Well, here's what happened since then.
After we parted ways with the old man with the dense character that day, nothing of note happened, except for a few people who had the guts to come up and say hello.
No, they asked me a lot about the clothes I was wearing, so I told them that they were remakes, but other than that, it was peace itself, and I went home as usual.
The next day, the last day of the party, was also peaceful and nothing special happened, except that more people came to greet me, so I cut it all off.
I'm currently at home struggling with a mountain of papers.
It is the morning of the eleventh day today, ten days after I became a ojisama.
Oh great.
It's no wonder that socializing at parties is such a useless hassle.
After all, you have to act like you know who you're talking to and act all pompous and dignified in order to avoid being licked.
I don't know why they do that, but Augusto’s knowledge tells me that's what he knows, so I guess that's how a high ranking nobleman should be, or maybe it's just common sense.
Well, I don’t know though.
Anyway, it's nothing but a pain in the ass, this party!
It's much easier to just do the paperwork.
And thanks to my high specs, it's a breeze!
I can add, subtract, divide, multiply, and everything else without a hitch!
I was in such a good mood that I was almost humming, but I couldn't let any of that show on my face, so I kept a straight face that could only be seen as cold-hearted, and while I was finishing the papers in front of me one by one, trying to act like I was watching them seriously,shitsuji-san appeared.
As expected, I've learned to recognize shitsuji-san's presence, so I'm not surprised anymore!
Though I'm surprised by this uselessly high specs of Augusto-san!!
Because normally, you can't, right?
You're throwing away being a human, being able to notice this unassuming shitsuji-san.
… Ah that’s right, I wasn’t a human anymore.
While slightly despairing at the fact that I had remembered, I put the sheet of paper I was carrying in the pile of the finished one and called out to the butler.
"What is it?"
"Excuse me, Dan’na-sama, but there’s a letter for you, what shall I do"
I turned my gaze from the next document to the butler and saw a black box in his hands.
It was about the size of a calligraphy box I used when I was in school.
It probably has a letter in it.
Well, I'd better take a look, just in case.
"......... Let's have a look."
There's still space on the desk because I haven't put the next document down yet.
Shitsuji-san understood this without me saying anything, and placed the black box in front of me.
I had a bad premonition when I heard the unrefined, heavy sound of the box.
"This way, please."
The box was opened like a trunk, and inside were a lot of crammed letters, or rather, very packed, what’s this called again, I forgot.
Oh well, whatever, more importantly.
"......... That's a lot."
“Yes that’s right, I suppose there’s simply this many people who want to be acquainted with Dan’na-sama."
I was inwardly dismayed by the butler's words, which he muttered in an indifferent but somewhat proud manner, but I didn't want to, it was too much trouble.
What is this amount?
What? How many of these are there?
There are about a hundred, no, it's not strange if there are more.
Because you can only see the top of this.
I'm too scared to see how many are hidden underneath.
"...... Alfred."
“Understood. Please leave the writing to this Alfred."
Shitsuji-san, with a fresh smile on his face, assured, closed the black box and held it in his hands as if to collect it.
Well, as expected of shitsuji-san
I can't tell you how grateful I am that shitsuji-san understood my intentions just by calling out his name and took the most appreciated action.
I even want to worship him.
I'm not going to do that, though.
"...... Don't put too much effort"
"It's for Dan’na-sama's sake, so please don't mind it and go about your business without worrying."
I was so grateful that I couldn't help but say a few words of appreciation, but shitsuji-san, who has a wonderful inner life, didn't even look uncomfortable, in fact he looked slightly pleased.
All I can say is thank you.
It was the ultimate gratitude.
Then, I suddenly decided to tell shitsuji-san about something I had been thinking about.
"Well, about the affairs of state"
“Whoa, what is it?"
"I think I'd like to go back to the estate."
“My...! However Dan’na-sama, are you sure?"
Shitsuji-san's eyes widen in surprise and he checks me a little impatiently.
I was a little surprised by his reaction.
I'm not sure if it's a good idea for me to go back now, because I don't think the people trust me at all.
I exhaled a small breath and said crisply.
"It's something I'll have to face sooner or later."
