He seed excited at the thought of disassembling the scythe. As if he had lost interest in conversation, he was just staring intently at the scythe. From his gaze alone, it looked like he would tear the scythe to shreds, so I should probably give up any thought of getting it back.
"Anyway. I'm giving my weapon for research purposes, and Lord... Albernzdale?"
"Avondale."
'Lord Avondale' clicked his tongue. How could it be Esperanza's fault that his na was annoyingly difficult, but thinking it was better than making mistakes twice, she morized it earnestly.
"Avondale, Avondale. Lord Avondale will provide
with food, clothing, and shelter, right?"
"Sothing like that. It's a good deal."
He still seed displeased about the na mistake, but both were satisfied with the trade. That was good enough.
"Should we write a contract now? Or maybe shake hands?"
Having never made a contract before, there was no way to know. Lord Avondale shrugged his shoulders.
"I've never shaken hands with a lady, but it wouldn't be bad."
"Strictly speaking, I'm not really a lady."
"Now that you've beco my guest, you should at least pretend to be one."
Without teaching what specifically 'pretending' entailed, he stood up from his seat. Looking at him now, he was much taller than expected. A man a head and a half taller than Esperanza, whose height was by no ans small, extended his large hand. A hand with calluses, belonging to soone who handled pens and tools.
As she hesitantly stood up to extend her hand, the door opened with a perfunctory knock.
"Count, I've brought tea......"
What Millen, who entered pulling a tray, saw was the scene of a defenseless woman and his master holding a gleaming scythe facing each other in confrontation.
"......Should I perhaps point a stimulator at the Count for the lady's safety?"
The young servant's hand fumbled around his front pocket. Even while doing so, his eyes rolled around trying to sohow find an answer to this situation, which was quite comical.
The room, which had been quiet due to Millen's sudden appearance, was now surrounded by an impossibly cold silence. Lord Avondale shook his head. It looked more like an attitude of 'I'd rather die than deal with this' rather than aning 'no.'
Esperanza couldn't bear it and ended up laughing. The giggling laughter mixed with the sound of the clock's second hand. Though she covered her mouth and lowered her head, she could feel the gazes pouring down from above.
They're totally glaring at
right now.
When she slightly lifted her head, Lord Avondale, who had been glaring, suddenly crinkled his eyes and smiled back. Only then did Esperanza realize that she still hadn't suppressed her laughter and put force into the corners of her mouth. Her lips, barely made into a straight line, trembled.
'I have a feeling I'm going to get revenge......'
"Millen? Tell Mrs. Lux that the lady ca in such a hurry that she couldn't bring clothes, so please let her use mother's wardrobe."
That doesn't sound bad at all?
"Also tell her to assign the maid who used to manage mother's clothes to attend to her clothing. Don't forget to say 'no matter how much it costs.'"
"Oh, really?"
However, surprisingly, the person Millen was reading the mood of wasn't the Count but Esperanza. Wasn't this good news?
"Thank you......?"
She had a strong premonition that she would end up taking back these words. Lord Avondale answered with an ominously gentle smile.
"You're welco, Esperanza. You can't go out wearing those clothes."
Millen, who had been reading both their moods, went back outside.
The hunter's outfit basically had a steampunk feel, so it wasn't completely out of place for the era. Among event outfits, there were so with ears attached and such, but what Esperanza was wearing was ordinary.
Though by this era's NPC standards, it certainly wasn't.
Tight-fitting black pants, a green blouse and suspenders, a small bag hanging from the belt, a chain fastening a cape that didn't even cover the knees. Gears decorated along the arms. And a brimd hat the sa color as the coat and military boots the sa color as the pants.
From any angle, this was an outfit that won of this era would absolutely never wear. Of course, the sa went for n.
"Not even at ho. Even if I allow it, the employees won't stand for it."
"Yes, well. This is combat gear anyway."
Since there was no reason to refuse free clothes, Esperanza thought what Lord Avondale kept saying was just the repulsion felt as a conservative Nine Holder noble.
As she would learn later, he wasn't such a normal, sensible human being.
"Did you call for , Count? I heard there's a lady here...... Oh my."
At that mont, a middle-aged woman who was certainly Mrs. Lux, but hadn't introduced herself yet, naturally entered and placed her hand on her waist.
"I never expected such a lovely person."
And then she glanced at the Count with subtle eyes, like a mother seeing her grown son bring a woman ho.
The Count didn't blink an eye.
