TS Duchess Eliza’s Internal Affairs

Chapter 6

The Nanny's Daughter – First Part

Translated by KaiesV
Edited by KaiesV

「The source of the rumor has been discovered. As the Duke and Eliza-sama have guessed, it is Count Jungk’s residence.」

「Thank you. Did they follow the agent’s trail to the end?」

「Yes. Once they went through another territory, but our《ears》confirmed that they had contact with a man who looked like a merchant in Count Jungk’s territory. And that the man entered the Count’s mansion.」

It was late July, a night when the heat of the day still lingered. After returning to my room after taking a bath, Emily sat me down on a chair and whispered into my ear from behind while wiping my wet hair with a soft cloth, which shone with a golden sheen.

「Well done. I’m surprised it went unnoticed.」

「Thanks to the mysterious tube that Eliza-sama lent me, I was able to keep an unnoticeable watch from a distance, according to our《ears.》」

「Ahh, the telescope. It was a prototype, but I’m glad it was useful.」

Since I had them made based on my dim memory, the magnification was only as good as a cheap opera glass at best. To be honest, I didn’t expect much, but it seems to be more than enough for some users. As I was thinking about this, Emily offered her next move in a slightly firm voice.

「What shall we do? Shall we have those who enter and leave the Count’s mansion caught secretly? Aside from the end of the line, those who have access to the estate may have more information.」

「Let’s not do that. Rioting on their turf will only put us at a disadvantage. And we don’t want them to know as much as possible about what we’re looking for.」

I’m fine with your loyalty, but I’d like you to be a little more calm in matters concerning me, I say, as if to rebuke you. Then, perhaps with her original candor, that seemed to be enough to calm her down. The slight stiffness in her hands as she wiped her hair slipped away.

「I apologize for my outburst. Forgive me.」

「That’s okay. You’re being too pushy this time, but sometimes that’s for the best. Feel free to continue to voice your opinion.」

When I added a follow-up, Emily giggled and began to run a comb through her hair, which was now almost dry. As I surrender myself to the pleasant sensation, nostalgic memories come back to me, and my eyes naturally narrow.

「You’ve gotten pretty good at combing my hair, too.」

「Thank you very much.」

「When Emily first came to us, we had some painful experiences.」

「Already… That was more than a decade ago.」

It was brought up so long ago that Emily seemed to get a little sulky. I was remembering my first encounter with her, thinking that she was still the same in the way she expressed emotion in her tone of voice.

◆

I was raised in a mansion in the territorial capital of Amyn, and when I was two years old and no longer felt comfortable speaking simple words, my mother brought my nanny Anna and a little girl with her.

「Well! Princess, you’ve become so pretty!」

Anna, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, raised her loud, nostalgic voice. She is a very lively and cheerful woman. When I was in her care, the people in the house would laugh when Anna’s soothing voice was louder than my crying.

In choosing the nannies, they wanted to be sure of their identities, so they chose loyal knights in the service of their father, and their wives. Anna was chosen there.

In fact, she was a very good nanny. Although it was a bit noisy, she were able to pay attention to details and quickly get what I wanted to do. Although it was only a temporary job for six months, until Mother, who was not very fertile after childbirth, recovered, I never experienced any inconvenience during that time. It is also desirable that she is a cheerful beauty with relatable dark hair.

I had returned to my parents’ home, as she had her own house to run, and waited for my mother’s words with a sense of anticipation, wondering if she would be able to take care of me once again.

「Eliza. I brought a little girl with me today to take care of you.」

「Take care of me…?」

Anna is not reinstated, apparently. A bit disappointed, I try to be as infantile as possible and ask back in fragmented words. Mother still smiled, as if she was happy that her daughter spoke the language.

「Yes, this is the girl who will be your friend.」

So said, I looked in the direction indicated by the tip of my mother’s hand, and for a moment I was speechless.

A beautiful girl with porcelain-white skin and shiny black hair, which was inherited from her mother, peeked out from behind Anna’s back. Her dark, dull eyes were watching us, the father and son, with a hint of mischievousness in them.

「Then, Emily. Say greetings to Liliane-sama and Elizabeth-sama.」

「… Please treat me well.」

The girl called Emily introduces herself to us in a muffled voice, hiding behind her mother. My mother and I looked at each other to see how quiet she was. It was hard to believe that she was Anna’s lively daughter. Anna shakes her head in a disappointed manner. A little teary-eyed, Emily grabbed her mother’s clothes and hid behind her again.

