Within My Fence
After hearing Jester's report, I rushed to the door of the maid chief's room. The voices of the two women inside grew louder and more heated, so I ordered Jester to open it. And the scene that met my eyes—
Th-th-that crazy bitch!!
The maid chief was aiming a knife at Cecilia while Cecilia raised her staff. I swiftly nocked an arrow, aimed at the maid chief's arm, and drove it clean through.
"Kyaaaah!!!"
Her scream rang out as the knife clattered to the floor. I drew a deep breath and stepped inside.
"Explain what the hell is going on here."
I began interrogating the maid chief about aiming a blade at our nuclear-bomb switch.
"Grand Duke."
"Step back. My lady, you're safe now."
"..."
Please put the staff down and relax, my lady. Grabbing that thing when your emotions are running high never ends well for you!
"...Kh."
"Luche."
"Yes, Grand Duke."
Thud!!!
"Guaaah!"
"You stand before the Grand Duke. Show proper respect."
"I-I'm innocent... I came all the way to the North only to serve House Walterheim..."
"The eldest brother you served is dead. So who was the next person you swore loyalty to?"
"..."
"The second brother? The North? No. The premise itself was wrong from the start."
Creak.
The moment Leni saw the communication magic tool in Jester's hand, her face drained of color.
"...It's connected to the imperial capital."
"Tch."
"Ah... ah."
"Luche, take her to the dungeon. Tell her there will be no mercy until she spills everything."
"Yes!"
Watching Luche drag the maid chief away, I thought of my two brothers who had died in duels.
Even when they bring people north, they bring trash like this...
I pressed a hand to my throbbing temple and approached Cecilia, who had resolved the incident.
"Are you hurt anywhere, my lady?"
"No."
"...From now on, if anything like this happens, inform me first. Do not act on your own."
"Someone of the maid chief's level, I could have subdued easily with my magic..."
"Have you ever subdued someone who truly intended to kill you—not in training?"
"..."
Of course not. A young lady raised in luxury by a duke's house and walking the elite path at the Academy would never have faced genuine murderous intent.
It's right up there with 'the Grand Duke of the North is living a peaceful life' for sheer absurdity.
When her violet eyes flickered slightly, the warning bell in my head started screaming.
Damn it! My mouth is a disaster. This is the moment I should be soothing her, not making it worse!!
The young woman in front of me was no ordinary lady. One wrong button and she exploded like a nuclear bomb.
"I know you have no one in the North you can trust."
"That's not true. I—"
"But I hope you will trust me."
"Pardon?"
"Even if it began as a contract, we are engaged. And as long as you remain within my fence here in the North, I will protect you. Without fail."
"..."
"Ran."
"Yes, Grand Duke!"
"Escort the lady."
"Yes, sir!"
As Cecilia walked away, her eyes seemed to shine differently than before. Was that only my imagination?
"Haa... Let's get back to work."
Overtime was guaranteed tonight. I should stop by the kitchen and brew some of my special caffeine drink.
"What's with this silence?"
"Isn't it a good thing?"
"Still, it's far too quiet!"
Not long ago we had caught an imperial plant hiding in the estate. Yet the manor remained unnaturally peaceful.
"I handled it thoroughly."
"...As expected of you."
The seasoned skill of a butler who had served the family for three generations. I found myself admiring him despite myself.
"So, what information did you extract from Leni?"
"Intelligence on the imperial faction she was connected to."
"...Huh. The Second Princess's maternal relatives."
So it wasn't just the First Crown Prince after all. The imperial family was desperate to stick a spoon into northern affairs somehow.
Father must have left things in absolute chaos after he died.
"Tch."
I clicked my tongue and set the report down.
"We haven't sent a formal protest about this incident yet, correct?"
"No, sir. As you planned, we have scattered the bait. At the very least, the northern nobles tied to the Second Princess should react."
"Lady Cecilia's contribution was significant."
Honestly, I had half-expected her witch powers to awaken so she could read minds or use black magic. Instead she had caught the spy through pure deduction and psychology.
Damn... or maybe she has already awakened some of that power? Hard to say.
"Yes. I never imagined she would move so boldly. Her gentle appearance hides a remarkably strong will."
And Crown Prince Baron was the one who broke that strong heart. What the hell were you thinking?
"Have you considered a reward for her?"
"...A reward."
"Why not simply ask her yourself?"
When Jester ushered Cecilia into the study, Victor's gaze lifted from the documents he had been demolishing one by one.
"I wish to express my gratitude for what you did, my lady."
He set down his quill and rested his chin on both hands. Cecilia bowed her head.
"It is nothing. I am simply glad that what I did was of help to the North and to you, Grand Duke."
To Cecilia, this had been proof. Proof that the naive young lady who left her homeland for the North was more than a mere ornament. Proof that she had value enough to remain inside the Grand Duke's fence.
