The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 175

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 175

“Of course!”

Isabela answered hastily.

“Of course it’s possible! Who are you sending it to?”

“To the Cardipol Guild Master. Would it be alright to receive the reply here too?”

At my answer, Isabela’s face stiffened slightly.

The Cardipol Guild was the largest trading company that dominated the Eastern Sea.

At the same time, the Cardipol Guild Master was Duke Dibostane’s mistress and the birth mother of the second son who couldn’t receive the Dibostane name.

“That… woman is, well. She’s someone with excessive greed.”

Isabela, a former information agent, had a distasteful expression.

“Even if the enemy of my enemy is my ally, I don’t really like that woman…”

“I don’t like that type either.”

I nodded.

“That’s why I’m not asking to become allies, but rather to make a deal.”

At my firm words, Isabela eventually nodded.

“Well, fine. If it’s something you want to do, then do whatever.”

I liked the phrase ‘whatever.’ Because I could do anything for Alpheus.

“Thank you.”

After politely greeting Isabela again, I read the Magic Tower Master’s letter once more.

The latter part of the letter contained grim content. It seemed the First Emperor had also become a similar monster and crossed over the sea.

Judging by how they took large numbers of humans and beasts just to fill their ranks, it seemed like they needed blood for something.

Since I wasn’t kidnapped, they managed to prevent the completion of the experiment for now, but in the future they might need to prepare for invasions by such unreasonable legions.

But there was also good news among it.

Unlike Alpheus, Valerie regained consciousness at dawn today.

[She’ll need to stay bedridden for a while, but her consciousness has returned. As soon as the essential emergency treatment was finished, the entire Nogen family headed west. According to Grand Duke Nogen’s strong will.]

The Nogen family undoubtedly included Leopold as well.

“I should write a visit request letter to Nogen too.”

I said slowly.

“I need to personally express my gratitude to Lady Valerie.”

“Rest a little first, Brisa.”

Isabela said with a worried tone.

“You haven’t slept a wink. Get some sleep.”

“Yes. I can’t go west right now anyway.”

Many people saw the wolf-dog’s size change at the banquet hall.

Ordinary people might think I had tamed a magical beast.

But people who knew about the curse would surely have noticed Leopold’s true identity.

Even if Harrison was too stupid to realize it, someone like Isabela would definitely have deduced it.

“Leo…pold is…”

When I hesitated and glanced at Isabela, she said sternly.

“That’s a western problem. You don’t need to solve other families’ problems too.”

The cold adult woman had clear boundaries.

“Now go inside and sleep. Children shouldn’t go without sleep for too long.”

Isabela even invoked adult authority to give orders.

“Will you walk on your own, or do you want me to carry you?”

I swallowed dryly while looking at Isabela’s lean muscles.

I remembered that night at the banquet hall when I couldn’t move at all caught by those muscles. Alpheus had essentially assigned me a guardian from hell.

“I’ll walk on my own. Just, let me write the letters first.”

I said while watching Isabela’s expression.

“And when the permission letter comes from the Nogen Duchy, I’ll go west right away.”

Isabela didn’t forbid that. She just set conditions.

“Of course I’m coming with you. I won’t send you alone.”

She said while tapping the snake-shaped ring on her left hand.

“First we need to figure out how to destroy this ring anyway.”

That ring was decided to be kept by Isabela. Not only did it fit her finger well, but she also had the skills to protect herself.

“We should definitely consult with the Nogen Duchy. Actually, shouldn’t we find out how to break this in the west? They have the information network that found even me when I was hiding so well.”

Actually, it wasn’t the west that found her… but I kept my mouth shut for now.

And so, after exactly one full day had passed from that day.

Isabela and I boarded a warp heading west.

* * *

Whatever had happened in the capital, the western landscape was peaceful. This was because rumors about the monster appearances hadn’t spread to civilians yet.

It was cloudy and raining, but the vast plains were still beautiful.

However, when we passed through the always leisurely western scenery and arrived at Duke Nogen’s residence.

The servants at the residence didn’t look very good.

“Welcome. Come this way.”

Leopold came out personally to greet us.

“Grandfather and Great-aunt are waiting.”

But he too looked somehow unhappy.

I stared up at Leopold and asked.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh?”

“Why do all your household members have such faces? Like people who have torture scheduled or something.”

“…Ah.”

Leopold asked back with a bitter expression.

“Is it that obvious?”

