NOVEL WEB Chapter 48
Chapter: 48
It was really nice, and maybe it was because we ran the carriage without stopping, even as the sun set.
We were able to arrive at the villa earlier than expected.
I thought it would take about two days, but arriving this early had to be a good thing.
“Teacher, wake up.”
“Yawn…”
Seriously… I don’t think I’ve seen Ashley awake since we set off.
She was just slumped in the backseat, doing nothing but sleeping the entire time.
“Camelia! Hurry up! You’re the leader!”
“Just wait a moment. The teacher is still asleep.”
“Hasn’t she been sleeping since yesterday!?”
“…Yeah.”
… It really was surprising.
Anyway, after waking Ashley, we all got out of the carriage.
We arrived earlier than expected, but there were other maids in the villa, and they were already waiting for us as soon as we got there.
“Please take all the luggage inside the villa.”
“Understood.”
“And prepare appropriate clothes for this person next to me.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“…Young lady?”
As soon as I spoke to the most senior maid standing at the front with her head bowed, Rize called for me.
Well, it made sense since I was talking about Rize.
Rize was still in her maid outfit, which was why I said she should wear something other than her uniform.
After all, Rize was technically on vacation now.
“Okay, shall we all go inside?”
After giving a vague command to have the maids move the luggage, we slowly started entering the villa.
Though it wasn’t as massive as the Leonhardt Mansion, it still wasn’t a small place.
Honestly, we were just there to escape the heat.
The weather was a bit cooler than in the southern regions, and thanks to the mountains behind, it felt just right.
“Wow…”
“This is definitely pretty!”
“Isn’t it lovely?”
“The mountain behind is also quite beautiful; let’s go see it together later, Mother.”
“Sure, let’s do that.”
After entering the villa, everyone was in awe as they explored the interior.
It was a really beautiful villa made mainly of wood.
Although the exterior was also lovely, the interior was especially delightful.
Unlike typical mansions that can feel cold, this one gave off a warm atmosphere with its wooden design. The open layout made the space feel even bigger.
Thanks to that, everyone’s reaction was even better once we stepped inside than when we saw it from the outside.
“Yawn…”
… Well, not for one person.
“Anyway, the maids have moved the luggage to each room; should we check out the rooms first?”
“I don’t mind at all!”
“Me neither…”
“What about you, Mother?”
“There are things to take out from the luggage, and it’s better to unpack clothes too. I think that’s a good plan.”
“Then let’s show you around the rooms first. The first floor has the rooms for Teacher Ashley, Ella, and Sister Karen…”
There were three personal rooms available on the first floor.
The first floor was the largest central space, so we could use it for other purposes too.
“Sis, what do you think of this room? If you don’t like it, there’s more space upstairs…”
“It’s fine…! I think this is enough…!”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that. Ella, you’re okay too, right?”
“Hoho! Do you think I’d complain about something like this?”
“Definitely not. If there’s something you don’t like, we need to fix it.”
Anyway, it seemed like everyone was fine with the rooms themselves.
Ashley opened the room door and, as soon as she saw it, shuffled over to the bed and flopped down to sleep.
So, it wasn’t a dislike.
“Shall we head up to the second floor now?”
After unpacking on the first floor and organizing a bit, we climbed up to the second floor.
By this time, they should have the clothes Rize needed ready.
“I think this room would be good for you, Mother. It’s the largest one after all.”
“The room is bigger than I expected! It looks even larger than the rooms in the mansion.”
“Maybe it’s because there aren’t any big tables or such, unlike your room in the mansion?”
“Haha, that could be it.”
I was checking out the room Rize would use with Rosalyn.
We were tidying up while we looked around together.
I was already taking out the clothes she would wear and putting away the ones for indoors.
“Camelia, this is enough for now; you should go rest in your room. You must be tired from the journey, right? You hardly slept last night…”
“Oh no, I wasn’t uncomfortable enough to lose sleep over it.”
“Well, I’m relieved, but this much should be okay.”
“Got it.”
I thought about helping Rosalyn a bit more, but since she insisted she was fine…
I eventually left Rosalyn’s room.
*
“Thank you, Teacher.”
