Human Relationships Are So Difficult
He is truly an impossible man to read.
That single sentence was the entirety of Elaine's assessment of Reus. Honestly, the only thought running through her head was, Is he really a lord?
As an inspector, she had traveled far and wide across the Count's domain—not just here—and deep down, she was disappointed.
I had such hopes after seeing how every single untitled lord in the Count's territory was a complete mediocrity, thinking this place might be different… but I simply can't figure him out.
Crow's Head Valley. Tucked away in a corner of the domain, one of countless minor estates scattered across the Count's lands.
It produced no notable specialty goods, nor had it ever raised up any remarkable talent. Even the previous lord had been nothing more than a money-grubber.
When she'd heard that a teenage boy had somehow become its lord, her only reaction had been something along the lines of, Well, the seat will be empty again before long~
The Count had more third-rate disposable pawns rotting away under him than he knew what to do with, so she hadn't bothered to expect anything from this assignment.
And then compost turned everything on its head. That was also the first time she'd ever heard the name Reus.
An innovation that made successive harvests possible without restoring the soil's vitality—a truly revolutionary thing, worthy of the word without exaggeration.
According to the merchants who handled its distribution, none of it would have been possible without Reus. That he had taught them hope, they said… The stream of lavish praise seemed endless.
So Elaine had taken a genuine interest. She wanted to see what this Reus would build on such a foundation, and what path he would carve out for himself.
But as time passed, he showed not the slightest movement. And the man Elaine saw with her own eyes now was…
Not a trace of ambition or vision. Just a man ground down day after day by the business of running his estate. And yet he doesn't slack off and fob the work onto others while he plays—he gives it his all himself, too.
It made no sense to her. On a purely personal level, he was better than Karaton, but beyond that, nothing about him stood out.
She'd assumed he would harbor at least some ambition to establish a new order, like Jorden did, but that wasn't it either.
He helps create something that remarkable, yet he takes no money and seeks no glory. What is his goal? Is it an act—playing the fool to slip under everyone's radar? No, if that were the case, he never would have let his own name spread across the land in the first place.
She had introduced herself as a guest and been observing Reus up close, but it was useless. Whatever she did, his behavior never changed.
"My lord, have you given any thought to recruiting that baker I mentioned the other day?"
"I did think about it, but I'm not sure we need to hire one right now."
"The mere establishment of a bakery would raise the quality of our meals considerably. The people would be pleased as well."
"Wouldn't it be wiser to save the money and build a low wall around the estate instead? Word is that bandits have been eyeing us again."
"Fair point. Let me gather the soldiers' input and we'll discuss it further."
Discussing the month's estate management with his aide.
"Our estimate leaves us roughly this much surplus this month."
"Then could we… allocate it here?"
"It'll depend on the distributors, but shall I look for the cheapest option?"
"No—pay a bit more if you have to, but find someone whose skill is proven."
"Understood. I'll put my connections to use."
Talking through the budget with his treasurer.
"How's the fort coming along these days?"
"Ahh, it's liveable, it is. I just hope the rest of my life stays this comfortable."
"When people say that, shouldn't they usually be thinking the rest of their life will be even better than this?"
"…Well, you're not wrong there."
Going down to the village and chatting with the folk without any formality.
So went the ordinary rhythm of his days. If that were all there was, Elaine would have lost interest in no time at all…
"Laura, are the official documents all wrapped up?"
"Finished by midmorning, and I've completed the second review as well."
"That's Laura for you."
"D-don't think for a second that flattery like that will make me happy!"
Laura, his aide, a woman of prodigious talent for paperwork.
"Hm? The wall repairs went over budget by this much?"
"Yes. The merchant sold us cut-rate stone at premium prices. It never should have cost this much."
"Unbelievable… we trusted him for years, and this is how he stabs us in the back."
"Regular customers are always the easiest ones to betray, my lord. I'll go give this scoundrel a taste of my temper."
Luena, his treasurer, who managed every coin and ledger without the slightest crack for anything to slip through.
"My lord, the soldiers' morning training regimen is complete."
"Good work. Nothing special on the schedule today, so let the men rest a while this afternoon and then return to their posts."
"As you command."
Ludlow, the one-eared knight, who even at a sidelong glance radiated a razor-sharp aura from every inch of his body.
The fact that such capable people—none of whom would want for recognition anywhere in the world—kept gathering around Reus kept stoking Elaine's curiosity like fresh kindling on a fire.
Were it not for Reus, she would have recommended all three directly to Count Jorden. Judged by the discerning eye she'd honed through her years as an inspector, they were lacking in nothing.
Meanwhile, the man leading them fell short in every conceivable way.
His administrative skill couldn't hold a candle to Laura's.
He seemed to possess no financial acumen whatsoever, leaving all of it to Luena.
And in martial prowess or military discipline, comparing him to Ludlow would be an insult to the knight.
And yet, somehow, not one of them harbored the slightest resentment about serving under Reus. On the contrary, they poured everything they had into showcasing their abilities.
Observe this Reus with your own eyes, determine what manner of man he is, and report back to me. I trust your judgment, Elaine.
— Count Jorden
I cannot tell you, my Count, what manner of man Reus is, no matter how I look…!
Following the Count's orders, Elaine had shadowed Reus relentlessly, watching him from arm's length—and the fact that she had nothing to show for it left her utterly frustrated with herself.
His conduct was unlike any lord or power-holder she had ever observed, making him a fascinating subject of study in every respect.
"She's getting on my nerves."
"What do you mean, my lord?"
