Chapter 53 I'Ll Absolutely Protect You
Since they had a meeting at the tower from tomorrow morning, Alicia the Alchemist Girl and Amelia the Pharmacist Girl said "We'll hurry and prepare" and went back to the tower. The maids also needed to prepare from early tomorrow morning, so they left the room, leaving only a few behind.
When the silence returned to the meeting room, Sara turned to Robert.
"Uncle, I think it's no use hiding my true self from Grandfather anymore. If we let two guild representatives into the tower, it'll be exposed right away."
"Yeah."
"I think I need to make up my mind. To be honest, I wanted to hide it a bit longer, but..."
"It's no use, isn't it?"
"Yeah..."
As Sara looked down, Rebecca gently stroked her hair.
"It's okay, Ms. Sara. His Excellency the Marquis will never do anything bad. And Robert will be on our side, so don't worry. Of course, I will too."
"Yeah, I'm on Sara's side."
"Thank you."
'What's going on... I'm happy that Uncle is on my side, but somehow, I don't feel like I can rely on him?'
"We may be weak, but we're also on Miss Sara's side. We won't pretend not to know what's going on after receiving such a great favor."
James's words made not only the bureaucrats but also the maids in the office behind him nod in agreement.
'Ah, it seems like I can rely on them more.'
Sara was thinking something terrible, but she had the discretion not to show it on her face.
"Thank you, everyone."
"Let's talk to Grandfather at breakfast tomorrow. Since it'll be exposed anyway, it's better to say it beforehand."
"Yeah. Then let's tell him we want to have breakfast together tomorrow morning before we sleep."
Then Maria said "I'll go tell him" and left the study room.
"What about the remaining agenda? Was it decided that the maids in the office can come and go as they please?"
Then Benjamin stood up and faced Eliza.
"I'll apologize again to the maids in the office. I told His Excellency the Marquis that the bureaucrats were exhausted and kept collapsing, and that's why we borrowed their powers. And even after the bureaucrats returned, I begged him to bring them back since their support greatly contributed to the office's efficiency."
"What did His Excellency the Marquis say then?"
"He smiled. And then he said, 'That was unfair to the maids too,' and 'Please tell them to come back.'."
'Hmm, nice job, Mr. Ben. It's a bit of a shame that the office maids will be gone from the tower, but we can consider hiring new servants. Wait, has he been staring at Eliza since earlier? Ah?'
"For now, it's a relief that the maids can return to the office. We were worried about the harvest season, but now we can feel at ease."
Sara turned to look at the blackboard with today's agenda written on it.
"What's left is my merchant guild and the wheat harvest. Uncle, how long will it take to create my new identity?"
"I think it'll be done within this week."
"Then, once my new identity is ready, let's register it on the spot. That way, I can establish the merchant guild by next week at the latest. I'll make sure to prepare for the next harvest season."
James and Benjamin exchanged glances and nodded.
"So, Miss Sara, you'll be handling Elma liquor at that merchant guild, right?"
"Yes, that's the plan."
"Then, can you also set up a store in the capital?"
"Of course, that's the plan. I need to manage and sell Elma liquor myself, so I can't do it without setting up my own store. Is there anything else?"
"If possible, we'd like you to handle other local specialties at that store as well."
'In other words, they want to open a Grandchester branch store, right?'
"That's fine, but do you already have a product you want to sell?"
"We have a few. First, we have magic stones. As I mentioned the other day, there's a mine that produces high-quality magic stones, although the yield is low. We'd like to introduce cut magic stones and accessories made from them. Also, since beekeeping is thriving near Elma's fields, we can harvest honey as well."
'What!? You're talking about honey?! Why didn't you say that earlier?!'
"That's great, isn't it? Honey is a precious commodity, so I'm sure it'll sell well even in the capital. By the way, do you make honey wine?"
"Honey wine? Can you make wine from honey?"
'Ah, I didn't know they didn't have honey wine in this world! I thought it was a common drink since it's been around since ancient times...'
"We can do it. It's simple to make, and it'll take around 10 days. Would you like to try?"
"Yes, please."
The bureaucrats all turned to face me, nodding in agreement.
"Then I'll give instructions to the maidens later."
At that moment, Castor muttered under his breath.
"Miss Sara, your knowledge of liquor is impressive..."
'Ugh, Mr. Castor, I can hear you! And I can't deny it!'
Sara pretended not to hear, but she was actually prepared to respond. This was different from Robert.
"Lastly, there's the report on the wheat harvest, but... I'm sorry, Mr. Wasato, but after the investigation on the wheat fungus is complete, could you report back to us?"
"Yes. I've been prepared since I heard about it earlier, so it's okay. And I'll participate in the investigation on the wheat fungus as well."
"That's reassuring to hear."
Then, Rebecca suddenly interrupted the conversation.
"Ms. Sara, now that you've decided not to hide your abilities, are you planning to reveal the truth about the spirits as well?"
Sara judged that she couldn't give a half-hearted answer when faced with Rebecca's serious gaze.
"It'll eventually come to light in a few years. I should talk to my grandfather about it for now."
"Can you reveal it to the people of the land as well?"
"What does that mean?"
Sara tilted her head, unsure of the intention behind the question.
"I think you saw it in Secret Garden, but there are many fairies with high affinity for plants. If we borrow their power, dealing with the wheat fungus should be a breeze. But if Ms. Sara shows off her ability in front of the villagers, the rumors will spread to the entire kingdom in no time."
"That's..."
Right now, Rebecca was asking Sara if she could give up the path of living an ordinary life. However, Sara couldn't answer that question immediately.
Benjamin spoke to Sara in a gentle tone, seeing her hesitation.
"Miss Sara, you don't have to force yourself. We understand that as a noble's daughter, you don't have freedom. It must be suffocating for you, who have lived as a commoner. We also remember the disaster that Miss Rebecca suffered. If you draw attention from those above, we don't know what will happen. That fear is understandable. You're still young, so please don't carry everything on your shoulders alone."
As Sara looked around the room, everyone was smiling at her kindly. No one was trying to force her into anything.
'Everyone's so kind... but that's exactly why I'm...'
"Thank you. Your sentiment is truly heartwarming. But as a Grandchester, I also want to protect the villagers. So, please support me, even if I'm still inexperienced. Scold me when I'm about to give up."
""""Understood.""""
The bureaucrats all stood up from their seats, kneeled down, and bowed deeply to Sara. Robert also kneeled down beside Sara.
"I may not be reliable, but I'll do my best to protect Sara. I won't regret it like I did during Rebecca's time. I'll defy even my father and the king to ensure Sara's happiness."
And then, Robert lifted Sara up from her chair and hugged her tightly.
"I'll definitely make Sara happy. That's a promise."
Once again, tears began to fall from Sara's eyes, drop by drop.
'What's with today, my tear ducts are super loose?'
"Thank you, Uncle. But I think you should save that line for a proposal."
Then, Benjamin couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing, and everyone else joined in, raising their voices. However, if Sara looked closely, she could see that everyone's eyes were slightly tearful.
'Yeah, I'll absolutely protect you!'
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)