「I apologize about what happened. Even though she is my eldest daughter, she is not yet ready to leave her mother…」

I was told later that it is not that unusual for a girl to be sent to work at the age of six or seven here in Rynegard. They would receive various types of education and assistance, like apprentices, to prepare for their marriages.

Some of the best were hired outright, or some daughters were tied up with family members. Anna was the latter.

It was a common sight to see children fidgeting when they were sent out to serve, and the mother had a troubled yet smiling expression on her face.

——It can’t be helped.

I trudged up to the girl who would probably end up taking care of me.

「Emily-onee-chan.」

「……What?」

She was about to be separated from her mother, but she could not ignore a toddler who was still a little unsteady on her feet. Emily responded properly.

「Do you like Anna’s work?」

「I love it.」

It was an immediate answer. I guess she is a good mother after all.

「I love it too! Okaa-sama. I want to talk to Anna once in a while too.」

With that, I turned back to my mother and beguiled her with moist golden eyes. Mother’s mouth slackens momentarily at the loveliness. I didn’t miss it, and as a coup de grace, I gave her a little nod of my head and sank the boat, giving Anna an excuse to come to the estate.

Anna was assigned needlework and was to come to the manor once a month to deliver it. Then she and Emily took care of me and settled down to stay the night.

Emily also volunteered to come to work for Clanetta. I guess being able to spend time with her mother even once a month helped her make up her mind. Thus, she became my personal caretaker.

◆

「Ow–ow–ow–ouch」

「I–I’m so sorry, Princess!」

It has been three weeks since Emily came to the manor. The maid who preceded her taught her the job and she was the first to start taking care of me on her own, but she was still unfamiliar with it and sometimes made mistakes.

「Are you okay? Does the comb hurt?」

「I’m o–okay…」

She was having my hair combed, but she had apparently forgotten that children’s fine hair tends to tangle easily. She pulled the tangled part with her comb as it was, and I grunted in pain and rubbed my head.

「Really, I’m very sorry…」

「Don’t mind it, Emily-onee-chan. I’d rather you read the book.」

「Y–Yes. I’ll bring it right over.」

Flipping on an old maid’s outfit that looked a little loose, Emily went to the study to get a book. In some ways I am glad she came. I am now able to read various books, especially those describing the climate of Rynegard. Although there had been readings by Mother and the maids before, they were only like picture books and did not give us a real picture of this country. It wasn’t a total waste of time, though, because I got to know the language.

I had spent many frustrating days alone, not being able to get a two-year-old to want to read a book about maps or history, but I had Emily bring me a book she wanted to read, thinking that if she was dealing with a six-year-old, she would not be so suspicious.

「I must thank her…」

As I was muttering to myself, the door to my room opened with a bang and Emily returned with several books in her arms.

「Princess! I brought them!」

「Waah! Thank you!」

I hurriedly acted like a child and immersed myself in my book, wondering how old I had to be to do this.

◆

Emily brought with her a book on the country’s climate, which she had read before.

Rynegard is a historic nation located on the western edge of the continent. It is bordered by neighboring countries in the east and southeast, and the rest of the country is surrounded by the sea. The terrain was similar to that of Europe without England and Spain, and Rynegard was much like the terrain of France. When I saw the map attached to the front of the book again, I was made to realize that I had come to another world after all, and a faint feeling of nostalgia came over me.

——I wonder if my grandfather’s grave will be safe.

My grandfather—— Hozumi Seiichi was, the one who raised Hozumi Akira before he became Eliza. I lost my parents in a car accident when I was very young, and my grandfather took me in and raised me with only his male help. Despite his busy profession as a politician, Grandpa taught me many things directly. Most of my knowledge is based on what was given to me at the time. Grandpa was my mentor and my pride and joy.

He passed away quietly after I got a job. Just when I thought I could finally return the favor, it happened.

In the end, I lost my life too, but fortunately I was able to be reborn in this way. That’s when I thought. I still haven’t put my grandfather’s teachings to use. I said I would make use of the knowledge I had gained this time so that my grandfather would be at ease in the afterlife. I was not willing to ignore God’s request to save my country, since I had been reincarnated.

Praying for the safety of the graves where my grandfather and parents rested, I listened to Emily’s storytelling and searched for what I could do.