Chapter 132
"Sigh..."
The day after I went to the soup kitchen with Fiene, I saw something rare.
Linfia had actually sighed. And she looked troubled, too.
It was extremely unusual for Linfia, who never displayed her emotions in any visible way.
"Is something wrong, Linfia?"
"No, please don't worry about it."
Saying that, Linfia bowed her head.
Even so, it bothered me. If Linfia was troubled, I wanted to help. She'd helped me quite a lot, after all.
"If something's bothering you, tell me. I'll help."
"I... can't. It's a personal matter. It's not serious enough to trouble you, Arnold-sama, so please don't concern yourself with it."
With that, Linfia bowed again, set down the necessary documents, and left the room.
Hmm?
What was this?
"Sebas."
"Yes?"
When I called his name, Sebas appeared without a sound.
Since this was routine, I didn't ask where he'd been hiding and demanded information instead.
"Do you know anything?"
"I cannot approve of prying into a lady's private affairs."
"Is it really that private?"
Could it be a man?
If so, I suppose prying would indeed be tactless. But it was hard to imagine Linfia being troubled over a man. Though that thought was incredibly rude.
"One might call it private, yes."
"If it's something you can tell me, tell me. If not, keep your mouth shut. Which is it?"
"I can tell you, but a simple solution won't solve it."
It was Sebas's warning that this would be troublesome. He was asking whether I intended to stick my nose into it.
I frowned at Sebas's warning. To be honest, I wanted nothing to do with trouble. My entire body was mildly sore from yesterday's hard labor, too.
But leaving Linfia's problem alone was not a wise choice either. If it caused her to fail, we'd suffer for it, and if someone exploited it and Linfia defected, it would be a devastating blow.
"Sigh... Tell me."
"Very well. What I know is that a letter arrived from Linfia's younger sister the other day, that her birthday is approaching, and that Linfia sends most of her earnings to her village. Those are the three things."
"I see... A birthday present."
She wanted to give her sister something, but didn't have enough money to spare. Was that what was troubling her?
Linfia's younger sister was at the border my elder sister Liese guarded, together with the children rescued in the south. Of course, my elder sister Liese was surely doing her best to look after them, but as it was a military facility on the frontier, toys and the like were hard to come by.
Since she couldn't be there with her, it was only natural that she would at least want to send her a present.
But Linfia had to send money back to her village. She couldn't reduce that support, so how was she supposed to come up with the money? That must be what troubled her.
"Knowing Linfia, she wouldn't accept money for a personal matter."
"Indeed. She cannot simply accept a sum and be done with it."
It would be easy to tell her to use my money to buy a present. But Linfia wouldn't accept it, and what would that accomplish?
Linfia's worries wouldn't disappear. She felt guilty that she couldn't be there for her sister. Buying a present with money from me wouldn't make that guilt go away.
"What do you think I should do?"
"I cannot say."
"I see."
Even Sebas, who was practically omnipotent, wasn't omniscient. There were times when he had no answer, apparently.
What should I do in a situation like this?
Giving her money wouldn't work. Neither would buying the present for her.
What a headache.
"It can't be helped. I'll go ask for advice."
"Where?"
"Your former master's place."
"I see. An excellent choice."
Saying that, I stood up.
■■■
"That's why I've come to ask for advice."
Saying that, I had come to the harem.
The woman in front of me had black hair.
She was my mother, Mitsuba, the Sixth Consort.
"Oh my, I'm so happy that you're asking me about a girl!"
"No, this isn't about a girl. It's about a present for my ally's younger sister."
"It's the same thing. You decided to help because you're concerned about that girl, didn't you?"
"It's a thank-you. She always helps me."
"Just a thank-you? How boring."
"I'm perfectly fine with boring."
"What an uninteresting son. But the fact that you're taking the initiative to stick your nose into trouble means you trust her, doesn't it?"
To an extent.
When I answered, Mother's smile deepened.
She looked like she was enjoying herself. Well, Leo and I rarely asked Mother for advice about anything. It was probably fun because this was unusual.
