In the margrave’s office, after completing the interrogation of a series of incidents over the course of several days, I found myself sitting across from Liel at a table.
“This… it all wrapped up so easily…”
Liel was sitting in a daze, completely drained.
It truly was anticlimactic. When I explained the embezzlement to the knight commander, he burst into a rage, marched in with his troops, and after confronting the entire family with the evidence, they confessed almost immediately.
Well, they did seem to resist during the arrest, which resulted in them being beaten up and left in pretty bad shape.
“Well, we knew the location, and it was just a matter of the strongest army capturing opponents who had no means of fighting back. The only way we could have lost was if they managed to kidnap you and flee while we were helpless.”
That was my only real concern—that they might abduct Liel and put her life at risk to buy time for their escape. But since she was cooperative, I had counted on being able to protect her.
So, in a sense, this incident served as a test of her ability to pass judgment on criminals.
“It’s frightening to think about how vulnerable a lord can be when they lack personal combat power in situations like this,” Liel said.
“Yes, that’s why lords always have private soldiers for protection. But in your case, Liel, it’s fine—you’re adored by the soldiers as ‘milady.'”
Indeed, she was beloved by the soldiers of the domain’s army, even though they were a muscular and intense bunch, one of the strongest military groups in the country.
“But… was the judgment we passed really appropriate?”
“Well, I think we found a reasonable compromise. Even if we say ‘kill the whole family,’ the convention is to spare children, and those who had completely distanced themselves from the household were exempted.”
We had brought in everyone residing within the grounds of the steward Brown’s estate for questioning. Those who had left the household were excluded unless they were implicated during the investigation. Since all the culprits were living on the estate, it was wrapped up in a single capture. All the adults in the Brown family knew about the embezzlement, and the branch family members living on the estate were tax officers, so the judgment was relatively straightforward.
They likely kept everyone close to ensure the embezzlement wasn’t exposed.
In any case, if the authorities had known about the crimes and turned a blind eye, they would have been full accomplices. Well, I hadn’t expected him to grant even his wives positions and allow them to enjoy salaries, but that made the verdict easier—just declare the children exempt and sentence the adults to death.
The more difficult case was the merchant association.
Even after torturing the chairman, the only names that came up were the senior executives. And during their interrogations, they testified that neither their families nor the employees were involved.
At that point, it was up to the lord how far to take things.
But if the families were spared without cause, we’d be seen as too lenient.
So, we decided to use the fact that the executives had held their own meetings to label it an organized crime and execute everyone involved. Six people, including the executives, were sentenced to death, and the merchant association was dissolved. Liel stopped at seizing the properties of the association, the executives, and the chairman.
I agreed that this was a reasonable course of action, so I didn’t interfere. Writing in the report to the country that we executed all involved members of the criminal organization wouldn’t be seen as too lenient. It’s better to spare those who can be spared as long as there are no further complications.
That said, those sentenced to death are all still sitting in jail.
Since the steward had been granted a noble rank, we couldn’t proceed with the executions yet. Even though he wasn’t a direct vassal of the emperor, in non-emergency situations, we needed to report to the country and have the title officially revoked before we could carry out the executions. However, we’d already started seizing their personal assets, so there was no need to worry.
Despite the conclusion of the trial, Liel seemed a bit disheartened. She mentioned that the amount of money recovered was smaller than expected—around seven hundred large gold coins.
“Does that seem small? Considering the houses, even if they’re secondhand properties, they’d typically go for well over a thousand large gold coins.”
We had seized all the assets of the dissolved merchant association, including its buildings and supplies. It was unfortunate for the employees who suddenly lost their jobs, but it’s no different from a business going bankrupt due to poor management. They’d just have to resign themselves to having chosen the wrong place to work.
Selling everything from the houses onward should yield a decent amount. Most of it would come from the sale of the steward’s mansion, but when everything is converted to cash, it should easily exceed the initial estimates. And since tax revenues will also increase, there’s no longer much reason to worry.
As I explained this, Liel finally seemed to relax and returned to her usual self.
“That aside, we need to hire more soldiers immediately. For a town of this size, having fewer than a hundred soldiers is far too few. We’re just barely managing because we have strong veterans, but if they retire, we’ll be in trouble.”
