Chapter 125
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Hometown
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The Riht Station, reached by carriage after about seven hours from the empire's capital, Luddrow.
As I'd investigated, Riht was one of the empire's premier granary regions.
Wendy's hometown village lay in this place where most residents made their living from agriculture.
Though I didn't show it at all upon stepping down from the carriage, the sight that unfolded before me was a bit of a shock.
Because this placethis staggeringly impoverished landwas none other than territory of the Ruelverta family.
"Even among Your Lordship's territories, there's a place this underdeveloped..."
Helga voiced the sentiment in my stead.
I could only agree wholeheartedly.
This was the hometown of Peter Wingfieldthe original story's protagonist and Wendy's older brother.
I'd imagined Riht, as depicted in Peter's flashbacks, as an ordinary countryside village, but seeing it in person, it was rundown beyond belief.
"Um... Your Lordship."
Looking down, I saw Wendy fidgeting hesitantly.
"B-But why to our hometown...?"
The reason for coming here on the weekend was none other than to meet Wendy's family.
They were descendants of the hero's bloodline. There might even be someone among them comparable to a named character.
If so, I planned to polish those raw gems into jewels.
I had the power to do that now.
Of course, I couldn't say that outright, so I settled for a suitable excuse.
"...Riht is an important region for Aslan's supplies. I wanted to check it out myself with my own eyes when I had the time like this. And from what I know, Wendy, your family has lived here for a long time."
"Y-Yes..."
"Then you'd make a perfect guide. Take me to your family."
"T-To my f-family?"
"Yeah."
But Wendy was visibly hesitating.
"What's wrong?"
"N-No, it's just... it's so sudden. For Your Lordship to meet my family..."
"I just need someone who knows this place well. Or is there some reason you can't introduce me?"
"N-No, it's not that! Absolutely not!"
"Then lead the way."
"U-Uuu... All right..."
After hemming and hawing, Wendy finally gave up and took the lead.
I followed her while looking around.
It was the quintessential rural landscape.
Paddy fields and croplands stretched out on one side, with serfs harvesting grain here and there.
At a glance, it was a bumper crop this year.
The barley fields, dyed golden, seemed to shimmer.
Yet the faces of the serfs harvesting there were exceedingly grim.
I had a feeling I knew what those faces meant.
The expression worn only by those starved by abject poverty for far too long.
It was the face of despair.
Tearing my eyes from that dreary scene, I quietly opened my mouth.
"...Come to think of it."
"Y-Yes...?"
"I heard you send your salary to your family every month."
"Y-Yes! I steadily send letters and money. Thanks to Your Lordship, I can send so much more than beforeI'm so happy about it."
"Then that's a relief."
"Yes! Ehehe..."
Pleased, Wendy beamed a bright smile.
If my memory was right, Wendy was a dutiful daughter who kept only the bare minimum for living expenses from her salary and sent the rest to her family. Even at her young age, she was fulfilling her role as the eldest daughter.
Wendy, who had been grinning at thoughts of her family, suddenly spoke up as if struck by a thought.
"Ah... But I wonder if everyone's doing well these days..."
"Hm? What do you mean, you don't know?"
"W-Well... For the past while, they haven't replied, probably busy with farm work... Ah, it's harvest season, so they must be working all day..."
"Hmm...? Is that so?"
Hearing Wendy's words, Helga tilted her head as if sensing something off.
And I shared her doubts.
Ever since Wendy became my exclusive maid, her salary had risen to incomparable levels.
The money she sent should be enough for them to stop living as serfs. For there to be no replies due to farm work was suspicious.
We'd walked only a short way when we arrived at the village.
Truth be told, it was hardly worthy of being called a village. Just a cluster of houses crudely built from piles of stones. Nothing more, nothing less.
Even inside the village, no one crossed our path.
Perhaps because most had gone out for farm work.
The village was devoid of any signs of life.
"Hm...? Th-This is around where it was..."
Wendy, walking ahead, looked around with her head tilted.
It seemed her house wasn't in sight.
"S-Sorry, Your Lordship. It's been so long since I came..."
No matter. Take your time looking.
