Chapter 73 A Talk With The Marquis I
With the mushroom incident settled and the autumn harvest complete, Sara and her friends returned to Grandchester Castle. Marquis, Robert, and Pollux had arrived a step ahead of them.
The members of the Alchemist Magician Guild and Pharmacist Guild, who had been with Sara, also returned to the capital. Theofrastos and Alexander were supposed to return earlier, but they stubbornly refused to leave Sara's side. They probably prioritized intellectual curiosity over guild operations.
At the main residence in Grandchester Castle, Marquis and Robert welcomed Sara. Since they had arrived in the evening, they had returned for dinner. They decided to have dinner together right away.
"There are a few things I need to confirm with you, Sara."
"What might that be?"
"Well, if I had to put it simply, it's 'how do you want to live from now on?'"
"That's a pretty vague question, and it's hard to answer."
"Well, it might be. So, first, do you want to live as a noble?"
Marquis's sudden, piercing question left Sara hesitant about how to respond.
"I was born and raised as a commoner, so I think it would be difficult for me to live as a noble lady. If I look at my cousins, I can imagine how I would be treated in noble society."
"I may have been lacking in consideration for that matter. I apologize."
"No, even if Grandfather had intervened, I think similar things would have happened behind the scenes. Even if Grandfather had adopted me, I couldn't deny my past as a commoner. If I were invited to social gatherings, my position would never be a pleasant one."
"Hmm. I see."
Rebecca also agreed with Sara's statement.
"Ms. Sara's position is not much different from that of a noble's illegitimate child, is it? Arthur and Adelia are a formally recognized couple by the church, but they only entered the noble registry after they passed away."
"But if I make some of Sara's talents public, wouldn't her evaluation change, Lady Rebecca?"
"I don't think that would be good for Ms. Sara."
"Why not, Revi? You know more about Sara's high abilities than I do, don't you?"
Robert looked puzzled.
"Is it because Sara is a woman?"
"Yes, that's right."
Rebecca quietly placed the cutlery and brought a napkin to her mouth, looking sad.
"Is being a woman that painful?"
Marquis gazed at Rebecca with a stern expression, seemingly disapproving of her opinion.
"Whether or not one feels pain is subjective, isn't it? Fundamentally, noblewomen are subordinate to their male families. They have to follow their grandfathers, fathers, brothers, husbands, and sons, and can't decide their own lives."
"Subordination is a harsh opinion. We're taught that women are weak and need to be protected."
"There are women who feel at ease being protected and live comfortably. If they have love, they might feel happier. However, there are also women who feel suffocated by being controlled. Even if their husbands are violent towards them, they can't divorce."
"I don't think all men are like that..."
But recalling Rebecca's past, where she was almost forced to marry a prince from a neighboring country, made it a bit difficult to convince her of this opinion.
"Do you think all women are weak, Grandfather?"
"I think you're strong..."
"Indeed, I'm more skilled in magic than others, so I might be called 'strong.' But I believe strength isn't just about that."
"Hmm?"
"For instance, the maidens can't officially register with the guild because they're women, but each of them has specialized knowledge and skills. Doesn't that mean they have the strength to live independently? Take Ms. Elsa, who lived in the pioneer village--she didn't give up even in desperate situations, supported her husband Mr. Jade, and led the local ladies with her strength. And as for Miss Rebecca's strength, do I even need to explain it?"
Marquis and Robert nodded in agreement.
"But even if noblewomen have strength, they have to hide it on the surface and follow men. Even if they have high abilities, they'll be told 'You're just a woman, don't get too full of yourself' the moment they seem better than men."
"That's true, we can't deny it."
Sara tilted her head, remembering a bit of her past.
"I was really lucky. The Grandchester territory was so short on talent that they couldn't overcome it without Miss Rebecca's and my help."
"That's Robert's achievement, isn't it? When I heard he was hiring Lady Rebecca as a governess, I sensed something about his character, but I never thought he'd involve Sara too."
"That was beyond my expectations too, Father."
"I think Uncle is a bit too reckless, but thanks to him, the bureaucrats accepted us too."
"Is that because you showed them your abilities, Sara?"
