The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living [Novel] Chapter 74

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Chapter 74

“I just want to ask him a few things.”

“If it’s urgent, you could exchange letters instead.”

“It’s not urgent. I just thought it’d be nice to see his face while we’re at it.”

I couldn't exactly tell him, “It’s because something that wasn’t in the original story happened.”

Besides, I couldn't go around blabbering about Harrison’s secret, that he was a magic genius, on my own whim. After all, Harrison hadn't turned fifteen yet.

He still had about two months left until his fifteenth birthday.

“Is that fine with you?”

“Ah, well.” Leopold answered nonchalantly. “It’s fine. I’ll send the letter myself. Should I say that Brisa wants to see him, but it isn't urgent?”

“Yeah. Exactly that. Thanks.”

Thinking we were done with the topic, I asked offhandedly, “By the way, why are you here, Leopold? Did you come to see His Grace, the Archduke?”

“Well… something like that.”

“Then you should be heading off soon.”

“Where?”

“Somewhere? You’re not going to stay here forever, are you?”

“How novel, being given an eviction notice on my own land.”

“Don't misunderstand. I meant I have nothing left to say to you, not that you should get lost. Wait, actually, I do have something to ask. When can I see the puppy again?”

“Why do you ask?”

At Leopold’s indifferent question, I mumbled in a tiny, shrinking voice, “Because I miss him…”

Whenever the puppy was brought up, I felt utterly mortified in front of Leopold.

Leopold asked as if he were genuinely dumbfounded, “Is that puppy really so precious to you? Why did you get so attached? What on earth is so great about a repulsive, skin-crawling mutant monster like that, something that isn't even a beast or a monster?”

“Hey, I’m really sorry, but…”

Even through my embarrassment, I spoke my mind. Honestly, I was a bit piqued.

“Could you not call him a mutant monster? He’s a creature who communicated well with me and got along peacefully, okay? He’s already precious to me.”

“What?”

“And calling him skin-crawling or repulsive… I’d appreciate it if you didn't say those things from now on either. You didn't say things like that in front of him, did you?”

“…”

“Anyway, you’re the puppy’s owner. If you’re going to talk about him like that, you might as well just give him to me.”

At that, Leopold let out a heavy sigh with a bizarre look on his face. Then, he answered in an ambiguous tone, “…I’ll think about it.”

“About what?”

“Our next meeting.”

Before I could say anything in response, he turned around and disappeared.

The Archduke’s Residence of Nosen.

Leopold sent a letter about a week later. Pushing it back any longer would have weighed on his conscience.

Harrison didn't even need to reply right away, but he sent a response immediately.

Leopold swallowed an annoyed groan.

He had written it to say “Don't come” as strongly as possible, yet Harrison had accepted the invitation anyway.

Even he couldn't quite fathom why he disliked Harrison so much. It was just that he retained his memories from when he was… the puppy.

Surprisingly, it wasn't just memories he had retained. Originally, he had lacked reason and acted entirely on instinct, but from the moment he met Brisa’s eyes and heard her say, “I won't hurt you,” he had been able to regain half of his human consciousness.

Calling it 'half' was because the other half had acted on pure instinct.

For instance…

“Paw.”

Giving his paw when she asked like that…

It was a complicated feeling that he truly didn't know how to put into words.

That day, so confused by it all, Leopold had intended to return to the Archduke’s residence.

However, Brisa, who remained in the Seldoche Plains, had spoken to Alpheus like this:

“Alpheus, you go back to the Marquisate. There’s no need for you to spend three whole months here, too. Besides, it’s precisely times like this when we need to guard our territory well.”

Come to think of it, she was right.

There was no need for Alpheus, the master of the territory, to remain here as well, since the summer wheat harvest wouldn't take place for another three months.

Hilbury had been at a total loss as he looked at Brisa, who was unexpectedly stuck in the West.

Then, she had said to Hilbury:

“If the wheat harvest turns out well, please sell about half of it to Sayre at wholesale price.”

At the same time, she had whispered to Alpheus:

“There’s no other showdown as cost-effective as this to feed the Sayre Marquisate. The West’s bumper harvest is over now. Grain prices are going to soar.”

Brisa was correct.

The productivity of other lands was dropping sharply. Thanks to the hydroponic cultivation she had devised, they might manage to hold out this year.

However, if this trend continued, the situation next year was highly likely to worsen.

Hilbury had made no attempt to hide his displeasure at Brisa’s proposal.

“Half at wholesale price? What utter nonsense…” He declared firmly. “Just take it for free! Do I look like an old man with so little shame?!”

Brisa was satisfied.

Of course, Alpheus was not.

“How can I leave you all alone on someone else’s land?! Live apart? For three whole months?!”

“What are you talking about? You need to come here on this day, this day, and this day. Those are the days that require heavy lifting, so eat plenty before you come.”

“But how can I leave you here by yourself?! His Grace the Archduke will have to return to his residence, too!”

“I have Wendy and the maid with me.”

“Still, I can’t just leave my cute, raccoon-like little sister all alone!”

“Raccoons prefer solitary living.”

Blinded by the prospect of free wheat, Brisa had coaxed the whining Alpheus.

However, Leopold had agreed with Alpheus’s words as well.

Did it make any sense for a twelve-year-old child to suddenly stay on someone else’s land?

And so, Leopold had stepped forward without hesitation.

“I shall remain in Seldoche. And I will personally host Brisa as my guest the entire time.”

Although Leopold was the heir to Nosen, he had no official duties at the Archduke’s residence just yet.

If he stayed with Brisa, the safety issue would be resolved. It was also paying Brisa the highest form of respect.

So it was a sensible resolution to the situation.

Of course, Sayre’s aide had looked somewhat disgruntled.

“What is this, a newlyweds’ home?”

Even so, Brisa had agreed.

“To be precise, a broken-engagement home.”

And so, Brisa and Leopold came to stay together at the manor in the Seldoche Plains.

“This worked out nicely. Take a look at these. They’re the things you asked for back then.”

After settling into the manor, what Brisa handed to Leopold were research papers.

Just as Leopold had requested, Brisa had gathered only the papers written by 'El' concerning livestock.

In truth, there were two reasons why Leopold had secretly called Brisa to the iris garden at the Archduke’s residence.

The first was to ask about El. At the time, he had thought that El’s research paper on domestication was his only hope of coexisting with humans.

Yet that very meeting had led to a chain of unexpected events, opening up a whole new world to him.

Forget domestication or whatever, if he could just refrain from attacking others like he did during his last transformation, wouldn't his goal be achieved?

Now, a tiny spark of hope had begun to flicker in his heart.

A hope that even if he transformed into a monster… perhaps it would be alright.

“Could you not call him a mutant monster? He’s a creature who communicated well with me and got along peacefully, okay?”

If only he could communicate well with someone and get along peacefully during those times…

“And calling him skin-crawling or repulsive… I’d appreciate it if you didn't say those things from now on either.”

With someone who didn't find him skin-crawling, and didn't find him repulsive.

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