The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 97

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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 97

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Marquis Naisar’s Estate was splendid and beautiful.

Alpheus looked around and muttered.

“Aren’t we both Marquis Houses? Why is there such a big difference?”

“It’s almost ridiculous that we’re grouped together as the First Five Families when we’ve been so different from the start.”

I whispered quietly.

“First of all, just the size of our territories can’t even be compared to others. We don’t even have a single vassal family under us.”

In fact, the term ‘Central Region’ was really…

Since the Capital was in the center, it was like we were just squeezed in there.

“Since Sears joined last, there are hardly any historical records left. Well, I guess we should be thankful we didn’t receive the ancient curse together?”

Anyway, despite all that, a dark aura lingered around Marquis Naisar’s Estate.

“I’ll go meet my sister.”

Harrison seated us in the Reception Room and said.

“I’ll also explain the situation.”

We nodded.

After Harrison disappeared, I looked around and could clearly see that the family’s fortunes had declined.

Having lived in a house where fortunes had declined once before, I noticed immediately.

“They definitely seem to have financial difficulties.”

I said, pointing at a sculpture.

“Look over there. All the jewels have been removed.”

“Hm? I thought even that sculpture was impressive.”

“Soon they’ll end up selling that too. That’s what happened to our house.”

In fact, it was all because of the ‘Curse of Sleep’ in the end.

Originally, the Southern Region was famous as a vacation resort due to its exotic scenery.

But starting ten years ago, tourists completely stopped coming. No one wanted to visit cursed land.

On top of that, even the usable land had decreased…

‘Even this year, we couldn’t freely distribute cheap grains from the Western Region.’

I sighed thinking about the Civilian Houses that had slammed their doors shut right in front of us.

If I hadn’t managed well with potatoes and chickens during the isolation, all our Territory Residents would have been the same. Because nothing stands against hunger.

I was waiting with a troubled heart for a moment.

The Reception Room door opened carefully.

I was slightly surprised by the appearance of someone I hadn’t expected.

“…Sister Shania?”

It was Harrison’s third sister, with long flowing red hair.

As befitting a daughter of the Naisar Marquis House famous for beauty, she was extremely beautiful.

We met once at the Academy graduation ceremony, but we didn’t have a long conversation. I wasn’t really that sociable of a person.

Besides, the Southern People didn’t come to the Capital very often anyway.

Perhaps because her beauty was so outstanding, she seemed burdened by the excessive attention from people meeting her for the first time.

“Yes, Brisa. It’s been a while.”

But Shania’s face, which I saw after a long time, looked terribly gaunt.

“But I came here without my sister knowing, so I don’t have much time.”

She didn’t even introduce herself properly and just casually bowed her head toward Alpheus.

“Marquis Sears, please forgive my rudeness.”

After that, she looked around anxiously and then gripped my hand tightly.

“I roughly heard what Harrison was saying. I know why you came. But…”

Shania glanced at Alpheus and then whispered.

“Run away quickly.”

I froze in surprise.

This was truly an unexpected situation.

“My sister will definitely try to put you into the Forest.”

Shania added with a trembling voice.

“She’ll ask you to kill sister Delmia directly or something like that.”

“Ah, is that the problem?”

Alpheus tilted his head with an innocent face.

“We’ve been constantly thinking about ways not to kill Miss Delmia. But we could attack her a little…”

“No, it’s not the latter part that’s the problem, it’s the former! She’s trying to put you into the Forest!”

Shania raised her eyebrows and pressed him.

“Harrison doesn’t know anything. He’s originally a bit stupid and still young, plus he has big fantasies about the war hero who ended the Northern civil war.”

It was an accurate assessment of her younger brother.

“I understand your feelings well.”

I momentarily felt a sense of kinship with her.

“Harrison and Alpheus really hit it off well.”

I too was in the position of having a brother who had big fantasies and was a bit lacking in knowledge.

