A few days after Cordelia’s first visit to Oulu Village.
Cordelia decided to revisit the poorhouse with two books. Of course, she would be visiting with the Witch and Ronnie. Unfortunately, Vernoux and Gille were busy, so they could only see them off and wouldn’t be going to Oulu Village with them.
The presents Cordelia chose for Toto was a story about a princess who lived about 100 years prior. The story was about the youngest daughter of the king from that time. She decided to study medicine, which was rare for a princess, and she built a lot of medical facilities. Toto would enjoy that book if she were interested in princesses.
The other book was chosen for Lana and the others and was a diary of a court lady who worked at the royal castle. Although it was a little old, the court lady, who accompanied the queen when she got married and started working at the royal palace, wrote about the kingdom’s customs and how they came about; she also wrote about the history and other surprising things. There weren’t many difficult words in the book, so it would be easy for children to read, even if they didn’t have prior knowledge.
“Toto really likes Dilly-chan. When I went to the village the other day, she asked me many times if you were there.”
“That… makes me really happy, but I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to be sorry. But do talk to her more.”
The Witch had said, and Cordelia laughed and nodded.
“How often do you visit the village, Sensei?”
“It depends on the season, since I visit for the medicinal herbs that are cultivated in the village’s fields. Of course, I cultivate the difficult herbs at the back of my shop, and I do pay for the herbs they provide me with. Ah, but there are a lot of kids who catch colds in winter, so I visit quite a lot. So, I guess the number of times I visit doesn’t change much throughout the year.”
The Witch laughed.
“I think that the capital is also a convenient place, and it’s wonderful to meet a lot of people, but I like the country air. The sounds of the trees swaying, and the chirping of the birds are different from the royal capital, aren’t they?”
“Yes, I like it too.”
“Dilly-chan, do you leave the royal capital often?”
“I don’t go far, but I often visit the forest. I’ve been to Schiwiel Forest since I was little.”
“The forest? I never expected that you were a tomboy.”
The surprised Witch said worriedly, “Don’t do anything dangerous,” and Ronnie followed up, “Yeah.” In the meantime, the coach reached the village.
The sky was clear now, but the whole village was humid, probably due to the light rain in the morning. The water droplets on the trees and flowers were shining brightly in the light.
Cordelia, Ronnie and the Witch made their way on the same road as last time to the poorhouse.
As soon as they arrived, Toto came running up to Cordelia while screaming happily.
“It’s Dilly-chan!”
“Hello, Toto-chan.”
“Hello!”
Toto’s energetic greeting was also directed at the Witch and Ronnie. Her attitude was completely different from the frightened one she had displayed when they had first met. After her greetings, Toto stared at the cloth bag that Cordelia was holding.
“Is the picture book in there?”
“Yes. Let’s read it together.”
“Ok! You know, Toto wanted to talk to Dilly-chan today, so she did her best around the house!”
“Thank you,” Cordelia said to the boastful Toto. She was happy that Toto was looking forward to her visit.
Cordelia was dragged by Toto to a slightly low table at the back of the room. There were no chairs, and they would be sitting directly on the spread-out cloth. She had never seen anything like that in this world, and it looked close to a low dining table.
How nostalgic, she thought as she was quickly urged by Toto to sit down. She opened the picture book. Toto’s eyes were sparkling, and Cordelia could even feel pressure from them. I have to be careful not to fumble while I’m reading, she laughed bitterly inside. But three girls approached them before she could start reading.
They were Lana and the others who spoke to her while she was making the flower crowns.
“Dilly-chan, thanks for the sachet the other day. I was surprised because it smelled like the flowers were blooming. Witch-sensei told me that you made it.”
“Hello, Lana-chan. I’m satisfied if you like it.”
“I do, and… is that a picture book from the royal capital?”
“Yes, I promised Toto-chan that I would bring it for her. Do you want to read with us, Lana-chan?”
She also brought a book for Lana-chan and the other two girls and was going to give it to them, but they were so focused on the picture book, so she decided to invite them to read the picture book. However, Lana quickly drew back at Cordelia’s invitation.
“I’ve already graduated from picture books! But… it is a very beautiful picture book.”
Lana seemed interested in the picture book even though she denied it with all her power.
