The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 67

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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 67

 

After having breakfast like that, we spent the morning teaching him things like Hand, Jump, Stand.

 

“I’m certain.”

 

Alpheus said while stroking Wolf-dog’s head.

 

“He doesn’t seem very dangerous. Yesterday he showed that aggression because he was too starved and hadn’t seen people in a long time.”

 

“I know about this kind of thing. I’m really familiar with it.”

 

I agreed seriously.

 

“My mother was really violent in the morning after being locked up at night too. But then when she started going through the daily routine with me, she’d get better again. Especially when I showed her my perfect side, she’d calm down quickly.”

 

“Perfect side?”

 

“Studying hard and getting everything right on tests, stuff like that.”

 

“How old were you, where, and what? Didn’t you enter the Academy after your mother passed away?”

 

“From childhood that I can’t even remember, at home, taking test questions that Mother made.”

 

“…”

 

“Anyway, I guess it’s similar.”

 

I picked up Wolf-dog and nodded.

 

“That could be it. He was even starving.”

 

Alpheus also sighed as if he understood.

 

“I starved a lot when I was young too, and then anger would just surge up inside me.”

 

Meanwhile, Wolf-dog was wagging his tail while being held by me.

 

The problem arose when we were supposed to go to Seldoche Plains.

 

Alpheus had gone toward the kitchen to bring more croissants when he heard the news and hurriedly returned to the warehouse.

 

“His Grand Duke is going to see how much the sprouts have grown! He asked if we wanted to accompany him!”

 

Of course, I really wanted to go along too. It was only natural to want to see the crops growing day by day.

 

But the moment we were about to leave Wolf-dog behind…

 

“Whiiine…”

 

Wolf-dog looked up at me with pitiful eyes.

 

Alpheus looked down at me with similar eyes.

 

“If we leave him behind… he’ll have to be locked up in that prison without even bars again, won’t he?”

 

That was true. But we couldn’t just let Wolf-dog loose and leave either.

 

I sighed and said.

 

“Let’s catch a few mice and put them in there. At least he won’t be bored. He can catch and eat them as snacks too.”

 

“Grrrrrrrrr!”

 

Wolf-dog protested strongly.

 

The wolf-dog wanted freshly baked croissants rather than freshly caught mice.

 

“Also, if something goes wrong at Seldoche Plains, we might have to stay there for several days…”

 

Alpheus muttered while pouting his lips.

 

“Then he would be whimpering and scratching the walls with his claws like before… remembering the blue sky and brilliant sunshine, lazy clouds and our warmth while suffering. Won’t he never be able to leave this place, wondering if those siblings with pale hair abandoned him, whether he’ll die miserably of starvation without even catching a single mouse…”

 

“Alpheus.”

 

I poured cold water on his occasional bursts of useless literary imagination.

 

“Leopold will return before that happens.”

 

“But that guy is cruel! Look how he locked it up in a place like this before leaving! He might starve it more and treat it even more harshly! Then its aggression will increase again, and what if Leopold beats up this poor wolf-dog!”

 

And so Alpheus’s protagonist syndrome began.

 

For the sake of anything weak and pitiful, he would recklessly show off his warm heart without considering the consequences.

 

“I, I… if this little one gets hurt, I don’t really care whether sprouts grow in the Seldoche Plains or not…!”

 

“Ha, what kind of unlucky nonsense are you spouting right now?”

 

I clicked my tongue while cutting off his words.

 

“You should have known when to stop. What if you bring bad luck all the way to the Seldoche Plains? You’re the one who needs to come to your senses. The Seldoche Plains are about food supply.”

 

But Alpheus had already spoken those words aloud.

 

And it was none other than the protagonist who said them.

 

“This is such a sacred task…”

 

I became very anxious that we might be cursed with bad luck because of the protagonist effect.

 

“Ha, there’s no choice. Bring it along. It’s all because of you.”

 

In the end, I reached a conclusion with an uncomfortable expression.

 

“I’m petty and good at blaming others, so if by any chance the sprouts don’t grow well in the Seldoche Plains, I’ll probably make excuses that it’s not because I’m lacking, but because of your unlucky words and the wolf-dog’s curse.”

 

That’s how I ended up bringing the wolf-dog along.

 

It was really because the protagonist’s curse felt uncomfortable. It definitely wasn’t because I was concerned about the wolf-dog being locked up alone.

 

There was absolutely no way that was the case.

 

Because I hadn’t caught protagonist syndrome.

 

‘Really. I truly made a rational choice.’

 

When I appeared holding the wolf-dog tightly, Hilberry seemed very surprised.