But the Grand Duke said I was already inside his fence. Why?
She had seen countless people without value get torn apart and cast out of the capital and the imperial court. Family, friends—on that thin ice you sometimes had to cut them away and carve them out just to survive.
So why do you worry over someone who is nothing more than a contract partner, Grand Duke?
The ripples Victor had stirred were more than enough to shake the still lake of Cecilia's heart.
"...My lady?"
"Ah, yes."
"If you are unwell, we can discuss this another day—"
"No. Forgive me; I was lost in thought for a moment."
No. Cecilia steadied herself. This was not the place to ask such questions. She had to prove her value once more to the Grand Duke and the people of the North. Only then would she not be discarded. She did not want to be hurt. She did not want to be abandoned.
"I would like permission to review the documents concerning northern iron ore."
"...Access rights?"
Victor's brow twitched slightly at the unexpected request.
"In addition to the iron ore already circulating in the North, I wish to examine the distribution of the ore we have promised, so that no problems arise. I want to help make Your Grace's walls even stronger."
She was declaring that she would become a sword herself in order to protect the fortress that protected her and her family. Victor stared at her blankly for a moment, then cleared his throat several times and looked away.
"A modest request. Jester."
"Yes, Grand Duke."
"Send the documents she requested to the lady's quarters."
"Understood."
In Cecilia's eyes, as she looked at Victor who had granted her wish, lay a deep and growing trust.
"I am grateful for this generous reward. I will do my utmost to be of service to you."
Back in her room, Cecilia's gaze fell on the stack of papers Jester had left. Ran, who had glanced at them first, looked dizzy from the dense wall of text.
"Ugh... Lady Cecilia, will looking at these actually get us anywhere?"
"Yes. It will."
This was iron ore. For the North, forever short on weapons and armor, it was a resource that might matter even more than food.
...If those connected to the imperial family did anything after the previous Grand Duke of the North passed away, there will surely be traces.
Cecilia picked up a quill, looked at Ran, and smiled.
"In that case, Ran, this will be a long battle. Please bring some tea."
"Yes, Lady Cecilia!"
When Jester returned after delivering the documents to Cecilia, his face was full of smiles.
"Grand Duke."
"What is it?"
"I find myself increasingly hoping that things go well between you and the lady."
"You like her that much?"
"Hahaha. She sees the things you overlook. How could my heart not feel lighter?"
"I see them too if I—"
Jester's gaze turned sharp.
"..."
"No... I only turned out like this because I spent too long in a southern house that was practically a wilderness..."
"Grand Duke, even as a branch family, saying such things is a bit..."
He had a point. There had been time to study if I had wanted to. Still.
Studying in my second life was just too much of a pain!
Even sitting here reviewing documents, I was barely holding on by scraping together memories from my previous life. I would never claim to be perfect. You have to actually do these things first.
"I was the third son who was farthest from any succession training to begin with."
"Haha. You can learn gradually."
"You know that's the scariest thing anyone can say."
"...Or you could truly—"
"Stop."
I was desperately hoping the relationships between the imperial family, the North, and the Roeyental Duke Family would settle soon so that the bomb inside our little bomb lady would defuse and she could go home.
Her face is definitely pretty, and she has that wise-wife vibe. Well, she must still have lingering feelings for the Crown Prince.
I only hoped those feelings would fade so she could find new love, spread her wings, and be happy.
"Aigoo, this is no time for other thoughts."
The most urgent problem right now: land for the orc coalition I had brought with me.
"Food supply is being handled through monster hunting, just as you planned, Grand Duke."
"That's a relief."
"Thanks to that, the monsters in the northern mountains are nearly wiped out and the residents are pleased. However—"
"However?"
"At this rate the northern monsters will be extinct within a year. You need to plan for what comes after."
Plan... plan, huh. Do I even need to think that hard? I have knowledge of the original novel. In the novel the people around the protagonist had pressured him about exactly this situation, and he had said—
"Jester."
"Yes."
"Let's try raising monsters."
"...Pardon?"
On the broad northern grasslands, the orcs were beginning to settle. Filgote, leader of the orc coalition, watched them for a moment before bowing his head toward me.
"Great Chieftain. Is it truly all right for us to stay on such fine land?"
"Ah, don't worry about it."
There had been one fellow with complaints, but he had recently been tangled up with the Second Princess and had met the executioner's blade. I gave his fief to a knight who had been grinding himself down on the wall. Of course I had told him about the orcs in advance. When I offered him another territory if he had objections, he had answered—
Profound intentions... I had no idea what deep meaning he had assigned to my words, but as long as they got along, that was enough.
"But Great Chieftain."
"Hmm? Who's that woman?"
"Ugh... why am I even here..."
"Ah, her?"
I grinned and slung an arm around the woman's shoulders.
"The mage who will create food for the orcs."