The Viscountess

Having accepted a noble's request, I took on the construction of an irrigation canal using heavy machinery.

For now, we finished the first day's work and filled our stomachs with dinner.

Then I prepared a bath for the viscountess, but...

"You shall bathe with me."

"Huh?"

As I stood there bewildered, the viscountess turned her back to me. The white dress she wore was laced up at the back, making it impossible to take off alone.

She usually had servants or attendants help her with it.

"Are the servants arriving tomorrow too?"

"Indeed. Your horseless carriage is simply too fast."

Once the laces at her back came undone, she slipped out her arms, then finally pulled the dress over her head. There was no underwear in this world, so taking off the dress left her completely naked.

When she removed the pins holding up her hair, her golden locks tumbled down to her back.

Then the viscountess turned around, and she truly was beautiful. Her skin was pale and alluring, and her breasts were round and well-proportioned.

She certainly wasn't called the Flower of the Frontier for nothing. I smoothly dodged her attempt to embrace me and explained how to use the bath.

"If the water is too hot, use the ladle here to draw some water from here."

"How cold of you... To completely ignore a woman's advances..."

"I have a family."

After checking the temperature of the water, the viscountess added a little more and carefully put one foot in.

"Fuuuu~"

She slowly sank into the tub and reclined. Right—an oil-drum bath didn't allow you to assume this position.

A proper tub like this was essential for relaxing in a bath.

With her eyes closed, the viscountess splashed water over her shoulders.

"How is the temperature?"

"It is perfect. I never imagined I could soak in a bath in a place like this..."

She murmured while soaking in the tub.

"A family... That child is not your real child, is she?"

"That's right, but we're still family even if we're not related by blood. Married couples were strangers to each other originally too, weren't they?"

"That is true, but..."

"If I may ask, Kanan-sama—what of the young lord?"

"There is none. I exhausted every avenue for more than ten years, but it never happened."

"I apologize for my rudeness. Please forgive me."

That sounded difficult. Nobles in a world like this probably expected you to produce children, an heir, and daughters who could serve as pawns in political marriages.

"It is all right... Besides..."

"Yes?"

"My husband is rather... lacking in passion. We do it infrequently, and even I cannot imagine a vigorous, healthy child being born under those circumstances."

"Even so, if no heir is born, wouldn't that be a crisis for the territory?"

"That is why the subject of adoption has arisen."

"What about a concubine?"

"There is none. Perhaps my husband simply has no interest in such things."

It seemed the cause of their infertility lay with the lord—the viscount.

"You all seem to be having such fun. I have never eaten a meal while laughing..."

"Not even at your family home, Kanan-sama?"

"My father and mother thought of nothing but where to marry me off."

"A spacious, luxurious room, lavish food, and a family that never speaks... I imagine your meals must have been terribly bleak."

"You are almost entirely correct. What, I wonder, was the happiness I sought as a woman...?"

The viscountess began washing her face with loud splashes while still sitting in the tub.

"Well then, I shall leave you to it."

"Wait! Do you feel nothing after hearing what I just said?"

"Well, as a commoner, it sounds like a story from a distant otherworld to me. Our worlds are simply too different."

Unfortunately, I had made it a rule never to trust the tears of a woman over twenty.

She raised her long, supple-looking legs and began showing off their beauty.

"A woman is baring this much skin defenselessly before you. Surely you should be feeling something by now?"

The viscountess twisted her body, lifted her round, white bottom, and beckoned to me—ah, so her hair was blond down there too.

No, that had nothing to do with anything.

"Not at all. If you want a partner that badly, Kanan-sama, you must have plenty to choose from. The knights, for example..."

"Those men are as helpless as borrowed cats when it matters. They are useless. I am no longer a young girl, you know. What am I supposed to do with this ripe body?"

"Ha-ha-ha, this certainly isn't a conversation for children to hear. Well then, if you'll excuse me."

"Wait!! After hearing a woman's personal story like this, do you really feel nothing?"

