87 - The Bride of the Great Lord is a Warrior of Hell
“My potatoes have arrived too. Maybe one of the gardeners took care of them. Alisha, can I use the kitchen?”
Anne said, acting like she was about to dash out.
“Of course.”
Alisha replied readily.
“I’m glad I can give something to Alisha too. Wait a moment. I’ll boil the potatoes!”
Anne chattered quickly and ran out of the study.
An hour later.
Alisha, Daisy, Liz, Annie, and Lindsay ate the most delicious steamed potatoes in the world.
The five people crowned Anne as the ‘Steamed Potato Master.’
Anne Brenel was the ‘Steamed Potato Master,’ the ‘Grilled Corn Master,’ and the ‘All-Around Gardener.’
Anne came to Marquis Reine’s estate, ate olives and planted the seeds, and they sprouted in a few days.
After marveling at her first mango, she planted the seed, and it sprouted as well.
Anne admired everything in the Marquis’s estate, and those who watched Anne admired how everything she planted sprouted.
Anne’s innate abilities were already amazing enough.
But it was like a miracle that Anne could take dictation of most sentences within five days of coming to Marquis Reine’s estate.
In a few days, Anne read more than ten books.
She wrote simple letters and learned what a lady should have.
“Viscountess Brenel will be here soon, Anne.”
But Anne couldn’t stay at Marquis Reine’s estate forever.
Viscountess Brenel sent word that she would come to pick up her eldest child, as she could no longer let her cause trouble.
“I’m okay.”
Anne fully trusted Alisha.
When Alisha told her that she had to return to the Brenel estate, she was surprised but not disappointed.
Alisha decided to send Lindsay and Liz to the Brenel family with Anne.
Liz knew how to cleverly assist when there was a battle of nerves between ladies, and she was the type who didn’t hold back what she wanted to say.
Lindsay was especially fond of Anne, perhaps because she had received help from her.
Judging by how Brenel was polite to Marquis Reine, it seemed that Mannors had instructed them to get along well with Reine first.
But that didn’t mean they could send Anne to Brenel alone.
“We will wholeheartedly assist you from the side.”
“Don’t worry, Miss. Lady Anne is the eldest daughter of the Brenel family; leave the loud voices to me.”
Lindsay and Liz said spiritedly.
Anne took their hands in turn, expressing her gratitude.
“Lady Alisha, Lady Anne. Viscountess Brenel has arrived.”
At Daisy’s words, Alisha headed to the entrance hall to greet the guest.
A middle-aged woman with dark blonde hair, who was entering, greeted Alisha.
“Lady Alisha. It is an honor to meet you. I am grateful for the generosity you have shown.”
“Lady Alisha. It is an honor to meet you.”
Behind Viscountess Brenel were Cynthia, Julie, and Isabel.
The three sisters followed their mother and curtsied demurely.
“Viscountess Brenel, the three Ladies, welcome. I should have invited you sooner, but I was late in contacting you. Was your journey peaceful? Anne is waiting inside. Shall we have some tea?”
Alisha greeted the guests with a gentle smile.
The Viscountess and the three sisters followed the guidance to the tea room.
Anne, who had been sitting on a single sofa in the tea room, slowly rose.
The glossy dark green dress boldly exposed her shoulders, and the skirt flared out widely.
Golden embroidery was intricately placed along the shoulder line to the upper body.
The deep green dress, the pale white skin, and the red hair created a striking contrast.
The diamond ornament in the form of a band around her head sparkled as it caught the light.
Small earrings and a simple ring shone as accents.
“I am sorry for suddenly staying at the Marquis’s estate, Viscountess. Cynthia, Julie, Isabel, have you been well these past few days?”
Viscountess Brenel and the three sisters, who received Anne’s greeting, could not react.
“Thank you so much for being so kind to me, Lady Alisha. I will never forget these past few days. The gifts you gave me are too much, and I still don’t know if I deserve to receive them.”
Next to Anne, who was greeting Alisha, five large travel bags were piled up.
That was just what Lindsay and Liz had packed.
Three carriages worth of gifts were waiting outside.
But the Brenel sisters were overwhelmed by the sheer mountain of magnificent travel bags.
“…Anne?”
Viscountess Brenel opened her mouth with a dazed expression.
“Yes, Viscountess. Ah, just a moment.”
Anne turned her back on the Viscountess, who was calling her, and finished greeting Alisha.
She leaned in and whispered so that only Alisha could hear.
“I’ll write to you.”
Anne decided to hide the fact that she had become good at reading.
“I’ll contact you.”
Alisha also replied in a low voice.
Anne stood up and waved brightly to Daisy and Annie.
Daisy and Annie also waved back.
“I’ll invite you, so come and play again, Anne!”
Alisha greeted her with a smiling face.
‘Anne, there’s something I can do for you in Brenel.’
‘Leave it to me.’
Last night, Alisha had visited Anne and made a suggestion.
Anne had accepted without hesitation.
“I’ll come again!”
Anne greeted brightly and left the room with Lindsay and Liz.
She did not forget to urge the bewildered Viscountess and the Cynthia sisters to hurry along.
Alisha, on the other hand, worried and sent off her new friend with a smiling face.
‘What belongs to Brenel, belongs to Brenel.’
She quoted a famous orator and sent her friend off to a place that was no different from a battlefield.
#12. Gift
Alisha thought about the existence of friends as she spent time with Anne.
Reikart and she calling each other by name.
She called Anne by name to express intimacy as well.
Calling someone by name didn’t seem like much, but there was definitely a difference between when you did and when you didn’t.
