The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living [Novel] Chapter 76

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Chapter 76

Brisa raised her eyebrows and added calmly, “Don't worry. I won't misunderstand anything. You're a good person.”

Leopold bit his lower lip.

What would happen if he told her that her expression was so calm it made him sad?

If he did, Brisa might put on an even colder mask and spit out cynical words.

Why are you always so wise to me?

Why… why on earth do you offer the most perfect comfort in the world with a face colder than anyone else's?

“So I hope you won't spread rumors externally that this annulment was because of you or anything like that.”

Leopold, who had been thinking precisely along those lines, flinched.

“I just want everything to pass quietly. Having Alpheus make a fuss over past events is more than enough.”

At that moment, he was left speechless. Brisa began tying the ends of her hair with the golden ribbon she had been fingering.

Her small hands skillfully tied the ribbon at the tip of her thick braid. Yet he couldn't take his eyes off that casual touch.

Because that golden ribbon was the very one Brisa had often tied around the puppy's neck.

“My, our puppy is so pretty. Wearing my ribbon makes you look just like my puppy, doesn't it?”

Though he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, she must have tied the ribbon around his neck with those exact cute, nimble hand movements.

Strangely, his nape felt as though it were burning up.

“Anyway, let's not talk about that anymore, Leopold,” Brisa said nonchalantly, wrapping up the topic. “I'm too busy managing the summer wheat contest to go back and forth over past matters.”

Her words brought Leopold back to reality.

In truth, Leopold didn't care much about something like a summer wheat contest.

Even if Brisa lost, it would be fine. Though things would get a bit troublesome in various ways, the title of Marquis Sayre wasn't going to fall into Dalia's hands right away.

And most decisively… that marquisate didn't belong to Brisa anyway, did it?

From Brisa's perspective, she might gain fame and recognition, but that was all. So watching from the side, it was true that he felt frustrated.

“Ah, so you were actually paying attention to the contest? I thought you'd forgotten about planting the wheat.”

Reminding himself once more that Dalia's wheat was growing rapidly, Leopold offered calm advice.

“If you want to win no matter what, I can call Sylvia for you. She's spent a long time thinking about how to eliminate me, so she'll definitely be of help to you. It's the same method for assassinating a cousin, after all.”

Brisa shrugged her shoulders.

“Thanks for the recommendation, but I don't need it. I'm going to sow today. I called Alpheus, too. He's coming today.”

Finally?

But she was already three weeks behind Dalia…

“Do you want to come watch?” Brisa asked with an entirely casual expression.

Before he knew it, Leopold nodded.

“Sure, why not.”

Brisa put on her bonnet and strode right out.

It had been nearly three weeks since she had last shown her face at the field.

He had expected the farmers to appear flustered the moment she arrived at the field, but instead, the farmers were completely relaxed.

“Did you hear? The wheat in that other field over there has already grown this high!”

“I heard it comes up to his waist over here.”

“Isn't the growth speed a bit too fast? They must have picked only large seeds to plant.”

Leopold wondered if it was alright for them to say such things with so much excitement.

Brisa shrugged.

“They probably thought wheat that grows tall and yields a lot of grain is unconditionally good.”

Isn't that kind of wheat unconditionally good?

It was a fact Leopold knew nothing about.

“Now then, let's sow today. Pull up all the green manure soybeans… and use these for the wheat seeds. Ah, there comes Alpheus!”

The farmers cheered at the presence of Alpheus, who was striding over from afar. They knew that with him around, the work would be finished in an instant.

“Um, Brisa?” Leopold couldn't help but ask. “Why did you plant soybeans in the first place?”

“To supply nitrogen to land that has become exhausted from growing crops… Ah, there's no word for 'nitrogen' here, is there? Anyway, to revitalize the soil, it's best to plant legumes in between.”

Brisa explained calmly.