"Well, our worlds are different."

"Kiii!"

Angered that I wasn't responding as she wanted, the viscountess splashed the surface of the bath with her feet before sinking beneath the water.

I understood what she was saying, and I did feel sorry for her, but there was practically no benefit for me at all.

Besides, it was obvious this would cause trouble later. I left the cabin and spoke to Primula, who was outside.

"Primula, the viscountess seems to have a lot of pent-up frustration. Could you keep her company?"

"Understood. Perhaps she might give me a profitable business opportunity."

"Here, take this soap and conditioner."

I gave her a towel and bathrobe as well. The viscountess didn't seem to have any friends, and if she wanted someone to talk to, another woman would probably be better company.

"We'll bathe with Boss at the end."

"That's right, nya."

"Anemone, you can bathe with Primula and the others too, you know?"

"I'm going in with Kenichi!"

I set up the jet heater in preparation for the two of them coming out of the bath.

The cabin containing the bath was quiet. I had no idea what they were discussing during their naked heart-to-heart.

I went into the house and prepared a bed and nightclothes. I brought out a bed for the viscountess too.

And then there were the drinks. Nothing says after a bath like fruit milk.

After a while, the two of them came out of the cabin wearing bathrobes, but when the viscountess saw my face, she turned away.

She must have been offended because I had ignored her.

"Kanan-sama, this magic tool blows warm air. Please use it to dry your hair. Primula has mastered how to operate it."

I left the viscountess to Primula and went to take a bath with the others.

The water level had dropped, so I added some more and had Anemone heat it again with her magic.

"Magic sure is convenient."

"Are there any beastfolk who can use magic?"

"I've never heard of one. Most of them can't even read or write."

"Hmm, I see."

Well, there must be some aptitude involved. We all got naked and climbed into the bath.

"This bath is nice because we can all get in together!"

"Yeah."

Anemone and I were in one tub, while the beastfolk were soaking together in the other.

"Hey, Kuro-suke, move over a little. My long legs won't fit."

"What are you talking about when you're no different in size from me, nya? If anything, my long tail is the one sticking out, nya."

The two of them always seemed to be fighting, but surprisingly, they appeared to get along well.

When we get home, should I rebuild the bath? Now that Anemone could heat the water with magic, it would be easy enough.

"But Boss, is it all right to get the inside of the house all wet?"

"Yeah. I was thinking that after we drain the water, Anemone could dry it with magic..."

"I see, nya."

"It should probably be fine."

Anemone said so too, so it was probably all right.

However, if we were going to bathe here for a month, we'd need to secure a supply of water.

There didn't seem to be a river nearby, so would we have to fetch water from the lake in the neighboring territory—the source of the irrigation canal?

Apparently it was about twenty or thirty kilometers away, so would we have to make a round trip every few days...?

When Anemone and I got out of the bath, we put on bathrobes, but Myaree and Nyamena remained naked.

Then the two of them began dancing in front of the jet heater to dry their wet fur.

They might not have intended it that way, but this dance always looked rather sensual.

Nyamena picked up a small stone at her feet and threw it into the darkness.

"If you're going to peek, bring some money with you!"

It had already grown dark, so I couldn't see anything, but apparently there had been a peeping tom.

Once Anemone's hair had dried, I went to the cabin and stored the viscountess's discarded dress in my Item Box.

Next, I stored the bathtub and dumped the water inside into the trash.

I bought a deck brush from Shangri-La and pushed the remaining water out through the hatch in the corner of the room. That finished the preparations.

I opened the door and windows wide and had Anemone use her magic.

"Mmm! Dry!"

As she spoke, white steam rose from the floor and filled the cabin. I could probably make a sauna this way too.

When I put my foot on the floor, it was already completely dry. Amazing.

Of course, her magic was powerful enough to completely dry freshly cut green wood, so this much was easy.

