[Chapter 66] Report to me every day

Delma, who had been furious with Isabelle for not reporting to her immediately that Neris had gone to meet Valentine the previous evening and that the plan had failed, finally sat down on the sofa, exhausted.

Delma, who had to fight with the high-ranking maids in the main house, naturally acted as if she was half the owner of this mansion.

When the Nellurision siblings were away from home attending classes, anyone could see that she was the mistress of this mansion.

Since most of the Nellurision's direct servants were men, they didn't overlap with her work area, so there was no need to be vigilant.

Isabelle gazed at Delma, who was elegantly drinking a refreshing beverage brought by a maid and acting like a noble lady, with envious eyes.

Isabelle herself wanted to be like that if she could. She wanted to receive the affection of a noble owner, wear expensive clothes, and be feared by the lower-ranking people in the mansion.

"Get up."

Delma, who had finished drinking and taken a breath, spoke coldly. Isabelle quickly got up, her knees aching from kneeling for a long time. Delma beckoned to her.

"Come here."

"Yes, ma'am."

Isabelle hurriedly approached Delma, worried that she might receive another scolding. A moment later, Isabelle's face was splashed with the remaining beverage.

Delma, who had poured the drink on Isabelle, spoke with a contemptuous gaze.

"You'll make sure that thing doesn't act recklessly. From now on, you'll report to me every day about everything it says and does. Don't miss a single thing. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Isabelle, with the drink dripping down her hair, chin, and eyebrows, trembled with fear and replied.

"Get out!"

As soon as Delma spoke, Isabelle quickly left the reception room. Delma gazed at her retreating figure with a scornful gaze, thinking she was useless.

Until yesterday, Delma hadn't been particularly concerned about Neris. She thought that if she just kept an eye on her a few times, she would quietly obey without complaining.

However, after seeing her face directly yesterday, Delma's thoughts changed.

That thing was going to harm this side.

Instinctively, Delma knew that fact. So, it was necessary to have foresight for the lovely Valentine young lady.

The bad seed had to be removed. The good seed needed sunlight.

***

It took about two hours to reach Sedona from the Katen station by carriage.

As the carriage rode for a while, the scenery in Neris's view changed in an instant.

After passing through numerous landscapes, including gently rolling hills, forests, and shallow rivers, the picturesque town of Sedona, formed in a mountain valley, appeared.

After passing through the town and going to the outskirts, and then passing through another forest, a field surrounded by trees came into view.

And next to the field, a small hut was built.

What pleased Neris more than anything else was that the field was not visible at all until they passed through the forest. There were no other houses nearby, nor even signs indicating a hunting ground, making it the perfect condition for keeping secrets.

"We're here."

As soon as the carriage stopped next to the field, the coachman said. A man quickly ran out of the hut. The carriage door opened without delay. Click.

"Thank you."

Neris greeted the person who opened the door. It was Aidan, sent by Cledwin.

From the moment they met at the station at noon until now, he had only given short answers to Neris's questions, so she didn't know much about him.

Judging from the words he used, he seemed to be a student, but his appearance made him look older, like an adult.

Not only did Cledwin not send a real adult, but he also managed to find a student who looked so old. Cledwin also had a playful side.

As Aidan got out of the carriage first and helped Neris out, the man who came out of the hut bowed to Aidan without suspicion.

"Ah, sir!"

Sir.

Rob, Betty's younger brother, looked like he was still under twenty. And since he had only hung out with commoners in the village of Kinia, where he used to work, he didn't know the etiquette for addressing nobles.

Neris, who already knew about this from Betty, suppressed her laughter.

Aidan, who could pass for being in his thirties with a bit of exaggeration, showed a hint of discomfort on his expressionless face.

However, he knew the purpose of his visit today, so he didn't correct Rob's words.

Since Neris didn't know how much Aidan knew about the current situation, she spoke first.

"Are you Betty's brother?"

"Yes? Ah, yes! Miss."

Rob bowed his head deeply to Neris as well. He seemed to be reasonably intelligent, and above all, his voice conveyed honesty. Neris pointed to Aidan and said...

"I'm Gavin, the lord who hired you. You can call me 'my lord', no need to be too polite. I introduced you to Betty, so I brought you here today, but from now on, I'll give you direct instructions through letters. You can read and write, right?"

In the past, it was common for commoners to only receive education up to reading a few words.

Of course, Neris, being an adult noble, had to confirm Rob's literacy before hiring him, as she would be giving him various instructions through letters.

Rob smiled and replied, "Yes, my lady. I learned a bit."

