//Melki: I added a Previous and Next button at the end before the T/n s
"Well... Then I will go and take care of the matter that I have been pretending not to see until now."
Then musuko-san bows in a very beautiful arc.
He's insanely handsome, but I'm sorry, he's not my type.
"I see."
I nodded for the time being, but wondered, pretending not to see it, this, you were skipping work?! Good luck, Knight's Squad.
"Father, um…"
“What?”
I turn my attention towards musuko-san in response to the terrifying voice.
“... I'll come back to report to you when everything is settled, and then I'll... Please allow me to call you "Chichi-sama"¹ as I did when I was a child…!"
“… Once it's finished, uhnm”
“Thank you very much. Well, I'll be going now.”
Then, with a sly smile, musuko-san left, looking very happy and dashing, leaving behind a sparkling afterimage.
At any rate, the butler led me to the office.
It wasn't that far, from the study to the office, so it didn't take more than a minute to get there.
With the butler waiting for me at the door, I entered the room and sat down on the large desk and high chair set in the back.
Sitting down on the high chair accompanied by the side of the big desk, I leaned my elbows on the desk, intertwined the fingers of my hands, and put my forehead against them.
Well, to put it simply, it's a pose of contemplation.
In the meantime, the butler left the room, saying that he was waiting in the butler's anteroom.
If I want to call him, just ring the bell on the desk, right? I understand.
Well.
What should I do? I want to beat myself up.
What was I saying?
Are you stupid?
I knew it. I'm an idiot.
How can I say no to a request like that with a sparkling smile like that?
What? What is it? Why is he staring at me with such respect?
Where did the bad mood of a while ago go?
What's going on in his mind?
I mean, I'm not your father!
What's going on?
Why doesn't anyone question that?
I didn't do anything special!
It's like I've been given a mission, or a burden, or a heavy responsibility.
I'm under a lot of pressure.
What is this? I really have to work very hard.
I can't even throw myself into it anymore².
Why is that?
... This may be sudden, but I’ll going to tell you why I've been trying so hard to get into the entertainment industry.
Ever since I was a little girl, I've always loved to stand out, and I've always tried my best to get the lead or runner-up role in my kindergarten and elementary school performances.
I was not very smart, but I was in the drama club in junior high and high school, and I enjoyed acting.
There was no reason for me not to admire actors in TV dramas.
Because they were all so cool.
It must have been inevitable that I wanted to be one of them someday.
Now, let's get back to the point.
In other words, I have a weakness for beautiful men.
Even if it's not my type, there's no way I can say no to a good-looking man that I rarely see even in modern Japan.
In addition, I am Japanese.
I can't say no. I'm really a typical Japanese.
It was a dead end.
I've always been a person who can't say no when asked.
... I was stuck from the start.
When I suddenly realized this fact, I felt a little better. ......... yeah, that's not going to happen.
Anyway, if people expect so much from me, I can't help but work hard.
No, I don't want to work hard.
There's almost nothing in it for me.
I should have just pretended to have complete amnesia. I'm so stupid.
I'm having pangs in my conscience.
I can't take it anymore. Why did I have to do such a deceitful thing to those good people?
I want to go home!
I'm whining in my head, but on the outside, I'm acting as the cool-headed Augusto.
What the hell am I doing?
Suddenly, I became calm.
I know that no matter how much I hate it, there's nothing I can do about it.
My body is a middle aged man, I have to rule, I have to play Augusto, I have to deceive the butler and musuko-san.
I have to deceive the butler, musuko-san, and even the whole world.
And I don't have anyone who understands me or my predecessors.
I can't go back home because it's in a different world.
Then, if I don't do my best alone, death will likely be waiting for me.
For a moment, I almost thought of my parents and family that I had left behind, but I forced myself to stop.
I don't have time to whine right now.
I can do that later.
I don't want to think about the loneliness or pressure right now.
I don't have the time nor the luxury to cry over the past or feel regret over things I can't get back.
Anyway, I have no choice but to do things one by one without fail.
... But I'm sure I can manage.
After all, it seems that Augusto-san's body is no longer human.
I don't want to admit it, but for some reason I know it's true.
