The day after Emma left, I built a livestock shed next to the vegetable garden. There are two of them: a chicken coop with wire mesh in front and a goat coop surrounded on all sides. Both sheds are surrounded by a fence so the animals can run free. There was also a hut next to the shed where I could store feed.
With them in place, I can now welcome goats and chickens anytime.
“Char, I’m going to Paul-oniisan’s ranch today.”
“Yey! You’re finally going to buy pudding and custard cream!”
“Uhm… it’s goats and hens….…”
“I know. The goats are to be taken care of by Char!”
She must be excited because it is her first experience with animals. Char snorted heavily and began to prepare.
“Oi oi, you are not planning on going alone, are you?”
It was a worried Upa who asked.
“That’s what I’m planning to do.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! I can’t let a child walk down the main road alone, you know? I’ll go with you!”
He is as overprotective as ever.
Well, bandits sometimes appear on the main road so Upa’s worries are not unfounded. However, it’s only about a two-hour walk to Paul-oniisan’s ranch, and the town is close, so there aren’t many strange people on the way.
“It’s okay. It will be fine because Char is going with me. Besides, I have prepared a lot of pepper bombs.”
The fight between the Sambabano sisters hasn’t ended yet, and every time they see me, they beg me to sell them the pepper bombs. I didn’t want to get involved in their conflict, so I couldn’t sell it to them. Thus, I had a lot of pepper bombs in stock.
“But….…”
“You’ve got two bookings for the night today, don’t you? I’d like you to focus on that instead of guarding me.”
A traveling merchant who came for lunch yesterday made a booking to stay the night on his way home. The guests are finally gathering. I have to ask the manager to do his best here.
“Understood……”
The Grim Reaper of the battlefield, who was a little frustrated, was kind of funny.
Before crossing the bridge and walking down the main road, I checked the new signage.
| Welcome to Gandalcia Island! There is an auberge with delicious food and clean rooms. You are also welcome to take a day trip to the hot springs. (Bathing fee is 400 crown coins) |
I wrote it on a white board with blue and red paint. It is two meters wide and nearly one meter long, so you can see it well from the road. I hope this sign will increase the number of customers.
“Okay, it’s not crooked.”
The sign is the face of Gandalcia Island, so I wanted it to be neat.
“Mmm, it’s straight.”
After checking it with Char, we started walking down the street.
The wind from the sea was completely cold. The meadow that can be seen from the road is completely brown and withered, signaling that winter is near.
By the way, the villages and ranches inherited by Paul-oniisan are located in the inner part of Dantès’ territory. It had been a long time since I had come this way since leaving the mansion.
I was a little out of breath as I climbed the long slope, but Char didn’t look tired at all. As expected from the child of a yellow dragon.
We walked along the road, playing word chains and letting our imaginations run wild with the funny-shaped clouds.
Then we soon found Paul-oniisan’s ranch. It was recognizable as there were large stables as landmarks, and there were many horses running on the vast grounds.
Horses are the main form of transportation here, so they are in demand. Their price ranges from about 1.2 million to 4 million crown coins. In Japan, it’s just like buying a private car.
When it comes to cheaper things, you’ll want donkeys. It’s like a mini car. Peddlers often let donkeys pull small carts. Either way, they are still a big purchase. I’m sure Paul-oniisan’s wealth isn’t bad. Because of his age, he seems to have inherited a much better legacy than I did.
As we walked further, I could see a large mansion beyond the ranch. That must be Paul-oniisan’s house.
In front of the mansion is a wide roundabout with a large horse-drawn carriage next to it.
“Isn’t that the coat of arms of the Dantes family?”
Next to the black-painted carriage are two wolves guarding a crown surmounted with roses. It’s the family crest of my parents’ house that I’ve seen everywhere since I was a child. But the only person who can use that coat of arms is the head of the family, now Alexei-oniisan.
If Paul-oniisan tries to use it, he will be punished. If things went wrong, it will be a big incident that will cause a big uproar in the territory as a house disturbance.
As I walked forward with my heart pounding, I quickly realized the truth. Alexei-oniisan and Paul-oniisan were standing at the front door, talking.
In other words, this carriage belonged to Alexei-oniisan.
Paul-oniisan immediately saw me and raised his hand slightly.
“Yo.”
Alexei-oniisan also looks at me.
“Oh………Cedie huh.”
It took him a long time to remember my name.
I guess I was a distant memory.
“Are you living properly?”
“Well, somehow……”
“I see. Do it well. I’ll go home now. Paul, I’ll leave the horse to you.”
With that said, Alexei-oniisan got into the carriage. The dusty, black-painted carriage moves away.
“What was Alexei-oniisan here for?”
“He was here to buy a horse.”
“Come to think of it, Oniisan had a thing for fine horses……”
I remember that he used to buy horses a lot even before he inherited the title of Earl. It’s like a rich kid wanting a luxury sports car. He once bought a horse that cost 15 million crown coins. He was even scolded by father for it.
“Did you make a good deal?”
When I asked, Paul-oniisan smiled wryly.
“He bargained for a male that could have been sold for 7 million. I got ripped off for 4.5 million. I did my best, though.”
My open mouth did not close.
“Don’t look like that, Cedie. If you’re going to do business here, you can’t go against Earl Alexei Dantès.”
Paul-oniisan addressed Alexei-oniisan as Earl. By behaving in the manners of others, he may be putting boundaries on his own feelings.
“By the way, what’s up? You came all the way to visit me.”
“I’m here to buy goats and hens because I have saved up money. Rest assured, as the lord of Gandalcia, I won’t haggle.”
I told him a light joke, and he gave me a rare smile.
“Go inside the house first and have something to drink, Charlotte too.”
“Thank you, uncle!”
He was as blunt as ever, but Paul-oniisan was kind. As soon as we entered the house, I paid the bill.
“You’ve prepared a lot of money.”
“The island is running well now. The canteen is thriving, and now we have an auberge. The hot springs have also been renovated so that bathing fees can be obtained, so I think it will develop further in the future. And, who knows, maybe we’ll get a big order.”
I told him about the bottling of fruit and the homemade scents. He listened to me silently and nodded gravely. His appearance somewhat resembled that of our father. Of us three siblings, Paul-oniisan may be the one who resembles father the most.
They said that I resembled my late mother. By the way, my mother is a second lady, and she is a different woman from the mother of Alexei-oniisan and Paul-oniisan.
Maybe the reason they were so distant from me was because we had different mothers.
“I’m glad your living situation has stabilized. Like I said, I was planning to come and see how you were doing soon.”
“You said you were going to come and eat with your friends, right?”
“Mmm……”
Paul-oniisan’s complexion clouded.
“What’s wrong? If it’s not convenient for you—”
“Not really. But you should careful so that Earl Alexie will not hear about the island going well. It’s better not to tell people as much as possible.”
“Why?”
“Big brother might try to steal your island…… On paper, it’s Cedie’s island. I’ve confirmed that as well. But if he finds out that there’s money to be made from it, he might use brute force.”
“That’s….…”
“Well, don’t worry too much.”
“Yes….…”
That said, my anxiety didn’t subside.
We had done so much to make the island a pleasant place to live, and I didn’t want it to be taken away from us.
The goats and chickens will be delivered at a later date. Paul-oniisan served us lunch and after the meal, Char and I head back to Gandalcia.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
Previous ⚜ Table of Contents ⚜ Next
Yume Neiji's Works 
Uncle Paul is one of the best uncles!
(Paul, reading this comment, cries in a corner. “I am not that old yet!”)
LikeLike