"Good. Since Lord Gavin is visiting here for the first time, you should guide him."

Aidan didn't say anything helpful, nor did he say anything disturbing. He simply looked at Neris when Rob pointed to the field, saying he would guide him.

Neris made it seem natural, as if Aidan, or rather, the name she had just made up, 'Lord Gavin', was a polite person.

Rob first walked around the well-maintained field and explained to the two of them.

"The soil is good. This year's poor harvest is due to the season, but if we plant something now, it will grow well. I thought it would take a long time to prepare when I first came, but it was settled faster than expected."

Aidan nodded with a satisfied expression, as if he was pleased with the explanation.

Neris thought that Aidan was doing well, considering his standards. If it were Clewin, he would have made a few sarcastic remarks, but Aidan was not Clewin.

As Neris was from Rohez, where people mainly farmed, she had some sense of it.

She realized that the land Clewin had obtained was just the right size for one person to manage, and the soil looked fertile, which pleased her.

Next, Rob pointed to the forest surrounding the field and the hut.

"I was worried because it's a bit far from the village, but they said there are no dangerous beasts. It's convenient to live here, and it's just a short walk to the village."

Neris thought that the phrase "just a short walk" might be subjective. At least Rob thought it was close, which was fortunate.

Rob briefly talked about the beautiful scenery and suitable weather in the area, and finally showed them the hut.

The hut made of wood was small, but it had a suitable-sized barn and a chicken coop.

"If we have chickens, it's great. Thank you for allowing us to eat eggs. I'll work hard, my lord."

Neris had not requested chickens. It seemed that her employer was the type of person who gave generously when giving something.

The hut was clean, and various tools were prepared. There was no lack of tools, from household items to farming equipment, and the hearth was clean.

With this, as long as Rob's salary continued to be paid steadily, he would be able to accomplish a lot here. Neris felt relieved.

Of course, without supervision, Rob might not work diligently or talk about her instructions to others. However, she thought the possibility of that was low.

First, Neris knew Betty well. Betty was the type of person who didn't tell pleasant lies even when talking about her family.

So, when Neris sent a letter asking about Rob's career, Betty replied, emphasizing his honesty several times.

"And what's the point of talking about it elsewhere?"

Hallograss and Quince were well-known plants in their respective hometowns. Even if Rob sold herbal medicine to a doctor in Sedona, it wouldn't be a big deal.

However, all of this was just speculation, and people could only know through experience. Like Nellurion, who had a good reputation but was actually...

But Neris liked Rob's simple, sparkling eyes.

When he thought, he used all his facial muscles to seriously ponder, without trying to read between the lines or scheme.

It felt good. Neris thought so, taking a deep breath of the fresh air.

Rob, who was thinking about what else to show these precious guests, suddenly remembered something and brought it out from outside the hut.

Aidan, who was standing like a stake driven into the ground, gazed quietly at the flower pot presented before him.

"I planted a few seeds you gave me, and as you said, they're growing well. I can't just play around while receiving my salary, and seeds don't do well if left for too long... I'm also learning some skills."

Rob showed Neris the entire pot, which was full of greenery.

There were about twenty roots of a plant with thorns, each about a foot long, and among them, a half-foot-long, silver-colored grass with hair-like strands was mixed in.

It was Quince and Hallograss.

Rob was extremely grateful for this job, which didn't restrict his freedom and even provided a place to live, along with living expenses and a salary.

So, he wanted to show his appreciation to this unusual and generous employer by doing something in return.

However, the one who had hired Rob and told him to plant these seeds, Lord Gavin, seemed unimpressed.

Instead, the one who had introduced him to this job, Neris, was smiling brightly, looking pleased.

"Well done. It seems you've successfully obtained the Quince."

Unlike Betty, who served a noble lady, Rob had only seen the town's tax collector, who came to their village to collect taxes, as the highest authority in his life.

This noble lady, who was too beautiful and refined, was hard to even glance at. Rob explained, looking down at the floor.

"Yes, my lady. As you said, I bought the roots at a high price, so I had to sell them quickly before they withered away... I was able to make a good profit."

It was impossible for an outsider like Rob to simply dig up Quince in the rapidly declining Kienia village. So, Neris had paid him a high price to buy the roots.

The previous owners of the house where Rob had worked had been sorry to let him go and had given him a few roots of Quince as a middleman's fee, telling him to sell them quickly.

They had done so just to make a living for a while. And they might have thought that even if they had a few roots left, the Quince would eventually come to an end anyway.