The Villainess Who Was Dumped Got Married into My Family, a Mob Noble from the Frontier, and Turns Out, She's an Amazing Capable Wife? - Chapter 08: The Duke's Daughter Regained Her Spirits

Chapter 08: The Duke’s Daughter Regained Her Spirits

The next morning, it goes without saying that Alicia approached me while I was busy with paperwork in my study from early on.

“Ragna!”

Her demeanor had changed completely from before; she was much more active, prompting Sebas to stroke his impressive beard with an “Oh my.”

“Yes, I’m Ragna.”

“What was all that about yesterday?”

When I responded to Alicia’s pressing question, she leaned in close, slapping my desk with both hands. 

The magic worms that usually covered our house windows were still there, but they had been completely cleared away from her, leaving her looking refreshed and exhilarated. 

And for good reason.

It’s as if she had received the dragon’s blessing with the vow, making it impossible for those pests, no matter how many gathered, to come near her.

Whether it’s called a blessing or merely an after-scent, it seems capable of neutralizing any malice from the worms, which is all that matters.

“What about yesterday… Well, making a vow in front of a dragon, I thought it was quite romantic, you know?”

I answered, assuming she was asking about the dragon. 

Tales of heroes exist in this world too, with dragons being well-known entities, ranging from evil dragons spreading calamities to good dragons who follow heroes to defeat demon lords. 

They are powerful, fearsome yet beautiful creatures. 

With the intelligence to communicate with humans and living since ancient times, they possess knowledge of things unknown to anyone else, making them surprisingly knowledgeable.

“The Brave family has a dragon under its command!?”

Whether it was romantic or not seemed irrelevant to her; she was eager to know why there was a dragon there in the first place.

“Not exactly under command.”

“That’s right.”

Of course, Sebas, who was there when I met Onyx, knew about our relationship and nodded in agreement with what I said. 

To avoid being constantly asked and to keep my work from being interrupted, I’ll explain briefly.

“Onyx is a dragon that recently came to the Brave territory and lives deep in those mountains. Because of him, we had a tough time dealing with a monster stampede, right, Sebas?” 

“That’s right.” 

I was a bit upset when I heard from the people of the neighboring country that he moved here because there was more food.

“Alicia, what do you think happens when a dragon appears in a land where there were none?” “…It would be a disaster, though I can’t quite imagine it.” 

“Exactly, it’s a disaster. First, the monsters living in the mountains get scared and run away, but then their panic hits the Brave territory directly.” 

While we were busy deploying soldiers and adventurers to control the monster riot, the neighboring country, knowing our situation, attacked us, and my family was killed.

“It’s unforgivable to attack using a dragon, isn’t it, Sebas?” 

“That’s right.” 

I know that great power comes with great responsibility, but when I told Onyx he was being used, he was so outraged that he went and scorched a fort at the border with his breath. 

I thought I was no different for inciting the dragon, but it was after Onyx had chased and killed the enemy general, so it was all good. 

Haha, it worked out well for me.

“…If you’re not commanding the dragon, why are you so calm?” 

“It’s because the young master has been recognized by lord Onyx.” 

“That’s how it is.”

Because there was definitely a reason behind the monsters’ rampage, I ventured into the mountains to find Onyx. 

As you’d expect, dragons being dragons, when I asked him to move because the territory was being overrun by monsters, he just brushed me off with an “I don’t care.” 

From a dragon’s perspective, humans are just lesser beings, right?

“Even so, I had to do something, so it came down to a fight.”

“The moment the young master challenged lord Onyx alone and ended in a draw, earning Onyx’s respect, was truly inspiring.”

“I nearly died, yeah? But, thanks to that, we were able to negotiate, and there hasn’t been a monster rampage since then, so all’s well.”

Getting the chance to attend school was a result of that situation.

The neighboring country got scorched, and Onyx promised to thin out the hordes of monsters regularly.

The main reason we can’t develop the mountain range is precisely because he lives there.

“Dragons rarely make promises, but once they do, they keep them with pride, so I guess you can still trust them on that front?”

But if you ask whether he’s a good dragon, not exactly. 

It’s best not to anger him by attempting something foolish like a subjugation mission.

He came to the Brave territory because he had devoured all the food in the mountains of the neighboring country and was told about a new feeding ground. If we maintain a reasonable relationship and he devours all the monsters in the mountain range, it’ll probably disappear somewhere eventually.

Who knows when that’ll be?

In the worst case, he showed interest in human food, so if we periodically bring him food as a peace offering, we should be safe for a while.

Sebas, feeding him is your job.

