Tabitha had lived in the Baron's Manor for several days and discovered—quite unexpectedly—that it was nothing like the frightening rumors she'd heard.
No one forced her to work. No one scolded her.
And anything she asked for was… simply given.
At first she was cautious, only asking for a little food or a drink.
But when she realized that even the maids treated her with great care, and that even the high-ranking butler never contradicted her, her heart grew bold.
Her voice, once timid, began rising with every command.
"I'm hungry. Bring me some snacks. Quickly," she ordered a maid.
"Yes, Miss," the maid responded politely and went at once.
Tabitha leaned back with satisfaction. Compared to the miserable days she lived before—no proper food, no comfortable bed, and no one serving her—this was paradise.
Just yesterday, she asked Egbert for new clothes.
And immediately, someone was sent to town to buy them for her.
This… this was the life she wanted.
"From now on, I'll be the Baroness—no… the Baron's mother?" Tabitha muttered. The thought excited her. "Well, whatever the title is… as long as I never return to my previous life, anything is fine."
She waved her hand imperiously.
"You, come—massage my shoulders."
She had never felt so important.
Meanwhile, Benden…
Benden wandered the manor, pretending to be casual, but every time he tried to enter certain rooms, a servant politely blocked him.
His face stiffened.
He wasn't stupid.
Their movements were being watched.
His unease grew stronger.
"No. I must clarify this today," he muttered.
Ron would join them for lunch—Benden planned to raise the matter then.
Unbeknownst to him, every movement of the three guests had already been compiled into a neat report and placed on Ron's desk.
As for Melitoya's daily activities—those were reported by Irene, through cheerful chatting.
Training Ground
It was not yet time to chop trees, so the knights were doing warm-up drills.
Brolofen frowned at a corner of the ground.
"That kid has been hanging around here since the second day he arrived. Captain Abel doesn't chase him away. Should we?"
Sig snorted while swinging his sword.
"Tsk. If the Lord and captain don't care, why do you?"
"Still… it feels strange— Huh? Why are they here?" Brolofen asked suddenly.
Everyone turned.
Irene came skipping toward them, holding Melitoya's hand.
"Ah, it's Irene and Melitoya."
"I heard Irene roasted Mr. Egbert's bird the other day," one knight whispered.
"If Melitoya hadn't been involved, she'd have been punished for sure."
"Sounds like something Irene would do…"
Even Sig was baffled.
"What's the big deal? I eat birds in the wild all the time."
Brolofen sighed.
"That bird wasn't ordinary. It was a gift from Mr. Blake's third daughter. Bought all the way from the Kingdom of Xylia."
The knights froze.
"…From Xylia? That must've been expensive."
Brolofen lowered his voice.
"It cost 50 silver coins."
"50 silver coins?!"
They were stunned.
Then one knight muttered quietly:
"…If it cost that much, it must've tasted amazing."
And suddenly, several knights felt jealous of Irene.
Melitoya and Jonah
Irene knelt and spoke to Melitoya, "Stay here for a bit, okay? I'll talk to the knights and come right back."
"Okay, Sister Irene," Melitoya said obediently.
When Irene left, Melitoya noticed Jonah standing nearby.
She remembered how he'd called Ron "Brother" on the first day—just like she had.
A timid warmth grew in her heart.
She gathered her courage and walked toward him.
But the moment she approached, Jonah suddenly turned his head and stared at her.
Melitoya jumped, but still mustered her courage.
"H-Hello. My name is Melitoya. Are you the Lord's younger brother?"
Jonah turned away without answering, his brows subtly showing impatience.
Melitoya wasn't discouraged.
She quietly began talking about herself—her life with her mother, the fear of being alone, the little chores she could do, how Irene promised to teach her to make pastries someday.
And finally, her voice softened.
"Before, Mother protected me. Now Brother will protect me too. I'm… not the unwanted child they talked about anymore."
Jonah's fingers curled under his sleeves.
But he said nothing.
He only kept staring at the knights.
Irene's Request
"Irene, why did you bring Melitoya here?" Brolofen asked.
"I want to make some clothes for her," Irene said. "But I couldn't find the right thread colors in the manor, so I'm going to the market. Mr. Egbert told me to find escorts. The Lord has already approved it."
She smiled brightly.
"I only need four people. Who wants to go?"
Brolofen immediately shoved through the crowd.
"I'll go!"
The other knights reacted late, but eagerly volunteered.
Sig stayed still.
"Sig, why not?" Brolofen asked.
