Chapter 148


    <b>Authors note</b>: This chapter takes ce before the bandits subjugation.


    It waste at night. After Welner, the governor, returned to his room, Neurath and Schunzel both threw themselves to the chairs.


    Huft So tiring. (Neurath)


    Maybe because he has been training since young, Welner-sama has a really great stamina. (Schunzel)


    I finally understand the reason Ingo-sama said that I might have a hard time. (Neurath)


    Neurath said so with a bitter smile. To be more precise, Ingo said, <i>He might give you some hard time, but please take care of him</i> when Ingo sent Neurath to Welner. Since bing the subordinate of a ministers son who was also the heir to a Count house was an honorable thing for his house, Neuarth at that time epted the job without thinking too much about Ingos words.


    With the same tired expression as Neurath, Schunzel nodded and then replied, But we also learned a lot of things by staying by Welner-samas side.


    I have to agree with that. Plus, we never got bored working with him.


    Sometimes, both of them couldnt keep up with Welners ideas, but after Welner executed them, and they saw the results, they finally understood the reasons Welner chose to do this and that. Although it was true that sometimes Welners way of thinking was strange for a noble, Welner himself was truly knowledgeable, so they both learned a lot of things by staying by his side.


    What was still a mystery for both of them until this day was where Welner gained that much knowledge. Perhaps the academy curriculum changed in Welners era, or perhaps Welner got his knowledge from some other source. Anyway, they werent sure.


    On the other hand, they both were stronger than Welner in terms of swordsmanship, so Welner would use a spear when sparring with them. This was good training for Welner but also an opportunity for both Neurath and Schunzel to gain more experience in fighting an opponent that used a spear.


    You two still have it better than me (Frenssen)


    Sir Frenssen, youre here.


    Youre right. At least we are two people, but you usually work alone, Sir.


    Frenssen, who had just returned from the archive, sat down along with the two with a tired expression.


    <i>Sigh</i> One thing that bothers me is the tea I drink after a tiring day here isnt that good. Frenssen said with a somewhatining tone.


    I have to agree with that.


    Yeah. It might be impossible to drink a tea as good as the one Tir poured, but at least I hope to drink a tea as good as the one Lily poured.


    The tea brewed by the senior parlor maid of the Zeavert house, Tir, was famous not only among Welners friends but even in the circle of the noble society. Tir had even received high sry offers from other noble houses.


    In addition to the extremely delicious tea, the Zeavert house had a connection with the now famous hero, so the tea party held by Zeavert house had be really popr. It was to the point that the madam of the Zeavert house, udia, was currently having a hard time adjusting the tea party schedule because of the overwhelming requests.


    On the other hand, Lily did her work as a parlor maid with noint, perhaps because she was used to working as the daughter of an inn owner. In addition, Lily herself was a hardworking person who was eager to learn, making her an excellent student. Tir herself had taken a liking to the lovely and honest Lily.


    Not only Tir, Lily was also well liked by the entire staff of the Zeavert house manor. Even Welner had oncemented on how Norbert, the butler, treated Lily as if she was his granddaughter.


    Because Tir is tall, its hard to call Tir and Lily <i>like sisters</i>.


    Rather than Tir being tall, isnt it more like Lily is small?


    Youre right. (Frenssen)


    Imagining Lily sneezing in the mansion because they talked about her here, the threeughed. Then, Neurath turned to Frenssen as if he had remembered something.


    (T/N: Japanese superstition said that when you sneeze out of nowhere, someone is talking about you.)


    By the way, I remember Norbert-dono was investigating the knightmander of the Witthoft house. Have you heard anything about the result of the investigation? (Neurath)


    Ah, right, when the heros family saw him, they did show aplicated expression. (Schunzel)


    Remembering the result of the investigation, Frenssen let out a wry smile.


    That knightmander is the son of the Alea viges vige head. (Frenssen)


    Yeah, I know that.


    When he was young, he apparently courted Lily and Mazell-donos mother, Anna, but got rejected. (Frenssen)


    What?


    Neurath and Schunzel blurted out at the same time. Remembering that he got the same reaction from Welner when he told him about this, Frenssenughed.


    Anna chose Ali instead of him, then because of that heartbreak, he left the vige and went to the Witthoft House to be a knight. (Frenssen)


    In short, for the former vige head of the Alea vige, the hero was the son of the woman that rejected his son, causing his son to leave the vige?


    Yes, thats right. (Frenssen)


    thats a quiteplicated rtionship, said Schunzel, while crossing his arms with aplicated expression.


    Although both Schunzel and Neurath didnt like the former vige head, they could understand why the former vige head treated the heros family like that alongside with why the heros family showed aplicated expression when they saw the knightmander of the Witthoft family.