(I wonder… if she’s at the age where she wants to act like an older sister.)
I could pass her the diary of the court lady now, but Lana-chan might regret not reading the picture book. Cordelia moved from where she was sitting and urged Lana and the others to sit down with her hands.
“Are you good at reading aloud? I’m not really used to it.”
“I am!”
Lana immediately slipped into the spot when Cordelia tempted her. Tina, and the other girl who was with her, sat opposite to Toto.
“I’ll read when Lana gets tired!”
“Me too!”
Cordelia was relieved to see them act like that and watched as Lana read aloud. Lana’s reading was a bit theatrical, but she read so well that one wouldn’t think that it was the first book she’d read. Cordelia concluded that her choice had been correct when she saw the children lean into the picture book.
When the book reached the end, Toto cried.
“Toto wants to become a doctor!!”
“Idiot, you can’t become a doctor if you’re not smart.”
“Then, Toto will become smart!”
Cordelia was going to take back the picture book from Lana as she listened to the children’s interaction… but the book was pulled back before she could get her hands on it.
“Mm, can I read this one more time?”
“Yes, of course. But I actually have another book for you.”
“Huh?”
“I actually brought a book for Lana-chan too. You seemed interested in the royal capital and the palace so…”
“Oh, let me borrow it! I’ll read it by the time Dilly-chan has to go home!”
The girls were attracted by Lana’s voice, and they shifted their eyes from Toto to Lana.
“That’s not fair, Lana. I’ll read it too!”
“Me too!”
The girls surrounded the book in the blink of an eye, put their heads together and began reading out loud together. Meanwhile, Cordelia was also badgered by Toto to read the first picture book she’d seen. She was worried about whether she did a good job, but Toto was satisfied and said, “One more time,” and requested the Cordelia read a second time. Also, Toto asked that she read it once more after she’d finished the second time, and when she had finished reading the book three times, Lana pulled on her arm.
“Say, Dilly-chan. Are you good at studying?”
“Eh?”
“This book is fascinating. If you normally read books like this, then I want you to teach me. The woman in this book is from a foreign kingdom, isn’t she? But even I didn’t know about the things that she was surprised about.”
“By any chance… are you asking me to be a teacher?”
“Yep. ‘Cause I don’t have the chance to learn about these things. If possible, I’d rather learn about more recent things… but I’m also interested in the olden days.”
“Oh, I want to hear about them too! It seems really fun to have Dilly-chan teach a class like the other teachers!”
The girls also surrounded Cordelia and conveyed their wish to her. The three girls got excited and talked about what they wanted to learn. But, for better or for worse, Cordelia didn’t know if she could teach them without permission.
She worried about how to tell them that, and a gentle voice interrupted them, “Don’t ask for too much.” It was the director.
“Dilly-chan lives in the royal capital. It’s not easy for her to come here, and she’s not an adult, even though she is a little older than you.”
The director said, and Lana and the girls looked depressed. Cordelia panicked.
“I don’t mind if the director says it’s alright. Of course, I can’t visit every day, but I can visit whenever it’s convenient.”
Yes, I wasn’t going to turn them down. Cordelia quickly said, and the director was surprised.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I was going to review it myself, and I won’t let Lana and the girls suffer any losses.”
Knowledge becomes power. Knowledge can broaden the way you think about things, and they want to learn. I want to help them if I can.
(I might have found what I can do.)
“I see,” the director cast her eyes down, and then looked Cordelia in the eyes.
“There’s a blackboard in the room at the back. We use that room to teach the kids letters and arithmetic. You can use that room as you please.”
“Thank you very much. But there is something I’m worried about…”
“What is it?”
“I’ve never taught anyone before. I’m embarrassed for talking big, but I don’t think I would be very good at it.”
The director widened her eyes at Cordelia and then laughed.
“We’ll need to be taught, if you’re good at it from the start. But don’t worry. After all, you’re so passionate about it that you would travel all the way here to teach them,” the director joked.
“Then I’ll have to tell you our schedule here,” she said as she told Cordelia a rough schedule of the poorhouse.
The children usually clean, do the washing, and fieldwork in the morning. Then, they have lunch. There were a lot of small children there, so they also took naps, especially on hot days. On the other hand, children at the age where they have more stamina studied letters and arithmetic, and they also had time to play.
