The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 154

Chapter 154: Suspicion and a Pin

When Lorenzo arrived at the manor first thing in the morning, he was immediately ushered into the drawing-room.

The room was rather modest for a noble’s residence, especially considering the level of development in this region.

It had only been a year and a half since the Duchess had taken up governance of this land. The northern part of the Francesca Kingdom is extremely cold. She likely returns to the ducal family estate during the winter, which might explain the lack of furnishings.

Eventually, I should suggest the addition of fine carpets, tapestries with intricate patterns, large decorative paintings—all of which I could readily supply—and sculptures carved from the pure white stone of Romana for the garden.

During my four-day stay, I thoroughly understood the flourishing state of the Enkar region. The people I saw were rosy-cheeked, energetic, and full of hope.

This is proof of the overall prosperity of the region.

In poor rural areas, young children are considered purely as a labor force. The sight of children of the age to be sent out to service running around and laughing is a testament to the abundance in this region.

The number of passing carts, the sheer volume of goods, and the incessant sounds of construction—it’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a lively place.

—I understand why the boss was so interested. There’s even a possibility that gold is actually buried here.

As I was thinking this, the door opened, and the mistress of this house entered quietly. Lorenzo stood from the sofa, removed his hat, and bowed deeply.

A man in knight’s uniform followed Melfina, along with her secretary’s daughter, and a man in a civil servant’s uniform. Melfina sat on the sofa, her secretary beside her, the civil servant on the other end with the secretary between them, and the knight immediately to Melfina’s side.

“Lorenzo, welcome. Please sit down. I’m sorry to have taken up your time before your departure.”

“Not at all, Madam. …Even though it’s only been a few days since I last saw you, your beauty seems even more radiant, it’s quite astonishing.”

I looked up, momentarily at a loss for words. As I suppressed my agitation, Melfina smiled, her eyes narrowed.

“Fufu, the barber you introduced was truly skilled. I almost want to hire her away. Ah, this is Helmut, the governor. I’m sorry I couldn’t introduce you earlier.”

She is originally a very beautiful woman, but her blonde hair shone with even more gloss, and her cheeks seemed to have better color, a faint blush that accentuated her youthfulness.

“Not at all. …That girl has a special relationship with the boss of our trading company. It’s quite difficult, but if you would like, shall I bring another barber?”

“No, I don’t like constantly changing people. But Tori was a truly wonderful barber.”

“Then, every time our caravan visits, we shall bring Tori along. If you were pleased with her, she would be honored.”

“I’m glad, but don’t overextend yourselves. How was the Enkar region? Did you procure anything interesting?”

“Yes, I made several purchases from a pottery workshop and a blacksmith’s workshop. And foodstuffs. Everyone was very kind. When I offered to buy, they said that the freshest would be best, and they even carried freshly harvested goods from the fields to the inn.”

Farmers tend to prioritize disposing of unsold vegetables. Yet, everyone, the moment they heard they were dealing with the lord, shone with eagerness to help.

“Also, the region was very pleasant… I was surprised by the absence of pigs and foul odors.”

Even while engaging in light conversation, Lorenzo’s eyes kept drifting to the brooch pinned to Melfina’s chest.

The simple but high-quality fabric of her dress clashed with the slightly chipped stone brooch.

A smaller, more refined gold brooch set with gemstones would be more befitting of her status and attire.

As if just noticing his gaze, Melfina smiled gently.

“Ah, this? Fufu, a child in the kitchen gave it to me. Don’t you think it’s lovely?”

She traced the inexpensive brooch, which probably cost less than three copper coins, with her slender, white fingers. Her manner was that of someone handling something very precious.

—That boy, to actually give that to the mistress!

The recipient is a Duchess, one of the highest-ranking women in the country, second only to the Queen. Moreover, her husband is the head of the Oldrand family, the ruler of the north.

Even for a child, as a servant in a noble household, does he not understand the implications of giving an ornament to a noblewoman?

“You see, I’m very fond of that child.”

