Chapter 9

No, wait... Did you just tell me this silk is common here? Huh?

"Miss, I apologize for the inconvenience, but... What do you mean it's very common? It's a very expensive and rare luxury material..."

“Luxury material?” Arisella tilted her head, looking at Leonora in confusion as she said with obvious bewilderment in her voice, “Like luxury material? That doesn’t make sense. After all, the Tetran spider that produces it is the most common arachnid in both Argus Forest and Taylan, and we sell it in large quantities through the Silver Lion Caravan.”

Is it produced by a spider...? 

Leonora, who like others believed that Tetran silk was the product of some unknown silkworm, was so shocked to hear that it was the product of a spider that she ignored everything else as her face froze.

Really? I hate spiders, they're disgusting... No, no, that's not important... Is this unknown village supposed to be the source of that special silk that terrifying group of traveling merchants was selling? Huh? Is old age getting to me and I'm hallucinating? Is it lying to me... or is it telling me the truth and is there a big secret here?

"I think you might have mistaken it for something else because of its white color... The truth is that this type of silk is almost invisible and can easily go unnoticed, which is what the Tetran spider uses to trap its unsuspecting prey in its webs."

No, you're the one who didn't know that this silk wasn't common enough for a small population to use it to make pretty dresses!

Leonora responded in her heart as Arisella continued her explanation.

"To give it its color, we use special dyes obtained through alchemy, using many herbs originally used in medicine as materials. These dyes not only give Tetran silk different colors, but also greatly improve its durability, which other silks cannot compare to."

"Does that really exist!?"

"Fufufu, it was my dear friend and the only alchemist in this village who discovered this on her own," Arisella said proudly. "She's a genius who has greatly contributed to the prosperity of this village by creating a wide variety of potions that easily cure plagues and improve the regeneration of serious injuries like amputations."

"..."

It was obvious that the young baroness held this alchemist in high regard beyond just being her friend. And rightly so, if she's telling the truth, then many of the old foxes in the Alchemy Tower wanted to take that talent as a disciple, especially since she was of a similar age to Arisella Bluen.

No, first a silk worthy only of emperors and high nobles, now a genius alchemist who would drive the Masters of one of the Empire's strongest magical organizations crazy. What the hell is going on here?!

—Hahaha, don't forget yourself, Arisella. Aren't you the one who saved this village from its impending doom without any prophetic powers? —A sudden voice echoed in the parlor, drawing the two women's attention to its source: the main door.

There stood a tall, muscular man. He had lightly tanned skin, a strong jaw, a rather large nose, and black hair. He stood out particularly for his bushy hair and thick eyebrows.

If Arisella had her memories as Amael at that time, she would have compared him to the character 'Might Guy' from the anime Naruto, only without the bowl-cut hair and ninja clothes.

That man stood with his arms crossed in front of the door, an amused smile on his manly face as he looked at the two ladies. He wore a jacket made of wolf-like magical beast fur over his large body, leaving his chest exposed; showing off his incredible pectoral and abdominal muscles, and his pants were made of shiny black leather, looking quite expensive.

He was certainly another unusually wealthy individual for a little-known city, and also the one who brought Leonora here in the first place.

"Sometimes I find it quite disconcerting how humble you are about these things, and yet you still shamelessly flaunt your beauty, lass."

“What do you say, Uncle Ershas? Of course there’s no reason to hide my love for my beauty, since it’s what I’m most proud of…” Arisella snorted at the man, while saying with an arrogant smile that somewhat ruined the noble atmosphere she was giving off while reprimanding him. “Besides, can’t you see that I’m talking to someone who came to apply for a job? It’s rude enough to butt into other people’s conversations, let alone something like this, you know?… I’m sorry, Leonora. My Uncle Ershas is rude like that, so just pay him no mind and ignore his existence.”

—Come on, don't be like that. Just now you were bragging about Lucelle without any problem, why don't you say something nice to your future housekeeper about how you were able to make that fat and ugly village chief so rich and fat now?

"Uncle Ershas!" Arisella exclaimed, annoyed by his insistence on interfering. But Leonora couldn't pay attention to him. That was because she... She was going crazy inside.

The crazy bastard who kidnapped me here is the leader of the Silver Lion Caravan?! What's going on in this place?!

The Silver Lions Caravan.

An infamous group of traveling merchants who traveled across the empire selling a wide variety of impressive goods for just six years. They are particularly known not only for their wares, but also because any force that attempted to steal from them was destroyed by a single formidable warrior.

Ershas 'The Iron Fist'; a powerful martial artist and leader of those traveling merchants whose origins are unknown to all.

What is someone like him doing, not only trying to force me to serve a baroness who looks like my lady, but also speaking to her in such a friendly manner as if she were the next-door neighbor?

Does she have anything to do with my lady? Are they related? Is Arisella Bluen... really Miss Grisella's daughter?

Did my lady truly leave a legacy in this world? A legacy that will endure even after her death? If so... What is she doing here? Did she hide her from the rest of the world to prevent her from suffering the same fate of living with someone she doesn't love? That's... just like her...

