“―Hmm. I can’t believe it.”
The office of the Valentin territory lord’s residence.
Across the large ebony desk, Lord Oscar raised his face from the thick ledger. He looked back and forth between the ledger and me, and traced the numbers with his finger once more.
“The port unloading tax and the warehouse rental fee. …So this is where the discrepancy that didn’t add up since last month was hiding.”
“…Was I of some help?”
When I asked timidly, Oscar let out a big breath and leaned his body back against the leather-upholstered backrest.
That day, after being treated to a fish sandwich and soup at the port square, I learned through the innkeeper’s wife that the lord’s residence was recruiting temporary scribes and accountants.
It started when I helped the innkeeper’s wife, who had been having trouble adding up the inn’s purchasing costs, the next day. When she noticed that the same amount had been written twice, she clutched her ledger and thanked me over and over.
“They’re looking for someone who can do calculations. Want to go try it?”
The hiring process had required identification. I had revealed my real name to Oscar and the steward, and told them that I had left my family home and had no intention of returning.
He hadn’t pressed me for the reason, and had only promised, “We won’t notify your family from here.”
I never imagined that the lord himself would be the one looking over my work, and even this morning I had frozen at the entrance.
“This is more than enough. I was about to inquire with the merchant, thinking it was a missing payment. …Did you do this kind of work at your family home too?”
“Yes. …Compared to the volume I was made to process every single day at home, this much is nothing.”
At her family home, she had handled not only her father’s territorial accounts but even the private payments that Cedric had foisted upon her. There had been times when just searching for a necessary receipt had eaten up half a day.
Here, the original slips were all in order.
“Part of the warehouse fee had been entered in the unloading tax column. If you check it against this copy, you can confirm it.”
“…This one?”
Oscar overlapped the two sheets I had indicated, and nodded as if convinced.
“…More than this, every day?”
Oscar’s voice suddenly dropped low.
Looking at him, I saw he had deep furrows between his brows, and was staring at my face with an extremely stern expression.
‘Ah… did I make him angry again?’
“I—I’m sorry for overstepping my bounds! I pulled out the past ledgers on my own without permission… I never meant to interfere with the lord’s way of doing things. I only thought that if things were settled even a little sooner, it would ease the burden on everyone…!”
The moment I reflexively stood up and bowed my head deeply—
Thunk.
A cup of warm tea was set down on the desk.
“…Who said anything about overstepping?”
When I raised my face, Oscar was looking down at me, still wearing a sullen expression.
His large hand was braced on the desk right beside my head.
“I was praising your work. …Only, you’re pushing yourself a little too hard.”
“Eh…?”
“Look at your complexion. Your lips are still pale. Aren’t your hands even trembling slightly?”
Only when he said it did I notice that my fingertips had gone completely cold.
I had been so absorbed that I had forgotten both hunger and fatigue.
“Sit down.”
“But there are still this afternoon’s slips to…”
“I said sit down.”
With his thick arm, he pushed my shoulder lightly, and I was pulled back down into the chair.
Oscar sighed and pushed the cup of tea in front of me. From the rising steam wafted a sweet fragrance of honey and citrus.
“That’s enough for today. The slips can wait until tomorrow.”
“But surely, the sun is still high, and since I’m receiving wages I must work as much as…”
“Do you think that unless you’re of some use, you’re not even allowed to be here?”
At those piercing words, my breath caught.
‘…That struck home.’
Unless I was useful, unless I could charm people the way my sister did, unless I endured—I had no worth.
Because “being sturdy and capable” had been the only reason I was ever allowed to draw breath in my family home.
Oscar’s large hand gently covered my stiffened fingertips from above.
Warmth gradually seeped into my chilled skin.
“Listen. Here, it’s not the case that you can’t rest unless you fall ill. You don’t need to push yourself to be useful.”
Oscar looked away and continued gruffly.
“First, get your body back in order. Today I only asked for half a day’s work. I’ll pay the wages as promised. …Though I suppose that makes me the one who broke his promise.”
I wrapped both hands around the steaming cup and nodded slightly.
After that, we talked about one more matter of work.
I would work for several days as a temporary accountant, and if there were no inconvenience on either side, I would be hired as a clerk. He said my lodging could remain at the inn, or I could take a room for staff at the lord’s residence.
“…Could you tell me the room fee as well?”
When I asked hesitantly, Oscar called the steward and had him write down the wages, room fee, and food costs on paper.
After looking at it, I decided to move to the lord’s residence.
By the time I had drunk about half my tea, a small sound came from beside me.
It was Oscar’s stomach.
“…I forgot about lunch too.”
And to think he had been scolding me so sternly just a moment ago.
My mouth loosened even though I thought I shouldn’t laugh.
He scratched his head, looking troubled, and headed for the door.
“Shall we eat together?”
“Yes. …This time, you too, Lord Oscar.”