"Inspector Elaine."
I was tending to my usual paperwork when I seized the moment of Elaine's brief absence to talk with Laura.
Why does she keep watching people like that?
She'd claimed she was staying as a guest, so I'd thought perhaps she meant to help—but she offers no help at all, just trails behind me constantly, keeping tabs on everything I do.
She watches when I do paperwork, tags along on inspections to watch, and when I step out of the keep, she invents some errand of her own in the same direction and follows me to watch some more.
At first I figured that was just how inspectors operated, but after several days of it, the mental strain was getting to me.
It would be one thing if she only did it while I worked—but she keeps prowling around even after the day's duties end, so out of fear of being caught, I can't even use magic.
I'd assumed she'd leave me alone while I slept, at least… and then I nearly had a heart attack when I caught her loitering in the corridor outside my bedchamber.
I wanted to demand why she kept following me, but surveillance and observation were literally her job as an inspector, so I had no leg to stand on.
Thanks to her, I hadn't even been able to go on my planned night walks. I kept worrying that if I slipped away for even a moment, Elaine might come looking for me.
"In what sense is she getting on your nerves, my lord?"
"Oh, just… in every sense?"
What exactly she was watching me for nagged at me. How she was reporting me to the Count nagged at me. Why she was so relentlessly dogging my every step nagged at me.
From head to toe, she kept making a man anxious… wait. Could that be the point? Keep me on edge, bait me into making a mistake?
THWACK!! At that very instant, Laura slammed the sheaf of documents she'd gathered down against the desk on its side, squaring them with a resounding crack.
"Laura?"
"If she troubles you so, why not have a nice, cozy little chat with the inspector—just the two of you? Somewhere nice and quiet, like the lake."
"Hmm… you know, maybe I will? I do have a bit of free time."
Not a bad suggestion, actually. If I made sure no one else was around and asked her to lay our cards on the table, maybe I could finally figure out what Elaine's deal was—
SMACK!! As if determined to cut my thoughts short, Laura brought the documents down on the desk a second time.
"You startled me. What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"What do you mean, nothing?"
Her expression had soured, and Laura kept rapping the desk with her papers, over and over. It was like watching a rabbit thump its foot.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
"Yes. My chest hurts a little."
"Your chest? After last time, I don't want to take any chances—if something hurts, go rest right now."
"That's not what this is."
Answering in an uncharacteristically gloomy tone, lips jutting out in a pout—something about Laura was off. What was going on?
Oh, wait. Could it be…? Is she upset because I've been fretting over Elaine and pushing my work to the back burner?
"Laura."
"What."
"Don't give me 'what.' Anyway, I think I understand why you're like this, so you don't need to worry so much."
"Huh? R-right, of course? You're saying you understand something? Yes?"
The gloom vanishing in an instant, Laura stared at me with eyes as wide as a startled rabbit's.
"Worrying about Elaine is only temporary. Once she goes home, everything will go back to normal."
"Wh-what, wha—what on earth are you saying?"
"I mean, uh… I'm sorry for constantly giving you something to fret over."
My clumsy tongue tripped me up again. I'd wanted to tell her not to worry too much, but somehow it had come out all wrong.
"Let me sum it up in one line, then! I'm sorry for making you stress over me all the time! But let me say this for certain—there is nothing for you to worry about! So… it's fine! I will never, ever forget what matters most to me!"
With my hand resting atop hers, I put real force into my voice to make sure the message landed. Surely that came through clear enough to leave no room for misunderstanding? I looked up at Laura—
"Laura?"
Laura was slumped half over the desk, her face buried behind her documents, shoulders hunched. Even at a glance, her ears were blazing red.
"Laura, do you feel worse now? What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"
"N-nothing at all."
"I don't think it's nothing."
"I said it's nothing! Please, just go! Quickly!"
She'd raised her voice so abruptly that my earlier words must have missed the mark by a wide margin. I really needed to take lessons in persuasion one of these days.
"All right, fine. I'll be back before the day's out, so don't worry too much and head home when you're done. Got it?"
I left the office, leaving behind a slightly cross-looking Laura. How was it that even after all this time, dealing with that girl never got any easier?
After Reus left the office, Laura—who had swept her papers aside—fanned her blazing face with rapid flicks of her hand.
"I can't live like this, honestly…"
Sorry for making you worry, and I'll never forget what matters most… Who says things like that while holding another person's hand?
Part of her wondered if he could charm every woman in the world if he did this sort of thing on purpose—then she remembered that Reus simply wasn't that calculating, and her heart settled.
A faint warmth still lingered where their hands had overlapped moments before. As she lightly rubbed the spot with her fingers, she returned to her paperwork.
Because the only person who could lighten even a sliver of the burden that fool had chosen to carry was her, the one always at his side.
Luena, who had watched the entire scene from a short distance away, shook her head. Watching them up close was… exhausting. What a hopeless pair.
One of them so obviously in love and utterly unable to say so, while the other, without the faintest awareness, kept blundering headlong into that heart of hers.
Those two will work it out eventually. Muttering this to herself, Luena bent back over her ledgers and her budget expansions.
"Inspector Elaine."
"Oh, my lord. What brings you here?"
"I was hoping we might have a little chat, just the two of us."
"Certainly. Where shall we do it?"
"How about the lake? I'd also like to hear your expert opinion on the case we haven't solved yet."
"Well… that doesn't sound bad at all. Lead the way."
I found Elaine in the corridor and raised the matter at once. She considered it for a moment, then readily accepted.