Chapter 284: Repaying the Debts

[A/N: Updated the character of Robin Marie, hype it up by adding popularity to it :D]

Now that the Countess was in a better mood, I added one more thing.

"Countess, I also thought to repay in full today the money we borrowed from Count von Kirchhoff, so I have brought it. Rudolf, take out the promissory note."

"Yes. Here it is."

Rudolf laid the note on the table. The principal had been five hundred fifty coins. When the medicine money came in thick, we had promptly repaid twenty, but that had been called the interest portion. Even a town moneylender would have been shocked at the ripoff.

The Countess read the promissory note with great care. Then she lifted her face.

"You will repay all of this today?"

"Yes. The principal is five hundred fifty, and interest has accrued, but I will add a little color and hand over seven hundred gold coins. I would like that treated as payment in full. Would that be acceptable?"

"That is fine. I want to keep a good relationship with you, Lord Marie, so it is quite all right."

"Thank you! For my part as well, I would like to keep dealing with you as a good friend going forward, Countess, so from the next dose onward fifty gold coins will be enough."

At that the Countess broke into a suddenly shining smile.

"My! Is that so? How kind of you. But I will take you up on it. Whatever the relationship between my husband and you, Lord Marie, I have wanted a lasting association with you, so this offer makes me very happy. Ufufu."

"Then please sign here that repayment is complete. If possible I would like the promissory note in Count von Kirchhoff’s possession returned. How would that be?"

"Well. I do not think that will appear immediately, so shall I write a statement testifying to that effect? The count’s seal should be enough.

But you did well, Lord Marie. I was watching too, and I was quite smitten. If I had had money of my own, I would have bet on you. What a shame."

Nnn. Was this the signal for a bomb to drop?

"Countess, I heard you could not bet because you had no money?"

"Yes, that is right. The only money I can freely use is the cost of the medicine. I could hardly wager that."

"Is that so? Count von Kirchhoff bet as much as two thousand gold coins."

The Countess’s brow twitched. So the fact that Count von Kirchhoff had wagered a fortune had not reached her ears. Perfect...!

"Of the five thousand gold coins I brought today as Prime Minister Cromwell’s sympathy gift, two thousand were originally Count von Kirchhoff’s own stake, I am told. So the pure sympathy gift from Prime Minister Cromwell is three thousand gold coins. The Count was the host, and even if he had no intention of losing, it was still a tremendous sum to wager. That is what the Prime Minister said as well. Not that it matters. The Count has property, so two thousand gold coins must be pocket change to him."

Partway through the story I noticed the Countess’s hands trembling, wavering hard. She had hardly any money of her own to use freely, and her husband was scattering it as he pleased. Was she flying into a towering rage!?

"At any rate, I can only hope the gold I brought will help a little with the recovery. I would like to see you again at the Vélez ducal residence. Please treat me well."

I bowed politely and glanced at the Countess’s face. It had gone completely blank, turned into a Noh mask. Whether a hellish scene would follow, or whether the Countess would grit her teeth and settle it inside herself, I did not know.

We decided to return to the embassy for the moment. In the carriage Rudolf let out a long sigh, so I asked,

"What is it, Rudolf? Sighing that grandly. Did it bother you that I added color on my own and repaid the Countess extra?"

"No, that is not it. That is for you to decide, Lord Robin. What worried me was that stirring the Countess like that might earn you Count von Kirchhoff’s spite in return."

"No, no, no. He sowed those seeds himself, did he not? They were going to sprout someday. Is it not strange for him to resent me?"

"Of course, what you say is perfectly sound and I have no complaint. I only worried that when Count von Kirchhoff looks for an outlet for the resentment he takes from his wife, it might turn toward you, Lord Robin."

"You think so? If he tried something against me, that would cost money, would it not? Rebuilding the Kirchhoff mansion and garden will not be covered by the gold we brought today alone, will it? If anything happened to me, would everyone not assume Count von Kirchhoff had done it? Even so, I do not think he will try anything."

"That is true as well. Lord Robin, will you stop at House Schult? I have not announced us."

"Right. Let us just show our faces."

At the gate I told the gatekeeper I wished to pay my respects to the Marquis. We could not wait in front of the gate, so they let us in to wait. Looking out a window, I could see last night’s spectator stands being taken down. They had been built with a fairly solid frame. If the seats had not filled, would they not have taken a huge loss?

While I was thinking that, the gatekeeper returned.

