever…

Like a child dreading unwanted homework, I kept my eyes fixed on the ground and lightly kicked the tips of my shoes.