“Ah…”

“The Duke knows too. Do you understand what this means?”

The noblewoman before him spoke suggestively, her mouth curved into a smile.

However, her green eyes were chillingly sharp.

Various possibilities regarding the meaning of Melfina’s words raced through Lorenzo’s mind.

It’s not uncommon for nobles to use roundabout phrasing, and there are countless interpretations. A merchant must interpret such phrasing in a way that is most advantageous to the noble.

In every country, a handful of nobles hold absolute power and economic strength.

Romana, despite being a republic, is no different.

Lorenzo, who often deals with nobles, is accustomed to such exchanges. But how should he interpret the statement that the Duke also approves of his fondness for a servant, a child who hasn’t even reached adulthood?

—What would Antonio… what would the boss do?

As his mind raced, a light knock sounded, and two maids entered pushing a wagon.

“My Lady Melfina, tea, and perhaps some sweets?”

“Thank you. Lorenzo, I know you’ve just had breakfast, but do you think you could manage some sweets?”

“Y-yes, of course.”

Thank goodness. Just as Lorenzo was feeling relieved, a cup of poured tea and matching plates bearing some sort of brown substance were silently placed before him.

I’ve tasted various dishes from different countries, but this was a shape I’d never seen before. It looks somewhat like bread, but it’s bumpy and misshapen.

“Madam, what is this?”

“It’s a bit messy, but try taking some with your hands and tearing it apart. The inside is soft, so be careful not to spill it on your clothes.”

Saying so, Melfina picked one up from her plate with her fingertips and, as instructed, tore it apart and put it in her mouth.

A yellowish, viscous cream peeked out from the inside. That must be the soft, easily-spillable filling.

Seeing the secretary and governor take some, Lorenzo hesitantly reached for the plate.

Picking one up, it felt much softer than bread despite its rough appearance, almost threatening to crush it. I easily pulled it apart, and the cream peeked out.

—I have no idea what the taste will be like.

“My Lady Melfina, it’s delicious.”

“It’s delightful to be able to eat it with your hands. It seems perfect for when my concentration wanes during the afternoon’s work.”

“Wouldn’t it also be nice as a dessert after meals? Perhaps a little smaller… no, I’d like to eat plenty of these.”

As the secretary and governor spoke one after another, Lorenzo swallowed and put a piece in his mouth.

An immediate shock almost made him stand up.

“My Lady, this is!”

“Hold your tongue. This is in the presence of the Duchess.”

The knight beside him hissed a warning in a low voice. Showing agitation in front of a client is unprofessional for a merchant.

Humiliated, he bowed his head and cautiously put another piece of the “something” in his mouth.

It was incredibly sweet. Yet, it lacked any off-flavors.

It’s undoubtedly sugar. A large quantity of it.

Which trading company transported such a volume all the way to the far north of the northern part of the Francesca Kingdom?

This can’t be all there is. The means to obtain more sugar of better quality already exists within the ducal family… no, with the young woman before him.

“Hey, Lorenzo.”

“Y-yes.”

“I trust my servants. Therefore, no matter what anyone asks them, and how they answer, it’s not a problem in itself. I don’t have any intention of telling them not to speak to outsiders. Ed said he enjoyed chatting with you.”

“That, uh…”

“But this is not okay.”

The secretary’s daughter presented a silver coin wrapped in a handkerchief. The silver coin pinched between the lord’s fingers gleamed brilliantly.

It was undoubtedly the silver coin given to the boy the other day.

“That child asked me to return this to you when he gave me this brooch, because he said he didn’t need silver coins. Don’t you think it’s lovely?”

“Yes…”

“Lorenzo, do you understand the problems that can arise when a child of that age suddenly acquires a large sum of money?”

“Ah, yes, it was a personal gesture, you see…”

“A personal gesture to give a silver coin to a boy you’ve just met?”

Melfina put her hand to her cheek and sighed pensively.

“…Hey, Lorenzo, if I were my husband instead of me, would you have said the same thing?”