“No need… It’s not like it’s difficult magic…”
Yet, I still couldn’t manage to do it…
Anyway, we finished installing Ashley’s Air Conditioning Magic in each room and gathered in the dining room on the first floor.
Everyone had finished organizing their luggage, and since there wasn’t much left to do… we were ready for lunch.
Honestly, aside from the sandwiches we had, we hadn’t eaten anything.
We all gathered to enjoy a proper meal for the first time in a while.
“So, how were the rooms? Are they okay?”
“The magical tools in the room were amazing! I even saw some new magical tools released this spring; did you purchase them separately?”
“Everything here was bought with my own money. After all, the villa is my personal retreat.”
“Oh…”
“Senpai, how did you find the villa?”
“It was, umm, great…! Personally, I prefer smaller houses over huge mansions…”
Small, huh…
I mean, compared to a mansion, it’s small, but calling this little is a stretch.
I guess that’s just how it is with a Count’s family.
“Camelia, but isn’t my room too big…?”
“Is it?”
“Yeah. Honestly, I think it’s… too big…”
“Hmm…”
It was true that the room I gave to Rosalyn was the largest one.
Originally, it was the room I had planned to use when I came here alone.
“To be honest, wouldn’t it be fine for 2 or 3 people to share it?”
“That’s true. With not much furniture besides the bed, it’s not too packed.”
The room Rosalyn was using was originally designed like that.
Wide open, with minimal distraction to allow for rest.
It was intentionally created to be a relaxation space, so besides the bed and a few furniture items based on magical tools, there wasn’t much else.
“Just use it comfortably. I prepared it with you in mind from the start.”
That was absolutely true.
When I first bought the villa, I had designed it with my own use in mind.
But once I found out Rosalyn would be visiting, I decided it was best to leave it this way.
I could use it too, but since I wanted to be considerate to Rosalyn… I made the choice.
“Young lady, the meal is ready.”
“Set it up right away.”
“Yes.”
Hearing my words, the maids swiftly started transitioning the food to the table.
Unlike the south, the menu was a bit more… meaty-friendly.
Since the capital had developed a culture of meat dishes and desserts, it was no wonder.
They brought the ingredients from nearby, and the cooking maid was hired from around here too.
“This meal has a style closer to the capital than the south?”
“Yes, since all the maids here aren’t the same as those in the mansion. I hired maids from nearby.”
“Hehe, I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve had capital-style dishes. Should I be excited?”
“Absolutely.”
I confidently smiled in response to Rosalyn’s question.
After all, it already smelled great!
The variety of meats looked delicious, and they seemed to be cooked perfectly — I was honestly looking forward to it.
“Let’s start eating and chatting, everyone. I feel a bit pressured with everyone staring at me like this.”
Anyway, we decided to kick off the meal together.
Since I had been talking constantly with Rosalyn, everyone was watching, so it was tough to proceed.
Honestly, they could have started eating without me.
“So when are we going to the mountain?”
“Um… I mean, it’s right behind us, so it’s not hard to go see it. We just need to step outside and take a look.”
“Hmmm…”
Ella’s question was answered like that.
The mountain really was right behind us, so there was no need to keep asking me about it.
They could just head to the back of the villa for a glimpse of the mountain.
Of course, if they wanted to explore further inside, they’d have to hike a bit for the small valley.
But the sight of the mountain itself was so close it was visible from the window.
“Staying cool at the villa is nice, but I want to see the mountain!”
“Then how about we go tomorrow?”
“I-I want to rest at the villa…”
“Oh? What do you think, Mother?”
“Haha… I feel the same way about the mountain…”
Everyone seemed to be against going to the mountain.
Of course, Ella seemed happy regardless, but Rosalyn and Karen didn’t seem too keen on heading further into the mountains.
Ashley, unsurprisingly, was busy devouring meat to fall asleep quickly afterward.
“Hmmm… then how about just three of us go tomorrow, including Rize?”
“It can’t be helped! It is indeed hot, so I think that’s more than enough for tomorrow.”
“In fact, the mountain isn’t that spectacular, so should we really be expecting too much?”
Hehe… You wouldn’t know how delightful it is to finally see a mountain after looking at flat farmland every day!
“Oh.”
… Certainly, the area around the Nieshista Domain was all flat land after all.
… Ella couldn’t help but love it.