I Was Told, “I Can’t Leave the Territory Management to You, Brother-in-law!!”, So I Restarted My Adventurer Life in My Mother’s Homeland – Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Sandrea’s Lament
  While Tohlight was conducting his investigation, Sandrea was slumped over her desk in her office, asleep. Tears had stained the documents beneath her face.
 
  A few days prior, she had a huge fight with Rufus. The business partner he had recently made a deal with turned out to be a complete fabrication, rendering the goods he had procured useless. Moreover, it seemed he had used the mansion as collateral for a loan from Landred’s moneylending business to purchase those goods. Of course, Rufus claimed he hadn’t done any such thing. However, his signature was clearly on the contract.
 
  Rufus was utterly dejected, taking full responsibility. Instead of comforting him, Sandrea lashed out. Not only about this debt issue but also blaming Rufus entirely for Eld’s expulsion. Perhaps she was right. But it was Sandrea who had agreed to Rufus’s plan. Rufus had also pointed that out.
 
  As a result of their massive fight, Sandrea tearfully screamed at Rufus to leave, and he obeyed. He hadn’t returned since. Sandrea tried to pull herself together and carry out her duties, but the thought of the debt gave her a headache. It was enough to make her want to abandon everything.
 
  Sandrea woke up and peeled the documents off her face. She had been drafting documents for a loan from Landred’s trading company. If she signed it, at least the interest rate would be suppressed. She had made that promise with Landred.
 
  She tore up the tear-stained documents and took out a fresh sheet of paper. As she was drafting the new documents, she heard a knock on the door.
 
  “What is it?”
 
  She responded with an unusually listless voice.
 
  “Sandrea-sama, you have a visitor.”
 
  It was the voice of her butler, Justipearl. She shouldn’t have had any appointments today. She wondered who it could be.
 
  “Excuse me.”
 
  Without waiting for Sandrea’s reply, the door opened and Tohlight entered.
 
  “Tohlight?! Why are you here?! No, you’re not allowed to enter the office after quitting!”
 
  “This is hardly the time for that!”
 
  Sandrea tried to assert her authority, but Tohlight’s scolding made her shrink back. The trauma from when he was her tutor still lingered.
 
  “I heard from Justipearl. What are you planning to do in this situation?”
 
  “Th-this debt is Rufus’s……”
 
  Sandrea tried to make excuses.
 
  “The debt is irrelevant. It can be dealt with appropriately. But the servants are a different matter.”
 
  Sandrea was taken aback by his unexpected words.
 
  “Do you even know how many servants are currently working in this mansion? It’s less than half the number when I left. That means the burden on each individual has increased. Yet, not only have you not replenished the staff, but I also hear you’ve been berating them for being incompetent when they can’t handle the workload.”
 
  She vaguely remembered saying something like that. But that was because she was irritated…… She tried to excuse herself but was immediately scolded again by Tohlight.
 
  “Sandrea-sama, I understand that you are struggling with unfamiliar tasks right now. However, that is no excuse to take it out on the servants.”
 
  Hearing that, Sandrea’s tears overflowed. She was overwhelmed. And she murmured,
 
  “Brother-in-law…… I want to see Eld Brother-in-law……”
 
  It wasn’t a plea for him to take over her work or help her. She simply wanted him by her side as a family member. Looking back, she felt most at peace when Eld was around. After her parents’ death, it was Eld, who was always working alongside her, who was closest to her. That’s why those words slipped out.
 
  Tohlight couldn’t fully comprehend Sandrea’s feelings. However, he didn’t scold her for her words. But he did tell her the cruelest truth.
 
  “Unfortunately, Eld-sama will not be returning here. It’s not that he doesn’t want to see you, but he is bound to the Linus territory by the Goddess’s contract.”
 
  Tohlight explained Eld’s current situation.
 
  “Aha…… ahaha…… That’s right…… I don’t have the right to see Brother-in-law anymore……”
 
  Sandrea broke down crying.
 
  “…… Justipearl, I’m going back to Eld-sama. I don’t think Eld-sama will come here, but I have to report this. Please take care of Sandrea-sama while I’m gone.”
 
  “U-understood.”
 
  Justipearl nodded vigorously. Tohlight thought he was a man of strong loyalty, even though he had become so thin. Of course, that’s why he chose him as his successor, but he regretted that it might have become a burden on him.
 
  “And one more thing, please investigate Landred and the Rinjapaa Trading Company. For them to commit such an obvious fraud, they must be confident they won’t get caught. I want to know the basis for that confidence.”
 
  “Understood. I don’t know how far I can investigate, but I’ll look into it.”
 
  Tohlight nodded with satisfaction after hearing that and left the Faniaal house.