The fact that I'm the one using it may be a waste of treasure, but I still have to make the most of it.
It will only turn out as it will in the future, I have no other choice but to do it.
I quickly change my gear, stand up, and walk over to a nearby bookshelf to stand in front of it.
Okay, so first things first, let's get down to business.
Looking at the spines of the books lined up in the bookshelf, I find that there was a lot of information about the revenue of Werstein's territory, village registers, maps, climate, and other things that I think will be necessary for governing.
Ugh, let's start with these revenues.
For now, I pick it up and look at the materials.
............... I'm not a very smart person, but I can do basic calculations.
Wait... isn't it weird that I can immediately see that something is wrong?
I wonder if it's Augusto-san.
No matter how I look at it, I can't calculate it, but this isn't okay, is it?
Damn it, I want a calculator...!
Let's see, let's see, here's what it looks like, and here's a document that looks like the year before that, if we subtract from this, oh, what was the weather like?
Mostly sunny. Then the crops are not so bad.
I don't need a calculator to do the math, this is fine for now.
But that's not the point.
......... Augusto-san, are you a tax thief?
The amount of taxes collected from the people, the amount of taxes paid to the government, and the amount of money in your pocket don't add up to much.
There's money that's gone missing.
Oh, I see. If you look closely, you'll see that they're collecting taxes separately for the king's birthday celebration or something like that.
And it wasn't given to the king, it was kept in this family's pocket.
You're so smart, Augusto-san!
No, no, no, no.
Oh, wait, this is no good, it's really not good.
I knew he was a very rich man, but no matter what, this is not good.
If you get caught, it's a death sentence.
Oh wait, I don't even know how I know that.
No, let’s leave it for now. We’ll deal with it later.
The question is what to do from here on.
Give it back to the people? Oh no, I've already spent it.
Stop them from collecting next time?
No. The people will get suspicious.
Then take it and send it to the king?
No, the king will be suspicious too.
It's a dead end!
What should I do? This..
Am I dead?
No, I don't want to do that.
Then what should I do?
...... I'm not sure what to do.
And what if we give it back to the people little by little, plus or minus zero?
In addition, let's reduce those useless taxes little by little so that they are not unnatural.
It would be strange if it disappeared, but it wouldn't be so strange if it decreased a little.
Then, let's start giving it to the government little by little.
It would be nice if the money could flow properly in the end.
At any rate, let's recalculate all the data we have so far.
We've decided to give the extra money to the government and the people, based on our current financial resources.
The amount to be given to the people will be used for churches, bridge repairs, road maintenance, and flood control.
The reason for this is that it looks like we got more than we should have, so we'll give it back in a beneficial way.
I think this would be a good way to show that we are doing a lot for the country.
... Ah, if we suddenly do something like that, people will be suspicious because we've been doing wrong for so long.
The quickest way to do it is to expose it to the people, but that might kill me, so I'm going to reject that idea.
... I guess I'll just have to do it secretly, little by little, so that they don't find out.
I'll have to ask the butler's opinion later.
Anyway, now it's time to calculate.
The most recent one is this year's, right? Let's re-calculate from this year's figures for now.
Hmm, this is the amount I've spent so far, and this is my income, ...... It's hard to understand.
Let's at least rewrite it in a spreadsheet.
There was a piece of paper on my desk, right?
I'll have to ask the butler to find the oldest document and bring it to me later.
Thinking like this, I returned to my desk with the documents in my hands.
Wow, not a pencil, but a quill!
And it's a quill pen that dips into ink!
I've always wanted one of these!
But if I make a mistake, I can't fix it, so this is a pain.
I want a pencil.
While I was dwelling on these thoughts by myself, I didn't show it on my face at all.
Or rather, I can’t.
I don't know where or when anyone is looking at me.
It's scary when you think that no one is there but someone actually is.
It's important to have some insurance.
I don't feel comfortable at all, but I'm not going to die.
I'm sure I'll have to relieve my stress at some point.
For now, I guess I'll do it when everything calms down.
After that, I forget everything else and struggle with the documents as if I were completely absorbed in them.
"Master, it's almost time for dinner.”
"Oh, I see.”
When I looked up at the butler's voice, I noticed that it was dark outside the window before I knew it.
