The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: New Home and Escort Knights

After leisurely traveling on the road for five days, around noon, they finally arrived at their destination, Enkar Village.

Enkar Village was the largest settlement in the Enkar region. According to the information gathered during the journey, it was a village of about two hundred people, mainly composed of settlers and their descendants, with several small settlements of serfs scattered around.

At the center of the village stood the lord’s residence, which would now become Melfina’s new home. Originally intended as a temporary lodging for the Duke of Oldrand during inspections, the building was sturdy but relatively small for a noble’s mansion.

Despite being called the center, there were no houses around it, just scattered dwellings amidst vast stretches of land. The terrain featured gentle rises and occasional steep cliffs, while the distant mountains still bore snow. Several streams flowed, likely tributaries feeding into the Moltre Lake.

In terms of her previous life’s perception, even the capital she grew up in seemed like something out of a movie, but if one ignored the modesty of the buildings, the scenery resembled something from a storybook.

Although the size was akin to a slightly larger inn, there were no plans for a large entourage, so it seemed manageable enough. Melfina thought so, but to Marie, her maid, and Cedric, her escort knight, it seemed not just unsuitable but inconceivable as a living space for a duchess.

“We should return to the nearest large town.”

Cedric said, almost as if it were a decided matter, prompting Melfina to shrug and enter the lord’s residence. Typically, inspections were planned months in advance, but given the suddenness of this visit and the likelihood that no inspections had been conducted in recent years, the mansion felt closed up and musty.

“Marie, let’s open all the windows. Cedric, can you assist?”

“I am a knight, my lady. I cannot leave your side.”

Cedric replied.

“Right. Then, please stay close behind me.”

Melfina conceded.

While Marie, as a lady’s maid, didn’t object to the task, it wasn’t Cedric’s duty as a knight to manage the estate or clean. So, Melfina couldn’t force him.

“Um… would you like us to assist with anything?”

The porters who had been serving as coachmen timidly approached, unsure if it was appropriate to address nobility directly.

“Thank you! For now, let’s open all the windows to let in some fresh air and do a quick clean-up. Of course, I’ll pay you for your work.”

Melfina exclaimed.

“Melfina, I believe we should hire a few more laborers for this.”

Cedric suggested.

With each window opened, a glittering cloud of dust danced in the air. Despite being a small mansion, cleaning every nook and cranny would be quite laborious.

“I was thinking of arranging that through the village.”

Melfina replied.

“In that case, I’ll go now.”

Cedric offered.

“Wait. I want to hire people who get along well with the staff, so I plan to interview them. For today, their assistance will suffice. Instead, could you go to the market and buy groceries and spices?”

They had been dining at inns along the way, but since Enkar Village was predominantly agricultural, they would have to procure their own food from now on. Marie seemed surprised by the request but quickly nodded in agreement.

“And you, um, what are your names?”

“I’m Rad.”

“I’m Cliff.”

“I, uh… I’m Ed!”

Among the three porters, the youngest seemed barely older than a boy, around twelve years old, likely just beginning his apprenticeship in this world.

He blushed with nerves but straightened his back proudly, which Melfina found endearing, prompting a gentle smile.

“Ed, would you accompany Marie and help carry the groceries? You can use the carriage. We need vegetables, eggs, and spices for a few days. Just get fresh milk and meat for today,” Melfina instructed.

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Then, I’ll be off.”

Watching the two depart, Melfina proceeded to open the windows in the corridor. In this world, window glass was considered a luxury but not so rare as to be unseen. It was thicker and had a rippled surface compared to what she knew from her previous life. The divisions in the glass were likely due to the immature technology for creating large panes.

Beyond those glass windows were security grilles, enhancing the building’s security. The influx of light improved the impression of the interior, but it also highlighted the need for cleaning, especially given the considerable amount of dust.

“Today, we’ll focus on securing the kitchen, living room, and sleeping quarters. Do we have cleaning supplies?”

Melfina inquired.

“Madam! Leave the cleaning to us!”

“We’re great at cleaning!”

“Excellent, then I’ll leave it to you. I’ll check on the kitchen.”

Melfina decided.

Leaving the young porters to dusting duty, Melfina headed for the kitchen. Surprisingly, it was relatively clean, perhaps because there were no fabric items. Washing and wiping the utensils and dishes seemed sufficient. The shelves contained no expensive ceramic ware, all of it being wooden.

For Melfina, who grew up in the capital, it was customary for dishes to be made entirely of pottery or glass. The tankards, resembling small barrels, were quite heavy and gave off a sense of freshness.

“This kind of thing was always associated with pirates in my mind, but it’s just a normal fixture here.”

Melfina mused.

