Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Chapter 15. Blackie continued the words.[Even if to Master they all look like the same water, to me they all feel different. Like the water Master drinks and the rain falling from the sky are different. I can know all of that.]

“Is it like a water appraiser?”[It can be said that way. However I can change the water Master drinks into rainwater falling from the sky.]

“Then is purifying contaminated water also possible?”[Yes.]

If it was in the previous life, it would have been really a jackpot.

Because in that world water pollution was a big problem of society.

This world is clean enough to receive and drink the rainwater falling outside.

Still for now I think I know that Blackie is an amazing spirit beast.[But purification requires a lot of power so it's not possible now.]

Blackie became sullen.[I'm originally an amazing spirit beast. It's true. I can protect Master from any threat, and...]

“I know. That you're really an amazing spirit beast. My spirit beast is an amazing spirit beast.”

When I stroked with my hand as if comforting Blackie, Blackie rubs his face on my hand.

When in human appearance it was a cold impression like a doll, but becoming the animal form, it shows quite a bit of affection.

“The seal can't be helped. I'll earn money hard and raise you too. This level is the strongest spirit beast in the world, right?”

Right, this level is excellent.

Even if the ability is sealed, it's sufficiently helpful even now.

Raise Lus too, raise the family too, raise Blackie too.

There are really many things to raise.

We decided to keep the fact that Blackie is a spirit beast a secret for now.

Contracting with a spirit beast was news that would make the continent noisy by itself.

Each family didn't hesitate to spend a lot of money to attract the contractor of a spirit beast.

But Blackie was still weak, and Valfruga was also not a strong family enough to protect me.

Someone might go crazy and try to kill me to obtain the spirit beast, or trample the family and kidnap.

Thus Blackie became a lizard I picked up somewhere.

As soon as I saw Bella who came looking for me in the office, I lifted Blackie and showed.

“I want to raise a lizard.”

The large wings of Blackie had become small like vestigial organs and stuck tightly to the back.

The ice-like white body was mysterious, but with this level it seemed possible to insist it's a well-fed and grown lizard.

“A lizard? Where did you get it?”

“I picked it up in the castle.”

“In the castle? A lizard in such a cold place. It's the first time I've seen. Are these wings? Lizards also have wings.”

Bella pointed to the small wings stuck tightly on Blackie's back.

“Umm. Because it's too cold, it could be a mutation that occurred? Anyway I want to raise this guy. I already named it. It's Blackie.”

Seeing the white body and blue eyes unlike the name, Bella made a slightly puzzled expression, but whether she convinced herself alone, she nodded.

“Well, originally if you name opposite to the appearance, they live long, they say.”

Even thinking again, it's really a senseless name.

I apologized to Blackie once more inside.

“Then how should we raise the lizard? Does it eat bugs?”

Blackie in the hand desperately shook his head.

“I'll look it up.”

“Yes. Instead Madam has to take responsibility and take care of it?”

“Don't worry.”

“The lizard's fortune has opened. To become our Madam's pet.”

Bella smiled and looked at Blackie.

“Oh my, right. I came to convey this words. Madam, Mr. Treon has returned.”

“Who is Treon?”

“Aigo, there's the person who went to the orphanage to escort Madam!”

“Ah ah, that person...!”

Wait. But will that person like me...?* * *At the news of Treon's return, Lus and the vassals gathered in the huge hall in the castle.

The huge family crest hanging behind Lus was still the same appearance as if the contract with me and Blackie succeeding was a lie.

I and Lus sat side by side on the highest platform and greeted Treon.

Usually it wouldn't be a matter to pay this much attention just because one vassal returned, but this time considering the special nature of the mission Treon took charge of.

“I, Treon. According to the lord's order, I have received His Majesty the Emperor's appointment letter.”

Treon politely held out the appointment letter to Lus.

On the appointment letter, the content recognizing Lus as the Duke Valfruga was written.

As soon as we stamped the marriage seal, Treon immediately ran to the Emperor in the capital and received the confirmation that Lus is the Duke Valfruga.

The first meeting with me wasn't that good, but the loyalty to Lus was real.

“You worked hard.”

Lus said to Treon in a deliberately solemn tone.

And received the appointment letter from Treon's hand, and gave it to me.

“Lus. This is yours so you should have it.”

When I put the appointment letter back in Lus's hand, Lus tilted his head.

“All of mine is older sister's, right?”

I wanted to repeatedly say our Lus is admirable, cute, lovely as usual, but Treon's gaze looking at me was stinging.

As if saying ‘Where does this thief cat dare aim for the Duke's thing?’

It was a short meeting, but I was sure.

That person, dislikes me.* * *“So originally Treon is the butler of this castle, right?”

“Yes, Madam.”

Butcher said while combing my hair.

I thought the thing of if the mission of secretly listening to the story and coming is done well, as a reward being able to attend for one day was a joke.

Butcher really asked for my one-day attendance right as a reward.‘Why is attending me a reward?’ I asked, but the reaction of Butcher and Bella as well as the maids was intense.‘Being able to be next to Madam is the best reward!’ Since they claimed that, there was nothing to say.

After bickering with Bella for a few days, it seemed they finally set the day as today.

Thanks to that, I was receiving luxurious attendance that won't happen again in my life.

Usually only Bella alone attended me, but today somehow even maids who aren't working days gathered, and Butcher on top of that.

Suddenly I was receiving attendance from as many as 7 people.

When I drank the tea Butcher brought, admiration burst out around.

“How is our Madam's action of drinking tea also so elegant?”

“Full of dignity unlike the age. As expected a person who will become the mistress of the family.”

“Even Madams of other ducal houses wouldn't have had such elegant dignity at this age?”