I was so focused that I didn't notice that the light in the room was not from the sun, but from a stone that was as bright as a candle.
I guess I didn't notice it because of the constant light intensity.
If it were a candle, it would shake.
Thinking about this, I wiped the pen with a natural motion.
I don't know if it's a habit that's ingrained in this body, but I think it probably is.
But dinner.
I'm not hungry at all, but maybe it's because I'm sick?
Well, I don't think it's that big.
Well I mean normal food during convalescence is harassment after all.
But I might be able to eat normal food even so since I'm not really human anymore.
Oh, maybe that's why I'm not hungry.
I haven't eaten lunch yet, but maybe I woke up around noon?
Well, whatever. A nobleman's dinner must be gorgeous.
… it's a cost reduction target.
If it's too luxurious, it'll wear out my spirit.
Don’t underestimate the common people. I've never had foie gras or caviar or anything like that.
I love egg rice, but what is it?
I'm sorry for sounding like a commoner, but I’m just an ordinary Japanese person, actress or not.
... Butler-san, you're so good to call out to me at the right moment—.
I put my quill in the pen holder and stand up, vaguely thinking about such things.
Then, the butler is waiting for me as I open the door.
As before, thank you for your time. Thank you very much.
The butler led me to the dining room, but on the way, I noticed something inexplicable.
Isn't the maid looking at me all the time?
At first I thought it was just my imagination, but it's not.
Augusto-san's senses are very keen, so I can sense the gazes and presences right away.
What do you call these things?
I think it's called, what... Neeto³.
No... I think it was something like a sheeto⁴ or a meeto⁵ or... I think it was something like that, but, yeah, no, I can't remember.
... Well, it doesn't really matter, does it?
The way she looked at me didn't seem to be malicious.
If I had to pick one, hesitating? Is it? Something like that.
Strangely convinced, I set foot in the dining room.
But there, I am confronted with an unexpected situation.
What the hell is this?
Butler-san is trembling in anger.
I'm scared to death.
"Alfred, calm down.”
"Master, even if you say so, this is too much…!"
... Hmm, lack of communication, I see.
Meat, meat, meat, laid out on the table.
It looks very tasty and fatty.
However, there is a large amount of high quality meat dishes that were completely on the verge of making me fat.
I feel like I'm going to get heartburn just looking at it.
This is harassment, isn't it?
But I think this was probably Augusto-san's normal meal.
And I think he threw away what he couldn't finish.
Because this is more than enough food for one person.
There's enough for 10 people.
I don't know what to do. I'm not even hungry, but I definitely can't eat this much.
It doesn't matter how much I deviate from a human being, I can't. I don't have the appetite.
“What the hell was the head chef listening to…?"
“Alfred.”
“But, master… !”
I call out to calm the butler who’s anger seems to have yet to subside.
My feelings are, well, complicated, but it's nothing to be angry about.
Well for the time being, I’m scared, so please calm down for now.
"There are few people who can believe that I've changed overnight.That’s all it is.”
”Master…”
I almost laughed at the butler who muttered with an unconvinced, bordering sad tone.
You can't really blame them for this, can you?
The things you do on a daily basis is important, that's what it means.
I'm not sure what to do with the meat.
“…This is a waste of money, isn't it? Alfred."
“What is it, Master?”
“Call all the servants.”
“Not just the chef, but all the servants?”
“Yes, all of them.”
“Understood”
A few moments later, a total of sixty people gathered in the hall: twenty maids, five gardeners, fifteen private soldiers, ten chefs and other kitchen staff, and ten menial workers.
Surprisingly, that's a lot of people. Maybe that's because this house is unnecessarily huge.
At first, I thought of inviting them to the dining room, but due to the number of people, I asked them to gather in the big hall where parties are held.
The idea was to have someone take care of the dishes while we greeted each other and talked about the future, but there was no way I was going to let them know that, was there?
As I looked around, everyone seemed to be nervous.
However, a third of the people were half-crying, and the rest were looking at me suspiciously, which was a rather strange situation.
Incidentally, the people who were half-crying were either middle-aged or elderly, so I guessed they were people who had been in this house for a long time.