The older children did job training, for the job they wished to have, once every two days… They worked part-time. The jobs covered a lot of ground, such as helping at a villager’s field, taking care of animals, or sewing. They also went to the royal capital, on the days that they weren’t working, to sell vegetables at the market.
“Besides going to sell vegetables, they also go to the royal capital to run errands at Green’s shop. They get to stretch their wings out a bit more, because some villagers go with them, unlike with the kids who sell vegetables.”
“Then, Mick-kun must have been running an errand when I met him.”
“Yes. The three girls who badgered you also had the chance to go to the royal capital… but they’re scared when they’re not together, so they haven’t been yet. It’s difficult to ask the villagers to lead three of them,” the Director laughed nervously.
They want to go to the royal capital, but they were probably worried about going to a place they didn’t know. It’s not like I can’t understand how they feel. If so, then I want to teach them a little more about the royal capital to ease their fears…
“I will contact you at a later date. Is that alright?”
Cordelia, at least, knew her own schedule.
However, it was still better to get Elvis’s approval. She hardly needed his consent for one lesson, and she couldn’t think of a reason for him to refuse.
(But if I do a good job teaching, then Lana and the girls might want me to teach more.)
One class might not be enough for some subjects if I’m going to teach in a classroom-style. I might need to continue. I’ve finally found something I can do. So, I also want to teach with proper structure. I’ve studied before, but I’ve never taught. I will need to prepare carefully if I’m going to be teaching under those circumstances.
“Of course. Thanks.”
The Director said, and Cordelia patted her chest.
That night, Cordelia explained all that to Elvis. But he didn’t agree immediately and frowned.
“I certainly heard that you were going to visit the poorhouse, and I asked what you would gain from it. But didn’t you want to study herbs?”
Elvis didn’t talk about the pros and cons of teaching at the poorhouse. On the other hand, she couldn’t deny that this was different from the purpose she had when she’d first visited the Witch.
“You want to be a teacher?”
“No.”
“Acting on whims does not lead to good results.”
Cordelia felt surprised when she heard Elvis.
She could understand the meaning of his words, and they were justifiable. But Elvis usually points out the problems before he refuses. Cordelia was surprised that he hadn’t done that. However, she couldn’t withdraw just because she was surprised. There were times when she would need to give up, but, at least, that wasn’t now.
“Of course, I can’t teach all the time. However, I want to interact with the girls who are throwing themselves at what they want, to find what support I could provide them. Fortunately, I still have time. I won’t neglect my own studies because of this reason.”
I can’t afford to back down.
Cordelia declared again to get permission. She had to turn her might into allies to turn over his negative words. Otherwise, she felt like she was going to lose her spirit.
“… The longest you can teach them is for two season changes.”
“Thank you very much.”
Cordelia didn’t know if her feelings got through to him. But she had gotten a longer delay than she had expected. She had half a year. If she could achieve some results… if she could find some evidence that she had made Toto, Lana and the girls happy, then that will surely be proof that she had moved forward.
(Otou-sama gave me half a year, so it’s not like he doesn’t have any expectations at all.)
If so, then I need to meet his expectations. But I won’t get too worked up. I’m not alone. I can probably get Gille-sama and Vernoux-sama involved in this. They might be able to give me good ideas and tips from a different perspective.
Cordelia returned to her room after she’d excused herself. However, she couldn’t rest even if she had obtained permission.
“First, I have to think about what kind of teacher I want to be.”
Unfortunately, Cordelia has never had any teaching experience in her previous life, even as a part-time job. In this world, she had only had one-on-one lessons with her tutors, but she remembered from when she was a student that there were different ways to proceed with a class.
“I want to focus on the main things as much as possible… but it would be more fun if I also taught about trivial things.”
However, that was only easy to say, so she had to first start by selecting a textbook to use.
Cordelia thought about focusing on the history books that she had learnt from, but her knowledge went beyond what was required for commoners. Also, the children couldn’t take lessons as often as Cordelia, so she really needed to choose a book carefully.