The butler nodded earnestly with an expression of determination on his face.
“… Understood, if you're so determined, I won't say anything.
I'll make the necessary arrangements, but I'll go prepare the letter first."
“Okay."
I replied with an open mind, but what do you write in a letter?
───...... At this time, nothing else came to mind, so I didn't think of any other factors that might cause shitsuji-san to panic.
I'm sure that if I had thought about it more, it would have come to mind.
But since I was kind of lost every day, I looked calm, but I wasn't, so I didn't realize it.
Not only the people of the territory, but also in the mansion where Augusto-san lived, there was such an element that could make shitsuji-san panic......
After a while, the letter that shitsuji-san brought was of such high quality that I guessed where to write it to, and was convinced by myself.
That's right, going back to the territory without saying anything to the king, no matter how you think about it, is stupid.
Yes, I'm talking about myself.
No, I mean I knew it. I did know, but I'm an idiot. I'm an idiot.
Of course, even in today's society, if you go back to your parents' house without saying a word to your boss, you may not get a formal written warning, but you're bound to get into trouble afterwards.
I was disillusioned with myself, but I still had to do my best to live, so I put together a sentence in my head, took out a special ink pot for letters from my desk drawer, and was about to put it on the desk when I suddenly realized.
“Mhm"
I thought I had taken out the ink pot, but I must have taken out the wrong one.
How stupid can I be?
I mean, what is this?
I couldn't help but stare at it.
It looked like a small box.
It's a chic red box, different from the one that contained the ring of the head of the family.
......... Red?
I opened the box to confirm the thought that had passed through my mind for a moment.
Inside was a ring with a light green gemstone.
The light green color was the same as that of the eyes of that person whom Augusto-san loved.
"Julia's ring… is it"
He must have taken it off because he couldn't wear it anymore due to his change in physique.
And Augusto-san carried it around as a pendant or in a small box, the memory of which came to mind vaguely and made me feel a little sad.
No, well, I had thought before that it was probably around here, but I don't need to find it now.
I mean, I can't have this with me, can I?
After all, I'm not Augusto-san.
If that's the case, I'd rather put it gently in Julia-san's grave, where Augusto-san's ring is probably kept.
Because the real Augusto-san has already gone to Julia-san's place.
I'm sorry that I can't make Augusto-san's grave for him, but if I get the chance, I'll do something.
Thinking about this, I closed the box and put it in a prominent place so that I wouldn't forget.
Then I took out the ink pot from the drawer again, finished the letter without any problems, and handed it to shitsuji-san
... After that, I sent a letter to the acting lord of the estate, stating that I was returning, and made preparations to go to the estate, and two days passed.
I wondered why it was taking so long, but considering the long-distance travel of the nobility, it was apparently one of the fastest.
They had to maintain the carriage, sort out the soldiers to escort me, change clothes and food, check the route, and then I had to put together that pile of documents that I was in the middle of calculating, and take both the completed and uncompleted portions with me.
Two days is not that long, is it?
The fact that I realized it again made me shudder a little at how capable shitsuji-san is, but I guess it can't be helped.
I'm still fighting with the paperwork as I boarded the carriage with the extended space magic that is reserved for the head of the duke's family.
If I don't finish this, I won't be able to start the next one, so it can't be helped.
I've always thought that this carriage is a bit like a house.
It doesn't shake, it's spacious, it has a kitchen, a bedroom, and even a shower room.
I could live here, seriously.
... It's bigger than my room in the apartment I used to live in, but yeah, I'll pretend I didn't notice.
It's been about three hours since we left Augusto-san's mansion in the royal capital, where he spent twelve years, but so far nothing special has happened, and if things go smoothly, we'll reach Augusto-san's territory in three or four days.
By the way, as for what shitsuji-san and the onmitsu-san are doing right now.
Shitsuji-san will be waiting in the next room to bring me tea and food.
And onmitsu-san will be ahead of the carriage route to inform of any abnormalities that the soldiers cannot control.
It’s a ton and too much, that I can’t even put it into words.
Thank you so much for your hard work.