Leonora's eyes filled with tears at the mere thought.

She quickly wiped them away to hide them as she silently pondered something, watching Arisella stop Ershas from bragging about her with a humble denial of her accomplishments.

"I didn't do anything extraordinary, Uncle Ershas. Anyone with a shred of intelligence could come up with such an obvious idea if they didn't get carried away by panic and despair. I simply guided them down the right path by taking advantage of my sudden status as a prophetess; otherwise, they would have ignored me."

"And now everyone loves you and swears loyalty to you because of that 'obvious idea.'"

"It can't be because of that. The only reason you love me is because I'm a prophetess... and I've told you time and time again that I don't need your loyalty."

Listening to this conversation, Leonora realized that the young woman before her must have accomplished something extraordinary; something big enough for a man as enigmatic as Ershas to have some kind of plan for her.

As expected of my lady's lineage, Leonora was already convinced that Arisella was of noble origin... still, could it be that this man is taking advantage of her? The fact that she didn't know that Tetran silk is a ridiculously expensive item that would bankrupt even an Earl could mean that this fellow was selling off a small amount of the Tetran silk his people produced while keeping a large amount for himself.

But that thought had a problem: Leonora remembered what the entire mansion looked like. At first glance, anyone could see that its construction required a large amount of money, not only to buy the materials, but also to pay the professionals who worked on it.

That would require a lot of money, specifically gold, which was the currency most commonly used by the high nobility to purchase the most extravagant luxuries. If he really deceived her, Arisella wouldn't have had the money to build such a beautiful mansion, even if its scale wasn't comparable to others.

Furthermore, due to the news of a village controlling vast green lands, with too much Tetran silk on their hands and an alchemist capable of making potions so ridiculous they could cure amputations—aside from how absurd it all sounded—as well as the disappearance of a large group of professionals specialized in construction and crafts, Leonora could only conclude that they were using a magical scroll with extremely strict conditions to silence them.

All of this requires absurd amounts of money! It was clear this guy was helping him live in luxury, rather than robbing him.

Could it be that this man… knows that Miss Arisella is my Lady’s daughter, and that’s why he seemed so convinced I’d accept the job? Could it be that… he’s someone my Lady ordered to protect and care for Arisella while she lived among the commoners, away from her despicable father and grandparents who only know how to use others as political tools?

Could that be it?

Just as a rather entertaining origin drama was unfolding in Leonora's mind, her thoughts were interrupted once again, this time by Ershas.

-Okay, how's Leonora Jurein? Do you want to be this girl's housekeeper?

—Uncle? I'm the one who should be asking that, can't you...?

"Yes I want"

"Yes?" Arisella blinked in confusion, to which Leonora nodded as she answered. "Yes, I want to be your housekeeper, my lady."

Between the confused Arisella who looked at her silently without understanding and Ershas's happy and satisfied expression, Leonora remained firm in her decision.

From now on I will serve my lady's daughter.

This is how Leonora Jurein became Arisella Bluen's housekeeper for something that wasn't even confirmed. Even so, she herself didn't believe there was any confirmation beyond her appearance and the mystery surrounding her. Besides...

In reality, she gave herself little credit for what she had achieved, nor did Lady Grisella . Leonora smiled, touched.

After starting work at Bluen Manor, Leonora heard a lot about Arisella's achievements that not only revitalized the village of Taylan, which just 6 years ago was at risk of being abandoned, but also how her ideas transformed it into a village of great abundance never seen before.

From supporting village leaders in selling certain "special products" in exchange for money and necessary food, to using that money to export livestock and seeds from the east and south to take advantage of Taylan's unique environment and turn it into a true agricultural center compared to others in the north.

It was all thanks to his ideas.

And none of this had anything to do with prophetic powers, as Ershas claimed. In fact, Arisella apparently accomplished all of this using not those glorified powers of prediction, but her own status as the city's sole prophetess, so that her opinions wouldn't be ignored.

She was a wonderful woman, a bit narcissistic in appearance, but humble and virtuous. She was exactly his ideal of nobility, as well as someone he had to protect at all costs.

So when in the middle of her work she was notified by a guard about Arisella's hasty arrival at the mansion, Leonora felt that something bad might have happened and wanted to go quickly to confirm her mistress's safety, in addition to that as a lover, the housekeeper should properly receive her beloved upon arriving home, something she could not do because her lover did not come in her personal carriage but in a common one, so she could not know in advance.

But he had to stop to greet a sudden guest he couldn't ignore, no matter how much he wanted to at the moment.

Alica, a cleric of Aphrodite, was one of the women who raised Arisella to become who she is today. This was surprising, as Arisella was quite reserved about sexuality, even when those clerics taught about freedom of sexual expression and its importance for health and spirituality.

Anyway, when Leonora saw his expression, she knew something really bad must have happened.