In other words, the rest of the young people are people who joined the house in the past 12 years, not because they don't know who the owner of the house is, but because they are wondering who this person is. It's like, ‘Who is this guy?’
Yeah, I can't help it.
“First of all, let me introduce myself.
I am Augusto Werstein, the owner of this house and the head of the Werstein family.”
When I said so without hesitation, they looked at me even more suspiciously, but what does that mean?
Well, that's fine. For now I don’t care
“What, there’s no need to be so nervous. I won’t do anything bad”
Skill! Villainous line!
When I looked around, from that tense atmosphere, all the servants who seemed to be suspiciously looking at me a while ago had a uniform expression of tension.
Alright, now everyone heard me. Now, let’s do it.
Having that settled, I take a light breath and start my words, conscious of the volume of voice that could reach far.
“You have two choices.
You can either stay in this mansion and work harder than ever, or you can leave this mansion and move to another one.”
“So are you telling us to leave this mansion… !”
The moment I said it, a cocky-looking, servant-like person who looks like he's not quite out of his boyish years came to bite.
Ah, young, aren’t you?
“I don't remember allowing anyone to speak. But it's fine, I said I won’t treat you all badly.
If you're going to switch to another family, I'll at least try to find you a good one.”
As I said that mixed with a sigh, he shrank as if withering.
Hah, small fry, small fry.
"Your work, except for a small portion is really not something pretty to look at.
If you don't want to stay in this house then go to another. That’s all.”
I crisply state the current situation.
In fact, we don't need people who don't work, so I want them to go somewhere else.
That's why.
After all, the mansion will probably become tight financially.
Then, one of the maids interrupted me.
"... What will happen to this mansion if I go to another house? You're not going to clean it, are you?”
I see. Well, I understand what you mean.
"Well... Again, I don't remember allowing you to speak, but it can't help, there are a lot of uneducated people here.”
"What...!
If I calmly say it from a position from the top from the very start, the maid won't be able to say anything.
Well for now I’m the lord of this house, so I don't think it's a good idea to talk down to them like that all too much.
Or rather, please stop, the butler will explode.
He’s always near me, I’m afraid of being close to him like this.
No, seriously.
Even now, his face is smiling, but he stands firmly.
An aura of anger on his face!
I’m scared inside, but I tried to act calm with a sigh, and continued.
“… Well it’s fine I’ll let it go this time.
Well if there are fewer people, what is the difference from before?”
“…!"
When I responded back as such, the maid choked her words with a frustrated expression.
I'm sure you have some idea.
I'm sure this hall isn’t usually used at all.
I don't know if that's why, but it's not cleaned at all.
If you look around, you can even see a thin layer of dust on the window sills, maybe an full inch or so.
Even the curtains are so whitish with dust that if you were to slap them now, I’d probably make a huge mess.
I wonder what that would look like for an aristocratic mansion.
“You left it to a few serious people and did nothing. Isn't that right?”
To a maid like this, even being told that—.
It has no persuasive power—.
"Master, permission to speak?”
Suddenly, a serious-looking young man put his hand on his chest and opened his mouth while bowing.
“Hmm. Go on”
I'm hoping the next one will be better, I think, and urge him to go on.
“It is true that until now, more than half of us have not been working diligently.
But isn't that also the same for you, sir?”
Yeah, uhm.
“That's why I've provided you with a choice, didn't you understand?”
“I… !”
When I retort back calmly, he makes a surprised face as though he only just noticed.
What’s with this, are there only people with bad brains here?
I've had my own shortcomings, so instead of unilaterally letting them quit, I left them with choices.
That’s how it is, how strange, could it be that this work had no culture of "reading the atmosphere"?
If that's the case, I'm in for a huge culture shock...!
What? But, butlers have that kind of thing, don't they? He read the air right?
No, it's fine for now. I'll think about it later.
Leave, leave it.
“I'm not going to chase anyone who leaves. I'll get you another job. What's the matter?”
“Master, If you would allow me to speak”
“... I'll allow it.”
This time you will read the air as expected, right? When I looked at the person who spoke while thinking about it, it was a middle aged man with a big beard and a nice dandy, with an atmosphere that was perfect for the word samurai.
