13

Well, it's fine.

It's possible for a person to have a child a bit later.

It's not really a parent-child relationship, and although that disciple is really quite young, I thought it was just one of those things that couldn't be helped.

The witch was holding a basket in her hand.

And in the basket, for some reason, there were oranges, apples, and grapes piled high.

That wasn't all.

There were also fruits from the newly discovered continent, as well as famous fruits from the far east.

Apples, well, that's one thing, but these fruits weren't exactly something that could be considered cheap.

They were fruits that could only be eaten by nobles.

Fruits that come from far away, naturally, if left alone, will rot.

The proper preservation methods involve drying them completely or even preserving them in sugar.

There's also the rather extravagant and extremely expensive method of using magic to preserve them.

Looking at the fruit basket, which was much more expensive than apples out of season, the witch raised the basket and spoke.

"This… this is a gift to apologize for yesterday's rudeness!"

"I heard my daughter was quite rude to the Countess yesterday. I am truly sorry."

Saying this, the witch's disciple, whose hair was as white as snow, had the look of a sage who had seemingly given up on everything.

This person, too, might be someone who would be considered a grand wizard in most circumstances.

If they had remained the witch's disciple to this age, they were surely a talent far too precious for such a role.

Most of those who continue research under the witch do so because they love research itself, so they tend to be eccentric individuals whose names are more famous than their faces.

I was pondering what to say to apologize again for the rudeness of coming to the Count's mansion without permission, when…

"Wow!"

The young lady, who had been closely following me and gazing outside with curiosity, immediately ran out the door.

Standing side by side, it was clear that the young lady was a bit taller.

My magical mentor didn't seem to age at all.

Could she be a bit young for an elf?

"What are all these!?"

"Apples, grapes, oranges… and tropical fruits from far-off lands. They're all precious fruits."

"Are you giving all of these as a gift!?"

When I explained, the young lady's eyes sparkled as she said this.

"Of course!"

The witch's gaze turned back to me.

I only moved my lips to mimic the pronunciation of "Young Lady."

"Young Lady, would you perhaps forgive my rudeness?"

"Of course!"

The young lady replied so easily.

"I, Seila Wellenborough. As the heir of the Wellenborough family, I forgive you. You've even given such a precious gift."

Placing one hand on her chest, the young lady spoke.

The witch looked at her with a broad smile, like a grandmother seeing her incredibly cute granddaughter.

Of course, the young lady didn't notice that.

"I don't know how to thank you enough."

The disciple, still holding a hat in hand, bowed deeply.

"Thank you so much, Young Lady."

"Not at all."

The young lady's eyes were already fixed on the fruit basket.

It seemed her heart had been completely stolen.

After all, for someone so innocent and naive, it was easy to be swept away by such a gift.

Feeling a presence, I turned around to see Aila standing by the door.

The witch's disciple, seeing Ayla, bowed deeply, seeming even more apologetic.

It wasn't so much an apology but more of a reaction to Ayla's outfit.

It was somewhat embarrassing, but Ayla, standing confidently, looked at the two of them with such poise that it made the one who seemed embarrassed seem rather strange in comparison.

When Ayla's eyes met mine, she gave a slight nod.

It was a gesture to accept the apology.

After all, the young lady had already accepted it.

"May I ask for your name?"

At Ayla's words, the witch momentarily looked stunned, then quickly nodded.

"Of course! Well…"

"I'll take the basket!"

The young lady took the basket in a manner quite unlike how an actual young lady would behave.

It seemed she hadn't been trained properly in how to act as a young lady.

Perhaps I should give her further lessons later.

"My name is Daisy. Daisy Carter."

She awkwardly held the edges of her robe and bowed.

The witch, who had never properly greeted even the king, naturally felt awkward in this situation.

"My name is Daniel. Daniel Carter. I apologize again for not introducing myself earlier."

This greeting, too, was awkward.

Strictly speaking, they were beneath the king, but at the same time, they were people not to be trifled with.

In the kingdom, there were noble families with histories deeper than that of the royal family.

The royal family itself was not eternal.

Wars, political issues, or marriage problems could cause noble families to fall from grace or even be wiped out, while new families might rise to produce a king.

The current royal family had lasted about 150 years, so their reign could be considered impressive.

However, as I said, the witch had lived for 200 years.

And the witch had a mentor, and her mentor had another mentor.

Although there was only one witch remaining in the forest, her existence alone was far older than that of the royal family.

If we were to put it in context, the witch was more like a guest beneath the king, being there "by choice."

She had no particular desire to wield power directly.

