“Let’s eat.”
Today was the first time he met Louis again and had a proper meal face-to-face. Carson was unusually nervous. It would be better to treat the Emperor or the Empress because he had no idea how to treat a young girl.
There was not much Carson could do, so he kept pushing sweet food in front of the child.
“I don’t really like sweet food.”
Louis, who glanced at the food Carson was pushing, blurted out. He was momentarily flustered, but Carson smiled coolly. The way she tilted her head slightly and lowered her eyes as she spoke reminded him of her deceased mother.
He thought there was no longing in it, but his younger sister’s face made him momentarily speechless at the sight of his mother’s young face.
“I see. I’m sorry.”
Louis put the food in front of her in her mouth and chewed it thoroughly.
“I heard there’s a hunting festival.”
“Yeah, it starts tomorrow. Where did you hear that?”
Landhill had many mountains, so hunting festivals were held whenever the seasons changed from summer to winter. It was said that hunting festivals had not been held for the past few years because the previous lord had grown old. The young lord had come, and the people seemed to be very excited about the possibility of starting the hunting festival again. Even at the banquet, the young lords talked about the hunting festival the most.
“From Emma.”
“I see.”
“Is that person coming?”
Carson hesitated with the knife he was holding.
“Who?”
“Ines.”
Only then did Carson realize why his sister, who had been reluctant to approach him, had wanted to meet him today. But why? Because Ines had saved her?
“Maybe... she will come.”
“Can I attend too?”
“Of course.”
The corners of Louis’s mouth went up slightly. As if she was careful not to let others see her smiling. She lowered her head toward her plate.
“If you want to meet Lady Swenden, I can invite her today.”
Louis raised his head at those words. But as soon as their eyes met, she shook her head.
“I don’t want to bother you.”
“Can I ask why you want to meet Swenden?”
The child tapped the small, cooked potatoes with the fork he was holding.
“Just... I feel reassured.”
Reassurance, the moment he heard that, Carson realized that was exactly what he wanted to give this child.
He thought of Ines. No, he tried to suppress the woman who suddenly came to mind from time to time. What on earth was this feeling he felt when he thought of her?
It definitely wasn’t a feeling of reassurance like Louis. So why was she suffocating him like this?
Instead of thinking more deeply, Carson raised his hand and called the butler.
“Prepare Louis’ hunting clothes.”
“Understood.”
Worrying and ruminating didn’t suit his nature. Since he couldn’t grasp the reality, he would know if he kept meeting her.
Louis didn’t say anything after that. And Carson, who wanted her to slowly open up to him, didn’t speak to his younger brother either. Maybe the child resented him.
Why did it take so long?
After finishing their meal, Carson and Noah moved to the office. Noah had already placed the documents he wanted on his desk. Carson slowly began to look through everything about the Swenden family one by one.
As Count Graham had said, careful exploration was needed to properly smell the money.
“There was nothing special.”
“Yes, it looks that way.”
As Noah had said, the Swenden family was ordinary in every way. Their finances were not bad. However, there was nothing that Count Graham would want to plot a low-quality plot against.
“There is a large farm that has been passed down for generations, and there is a lake that supplies water to it. The aqueduct is excellent, and the farm is worked by hiring workers.”
Carson listened to Noah’s explanation and flipped through the papers on his desk again.
“As you said, my lord, the reputation is good. The land that they do not farm is rented out, and the tenant farmers have no complaints. The main source of income is the rent they receive for renting the land and the wool business that the family runs.”
Noah was explaining everything in the order of the report he had prepared in an easy-to-understand manner. There was nothing wrong with the hand that turned the paper.
“The wool business is quite large in scale, and the income is stable. Since it is an old family business, it seems that they have business know-how that others do not know.”
“Surely they are not trying to steal that know-how.”
“The only thing that is a little unusual is that his mansion is adjacent to Lesonia, so one of the mountain ranges that serves as a border is owned by the family.”
“Mountain range?”
At that moment, Carson, who was turning the paper, stopped with a jerk. Then he opened the part he had been holding.
“Found it.”
“Yes?”
If Swenden were to join Landhill, Graham would lose it.
Carson’s golden eyes, which smelled of money, began to shine like those of an animal.
Carson was already at the place where the hunting festival was being held. Louis was next to him. Louis had been glancing toward the entrance for a while.