"Mrs. Lux, please take care of entertaining my guest in my place."
Mrs. Lux didn't yield a single word.
"What are you saying? I, as a housekeeper, and you, Count, as the host, should each work from our respective positions to please the lady."
Only then could she receive a proper introduction to Mrs. Lux.
Since it was rude to carelessly call soone by na without being introduced, Esperanza had been smiling with her mouth closed as if she were invisible until Mrs. Lux introduced herself.
"Preparing a room will take a little ti, but you can use the drawing room in the anti. I think we can take asurents and alter my lady's clothes a bit. Have you had a al by any chance?"
"Ah, no."
"Oh my, using honorifics even to employees, how kind."
'Lord Avondale' seed to have completely lost interest and was fiddling with the scythe while maintaining a polite smile. Esperanza couldn't understand how Mrs. Lux had noticed her presence before that huge scythe. It couldn't be that she still hadn't seen the scythe.
Until the end, Mrs. Lux didn't say a word about the scythe, and Esperanza didn't get a chance to ask whether she really hadn't seen the scythe or was pretending not to see it. From the mont she left Lord Avondale's study and entered the drawing room until sunset, she was almost unconscious.
"Completely burned out......."
The blue dress with puff sleeves was elegant and pretty. It was certainly about 10 years away from this era's fashion, but to Esperanza's eyes, it was all the sa as old-fashioned clothes. Lord Avondale's attire was also an ancient relic from the ti when Esperanza was playing the ga.
However, thinking about the ti and energy it took to choose this dress—trying on nearly a hundred dresses one by one and altering them to fit her figure—it didn't just look pretty. If she hadn't been able to eat in the middle, she really would have collapsed by now.
"That bastard did this on purpose."
The fabric was fine satin, and the hem of the skirt was long and decorative. Lace was densely packed on the arms. It was an outfit that only soone at the level of a countess would wear. Wearing it, she belatedly felt honored. However, thinking of the current and original owner's son, even his malicious intent was clearly engraved.
He was getting back at her for laughing at him. There might not have been zero goodwill, but anyway, he was getting back at her. When she saw him again, she didn't know whether to thank him or get angry.
'No. I should definitely thank him for this.'
As if she hadn't noticed his dark intentions at all. As if she had a sowhat difficult but very enjoyable ti.
Originally, Esperanza liked pretty clothes and was interested in character customization. That's why she had slathered such a pretty face and excessively gorgeous colors on 'Esperanza.' It was just that Mrs. Lux's passion was a little, no, quite a lot higher than the level Esperanza could endure.
Still, for soone who had suddenly been dropped into a world 13 years before the ga's setting, it was a good start.
"Logout."
She muttered to herself. Actually, 'Golden Claw's nu didn't have voice recognition. If such a function existed, users couldn't have conversations like 'I'm logging out in a bit.' Still, she tried just in case.
"Logout!"
Nothing happened. Feeling embarrassed, she buried her face in the satin blanket.
"Miss, is sothing wrong? Can I help you?"
Having heard the noise, a maid knocked on the door. She felt twice as embarrassed. Esperanza, who barely sent the maid away, exhaled "Phew."
Right, let's think positively.
It was fortunate that this happened while exploring Count Avondale's mansion. If it had been like the last quest, searching for serial killer mutant monsters in back alleys, she might be sitting in so shack room right now.
Even though she had suddenly fallen into a strange place, the room was comfortable and the bed was soft, so she didn't feel a sense of crisis. But now was the ti to think. Logout didn't work either. She had even tried voice recognition, which she couldn't do in front of the Count, but of course it was useless. Then.
"What should I do from now on?"
Staying attached to this house indefinitely—well, looking at the Count's current behavior, it didn't seem impossible. Gradually giving away items from her inventory while also telling him about technology from 13 years in the future.
Maybe she could even prevent Count Avondale's death. It would just be a matter of staying close by and saving his life. Was the cause of death the monster crisis after all?
The monster crisis.
Actually, if an event of the sa scale had occurred 13 years later, there would have been almost no casualties. There were dungeon conquest thods for dealing with monsters, magical tools and magic weapons, and even hunters who were specialists in dungeon conquest.
However, because it happened at a ti when no preparation could be made, it beca a terrible accident.
Regarding the accident seen in the ga's prologue, she had no thoughts beyond it being the ga's background, but if she couldn't escape the ga world even a year later, she might actually face it.
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