As I was thinking about this, I suddenly noticed that the scenery wasn't moving, and I also noticed that the signs around me seemed to be getting weirder.
Well, were there any onlookers around the carriage?
Also, there's someone in front of the carriage.
...... What is it, a fight?
... On that day, Lululia, a city located about three hours by carriage from the royal capital, was in an uproar.
It was because the soldiers guarding the city had informed the people of the city that Duke Werstein, the most notorious man in the country, would be passing through the city for the first time in years to return to his domain.
No matter how close the city was to the royal capital, it was still too early for the rumors to spread, and even if the rumors Duke Werstein becoming a wise man had reached the city, there was no one who believed them.
Therefore, the people of the city were all anxious that the Duke would commit some atrocity in the city.
Then, in the morning before noon, the Duke's carriage came into the city.
Five carriages in all, led by a glittering yet solemnly decorated carriage befitting the second-highest position in the country, made their way through the quiet city.
If you were to get closer, you would notice a coat of arms with a moon and rose on the side of the carriage, indicating that it belonged to the Dukes of Werstein.
But no one approaches, just stared with frightened eyes as the carriage passes by in the distance.
Despite the wishes of the people of the city, who hoped that nothing would happen to them, the gods of fate were cruel.
A small, unknowing child had jumped out in front of the carriage.
He was about five years old, and judging from his clothes, he was probably a boy.
It was a fragile life that could have disappeared with the slightest shock.
The people who witnessed it let out a convulsive scream.
However, as luck would have it, the carriage was not going too fast and stopped in front of the child with plenty of time to spare, thus avoiding the tragedy of the child being run over by the carriage.
However, it was the duke's carriage that the child had stopped.
Even if it was an ordinary nobleman, it would have been rude, but it was the carriage of a higher-ranking person, the infamous Duke Werstein.
The people of the city gave up on the child's life.
However, the child's mother could not give up.
With the horse stopped in front of her, she ran over to the stunned child and shouted.
"I'm so sorry!"
The soldiers who were guarding the carriage came to check on the sudden stop, and when they saw the mother and child frantically apologizing, they realized what had happened and opened their mouths.
"What are you doing!"
It was just a call to get out of the way, but the mother could not take it that way.
"Oh, no! I'm so sorry! I don't care what happens to me! I don't care what happens to me! Please, not this child!"
“Wha, whoa! Mom! Mom!"
The mother's tearful, desperate plea and the child's sobbing at the mother's fury and the unsettling atmosphere echoed throughout the area.
A soldier tried to talk to them, but the panic-stricken parent and children just cowered and sat there crying and screaming.
In the midst of all this, a man who looked to be a representative of the city, in his fifties, stumbled out as if he were rolling.
"What the hell... Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry! Get out of the way right now!"
"No! Don't take this child away from me!"
“Aaah!"
The people of the city who could only stare at the echoing, heartbroken voices twisted their faces in frustration.
The younger women looked away, unable to bear watching the scene.
Stopping the carriage of a high-ranking nobleman was a serious event that could lead directly to death.
In other words, the three people in front of the carriage could have lost their lives at any moment.
The man who represented the city did not even think about the possibility of his own death.
But rather the fact that the residents of his city were challenging the duke's family, which he could not bear, so he ran away.
The mother could not bear the thought that her precious child, who was born late, might die due to the unreasonable status of the family, so she ran away to go after.
The child, who was the cause of all this, had became interested in the crowds of people, which were rare in the city, and left her mother's hand on her own and started running at full speed.
The child’s small body easily slipped through the crowd, and as a result, could easily ran out in front of the carriage with all the force driven from curiosity.
Time passes without anyone being able to stop the tragedy that is about to happen.
But then, the soldiers suddenly opened the way and the carriage doors opened.
The air froze, as the infamous duke was about to make an appearance.
However, contrary to the expectations of the people of the city, it was a beautiful man of mature age who emerged from the duke's carriage.
He had a slender physique and silvery blue hair.
His face was so beautifully sculpted that it was almost frightening.
The woman who happened to be looking at him let out a sigh of admiration as her long, ice blue eyes looked around.
"I've got an idea of what's going on, but I have to ask.
What the hell is going on?"