“Um… would you help with that too, Lord Licht?”
“Of course,” I replied, and for the first time, she leaned against me, resting her head on my shoulder, her face bright red with nervousness.
Amused, I whispered teasingly, “You’re being quite bold. Will you be visiting my bedroom tonight?”
She jerked away, looking flustered, her gaze darting around.
“Hey, I’m talking about that secret thing,” I clarified.
“Y-You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you!?” she slapped my thigh lightly. “And why can’t we do it now?”
“Oh, right. I thought we’d wait until night, assuming there might still be enemies inside the house, but it should be fine now. Martha should be able to handle things.”
Since the Heinfield family didn’t belong to any faction and had no connections with other houses, there were no spies among the servants. There were only ten of them, and we’d already completed background checks, ensuring none were affiliated with other households.
“Then, I’ll go change!” Liel said, standing up and signaling to Martha with eye contact. For some reason, Martha stepped forward and stood before me.
“Master Grande, thank you so much for everything. Please, from now on, just call me Martha.”
“All right. I could wait until we’re inside the house, but if that’s what you want, I’ll do so.”
After saying this, Martha gave a slight bow and briskly walked back to Liel, who was waiting. As I watched her go, for some reason, Lune stepped forward and spoke.
“Lord Licht, you mustn’t become complacent. You should only let down your guard around the margrave.”
“Right, even though I trust Martha, it’s possible she could be outwitted. Got it. I’ll keep my relationships smooth but with moderation. Thanks for the warning.”
“Th-Thank you, but there’s no need to thank a mere servant…” Lune seemed anxious, like a small child watching something dangerous unfold.
“You’re right, casually bowing or expressing gratitude isn’t appropriate. But your advice wasn’t a small thing,” I said, smiling. Lune looked a bit embarrassed, bowed slightly, and returned to her position by the wall.
Liel returned, having changed rather quickly. She wasn’t wearing a dress, and her makeup and hair hadn’t been altered, so it made sense.
“Welcome back.”
“I-I’m back.”
She seemed a bit self-conscious, likely due to the open back of her outfit.
I turned her around, and as I explained, I began constructing a spell. Black characters formed rings and gradually created a circular shape. I slowly pressed it against Liel’s back, but it resisted, causing me to dispel the magic circle momentarily. I kept my hand on her back and reconstructed the spell, feeling it become slightly easier to control as I continued.
“Ah, s-so, it’s really Lord Licht who used magic…”
“Ah, Lord Licht… congratulations.”
Liel and Lune are surprised that I, who should be unable to use magic due to overload expansion, managed to cast a spell.
Liel’s reaction was as I expected, but even Lune, who was by the wall, was shedding tears. To her, I must have seemed like a pitiful master who would never use magic and would die young.
She didn’t try to close the distance between us unnecessarily.
So, we didn’t talk much, but I could tell she was still devoted to me.
I was so happy to hear her words of congratulations that I responded.
“It’s all thanks to you supporting me… Lune.”
“――――!?” Liel flinched and, for some reason, turned her gaze toward Lune, who unusually shook her head and hands from side to side while on duty.
“Are you jealous, my dear?” I said in a theatrical tone while casting magic on her back for some skinship, and Liel looked at me with a resentful expression.
“Hey, the magic is going to misalign,” I warned, redirecting her gaze back to the front while continuing the healing magic.
“What kind of magic is this…? I don’t mind if you can’t say,” Lune said.
“Hmm, it’s just a magic that disperses magical power. It was tough because normally it doesn’t work like this,” I replied.
Yes. Normally, you can only manipulate your own magical power.
It’s generally believed that one cannot operate and disperse another’s magical power, but I realized through my research that there was a mistake in that assumption.
Manipulating it at will might require the development of mental magic, but I found I could at least forcefully deplete it.
However, at that time, I couldn’t use magic.
Therefore, I had to create magical tools and use magic stones, which took quite a bit of time and money…
“However, while I was in a bad state, you, Liel, are really stiff too. You’re really tense here…”
“Um, is that… bad?”
“Nope. This magic is fine regardless of whether you’re tense or not.
