Chapter 83 - Episode 82: From Now On, Together ①
The interactions between Noein and Clara as fiancés were about to enter a step further.
"...They've arrived. Prepare the welcome."
"Yes, understood."
Noein spoke while gazing at the carriage advancing, led by escort knights, along the largest street in the capital city of Noeina that led straight to Noein's mansion. The Chief Retainer, Yuri, responded.
The white carriage approaching was one meant for nobility, owned by the Viscount Koenitz family. Clara should be inside. Today was the day she was to visit the Arqvist territory.
While the carriage slowly approached, Yuri called out to the other retainers and mansion servants to line them up.
The person they were about to welcome was the future Baroness Arqvist—in other words, the woman who would become the number two person in this territory by position. For Yuri and the others, they had to provide a welcome that showed as much sincerity as possible.
Before long, the carriage entered the mansion grounds, the knights of the Viscount Koenitz territory's army stepped aside, and only the carriage approached, coming to a stop sideways in front of the mansion.
The carriage door opened, and Clara stepped out accompanied by a servant of the Viscount's house. Seeing this, Noein stepped forward while Yuri and the others bowed.
"Clara-sama, welcome to the Arqvist territory. I am happy to have been able to invite you to my lands."
"Th-thank you for the grand welcome... Noein-sama."
Noein smiled, trying to provide as much a sense of security as possible. In response, Clara had—an expression so anxious it was pitiful to watch.
Having been raised as a sheltered daughter, it was understandable that she felt this way being suddenly surrounded by strangers in an unknown land, but he couldn't help but worry whether she would actually be able to enjoy this visit.
Sighing inwardly, Noein didn't let it show and welcomed Clara into the mansion.
First, as a break after being shaken in the carriage for a long time, they would have lunch together. The menu was a potato dish prepared by the skilled cook, Rosetta.
He hoped that by eating something delicious, she might relax a little. Thinking this, Noein led Clara into the mansion.
.....
After finishing lunch without incident (the potato dish was well-received by Clara), Noein then gave Clara a tour of the capital city of Noeina.
The urban area where houses and guild buildings lined the streets. Wide farmlands. Untouched plains where construction and cultivation would likely proceed in the future.
Blacksmith workshops built along the river to the southwest, and public facilities such as bathhouses. Furthermore, equipment like the experimental fields within the mansion grounds.
Since it was a rural territory, there shouldn't have been anything visibly rare, but even so, Clara listened to Noein's explanations with interest and looked at the various parts of the Arqvist territory where she would eventually live.
"Clara-sama, you must be tired from looking around at so many things. Shall we return to the mansion?"
"Yes... I enjoyed it very much. To think you could build such a lively territory in only about two and a half years, Noein-sama really is a wonderful person overflowing with talent."
As Clara shared her impressions, the tension she had at the beginning seemed to have vanished, but behind the words praising Noein, her usual lack of self-confidence was still visible.
"The development of this territory is only possible because of the strength of the people. I alone could never... I am still inexperienced. That is why it is very encouraging to have an intelligent woman like Clara-sama come to me as a wife."
"Oh, someone like me..."
Clara spoke with a self-deprecating expression, but until now, whenever she spoke with Noein about academics—especially history—she had exchanged words with a fair amount of proactivity.
From those moments, Noein considered Clara to be a clever woman with deep knowledge of academics. He believed that if she only had confidence in herself, she would be a woman capable of achieving something on her own, rather than just fitting into the position of "the lord's wife."
Returning to the mansion, they drank tea in the garden until it was time for Clara to return to Retovik.
However, shortly after Noein and Clara held their teacups, Pence arrived at the scene.
"Noein-sama, please excuse me in front of your guest. There is a matter I would like you to confirm urgently; would it be possible to spare a moment of your time?"
"I see... All right. For a little while."
Noein responded to Pence, who was consciously using more polite language than usual for the sake of the guest.
"Clara-sama, I apologize, but I must step away for a moment. I will return as quickly as possible, so if there is anything you need, please tell Matilda here."
"Y-yes. Please do not mind me... As a lord, I imagine you must be very busy."
Even as she said this, Clara's face became anxious again as Noein, the only person she knew in this land, departed.
Apologizing repeatedly, Noein left the area and walked with Pence... and once they had reached a place where Clara could not see them, he let out a breath.
"Whew..."
"Noein-sama, was this really okay?"
"Yeah, thanks for going out of your way. Even making you use that unfamiliar way of speaking."
As Noein spoke with a laugh, Pence returned a faint smile.
"I don't mind it. Still, is it really okay to leave Matilda behind with Clara-sama?"
"No matter how many comforting words I give her, Clara would probably just get more depressed. Rather, exchanging words as women with Matilda might lead to some change."
Clara was clearly conscious of Matilda, who stood behind Noein, but she had never exchanged words directly with her, as Matilda was strictly in the position of a servant.