The appropriately sized table set up under a large shade was already full. The former lord’s wife was also there.
“It is truly a joyful day.”
The former lord’s wife, Countess Jefferson, looked around the place where the hunting festival was being held and said in a purely joyful voice.
“Is that so?”
“Count Jefferson had been ill for a long time, so he couldn’t even dream of a hunting festival. Even if he didn’t say anything, the nobles of the estate must have been very upset. I wish I had given birth to a son...”
The Countess trailed off. Carson didn’t mention it easily either. As the wife of a Count, and even the lord of a manor, not being able to have a child meant more than just a disgrace.
“Anyway, it’s a great joy to see the manor so vibrant before I die.”
Carson nodded slightly and turned his gaze to where the people were gathered. The people in groups of three or four were happily chatting while looking at the hunting tools they had brought. They were very lively, just as the Countess had said.
“Oh, there’s someone I’d like to introduce to you today.”
The Countess seemed to feel better immediately, and she drew Carson’s attention back to her in a bright voice.
“He’s not from Landhill, but he’s a young man I love like a son.”
Carson lifted the teacup in front of him and covered his mouth. It was a method he used to hide his expression whenever he encountered something annoying. There were many times since he was a child when people wanted to introduce someone to him. So it wasn’t something he couldn’t hear.
At that moment, Louis jumped down from the chair which his feet couldn’t reach.
“Louis?”
“Ines is here.”
Louis, who had been quietly eating a cookie, hurried toward Ines. Carson stared blankly at the two. In the meantime, the Countess continued speaking.
“My parents are in Lesonia. The young man is the son of a vassal of my parents’ family. He was a great young man who had no title to hand down because his father was a Baron, but he earned the title of Baron through his own merits.”
He raised his teacup again. The tea didn’t cool down quickly because of the hot weather, but it hadn’t been to his taste since a while ago.
“He has such a good reputation, and he is so innocent and well-behaved that he's not like other young people these days. I worry about how he’ll survive in this harsh world. When I heard that Your Highness had come to be my lord, he kept asking to see you.”
Carson didn’t nod his head anymore.
Ines was seen crouching down toward his younger sister in the distance. He couldn’t see Louis’ face, but he could tell that she was talking earnestly.
Soon, Louis reached out and Ines hugged her. Carson almost jumped up from his seat without realizing it. He straightened his posture and rubbed his chin with his hand.
Even as he did so, the Countess continued to speak. For some reason, her voice began to grate on his nerves.
“The young man’s name is Zemern. Zemern Baronet Winningstone. He is tall and handsome...”
Carson, who drank tea again, eventually couldn’t swallow it and spat it out on the floor. The bitter taste he had been feeling since a while ago was too much to bear. Countess Jefferson’s mouth finally closed at his actions.
“Next time.”
“Yes?”
“Next time. That introduction.”
Even the people around him held their breath at Carson’s arrogant, if not aristocratic, attitude typical of royalty.
“Yes? Yes, I understand. Your Highness.”
Carson got up from his seat without asking for permission. Then he walked towards Ines, who was holding her younger sister.
As Ines watched him approach, she put Louis down on the floor. The child got down and immediately grabbed her leg.
Ines ran her hand over the necklace hidden in her shirt. Carson had told her to wear it the next time they met, but she hesitated and took it off several times.
“Louis.”
A soft voice called the child’s name, and soon he came and stood in front of the two.
“Your Highness.”
When she paid her respects, he smiled coolly in response.
“Viscount Swenden?”
“My father was busy today and couldn’t attend. He asked me to apologize.”
In fact, Andrew had carefully considered whether or not to attend and had decided to send only Ines. The reason was that he had to be careful with his actions because his current affiliation was unclear.
“I’m sorry.”
Today, unlike other days, Ines had tied her dark blond hair up into a ponytail. The leather pants completely revealed her curves. The boots she wore for horseback riding were also awkward.
Carson looked at Ines without saying anything. At his gaze, she unconsciously put her hand around her neck.
“It suits you well.”
Ines’ eyes widened at his words.
“The riding suit, and the necklace.”
“...”
Ines glanced down, but the necklace was not visible from the outside. She hesitated for a moment and then took out the necklace hidden inside her shirt. The green gem sparkled in the sunlight, the same color as her green eyes.
“Thank you.”
Louis stood holding Ines’ leg and looked back and forth between the two.