Cordelia thought as she made materials. At the same time, she thought about consulting with Aisha about how to teach a class. Although Aisha didn’t teach history, she was a teacher at Caina Village, and she did teach Lara, so she was the easiest teacher to talk to.
The next day, Cordelia sent a letter to Aisha and received a reply on the same afternoon. Aisha’s response was pleasant, and she said that she would visit the Pameradia mansion tomorrow if it were convenient for Cordelia. Cordelia also immediately replied.
The next day.
Aisha showed up at the Pameradia mansion with sweets.
“Long time no see, Cordelia-sama.”
“Aisha-oneesama. I’m sorry for asking too much.”
“Absolutely not! I’m delighted that you asked me. Please contact me immediately if there’s anything I can help you with. Especially since this is my forte.”
Cordelia guided Aisha to the parlour while listening to her reassuring words.
“Lara was also looking forward to seeing you today.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing her too. She’s a diligent child.”
“She is. But she gets angry whenever I tell her that.”
They arrived at the parlour while joking around. Cordelia knocked on the door before opening it, and Lara quickly walked to the entrance from the middle of the room. Cordelia had told her to wait in the room, so she had probably been nervous and loitered around.
“Lara, Aisha-oneesama is here.”
“Long time no see, Lara.”
“It’s been a while, Aisha-sensei!”
Lara’s voice gradually cracked and showed her tension. However, her actions were beautiful and weren’t inferior to how she usually conducted herself. Lara bowed and met Aisha’s eyes, but her next words didn’t come out easily.
After a short while, the words that came out of her mouth was of her leaving.
“Then, please excuse me. I will bring some tea later.”
Cordelia was surprised that she had left straight away, even though she had been so excited yesterday. But when she saw that Lara’s ears had turned red, she turned to Aisha. Aisha smiled wryly and met Cordelia’s eyes.
“I’m glad that she was more welcoming than I thought she would be. I’m looking forward to tasting the tea she prepares.”
Aisha said, after Lara left, and Cordelia agreed. She had probably been too nervous to say anything. But, at the same time, Cordelia was jealous because that was proof that their relationship was good.
(I also want to teach a class that they’ll always remember.)
To do this, I must first convey my thoughts to Aisha-oneesama and get her opinions on it. Cordelia decided and began consulting with Aisha.
Her consultation with Aisha also included a break with Lara and lasted until evening.
On her way home, Aisha suggested that she give Lara a mock lesson so that her vision could be finalised.
That was something extremely embarrassing for Cordelia because she would be teaching someone she knew well. She was also anxious that Lara would be disappointed because she had been taught by Aisha.
(No. She should be honest. The children of Oulu Village don’t want a class that is boring or difficult to understand.)
If I can have mock lessons, then I shouldn’t let this opportunity go. I don’t have the luxury to let it go.
_ _
Lara cheerfully accepted Cordelia’s request. But she also seemed confused and embarrassed at that point. But when they actually entered the class, they concentrated on the lesson and weren’t bothered by the fact that they knew each other. Thus, Cordelia’s anxiety eased a little after class. After that, she continued to consult with Aisha and asked Lara to join her mock lessons. Her preparations were proceeding.
Cordelia’s class gradually took shape as she prepared for it little by little, and she also talked to Vernoux about the class when he came over as usual to eat sweets.
“… You really are whimsical Dilly. Did you prepare for it?”
She smiled wryly at Vernoux, who was twisting his fork in his brownie.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“I know you’re preparing for the class, but have you not been to the Witch’s place?”
“No, I have, since I have things I want to ask her. I also borrowed new books yesterday.”
Yesterday, she had stopped by the Witch’s place after Aisha had visited and borrowed two books; one on medicinal plants and the other on marine plants. Cordelia passed the book about marine plants to Ronnie after she’d read through it once.
Ronnie had been researching about oblaat whenever he didn’t go out. He seemed very troubled: “This doesn’t melt well,” “It’ll be stuck like this,” “Can’t it get any thinner?” or “Do I need to improve the drying tool?” Cordelia had warned him not to overdo it, and Lara cautioned him, “Don’t think of it as a toy just because it’s easy.”
Ronnie even seemed to have missed lunch today, and he kept glaring at his book with a sandwich in hand. He appeared unusually concentrated. She was certainly happy that this touched Ronnie’s heartstrings, but she was also a little worried that he would get sick.