If it looks like it’s not putting a burden on you, I can increase the output. Is that okay?”
Seeing her nod, I increased the output, and visibly, a black mist began to spew out.
“V-visible magical power…?” Lune exclaimed, surprised and showing signs of wariness.
“Don’t worry, that’s not magical essence, so no monsters will be born from it.”
That experiment had been proven in the past according to my books, and nothing had happened when I did it.
So, I was going to continue, but then I noticed that Liel’s breathing was becoming ragged, so I immediately stopped.
“Wait! You need to tell me if it’s getting tough, okay?!”
“No, um… yes.”
She had probably reached the organ near her heart that produces magical power.
I assumed there must be a sensor measuring the remaining magical power there. It was likely that the magic that had been stagnant suddenly melted, causing her to feel uncomfortable from the sensor’s stimulation.
“If I could do it from the front, you probably wouldn’t feel the pressure as much, but that seems a bit harsh, so I’ll go slowly.”
Noblewomen are strongly educated not to let anyone but their husbands and family touch their bodies.
When it comes to sensitive areas, the feeling of rejection is quite strong.
Even among noblewomen, some let loose, but excluding a few, they value chastity.
She clearly belonged to the latter category, so I suggested going slowly to disperse the magic…
“No. Please feel free to touch me. I don’t mind if it’s… Lord Licht,” she replied, blushing deeply.
It would be inappropriate for me to refuse here.
“Understood.” I moved in front of her and knelt down, carefully opening her clothing at the chest without exposing too much, and began to construct the magic slowly within her body.
“Make sure to tell me if it gets painful, okay?”
“Yes. Please do.”
With that, she placed her hand over mine.
Honestly, given our physical state, I didn’t feel anything erotic, but her trust warmed my heart, and the gentle touch of her hand made me feel affectionate, causing me to smile slightly.
“I’m starting now,” I said as I began again, increasing the output and dispersing the magical power.
Once I dispersed it from her chest to her back, the difficulty of manipulating her magical power significantly decreased.
The parts that had become stiff couldn’t be released without this magic, but her life was no longer in danger.
“Just a bit more, hang in there,” I thought, pushing the magic circle forward.
“Ah, it’s almost… I’m still okay, but,” she called out, so I reduced the output.
“With this strength, it shouldn’t be painful, but let me know, okay?”
“Yes…”
As I continued while observing her expression, Liel suddenly looked like she was going to collapse, prompting me to stop the magic.
“I-I’m so sorry! It just came on suddenly… It wasn’t painful, but…”
“Yeah, I understand. That was just dizziness from the stimulation after breaking through the block of magic.
I’ve completely eliminated the magic around your chest. Congratulations. With that, as long as you learn to manipulate your magic, you won’t have to worry about dying.”
As I said this while still holding her hands, she pulled my hands to her cheeks, treating them as if they were something precious and warm.
It made me feel a bit shy, and I let out a sound.
“Just so you know, I’ve only finished with the area around your chest! To completely remove it and increase your magic capacity, I need to break it all down and expel it, so it’s not completely over yet. And then… um, you know what I mean!”
With Liel gazing at me dreamily, I found myself talking for nearly an hour while she responded with nods.
As dinner time came, I informed Lady Emelia that there was no longer any danger to her life. She apologized seriously for everything that had happened up until now.
“Licht, I’ve decided to trust you from now on. I can’t change my perception of the others as enemies, but I’ll trust only you. I’m sorry for everything until now. And thank you.”
“Li-Ht-sama!”
“Ugh… Licht-sama…”
“Good,” Liel said, puffing out her chest proudly.
Finally, Lady Emelia looked delighted to have been forgiven by her sister.
While I felt warmed by the sight of the two of them, I was enjoying the somewhat extravagant dinner when Lady Emelia asked me, “What are you going to do from now on?”
“Well… First, we’ll expand our military. I need to get some tax revenue and calculate how much we can increase, but we’re so short on troops that we can’t afford to wait.
Also, we need to hire a tax collector. They’ll need training as well. But the steward might be difficult… Should I ask my father?”
“Hmm. Isn’t it a bit rude to rely on him that much when you haven’t even paid your respects yet?”