“Come here.”
When he guided her directly, Ines followed him, holding Louis’ hand.
There was not much Carson could do, so he kept pushing sweet food in front of the child.
“I don’t really like sweet food.”
Louis, who glanced at the food Carson was pushing, blurted out. He was momentarily flustered, but Carson smiled coolly. The way she tilted her head slightly and lowered her eyes as she spoke reminded him of her deceased mother.
He thought there was no longing in it, but his younger sister’s face made him momentarily speechless at the sight of his mother’s young face.
“I see. I’m sorry.”
Louis put the food in front of her in her mouth and chewed it thoroughly.
“I heard there’s a hunting festival.”
“Yeah, it starts tomorrow. Where did you hear that?”
Landhill had many mountains, so hunting festivals were held whenever the seasons changed from summer to winter. It was said that hunting festivals had not been held for the past few years because the previous lord had grown old. The young lord had come, and the people seemed to be very excited about the possibility of starting the hunting festival again. Even at the banquet, the young lords talked about the hunting festival the most.
“From Emma.”
“I see.”
“Is that person coming?”
Carson hesitated with the knife he was holding.
“Who?”
“Ines.”
Only then did Carson realize why his sister, who had been reluctant to approach him, had wanted to meet him today. But why? Because Ines had saved her?
“Maybe... she will come.”
“Can I attend too?”
“Of course.”
The corners of Louis’s mouth went up slightly. As if she was careful not to let others see her smiling. She lowered her head toward her plate.
“If you want to meet Lady Swenden, I can invite her today.”
Louis raised his head at those words. But as soon as their eyes met, she shook her head.
“I don’t want to bother you.”
“Can I ask why you want to meet Swenden?”
The child tapped the small, cooked potatoes with the fork he was holding.
“Just... I feel reassured.”
Reassurance, the moment he heard that, Carson realized that was exactly what he wanted to give this child.
He thought of Ines. No, he tried to suppress the woman who suddenly came to mind from time to time. What on earth was this feeling he felt when he thought of her?
It definitely wasn’t a feeling of reassurance like Louis. So why was she suffocating him like this?
Instead of thinking more deeply, Carson raised his hand and called the butler.
“Prepare Louis’ hunting clothes.”
“Understood.”
Worrying and ruminating didn’t suit his nature. Since he couldn’t grasp the reality, he would know if he kept meeting her.
Louis didn’t say anything after that. And Carson, who wanted her to slowly open up to him, didn’t speak to his younger brother either. Maybe the child resented him.
Why did it take so long?
***
After finishing their meal, Carson and Noah moved to the office. Noah had already placed the documents he wanted on his desk. Carson slowly began to look through everything about the Swenden family one by one.
As Count Graham had said, careful exploration was needed to properly smell the money.
“There was nothing special.”
“Yes, it looks that way.”
As Noah had said, the Swenden family was ordinary in every way. Their finances were not bad. However, there was nothing that Count Graham would want to plot a low-quality plot against.
“There is a large farm that has been passed down for generations, and there is a lake that supplies water to it. The aqueduct is excellent, and the farm is worked by hiring workers.”
Carson listened to Noah’s explanation and flipped through the papers on his desk again.
“As you said, my lord, the reputation is good. The land that they do not farm is rented out, and the tenant farmers have no complaints. The main source of income is the rent they receive for renting the land and the wool business that the family runs.”
Noah was explaining everything in the order of the report he had prepared in an easy-to-understand manner. There was nothing wrong with the hand that turned the paper.
“The wool business is quite large in scale, and the income is stable. Since it is an old family business, it seems that they have business know-how that others do not know.”
“Surely they are not trying to steal that know-how.”
“The only thing that is a little unusual is that his mansion is adjacent to Lesonia, so one of the mountain ranges that serves as a border is owned by the family.”
“Mountain range?”
At that moment, Carson, who was turning the paper, stopped with a jerk. Then he opened the part he had been holding.
“Found it.”
“Yes?”
If Swenden were to join Landhill, Graham would lose it.
Carson’s golden eyes, which smelled of money, began to shine like those of an animal.
***
Carson was already at the place where the hunting festival was being held. Louis was next to him. Louis had been glancing toward the entrance for a while.
The appropriately sized table set up under a large shade was already full. The former lord’s wife was also there.
“It is truly a joyful day.”
