The Top-Tier Butler of the Marquis Family Chapter 104 : Chapter 104

Chapter 104

“Sapiela has left the mansion?”

“Yes, Master.”

Was the news unexpected? The half-gray-haired man seated in the antique chair rested his chin on his hand. A killing intent began to gather in his sharp gaze.

“Hm...... so they played a move like that at this point in ti.”

But the young man delivering the report was no easy opponent either. He accepted that murderous aura as calmly as if it were nothing.

“Report in detail.”

“The final report says she departed the mansion this morning. The escort force consists of twenty elite cavalryn, with an Attending Secretary and knights accompanying her. There had been so opposition within House Adeline regarding the trip to the Royal Capital, but it seems they ultimately settled on going.”

“So the decision was made at the last mont?”

“No. It appears they continued making preparations within the House all along.”

The man delivering the report was exceedingly respectful in his bearing. He wore the uniform of the Delfino rchant Company. It was stylish and urban in feeling.

By contrast, the half-gray-haired man seated opposite him wore the classic dress of a noble.

He held a jewel-studded cane and wore a red cloak over his back, giving him a dignified presence. The wrinkles etched across his face bore the full mark of long years of experience and authority.

And yet, he was a commoner.

Delfino Sentetienne.

That was the na of the man known as the Invisible Hand of Count Astria’s territory, and the Master of the Delfino rchant Company itself.

“Did the Count say nothing?”

“He seed sowhat flustered.”

“Why?”

“He did not seem to expect House Adeline to act this suddenly, without even sending a ssenger first.”

“Tch.”

The man judged and evaluated the Marquis and the Count as if he held them standing in the palm of his hand. Letting out a sigh, he idly caressed his cane.

“I told him he must not act rashly. In all great matters, one needs the patience befitting them. What is the use of regretting it now, after failing to endure and stirring up a hornet’s nest?”

“There was word that follow-up asures were desired.”

“Hmph......”

Delfino fell into thought. The man standing before him did not move an inch, rely waiting for his command to fall.

“The first plan is to be scrapped in its entirety.”

“Then?”

“It is ti to move on to the main course. One cannot fill one’s stomach on appetizers alone, can one? Destroy all related materials and evidence. Leave nothing behind.”

“I will see to it at once.”

Just then, a knock ca from outside. The reporting man naturally stepped aside. Delfino’s heavy command rang out.

“Enter.”

The door opened, and another man stepped inside. After bowing, he gave his report.

“A visitor has arrived. The Chief Secretary of the tis Trading Company requests an audience.”

“tis?”

Delfino searched his mory. It was no longer as clear as it once had been, but he could still recall a na of three syllables. That very place that had been making so much noise lately.

“A guest has co from afar. Sending her away would be discourteous. Show her in.”

The order was given, and a woman clad in splendid formal attire stepped inside.

The dreary room brightened in an instant. Delfino’s eyes sharpened at once. It had been a very long ti indeed since he had seen a woman this beautiful.

“Are you in peace? I am sorry to have co so suddenly. My na is Eluna of tis.”

“A pleasure. If it is tis Trading Company, then I understand it to be a place whose na has been spreading rapidly by word of mouth of late.”

“You flatter us.”

With a faint laugh, Delfino rose from his seat, leaning on his cane. Limping slightly on one leg, he guided Eluna to the table.

As she sat down, Eluna dispersed the Mana she had been concentrating into her ears.

It was the thod of sharpening her hearing that the Master had once taught her.

Thanks to that, every word he had just exchanged with his subordinate was etched clearly into Eluna’s mind.

***

The trouble I had feared never ca. The carriage rolled on in peace, unhindered by anything.

We had not yet completely left Adeline Territory. We had not been traveling for very long, and the public order was still good enough that guards could be seen here and there.

I had thought it would turn into a lawless zone the mont we left the city, but that did not seem to be the case.

Neither monsters nor bandits nor anything else that might hinder us showed even so much as a shadow. Even so, Arthas and the cavalry escorting the carriage did not lower their guard in the slightest.

“The weather is absolutely wonderful! It’s almost as though even the sky is blessing the Young Lady’s journey to the Royal Capital. Don’t you think so?”

Strangely enough, the one most excited was neither Sapiela nor , but Arwen. From the mont we departed until now, there had been a smile on her lips without the slightest exaggeration.

“The breeze is cool too. Ahh!”

She drew back one of the carriage curtains and beca utterly absorbed in sightseeing. It was not her first ti riding in a carriage, but it was her first ti traveling the road to the Royal Capital.

Even the common trees and fields, and the animals we happened to pass along the way, were bound to seem new and fascinating to her.

At the mont, Sapiela, Arwen, and I were all riding in the sa carriage together. It was a luxury permitted only because I was serving as the Attending Secretary and Arwen as the Dedicated Maid.

“Look at that deer. The way it’s running is so adorable, isn’t it? The one beside it looks like the mother deer. Oh, how could they possibly be so cute?”

My dear friend. It is fine to lose yourself in appreciation, but you ought to know how to distinguish ti and place.

“Arwen. I understand that you’re excited because this is your first trip to the Royal Capital, but how about showing a little restraint in front of the Young Lady? I would like you to rember that we are not going there for leisure.”

“Ah, I’m sorry......”

Arwen imdiately wilted and sat up properly again. She cast a couple of furtive glances out the window, then lowered her head after noticing watching.

I did not particularly want to stop her, but I was worried about the Young Lady. She had had her eyes closed for so ti now. I thought it better not to disturb her.

As I watched her for a mont, her eyelids lifted slightly and a cold gaze slipped out.