“It seems like you’re worried about a lot of things.”
“I am.”
Vernoux was referring to the class, but he wasn’t wrong either, so she agreed. The brownie on Vernoux’s plate disappeared before she even noticed it.
“Well, our schedules will eventually match up, so we can go to Oulu Village together. Then, I’ll enjoy watching your strenuous efforts.”
“It’s not a show. But I’m still shocked by the things that happened last time.”
“What? Are you referring to Gille’s flirting?”
“No, well, there is that. But I can’t believe that you were called a prince…”
She felt like she was going to laugh thoughtlessly just by remembering it… but she didn’t say that and showed Vernoux her best smile. Vernoux frowned for a moment but immediately replied with a provocative smile.
“Are you disappointed that I’m not the prince?”
“Aren’t you the one who’s disappointed? If you were the prince, then you wouldn’t need to go out to eat sweets, now would you?”
“No, I don’t know? The prince might also be pitiful, you know?”
They both didn’t want to give up the conversation initiative to each other, so they clung to their fake smiles. But that didn’t last long. Vernoux shrugged first.
“… Well, invite me as you see fit if you want to do something.”
“Oh my, are you sure?”
She was planning to get him involved, but she hadn’t expected that he would offer first. But, Vernoux didn’t mind and nodded.
“Yeah. Gille’s thinking about various ways to help them.”
“Then, do you also have any ideas?”
“I plan on helping, but it’s hard for me to actively help them. It might be excessive to talk about our fief… I don’t think I’ll have enough time to figure out what the other person wants.”
Vernoux smiled bitterly. He is the legitimate child, and although he could make time to go out incognito, he was actually swamped.
“Gille is pretty busy, so he’ll be happy if you reach out to him first. If you leave him alone, he’ll likely pull all-nighters.”
“Oh my, then please tell Gille-sama not to overdo it, first. I can’t ask him to collapse.”
“Ok. He’ll probably overdo it if I tell him that, but I’ll tell him.”
If so, then should you not tell him? Cordelia continued to question as Vernoux left.
A few days after, Cordelia headed back to Oulu Village. She brought with her an explanation sheet, instead of a homemade textbook, and her tension.
Waiting for Cordelia at Oulu Village was Lana and the other two girls who had read the court lady’s diary.
To be precise, Toto also said, “Toto will listen too!” so she was in the classroom, but she soon drifted into the dream world. It was still too early for her to take lessons. However, she looked satisfied when the class had finished, and she felt like an older sister.
The class itself generally consisted of the girl’s surprised voices, “Ooooh!” and Cordelia was relieved that she was able to draw their interests.
As evidence, she had another student when she taught her second class a few days later. The fourth student was a boy who was looking curiously at the notes that the other three were looking at. He was quieter than Lana and the girls, and attended class while smiling. However, he was good friends with Mick and was taken away by him when he intruded on the class. But the boy also wasn’t weak, and he returned to the class in the end.
When she was going home, Cordelia asked Mick if he would like to join in on the lessons, but he glared at her. It was still challenging for her to talk with Mick.
The next time she visited, Vernoux and Gille also came along after so long.
However, she didn’t have a class scheduled in for the day, and they planned to help the director. Gille looked disappointed, but Cordelia was relieved, since they weren’t going to watch her lesson.
They were repairing the tools the children used when they went to the royal capital market, and also making goods. They were mending the cloth used to decorate the shop, making new boxes to put the goods in, and making wreaths. The director made the base of the wreath from branches collected from the nearby forest. Then, they would be decorated with things such as ribbons, dried flowers, dried fruits, wood beads or buttons. The ribbons, wood beads and buttons were dabbed with cotton, which was soaked in plant dye. They sold well next to the vegetables.
“It’s a beautiful colour.”
“It’s dyed with peanuts. Only the shell is a little bright, and the darkest part is the skin. You can mix the shell and skin together to get a brighter colour. There are items dyed with clover too.”
Cordelia was a little far from the children, and she was using scissors with the director to make ribbons. Vernoux and Gille were using hammers and nails to make repairs. They weren’t used to doing that kind of work, but they still worked carefully.
“Say, what colour do you think would be nice to dye this?”
