Chapter 65 - Inspection
Returning from her inspection, Opal handed her hat to Nadia and let out a deep sigh. She was not physically tired, but her mind was in a bit of a turmoil. The inspection had gone more smoothly than she had expected, which in turn raised new questions about Duncan.
When she had first set out, the farmers had stopped their work, stood at the side of the road, and bowed their heads to greet her, their fearful faces hidden. Opal mentally clicked her tongue for having forgotten to tell them such a reception was unnecessary, and she immediately declared that no welcome would be needed from that point on. Duncan seemed to find this suspicious, but he accepted it without a word and gave the order, obeying her meekly thereafter.
At first, he had answered Opal’s questions with an air of annoyance, but as her inquiries grew more detailed, his attitude shifted and he began to answer with sincerity. While he remained wary for a time when Opal spoke to the fief's people, he never interfered, and to her surprise, he even showed her the respect due to the lady of the estate. He was even seen acting as a mediator between Opal and the people who were so afraid of her. In short, the inspection had proceeded without any problems, just as if she were inspecting her own fief. Except, of course, for the state of its development.
When Duncan’s back was turned, Opal had asked the people if they needed new farm tools. To her astonishment, they had never even heard of things like sowers or threshers. A few of them barely knew of the scythe, but they held no foolish ideas about it being a devil's tool. If anything, they seemed to regard it with a sense of longing.
And they didn't seem particularly devout either, she thought.
It was unnatural, considering how much Duncan loathed what he called the devil's tools. It was true that information from the south might be slow to reach this region, but just as stone had been transported from the port, information should have been able to get through. Then again, just as Claude and his allies had controlled information, there was no guarantee it was not being controlled in this region as well. In fact, it was safer to assume that it was.
But it's strange that Claude wouldn't know about this, she thought.
She couldn't imagine Claude would remain silent about something so important. She also began to suspect that Alessandro had not simply ignored his agent's reports, but that he had never known in the first place.
The agent is suspicious.
There had been three agents in the past four years. The first had died of illness after a year. The second had thrown in the towel after about six months, and for the last two years or so, Opal's predecessor had apparently been striving to improve the land.
Perhaps I need to be careful with my food. Or watch my back? Opal thought jokingly as she once again looked over the records of her predecessor that Claude had given her. If her life were truly in danger, Claude would never have allowed her to come to this place alone. The first agent must have had a difficult time, as Alessandro had only just brought the area under his control.
If Duncan was always like that, it must have been tough for him.
Duncan had apparently been the land administrator for over a decade. The previous Duke of Boccelli was said to have taken a special interest in Duncan when he was just a child and provided him with an education.
Education, huh. It was possible Duncan had been indoctrinated with biased knowledge. Introducing new tools required a certain amount of investment. Perhaps the previous Duke of Boccelli, believing it would make the people lazy, had been reluctant to make that investment. It was possible he had taught Duncan that convenient tools were the devil's tools, things that would corrupt the common folk.
I need to learn more about the previous Duke of Boccelli.
This land had been a source of funds for the anti-royalist faction, but there had been no direct conflict here. Their primary source of income, the Silver Mine, had been exhausted, and the previous Duke had died in an unforeseen accident while traveling. Having lost their patron, the anti-royalist faction quickly lost its momentum.
Opal was still lost in thought when dinnertime arrived. She changed her clothes absentmindedly and took her seat at the table. It was then that the steward, Connally, gave a deliberate cough. Finally pulling her consciousness back to the present, Opal noticed a young man standing beside him.
"Your Ladyship, this is Julian, a footman. He was away on an errand yesterday and could not be present to welcome you, so my introduction is delayed."
"Duchess of Boccelli, my name is Julian. I apologize for my belated greeting."
"...I am not one to get angry over a simple greeting, so please don't worry about it."
"Is that so? Oh, what a relief. The new Duchess is a very generous lady, isn't she?"
"Now, Julian!"
"Ah, my apologies."
Julian’s innocent smile seemed to charm people. Even Connally, while scolding him, did not seem truly angry. As Opal watched their exchange with a cool gaze, Julian suddenly turned his eyes to her and smiled brightly.
"Shall we have dinner now?"
"At once, Your Ladyship."
Opal quickly looked away, turning her eyes to Connally and telling him to begin the meal, though her tone had become a little haughty. In the corner of her eye, she saw Julian bowing deeply before leaving the room. But Opal did not miss the slight, mocking smile that had appeared on his face just before he lowered his head.
...What an unpleasant feeling.
She was irritated but resolved not to react and focused on her meal. The food was not much different from the previous night, and the taste was decent enough. The cook had apparently not changed since the time of the previous Duke, so he must not have been very particular about food. Of course, Opal was not particular either.
After eating her meal in silence and properly finishing her dessert, Opal stood from her seat. It seemed foolish to move to the drawing room for tea, so she returned to her room. When she entered, Nadia, who had anticipated her actions, was already waiting with tea prepared.
"Your Ladyship, you met Connally-san's favorite footman, didn't you? Was he handsome?"
"Who can say? I didn't think he was handsome, but I suppose others might. More importantly, is he really Connally's favorite?"
"Yes, that's what I heard. And they say that even though he's still young, he acts as Connally-san's assistant. It seems he was away this time on an errand for Connally-san to the port in the northern region… well, anyway, he was there."
"The port…"
Opal wondered what business Connally could possibly have at the port, but decided to look into it later. It might have been something necessary for his position as steward. More pressing was another matter on her mind.
"Nadia. I know it's not my place to say this, but… that man, Julian the footman, may seem handsome. But you must not get too involved with his type."
"I understand. Although, from what everyone says, many have tried to win him over and been shot down, so it would be impossible for me anyway."
"Oh, I doubt any man would dislike being liked by you, Nadia. But he is still not someone I can recommend."
"Thank you! I think so too!"
Though she felt it was an overstep, Opal offered her warning, and Nadia responded cheerfully. Then she smiled mischievously.
"My ideal man is someone kind who will love only me. Julian-san is apparently very bright and kind, but he's also very popular, so I think I would never stop worrying. I want security along with love. Is that too much to ask?"
"No, not at all. I think that's perfectly natural."
When Opal affirmed her gently, Nadia blushed. Opal wanted nothing more than for Nadia to find happiness. She smiled encouragingly, then stood up to prepare for bed.