“But even that lacking kid wouldn’t have told the Marquis to enter the Cursed Forest, right? But our sister might do just that.”

“Well, if an unavoidable situation arises, we might have to enter.”

Alpheus said nonchalantly.

“If 【Charm】 doesn’t work on us, then naturally it might be okay to enter the Forest. I think it’s one of the reasonable hypotheses.”

“It’s just a hypothesis!”

Shania was horrified, looking at him as if she was seeing a second Harrison.

“Once you go in, you can’t come out!”

“No, but it’s still worth trying…”

“Does it make sense to ‘try’ putting innocent people into the Cursed Forest? It’s absolutely unacceptable.”

Shania, who had been excited for a moment, lowered her voice and added anxiously.

“We’ve tried everything for 10 years. We spent an enormous amount of money too. Nothing worked at all. Harrison can still hold onto hope because he doesn’t know the details of that process. Both of you, far from killing Delmia, will just become political sacrifices like the Second Prince.”

“Sister, what do you mean by that?”

I sharply interjected.

“A political sacrifice?”

“Exactly what I said. Cheria is….”

Shania rolled her eyes anxiously and then sighed.

“I won’t say any more. Just leave quickly. No, at least don’t enter that forest.”

No, Harrison hadn’t even asked us to enter that forest in the first place.

Besides, I actually knew it would be fine to enter that forest….

I couldn’t talk about the ‘original story’ here, so I had no choice but to hesitate.

I’d been making so many verbal mistakes lately that I was becoming increasingly less confident in continuing conversations.

Shania looked at us and clicked her tongue.

“I’ll say just one thing. Cheria is currently considering sending me to become the Crown Prince’s concubine.”

I was so shocked that my eyes widened.

In the original story, Marquis Naisar, Cheria, responsibly protected the Southern Region until the end. She was also one of the people I counted as trustworthy.

Naturally, there was no incident of Shania becoming the Crown Prince’s concubine either.

But why on earth….

‘Has the Southern Region also become much worse than in the original story, like the Western Region?’

I thought while swallowing dryly.

That was the only hypothesis I could think of.

Shania continued speaking.

“It’s not that I don’t understand. The territory’s situation is very poor, and the territory residents come first for Cheria. But… if Cheria is planning to sell even me, do you think she won’t sell you too?”

She sighed once and then stared directly into Alpheus’s eyes as she whispered.

“So leave immediately.”

Alpheus stared blankly at Shania.

“Huh? We haven’t decided yet.”

“I’m telling you to run away right now.”

Shania leaned her face close to Alpheus.

When Alpheus made a bewildered expression at the absurdity, Shania pressed him.

“What are you doing? You need to get up. Hurry.”

Finally, Alpheus couldn’t stand it and objected.

“…I’m sorry, but it would be difficult to follow such a one-sided command.”

He spoke forcefully with his characteristic righteous expression.

“We should at least try once. The Second Prince is my comrade-in-arms.”

Then Shania was startled.

“Hm?”

She looked at Alpheus with eyes like she was seeing an alien.

“Why… why isn’t it working?”

Shania muttered in shock.

“Usually men… all listen when I look into their eyes and talk?”

That’s when it happened.

The reception room door burst open.

“Good attempt, Shania.”

Marquis Naisar, Cheria, with short hair and dressed in pants, strode in with confident steps.

“I feel like I’ve confirmed Harrison’s words in the most remarkable way. Yes, it seems Marquis Sears is not affected by 【Charm】.”

Shania flinched in surprise and stepped back.

At that moment, Cheria strode toward Alpheus.

“Marquis Sears, I’ve heard everything from Harrison.”

Without giving anyone a chance to say anything, she knelt before Alpheus.

“Please.”

Both Alpheus and I were startled.

“Please… please do something about Delmia and save the Southern Region. If you do that, I’ll do anything. To be honest, you can even kill Delmia if necessary.”

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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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