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The Reincarnated Thirty-Something Woman’s Otherworldly Reform Life

[The Small Footman and the Young Lady]

Translated by: ME

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

What weighed on her mind was, if the key industry was agriculture, then irrigation and the maintenance of major roads for transportation.

And her biggest concern was how prepared they were for disasters.

Disaster preparedness is especially important. It involves human lives.

Looking at past records of Azenda and leafing through newspapers, it seemed that for the past two or three hundred years, there had been no tsunamis or forest fires. Since the forests hadn't been excessively logged, there were no massive landslides, and the short rivers were paired with lakes or the sea, so major flood damage seemed unlikely.

According to Servas, stockpiles were reasonably sufficient.

(...So the biggest disaster is man-made...)

As a buffer state, having a history of becoming a vassal state to various countries at times, the people of Azenda seemed to have a national character that was relatively tenacious and flexible enough to accept the situation at hand.

In the long, long war, they must have been placed in various predicaments.

Although they had ultimately become part of the Ascald Kingdom, it seemed they did not resent their life as the Azenda Margrave territory, where they were not forced into anything.

This was based on what the servants said, so how much credibility one gave it depended on personal interpretation...

Perhaps because she had been thinking about unfamiliar things for so long, the back of her brow felt heavy as if stuffed with lead.

To rest her tired eyes, Magnolia decided to drink some tea.

「You should take a bweak too, Lily.」

While she was leisurely drinking tea and gazing out the window, a wilted Dean entered the room.

...It seemed he had been thoroughly grilled by Plum again.

Expectations were likely high because he was her grandson. Listening to their conversations, the progress was fast relative to his proficiency, and it was a bit difficult. Since it was all whip and no candy—whip and whip, in fact—it looked tough for a toddler.

「Dean, let's have tea if you like. There are shweetsh too, you know?」

Magnolia beckoned him and urged him to sit in the seat opposite her.

Although he acted reserved, the way he fidgeted restlessly at the mention of sweets was indescribably cute.

After drinking tea and eating two sweets, he sighed.

「...I'm not suited for studying, am I..」

Although he struggled with unfamiliar polite language, judging from the way he spoke, she didn't get the impression that his intelligence was lacking.

As for actual work—he apparently helped with menial tasks as a footman—that seemed to be no problem. On the contrary, he was praised for his efficiency.

Since he was also amiable, she thought he was greatly cherished by the servants.

He could count numbers to a certain extent. His writing was clumsy, but he could write reasonably well.

He had just started studying. Compared to Brian, who had been studying for two years, Dean would surely be more capable by the same time. No doubt about it.

(He'll probably be able to do simple calculations in a little while, and reading and writing seem fine too...)

It just looked like he couldn't put his heart into it because he was being scolded and didn't want to do it.

To put it plainly, he was doing it reluctantly.

「Let's shee, I'll lend you a character chart. Decide on a range that isn't impossible, like five a day, and pwactice. Bashics are important. Alsho, this is impowtant but...」

Magnolia peered into Dean's eyes, which were the color of blue mixed with ink, and continued.

「Dean, ish there shomething you want to do more than being a footman?」

Dean opened his large eyes wide and stiffened his body.

She waited silently for his answer until he spoke from his own mouth.

After hesitating for a bit, he opened his heavy mouth.

「...Yeah. Actually, I want to be a knight!」

Thought so.

Magnolia and Lily looked at each other.

Humans don't learn well when forced to do things they hate. For a small child, it definitely affects their mood and motivation.

...Of course, people can't only do what they like, and even knights need to read and write.

She wanted to let him choose the profession he liked, but the Palmore family had their own policies and thoughts on that.

From what she heard, his two older brothers were aiming to become knights. It's an age where they admire strong and cool things. If told no, they would want to do it even more.

On the other hand, she understood the Palmore family's thinking.

Even though the war had ended, if war broke out again, the Gilmore Knights would undoubtedly go to the battlefield. Since they bordered numerous countries, the possibility of the Azenda territory becoming a battlefield was high.

When that happened, to preserve the family, they would want to keep a child in a job other than knighthood.

As a trend of society here, adults' thoughts prevailed over children's wills.

In a sense, parental decisions could be said to be absolute.

Furthermore, a young lady close in age had arrived. She understood the feeling of wanting him to be an attendant, and there was likely genuine consideration to have him serve as a playmate so the young lady close in age (physically) wouldn't be bored.

Magnolia spoke slowly, keeping her gaze fixed on him without looking away.

「Dean, if you weally want to become a knight, you should become a knight.」

「But everyone says no...!」

Seeing his eyes glistening with faint tears, she nodded, "Yeah."

「...That's wight. That's why, for now, you do shtudies and help out. Do it pwoperly sho you don't get shcolded. Shtudying is impowtant for knights too.」

「......」

「If you weally want to do it, do what you have to do pwoperly. Then, do pwactice and shtudy to become a knight too.」

It would be a bit tough, but it was practice for a toddler. It wouldn't be that difficult... she thought. Probably.

「Beshides, there are people who want to become footmen. It's better for shomeone who weally wants to be one to do it, rather than Dean doing it weluctantly.」

Dean gasped and started speaking hurriedly as if panicked. His slipping into dropping honorifics in his panic was charming.

「It's not that I hate being Magnolia's footman...! It's just!」

「Yeah. I know. But not doing it pwoperly is wrong. Work and likes/dislikes are separate. To do what you want to do, you need effowt. Can you do your besht?」

「...Yeah!」

An energetic reply.

Magnolia smiled wryly inside at his completely changed demeanor.

「Then, do your besht with numbers and letters, a little bit evewy day. When you can do that fluentwy, then calculation, words, and shentences. Undershtood?」

Dean nodded vigorously.

The three of them returned to the room, and she looked back at Countess Daphne's character chart for the first time in a while to give it to Dean.

(It hasn't been that long... but somehow it feels nostalgic.)

She thought of the strict but casually kind Countess with water-blue eyes.

Seeing Magnolia staring at what was in her hands, Dean spoke as if troubled.

「...Isn't that something precious to you, Lady Magnolia? Is it okay to borrow it?」

She smiled brightly at his anxious face and nodded.

「Yup. It's vewy pwecious. That's why I'm lending it to my "fwiend" