CH 42

Chapter 42: Hidden anxiety

“It’s fine with me. I’m just taking the form of looking after you as an adopted daughter because I was asked to do so. You can buy anything you want normally. I also called a dressmaker, so I think it will come tomorrow.”

Asher-sama narrows his red-brown eyes and smiles slightly.

“T-Thank you. Um, I will return it someday.”

I don’t know when I will be able to do so.

Calva-sama’s older brother… was it? Even if I was taken in as a foster daughter of the Count Radin family, I am a foster daughter who cannot be used as a political tool.

I am not confident that I can be an asset if I go to the temple if something happens.

(Maybe after this incident is over, it would be better to have a job of my own…)

When I think about various things, I feel that it might be better to do so.

Then I smile wryly at my own way of thinking.

If I were the person I used to be, I wouldn’t have even thought about having a job.

There are no noble ladies who help with the territory’s business, so I had no aversion to work, but I had never thought about having a job to live before.

As someone who only has knowledge as a noble lady, I knew it would be difficult to live in the commoners’ world.

“Don’t worry about the cost. As for the things I arrange, I do them because I like them, so don’t worry about it. I’d like you to consider this as part of the cooperation fee.”

“Even if you call it a cooperation fee, I’ve received a lot of expensive flowers and confections…”

I eat the confections without worrying about getting fat, but one of them is worth the price of a dress.

It’s expensive to have something that disappears in just a few minutes, even if it’s just for one day, be equivalent to a dress that you wear for at least five hours.

“I’m having you be a test subject. Maybe you should think of it as cooperating in the development of a medicine?”

“A medicine?”

“Yes, I also want to make medicinal confections. When I’m researching various effects, it’s helpful to have humans who have a strong reaction. For most people, eating delicious things is just… that’s all it is.”

If it’s like that, I can understand. If it’s something you don’t know what side effects will come from…

“It seems that the effects of the sacred flower I used are coming out as expected. Moreover, you seem to be the type who is greatly affected by it. My family’s butler said that even if they ate the same thing “I might feel a little relaxed” at best.

It seems that other people also ate flower confection as a comparison. But the house butler…

I remember the white pointed mustaches and the beautifully combed white hair of the house butler of the Duke’s family.

Maybe the butler often tries flower confection because he is a servant? If that’s the case, when you work at this Duke’s house, you might be able to put flower confection in your mouth at a relatively high rate.

“I want you to eat various things and there may be other things I want you to cooperate with, so don’t worry… That’s a difficult way to put it in a fluffy way.”

Lars-sama thinks for a moment and adds on.

“In addition to eating flower sweets, there are other things I would like your cooperation with. For now, ask for things you need in your daily life just as you did when you were at home. And when you lend your hand to other things, I will give you a reward in the form of a reward.”

Then Lars-sama chuckles.

“Besides, as long as you have a skill, you will not be abandoned from the house you entered as a foster child, and you should be treated with respect. Especially Assistant High Priest Calva, will not abandon you as promised. It would be good if you knew that much.”

After thanking Lars-sama for saying this, I decided to return to my own room.

Just as I started walking out into the corridor, Asher-sama, who had been standing silently behind Lars-sama until now, comes out.

I thought he was going out somewhere, but he caught up to me.

“What you really want to know isn’t that, right?”

“Huh…?”

I stopped walking, looking up at Asher-sama who was lined up beside me, and averted my eyes.

I met his purple eyes.

“Lars has a reason and can’t just bring anyone into his family. That’s why the talk went to the Assistant High Priest. But just because the mediation is over doesn’t mean he will let go. You should feel reassured.”

“…”

I didn’t know how to answer.

As I was at a loss, Asher-sama promptly left.

But I felt kindness from his back.

“What I… wanted to know.”

It was only when Asher-sama told me that I realized it.

Why Lars-sama, who was helping me, didn’t offer to be my guardian himself? I tried not to even think about the question.

If he had no intention of interacting with me outside of the confections, then his kindness was only because I had value as a useful person. Even if it was temporary, I didn’t want to think that I wasn’t welcome as a member of the family.

That’s how much I, who had no one to rely on, was driven into a corner.

On the other hand, I didn’t want to expose that I was dependent on Lars-sama and be disliked.

Asher-sama saw through my feelings.

“Thank you.”

I tell him, who has already disappeared from sight, and return to the room——.

For some reason, I slept all day.