Chapter 55, Strategy Meeting, Part 1

Translator: Lizz

A reply came from the head of the Onofrio Marquis family.

Edward read it aloud to Sylvia and explained it in simple terms.

After that, he called Gina and Calogero.

“They said they would send a tutor… apparently a marquis’s daughter.”

Gina and Calogero exchanged glances.

Gina looked puzzled, and Calogero slightly furrowed his brows.

Edward scratched his head.

“Hmm… maybe they consider Lady Sylvia’s education to be more important? It seems a maid will come along too, so she’s probably meant to be Gina’s tutor. …It’s a bit different from what I expected, and I’m not sure what to do.”

When it comes to a Marquis’s daughter from a neighboring country, it’s not easy to turn her away.

It would disgrace Marquis Onofrio, who made the introduction.

Still, the other party probably couldn’t afford to be rude to a Duke’s daughter either.

That would not only disgrace Marquis Onofrio, who made the arrangement, but also smear the reputation of the Ducal house.

“…Um, it seems she’s also coming for recuperation. They said she’ll teach in a relaxed manner, so I guess it’s like a young lady from a neighboring country coming for a summer retreat and checking on manners while she’s at it.”

Calogero, still furrowing his brows, spoke to Edward.

“…It’s true things have settled down compared to before, but we don’t exactly have the leeway to host a young lady from another country for a long-term stay just for a summer retreat.”

Edward replied with a sour expression.

“Then could you just write that honestly and ask them to send a different tutor? I understand that much too. …I don’t know the quality of their nobility, but I trust they won’t send a tutor too dim to grasp the situation, that we went out of our way to request one from a neighboring country, risking the reputation of both the introducer and our ducal house.”

Edward’s sarcastic remark made Calogero sigh.

There was no point in arguing. Calogero also gave up, knowing he couldn’t criticize a noble lady who hadn’t even arrived yet.

“…Let’s deal with it once she shows up.”

“Right. Now, the next thing. Along with her, a senior servant will be sent.”

Edward’s statement surprised both Calogero and Gina.

“You even asked for that?”

Calogero spoke in a reproachful tone, and Edward nodded curtly.

“Had no choice. Even if this is a fortress, we can’t go on like this.”

Calogero fell silent.

Indeed, because it was a fortress, they had managed to justify everything with that excuse – Sylvia not having learned noble manners, Gina being the head maid despite lacking proper training, the guard knight acting as the Lord’s proxy, and the high priest serving as the butler.

However, neither this country nor the neighboring one was at war; in fact, they were currently friendly nations. That meant the fortress no longer had a purpose. As a result, it had been neglected for a long time.

This time, the reason the people accepted a young lady as their Lord was entirely thanks to Sylvia’s unique magic.

That was why she had been appointed as the Lord; everyone had been convinced of that.

But the neighboring country didn’t know those circumstances.

They had likely gathered some information through spies, and for now, things were being overlooked thanks to Calogero’s presence. However, once full-fledged interactions began, they would start to frown at the lack of manners and eventually look down on them.

Edward’s view was that they needed to tidy things up while they were still being overlooked.