Cordelia hesitated a little when asked by the director. The cloth in my hands is a calm tea colour. It goes well with the wreath, but if I had to think about other colours… then what colour would be nice?
“If you dye this in mint, then you could also enjoy the aroma. If you want something brighter, then you could use chamomile. But for wealth, it’s a little expensive, but dying it in pink with red roses will make it more vibrant. If you want a moderate dye, then the skin of grapes will make it a beautiful light purple.”
You can dye the cloth yellow-green with mint stems and leaves using an alum. Chamomile will make it a brighter yellow. You can use dry or fresh herbs as long as you adjust the quantity.
The director heard Cordelia’s reply and groaned, “Hmmm.”
“It’s not enough to just have brown colours after all. I added some warm colours with dried flowers, but I want them to be more vibrant.”
“No, that wasn’t what I meant… I just thought if you had to use a different colour. All the colours you have now are lovely.”
“The colours became like this when I started using what we had left… Oh, yes, let’s think about it for a moment. I think we can collect the grape skins depending on the season. But I’m surprised you also know about dying, Dilly-chan.”
“I can’t calculate the cost since I don’t know how to use it for commercial purposes, but I do know a little.”
“Cost, huh. But… oh yes, for example, we could use it on something like a shawl and use that at the end of wreaths instead of just using ribbons. Then we might be able to increase our budget a little bit…”
The director muttered at the end as if she was talking to herself while cutting the ribbon with the scissors.
“I almost forget that you’re a kid when I talk to you, Dilly-chan.”
“I am a child, but I’m already 12 years old. I’m a little older than Toto-chan and the girls.”
“Vernoux-kun and Gille-kun are also level-headed. The kids here already recognise them as older brothers.”
The director said, as she looked over at the two who were still working while being treated like children.
“Lana and the girls really enjoy your classes, Dilly-chan. Thanks.”
“I’m honoured that I could be of use.”
“We really want to teach them more. But we can’t keep the place running if we don’t make money…”
The director said as she sighed.
“… Do you think it’s bad to get help?”
“You know about it, right? About what happened?”
“Yes.”
Cordelia looked the director in the eyes and answered.
The director stared back and Cordelia and began speaking.
“Honestly, they were too wilful back then. I was still only a helper. But it’s too late to ask for help now… We’re making a living somehow, and the villagers are helping us out. I think we’ve made a really nice place.”
“I can tell by looking at the children.”
“That’s good. But when I see the happy faces of Lana and the others, I can’t help but think that I could do more for them. Sometimes I wonder if things are alright the way they are. Even though I have to get it together.”
The director’s words sounded as if she was telling herself, rather than Cordelia. She felt like the image of the director overlapped with the Witch’s.
“… It’s difficult for me to understand your conflict, Director-sensei. However, circumstances change over time, and it’s normal for your ideals to waver. History always teaches us that our values and the world are always changing. I think the same could be said for individuals.”
“…”
“There may be times when being constant is important. But why don’t you consult with someone you trust if you’re worried? It’s never too late to ask for help.”
Cordelia couldn’t say, “Please talk about this with me.” The most suitable person for the director to talk to was the Witch.
“… That’s right. I’ve never had a proper talk with Green.”
The director muttered as if talking to herself and a voice came from outside, “The fish peddler is here~!” The director looked up.
“Oh, the peddler is here.”
“There’s a fish peddler?”
“Yes. You can get to a river here, but you can’t get fresh fish. We can get small dried fish, which are hard to sell in the royal capital, for cheap. Dilly-chan, do you want to buy some to take home too?”
“No. I’ll refrain.”
Cordelia watched as the director walked to where the peddler was.
(Come to think of it, they said that coaches from the royal capital also make money by peddling.)
Cordelia watched as the peddler talked to the director, through the window, while thinking so, and she suddenly came up with an idea.
“… Oh yeah, I can just make it mobile.”
Cordelia muttered.
After returning to the royal capital, they separated from the Witch as usual, and Cordelia asked Gille and Vernoux.
“Do you have a little time now?”
“What is it?”
“I’d like to talk to you two about something.”
“Time is time. If it’s short, then it should be fine.”
Vernoux answered, and Gille nodded.