Liel seemed embarrassed, but a steward is someone trained to accumulate experience over generations.
If we were to try teaching someone with no experience, it would take an incredibly long time.
The problem is that I haven’t received the education suitable for a legitimate heir, so I’d be fumbling through it half the time.
However, if I ask him for help, there’s also a fear that the Baron Heinfield family will become too connected to the Grande Ducal family.
I’m not sure about that balance, so I guess I’ll need to consult with my father…
It’s not something I can follow up on as I’m not at the center of the country.
Ideally, this is a matter for the baron to decide, but it would be cruel to force a decision on her when her education is incomplete.
It would put us at a disadvantage, so I won’t mention it to the country. However, if they find out that we have no steward and that I haven’t completed my education as a legitimate heir, it could lead to us being seen as lacking governance capabilities, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Heinfield ended up under royal custody.
Well, the paperwork that could lead to outside evaluations is perfect, so as long as there’s no secret scheming going on, it should be fine even if it gets found out.
“By the way, Lady Emelia, what kind of position do you want to have going forward?”
“You can just call me by my name. But, well, I don’t want to get married. I want to work in the knight’s order.”
Eh…
She doesn’t want to get married. Does she plan on living here forever?
“What’s with that look!? I absolutely won’t marry! I hate kids!”
Ah, okay. Is it self-loathing, perhaps?
Well, I can understand the reason. She was probably deeply mistrustful of people after seeing her beloved sister demeaned so much.
I’m also quite concerned that people around me are worried I’ll become mistrustful of humans too.
If anything, it seems Liel is the odd one out. Normally, after receiving such treatment, one would likely become twisted.
“Well, it’s up to the head of the household, Liel, to decide, but I think you should do what you want.
As long as the circumstances are set, this territory is strong.
It’s not such a harsh place that you can’t survive without connecting with another family.”
While I find it hard to accept a wasteful good-for-nothing, Emilia has power.
She has proper strength that can help the territory.
If her strength and judgment align, it would be fine for her to eventually take the position of captain of the knights.
“I don’t want Emilia to be forced into an unwanted marriage either, but I can’t help but think it would be a waste.
She’s incredibly beautiful…”
Ah, yeah, in terms of appearance.
Perhaps because I was looking at her that way, Emilia shot me a glare, saying, “What’s with that look!”
“Well, the things we know we need to do are about this much for now.
Even so, it’s busy. Once Riel learns mana manipulation and magic, she’ll have to use magic to lose weight and attend school too.”
Huh? Both of them turned their astonished gazes toward me.
They probably had already decided not to go, but it wouldn’t be good to create a past where the lord didn’t even attend school.
From here on, they would likely continue to look down on me.
In noble schools, you can graduate by self-studying at home and just taking tests, but the fact that I didn’t attend school would linger as gossip.
It’s a noble society where only bad rumors spread.
I would be labeled as a lord who couldn’t even graduate from school properly for my entire life.
If I can manage this for two more years, I should definitely make the effort to go.
When I conveyed this to the two, Riel looked perplexed and spoke up.
“Using magic, does that mean there’s a spell for losing weight?”
Ah, so that’s what she meant. I felt embarrassed for the misunderstanding but explained.
“There is. I was planning to hold back until I left home for various reasons, but now I’m thinking of using it. I’ve made up my mind.”
Yes. My sister also said this, but my brothers are just hopeless fools.
They’re the kind of people who get angry and resort to violence, thinking it’s unfair that others have abilities without even making an effort.
If I can adjust that aspect a little, they might only hurl a few abusive words, but honestly, I can’t easily trust people like them.
There’s also a calculation that someone as pitifully overweight as her would find it easier to stay holed up in the library if no one wants to take her out, which is why I didn’t plan to use magic to lose weight until I left home.
However, now that my illness is cured and it’s been decided that I’ll live hand in hand with Riel, there’s no longer a need to hold back.
On the contrary, to prevent even her from being looked down upon, I must now give my all.
“Let’s lose weight together and show them!” I said, taking Riel’s hand straight away.
She seemed a bit complicated, perhaps scared, but she answered with a “Yes.”