I had once tried using this magic on my own hair, but it had dried it out so much that it became brittle. Apparently, it damaged hair.

It would be a disaster if I made a mistake and went bald or lost my hair, so I concluded that it was better not to use it on human bodies.

Depending on how it was adjusted, it could even turn a human body into a mummy.

Still, if Anemone's magic improved, she might eventually be able to control it precisely enough.

When I returned to the house, Primula and the viscountess had already changed into pink nightclothes and were drinking fruit milk beneath the light of the gasoline lantern.

They were both beautiful, so anything suited them. In particular, the viscountess sitting on the bed at the far end must have been breathtaking when she was young.

No, she was still beautiful enough now. Perhaps it was more accurate to say she was in her prime now that she had matured.

It did seem like a waste, but she was someone else's wife.

Adultery was still a bad idea.

"I'm sorry it's so cramped."

I took the viscountess's white dress out of my Item Box and tried to hang it on a hanger, but there was nowhere to hook it.

I bought a screw-in hook from Shangri-La. Hangers similar to this one were used in this world too.

"After sleeping in a carriage, this feels like a dream."

"If traveling to the royal capital by carriage takes several weeks, do you spend the whole time inside it?"

"Indeed. When there is no town with an inn nearby, we sleep in the carriage."

That sounded rough. I had slept in a car before, but unless you reclined the seats and laid boards across them to make the interior completely flat, you never felt as though you had really slept.

Trying it even once made you realize just how important it was to sleep in a bed.

I had wondered whether the viscountess was still angry, but she seemed fine.

I lay down on my bed too.

Then Bell climbed onto my stomach and settled into a cat loaf. Apparently, the soft, warm surface made a comfortable place to settle.

I took a cat brush out of my Item Box and handed it to Anemone, who began stroking Bell's fur.

Bell narrowed her eyes and purred, looking thoroughly content.

"Tiger, go sleep outside, nya!"

"What's with you? My hut is still inside Boss's Item Box. Besides, Boss prepared a bed for me, so that means I can sleep here, right?"

"Come on, Myaree. It's fine once in a while."

"That's my Boss! I'll let you use my lap as a pillow tonight."

With that, she placed my head on her thigh.

"Ooh, this is nice."

"Heh-heh, isn't it? Then how about this?"

Nyamena spread her legs on the bed and placed my head over her crotch.

"Oh! This precise softness could become addictive."

I moved my head around a little to find the most comfortable position.

"B-Boss, don't move your head so much... Ah!"

"Taking advantage of the commotion, what are you doing, nya?!"

"Mmm!"

Anemone glared at me while gripping the cat brush. Well, this softness was difficult to resist.

The viscountess, who had been watching us, began giggling.

"A beastwoman and a forest cat on the same bed... It is as though chaos itself were crawling toward us."

"I'm sorry it's so noisy."

"Not at all. You all seem so close. I envy you."

While everyone chatted noisily, I noticed Primula sitting by herself, deep in thought.

"Primula, what's wrong?"

"...Yes. We have all the bird meat everyone offered to Forest Cat, so I would like to make bird soup starting tomorrow."

"Oh, you'll sell it to the laborers here?"

"Yes. From what I have seen, they do not seem to be eating very good meals..."

"That's true. If we want the laborers to work hard, food is important too."

"Exactly. Food is essential for doing good work."

The viscountess grunted when she heard my conversation with Primula.

"I see... I have never worked outside before."

Perhaps nobles should prioritize cultivating talented people for the good of their territories instead of trying to seduce people.

She probably had never come to a work site like this and directed operations from the front.

How had governance functioned with someone like that? Even this crisis in the viscount's territory seemed to be about nothing more than their prestige being damaged. It wasn't as though the residents would be affected immediately.

Well, I would just finish this job as quickly as possible.

------◇◇◇------

――The next morning.

Primula got up early and began dressing birds and making soup.

Beside her, the viscountess had tied up her prized hair carelessly and was helping Primula while wearing the indigo dress I had given her.