He was probably in his early 40s.
About the same age as Augusto-san maybe?
As soon as I thought that, for some reason, he knelt down at my feet.
Ehhhhhhhhhh?
"First of all, Master, we have all been looking forward to your return. Congratulations on your recovery.”
"I see.”
I forced my confused mind to work, and answered shortly for the time being.
I wonder why I’m being knelt to by an uncle.
Is it because I’m his boss?
“We, the Werstein's private army, have our mission to protect our master. We will not go to other families.”
By these words said so seriously, I see there are people who have high loyalty towards me as well. I thought about it for a moment, but then his words echoed through the hall, and as soon as everyone understood what he was saying, there were murmurs from everywhere.
“Commander...!"
I see.
—A pillar isn't it?
Well, that's the way it's been until now, it can’t be helped.
I looked at them with a sense of resignation.
Then, the commander of the group, as he was called, shouted in a tense voice that echoed throughout the area.
"Shut up, you newcomers! We don't need any weaklings. If you don't like it, go be a soldier somewhere else!”
The private soldiers were even more confused by his words.
"But why?”
"The Master was out of his mind for twelve years. But not anymore.”
"What guarantee do you have that we are not being deceived?”
It was like a scene from a drama, and I was a little excited to see the soldiers desperately appealing to the commander while holding ounces of hesitance in response to his smooth words.
But, well, that's what people usually think.
... But you really shouldn't say things like that in front of me, seriously.
I'm scared shitless of the butler.
Somebody help me.
“What the hell are you talking about?
You can tell that by the way he acts, the way he looks, and most of all, by looking in his eyes.”
What?
The Commander's crisp words and actions confused me immensely inside.
"Stronger and nobler than anyone else, the admiration of all knights, that is our master!”
Wait, wait, wait, I don't know anything about that.
What, do I have to act like that?
I can't picture it, what should I do?
“Then what will you do if he turns back to like before”
“Are you an idiot? The current Master has overcome everything and now stands here.”
What? I'm sorry, I can't keep up with you.
”There is nothing more painful for Master than what happened at that time! Therefore, Master will never look like that again.”
… no, uh, just how much is that.
“… that’s quite the overestimation I’d say”
I accidentally interrupted him, but I can’t help it, okay.
However, the leader of the group opened his mouth with a grin and seemed to be enjoying himself somewhat.
“What are you talking about, sir? You really like to underestimate yourself, don't you?”
“Is that so?”
No, no, I think you're overestimating me too much.
Or maybe Augusto-san was originally a really great guy?
I can't imagine what it's like to reach the point of even turning into a pig.
Well, whatever. I'm not going to think about it.
“That’s right. Well, that’s why I respect you a lot”
The middle aged man smiled happily, saying so.
It's really complicated.
Because that's not me.
No matter, I'm sure these people can handle it, so let's get down to business.
"... Oh, by the way, there's much more food in the dining room than I can eat.
Please divide it between the members and clean it up so that there is no waste. "
“Oh just that? It's a piece of cake, but is that alright?”
“I don't mind. I told you, I can't eat it all.
— You can take everything and leave just one portion, it's enough if you just eat it without throwing it away. I want to avoid wasting money.”
“Understood, I’ll head to the dining room with a few people later”
“I’ll be saved"
Well, that solves the first problem!
Throwing it away is out of the question! I'm glad we were able to work something out.
In the meanwhile, let's take care of another thing.
"Oh, yes, chef.”
"What is it, sir?”
The moment I called out to the chef, he seemed to have been scared out of his wits.
The guy just jumped up and down.
No, no, no, it's fine, I'm not going to make a comment. It's too much trouble.
"If you're going to stay in the family, that is.
With only meat the nutrition will be unbalanced. And the quantity is too much.
Like that it would be useless. Change the portion to what a normal human would eat and make it mainly of vegetables
Also, instead of just wasting expensive food, make good use of cheap food as well.”
The chef looked surprised, confused, and unsure of what to do.
I don't really get excited by this kind of look from a normal guy.
I want you to become a more beautiful middle aged man before you come back.
“... but cheap things on the Duke's table ... “
"I said you could use cheap things well. Do you mean that the Duke's chef can't do that?”
