It’s Convenient That Danna-Sama Isn’t Interested in Me. I’ll Make a Name for Myself as an Adventurer! – Chapter 30

Chapter 30: She Has Her Own Way of Life
ㅤIn this country, it’s common for young maids to quit their jobs once they get married. Protecting their own families becomes their top priority.
ㅤAt first, I couldn’t help but think Ellis was a bit harsh, but considering her position, it was probably an appropriate attitude. I heard that Ellis’s family owes a lot to Blood Territory.
ㅤThat said, Ellis is now the best maid for me. Honestly, I can say that my best friend in private isn’t Danna-sama, but her.
ㅤ
ㅤ’Or rather, she’s the one who understands me best……’
ㅤ
ㅤI know she accepts my adventurer work, grumbling and all. Recently, she even mended my adventurer clothes that I had left torn. Okaa-san!?
ㅤ
ㅤ’Well, that’s not because I’m lazy, I was going to do something about it once they tore a little more……’
ㅤ
ㅤI make excuses to someone in my head.
ㅤ
ㅤAhh…… what will I do if Ellis gets married and leaves? Isn’t this a matter I seriously need to consider!? I can’t believe I only realized it after Victor made that strange request.
ㅤ
ㅤ’No! Ellis’s happiness comes first!!!’
ㅤ
ㅤBut it’s a big deal that she, who supports my happy-go-lucky adventurer life, will be gone.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Don’t think Ellis and money will last forever!?”
ㅤ
ㅤIn the darkness of my bedroom, I blurted out a proverb in my heart, feeling a surge of anxiety.
ㅤ
ㅤDiligent and dexterous. Attentive to detail, excellent clerical skills, and on top of that, she’s quick-witted. Moreover, she’s devoted to her master and has courage. She’s the woman who once went directly to the cold-blooded Danna-sama and told him he should interact more with his wife, which resulted in our current daily breakfast meetings.
ㅤShe’s also very cute. Neatly arranged, straight brunette hair and round, sparkling orange-brown eyes. It wouldn’t be strange for anyone to fall for her, not just Victor.
ㅤ
ㅤ’I need to check the current situation……’
ㅤ
ㅤLet’s make tomorrow an off day for the first time in a while. With such a simulation in mind, I quickly fell asleep in the comfortable bed.
ㅤ
◇◇◇
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hey, hey! Why don’t we have tea in the greenhouse today?”
ㅤ
ㅤWhen I called out to Ellis first thing in the morning, she gave me a puzzled look I’d never seen before.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Are you feeling unwell!?”
ㅤ”N-no, no. I just thought I’d relax at the mansion today……”
ㅤ”No! There’s no way you would think that. Something must be the matter!?”
ㅤ
ㅤThere might be days like that! ……Well, it’s true that if a child who’s been playing video games every day suddenly says, “I won’t today! I’ll study!”, you’d probably ask, “What’s wrong?” It’s like that, isn’t it?
ㅤ
ㅤ”E-even warriors need to rest sometimes!”
ㅤ”……If you say so, Ojou-sama, of course I’ll prepare it……”
ㅤ
ㅤI can clearly see she’s still suspicious. I want to say I’m not planning anything!? But I can’t because I am.
ㅤ
ㅤVarious flowers bloom all year round in the mansion’s greenhouse. There’s also a medicinal herb garden, which seems to have been the hobby of the previous lord. Rare species are also cultivated, and I’ve benefited from it several times. I borrowed some for Milia-Okka-san’s medicine.
ㅤIn one corner, there’s a small space where we can have tea. A beautiful cloth is spread on the table. She probably prepared it because of my sudden request. Or rather, I can see that the servants are excited about this first-time event. It’s rare…… no, it’s the first time since I came to Blood Territory.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Did you not need to go to the Adventurer Town with Lord Duke?”
ㅤ”It’s fine, it’s fine. We go every day.”
