"First, kinship relations."
That wouldn't work. They didn't even look alike, and soone of count status would be densely entangled with other families through marriage relations, so it would be quickly exposed.
"Second, engagent relations."
"That's a bit......"
Of course, it wasn't impossible.
As if reading her mind, Cider said.
"It's not impossible. But in this case, we'd still have to create an identity anyway."
"That's true? Then is that plan scrapped?"
"Let's hear the third option first."
Cider answered sowhat irritably for so reason.
"Oh, okay. Go ahead."
"Third, guardianship relations. So the story would be that I, an adult titled noble, took in a lady of close relation who had nowhere to go for so reason and established a guardianship relationship...... sothing like that."
"That feels even more improper."
"Because it's actually used improperly."
Of course it is. Really, whether this society or that society, it's all the sa when it cos to taking advantage of young won with nowhere to go.
"Wouldn't both your and my reputations hit rock bottom?"
"My reputation doesn't matter. What about you?"
Esperanza didn't care either. After all, even if she built a good reputation here, it's not like she could take it with her. Rather, the reputation of a 'good lady' would only hinder her when moving around. It would be better to be marked as an eccentric, strange woman. But Cider should probably care a bit more.
"Except for kinship, whichever we choose, we'll have to think about that identity thing first."
What could prove her status? All Esperanza had were a hunter's license with a date stamped years in the future and sothing like a title confernt certificate. Back then, just registering as a hunter—that is, just logging into the ga—automatically resolved identity issues.
"There's no need to prove identity. Just a plausible story to satisfy society people will do. For origin... let's say she was born in the colonies. They don't register births over there."
The story went on quite long. The two put their heads together to create fake parents, fabricate the relationship between the father and the Claiborne family, and concoct reasons why Cider Claiborne would co to know Esperanza, all to create a false identity that would fool others.
"But you know."
"Yes."
"Is it possible to beco guardian of soone older than yourself?"
Cider paused for a mont.
"It's not impossible, but it's extrely rare......?"
While answering chanically, his gray eyes wandered around Esperanza's face. He moved his lips as if saying "surely not, surely not," lowered his eyes, and finally exhaled before asking.
"Esperanza. How old are you?"
"Twenty-seven."
"Lower it by four years."
Cider said reluctantly while rubbing his face dry. Groaning sounds leaked through his fingers.
'What's the big deal?'
It was originally a lie anyway, but at this point it was a national-scale fraud.
??????°??☆????°??????
As soon as she woke up in the morning, Esperanza took out the paper she had stored in her inventory and began morizing her personal information.
"Esperanza Hunter, 23 years old, born between Michael Hunter and Alejandra Rodriguez-Hunter in the colony of Paolun. Mother's na is difficult. Alejandra, Alejandra. Should have chosen sothing easier."
This was because of Cider's insistence that regional characteristics should show even in the mother's na to make Esperanza's unique na understandable. But thinking about it now, there probably were plenty of nas that showed regional characteristics while being short.
The story was that her mother passed away when Esperanza was three, and her father died two months ago, entrusting Esperanza to the Avondale Count family. Cider was to handle the guardianship docunt registration.
Why would Mr. Hunter, who lived in the colony of Paolun, suddenly entrust his daughter to Count Avondale of the Osdern mainland? This was also another full story.
'The point is it's a business relationship.'
The setting was that Michael Hunter was a businessman selling Cider Claiborne's patented magical engineering technologies and inventions in Paolun. For this reason, he had connections with the Count and built up so friendship, and since his daughter was of age, he wanted to send her back to the mainland to get her married...... but he suddenly contracted a tropical disease and died, so he sent his daughter to Count Avondale.
Because of this, Esperanza had to morize a few words of Paolun language too. It might have been better to just say she was a country girl who lived on so uninhabited island of Osdern.
If there had been a nu window, she could have just changed the language, but since the nu window had completely disappeared, it was self-inflicted suffering. Of course, if there had been a nu window, she wouldn't be here morizing such things in the first place.
"Miss, shall I do your hair?"
Annie ca in with sparkling eyes. The maid, whose tastes in won's appearance overlapped greatly with Esperanza's, brought out a dress to her liking.
"Today, this one!"
"Oh, really? Let's do that one."
As a lady's maid who had handled the forr Countess's clothes, her sense was quite good. She decorated a white dress with dark navy striped ribbons. Though simple, the layered thin hem was quite gorgeous. Even though there were no plans to go out, Annie, who insisted on putting on gloves, sparkled with excitent.
"It would be perfect if only there were jewels."
She had them, but honestly they were cumberso. It was excessive for indoors. She wasn't an old lady either.
"Actually, flower wreaths would suit you better than jewels, miss, but this house doesn't have proper flowers."
Annie grumbled. This maid was an aesthete who, as long as she could see a face to her taste wearing decorations to her taste, would gladly pick flowers without permission from her master's garden and perform labor no one had requested.