As long as I smile ironically and tell him to blast, and the chef turns momentarily surprised before switching into a serious expression.
Yeah, you can make a good expression, huh.
Although you’re just a regular middle aged man.
"... Does that mean that from now on, even if I use cheaper ingredients, I should be able to make dishes that will not bring shame to our family?"
"If you know that much, then do so next time. If it’s with your hands you can, right?”
"Yes, sir, even if it costs me my life!”
The chef exclaimed proudly with a bout of motivation, put his hand on his chest and bowed.
It's not like you have to bet your life on it, though.
Oh well, let’s just leave it.
“…Now, I know some of you are confused. I'll give you a night to think about it.
During that time, you can decide what to do with yourselves.
Dismissed. Alfred, you take care of this.”
"Yes, sir.”
After saying as much as I could for now, I left everything to the butler and returned to the dining room.
After Duke Werstein left the hall, the remaining servants were frozen in place, unable to move.
Then Alfred, the head butler of the house, opened his mouth.
"Well, gentlemen. Is there anything you want to say?”
Immediately, the servants, whose consciousness seemed to have finally returned to reality, began to speak in their own opinions.
"What do you mean, Alfred-san! It's practically a different person!"
“That was really cool…!”
"Hey, that's a different person, right? No matter how you look at it …, it's not the head.”
“It's a shadow warrior right? The master is too much of a poser so he brought that wonderful person.”
“What else could it be?”
“Watch your mouth, I'm telling you, it's the Master himself.”
The young servants, who had been saying whatever they wanted, fell silent at once as the butler, with his calm expression, said giving off an aura of anger.
In the midst of all this, the oldest gardener, Markt, muttered to himself as he narrowed his eyes nostalgically.
I... It reminds me of the old days, when him and his wife were walking together, so very closely resembling a painting."
“Really!? Grandpa! I've never heard that before!”
"You were only two years old or so, so it's natural you didn't know.”
The old man just gave a carefree reply to his astonished grandson.
Then the butler called out to such servants calmly.
“That's enough chit-chat for now. Let's get down to business.”
The butler's words, accompanied by his light adjusting of the position of his monocle glasses, made the servants brace themselves.
The butler looked at them with some satisfaction and continued.
“If any of you are leaving this house, pack your belongings and return to your parents' home this evening.
Don't worry, I'll mail you a letter of introduction to your next job.”
Words spoken calmly, as if throwing them away.
The expressions on the servants' faces turned tense.
"... Our reputation isn't very good right now. It'll be up to you to get the newcomers to do well.”
I guess it was a done deal now.
And, as you can see from the fact that no one had any doubts about what was said, it seems that all the servants knew that would be the case.
“I will not stop anyone who wants to leave our house even if we have to go through that whole ordeal. Please do your best at your next job.
Tomorrow, we will confirm the number of people and check the list. Now, dismissed.”
The butler's voice echoed through the hall.
At the same time, all the servants, with complicated expressions on their faces, scattered like spiders and returned to their posts.
However, in the hall that was supposed to be empty, there was a figure.
The only one left was a plain-looking maid with glasses.
She stood alone there, raising the corners of her mouth and grinning.
“I thought it was a miss, but maybe I’ll enjoy it this time”
The muttered words spoken along a small laugh were absorbed by the long hall.
"Mitya! What are you doing, let's go back!
"Oh, sorry! I'm coming, I'm coming!”
Another maid suddenly appeared and called out to her.
Then, with a timid tone that was completely different from the previous atmosphere, she disappeared from the hall in a hurry.
Click on the number to go back to where you were before.
[1] : 父ー様(Chichi-sama), previously he uses 父(Chichi), it shows more respect when he adds the 様(sama) to it
[2] : do it randomly/go with the flow
[3] : ニート(Nito), she’s trying to say “Neat” here
[4] : シート(Shito), something like trying to say "Sheet" maybe.
[5] : ミート (Mito), probably "Meat"
[6] : イケてるオジサマ (Ike Teru ojisama) - Cool (old man/uncle)
[7] : イケオジ(Ikeoji) - the abbreviation of Ike Teru ojisama