 

Still, he didn’t say it was absolutely forbidden. Of course, he did look at the wolf-dog in my arms with great curiosity. After all, he had said he would ride in the carriage with me on the way to the Seldoche Plains.

 

‘Do you really have to?’

 

I naturally thought we would travel separately…

 

Riding in the carriage together meant we would inevitably have to make conversation.

 

I sat awkwardly across from Hilberry, constantly petting the wolf-dog.

 

“Um… I’m not completely certain, but I think it’s probably the one Leopold was raising.”

 

At my awkward words, Hilberry nodded reluctantly.

 

“Well, yes. I think he mentioned something like that.”

 

“Yes. It’s been trained reasonably well. Do you happen to know its name?”

 

“Well, I’m not sure about the name?”

 

Hilberry answered as if perplexed.

 

“Given that kid’s personality, I don’t think he would have bothered naming it, so you could probably give it a name.”

 

Then Alpheus cheerfully interjected.

 

“Then let’s think of a name in advance!”

 

“Courage or conviction, those kinds of names won’t work.”

 

“Then what about cute names like Mimi or Popo?”

 

“Mimi? That’s the worst. Do you think that’s a name that suits a male?”

 

At those words, Hilberry’s hand trembled slightly.

 

“How do you know it’s a male?”

 

“I checked thoroughly myself. I’m certain.”

 

I answered calmly.

 

“But I don’t know whether he’s been neutered or not. I don’t know how to tell that.”

 

“Cough!”

 

“I’ll ask Leopold about that in more detail.”

 

“C-cough… cough…”

 

Wolf-dog buried his face in my arms, and Hilberry grabbed the window frame while coughing painfully.

 

“Cough…”

 

“Ah, if neutering is necessary, I’ll inquire about a skilled veterinarian in advance…”

 

“No!”

 

I was just trying to suggest that since he’s neither a dog nor a wolf, we should secure an expert in advance and approach it carefully, but Hilberry cried out desperately.

 

“Absolutely not!”

 

Meanwhile, we took a nearby warp once and arrived at Seldoche Plains. Indeed, the sprouts had grown much taller in just one day.

 

“Wow.”

 

Both Hilberry and Alpheus exclaimed in admiration.

 

It was certainly a spectacular sight to see green sprouts stretching endlessly across land that had been barren.

 

The farmers were all beaming with good expressions.

 

“They grow this fast? It’s truly amazing.”

 

“It’s also convenient to prepare for pests and diseases. We can see the roots.”

 

“We can fulfill all of this year’s herb and leafy vegetable harvest here.”

 

It was truly fortunate.

 

Then it seemed we could plant summer wheat in the original herb and leafy vegetable fields, though a bit late.

 

“Still, it would be better to watch a little longer.”

 

I said while holding Wolf-dog.

 

“Don’t pull up all the herbs and leafy vegetables yet. Instead, doing a few things in advance would be helpful.”

 

Now the farmers were looking at me with trusting faces.

 

Baron Forman’s endorsement played a part in that.

 

Though Baron Forman’s title might be low, he had long served as a respected elder in the Western Region. He didn’t even leave Seldoche, saying his son could guard Baron Forman Territory.

 

“To think Sears was cursed, I have no face to show.”

 

All this time, he had diligently told people:

 

“That young lady is the talent who fed everyone while that impoverished Central Region was isolated.”

 

Public opinion flipped completely along with the sprouts.

 

The farmers accepted it immediately, saying “The land doesn’t lie.”

 

“It’s people who lie.”

 

They said with bright smiles.

 

“The Marquis siblings have proven with sprouts that the curse was just a false rumor. We sincerely apologize.”

 

Well, receiving the farmers’ apology wouldn’t really help my life much. It wasn’t something I did truly for them either.

 

Nevertheless, it was difficult to keep the corners of my mouth from rising.

 

“Please have dinner in Seldoche tonight before you go.”

 

The retainers who had been managing Seldoche also regained their smiles. Everyone made comments about how cute Wolf-dog was as they looked at him.

 

Wolf-dog was held in my arms, occasionally showing his fangs, but he was reasonably docile.

 

It was when we were peacefully inspecting the hydroponic cultivation site and touring the herb and leafy vegetable fields.

 

“Huff, huff huff huff huff, huff…”

 

Someone came running from far away. It was from the direction of Warp.

 

“B-b-big trouble!”

 

We looked in surprise at the person who had suddenly appeared.

 

“It’s, it’s really b-b-big trouble!”

 

A person who shouldn’t be here.

 

A person who should naturally be working hard in Sears Marquis Territory.

 

The person who came running frantically was none other than Langsi.

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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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