"We'll be chopping trees soon. You go," Sig replied.
Brolofen stared speechlessly.
This kid's brain was broken.
Soon, Irene selected four escorts: Brolofen, Victor, Thomas, and Cliff.
Cliff suddenly asked:
"Oh, Irene, just one question."
Irene blinked.
"What is it, Uncle Cliff?"
Cliff's face went stiff.
(…Uncle? I'm only 23…)
He still asked,
"That bird you roasted… how did it taste?"
All the knights leaned closer.
Irene thought seriously.
"Hm… I think it was alright. If I hadn't roasted it so long, it probably would've tasted even better."
Cliff's face fell.
"So… nothing special?"
The knights all scattered immediately, disappointed.
Irene stared blankly.
She still didn't know the bird was worth 50 silver coins.
She went back to Melitoya.
"Mellitoya, let's wait at the gate. The knight uncles need to prepare."
Melitoya looked back several times.
"What is it?" Irene asked.
"I… feel sorry for him."
She meant Jonah.
Irene glanced over at him. He hadn't moved at all.
She shrugged internally.
Kids were mysterious.
Jonah Makes a Move
After Irene left, Jonah finally moved.
He walked directly toward a knight.
The knights went silent.
Jonah stood firmly, eyes serious.
"Please teach me swordsmanship."
Near Noon — Hadley Returns
Hadley finally showed himself at the manor after several days.
"Master Hadley, what brings you here? Is the workshop completed?" Ron asked with a smile.
Hadley gulped down his tea loudly and laughed.
"If I didn't come out now, the Lord might think I ran off!"
"How could that be?"
Hadley shrugged.
"The workshop is almost done. I thought the Lord might be getting impatient."
Ron chuckled.
"With that expression of yours, your craftsmanship hasn't deteriorated."
Hadley grinned smugly.
"I didn't bring the blades inside—too sharp. They're in the front yard. Lord, you can look after lunch."
"No need to rush. Stay and eat with us."
Hadley blinked.
"Lord, I'm just a blacksmith. Calling them 'treasures' is too exaggerated…"
Ron's eyes sparkled.
"You said earlier you could equip my entire guard—"
Hadley stiffened.
"T-That was just an example, Lord…"
Ron felt a pang of regret.
He needed to get this man drunk later.
Dining Room
Hadley sat to Ron's right.
Across the table, Melitoya silently observed him.
A big man with a beard… but shorter than many adults.
Hadley stared back, bewildered.
"…Why is this little girl staring at me?"
Ron smiled and introduced him.
"Mr. Benden, this is Master Hadley, my manor's chief blacksmith. It took quite some effort to bring him here."
Benden greeted him politely, but his eyes kept drifting toward Ron.
He nudged Tabitha, hoping she'd speak up.
But Tabitha was busy stuffing herself.
Ron saw everything and smiled inwardly.
Finally, Benden couldn't hold it and blurted:
"My Lord… after these days, I believe Jonah should be granted a proper status."
Silence.
Benden realized he had stepped out of line.
Ron leisurely smiled.
"No rush. I've sent my most trusted knight to investigate. There should be results very soon."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"When the truth is confirmed, I'll naturally make a decision. Don't you agree, Mr. Benden?"
Cold sweat trickled down Benden's back.
His instincts screamed—
Danger.
"Yes… the Lord is right. I was too impatient."
"You've lived here so long," Ron continued gently, "don't hesitate. If something displeases you, just tell me."
"N-No, everything is good."
He collapsed internally.
Weapons in the Courtyard
After the meal, Benden dragged Tabitha and Jonah away as quickly as possible.
Ron winked at Egbert not to act rashly.
Then he followed Hadley outside.
In the courtyard stood a massive two-handed sword—1.4 meters long, 20 centimeters wide.
Hadley gestured proudly.
"Lord, try touching it."
Ron placed his hand on the metal.
—A faint green glow lit up.
Green-quality weapon.
[Two-Handed Sword]
Entry 1: Ten Jun (Green)
—Increases weight by three times
"Master Hadley… is this your usual level?" Ron asked.
Hadley blinked.
"Oh? Lord also understands weapon quality?"
He then shook his head.
"With better tools and materials, I can forge something much finer."
Ron nodded.
So this was the baseline for green-quality.
With better materials, Hadley could produce blue-quality, even exceptional pieces.
Ron glanced at Egbert.
Tonight, get this man drunk.
We are upgrading the knights' entire arsenal.
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