ㅤ
ㅤWhen I told Danna-sama I wasn’t going today, he looked as if he’d been struck by lightning.
ㅤ
ㅤ’Now that I think about it, revealing to the adventurers that I’m really the Duchess……’
ㅤ
ㅤI’d like to see their surprised expressions, but I’m not sure if it would have a positive effect on me, so I’ll hold off for a while longer.
ㅤ
ㅤTea and cake were brought before me. Lots of fruit. As expected, the food served by the Ducal House is beautiful to look at. Until now, I’ve been so engrossed in my adventurer work that I’d forgotten about this kind of time, but in my previous life, for some reason I didn’t hate going to stylish cafes. As I was reminiscing about such things, Ellis brought up the main topic.
ㅤ
ㅤ”So…… what’s the matter today?”
ㅤ
ㅤShe still has a worried expression.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Um……”
ㅤ
ㅤ’Oh no! How should I bring it up……!’
ㅤ
ㅤI take a sip from the gold-rimmed cup to buy some time.
ㅤI charged in without a strategy. I can’t just ask her directly, “Are you getting married soon? Do you like Vincent?” It’s too awkward to be so blunt with her.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Could it be…… did the adventurers do something rude to you, Ojou-sama!?”
ㅤ”Huh!?”
ㅤ
ㅤDoes she think I’m being bullied!?
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, no! I’m getting along well with them.”
ㅤ
ㅤReally? Ellis’s face said.
ㅤNo good, no good. I need to get to the main point quickly, or I’ll just make her worry unnecessarily.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Um…… how are you doing lately?”
ㅤ
ㅤ’Ugh! What a boring question……!’
ㅤ
ㅤLike a Senpai at work!
ㅤ
ㅤ”Me?”
ㅤ
ㅤAs expected, Ellis is bewildered, wondering what’s suddenly going on.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, you know, um, your family…… have you been in touch with them? I’m indebted to you, Ellis, and I’d like to send them something, but I’m not sure what would be good……”
ㅤ
ㅤYes, yes! I’ve created a good flow of conversation!
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh, Ojou-sama! Such consideration is unnecessary. It’s such an honor for me to be by your side as the maid of the Duchess of Blood. My parents and siblings are very happy.”
ㅤ
ㅤBeing a maid in a good house is a big plus when a young lady gets married. In the case of a Ducal House, Ellis’s value would be even higher because she’s a woman with good connections.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Speaking of which, isn’t your Onii-sama’s wedding coming up soon? You said before that he was engaged to the daughter of Viscount Petrou, right?”
ㅤ”Yes. It’s being planned for the beginning of next year…… I apologize, but would you please allow me to return to my territory at that time?”
ㅤ”Huh!? Of course!”
ㅤ
ㅤAm I that much trouble!? I can stay home alone!?
ㅤBut now I can get to the main point.
ㅤ
ㅤ”S-so, speaking of which…… haven’t you had any such talks yet, Ellis?”
ㅤ
ㅤI ask while looking into my cup.
ㅤ
ㅤ’Whoa! Why am I the one getting nervous?!’
ㅤ
ㅤ”Thanks to you, I’ve had a few offers……”
ㅤ
ㅤEllis looked down, as if trying to remember.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ojou-sama”
ㅤ”Y-yes!”
ㅤ
ㅤShe suddenly becomes serious and looks directly into my eyes. What, what!? What is she going to say!? I feel nervous for the first time in a while.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’m very fulfilled right now. It’s thanks to you giving me free rein.”
ㅤ
ㅤYes, yes. I’m sorry for neglecting you because I’m always at the Adventurer Town…… but I’m glad you’re satisfied with the current situation.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I haven’t reported this to you, but…… I’ve been pretending to be a teacher at the orphanage lately. I’m sorry for not telling you.”
ㅤ”Huh!? Really? Don’t worry about it!”
ㅤ
ㅤWhen did she……? But she said she spends half of her weekdays at the orphanage when I’m not around.