"Y-Yes! Ah, I'll go ask at that house."
The place Wendy pointed to was a shabby hovel made of straw bundles.
Lacking even stone piles, it looked like the poorest dwelling in the village.
"Cough, cough...!"
Was there a sick patient inside?
A dry coughing leaked from the hovel.
Wendy cleared her throat once and spoke.
"Is anyone home?"
Silence answered.
Even the faint coughing stopped.
Undeterred by the silence, Wendy asked again.
"N-No one's home...?"
"...Go away!"
A curt reply came.
But thanks to the severe lisp, it sounded almost cute.
"Y-Yes...?"
"Go! Stranger! Go away! Or I'll lock the door!"
The sound of a wooden plank door being latched rang out.
Even this ramshackle hut had some kind of lock, it seemed.
As Wendy stood unsure what to do, Helga stepped forward in her place.
"Come out for a moment."
Helga approached the door but did nothing special.
She simply pulled on it.
With that simple action alone, the door opened with pathetic ease.
Noit was yanked out, door and all.
"Eek...!?"
The one who tumbled forward with the torn door was a grubby little girl.
"Eh...?"
"Waaah..."
"W-Wait... Don't cry."
Helga tried to soothe the child on the verge of bursting into sudden tears.
But at that moment, Wendy spoke up.
"...Luri? Is that you, Luri?"
"Wah...?"
The girl slowly turned her head, and upon seeing Wendy's face, her mouth fell open wide.
"S-Sis...? Wendy Sis?!"
"Yeah! It's me!"
Wendy scooped up the fallen girl and hugged her tightly.
Judging by her reaction, she seemed to be Wendy's little sister.
It looked like we'd somehow found the right place.
Eyes welling with tears at seeing her sister after so long, Wendy unleashed a barrage of questions.
"Why are you living in a place like this? What happened to our house? The family?"
"Wah... They went to work. Daddy's sick and lying down..."
"Daddy?!"
"Cough... Who's there...?"
At that moment, the one who emerged from the hovel was a gaunt man.
Seeing his hair, faintly reddish like Wendy's locks, I knew instinctively.
He was Wendy's father.
Coughing incessantly, perhaps from some illness, Wendy's father spotted us.
And as expected, tears filled Wendy's eyes upon recognizing him.
"D-Daddy...!"
"Cough... Huh?"
Wendy threw herself into her father's arms.
"Good heavens...?! Y-You, you're Wendy? My real daughter Wendy?"
"Yes! It's me! Wendy!"
"Is this a dream? Or reality?"
Helga and I stepped back a pace, not wanting to interrupt the touching father-daughter reunion, and watched quietly.
"Wendy, I thought I'd never see you again...! Cough... I'm so glad you're alive... Truly, so glad...!"
"Daddy! Sniff..."
"My precious daughter...! When I heard you'd been sold to that infamous pig noble, I thought the world had ended...!"
Huh?
"D-Daddy?!"
"This father of yours is truly sorry. I never dreamed the place you went to belonged to a scumbag like that."
"N-No, it's not like that...! He's not that kind of person...!"
"You don't need to say anything. I know full well how much you must have suffered in the count's household. Who wouldn't? That trash of a man must have tormented you day and night. Even in this backwater village, the rumors are rampant about that man's villainy!"
"No, that's not true! It's all a misunderstanding! Daddy! Please! Don't say another word!"
By now, Wendy had gone pale and was trying to cover her father's mouth.
But her father spoke in a stern voice.
"What did I say wrong? With my days numbered, I'll speak my mind till the end."
"N-No! Wah...! Y-You'll really bring on your death if you keep that up!"
"Cough, cough! I fear nothing. I won't hand you back to a man like that! Never to such a vile noble...! Cough! No, but..."
Only then did her father notice me, and he asked in a wary tone.
"Who might that handsome gentleman over there be...? He doesn't fit in this countryside at all..."
"D-Daddy... Th-That person is..."
"I am Count Tristan Ruelverta."
!
..
I opened my mouth quietly.
With a smile befitting the worst of nobles, just as he'd described.
"The man who has your daughter."