“…It’s just too big of a scale, I didn’t really get it.” 

Alicia said after hearing the story. 

“I was just surprised because I thought I might get eaten by a dragon, even though I was starting to feel more positive…” 

“Hahaha, even so, I’d protect you. I swore to the dragons, whether it’s Onyx or any other, I’ll always protect you, so don’t worry.” 

“…I rushed into panic, making myself look silly here… ah…” 

As I responded with a laugh, Alicia let out a sigh, looking utterly exhausted. 

Normally, the Brave family is the peculiar one here, so it’s okay if we’re the fools, but since she’s trying her best to adapt to this place, I won’t say anything. 

“Lady Alicia, I was just as surprised when I first arrived, but you’ll get used to it and nothing will faze you eventually.” 

“Is that so…” 

Sebas’s comment seemed casual, but it made me wonder how long he has been serving the Brave family. 

His face hasn’t changed since my earliest memories, which is the most mysterious part. 

“Let me help.” 

“Eh, what do you mean?” 

Just as I was about to ask Alicia, who was still sitting in front of my desk, to maybe return to her room since she was interrupting my work, she reached out her hand. 

“You said you were short-staffed yesterday, right? Let me help.” 

“Oh!” 

“I’ll teach you a bit about the academy in my free time. If I take you there as you are now, you might end up being expelled.” 

“Eh…” 

Sure, she has some strange fantasies, but is it that bad? 

I knew being a noble from a forsaken land would lead to being viewed through colored lenses, but could it really lead to expulsion?

“In case you’re wondering, Sebas has already told me…?”

My role is to secure support from higher-ranking nobles. 

I need to be as smooth as butter.

“Though I’ve taught you public manners, I must admit I’m a bit old-fashioned and not quite up to date with the culture and manners of the young people living in the capital nowadays.” 

“Right?” 

I was quietly shocked to realize she thought I was likely to get expelled based on my actions so far.

“So, you’re saying it’s embarrassing to be seen walking with me?”

“Not at all.” 

Alicia clarified, seeing my astonishment. 

“It’s not about what others think; I just worry that even a small mistake when you’re with me could be blown out of proportion and lead to expulsion.”

“Hmm, then you wouldn’t be able to keep your promise, would you? Young master, this is a good opportunity to learn about the academy from Lady Alicia.” 

“Alright.” 

Though I was pleased to hear that others’ opinions don’t matter, I felt awkward, so I decided I need to become a better man, capable of walking proudly beside a beautiful woman. 

This effort is necessary to protect her.

“Please keep a tight leash on the young master when his emotions run high, as he tends to do rash things.” 

“Hey Sebas, don’t you think that’s a bit rude?” 

“I do.” 

“Hey.” 

So, he knew it was rude but said it anyway. That’s even worse.

“Lady Alicia, since he’s been using his duties as an excuse to neglect his studies, I’d be grateful if you could also help oversee that aspect.” 

“Not that I’ve been neglecting them, but…” 

In fact, I’m quite knowledgeable about modern society, and my reading, writing, and arithmetic skills are more than proficient. 

I’m considered a prodigy in the Brave family, you know?

I doubt we need to do calculus in another world, right? It seems unnecessary. But really, I’m not sure, but it still seems unnecessary. 

Especially when it comes to combat skills and magical knowledge, I’ve been thoroughly trained, so I’m pretty confident in those areas. 

And I’ve even studied history and geography on my own because I thought about becoming an adventurer someday.

Sebas then whispered to me, sensing my dissatisfaction, 

“Young master, since it’s a chance to spend time together, why not see it as a review session and join in?”

“Right.” 

So, it’s a plan to get closer through study sessions.

It’s a bit of a cliché you’d find in romantic comedies, but it makes my heart skip a beat. 

We’ll probably spend a lot of time together at school anyway. 

Technically, it’s like we’re engaged, and living together as the head of the Brave family is almost like being married. 

Did I suddenly end up with an incredibly beautiful wife? 

This other world isn’t so bad after all!

All the initial worries seem trivial now. 

Life is unexpectedly becoming fun, isn’t it?

“Next, give me that.”

“Ah, yes.” 

As I was feeling pretty good about myself, Alicia came over after finishing a massive pile of documents and took over my work. 

It involved checking numbers and copying down a lot of information, but she was quickly outpacing me. 

Despite having a modern Japanese education, I couldn’t let myself be outdone. 

I tried my best to keep up, but I couldn’t surpass her. 

Is education more advanced in this world than I thought? 

Well, it’s probably because a modern game company designed this setting and scenario, so everything is conveniently well put together.