Beautiful women really had it easy. Anything looked good on them.

However, the site supervisor saw the viscountess working up a sweat and came running over in a panic.

"K-Kanan-sama, you should not be doing such menial work..."

"Silence, Borij! You should be getting the work preparations underway!"

"Kenichi, please bring out the stove."

"Understood."

At Primula's request, I arranged the necessary items on the table from my Item Box.

Anemone baked bread in a round bread maker, but since she used her own magic, she controlled how thoroughly it baked without using fire or a stove.

"She is a terrifyingly capable young mage. She has completely mastered the use of magic."

"Kanan-sama, what brought about this change of heart?"

It didn't seem like a mere whim, but...

"Nothing in particular. After watching all of you yesterday, I began to see what I was lacking."

About an hour later, three large stockpots of soup were finished.

Most of it was bird, making it a bird-based soup, but it also contained small game meat—a hearty stew of whatever we had available.

"Come and get it! We have hot soup here! It was made by the viscountess herself!"

"Soup?" "Is it hot?" "It smells good!"

"All right! Line up here! This is my treat, so eat your fill!"

"Wow!"

There were no merchants selling or making soup at a place like this. The food sold here consisted of hard bread, dried meat, and wine.

Since transportation took time, the selection had to consist of things that wouldn't spoil.

Many of the men didn't even have plates, so I bought more than eighty deep dishes costing about five hundred yen each from Shangri-La and distributed them among them.

Of course, Primula carefully recorded all these expenses in the ledger so we could bill the viscount for them.

"Delicious! Is it really all right to eat such delicious soup first thing in the morning?"

One of the laborers immediately took a sip of the soup he had been served and shouted.

"Eat your fill and work hard today too!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Hey, you all! If you have time, go catch some game. I'll use it to make soup for you."

"So that means we can eat hot, delicious soup every day?"

One of the laborers called back.

"That's right."

"Wow!" "Now that we know that, it gives us a whole different level of motivation."

As the laborers lined up for food, the viscountess ladled soup into their bowls. Her golden hair was tied back with a large blue ribbon.

She wiped the sweat from her brow, her smile sparkling in the morning sun. As I stared at her, the viscountess seemed to notice my gaze.

"What is it? Does my unmade-up face look strange?"

"No. You look so beautiful and alluring right now that I nearly fell in love."

"Ha-ha-ha! Have you finally realized how attractive I am?"

"Stare..."

Anemone and Primula were among them, along with the beastfolk.

"Wait, wait—it's all right. I only said I almost fell in love. I didn't say that I actually did."

"I am available whenever you like, you know?"

"No. Adultery is wrong, so let's not. I have a wife and a family."

"You still have a month, you know."

The viscountess was smirking for some reason, but that was frankly out of the question.

Her husband was away, but she was taking things far too far.

"That's impossible."

"And Kenichi-dono! You will supply me with some of that medicine that makes hair so beautiful, won't you?"

"That is my secret elixir, and it is not for sale..."

"A little won't hurt, surely it won't~"

Of course a woman would want a medicine that made her beautiful once she found out it existed.

If I sold cosmetics and the like from Shangri-La to royalty and nobles, there would be an uproar.

It would make a great deal of money, but it would also create an enormous number of entanglements.

They might even take Anemone or Primula hostage to force me to reveal the elixir's recipe or where I obtained it... It was possible.

I had to be careful.

Everyone finished eating, and the laborers headed into the forest.

I took Ko○tsu-san out of my Item Box as well and got ready to work. Starting today, we would be working in the forest.

I took out the blue bathtub filled with white kerosene that the women had opened yesterday and mixed the fuel.

Then I used an electric pump to pour it into Ko○tsu-san, waking the steel summoned beast after filling its stomach.

"I have to put some spirit into it."

I climbed into the heavy machine and started the engine.

When I pressed the foot bar, the steel tracks creaked, and I drove the massive machine into the forest.