Not much time might have passed after that. To be honest, I wasn’t sure of it myself.
By the time I finally could stir about in Orgueil’s arms after my stupefaction, before I knew it, he was patting my head gently.
When I looked up at him, his rich facial expressions and his beautiful eyes—similar to a jewel’s—were looking at me.
“—Shall we go?”
He said.
“Time is pressing. It might take around two hours just to take a look at the administrative place. You’d like to take a look at it slowly, right?”
“That’s right.”
After agreeing with me, we continued walking.
The incomprehensible motive of the cool beauty Orgueil as he whispered as sweetly as sugar, and this strange anxiety—for the time being, I pushed them all to the corner of my head.
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As expected, Duke Evangelista’s castle was so huge, and the territory was also vast, that even the administrative area consisted of several spacious rooms.
Domestic affairs, diplomacy, economy. Various annexes that you couldn’t remember just by hearing it once or twice. After each of them were divided by the area, they would be supervised by the central government. However, as for the military affairs and the police, they were the reverse of the other divisions. They had a centralized authoritarian rule to decide the matters, and then everything would be lowered to the smaller areas. It seemed that it would be easier to regulate things that way.
Obviously, we didn’t only go down to the basement, but after walking through a long hallway, we made a turn, going up yet another stairs, and so on that I lost my sense of direction. The view that could be seen outside the window differed quite considerably from what it was at first, and if one were to lean over, one might be able to see the flag representing the [chief duke] that was just explained earlier, could be seen standing on top of the tower, but if one were to just take a casual look at it, even the tower wouldn’t enter your field of vision.
–The bell announcing that it was half an hour before lunch time concisely resounded.
Just now, when morning’s 5th bell rang, if I were to say it using my original world’s term, then it was about 11.30 am.
It was very helpful that a human’s biological clock was the same here and in my original world, waking up early in the morning and sleeping during the night, even meal time and activity time.
One hour here probably equals to one hour in my original world.
(T/N: This is tricky as in the original Japanese, this sentence is like this: 一刻がたぶん一時間. Modern Japanese would use 時間 or 時 to show time/hour, but in the world Riviere’s transmigrated in, they’re using 刻 to measure time. Since there’s no appropriate vocabulary like Chinese’s ‘shichen’, I decided to just translate it all as ‘hour’. I’m open to suggestion though~!)
One day was divided into the dawn, morning, noon, evening, and also into 6th division of time, and the bell on top of the tower would ring to indicate the time (the tower of time was under the control of the Star-Viewing Tower, so there seemed to be a correct grasp of time in accordance to the detailed astronomical observation). Time was divided into four based on the sky color, and the bell would mostly ring six times. Certainly, one might get the count wrong if the bells were to ring twelve or twenty times, so I thought that it was the best for the bells to ring six times at the most.
“It’s noon soon, right?”
I indirectly demanded for a lunch to Orgueil, but he only lightly nodded while saying, “That’s right,” and continued to walk.
I was getting a little bit tired.
It was troublesome for us to be walking together like this—as he was walking with full knowledge of the places, while leading me who didn’t know anything and had no sense of distance at all. The castle’s floor plan had never been released, perhaps for security reasons or because it was considered to be unnecessary.
When I tried to directly propose for a recess instead of going in a roundabout way, he finally stopped in front of the door with a remarkably splendid engraving. There was no palace guard. It seemed that people had been ordered to leave.
“—The matter that his Excellency and the other two dukes were discussing, about Riviere-sama’s official debut, it hasn’t been decided yet.”
Orgueil abruptly said.
I was slightly confused.
“However, it has been reported that rumors about you were already circling around, so it was decided that for the time being, you should be informally introduced to the other two dukes.”
“…Could it be that I’m going to meet them now? Say that earlier!! It’s unfair to give me this kind of a surprise attack!!”
I unintentionally raised my voice. Since my voice was surprisingly too loud, I pressed my lips in a fluster, but it was obvious that I wasn’t satisfied yet, so I continued to argue.
“Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?!”
“I was hesitating. His Excellency, too. Until the very last minute.”
His tone was so detached, but the content of his words pacified me.
“His Excellency was thinking of introducing Riviere-sama after you become more familiar with the environment, but the two dukes’ demand was too strong. Saying that they also had the privilege to meet you.”
Well, that was true. I was supposed to have a blood relationship as the distant past’s Duke Evangelista’s illegitimate descendant. It was an important matter to the Gladius house. This increase of an illegitimate descendant would affect the inheritance rights of the house.
As for my social position, isn’t it way too bombastic?
I might have no complain with the arranged background that they thought for me, but when I heard that the dukes of the same rank as Leon-sama were so spirited in meeting me, the status became too important that my eyes ended up showing a hint of censure.
“Then, did you lose to the pressure? You pair did?”
“No, I didn’t say that. After thinking of various reasons, we thought that it would be better to hasten up your meeting. Also, since the two of them and his Excellency were considered close friends whose solidarity was strong, we judged that it wouldn’t be bad to have Riviere-sama’s allies increasing.”
“But, to think that I’d suddenly have to meet them in the middle of enjoying my field trip…”
“If I were to tell about the introduction matter to you beforehand, Riviere-sama, you seem like you’ll say we should postpone the field trip.”
There’s no denying it. I’d want to postpone such a troublesome matter.
As I silently tightened my lips, Orgueil patted my head over and over.
“I’m sorry that things have to end up this way. But, if we were to exaggeratedly arrange a schedule and have you know of this matter beforehand, you wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the field trip, would you? You’d prepare things in advance no matter what.”
I think that he’s such a glib. I ended up thinking that it couldn’t be helped. I wasn’t moved by how he patted my head, by any means.
“…Speaking of which, the encounter with the unpleasant chairman from before was unexpected. Have you noticed that we haven’t encountered anyone who demanded an introduction with you other than that chairman? Every meeting’s participant and their schedule, we’ve taken everything into consideration to decide today’s field trip’s itinerary, and he—if he didn’t leave the meeting due to the ‘express messenger’, we would never have to meet him there. …The ‘morning assembly’ should be finished around this time.”
He turned towards the door.
“Morning assembly?”
“It’s held once every ten days in the chief duke’s castle. To discuss various matters while having a breakfast at the same time.”
–At that time, the door was opened from the inside.
Author’s Note:
The next beauties are going to appear sooner than planned! (I’m excited!).
Thank you very much for reading.
Translator’s Note:
To add the author’s note: don’t hesitate to drop some comments ^^