Therefore, by having Pence call him away for no real reason, Noein created an opportunity for Clara and Matilda to talk. He thought that in order to change the current situation, doing something different from before... might be best.
"Does Matilda know about this?"
"No, Matilda isn't the type who is good at conversation, and if I said something, she'd probably just become awkward from nervousness. I haven't told her anything in particular."
"...That's tough for Matilda. You're quite ruthless."
"Ahaha, it's not that big of a deal... I just thought it would be good if a small trigger for change could be born."
.....
Because Noein stepped away, only the guest Clara, the servant of the Viscount's house accompanying her, and Matilda, who was entrusted with attending to Clara, remained in the mansion's garden.
Clara looked very lonely, but all Matilda could do was stand there. Since Matilda was a slave, speaking first to Clara, a noble's daughter, might be considered rude.
A short amount of time passed—Clara took a deep breath and tightened her expression. It was as if she had decided something.
"Excuse me, it's a bit chilly. Could you go get my coat from the carriage?"
The person Clara spoke to was the servant of the Viscount's house who had been accompanying her.
"But My Lady, if I do that, you will be alone..."
"It's fine. This is the territory of Noein-sama, my fiancé. Besides, that beastwoman over there is someone who serves as Noein-sama's guard. Since she is with me, there is no danger whatsoever."
Though the servant showed reluctance at leaving Clara alone, she spoke with conviction. As a result, the servant reluctantly left the area.
Now, only Clara and Matilda remained.
"...Matilda-san. Would you let me talk to you for a bit? Please, sit beside me."
"If someone of my humble status is acceptable, I shall keep you company."
Matilda responded to Clara, who spoke as if she had made up her mind. It seemed that Clara had sent the servant to the carriage specifically to be alone with Matilda.
"Thank you... This is the first time we've exchanged words directly, isn't it? Actually, I've wanted to talk to you for some time."
Clara began to speak, a look of relief on her face after receiving Matilda's consent.
"...To you, and to Noein-sama, I must be a nuisance, isn't that so?"
"That... there is no way such a thing could be true. Noein-sama is happy about his engagement to Clara-sama, and I, as a retainer, find it to be a joyful thing."
Negative words suddenly flew from Clara, and while maintaining an expressionless face, Matilda denied it with a hint of panic.
"Thank you for the kind words. But you don't have to force yourself, you know? Just by watching Noein-sama's behavior from my perspective, it's clear that he places absolute trust in you. I can tell that you two truly trust each other... and love each other."
As Clara spoke, her expression was very lonely.
"Noein-sama is a very wonderful man. Though he is the marriage partner my father decided upon, I myself truly think so... But please, rest assured, Matilda-san. Even if I marry Noein-sama, I will limit myself to fulfilling the role of a noble's wife. I will never get in your way."
Even from Matilda's perspective, those were words of a far too tragic resolution. The way of life Clara described was an utterly empty one, where she would exist merely as a decorative "wife."
"With all due respect, Clara-sama, there is no need for you to say such things. For you are the one who will become the Baroness Arqvist."
"But... looking at you and Noein-sama, I don't think someone like me could ever wedge herself between you. Nor do I wish to wedge myself in. All I can do is stay quietly in the corner so as not to be a hindrance."
Clara made many self-deprecating remarks, but her manner of speaking was more painful than ever before. Hearing this, Matilda's expression involuntarily shifted slightly.
"It's unpleasant that I only say such negative things, isn't it? I'm sorry... I am the daughter of the Viscount Koenitz house, but that is all. I am a plain girl whose only merit is her family lineage, having spent my years up to this age quietly at home. When I think of that, these are the only words that come out."
Looking at Clara, who spoke with a pained face, Matilda learned the reason for the resignation she harbored.
Clara believed that only her position as the "daughter of the Viscount Koenitz house" had value, and that she herself had no value.
Viscount Koenitz likely chose Noein as Clara's marriage partner while considering his daughter's happiness, but that did not change the fact that this was a political marriage. It was not hard to imagine that Clara, feeling a gap between her family lineage and her own value, had her complexes worsened upon hearing of this marriage.
Furthermore, while Clara was a woman with the education and intelligence befitting a noble's daughter, Noein's talent was overwhelming even when compared to her. Witnessing that and comparing herself to Noein, Clara had become even more pessimistic.
On top of that, Noein already had a lover in Matilda. That likely stimulated Clara's inferiority complex even further.
How painful it is to feel that you have no value, that you have no place to belong. That was something Matilda, who had once been abused as a slave in the Earl Kivileft house and had her heart die, could understand.
Matilda had been able to overcome that pain. Noein had scooped up her heart.
Clara must overcome it from here on. Then, what could she do for her? What could she do so that Noein could scoop her up?
"...Clara-sama. It is embarrassing for me to say such a thing from my position, but may I make one request of you, Clara-sama?"
After thinking it over, Matilda spoke.