The former lord’s wife, Countess Jefferson, looked around the place where the hunting festival was being held and said in a purely joyful voice.
“Is that so?”
“Count Jefferson had been ill for a long time, so he couldn’t even dream of a hunting festival. Even if he didn’t say anything, the nobles of the estate must have been very upset. I wish I had given birth to a son...”
The Countess trailed off. Carson didn’t mention it easily either. As the wife of a Count, and even the lord of a manor, not being able to have a child meant more than just a disgrace.
“Anyway, it’s a great joy to see the manor so vibrant before I die.”
Carson nodded slightly and turned his gaze to where the people were gathered. The people in groups of three or four were happily chatting while looking at the hunting tools they had brought. They were very lively, just as the Countess had said.
“Oh, there’s someone I’d like to introduce to you today.”
The Countess seemed to feel better immediately, and she drew Carson’s attention back to her in a bright voice.
“He’s not from Landhill, but he’s a young man I love like a son.”
Carson lifted the teacup in front of him and covered his mouth. It was a method he used to hide his expression whenever he encountered something annoying. There were many times since he was a child when people wanted to introduce someone to him. So it wasn’t something he couldn’t hear.
At that moment, Louis jumped down from the chair which his feet couldn’t reach.
“Louis?”
“Ines is here.”
Louis, who had been quietly eating a cookie, hurried toward Ines. Carson stared blankly at the two. In the meantime, the Countess continued speaking.
“My parents are in Lesonia. The young man is the son of a vassal of my parents’ family. He was a great young man who had no title to hand down because his father was a Baron, but he earned the title of Baron through his own merits.”
He raised his teacup again. The tea didn’t cool down quickly because of the hot weather, but it hadn’t been to his taste since a while ago.
“He has such a good reputation, and he is so innocent and well-behaved that he's not like other young people these days. I worry about how he’ll survive in this harsh world. When I heard that Your Highness had come to be my lord, he kept asking to see you.”
Carson didn’t nod his head anymore.
Ines was seen crouching down toward his younger sister in the distance. He couldn’t see Louis’ face, but he could tell that she was talking earnestly.
Soon, Louis reached out and Ines hugged her. Carson almost jumped up from his seat without realizing it. He straightened his posture and rubbed his chin with his hand.
Even as he did so, the Countess continued to speak. For some reason, her voice began to grate on his nerves.
“The young man’s name is Zemern. Zemern Baronet Winningstone. He is tall and handsome...”
Carson, who drank tea again, eventually couldn’t swallow it and spat it out on the floor. The bitter taste he had been feeling since a while ago was too much to bear. Countess Jefferson’s mouth finally closed at his actions.
“Next time.”
“Yes?”
“Next time. That introduction.”
Even the people around him held their breath at Carson’s arrogant, if not aristocratic, attitude typical of royalty.
“Yes? Yes, I understand. Your Highness.”
Carson got up from his seat without asking for permission. Then he walked towards Ines, who was holding her younger sister.
As Ines watched him approach, she put Louis down on the floor. The child got down and immediately grabbed her leg.
Ines ran her hand over the necklace hidden in her shirt. Carson had told her to wear it the next time they met, but she hesitated and took it off several times.
“Louis.”
A soft voice called the child’s name, and soon he came and stood in front of the two.
“Your Highness.”
When she paid her respects, he smiled coolly in response.
“Viscount Swenden?”
“My father was busy today and couldn’t attend. He asked me to apologize.”
In fact, Andrew had carefully considered whether or not to attend and had decided to send only Ines. The reason was that he had to be careful with his actions because his current affiliation was unclear.
“I’m sorry.”
Today, unlike other days, Ines had tied her dark blond hair up into a ponytail. The leather pants completely revealed her curves. The boots she wore for horseback riding were also awkward.
Carson looked at Ines without saying anything. At his gaze, she unconsciously put her hand around her neck.
“It suits you well.”
Ines’ eyes widened at his words.
“The riding suit, and the necklace.”
“...”
Ines glanced down, but the necklace was not visible from the outside. She hesitated for a moment and then took out the necklace hidden inside her shirt. The green gem sparkled in the sunlight, the same color as her green eyes.
“Thank you.”
Louis stood holding Ines’ leg and looked back and forth between the two.
“Come here.”
When he guided her directly, Ines followed him, holding Louis’ hand.
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