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 13: Already under her thumb

Chapter 13: Already under her thumb

Ever since Alicia started helping with work, we’ve made incredible progress. 

What used to take me a whole day to finish, she could complete by noon, leaving us more time to spend together in the afternoon. 

Our work mainly involves checking the fine details in documents, as Sebas handles the more critical tasks.

I prided myself on being good at dealing with these meticulous numbers, but Alicia was even better. 

It was a humbling realization.

It felt like a moment of defeat for modern knowledge.

If the creators of this world were listening, I’d tell them to make a world where modern knowledge could shine even more.

At this household, the hierarchy is now Sebas, Alicia, then me.

If I don’t like it, the solution is simple: finish paperwork faster than Alicia. But since I can’t beat her, I’ve resigned myself to being outmatched.

“Alright, then I’ll go help clean the mansion.”

Saying that she rolled up her sleeves in a way that didn’t seem fitting for a ducal daughter at all.

Watching her, Sebas muttered with amusement, 

“Truly capable. It’s no wonder she was called a prodigy.”

“Indeed.”

This wasn’t just the result of rigorous training from her youth. 

She was naturally hardworking enough to endure the strict education.

Once she set her mind to it, she could thrive anywhere. 

The potential was always there. 

Even in the game, she went as far as making a pact with a demon to take over the Brave family and thwart the protagonists’ love interests.

“Good for you, young master, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it really is…!”

I wholeheartedly agreed with Sebas’s remark. 

The never-ending battle with paperwork was honestly more challenging than fighting enemies. 

It was truly a relief to see action being taken in the right direction.

Does this mean we’ve achieved the route to avoid doom for now?

“None of the previous ladies ever helped out, so the servants are quite surprised. But nobody feels bad about it; in fact, they seem to adore her even more than you, young master.”

“…Is there a reason you had to add ‘more than you’?”

“Let’s work hard to regain their trust, young master. I’ve taken the liberty of setting aside some work to make sure you don’t slack off.”

“You’re really a demon, huh? Hey, isn’t this armory’s pricing a bit too high?” 

While looking through the documents and sighing, I noticed a report on a newly opened armory, which seemed to have prices much higher than others. 

To think someone would dare to overcharge in the Brave family, they must be a newcomer without a care for their life.

“Hmm, it seems this armory opened in town on the day Lady Alicia arrived.”

Sebas said, stroking his beard. 

On the day Alicia arrived? 

That’s suspicious.

“You’ve already looked into where they came from, haven’t you?”

“Yes, they came from the capital.”

“I thought as much.” 

On further inquiry, it seems they’re trying to run a lordly business in town, touting goods from the capital as superior items not found in such remote places. 

If only the goods were truly exceptional. However, from the looks of the financial transactions, they don’t seem to be anything special.

In this land filled with battles, where many are professionals at fighting monsters, the quality of a sword isn’t that important.

Swords are consumable items, after all. 

What matters more is the daily maintenance. 

Swords wear down from daily use and sharpening, becoming unusable, so it’s common to stock up on second-hand ones. Offering services aimed at high-end customers might not work well here.

“I don’t understand why someone would come from the crowded capital to do business in Brave territory. Are they here to monitor Alicia? Do they intend to harm us?”

“Adventurers have spotted them sneaking around at night. Also, some were irritated by their lordly business and were caught sniffing around, possibly planning to steal valuable items in the dead of night.”

“They are too hasty; it’s almost laughable.”

Both sides are absurd, huh?

But it’s no surprise that adventurers here would respond this way. 

They aren’t exactly saints. 

The Brave family often takes on dangerous roles, leading from the front. 

That’s why they’re respected by these rough types.

“We don’t know their purpose, but among them is a skilled individual. One adventurer who reported back to us lost an arm in a confrontation.”

“Heh?”

Generally, adventurers who act rashly are not very strong, but even so, they’re stronger than adventurers in other regions. 

Surviving as an adventurer in Brave territory means just that.

But to incapacitate without killing, by severing an arm, shows a considerable level of confidence from the enemy.

“What do you think we should do?”

Sebas asked me this question. 

Normally, I would be the one to initiate this conversation, and Sebas would manage the situation. But when he asks like this, it means he’s giving me free rein to do as I please.

“We’ll nip it in the bud.” 

Even if their purpose is merely surveillance and not malicious intent, Alicia is now part of the Brave family, so anyone snooping around needs to be dealt with.

“Then, I’ll investigate their movements by tonight.” 

“I’m counting on you.”

“Should we do something for the adventurer who reported this?”

“That’s their own fault, isn’t it?” 

There’s no saving an adventurer who recklessly provokes danger and gets bitten by a snake. 

Are they too full of themselves for surviving? 

They’ll likely meet their end eventually, so any effort on them would be wasted. 

“Understood.”

“Ah right! Sebas, I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it, young master?”

“When we go to the academy, can you arrange for Alicia to stay close by?” 

Soon, Alicia and I will have to leave the Brave territory for the academy in the capital.

It’s a boarding school, and both of us will have to live there without exception. But that could mean there are moments I can’t protect her.

“Do you mean living under the same roof? I don’t mind, but getting pregnant during school would make it hard to balance studies and raising a child.”

“N-No, that’s not what I meant!” 

What a thing to say, that’s too soon for us. 

I don’t want to become a beast of the Brave family.

“I just want to keep her within a safe range! There’s already a possibility she’s being targeted, and it’ll be too late if something happens, right?”

“The security at the academy… well, it’s not perfect, but there are many eyes around, and I doubt anyone would dare do anything conspicuous.”

“It’s just to be cautious. Well, if there’s nothing we can do, that’s fine.”

The girls’ dormitory and the boys’ dormitory are on separate grounds, and for high-ranking nobles, there are even private, large areas. Although Alicia is with the Brave family, she is of ducal bloodline. 

If she ends up in a high noble exclusive area, security will be tighter. 

By the way, the Brave family’s rank is high enough to potentially marry into ducal families, but we’re treated more like lower nobles in practice. 

It’s a harsh world, but that’s the setup, you see?

“Well, before that, we have to deal with those from the capital.”

Before heading to the academy, maybe we should clear the path.