Everyone seems to have bean pods firmly stuck...

Even while listening to the maids' chattering, my head was full of thoughts about the man seen today.

Treon Ibaropa.

A handsome man of refined impression, one of the male lead's core vassals who also appeared in the original.

In the original, he is the male lead's butler and staff, a man well-versed in the castle's household or continental situation.

If I wasn't there, wouldn't he have been the one taking care of and leading the male lead?

He seems not to like me, but I understand.

From the beginning, what he brought me for was wanting a puppet to buy time so that the male lead can safely become an adult and seize the Valfruga family.

In the original, when the male lead fell in love with the high-status female lead, the one who took the lead in removing me was also him.

If the male lead and I fell in love, that might be the most terrible thing he thinks.

It was a passing thought, but thinking of Lus's face that is lovely without a blemish, my conscience ached tightly.

Love with Lus.

It's a nonsense thing.

“Our Madam is so kind that she even takes care of a lost lizard.”

“Madam. The lizard isn't eating anything, is it okay?”

One maid waved grass in front of Blackie.

Blackie with a pink ribbon tied on the neck looked at me pitifully.[I don't like grass... There are traces of bugs eaten there... I don't like this ribbon either...]‘I'll untie it later. Later...’ I answered Blackie inside and said.

“Yeah. It only eats what I give.”

“A lizard that recognizes its owner! How smart!”

“To become Madam's pet, does it have to have this level of loyalty?”

“As expected our Madam. The pet raised is also not ordinary.”

In the midst of chatting for a long time, a knock knock door knocking sound was heard.

“Come in.”

What entered opening the door at my answer was Treon.

He saw us gathered in the room and frowned as if unpleasant.

“What are you doing bringing the maids? Butcher, what are you doing here?”

Ah, this is a completely misunderstandable appearance.

A Duchess receiving attendance from seven people in the poor castle household.

“I'm attending Madam?”

At Butcher's calm answer, the unpleasant air on Treon's face deepened.

“Where did you throw the work you have to do...”

“You of all people, what are you doing in front of Madam? Quickly show respect. Isn't it not the time to talk to me?”

At Butcher's words, Treon looked at me once with scary eyes.

And whether he didn't like me, but considering the status of the family's Duchess, he greeted with perfect etiquette.

“Excuse me, Madam.”

“Umm.”

Ah, difficult.

Rather if I could drive Treon out too, it would be more convenient to deal with.

But to raise Lus and the family well, Treon's help was needed.

Treon scanned the maids in the room and opened his mouth.

“Madam. Considering the castle's household, having this many maids is...”

“Oh my. Butler! Madam's maid is only me!”

Before Treon's words even finished, Bella shouted.

“That's right! We just came because we wanted to see Madam!”

“Today isn't even a working day anyway! There's no need to report even what we do on a day off to the butler!”

The maids opened their mouths in unison and blocked Treon's mouth.

The elegant smile that was hanging at the corner of the mouth when first seeing Treon was nowhere to be found.

At this rate, it was a momentum where Treon couldn't properly open his mouth even once.

I watched Treon's mood and opened my mouth.

“But why did the butler suddenly come looking?”

“I heard that Madam found out the fact that Frug was embezzling money and drove him out. May I ask how you came to know?”

The words were polite, but the gaze and tone were challenging.

Treon was suspecting me.

Whether another family gave me information, and whether I was joining hands with another family and trying to swallow the ducal house.

I pretended not to know Treon's suspicion and said.

“I just knew by looking at the ledgers. After that I processed according to procedure.”

“But Madam, driving out arbitrarily like this is problematic.”

“Lus, no, the Duke also permitted the matter.”

“...

Understood.”

Treon nodded as if he thought something.

Then he greeted me and left the room.‘Uwa...’Having to become colleagues with a person who dislikes me.

Already my head hurt.* * *What on earth happened in this castle.

Just one month.

During the short period Treon was away from his seat, the castle changed surprisingly.

The castle where chill circulated in the cold wind had warmth circulating, and repairs were done here and there.

Unseen servants and maids increased, and Frug who was originally entrusted with the castle's management was said to have been driven out long ago.

Moreover, money came to the family from the deal with the Leholas Marquess.

The place where that change appeared most clearly was the meals.

The original meals of Valfruga Castle were a small amount of thin soup and hard bread.

But now we could eat our fill of warm soup with plenty of ingredients and soft bread.

The most surprising was the orphan girl brought as a marriage partner.‘Was it Felia...’Bright pink hair and transparent water-colored pupils.

It was chosen thinking the clean and pretty appearance wouldn't be embarrassing to show somewhere.

I thought even if sent alone to the castle, there would be nothing she could do, but the whole castle was enchanted by that woman.

No matter who I asked, only the words ‘Madam is the best!’, ‘Thanks to Madam our castle became better like this!’ came back.

There were no bad words to be found.

Of course what Felia did was surprising, but because it was surprising it was more suspicious.

Was it something a just fifteen-year-old orphan girl could do?

The orphans he had seen, unable to receive proper education, had difficulty even writing their own names.

Breaking the servants' illusions is also important, but there was something to do first.‘The most important is restoring the Duke's heart.’When hearing the words of the Duke naturally handing the Emperor's appointment letter to Felia and saying it's all yours, how surprised he was.‘He's still young so he's just temporarily confused.’If the lord goes the wrong path, correcting that is also a vassal's duty.

Creak-.

The sound of the door opening was heard.

Treon who was sitting alone in the study stood up from his seat and showed respect.

The master of the Valfruga ducal house, and Treon's lord.

“Thank you for giving me the honor of educating, Duke.”

Lus's gaze turned to Treon.