"So what do you think I should do?"
"What do you think is the best way to save starving people?"
That was unusual. Why was Mother asking me something like that?
It was also a question with no single right answer. Everyone had their own way of doing things.
"Are you asking what I would do?"
"That would be fine too, but then what do you think is the best way to save a large number of starving people?"
The question had shifted slightly.
The best way to save a large number of starving people. Even if we gave them a huge amount of food, we'd eventually run out. That wouldn't save them all.
"The best way to save a large number of starving people is to give them jobs and integrate them into society."
"Correct. And that's the answer. No one complains when the reward is payment for work—not the person receiving it or anyone else. Favoring one person creates resentment, and the recipient feels indebted. The best way to prevent that is to put them to work."
"I see. That's a fair point."
"Though things rarely go as planned in this world. Giving people jobs and integrating them into society requires jobs, and if you can't create more jobs, the system breaks down. The people at the bottom suffer most from that collapse. You have to provide for people like that. That's why I think soup kitchens are a good idea. They just aren't enough on their own."
"That's Leo's responsibility. And please stop turning a consultation like this into a profound discussion."
Providing jobs was the responsibility of those at the top.
Soup kitchens alone wouldn't solve the root problem. If I got involved, I should show them a way to solve it properly. That was how it felt, so I frowned and cut the conversation short.
Activities like that were outside my jurisdiction. Besides, I'd come here to solve Linfia's problem this time. I had no intention of tackling such a major issue.
"Did you not appreciate that profound talk from your mother?"
"No. I'm not fond of conversations like that."
"Then I'll make it a lighter topic. Who are you going to marry?"
"I have no plans to marry anyone."
Exasperated, I sighed and took a sip of tea.
Mother murmured without changing her expression in the slightest.
"His Majesty asked me for advice about your marriage the other day."
"Pfft!"
I accidentally spat out my tea.
What had she just said?
Father had asked Mother for advice about my marriage? Did that mean he was planning to use me for a political marriage?
No, I could see that I was easier to use than Leo. Could the "Twin-Black Prince" title be related to that? To improve my reputation as the Dull Prince?
Had he told me to maintain my dignity because negotiations would be easier if my reputation improved?
Who was it? Someone from this country? Or abroad?
Given the timing, it would probably be someone from abroad. Foreign dignitaries would be attending the festival commemorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of his accession. Was he planning to propose a match for me then?
Good grief. That father of mine. He'd been plotting something like that behind my back.
"It was in a dream, though."
"...What?"
"I said he asked me in a dream. I woke up just when things were getting interesting, though. I wonder who His Majesty intended for you to marry?"
"..."
This mother of mine...
Mother was grinning as she watched my reaction.
I was the son of that father and this mother. No wonder I turned out so mean. Leo was the unusual one.
I wiped up the tea I'd spat out and silently stood up.
If I stayed any longer, who knew what sort of teasing I'd have to endure?
"Oh? You're leaving?"
"Yes. I've heard what I needed to hear."
"Won't you stay and have a pleasant chat with your mother?"
"I'm the only one enjoying it, so no."
"Didn't you know? A son remains his mother's plaything no matter how old he gets."
She'd just said something outrageous as casually as possible.
In an ordinary family, that could destroy the parent-child relationship.
As I recoiled, Mother smiled sweetly.
"Come again. Next time, bring someone with you."
"You just declared that I'm your plaything..."
"Then you should grow up enough not to be treated as one."
"I have a feeling that would be impossible no matter how much I grew."
"You're right. A son is always a son. You can never beat your mother. Come back and let me have my fun with you."
Mother waved at me with a smile.
I sighed at that and turned my back. But then she called out to me.
"Al, have you heard anything from Elna?"
"What? What do you mean?"
"If you don't know, never mind. So, not yet."
"That girl is a handful," Mother muttered.
What was she talking about?
I tilted my head in confusion, but Mother said nothing. She didn't seem inclined to explain.
I gave up and left. I'd accomplished what I'd come for.
I would find Linfia some work.
The only question was what kind of work to find for her.