♦♦♦♦

Suppressing her turbulent emotions at the mere thought of something happening to Arisella, Leonora immediately descended from the second floor and silently made her way to the mansion's great hall to meet with Alica.

There, she was greeted by a world of grandeur and splendor reminiscent of a beautiful marble-clad castle with walls paneled in various shades of blue and white. A sight that left her quite stunned when she first arrived.

Several chandeliers hung equidistant from the high ceiling, emitting a soft, warm glow. The glossy floor of the wide, semicircular hallway reflected the light from the chandeliers above, shining brightly like a mosaic of twinkling stars.

If the hallway doors were opened, the luxurious furnishings inside the rooms would easily attract the attention of many guests.

If nobles who had never heard the name Taylan came here, they would have been astonished by the fact that such beautiful things could exist in a place like this, a place that should only be a small village.

After all, how many nearby towns can you find a mansion with such a beautiful living room? At least in the north, something like this was unthinkable.

Leonora, already accustomed to the beautiful sight, approached Alica, who was visibly anxious. Just by her gaze, it was clear that she was quite worried about something, and she almost looked like she was about to cry. Leonora immediately sensed that something was wrong with Arisella and worried about her, although she didn't show it outwardly.

He would have to find out what had happened first before getting carried away by speculation.

“Good afternoon, Lady Alica. Are you here today looking for Lady Arisella?”

Leonora asked that question because, sometimes, Alica came to the mansion just to chat with the various Nox friends she'd made among the maids. Of course, it was obvious that wasn't the case this time, given her body language.

—Yes, I'm here to see him. Could you please ask him to come here? I just want to make sure of something...

“What happened? As I thought, did that guy do something weird?” Leonora narrowed her eyes dangerously at the mention of “that guy.”

“Oh, it’s nothing like that! What you’re imagining didn’t happen, nor is what I was told confirmed, so I don’t want to cause unnecessary trouble until I see it with my own eyes… just… tell him to come. Okay?” Alica seemed to plead a little as she looked at her urgently, and Leonora sighed, reluctantly agreeing to her requests as she climbed the double staircase to the second floor.

I really wanted more information, but I couldn't shamelessly pressure Alica for more details. I needed to treat with care everyone who lovingly raised Arisella or had a positive impact on her life.

Including that foolish hunter, Leonora rolled her eyes at the thought of her young man's lover. I'm sure it's his fault.

Leonora despised John Asher.

He didn't like at all that such a noble and intelligent woman as Arisella was dating this humble hunter who had nothing but his pretty face and lacked real value in everything else, unlike his talented younger sister.

No... he had to admit the boy did have some courage; hunting animals weaker than him, of course.

Putting those thoughts aside, Leonora walked toward Arisella's room. Her footsteps echoed down the hallway toward her destination, followed by the soft sound of her keys clicking together.

After pacing the corners of the great hall several times, Leonora saw the large wooden double door of her mistress's room, and approached it, knocking twice.

He waited quietly for a few seconds, then heard Arisella's melodious voice giving him permission, and he went in. He was surprised to see Arisella lying on the bed in broad daylight while playing with her stuffed animal's little hand, but she looked healthy, so he assumed she was just tired.

"What's wrong, Leonora? Did something important happen at the mansion that requires my attention?" Arisella raised her head and looked at her, asking curiously.

The way she sat on the bed, both hands in her lap as she looked at Leonora with calm eyes and a smile, she seemed the perfect image of a noblewoman… if you ignored the army of stuffed animals behind her, of course.

Approaching the bed, Leonora curtsied as she shook her head. “Nothing important happened that you should worry about, my lady. I came to inform you that Lady Alica came to visit. She seemed quite worried and anxious, insisting that I come see her quickly.”

"My aunt?" Arisella's composure had visibly broken for a few moments upon hearing this, but it quickly recovered. Arisella sighed a little as she answered Leonora. "Tell her to come to my room. I have something private to talk to her about anyway... wait, it would be best if you guided her here, so she doesn't get lost again." Arisella almost laughed, possibly remembering how Alica got lost in the mansion's corridors earlier as she said that.

"As ordered." Leonora bowed again and left the room. She immediately returned to the parlor and told Alica that Arisella couldn't come, but that she would guide her to her room as ordered.

Although Alica seemed visibly more anxious about this, she obediently followed Leonora to Arisella's room, where upon entering they found her sitting on the terrace with cups of tea waiting to be drunk.

She knew she shouldn't stay there, so Leonora bowed and left the room. However, she stayed near the door, waiting for Alica to leave so she could guide her out.

After a while, Alica came out.

She still looked worried, but she seemed less anxious. Leonora helped her quickly leave the mansion and immediately went back inside, intending to apologize to Arisella for not coming out to greet her when she arrived, even though she knew it wasn't her fault.

However, before she could set foot on the second floor, she received a call from Arisella through the magic bell. Without hesitation, Leonora used the few spells she knew how to use to strengthen her aging body and ran to Arisella's room.

Serving Lady Arisella was more important than anything else.