Chapter 25 – The uncouth daughter’s market scouting
Today, as usual, I am moving around a bit to improve the environment in the mansion.
In addition, I accompanied Kelly to the market in the late afternoon to do some shopping.
The market in the frontier was small and very different from the market in the royal capital, which I had seen from inside the carriage.
The market sold the bare necessities of meat and fish, wild vegetables, mushrooms, and fruits from the forest.
There were some vegetables and grains, but they were few and shriveled.
Kelly lent me a maid's outfit, so no one in the market seemed to recognize me as the Potato Lady, but as one of the maids who worked at the mansion.
"I hear the new lord is very handsome. I'd like to see him too."
The ladies in the market are already talking about Lord Nazel.
"But I don't know what kind of person he is. I am worried about him. The previous lord was a terrible man."
The topic of the previous lord came up, so I asked the girls some questions.
I was also curious about what Lord Nazel said yesterday.
"What was your former lord like?"
"He was a terrible man. No, not only him, but the lords who have ruled this land have been bad for generations, but the previous lord was the worst of all."
"I see. I've only been here a short time, so I don't know much about it....."
When I said this, the chatty ladies took the initiative to tell me what I wanted to know.
"He was the kind of guy who taxed people like idiots, made them work for free, built weird mansions, and kidnapped pretty girls when he found them. He would thoroughly eliminate anyone he didn't like...... and he also kept ferocious magical beasts. He didn't look like the kind of person who would keep one, but he was very fond of them."
I see, so the various items in that mansion were bought with the tax money that was raised...
The rest of the money after selling it and hiring servants will be used for the benefit of the estate. If we give it to Lord Nazel, I am sure he will put it to good use.
"He was violent and didn't consider commoners to be human beings. A lot of people are relieved that that guy got attacked by a magical beast. Thank goodness we have the decent Master Henry here instead. So I'm sorry to say that I don't have high hopes for the new lord."
The stories of the ladies were all discouraging.
I wonder if Lord Nazel is having a hard time, partly because of the previous lords' mess...
I wish I could somehow get everyone to trust him.
"Lady Agnes, it is time for us to return to the mansion."
Sneakily, Kelly calls me over and I follow her obediently.
"Kelly is amazing, by the way. She was excellent in the royal capital, but she has adapted quickly to the frontier as well."
"Oh no, I'm just a ...... simple maid. I am only lucky to have a good Lord."
The previous employer was Her Royal Highness Princess Mia, wasn't it?
Compared to her, most people would be classified as "good people". Lord Nazel is really a good person, though.
When I returned to the mansion, Lord Nazel had already returned.
"Lord Nazel, I went shopping with Kelly."
"Welcome back, Agnes. You look so cute in your maid's uniform....... But more importantly, I'm in a lot of trouble."
"In trouble? What's wrong?"
Seeing Lord Nazel in an unprecedented state of panic, anxiety began to grow in my heart.
"The seedlings we planted in the garden."
Lord Nazel was drunk last night, but I had told him in the morning that we had all planted seedlings.