As she became closer to Anne, her gratitude for Daisy grew.
And she pondered how to become friends with Daisy.
“Daisy.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Daisy had a strict personality.
She prioritized her duty above all else and valued discipline like gold.
‘From today, we’re friends, so call me by my name.’
There was no way she would listen to such a request.
“I want to be friends with Daisy.”
Alisha said with a bubbly smile.
“Miss, I’m…”
It was the reaction she expected.
Daisy was flustered with a serious face and was about to explain why she and Alisha could not be friends.
She was about to convince her in a serious tone that she was a maid and Alisha was the Lady of the Marquis’s estate.
“Let’s become a Baron from today, Daisy.”
Alisha said in a light voice.
Daisy’s face fell into confusion.
“Yes?”
If she asked to be friends as is, there was no way Daisy would listen.
So Alisha decided to raise Daisy to a position where she could be friends with her.
Alisha leisurely took out a gift box from her desk drawer.
Inside the gift box were several letters of nobility.
Daisy blinked in dismay at the sight of the all-purpose letters of nobility with the rank and name blank.
‘W-What is that? Miss.’
Daisy wanted to ask, but she was too surprised to speak.
“He’s a vassal under Grand Duke Tessen, and he doesn’t have any territory, but a title is a title. A Viscount might have to work, so let’s make it a Baron. What should the title name be?”
At Alisha’s words, Daisy could only open and close her mouth.
Alisha flipping through the blank letters of nobility was as lighthearted as buying a notebook at a bookstore.
“……”
Daisy counted how many letters of nobility Alisha was flipping through.
She counted up to fifteen and then gave up.
Daisy wanted to ask how many there were, impolitely.
She also wanted to ask if Grand Duke Tessen had given them all to her.
Judging by the fact that she said she was a vassal under Grand Duke Tessen, it was certain that Grand Duke Tessen had given Alisha those fraudulent letters of nobility.
“How about Ronok? Daisy Nell Ronok. Baron Ronok, Daisy Nell. Is it okay? Do you not like it?”
Alisha thought of the title as easily as giving candy to a friend.
Daisy was so flustered and scared that she hesitated.
‘What is His Highness the Grand Duke thinking, giving something like that to the Miss?’
Daisy’s eyes shook erratically.
“You don’t like it? You don’t like it, Daisy? Then, something else…”
Alisha flipped through the blank letters of nobility, saying that a Viscount would be better since she might have to do some work.
The hand that examined the papers, which were at least twenty, was cheerful.
“I, I like it.”
It would be worth living even if she was just a common noble without a title.
If she lived normally, she could live without being bullied much.
If she had a title, even most nobles wouldn’t mess with her.
Even if she couldn’t wield great power, she could live a peaceful life if she had enough to eat.
Daisy’s father, who was only a Baronet, took good care of his children and was spending his remaining years leisurely in the countryside.
If she could have the title of Baron, there would be thousands of people in the Empire who would load a carriage full of gold and silver and come.
A noble title was that tremendous.
Daisy rarely coveted anything, even as she wondered what was happening.
Alisha, who had been examining the blank letters of nobility with a frown, turned to Daisy with a happy face.
“You like it? I thought Ronok sounded good too. Okay, it’s over if you write your name. I’ll send a letter to His Highness, and the conferment of the title can be done later.”
Alisha wrote ‘Daisy Nell’ stylishly in the blank space.
In another blank space, she wrote the title ‘Baron.’
‘Is this a scam? A joke?’
Daisy felt guilty for being disrespectful and harbored suspicion.
There was no way a title could be obtained this easily.
Alisha, who was fluttering the paper to dry the title and name she had just written and blowing on it, looked only refreshed.
According to the law, a Duke could create as many vassals as he wanted, up to the rank of Count, and use them as his vassals.
Grand Duke Tessen could also bestow titles up to the rank of Baron.
Since the power of a noble came from land, even if they were just Viscounts or Barons, the Grand Duke had to give them part of his territory or land to entrust to them in order to maintain a close relationship.
Currently, there were no vassals by Reikart’s side who simply needed a title.
He was indifferent to meaningless title bestowals, and his people didn’t care either.
Emperor’s brother, Grand Duke Tessen, had numerous territories and titles besides Tessen, so if he wanted to, it wouldn’t be a problem for him to create Marquises and Counts.
In fact, Reikart had recently transferred the Galla Barony he had received to Alisha.
When she was staying in Baden, Alisha had asked Reikart for several all-purpose letters of nobility that she could fill in with names and titles, just in case.
It was nothing to a member of the Imperial family who had dozens of titles, but to ordinary people, a noble title was something tremendous.
At Alisha’s request, Reikart didn’t say much.
He opened a large wooden crate and said indifferently.
‘How many do you need?’
‘As many as you can give me.’
At Alisha’s words, Reikart grabbed as many as he could and handed them over.
‘I’ll use them well.’
‘Bestow them and let me know who you gave what to.’
Alisha had similar thoughts at the time.
Can a noble with a title become one so easily?
The reason she didn’t sell these all-purpose letters of nobility to the Apel Baron family, who wanted a noble title, was because of the limitations of the letters of nobility.
But it was quite useful when making friends.
“Baron Ronok. Congratulations on becoming a Baron. Feel free to call me by my name from now on, Daisy.”
Alisha congratulated Daisy on her Barony with a smile.
“…Thank you, Lady Alisha. Th-Thank you. …Alisha…”
Daisy replied, unable to shake off her bewilderment.
She was unsure if she had really obtained the title of Baron.
“That’s great. How about a carriage as Baron Ronok’s business? I have a few things in mind.”