---

The capital of the Empire, Ludrow, is about a three-hour wagon ride to the Rihart region.

As I had researched, Rihart is one of the Empire’s most prominent granary areas.

Most of the residents here are engaged in agriculture, and this was where Wendy’s hometown was located.

As soon as I stepped off the wagon, I didn’t show it, but I was a bit shocked.

The reason was that this impoverished place was none other than the territory of the Ruelberta Family.

“Among the Count’s territories, there’s such a backward place like this…”

Helga voiced her thoughts instead of me.

I couldn’t help but agree entirely.

This place is the hometown of Peter Wingfield, the original protagonist and Wendy’s older brother.

In Peter’s memories, Rihart was depicted as an ordinary countryside, but seeing it in person, it was utterly shabby.

“Um… Count?”

I looked down to see Wendy fidgeting nervously.

“W-why did you come to my hometown…?”

The reason we came here on the weekend was none other than to meet Wendy’s family.

They are descendants of the Bloodline of the Hero. Perhaps among them, there might be a character comparable to a named figure.

If so, I planned to polish these raw gems into jewels.

After all, I now had the power to do so.

Of course, I couldn’t say that outright, so I decided to make up a plausible excuse.

“…Rihart is an important region for Aslan’s supplies. I wanted to see it with my own eyes when I had the time. By the way, Wendy, I heard your family has lived here for a long time.”

“Y-yes…”

“Then they should be perfect guides. Lead me to your family.”

“T-to my family?”

“Yes.”

But Wendy was visibly hesitating.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, no… It’s just so sudden. The Count wants to meet my family…”

“I just need someone who knows this place well. Or is there a reason you can’t guide me?”

“N-no! Absolutely not!”

“Then lead the way.”

“U-uh… okay…”

Wendy, who had been fidgeting nervously, finally gave up and took the lead.

As I followed her, I looked around.

It was a typical countryside scene.

On one side, there were fields, and here and there, serfs harvesting crops could be seen.

At a glance, it seemed like a bountiful year.

The golden barley fields shimmered.

But the faces of the serfs harvesting were incredibly dark.

I felt like I understood what kind of faces those were.

The expression of someone who had long suffered from extreme poverty.

It was the face of despair.

Turning my eyes away from the gloomy scene, I quietly spoke.

“…By the way.”

“Yes…?”

“I heard you send your salary to your family every month.”

“Y-yes. I regularly send letters and money. Thanks to you, Count, I can send much more than before, so I’m happy.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Yes! Hehe…”

Wendy smiled brightly, seemingly in a good mood.

If my memory serves me right, Wendy is a filial daughter who sends most of her salary to her family, keeping only the minimum for herself. Despite her young age, she fulfills her role as the eldest daughter.

As Wendy was lost in thoughts of her family, she suddenly spoke up.

“Ah… but I’m not sure how they’ve been doing lately…”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“W-well… they haven’t replied to my letters recently… probably because they’re busy with farming work… it’s harvest season, so they must be working all day…”

“Hmm…? Is that so?”

Helga tilted her head, seemingly finding something odd about Wendy’s words.

I felt the same way.

Since Wendy became my exclusive maid, her salary has increased incomparably.

The money she sent should have been enough for her family to no longer live as serfs. Yet, the fact that they hadn’t replied due to farming work was strange.

After walking a bit, we arrived at the village.

It was a place barely deserving of the name “village.” A cluster of roughly built stone houses. Nothing more, nothing less.

Even as we entered the village, no one came to greet us.

Perhaps most were out working in the fields.

The village felt lifeless.

“Uh…? I think it was around here…”

Wendy, walking ahead, looked around in confusion.

It seemed she couldn’t find her house.

“S-sorry, Count. It’s been so long since I’ve been here…”

“It’s fine. Take your time.”

“Y-yes. Ah, I’ll go ask at that house over there.”

Wendy pointed to a shabby hut made of straw.

It didn’t even have stone walls, making it seem like the home of the poorest in the village.

“Cough, cough…!”

It sounded like there was a sick person inside.

Dry coughs seeped out from the hut.

Wendy cleared her throat and spoke.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

Silence followed.

Even the faint coughing stopped.

Wendy asked again into the silence.

“Ah… is anyone there…?”

“……Go away!”

A cold reply came back.

But it sounded almost cute due to the speaker’s lisp.

“Huh…?”

“Go! Stranger! Go away! I won’t open the door!”

The sound of a wooden door being locked echoed.

Even such a shabby hut had some kind of lock.

As Wendy stood there unsure of what to do, Helga stepped in.

“Come out for a moment.”

Helga didn’t do anything special.

She just pulled on the door.

That simple action was enough to make the door open easily.

No, it didn’t just open—it was ripped off entirely.

“Eek…!?”

Along with the torn-off door, a scruffy-looking girl tumbled forward.

“Huh…?”

“Waaah…”

“W-wait… don’t cry.”

Helga tried to calm the girl who was about to burst into tears.

But then, Wendy spoke up.

“…Ruri? Is that you, Ruri?”

“Sniff…?”

The girl slowly turned her head, and upon seeing Wendy’s face, her mouth fell open.

“B-big sis…?! Wendy?!”

“Yes! It’s me!”

Wendy quickly picked up the fallen girl and hugged her tightly.

From the reaction, it seemed the girl was Wendy’s younger sister.

Somehow, we had found the right place.

Wendy, tearful at seeing her sister after so long, began firing off questions.

“Why, why are you living here? Where’s our house? Where’s the family?”

“Sniff… They went to work. Dad’s sick and lying down…”

“Dad is?!”

“Cough… who’s there…?”

At that moment, a skinny man appeared from the hut.

Seeing his slightly reddish hair, similar to Wendy’s, I instinctively knew.

He was Wendy’s father.

Wendy’s father, who had been coughing incessantly, noticed us.

And Wendy, who had also recognized him, had tears welling up in her eyes.

“D-dad…!”

“Cough… huh?”

Wendy rushed into her father’s arms.

“In this world…?! You, you’re Wendy? My daughter Wendy?”

“Yes! It’s me! Wendy!”

“Is this a dream? Or reality?”

Helga and I stepped back to watch the touching reunion between father and daughter without interrupting.

“Wendy, I thought I’d never see you again…! Cough… I’m so glad you’re alive…! You’ve done so well…!”

“Dad! Sob…”

“My precious daughter…! When I heard you were sold to that notorious pig noble, I thought the world had ended…!”

Huh?

“D-dad?!”

“I’m so sorry. I never dreamed you’d end up in the hands of such a human scum.”

“N-no! That’s not…!”

“You don’t have to say anything. I know how much you must have suffered in the Count’s household. It’s obvious. That trash of a man must have tormented you. The rumors of his misdeeds have even reached this countryside!”

“No, that’s not true! It’s a misunderstanding! Dad! Please! Don’t say anything more!”

Wendy, now pale, tried to cover her father’s mouth.

But her father spoke in a solemn voice.

“Did I say anything wrong? I don’t have much time left, so I’ll say what I need to say.”

“N-no! Sniff…! You’ll shorten your life like this!”

“Cough, cough! I’m not afraid of anything. I won’t send you back to that man! To that worst of nobles…! Cough! But wait…”

Finally noticing me, Wendy’s father asked with a guarded tone.

“And who might you be…? You don’t seem to belong in this countryside…”

“D-dad… this is…”

“I am Count Ruelberta, Tristan.”

I spoke quietly.

With the smile of the worst noble, just as he had described.

“The man who has your daughter.”

 

---