Chapter 11 - The Count's Fief
"Hello, Trevor. You look well."
"It has been a while, my lady. Congratulations on your marriage. My apologies for not being there to greet you yesterday."
Opal entered the study and greeted Trevor, the land administrator, who was busy with his work. He looked up, his sun-weathered face crinkling at the corners of his eyes as he smiled at her.
"It is fine. It is my fault for returning so suddenly. As for the marriage, thank you. Or at least, that is what I would like to say..."
"Is there a problem?"
"A huge one."
"Oh, dear."
Without waiting for an invitation, Opal sat on the reception sofa in the study, and Trevor moved to sit across from her. Trevor was always calm and gave her sound advice. While Orton the butler and Marcia the housekeeper were much the same, they were also a little, no, quite biased in her favor, so she could not discuss such matters with them. Just then, a knock sounded, and Marcia came in with tea.
"Thank you, Marcia. My favorite muffins with orange peel!"
"Of course. If I did not serve these, you would never leave the kitchen, my lady."
"Oh, I am not a child anymore."
"We were fortunate the Duke thought so."
With that, Marcia left the study. Trevor, who had been watching their exchange, sighed with an air of weary resignation.
"If you were to confide your troubles in Marcia-san, I imagine she would march on the Duke's mansion with not just the staff from here, but the entire fief's population in tow."
"Goodness, do not say such frightening things. She really might do it."
Opal gave a theatrical shiver, then laughed as she sipped her tea and took a bite of her muffin. Trevor remained silent as well, drinking his tea and waiting for Opal to begin speaking.
"You see, this marriage was arranged between my father and Duke McLeod."
"Ah, a political marriage, I see."
"Yes. I had no say in the matter. Well, we had a hasty wedding, and I moved into the ducal household, but... the Duke, my husband, as well as the entire staff, they all treat me like an intruder. And to top it off, there was another woman in the master bedroom. I had no choice but to be angry, don't you think?"
"That is dreadful. Setting my bias aside, even I feel like storming the Duke's mansion to give them a piece of my mind."
"You, Trevor?"
His tone was dispassionate, yet his words were so unlike him that Opal could not help but laugh. Trevor raised an eyebrow as if offended.
"I assure you, I care for you with all my heart, my lady."
"...Thank you, Trevor. But the woman in the master bedroom is a distant relative who has lived in the ducal mansion since she was a child. They say she does not have long to live."
"...I see. Nevertheless, the Duke is a married man now. His behavior is unthinkable by any normal standard."
"I know... Well, I am over that part now. But at first, I did not know, so I asked, 'Is she your mistress?' which made my husband and everyone else furious. That woman is treasured in their home, you see. But is it not their fault for not telling me? I got stubborn too and decided that if that was how it was going to be, I would stay out of their sight completely. So I started living in an attic room."
"And how are the accommodations?"
"They are not too bad."
Though it was a miserable story, Opal's tone belied the fact. Of course, this did not mean she was not hurt. She was likely trying not to worry Trevor. However, she would not have taken up his time just to complain. With this in mind, Trevor's expression grew serious.
"So, what is the biggest problem for you, my lady?"
"...As I said before, this marriage is political, a contract. My husband will use my dowry to repay his debts, and it seems the wedding gift from my father will cover their living expenses for the time being."
At Opal's confession, Trevor's eyes widened. This was clearly not what he had been expecting.
"Does the Duke have a gambling habit?"
"I do not think so. My father did not say anything about that. He only said my husband was 'soft'."
"Hmm. That is strange indeed. With the lands I know Duke McLeod to possess, he should be quite wealthy, far from having any debts..."
"There was a great drought several years ago, wasn't there?"
"Yes. The entire country was hit hard by that. But the ducal family should have had ample savings, and they should have been able to recover fully within a year."
"It seems the next year there was a flood, and the year after that, pest damage."
"In the Duke's fief? As part of my work, I pay close attention to the weather not just in our own fief but in others as well. I heard reports of floods and pest damage in other regions, but not near the Duke's fief."
Trevor systematically refuted Opal's words. Realizing her suspicions were correct, Opal placed the two record books she had brought with her on the table.
"What are these?"
"Copies of the land management records from the Duke's mansion."
"Is it all right for you to have taken something so important?"
"My husband said, 'You basically bought this place, so you may take whatever you like'."
"Oh, my."
Trevor smirked as he looked at Opal, who held her chin high. Her strong will was as present as ever. Intrigued by another family's land management, Trevor did not hesitate to pick up the older of the two record books. He skimmed through it quickly. His hand, turning the pages, would occasionally pause, but he moved on to the next book without taking too much time.
He likely wanted to read them thoroughly, but he seemed to be rushing for Opal's sake. His pace changed, however, about halfway through the second book. His brow furrowed. He flipped back several pages, then forward again, his finger tracing the text as he occasionally fell deep in thought. Throughout this, Opal fought the urge to interrupt, waiting patiently while sipping her tea. At last, Trevor set the record book down and let out a long breath.
"There is fraud here."
"I knew it."
"You noticed this just by looking at these, my lady?"
"No, not at all. I just had a feeling something was wrong. That is why I wanted to consult you, Trevor."
"I see. To grasp the full extent, I will need to check the weather records for the past several years as well. May I have some time?"
"Of course. I am sorry, Trevor, for giving you more work."
"Do not say such things. As I said before, I care for you with all my heart. But if things continue to be managed this way, the ducal house will face ruin again. To ensure you do not have to suffer, I will thoroughly expose this fraud."
"...Thank you. I will leave it in your hands, then."
"Yes, you may count on me."
This was a time for smiling, not for tears. Telling herself this, Opal suppressed the emotions welling up inside her, offered a bright smile, and left the study.