"Ambassador Marie, I am afraid the Marquis is out. If it suits you, the Marchioness says she will receive you."

Oh ho ho. The wife? That is my very best specialty! Exactly what I wished for!

I accepted readily and had the carriage advance to the house. At the entrance stood an older woman who appeared to be the Marchioness. In her fifties, perhaps? She looked about a cycle older than Her Majesty when I first met her. Even so, a genuine elegance hung about her. Received with a gentle smile, I felt myself relax as well.

"Ambassador Marie, welcome to House Schult. Unfortunately my husband is out, but if I will do, please allow me to greet you."

She bowed politely. A world apart from the Countess a moment ago.

"The pleasure is mine. This is our first meeting. I am Robin Marie, Ambassador of Marie Kingdom. Please remember me."

"How courteous. Please come inside. I will have tea prepared."

We were shown in in a thoroughly warm atmosphere.

We had barely taken our seats when the talk turned to last night. The Marquis and Marchioness had been watching from the start, she said, and they had watched me, about the age of their grandchild, fighting desperately, hearts pounding and nerves stretched. When I won at the end, the couple had embraced and cheered. Being told it that way made me glad, as if they were becoming my allies. But would they really be happy that the neighboring Count had lost to a foreign child? I asked around the edges of that, and though she put it indirectly, neighboring noble houses were apparently on bad terms as a rule. A contest of vanity, she said, decorating mansion and garden so as not to lose to the house next door. And the Count was always trying to rival the Marquis and coming at them with boasts, an attitude she had disliked, so last night had truly cleared the air. She said so with a full smile.

"Then my effort was worth it!"

"Fufufu. I do not think this sort of thing happens often, but from now on House Schult will support you, Ambassador Marie. If you are in trouble, come and say so!"

What an extraordinarily welcome thing to be told. After words like that, I had no choice but to bring it out! The secret rejuvenation medicine! I had not brought a model today, so I would have to manage with talk alone!

I set a wine glass of milky liquid on the table and slid it forward in front of the Marchioness.

"What is this?"

The Marchioness looked dubious.

"Yes. In fact this is what Her Majesty the Queen, Duchess Mariska of Vélez, Countess von Kirchhoff, and Baroness Meine have been drinking..."

"Wait! You need not name them all... I have heard the rumors. So it was real. To think Ambassador Marie is the one making it!!"

The rumors of the secret medicine had apparently been traveling under the surface.

"The effect is..."

"It is fine! You need not say it! I have seen and I know. So this is it? You brought it out, so does that mean I may have it? I have heard it is two hundred gold coins a cup, though?"

Whoa!!!! An outrageous price had been attached!

"No. Fifty gold coins a cup is enough. Today, as a token of our new acquaintance, I will offer it free. Good medicine is bitter to the mouth, as they say, and it is a little hard to drink, but please have some."

The Marchioness’s eyes shone at my offer.

"Is that so? Then I will take it! Ahh, I hope it works on me as well!"

she said, and swallowed it down. She did not voice it, but her face said Ugeh!!!! Well, that was only natural.

"Th-this is quite a taste. Ahh, may I drink something to cleanse my mouth?"

"Yes, please. Everyone says that at first. I think you will simply have to get used to it."

The Marchioness took the wine a maid held out, rolled it around in her mouth, and swallowed. I was sorry the mouthfeel was so poor.

"I wonder. Does the effect appear immediately?"

The Marchioness asked while rubbing her cheek with her hand, so I said,

"That varies by person, so I cannot say anything definite. From what I have heard, some people find their bodies grow hot that same night. Dry skin becomes moist, and spots and freckles fade or vanish, I am told. About once every ten days should be enough."

"Is that so? Shall I buy some to keep?"

"The trouble is, this spoils quickly, so I put it in a mana bag immediately after I make it. My mana bag seems to be special. Anything placed inside neither spoils nor decays, and comes out in the same state it went in. So I thought I would deliver it to you directly, Marchioness. How would that be?"

"Yes. Please do. Ufufu. I am truly glad I became acquainted with you, Ambassador Marie. Next time I would like to introduce my husband, so be sure to make an appointment when you come. Oh, will you come deliver the medicine in ten days? Then shall I have you meet my husband then? Would that be all right?"

"Of course. Gladly!"

I had wondered what would come of an unannounced visit, but I would never have come if I had not been told to. It had truly gone well. I would keep building sympathizers little by little like this!