"It's a sha, but you're so pretty even like this. Really, why is the Count still fine? If it were , I'd have knelt down."
"But you didn't kneel."
When Esperanza said with a laugh, Annie demonstratively knelt down.
"Now I've knelt!"
"Enough, get up. Do you have a lot to do today?"
"Sa as always. When you're not here, miss, I have no fun either....... Miss, they say the guest the Count is bringing is a young man. You absolutely must not fall for him. If you're going to fall, you have to take
with you."
"Yeah, not interested."
"That man will be interested in you, miss, that's why I'm telling you!"
Esperanza glanced at Annie through the mirror and replied.
"Well, this face isn't such an amazing peerless beauty, I keep telling you."
That was an objective fact. So Esperanza wasn't worried at all. Honestly speaking, there would be more n who would fall for Cider Claiborne, breaking through the walls of taste and conservative social conventions, than n who would fall for Esperanza...... would he dislike it if she said this?
Then she should say it.
"Miss Esperanza, the guest has arrived."
It was Madeline, Annie's partner who was much calr than Annie. Esperanza stood up. When Annie made a fuss putting a shawl on her, Madeline lightly elbowed Annie's side.
"Ah, why."
"We need to step back."
"Is that so? Miss, I'll bring out the tea."
"There's already a line of volunteers in the drawing room."
"Already? Hehe, miss. Can't I do it?"
"Who exactly is coming that you're acting like this?"
Esperanza, who knew nothing about society trends, could only guess that so popular figure must be coming.
"Ah, I don't know either. But I absolutely must see the Count losing his mind at the sight of you, miss......"
"That won't happen. Madeline, take Annie with you."
"Misssss, yes?"
"It won't happen, it won't. Go."
Being with Annie really made her feel like she was so devastating beauty. Her partner Madeline didn't bat an eye though.
"It's nice to rest when I'm not around, right?"
When she coaxed like that, Annie pouted and left arm-in-arm with Madeline. Left alone, Esperanza went down to the first-floor hall.
The central staircase closest to the entrance had looked old and unmaintained until Esperanza first entered the 'abandoned house.' However, when she ca out of the study, it possessed the grandeur befitting the na of a count's mansion.
'In the end, I ca to 13 years ago when I entered that study.'
Recalling the dark and eerie abandoned house, Esperanza slowly stepped down the stairs.
"Viscount Poulsbury."
An arrogant man's voice echoed through the hall. Howard received the business card the man offered.
"Welco, Viscount. I am Howard, the butler of Avondale mansion."
"I'll handle the guidance, so you can go inside."
Cider was there too. Was it still proper etiquette to give a business card even so? Really botherso. Visitors always had to carry business cards around, and the butler receiving them would run out of places to store them.
'Ah, in a house like this there would never be a shortage of space.'
If only there were visitors.
"Esperanza? What are you doing out here already?"
Cider, who had casually looked up, discovered Esperanza and brightened.
"There's nothing particular to do anyway."
Esperanza replied lightly. Cider approached and escorted Esperanza. When he lightly kissed her fingertips and offered his arm, she placed her bare hand on his arm.
"No gloves?"
"What gloves inside the house? You're bare-handed too."
"......."
Cider looked at the back of Esperanza's hand with strange eyes. Why was he doing that? Wondering if sothing was on it, she looked down at her hand, which was spotlessly clean without a single mark. What was it?
"Poulsbury, this is Miss Esperanza Hunter. She's currently staying at the mansion as my ward."
Viscount Poulsbury had bright red hair, was nearly half a head taller than Cider who was already quite tall, and had a physique about twice Esperanza's size. With a build closer to a bear than a human and a handso but blunt face. That face instantly contorted bright red.
The Viscount trembled as he grasped Esperanza's right hand. Clattering like a broken automaton, the Viscount slowly brought his lips to the back of Esperanza's hand. He trembled so much that vibrations could be felt throughout his body.
Esperanza asked Cider with her eyes.
'Is this person sick sowhere?'
'He was fine just a mont ago.'
The Viscount's face when he raised his head was bright red. Wow. Esperanza unconsciously opened her mouth in admiration. It was the first ti she'd seen a person's face turn so red. It was indistinguishable from his hair color.
"Poulsbury. Introduction."
Unable to bear it any longer, Cider kicked his shin. The Viscount gripped Esperanza's hand tighter in his own and said.
"Viscount Poulsbury, Kendrick Grimston-Hanger. Please, call
Kendrick."
Using first nas from the first eting?
This person really must be broken sowhere. Esperanza thought while pulling her hand that wouldn't co free with 'ordinary lady level' strength.
"Please let go of my hand."
"So, sorry, Miss Hunter. I made a mistake!"
But he didn't let go of her hand. Esperanza wondered if she should kick this man's shin too for this crazy guy to co to his senses. No, she said to let go of her hand, didn't she?
"Esperanza, let's go to the drawing room."
Cider pushed Kendrick away with the tip of his cane. Kendrick, pushed far away, followed with a dumbfounded expression.
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