The low-pitched question, with the sex appeal that only comes with age, stunned the people of the city.
It's not only the representatives of the city who were desperately trying to get rid of the parent and child, but the parent and child were no exception.
“Whoa, I'm sorry, Dan’na-sama, but it seems that a child ran out in front of the carriage."
"Oh, I see. Well, from the looks of it, it looks like so"
The one who answered the man's question was a soldier who seemed to be the captain standing closest to the man.
The sudden appearance of the unexpectedly beautiful man left the people around him confused, but when the soldier said “Dan’na-sama," their confusion peaked even further.
In the midst of the commotion, the man who took one look at the three people in front of the carriage suddenly opened his mouth.
"Hmm, well, that's all right, you guys."
“Whoa, yes?"
The representative of the city responded to the man's call with a bounce.
“Are you're planning to stay there forever, it’s dangerous, so move."
The parent and child who had been sitting there were stunned by the crisp but calm voice that sounded somewhat compassionate.
In the midst of this, the representative of the city, who had turned bright red with shame, embarrassment and impatience, replied in a panic.
"Yes, yes! My deepest apologies for the inconvenience! Let's go, you two!"
The representative of the city, who chewed a little but urged the parent and children, was red to the ears.
“Eh, oh, yes."
The mother stepped aside with the city representative, taking the child with her, who continued to stare at the man with a dumbfounded, puzzled look on her face.
After seeing this, the man nodded his head and walked towards the carriage.
But then the representative of the city impatiently waited for him.
"Hey, uh!"
"Hey, you're being rude!"
The representative of the city turned pale at the soldier's sudden stillness, but the man who had been approached did not seem to mind.
He turned his gaze in the direction of the representative.
“…I don’t mind, let’s hear it"
Feeling a little relieved by his words, the representative asked the man, still fearfully.
“Uh, well, the blame…"
In response to the representative's words, the man muttered in an indifferent voice, as if he had just remembered.
"Eh, I see, it was only natural for the nobles to take rude revenge on the people."
The representative, who realized that the man's words might have been a snake, broke out in a cold sweat, but still struggled to speak up.
"This town is more or less wealthy, so I can pay you for compensation, and I can get rid of that parent and child! So, please...!"
"What are you talking about?"
The man's eyebrows furrowed as if to say that he really didn't understand the representative's plea.
"Wh? I mean, you see, the compensation."
"When a person in the city misbehaves, it is the person in charge who must take responsibility.
It's not right to make the lower people responsible.
Just as a parent is responsible for a child, so must the one who is in charge be responsible."
The man's words were almost incomprehensible to him, as he was a small man before being a representative of the city.
Still, due to the common sense of this world that one should not go against the nobleman, I acted as if I understood and sympathized with him, and said the words of apology.
"I'm sorry, too! I was out of line! Please forgive me!"
A cold sweat or a sebaceous sweat, it was hard to tell anymore, ran down the representative's temple.
"Hmm, okay.
I don't expect you to understand."
The man who had spoken such cold words crisply let out a sigh of exasperation.
He continued to assure the representative, who was still looking at the man as if to say something.
"I don't have time for such trivial matters.
Rather, the problem is the delay in our arrival in the next city."
“Eh? Well, I mean, what in…"
"Don't you understand, I'm telling you to pretend I wasn't involved. It's too much trouble."
The man's expression twisted into one of annoyance, and the representative of the group fell flat on his face in great sweat.
“…! Thank, thank you for your blessings…!!"
"Then I'll go now."
"Hahaha! Have a nice trip! May the Goddess Lunamilia bless you, Duke…!!"
The man got into the carriage without even glancing at the representative, who was about to rub his forehead on the ground.
After confirming this, the soldiers drove the carriage.
As the sound of hoofbeats echoed through the air, the representative of the group remained flat on the ground and watched the carriage go by.
When the line of carriages disappeared from sight, the representative finally raised his body and slumped down.
A/n: Next time, I want to make Ojisama overpowered.
That was nerve-wracking. That town representative probably lost a few kilograms from the cardio and sweating so much.
Thanks for translating this series. I had so much fun reading this but sadly I have to wait now.