That startled .

“Dilen, do not be so harsh. Arwen did not say anything wrong. If the weather is pleasant and the wind is blowing, a person’s heart may well beco light.”

“To disturb the Young Lady’s ditation is a grave offense.”

“I was not ditating. I was rely resting for a while. But more importantly, weren’t the two of you friends? Why is Arwen suddenly speaking formally?”

Does she truly not know why she’s asking that? Or is she just not fully awake yet?

“If mory serves, Young Lady, it was you yourself who inford us that I would be serving you as the Attending Secretary on this journey.”

“Even so, a friend is a friend.”

“Are you saying we should speak casually?”

“It is an order.”

I had forgotten for a mont that Sapiela always took Arwen’s side.

Perhaps she was envious. The Young Lady did not have many people she could call friends, and childhood friends even less so. Watching Arwen and together might well give her a sense of vicarious satisfaction.

Her languid gaze moved toward Arwen.

“Arwen, have you ever been to the Royal Capital before?”

“This is my first ti! I’ve really always wanted to go, and now I finally can because of you, Young Lady. Thank you so much.”

“You are my person. Wherever I go, you must go with .”

“Of course!”

Arwen, who had been drooping only a mont before, brightened up again at once. That girl definitely had a hidden Trait called Recovery, and it was probably S-rank.

The Young Lady’s expression still did not change. She wore the sa languid and indifferent face as ever.

To be able to say such things without the slightest visible stir was, in its own way, a talent. With that, Sapiela closed her eyes once more.

And so ti passed, and the jolting of the carriage began to grow more severe. It seed we had entered a stretch of road in particularly poor condition.

“Ugh......”

As expected, Arwen’s face turned pale. Even if she had ridden in carriages often enough, it would have only been along the well-paved roads of the city. A level of shaking like this must have been new to her.

“You’re dizzy, aren’t you?”

“N-no. I’m fine! Ah, ugh......”

It was obvious she was forcing herself to endure it. Suddenly, I rembered the mont when I had first opened my eyes in this world. She had prepared cookies for then, while I was still injured.

I beckoned to her. Arwen, who had been seated beside the Young Lady, shifted over toward .

I took a small pill from my leather pouch and offered it to her.

“It’s dicine that works well for motion sickness. Chew it, and it should help.”

“Thank you. But shouldn’t you give one to the Young Lady first?”

She did not take the pill. Truly, she was a devoted maid. I would like to have soone like that by my side too.

“I have one prepared separately for the Young Lady, so stop worrying about that and take it first.”

“Ah, in that case, thank you.”

Arwen put the pill into her mouth. Perhaps she had expected it to taste bitter, because she made the most dreadful face. But in truth it was not dicine at all. It was more like a sweet candy.

Sure enough, the expression that had been twisted up in dread brightened imdiately.

“This is sweet and delicious, though? Is it really dicine?”

“Close your eyes and breathe in slowly. Then the effect will co.”

“Yes.”

Arwen truly listened well. She closed her eyes and began taking slow, deep breaths.

While she did that, I lightly took hold of her ear and let Mana flow into it.

A warm current slipped down through her ear and into her. Arwen gave a little start in surprise, but then, rembering my instructions, she closed her eyes again.

“Huh?”

A little while later, Arwen opened her eyes. She had clearly felt the change in her body.

“My motion sickness is gone. This dicine is incredibly effective, isn’t it?”

“I’ll send you the bill for it later, so keep that in mind. According to a highly reliable information broker, you seem to have saved up quite a fair amount of money.”

“Ah......”

Arwen put on an awkward expression. She really was fun to tease. At so point, however, Young Lady Sapiela had begun watching the two of us.

“Would you like one of the pills as well, Young Lady?”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you certain you are not uncomfortable? The road is poor, and I am concerned. We could stop and rest for a while if necessary.”

The Young Lady turned her gaze away. That was her own particular habit of aning that she was fine. If there were such a thing as a certificate, I would rank myself at about Level 2 in Sapiela-ese.

“If we do not stop to rest, it seems we should still have ample ti to reach the next village.”

I took out my notebook and checked the schedule.

At best speed, it would take about a week to reach the Royal Capital. But since we were traveling by carriage, and could not push the pace too hard, it was better to assu that it would take more than twice that ti.

And since I could not very well let the Young Lady sleep by the roadside, I had to plan our route carefully.

As a rule, once the sun went down we would need to stop at a village. Even if it ant taking a detour, even if it delayed us, the Young Lady had to rest sowhere warm and soft.

No matter how capable I was, that did not an I knew the geography all the way to the Royal Capital by heart. Nor was I carrying a mobile phone with GPS installed. So when it ca to planning our route, I relied on Arthas’s help.

I had also received help from Senior Stewart, whom I had t through the library. Since he possessed excellent learning, he also had a great deal of travel experience, and he told many useful things.

Today’s schedule itself was simple. We only needed to arrive at the village by evening, spend the night there, and depart early the next morning.

Since we were pressing on without rest, we might even arrive in the afternoon instead of after sunset.

“We should arrive at Hamilton Village before long. Tonight, you will spend the night there, and then we will depart again first thing in the morning.”

The Young Lady closed her eyes without answering. It ant, Do as you see fit.

I drew back the curtain and opened the window. Arthas, whose eyes happened to et mine, gave a thumbs-up to show that all was well. I nodded and shut the window again.

At that mont, cool shade swept across the carriage.

The air grew fresh.

When I looked around, I saw that tall trees had risen up all around us, casting deep shadows. Before I knew it, the carriage was already passing through the forest.