    I also heard that the former vige head repeatedly pushed Lily to go work outside the vige. (Frenssen)


    I wont ask where that vige head pushed Lily to work, but did the head of Witthoft house know that the vige head pushed Lily? (Schunzel)


    He should know, right? (Neurath)


    Neurath was the one that answered Schunzels question. But they got the feeling that they would start feeling sick if they continued to think about it in more detail, so they stopped.


    Ah, right. Was Lily the person who painted the picture in Welner-samas room?


    Yes, I also heard that Welner-sama received a handkerchief from Lily. (Frenssen)


    A handkerchief Was it a handkerchief with handmade embroidery?


    Yes. (Frenssen)


    In this world, clothes were expensive, so it wasmon for the wife to make the clothes for her husband and children by herself. The wife would also mend her childrens clothing when it got torn while the children were ying.


    Due to that, there was a popr belief that the children will not get hurt in the same ce when the clothes were mended with love and overtime that belief became The clothes mended with love will protect its wearer.


    Although there were cases of embroidering handkerchiefs for friends, most of the time women would embroider a handkerchief for their family, husband, or lover to pray for their safety when they went to a battle or a journey. Incidentally, this belief was the reason embroidery became popr among the noblewomen.


    I think Welner-sama should know about this. (Schunzel)


    Maybe Welner-sama did know, but it never crossed his mind that he would receive a handkerchief with that sort of intent, so he didnt realize Lilys meaning. (Frenssen)


    But still, isnt Welner-sama too indifferent regarding women? Although his looks are not as good as the hero, its not atrocious. Adding to that, Welner-sama is the heir of a Count house!


    Well, I heard from Norbert-sama that Welner-sama might have some distrust with women. (Frenssen)


    When he was a child, Welner was caught in a carriage ident. Although Welner was wounded, he survived, but his elder brother died in that ident. ording to an eyewitness, that day, Welners elder brother died protecting Welner.


    The problem was what happened after that ident. The family of Welners elder brothers fiancee attended that funeral. That same fiancee was saying something along the lines of <i>Im d you died so I dont have to be married into an official family.</i> at the funeral. Secretly, of course, without the adult knowing. Welner seemed to have overheard those sentences.


    Neurath and Schunzel were taken aback by Frenssens story.


    Their marriage is a political marriage right? Neurath asked.


    Most likely. Did that young fiancee not understand that marriage benefits her house too? In any case, Sir Frenssen, did the Count know about it? (Schunzel)


    I dont know about the Count, but Welner-sama definitely overheard it. ording to Norbert-sama, Welner-sama didnt speak a single word that day.


    Because of his position as the head of the Count house, Ingo that day most likely left the ce for a moment to greet an important guest. Still, because the rtionship between the Zeavert family and the fiancees family didnt continue, one could guess what had happened between the two families.


    I see. Well, after that kind of incident, it cant be helped that Welner-sama started to build a barrier between himself and nobledies. After all, nobledies who approach the heir of the Count house more likely than not have ulterior motives.


    Maybe Welner-sama unconsciously thought that every nobledy that showed affection toward him had an ulterior motive, thus leading him to distance himself from them.


    They were all half-right. At that time, Welner had just regained the memory of his past life. He suddenly was faced with a realization that he was a mob character that would be killed by the subordinate of the Four Heavenly Kings in the future. Adding to that, Welner lost his beloved elder brother suddenly. The young Welner was overwhelmed.


    Though, it was true that the words Welner heard that day made him develop a distorted understanding about what women of this world would think of him. Due to that, despite constantlyparing himself with Mazell in terms of poprity with women jokingly, Welner himself had never had any interest in women.


    Hey, Schunzel, could it be that Lilys existence was actually a great blessing? (Neurath)


    Ah, you might be right. (Schunzel)


    Lily was an honest person. She didnt approach Welner with any ulterior motives. She was perfect for someone like Welner, who had apprehension against women.


    Interacting with her had also softened Welners heart. I couldnt imagine that there would be any other women in the future who could be as close to Welner as Lily, so even if they didnt be a couple, Lilys existence could be called a great blessing that could change Welners distorted perception toward women.


    Ah, right. I remember Welner-sama said he wanted to go to the market to buy Lily some gifts. (Frenssen)


    Well, thats quite unusual. Neurath said, and Schunzel nodded.


    We should go together to <i>escort</i> him, right?


    Of course! This is an important mission.


    <i>Important mission</i>, you said. (Frenssen)


    Yes, we are, after all, Welner-samas escort.


    Frenssen sighed as he looked at the two who had quite amusing expressions on their faces. It seemed like Frenssen would be working alone tomorrow.


    Later on, the rumor that the governor had a fiancee waiting for him started to spread.


    T/N: The source of the fiancee rumor is Welners own subordinate. Lol. Anyway, we got a bit more depth to Welners character. It seems like his brothers death affected Welner more than he let on and I finally understood why Welner has a really bad view about women, especially nobledies. The part of the fiancees family was shown in more detail in the LN.