~CHAPTER 45~
“Congratulations on becoming the new lord, Viscount Burte.”
“Ah… th-thank you. I’m a bit flustered… I, I can’t believe I’m a viscount.”
The man, who had unexpectedly inherited the title and taken his seat as lord, looked gentle and simple-hearted just as Ifrit had described.
As he stepped into the manor, he looked around in disbelief, like a timid country youth.
It was hard to believe that he was the brother of the man consumed by greed, even if they were half-brothers.
He seemed a little timid, perhaps because he had lived under the previous lord’s dominance.
Whatever happens, he’s better than that last lord.
Having been persecuted as an illegitimate child and raised in the countryside, he surely lacked not only heir training but also a proper understanding of nobility.
But… so what?
The previous lord neglected his lands, causing the residents to leave, and the one before that was a worthless man obsessed with women.
Even if this new lord does nothing, it’s still a win.
“I… I don’t know if I deserve to sit in such an exalted position… I don’t know how to thank you, my lady.”
“No need to thank me. And now that you’re the lord, you shouldn’t be calling noblewomen ‘my lady’.”
“Th-then….”
“There’s a fine title, ‘Lady,’ isn’t there?”
“Ah, y-yes. L-Lady….”
I chuckled and lightly tapped his shoulder.
He really seemed gentle. People like this aren’t bad.
Noah was with Ifrit when he was brought here.
Since Noah, who has a good eye for character, had said nothing, this man’s integrity was essentially guaranteed.
If he were truly terrible, Noah would have subtly warned me before giving him power…
“What about the previous lord? There’s a special clause allowing him to stay with you if you permit it.”
“…I have no intention of living together. He wouldn’t be good company in the manor. I plan to give him travel expenses and a decree of expulsion.”
Good judgment.
Actually, a country manor doesn’t require exceptional abilities.
Yet one skill is crucial for a lord, and that is judgment.
Since he’s already lost his title, he’s practically a commoner. He won’t be able to do anything in another territory.
I nodded in approval at his surprisingly resolute decision.
“There’s much to learn to manage the territory.”
“I… I’m embarrassed, but I haven’t learned anything… I worry if I can do it properly….”
“I organized the assets to be handed over, and though I don’t know how it was done, the estate isn’t small. So hire a good tutor. If you want, I can recommend a few suitable candidates for you to choose from.”
“I’d be grateful… Ah, I’ll find some way to repay you.”
“No need for repayment, but could you do me one favor?”
“O-of course! Anything, please.”
I slid him an address.
“Wh-what is this?”
“It’s the nearby National Academy. It has dormitories, and even commoners can enter with a recommendation from a lord. Tuition is required, though.”
“Ah, you want to enter here? If you need my recommendation, I can provide it…”
“No… do I look like someone of that age?”
Startled by my question, he broke into a sweat and lowered his head.
“You know Bella, right?”
“Ah, yes! Her and her younger sibling were harmed by your brother… Ah, could it be…”
“Yes. Please write them recommendation letters for admission. It would be great if you could also cover the tuition.”
“Of course! Compared to what my brother did, this is nothing.”
That settled Bella and her sibling’s situation.
“I… may I ask a somewhat presumptuous question?”
“Yes.”
“I heard you care for the child dearly, but you don’t keep them with you continuously?”
It seemed strange to him that I, who had stormed the manor to save the child, would send them to a boarding school.
I would like to protect them as long as possible. But…
I could only protect that child for about a month.
If Ifrit and Noah allow the child to meet the World Tree next month, they would then return to the demon realm with Illay.
Even if Sian could take over my care, he would be returning to his post as Paladin Commander and couldn’t give full attention.
So rather than providing temporary care, it was better to establish a foundation for independence.
If the child didn’t recover their magical power after returning to the demon realm, they would be in a truly precarious state.
That’s why I asked the new lord to cover the tuition.
“Lady Fabrein?”
“Ah.”
His voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“Ah, no. I’m fine. I was just lost in thought for a moment.”
The lord seemed still to be waiting for an answer.
“I’m not sure how long I can continue protecting the child.”
I answered vaguely.
Unaware that it sounded like words of someone near death.
***
“…Did she really say that?”
“Yes! I was so surprised myself. My heart is still racing.”
Later, Sian, who came to organize the academy documents, consulted the lord.
From asking, ‘Is Lady Fabrein unwell?’ the questions snowballed…
And he heard everything: that Jerena, with her eyes downcast and a sorrowful voice, entrusted the siblings to him, saying she didn’t know how long she could continue protecting them.
“S-so she’s not ill, then?”
“As far as I know… no.”
“Ah, then what could it have been? I’ve never seen someone appear so troubled. It made me hesitant to ask further.”
Jerena was only concerned about managing matters after returning to the demon realm.
But the lord, unaware of this, only saw her as someone lost in deep sorrow.
Thinking back, Jerena always seemed to wear a sad expression.
Sian, who received the same impression, walked toward the mansion lost in thought.
When they met again, she was bleeding, and looking back to the very first meeting…
From the start, she seemed to have no attachment to life.
She risked her life for complete strangers and didn’t despair over becoming a demon.
How could someone who truly values life do that?
Sian washed his face. He had no idea how to get her to open her heart and reveal everything.
I trust you.
He had said that to the demon Illay so casually.
I will offer you victory.
He remembered how the demon had bowed to her hand respectfully.
It was strange. Illay was the second-in-command in the demon realm. Why did he pay such careful attention to a woman turned demon by a mere administrator’s whim?
A thought nagged at Sian.
He recalled a hint the grand chamberlain had once shared with concern.
“…The Demon King has been reborn.”
Could Jerena be the Demon King?
Sian had unconsciously guessed correctly but immediately shook his head.
It was unbelievable. After weeks of eating, sleeping, and talking together, she could be the Demon King?
Moreover, Jerena was far too kind to be the Demon King.
The Demon King wouldn’t intervene to save children taken by a lord.
It can’t be. That she casually allows the demon to call her by name is proof. No demon would dare speak a Demon King’s name carelessly. So… it’s impossible…
Sian’s mind became confused, unaware that Jerena had ordered Illay to address her by name.
He had never seen Illay attach a respectful suffix when serving her, which made him even more puzzled.
But then…
Why does the second-in-command of the demon realm treat Jerena with such careful respect and attention?
Suspicion led to more suspicion, and his gaze lowered in thought.