Still, after so many years, she knew that if she were to get involved in something like a war, everything she had built could be destroyed.

If it were anyone else, it would have been rebuilt, but the witch, despite her appearance, was quite an emotional being.

She could be swayed by feelings.

"So, you're from the Carter family. How long do you plan to stay in this territory?"

Ayla asked casually, not bringing up her position as Countess.

She was just asking in a relaxed manner.

She always complained to me, but now I felt a bit jealous.

"If you would allow it, I'd like to stay for a while. I'm sorry, but the more time I have, the better.

Actually, due to a recent accident…"

The witch's disciple trailed off.

"Oh my."

The young lady reacted.

"That's such a sad story. There are surely some empty houses in the village…"

"Several."

I followed up on the young lady's words.

"Of course, to stay in the territory, you'll need to work. You'll have to pay taxes as well."

"That's not difficult. If you give me about a week, I can secure a trade route again through an acquaintance."

"Oh my!"

The young lady's eyes sparkled even more.

I looked toward Ayla.

In reality, the way the conversation was flowing so smoothly made no sense at all.

Two commoners suddenly appeared, and they were actually traders connected to another continent.

They were forced to seek refuge in the Count's territory due to a sudden accident, and within a week, they'd secure a trade route again?

Give me a break, old woman.

And naturally, Ayla narrowed her eyes and stared at me quietly.

I felt a slight sweat form on my palm, and I looked at the witch.

No, is it Daisy now?

Anyway, if I've already been found out, it's best to stick to what I said "from the start"…

And if I'm going to use it, it's better to keep them close.

"…As for the space you could stay in…"

I opened my mouth again.

"Actually, the hunting grounds keeper recently quit, and we need someone to look after the hunting grounds. There's a villa inside the grounds, so how about staying there? It's a bit lacking for a storage shed, but there's also space for firewood."

This was also a very shameless suggestion.

Even though they're commoners, I was suggesting using them as a hunting grounds keeper, without any intention of giving up the trade route.

Ayla's gaze felt even stronger now, but I just straightened my shoulders.

"And we also lack servants. If possible, I was hoping there could be a servant of your age to help the young lady. Would that be alright?"

"Wow!"

The young lady's eyes sparkled.

Even though she was a young lady, she was still a child.

She had never properly met anyone her age before, so it must have felt nice to make a friend like this.

From what she said about stepmothers, it seemed she had read a lot of fairy tales.

"Of course!"

The witch's eyes also sparkled.

Naturally, Ayla never took her eyes off me.

"I thought you were a thorough and meticulous person, but it seems that's not the case."

"I thought you were a logical person, but it seems you dislike being pointed out for such things."

Afternoon.

Since things had turned out this way, the witch immediately began her work.

It was certainly an unconventional matter, but the young lady lacked the common sense to consider it as such, and Ayla had already realized that the witch was on my side, so there was no need to hide anything anymore.

"If you want to make excuses, go ahead."

"I usually act more systematically than this."

"What does that mean?"

Ayla had a slight smile on her lips.

Was she enjoying my confusion?

No, of course, I didn't show any signs of confusion with my perfect acting.

So, this is just my misunderstanding. Ayla… well, I must be jumping to conclusions.

In this situation, it's possible.

"To be practical, sometimes it's better to ignore procedures that can be ignored."

"Is that really your excuse?"

Ayla shrugged her shoulders, slightly lowering the corners of her mouth as she looked at me.

It was clear that she didn't believe me.

"Are you sure you can control your subordinates properly?"

I thought the witch was a bit more rational than this.

"I swear there will be no betrayal."

"Swear?"

Ayla said.

"If it's a swear, then… wait a second."

I hadn't done anything, but Ayla spoke up.

"I haven't said anything yet."

"I haven't done anything yet either, Ayla."

"Uh, yeah, I see."

Ayla cleared her throat and spoke again.

"Aside from strange actions, what else can you offer? Of course, assuming I can accept it."

Is this desperation?

Ayla still doesn't trust me.

She probably doesn't think I'd do anything right now, but she's likely assuming I have some other purpose.

"…I can offer my neck."

"Really?"

Of course, Ayla wouldn't think that in such a situation, she could take my neck.

"Yes. Soon, I'll give you the evidence of how far I can remain loyal."

"I'm looking forward to that."

Ayla, of course, didn't believe that either.

She just moved as if she had given up again, just like before.

Maybe that made her feel a little freer.

But I am sincere.

Yes.

And since the witch is here, I can create that "evidence" anytime.

So Ayla can understand it.