“That's why after digging up potatoes on our Sayre Marquisate land, we planted clovers, which are legumes. That way, the next autumn crops will grow well. Fascinating, isn't it?”

“I'm sorry, but I think it'll take some time for me to fully understand what you just said.”

Which meant he hadn't understood a single word.

Brisa nodded.

“I thought so. Just brush it off and move on. The reason we planted clovers on our land was so they could serve as cattle feed and hay, as well as to make the soil healthier.”

“Why are you explaining it again when you told me to just brush it off and move on?”

“That was just for the purpose of showing off.”

In the meantime, Alpheus arrived.

Alpheus ran over and scooped Brisa up in his arms, saying, “My little sister! Brib, got it! I'll stop! Our Brisa, have you been well? Hmm? You weren't upset being in a foreign place surrounded only by strangers, were you? Hm? Why didn't you write? Whenever you miss me, you should just contact me anytime!”

“Don't contact me anytime just because you miss me. Receiving letters every single day is annoying.”

Brisa answered sullenly.

Yet she didn't push Alpheus's hands away.

Leopold noticed in an instant: Brisa was actually glad to see Alpheus.

“Now, go pull up the soybeans and plant the wheat. We're sowing today. You can plant them a bit close together. I selected only small seeds. Show them that you work better than some stupid ants.”

The corners of Brisa's mouth were slightly turned up as she spoke gruffly.

Without realizing it, Leopold lowered his brows a step behind them and chuckled softly. And he prayed inwardly.

Please, please let Alpheus be a good person.

“Mom, you can't…”

May Brisa never have to make a face like that ever again.

Leopold watched the brother and sister quietly.

It was still impossible to judge Alpheus.

It seemed Brisa evaluated Alpheus the same way.

After all, she hadn't told him the fact that a dark mage from Sebon was targeting her.

Not trusting Leopold as an individual, but placing faith in the responsibility of the heir of the West.

In fact, he had sent many informants across the continent right now. He intended to tell Brisa as soon as he found out anything.

Yet Brisa had never brought up anything related to it with him ever since.

She clearly had an intention, yet she hadn't stated why she was calling Harrison either.

Naturally, she must be anxious, but she wasn't relying on him. Because Brisa had never leaned on anyone in her life.

The situation where his ten-year-younger sister, who gave him guidance and helped manage the territory, was receiving death threats yet didn't tell her older brother.

However, Leopold didn't trust Alpheus either. So he had no intention of giving him a hint.

Meanwhile, Alpheus, who had spun Brisa around a few times, stood in front of Leopold.

“Long time no see, Young Archduke. Has our Brisa been doing well? As for a guest…”

It happened right then.

Without thinking, Leopold thrust his hand right out.

Furthermore, with the back of his hand facing up, so that unless someone were a total idiot, they couldn't possibly mistake it for a handshake.

“…treating her comfortably as a… oh dear…”

Alpheus, who had been speaking, blinked his eyes slowly. Leopold did the same.

He quickly pulled his hand back down.

The person who had trained him first was Brisa. But Brisa had only trained him and didn't repeat it afterward.

The person who spent an entire week marveling at it and commanding “paw,” “lay down,” and “jump” was none other than Alpheus.

So before he knew it, reflexively…

Leopold cleared his throat in embarrassment.

“Bwahahaha! A handshake, a handshake! It's a handshake, right? Right!”

Fortunately, Alpheus mistook it for a handshake.

“I thought you were a puppy! Bwahahahahaha! No, good grief. How could I ever overlap a puppy with the Young Archduke? I am truly so sorr…Aargh! Fine! I won't apologize, I'll just say I regret that my joke to lighten the mood failed!”

Having displayed sharp intuition only to get his foot stomped on by Brisa, Alpheus made a huge fuss.

Leopold thought to himself:

If he let his guard down, everything would go according to that man's lead.

Besides, hadn't he presented a sharp hypothesis last time that a human could turn into a monster?

He was an exceedingly dangerous individual.

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