Saying so, though the action was by no means violent, the sound of the silver coin falling onto the table was jarringly loud.

Despite the cool climate of the north, even in summer, Lorenzo could feel a cold sweat forming on his back.

—This is bad.

Since their first encounter, Melfina hadn’t shown the slightest trace of the arrogance common among noble daughters. Nor did she appear humble; she treated Lorenzo, the merchant, politely and demonstrated her generosity by purchasing all his cargo.

A young, easygoing girl. Her laughter in the kitchen bred complacency and arrogance in Lorenzo—there’s no doubt about it.

Had this been the Duke, the ruler of the north, or even if the Duke were simply staying at this manor, he would never have given such a disproportionate sum of money to a lowly servant boy.

Melfina smiled, but the knight, the governor, and the secretary all directed cold eyes at Lorenzo.

Trying to justify himself by claiming that he had no ulterior motives would backfire.

If he admits fault, the consequences would not only reach him but also his caravan, Antonio who introduced him, and even the boss of the trading company.

He recalled the sweet, sweet confection he’d just eaten.

Sugar is a very important and expensive export of Romana, and its production is strictly kept secret by the former Romana royal family and now by the senate.

The fact that she uses it so freely means that the lord already possesses significant connections.

But if that’s the case, there would be no need to trade with Antonio, who has connections to the ducal family.

In other words, those connections are powerful, but can only be used discreetly.

He remembered the color of Melfina’s radiant blonde hair.

If Melfina’s “father” were someone who served on the Romana Senate…

A boy the Duke, her husband, openly favored.

A Duchess who lives apart from the ducal family even though she is newly married.

If the marriage to the Oldrand family were a cover story, and Melfina were being protected at the request of her “real father”…

Lorenzo’s trading company is by no means small. It is one of Romana’s largest, and its reputation is excellent, even among the nobles of various countries.

However, before the power of the senate, it would be insignificant. It could be crushed as easily as an ant.

“I apologize. It was all due to my shallow scheming. Please accept my head as atonement.”

“I don’t need your head, Lorenzo.”

The reply was concise, and precisely for that reason, merciless.

“By the way, the connection between the river flowing through the Enkar region and the Lacray Canal was successful. It’s already the third round trip, and we’ve confirmed that there are no problems with the passage. We haven’t decided yet whether to place it under direct ducal control or attract the Water Transport Guild, but everything should be decided by the time the wheat is threshed.”

Apparently, there’s no limit to despair.

Not many merchants travel from Romana to the Enkar region. Lorenzo’s trading company takes the route through Soarasonne, aiming for the port city of Elban, a major artery of logistics.

Many other trading companies from Romana gather in Elban.

If the Water Transport Guild uses a bidding system, bids will come from many countries.

If his own little trick affects the bidding in all of Romana…

The silence wasn’t long, but it felt incredibly heavy, as if Lorenzo had spent countless sleepless nights.

“I’m often told that I’m sweet, but I cherish relationships with people. That’s why I trusted you, introduced by Antonio, and accepted the barber you introduced.”

The lord’s voice was light, contrasting sharply with the weight of the situation.

The most important things in business are connections and human relationships.

The one who grasped the lord’s clean hand with his muddied hands was undoubtedly himself.

“Take this silver coin back. —I’ll let you off this time. You understand what that means, right?”

“Y-yes!”

He bowed his head almost to the table, relief evident in his voice.

I don’t need your head. I’ll let you off this time.

That meant he must deliver results that far outweigh the value of Lorenzo’s life to the lord before him. And by letting him live freely, he had been entrusted with the task of ensuring that the lord of the Enkar region would not be angered.

“Thank you for your mercy.”

He must certainly accomplish that task.

He would stake his merchant’s pride and life on it.

The silver coin never returned to Lorenzo’s purse.

Years later, someone asked a merchant who occasionally took out and looked at an old silver coin if it had any special meaning.

The merchant said pensively that angering someone who seems kind is many times more terrifying than angering someone unkind. It’s a reminder of that fact.