Turning the faucet produced water, and gripping the stove knob ignited the flame. Both were magical devices powered by mana stones, commonly found even in moderately affluent households in the capital.

“The world-building here is definitely convenient fantasy, blending medieval aesthetics with modern conveniences. But I can’t complain about the practicality, especially when I have no idea how to use a wood-fired oven.”

Melfina thought.

She began opening the shelves, retrieving dishes likely to be used and washing them. After drying them with the stored cloth, she wiped down the table with a damp cloth.

In the meantime, she decided to ignore Cedric, who stood behind her like a specter.

“Now, we need to decide on the rooms.”

Noble residences typically allocated the ground floor for guests and the second floor for the master, their family, guests, and servants. It seemed this lord’s manor followed this pattern, with the master bedroom at the southern end of the second floor and the adjacent parlour.

Usually, servants shared the attic space. Given Marie’s status as a senior servant, she likely required a private room.

Melfina had some knowledge of these arrangements, but when it came to knights, she was less informed. Her mother, Letina, disliked the rural aspects of their southern estate and spent most of her time in the capital’s townhouse. Consequently, Melfina grew up there, where several senior servants were always present, limiting her exposure to knights to occasional guards during outings, with little sight of them wandering the estate.

“Hey, do bodyguards usually live with me, or is it more common for them to have homes outside?”

“Well, there are often barracks within the castle, and those with families typically commute from outside. However, if they are to stay in this manor, it’s customary for them to have rooms here.”

“In that case, I’ll designate the master bedroom as both my private and sleeping quarters, and the one next to it can be Marie’s room. You can choose any remaining room you like.”

Since the master bedroom was also sealed shut, Melfina opened the windows. The bed looked grand, but the thought of sleeping in bedding likely unused for years felt uncomfortable. Fortunately, the weather was fine, so she decided to air it out until dusk after having an early lunch.

Noticing Cedric’s lack of response, Melfina turned around to find the young knight wearing a troubled expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m undecided on which room to choose. If we consider security, it would be best to be on the ground floor. However, apart from the kitchen and hall, there are only storage rooms on the ground floor, so I’m wondering if those should be cleared out.”

“Well, what did you do during inspections?”

“This is my first time visiting this manor, but usually, I stayed in the village inn, except for placing a knight on guard duty.”

“There are still rooms on the second floor, so why don’t you choose one from there?”

While this rural area might not seem to warrant the need for a bodyguard, Cedric, along with Marie, was tasked with monitoring Alexis. Pushing him away might invite unwarranted suspicion, and making a noble-born Cedric live in a storage room felt somehow uncomfortable.

However, Cedric looked at her with shocked eyes.

“…I apologize. I have pledged loyalty to the Duke.”

“Huh?”

“As a vassal, it would be against my knightly honor to have such a relationship with my lord’s wife.”

“Huh??”

Melfina tilted her head, then quickly realized.

“No, no! That’s not what I meant! I didn’t mean for you to become my lover or anything!”

“…Is that so?”

The second floor was typically reserved for the lord, their family, and close relatives. While her upbringing in the townhouse, where her mother, the legitimate wife, resided, meant her father never brought women there, it was likely a common practice for the second floor of a country house to accommodate mistresses.

“I’m sorry, I was thoughtless. The third floor is the attic for servants, and the ground floor is storage. I just felt bad suggesting either for you, as a knight.”

Seeing Cedric visibly relieved, Melfina realized she had completely forgotten the usual distance between a lady and a knight.

Cedric, with his short sandy hair and deep brown eyes, was a sturdy knight, but as one of the capture targets, he had a slightly softer look compared to Alexis, the Ice Duke.

He was still a young man at twenty. Being a knight from a count’s family, he would likely be popular with women, and he probably often found himself being looked at in that way.

…I never imagined anything happening between the villainous Melfina and him, so I completely overlooked that perspective.

“Well, if it’s about expenses, I can cover it. Would you prefer to get a room at the village inn? That way, Cedric would feel more at ease, wouldn’t he?”

“No, if you don’t mind, I’ll take the ground floor storage room. Despite being called a storage room, it’s quite spacious and, once tidied up, will function perfectly well as a room.”

If that’s what he’s okay with, then it’s fine. I do wish he would go back to the ducal mansion, but that’s probably not possible.

“Alright, then let Cliff and Rad help you with the cleanup. As for beds, there should be a few spare ones for the servants upstairs, so you can use those for now. We’ll arrange to make or buy new ones soon.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“Yeah, if anything comes up, don’t hesitate to let me know. I wouldn’t want any misunderstandings festering.”

I’m really glad he didn’t come to my bedroom looking all grim-faced in the middle of the night. As I said this introspectively, Cedric remained silent, bowing once again in gratitude.