Chapter 160: The One Who Has Nothing But Love
Rosalinde.
The beloved daughter of Count Missgancia, born from his third wife.
That third wife was also a woman of frail health, and it seems she exhausted her strength and passed away during Rosalinde’s birth.
Despite such beginnings, Rosalinde grew up to be a blonde beauty who looked just like her third-wife mother.
Her personality, too, was said to be identical to her mother’s: seemingly cool but actually cheerful, and a bit eccentric.
Due to her cute yet slightly odd personality and her curious nature that led her to various places, she was a princess widely beloved even by Count Missgancia’s subordinates…
However, it seems she also inherited her mother’s frail health, and her condition was often poor since childhood.
By the time she reached her mid-teens, a lung disease made it difficult for her even to stand, forcing her to live her life confined to a bed…
Because of her health problems and long periods of illness, this princess apparently couldn’t receive much of the education befitting a nobleman’s daughter.
Things like managing household affairs, which noblewomen are naturally expected to do, Rosalinde apparently can hardly do at all.
Well, she was taught how to speak and table manners, but beyond that, perhaps just embroidery, reading, writing, and arithmetic? She can’t perform the most important duty, managing household affairs.
It can’t be helped, I suppose.
Until she received my treatment, she was told she would certainly die before reaching the age of twenty.
Being almost completely bedridden, receiving an education was out of the question.
So, as a noblewoman, despite being beloved, she’s incompetent. And as a person, she’s a failure who doesn’t discriminate against those she’s supposed to.
Perhaps that’s precisely why she was handed down to someone like me, a member of a different race…
This really is another one of those “political matters” that I hate.
This world isn’t a game, so there aren’t clear flags, points, or gauges.
Instead, various factors intertwine complexly, giving birth to outcomes… That’s how this real world is.
Rosalinde was loved by her parent and vassals, but she’s a failure as a noble, and too naive to become a commoner.
As for me, Andrews, I’m a member of a different race discriminated against by everyone, but I’m a Mage whose blood has value, who possesses skills, and has a sharp mind.
This is the result of those various elements fitting together.
However… if that’s the case, what should Rosalinde do?
I can’t think of a role for her within the Household Affairs.
My feeling is, “It’s fine for you to just relax and enjoy yourself,” but apparently, it doesn’t work that way in this world.
I can’t think of an analogy that fits modern Earth values… but this world has the mindset that “working is expected.”
Things like full-time housewives or kept men aren’t permitted.
In this world without any damn home appliances, even just doing laundry is heavy labor that takes hours. Being a housewife is also respectable “labor.”
Men and women alike work every day from morning till night, except for the occasional holidays or festival days. If they don’t, they can’t eat in this world.
Even house cats get kicked out if they can’t catch mice, and cowardly hunting dogs are kicked to death.
Even pets aren’t allowed to live unless they work.
In such a world, saying “You don’t have to do anything” or “It’s fine to just relax” is apparently not kindness, but harm. I’ve recently had that explained to me and am starting to understand.
Therefore, I have to give Rosalinde some kind of role.
“Well then… maybe I’ll have her handle the asset accounting? Tris, could you teach her… Hey, uh, Rosa? Is Tris okay for you?”
“Yes, it’s fine, you know? I like Tris.”
Hmm…
Having a Mazoku speak with a noblewoman is bound to cause various problems.
But, this is how we’ll do things in my household. I asked Rosalinde just in case, but it was just asking.
“Alright, Tris. I’m leaving it to you.”
“Yes, Lord Andrews. …Well then, Rosalinde-sama, I will see you later.”
“Okay, I understand.”
…Asset Management, huh.
I don’t really care about things like Gold Coins or jewelry in this world.
Because I can create and replicate as much as I want with magic.
Everything that could be called real assets is all in the ‘Garden’.
Therefore, this job called “Asset Management” is one that doesn’t matter if it’s done haphazardly.
So, I decided it’s fine to entrust it to Rosalinde.
No… seriously, there just isn’t any work.
Because I’ve basically created a system where I can live without relying on anyone for anything, I essentially don’t need anything other than intangible assets like ‘personal connections’ or ‘land’.
Managing that stuff really doesn’t matter. If anything, I wouldn’t mind donating the entire amount to the Slums. Well, of course, doing that would cause nothing but problems, so I won’t.
…Or rather, just how much do I have right now?
Every time, I tell Count Missgancia, “Give it to me in zip,” no, “Give it to me in cash”… but by that logic, I should be holding onto mountains of Gold Coins.
Isn’t hoarding gold in one place a bad idea?
Especially since this isn’t a world like Earth with a managed currency system where they can print paper money. It’s a gold standard, so the amount of gold equals the amount of wealth in circulation.
…Maybe I should ask.
“Um, Tris?”
“Yes?”
“My assets… what’s the current situation with them?”