The Reincarnated Thirty-Something Woman’s Otherworldly Reform Life
[Gai of Margrave Azenda's Domain - Part 2]
Translated by: ME
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Author's note:
If you haven't read the previous part, I'd be happy if you did.
***
「What are you doing there?」
At the sound of the wizened old gardener's voice, the two people who had been facing off (?) inside the room turned around.
In the open doorway stood the old man, supported by his apprentice, a young gardener, rubbing his back.
Behind them was Daisy, holding a tea set with a troubled expression.
「Nah, it's nothing. I was just being mistaken for a kidnapper or the old man's enemy for a bit.」
As the man shrugged and joked, the old man raised one eyebrow and grinned.
「Can't blame her.」
(Ah, his back really hurts...)
Good. Relieved, she let out a big sigh, and the tension drained from her body.
***
「...I'll be going home now, since you have a guesht.」
When Magnolia bid her farewell to the old gardener, he said,
「No, no, I think this Gai here knows various things you'd want to know, young lady. You don't get many chances to talk, so you should.」
「But...」
「'Tis nothing. After the young lady returns to her room, we can go for a meal or something.」
He slowly moved further into the room, laughing *kah kah kah*.
「Daisy, you can rest here. Gai is Lord Servas's right-hand man. It's fine.」
Learning that the man before her was unexpectedly connected to the 'Demon General', Magnolia's interest surged.
(A 'young lady'... so she's the child of young master Gerald and Lady Wiste...ria...? I haven't heard about this...)
Gai made a difficult face and turned back to the old man. He moved closer to the old man, who had somehow shifted next to him, and whispered in a small voice, just for his ears.
「Old man, this 'young lady'...」
「Aye. Gilmore's 'hidden young lady'.」
「Why?」
「Who knows.」
Quietly affirming, the old man nodded slightly.
「Many servants asked the Master. But aside from saying it was for the young lady and the house, he keeps his mouth shut.」
「...I see.」
(Seems I might have gotten an unexpected story to bring back...)
Gai looked at the girl who closely resembled his master's mother and muttered to himself in his heart.
***
After having tea prepared in the small pavilion inside the orangery, the two finally sat down to talk.
「I'm shorry about earlier. The old man wash gone, and you had shuch an intense 'not-ordinary' feel about you, I got a *shmall* bit too shuspicious.」
「No, no. It's better to be that cautious.」
She had looked ready to attack without question if left alone. Gai gave a wry smile and nodded at Magnolia's words.
「The name's Gai. I work under the Azenda Border Count, Lord Servas.」
「I am Magnolia Gilmore. My father is Gerald, my mother is Wisteria.」
「Thank you. So, what did you want to ask me?」
(This guy's speech pattern changed... feels rather hard to pin down...)
The man calling himself Gai smiled cheerfully with his shady face.
Prompted to speak, Magnolia went *Hmm* and groaned softly, pondering how to ask.
She wanted to be as precise as possible, but also mild.
「...Um, firsht, about connections between people from different territorish... to what extent can they be tracked?」
「Huh?」
Stunned by the question coming from a little girl who looked like a child, Gai froze for a while.
...It was quite different from the 'little girl questions' he had expected.
「For example. If someone secretly entered a monastery or orphanage in another territory, could they jusht shtay there? If a noble child went missing, would they shtill be found?」
(——What is this?)
Gai was perplexed.
「Well... I suppose it's completely different for low-ranking and high-ranking nobles. And normally, if a lord's child went missing, it would be a huge uproar. I don't think any monastery or orphanage would take in a small child who came alone without any investigation.」
*As I thought*, Magnolia nodded with a reluctant air.
「In thish world, children are a reshource for parents to exploit, right?」
「No... I don't think it's like that...?」
What could he say?
Gai was flummoxed by the words coming from completely left field.
「Then, what about other countriesh? Do you need passes, permits, identity papersh to go to other countriesh? Illegal entry... can you enter other countriesh by going through forestshesh? Is it difficult to leave territorish or countriesh?」
「…………。」
Gai held his head and shook it, more and more. He was dumbfounded, absolutely dumbfounded.
(What is she planning to do! Please, I'm begging you, don't do anything strange...!)
As for Magnolia, seeing the state of the man before her, she toned down her usual (questioning) intensity, but reflected that the content of the conversation seemed a bit extreme for an adult.
Since he didn't give his surname, he probably didn't want his identity revealed—she thought he might be someone who did covert or underworld work. Perhaps he felt hesitant explaining illegal border crossing to a child.
***
「Ohohoho! I was jusht asking questionsh on behalf of a friend!」
「………………。」
She gave a forced laugh and was met with an intense deadpan stare.
His originally narrow eyes had become like those of a Tibetan fox.
*Hmmmph*. It seems she isn't trusted.
「One lasht thing. Beshides being adopted, can children from orphanaghesh be *bought*?」
「Yes.」
This time, he answered immediately without hesitation.
I see. On the surface, it's unthinkable in 21st-century Earth... but as expected.
Of course, in this world.
Watching Gai's grim expression, Magnolia smiled faintly.
「And, roughly how much would it coff?」
「...It depends on the age and gender. For a young child, perhaps two or three small silver coins.」
「I shee. Thank you for anshwering me.」
***
He found himself unable to look away for a while, watching the small back walking away, waving at the maid who had come to fetch her.
He couldn't even sigh.
...Her tone was far too childish for her body, but she understood the content surprisingly smoothly. Well, she understood the spoken words, but the content was hard to comprehend.
She seemed highly intelligent and understood various things. They said she was three, but it was a conversation hard to believe came from a three-year-old.
That said, it didn't feel like she was teasing an adult or asking out of mischief.
A hidden young lady.
A young girl who looks just like Lady Azelia.
The Gilmore family, keeping their distance from the royal palace, from the royal family.
The unease Lord Servas felt.
Young master Claude's concerns.
「I mean... this isn't like young master Gerald at all, is it? What is he doing?」
They were adults, so leaving them be was the way, and now, with the territory division, it might even count as interference in internal affairs depending on the situation.
He clenched his fist tightly.
(This won't do... If it makes a child have that kind of resolved look in her eyes, I really can't just stand by and watch silently.)
Gai let out a big breath and went to gather the necessary information.
Information gathering was his specialty. He could infiltrate anywhere and get the information he needed.
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