“What on earth is going on? Could it be that Lady Valerie…”

The Magic Tower Master definitely said she was fine, but did something happen in the meantime…

When I showed a serious expression, Leopold raised his eyebrows and quickly said.

“Great-aunt is fine. It’s just… Great-aunt’s problem is troubling all of us.”

He sighed and pressed his forehead.

“She seems to have mental aftereffects, insisting that anyone who doesn’t eat garlic should be sent to the Magic Tower. Especially today since it’s cloudy and the sun isn’t out…”

Isabela and I looked at each other with wide eyes in surprise.

The things Valerie mentioned that ‘monsters hate’ were sunlight and garlic.

Moreover, Valerie had directly witnessed an ordinary person who was always with her transform into a monster. It was understandable that she’d develop distrust toward people around her.

“She says everyone in the mansion must eat garlic in front of her… Sigh.”

Leopold muttered while slightly frowning.

“According to Great-aunt, garlic can’t actually repel monsters. They just dislike it, so if you prepare mentally and endure it, you can touch it and such. So she says testing by making people eat it is the sure way.”

One thing was certain.

“That bitter and pungent raw garlic… she wants me to eat it too…”

Leopold hated garlic.

Actually, it wasn’t just Leopold – nobles generally didn’t like garlic much.

Originally, cooking for nobles used ingredients that created mild flavors like butter, cream, and wine sauces rather than strongly aromatic ingredients.

While garlic was widely known as a stamina-boosting food, that made it even more strongly perceived as commoner’s food.

Especially in the west, when they needed fragrance, they used herbs.

Surprisingly, the place where garlic cuisine was developed was the east. This was because the east bordered the sea.

Eastern people used garlic to eliminate the fishy smell of seafood and add flavor.

But in other regions, garlic dishes were limited to accompaniments for pasta or steak.

In other words, there was virtually no way for many people to eat garlic lightly. Not everyone could cook and eat garlic dishes on the spot.

Ultimately, the only convenient way to quickly eat garlic at room temperature was to chew raw garlic.

“That’s true.”

Isabela nodded.

“It’s hard, bitter, and spicy—raw garlic is quite unpleasant.”

The Northern Region was also land where garlic didn’t grow well.

Isabela wrinkled her nose as if even imagining chewing raw garlic was disgusting.

“Surely Brisa and I don’t have to eat garlic too, right?”

There was anxiety mixed in her voice.

I looked at Isabela and said.

“But I think Valerie is right.”

That was my sincere feeling.

“The dark mages’ experiments will continue, and we absolutely must be able to distinguish those monsters in our daily lives. Isn’t simply eating a bit of garlic quite reasonable in terms of cost and procedure?”

I spoke seriously to Leopold as well.

“To know whether a guest who suddenly visits at night is human or not, the time may have come when we must first feed them garlic.”

“Then I’ll say my farewells in advance, Brisa. Soon you’ll be throwing me in prison yourself.”

Leopold spoke gloomily.

“I don’t want to eat garlic even if I haven’t undergone dark magic experiments.”

“Ha.”

Isabela let out a deep sigh.

“I’m an adult so I can’t even use picky eating as an excuse…”

I looked at the two garlic-hating people with pitying eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m just warning you in advance. You’re no exception either, Brisa.”

Leopold sighed.

“All three of us will have to eat garlic in front of Aunt as soon as we enter the reception room. It’s probably already prepared.”

But I also had no intention of chewing raw garlic.

I let out a small sigh.

This wasn’t a simple incident.

The entire continent needed new monster-fighting methods, and at this rate, the culture of chewing raw garlic to prove one wasn’t a monster would surely spread rationally.

“Wait, let’s go to the kitchen.”

I said quietly.

“I don’t want to eat raw garlic either.”

Leopold and Isabela tilted their heads.

I said quickly.

“I’m not asking for some grand garlic dish. It’s just that I…”

It didn’t exist here, but it was definitely in my past life’s memories—’that garlic dish’.

Even in my past life’s world, it was a garlic dish that appeared historically quite late, but in this situation it would obviously be most useful.

“I just want to create an easy and simple garlic food culture.”

After adding that seriously, a moment suddenly came to mind.

“The lives and deaths of our territory residents depend on the Potato Team.”

The era when I fed an entire territory with the resolve not to starve to death.

Remembering that time, I declared solemnly.

“Now the lives and deaths of all the Empire’s citizens depend on garlic.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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