“Then, I’ll just talk about one thing. A route to carry books to villages and lend them out… I would like to build a mobile library. Would you help me?”
“Hah?”
“Mobile library?”
Vernoux and Gille replied respectively, and Cordelia nodded.
“Yes. It would be smaller than a rental bookshop, which also operates as a store, but there are only a few ways the villages could obtain books. If possible, I would also like to arrange a teacher who could answer the children’s questions about the books.”
“Could you tell me a little bit more?”
Gille urged, and Cordelia continued.
“The children at Oulu Village know the bare essentials of reading and writing, but all the books at the poorhouse are old, and it’s hard for them to obtain new ones. But some children want to learn. So, I want to create an environment where they could rent new books for free… or even at the lowest price. It would be ideal if they could go around to each of the villages like with the coaches.”
“In short, it won’t be limited to that poorhouse?”
“That’s right. If possible, I want the library to go around several villages regularly to lend out books. This support will be provided to remote areas, as well, and is not limited to the poorhouse.”
Gille nodded at Cordelia’s reply.
“If the villages are around the royal capital, then the children should have been taught the bare essentials of reading and writing, even if they’re from mountain villages. But they don’t have many opportunities to practice it, so they would probably be happy about this.”
Vernoux still had his arms crossed as he said, “Oh, so it’s like that?”
“If we support the villages and not just the poorhouse, then it would be easier for them to use it, even if they’re refusing support. But how will you procure the books and carriages?”
“It’s difficult to say that we could manage the carriages and get new books at any time, no matter how much money we have. Therefore, I would like to think of it as a continuous project, and if possible, I would like to create an organisation to gather supporters and obtain funds and opinions from them every year. If we do that, then it would be different from doing it alone. We could collect people’s opinions and reduce bias.”
“So that’s why you wanted to talk to us?”
“Yes. However, I haven’t calculated the initial costs or how much budget this project would require per year. It’s just… will you help me if I have a proper plan in place?”
Cordelia asked, and Vernoux put his hand on his chin to think.
“You could probably gather enough funds if you ask people if they want to do welfare work. If it’s not an absurd amount, then the pride of nobles won’t allow them to say, 『How come that House’s child is participating but not mine?』. It would be easy to accomplish if we use the Flantheim and Pameradia name. I don’t mind helping if you have a solid plan in place.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Also… yes. Some merchants in the royal capital want to make big donations to gain fame. Of course, they probably expect to get the chance to associate with nobles… If you can use them well, then you’ll also have enough money to hire some founding staff.”
“You know a lot about this.”
“I interact with more people than you, Dilly.”
“Is this, perhaps, the result of being dragged by the Marquis to marriage interviews?”
“…You… you’re grateful, aren’t you?”
She felt like he hadn’t yelled because his face was twitching, but also because they were outside. But, Vernoux didn’t seem to care.
“Gille will help out too, right? We’ll get a great result just by you agreeing with me.”
Vernoux grinned, and Gille smiled wryly in return.
“It might be painful if I can only do that much. I’d be happy to help if there’s anything else.”
“Oh yes, I heard from Vernoux-sama that you are also thinking about how to help the poorhouse.”
When she said that, Gille looked at Vernoux vigorously, and Vernoux turned away at the same speed. He looked as if he would start whistling.
(Perhaps, Gille-sama wanted to keep that a secret.)
After a moment of silence, Gille finally sighed deeply. His sigh said that there was no use in complaining to Vernoux now.
“… If they need it, then I hope that it would be easier for them to find jobs in the royal capital. On the other hand, if they have job offers at the village, then I want to build an information network that would make it easier to reach the capital. I looked it up, but at the moment there doesn’t seem to be any information networks that spread widely between villages and the royal capital… I want to create a job search information spot.”
“I see.”
“But if we carry out the mobile library plan, then we’ll need a base to manage books in the royal capital. I just thought that it would be convenient if I could just use that. About the staff… I’ll think of something.”
What he said at the end was vague, but he was firm. Cordelia and Gille looked at each other and laughed.
But they were stopped by a single word from Vernoux.
“Well, we can take that slowly. Either way, how about we put this in order?”
“I should inform His Highness about this, but it won’t be a problem.”