ㅤI’ve been there a few times myself. Out of a vague sense of obligation, I felt it would be rude not to go and see how things were going, even if I was just providing the funding. And then, there was an embezzlement case at the orphanage in my family’s Witwish Territory, and I saw my mother furious, so I wanted to make sure the budget was being used properly.
ㅤ
ㅤ’That was scary……’
ㅤ
ㅤThe Witwish family is a strict one. If anyone were to commit fraud in a public facility related to our family, they would have to be prepared to abandon their status, honor, and money when it was exposed.
ㅤ
ㅤThe orphanage in Blood Territory was unexpectedly clean and well-organized. It was like a boarding school. As I’d heard, children from neighboring territories were also coming, and the number of children was quite large.
ㅤ
ㅤ”You once said that it would be good to allow children who want to learn more to do so, not just vocational training…… I couldn’t forget those words…… Thankfully, I have free time, and there’s no need to spend extra budget……”
ㅤ
ㅤ’Ahh! I said it! I said that!’
ㅤThe orphanage taught basic reading, writing, and arithmetic, but other than that, once the children reached a certain age, they began education to learn a trade. In this territory, there was also training in dismantling monsters and using swords, spears, and bows as soldiers. Of course, they also cultivated crops and raised livestock.
ㅤWhen I consulted with Victor,
ㅤ
ㅤ『Then let’s allocate a budget for it from next year.』
ㅤ
ㅤHe readily gave his permission, so I thought he was quite understanding, but could it be that he said that because he already knew Ellis was interested in this matter!?
ㅤ
ㅤ”So…… Ojou-sama…… I…… I want to keep working here forever!!!”
ㅤ”Huh!? You mean you’re not getting married!?”
ㅤ
ㅤEllis, you’re on a pretty good path to happiness!? You can get married under good conditions!? I desperately hold back from saying those words. I also resisted marriage despite being in a very favorable position.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Seeing you, Ojou-sama, I wanted to carve out my own life…… My time at the orphanage is the happiest, and I feel a sense of accomplishment.”
ㅤ
ㅤOh no, oh no, oh no! Is it my fault!? Is this my fault!? It’s quite difficult for a woman to live independently in this world!?
ㅤBut……
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’ll support you!”
ㅤ”Ojou-sama! Thank you!!!”
ㅤ
ㅤAnd for some reason, we ended up shaking hands with each other, full of energy.
ㅤ
ㅤFor the time being, we agreed that she would continue to work as my maid, and after witnessing the marriage of Ellis’s Onii-san, she would discuss the matter with her parents again.
ㅤIt was also decided that it would probably be more convenient for her to be involved as the Duchess’s representative rather than being re-employed by the Blood family.
ㅤ
ㅤ’Ahh~ this way, it seems like I won’t have to build relationships from scratch again~!’
ㅤ
ㅤHooray! I’m so relieved I want to dance for joy. Perhaps because of that,
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh, by the way, is there anyone you’re interested in right now?”
ㅤ
ㅤI inadvertently asked her a question like a college student, finally remembering that this was the most important mission of the day.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Victor-sama, right? Could you be vague about it? I want to be able to negotiate better terms while he’s still pursuing me.”
ㅤ
ㅤShe answered with a mischievous grin.
ㅤ
ㅤ’Whoa! That’s a line from an expert!’
ㅤ
ㅤDid she notice? It’s an understandable attitude from her perspective.
ㅤ
ㅤAs she requested, I vaguely conveyed Ellis’s feelings to Victor.
ㅤ
ㅤ”She dodged the question with a smile. But it seems she’s not keen on engagement or marriage right now.”
ㅤ”Then that means I still have a chance!”
ㅤ
ㅤAfter this positive statement, worthy of Danna-sama, he returned to his duties, exaggerating his joy.
ㅤ
ㅤLater, I learned from Ellis’s cheerful report that a library would be established at the orphanage.