Chapter 230: Greeting the Duke

For the time being the purpose for which the Duchess called me has been achieved. I think a win-win agreement has been made. No, no, because there are three people — the Duchess, me, and Elle-san — is it win-win-win? It does not matter.

"Then let me introduce my husband. Please follow me."

The Duchess stands up. Eh? Was the Duke at home? In that case, should greeting the Duke not have come first? Does that mean that even in the ducal house the wife ranks higher?

Led by the Duchess we walk through the mansion. We descend the stairs, are shown into another reception room, and are told to wait there and stand by. Without waiting very long the Duke appeared. Medium build, medium height, not particularly oily, an extremely ordinary person, yet looking at him he appears to be in his mid-thirties. Younger than the wife, I wonder? My eyes are cloudy so even with Appraisal I have no confidence, and the actual age cannot be known without asking; it does not matter.

The Duke spoke cheerfully.

"Good morning! Are you the new ambassador? This time do not cause my wife too much trouble. I ask you. Then I am going out from now, so please take care of my wife’s request. I leave it to you!"

For some reason I was asked twice, yet is it something of that much weight? Does he know the content of the discussion?

At the entrance together with the Duchess we see the Duke off.

"Really, where is he going so early in the morning."

The Duchess is grumbling in a small voice. I did not hear that...

"Then let us prepare a carriage for the return. What is Robin-sama’s schedule after this?"

Ooh? Is this some kind of invitation? Even though we have only just met, because the husband is doing only selfish things the wife’s frustration has piled up and the flow is to try to seduce the young ambassador?

While such delusions were calling further delusions the Duchess said to me,

"The payment for today’s medicine is prepared here, so please accept it. And by now the embassy has no funds left, right? You may freely use the carriage of this house that is being sent to the embassy for today. Please use it even for making the rounds of greetings."

She even said that much. The Duchess is somehow kind-hearted toward me who had been nurturing guilty delusions. I was deeply moved with a jiiiin.

"Thank you very much. I gladly accept the offer!"

There is not the slightest reason to reject goodwill, so I gratefully accept. With this Rudolf will also become a little easier.

"Only for today. If you want to use it tomorrow as well I will receive payment. Yes, about one gold coin?"

Oops, the Duchess seems to know the market price. She is not a "young lady" wife who does not know the world. I myself did not know until I came to this country.

We boarded the carriage of the ducal house and returned to the embassy together with Lily. When I told Rudolf the circumstances he said "That is a grateful thing" and at once it became a matter of making the rounds of greetings together with Rudolf. Because it is the day after yesterday, of course no guidance for an audience with His Majesty the King of the Mainz Kingdom has come. Even if it came it seems ordinary that it would not be "Come tomorrow" but talk with leeway such as coming several days later, so for the time being we can concentrate on the rounds of greetings.

And I hand the payment received from the Duchess to Rudolf. When I hand Rudolf the bag containing gold coins Rudolf checks the weight of the bag, looks inside the bag fearfully, and the expression disappears from his face.

"Robin-sama, just what did you do with this large sum of money?"

He seems to have thought that I earned money by doing something bad as soon as I arrived here. It will be better to speak honestly and clear away the unease. Did he think it was beginner’s luck at gambling?

"Rudolf, I want you to keep this secret, yet this is the payment for a secret medicine that only I can make. I sold it to the Duchess. Because the Duchess is still at the stage of testing it, a maid attached to the Duchess will come to drink the medicine in five days. The payment for that is twenty gold coins. I will entrust that money to Rudolf, so I want you to use it for embassy matters."

When I say that Rudolf makes a face of "What should I do?" A feeling of mixed joy and sorrow?

"I do not understand well, yet is it truly all right? Speaking rudely, you are not plotting something bad, are you? It is not something you feel guilty about, is it? Because I said such things yesterday, you did not do something, did you?"

Rudolf is extremely worried. Of course he is. When one thinks of the hardship the previous idiot ambassador imposed on Rudolf it cannot be helped. Rudolf has an air of wanting to believe yet being unable to believe completely.

"Rudolf, I well understand the feeling of worrying. Yet this is a medicine I was giving to Her Majesty the Queen while I was still in the Marie Kingdom; Her Majesty the Queen wrote a letter addressed to the Duchess and I took that and went to the Duchess. As a result it became a matter of selling to the younger sister, the Duchess. If there is concern about this, next time when the maid called Elle-sama attached to the Duchess comes you may confirm it."

When I say that Rudolf, while wearing a face of half belief and half doubt, said,

"Understood. I will trust what Robin-sama says."

Rudolf, while gripping the bag of gold coins tightly, muttered,

"If this money continues..."

I felt that this must not be overlooked. Right now there is no one listening except the two of us.

"What? Rudolf, is there something? I understand that it is good to have money, yet is Rudolf doing something? If there is, tell me."

"No, there is nothing for you to worry about."

"That is not so. Last night as well Rudolf went out somewhere in the middle of the night and returned late at night, didn’t he? What were you doing then? I cannot imagine, yet you were not doing something bad, were you?"

At my question Rudolf shook his head and said,

"Robin-sama, as expected you had noticed... Actually that was..."

He once cut off his words painfully and said,

"That is, I was going to earn a little money. Thinking that if I could help the finances of the embassy even a little."

"Earning a little money — just what were you doing?"

Sweat seeps onto Rudolf’s forehead.

"That is, actually, bodyguard work. Hiding my name and status I am serving as a bodyguard at a brothel. I am sorry."

He answered as if squeezing it out.

I was surprised at the answer, yet I am newly impressed at how hard-pressed they are.

"That bodyguard work — about how much does it earn?"

"Yes, one silver coin for one night."

"..."

Going to do bodyguard work in the middle of the night for one silver coin for one night. The money can stay with Rudolf, yet I also want to go! I will also be sufficiently useful!!