“Huh…”
“It’s not, huh. It would be strange for me to do something near the royal capital without saying anything when I’m by the prince’s side.”
“Well, that’s true… wouldn’t it be a bit excessive to tell the prince?”
“It’s not like I’m forcing him to help us. I’m just going to tell him about your idea. Just do what you want.”
Things can indeed be done with one command, even if he does lend us a hand… or instead, I feel like things would be complete with just one command. If I think of him as someone I could use, then I should use him.
But… I don’t want to at all. I’m doing my best to stop my cheeks from twitching.
(… No. I’m not going to tell him not to, just because I don’t like the prince.)
That’s right. Let’s explain it clearly.
He’s not asking for direct help. Vernoux-sama is just going to mention this to the prince. Perhaps, Vernoux-sama is just trying to create the fact that the prince endorses this.
“If you want, you could also be there, Dilly.”
“No, I’ll leave that to you, Vernoux-sama. It’s impossible for me to appear in front of the prince when I don’t go out in public much… The higher-ups and young ladies will get really noisy.”
“Alright. It’s unfortunate, but I’ll do it.”
Cordelia said nothing more to Vernoux, who raised his hands and shrugged. He had probably predicted this. His bitter smile is proof.
She pretended that she didn’t hear him say carefreely, “Well, we can take it slowly,” with the bitter smile still on his face.
After that, Cordelia visited the village and met with Vernoux many times to get the preliminary arrangements done.
She found out that Vernoux was unexpectedly strict.
Cordelia thought that he would work out the details after listening to her rough presentation, but Vernoux pressed her with questions. 『How are you deciding the standard of the books?』and『Will you do an external audit of the receipts?』She hadn’t prepared some of the answers the first time and felt like she had lost a bit.
Of course, she was fully aware that this wasn’t a competition. I can’t say that up until now Onee-san has… I don’t plan on holding Vernoux-sama back. Even this time, I was thinking about the future, and I haven’t forgotten. But the only response I got from him was, “That’s too late.”
“How can I lose to him?”
The words she had uttered when she was in her room alone were probably the rudest words she had ever said. But, since no one was there, she told herself that she would be pardoned.
But thanks to that, I was able to improve my plans for the books and how to manage them. I got a little bit too energetic, and some of my writing turned out a bit too forceful, but that’s still charming.
Cordelia suddenly looked at the ceiling and closed her eyes. She saw the smiles of Toto and Lana in her mind.
“… I’ll hold out for a little longer.”
Cordelia corrected her posture as she spoke to herself.
Gille-sama is probably also coming up with various plans. When I think like that, then I can think of it as a competition.
However, even if she thought that way, time was limited. Every day for Cordelia was hectic. She had to prepare for her own classes, check the greenhouse, check on trades, listen to Ronnie’s progress on the oblaat, and visit the Witch to hear her lectures and borrow books from her.
When she thought that she was a little sleepy, Emina giggled.
“Ojou-sama, you also stayed up late yesterday, didn’t you?”
“… Did you see the light?”
“No, you have bags under your eyes.”
Cordelia instinctively grabbed the mirror that was close to her when Emina pointed that out. She certainly had a faint shadow under her eyes.
“Why don’t you take a nap? It’s hard to come up with an idea if you’re too enthusiastic.”
Cordelia was a bit hesitant over Emina’s proposal, but she decided to accept it. She wasn’t sleepy enough to accidentally fall asleep, but it was serious enough for her to get eye bags. They stood out too much because her skin was white. She could conceal it with make-up, but she wanted to leave that as a last resort. Make-up was a weapon, not something to adjust your physical condition.
(… I shouldn’t be thinking this.)
When her thoughts strayed, Emina once again said, “Ojou-sama, please rest.”
“Okay. I’ll do that after I progress a little more.”
However, Emina must not have trusted my ‘a little more’.
Before long, Emina came back with hot chamomile milk-tea. Cordelia’s drowsiness increased after she drank her sweet and warm drink.
(I have to give up and take a break.)
It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep after she had laid down. However, she came up with a good idea in her dream but forgot about it when she woke up and dropped her shoulders a little in disappointment.
Cordelia made up her mind. I need to come up with a plan that is acceptable to me so I can have a good rest.