It was certain that Sara was lucky, but it was unexpected that the place she chose as a refuge would become her workplace. Or rather, becoming employed at the age of 8 was just unbelievable. Even for commoners, that's an age when one'd normally be an apprentice.
"No, I still think I was lucky. When I gave my opinion on the ledger, Mr. James and Mr. Ben accepted it without a single complaint. They're bureaucrats who graduated from the Academy and are treated as elites, but they listened to what an 8-year-old girl had to say and took it seriously. Don't you think that's amazing?"
"Yeah, I felt that too. I think it's also because Rob took the lead in accepting Ms. Sara, but their flexible attitude is really commendable."
"Hmm, I think it's also because the situation was urgent, Revi. We couldn't afford to hesitate."
"That's true. When I said I wanted to gather the butlers and maids from the main house, they didn't oppose it either."
Robert floated a wry smile.
"No, I think it's just that Sara didn't give us any room to oppose her."
"Was that so, Father?"
"Yeah. Well, thanks to that, I got to know the value of the maids in the office, though."
"Ah, when I first saw the maids in the office, I thought they were slacking off and chased them out, but that was good. The efficiency of our work improved dramatically."
'Ah, Grandfather also realized the value of the office maids! It's really important to have a good secretary or assistant, isn't it?'
Sara was reminded of the aunt who was dispatched to her previous life's workplace.
"Sorry, I got a bit off track, but what I wanted to say is that even if one have high abilities, women are not highly valued in noble society or similar places. Grandfather also chased out the maids from the office, didn't he?"
"U, um..."
"I know it sounds conceited when I say it myself, but I think my office abilities are quite high. However, no matter how high my abilities are, I can't attend the Academy, and I can't become a bureaucrat in another country. Even if I were to marry into another noble family, would they be happy to have me interfere with their husband's work? Wouldn't it hurt the man's pride if his wife's abilities were higher?"
"That depends on the man's character..."
Rebecca suddenly burst out laughing at Robert's words.
"Rob, are you boasting about your broad-mindedness?"
"No, I didn't mean it that way, but I think it's great to have women with high abilities, and it's wonderful to have them support us!"
"I see. So Rob wants to marry a woman like that. You'll have to work hard to find one, won't you?"
"I don't really intend to search that actively, or rather, I don't need to search..."
'Ugh, it's a situation where I can only say 'Good luck, Uncle!' Ah, Grandfather is also giving him a warm gaze. He's noticed it too, hasn't he?'
"Well, due to that reason, I don't think I'll actively try to become a noblewoman, Grandfather."
"Is that because you don't like the Grandchester family and want to leave, Sara?"
"Honestly, I'm not good with the young Marquis couple and my cousins, but more than that, I dislike being bound by the way of life as a noblewoman."
"I see. So, if I can create an environment where you don't have to get married for the sake of the family or attend social gatherings, and Edward can't interfere, then you won't have to leave Grandchester."
'Yes?'
"Grandfather, I also understand that as a noblewoman, it's only natural to marry for the sake of the family's prosperity. That's why we're given noble privileges."
"Sara, it's true that nobles must live for the sake of their family and their people. But does that necessarily mean getting married?"
"What do you mean?"
The Marquis picked up the water glass next to his wine glass, took a sip, and began to speak slowly.
"You can support Grandchester and protect your people with your own abilities. You don't need to get married forcefully. In the future, Edward will inherit Grandchester, but if you become Robert's adopted daughter, you'll have a guardian and won't be directly controlled by Edward."
"Eh, Uncle's adopted daughter!?
"Am I not good enough, Sara?"
"But you're already thirty and still single, right? If you get a bald spot, you'll never get a wife!"
The Marquis spat out the water he was drinking and burst into laughter.
"Sara, you're quite sharp..."
"But it's the truth, isn't it?"
"That's true, but in this case, whether or not he has a marriage partner doesn't seem to matter. Maybe having a marriage partner would even turn out for the better."
"You two are being way too dramatic!"
Robert was still fuming, but somehow he was wearing a cheerful expression.
"Hmm, if I don't have to answer right away, I'll think about it positively, Grandfather."
"Yeah, it's better to think about it slowly and carefully."
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