Chapter 97: The Current State of Duke McGallen’s Household (Part 1) ― Extra edition
Klaus, Sofia, and their daughter Leah were heading towards Pabst village after a long time.
Leah had already turned twelve. The Duke McGallen’s daughter was dressed in fine attire, leaning against her mother with a hint of boredom.
Being the Duke’s daughter, everything was given to her. It was predetermined for her to marry into a noble family of similar status in the future. Living such a predetermined life, Leah had never questioned anything and simply indulged in luxury.
At that time, her mother suddenly expressed a desire for the whole family to visit their countryside villa.
Before she knew it, they were being rocked in a carriage, embarking on a long journey with overnight stays at inns.
As the surrounding houses gradually disappeared, Leah looked around anxiously.
“Otou-sama… This is my first time in such a countryside.”
Klaus acknowledged his daughter’s confusion and smiled.
“Didn’t you come here before? Well you were very young, you must have forgotten.”
“Even if I did come, I was quite young. I forgot.”
Sofia leaned closer to her daughter and spoke.
“We couldn’t come for a while because your Otou-sama fell seriously ill. But I always wanted to come to this village.”
Five years ago, Klaus had contracted a lung disease during an epidemic. Sophia became quite anxious, and for the past five years, they had avoided going far from home.
But recently, Klaus seemed to be in good health, so they came to this countryside to breathe in the fresh air.
And there was one more thing. Sophia had a “purpose” that she hadn’t told Leah about yet.
“Hey, Leah.”
Taking Leah’s grown-up hand, Sophia whispered.
“There is something I must tell you now.”
Leah tilted her head.
“What is it…?”
“Something good? I will teach you the most important etiquette for a lady. The most important thing for a woman to live her life… yes, the most important thing.”
“If that’s the case, a tutor can teach me.”
“No. Because this village has nothing like that, there are things you can learn here.”
“???”
Leah wondered what there was to learn in a village with nothing.
The carriage continued to ride up to the top of the mountain in Pabst village.
The surroundings began to be adorned with colorful flower fields, and at the mountaintop, there were two elegant white hotels.
Leah leaned out of the window and couldn’t help but smile.
“…Such lovely hotels, two of them.”
“Forgetting such a nice place would be a waste, Leah.”
As Sofia murmured, Klaus showed a happy smile as if he remembered something.
When they got off the carriage, Leah was guided not to the beautiful hotel but to a small villa.
Leah cautiously stepped inside. It was truly like a commoner’s house, with no decorative items. She was shocked by the unfamiliar rural furnishings and glanced back at her mother.
“Okaa-sama… This is an unexpectedly plain space, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Is there no room for servants?”
“No, there isn’t.”
“Then how will I receive ladylike education?”
“First, change your clothes. Take off the petticoat.”
Leah, sweating nervously, managed to dismantle the dress that she usually had the servants do for her.
“Phew… So many strings.”
“Change your high heels to those boots over there.”
Sofia said as she skillfully changed into the attire of a peasant woman herself.
Klaus, perhaps tired from the long journey, started dozing off on the bed.
“Ladylike education… What is it?”
Leah muttered in astonishment as Sophia handed her a fishing rod and a bucket.
“Here you go, sorry for the wait. This is ladylike education, Leah.”
Equipped with their gear, the group arrived at the river in a carriage.
Sofia carried the fishing rod on her shoulder and eagerly went out.
“M-Mother…?”
Sofia crouched low and, with a swift motion, cast her line into the water.
Leah was astonished by her mother’s brave figure, which she had never seen before.
“Mother… Is this ladylike education?”
Klaus, as if answering that question, cast his fishing line with a practiced motion.
To his pale daughter, Sophia said,
“Everything is an experience, Leah.”
“Experience…?”
“If you can do this, you won’t go hungry in times of need. You need to increase the things you can do on your own.”
Leah remembered herself being confined to the mansion.
A life where everything was taken care of within the rooms. Everything was done by someone else, and there was no inconvenience. She had thought that it would continue indefinitely without any certainty.
As long as her parents were there──
“Ah.”
Sofia exclaimed.
The fishing rod in her hand bent.
“It’s going, it’s going!”
Sofia positioned herself eagerly and swung her fishing rod up into the sky, leaning back as she did so.
The fish thrashed, splashing droplets of water around.
Sofia grabbed the fish that swung back like a pendulum and proudly showed her catch to her daughter with sparkling eyes.
“I caught it!”
Leah looked up at her mother in surprise, while Klaus applauded with a smile.
The fish was released into a bucket.
“Finally caught one. Let’s all be patient and catch our own fish for dinner tonight!”
Leah couldn’t believe what she heard.
“M-Mother… What do you mean?”
Sofia casually replied as if it were obvious.
“From today, we’ll be living a self-sufficient life for a while. We catch our own food and cook it ourselves. Understand?”
At that moment, Klaus caught a large trout next to them.
“Now it’s just Leah’s meal left.”
Cornered by her Otou-sama’s casual words, Leah stared at the calm water’s surface with unbelieving eyes.
“Is… Is this what it means to be a lady…?”
Even a lady gets hungry.
Leah’s eyes started to change slightly.
And then…
Suddenly, the fishing rod trembled.
“Ah, Leah…!”
Snapped back to reality by her mother’s words, Leah supported the rod and prepared herself. She imitated her mother’s fishing technique she had seen earlier, crouching low.
“Do your best, Leah!”
Her Otou-sama cheered for her with genuine joy. Blushing, Leah pulled the rod and her arm horizontally, as if it was about to break.
“Uoryaaaaaa!”
A lady-like scream echoed across the river surface, and the fish slipped onto the ground.
Leah took a deep breath and gazed at the flopping fish on the ground, her eyes shining.
“This… This is my dinner for tonight…!”
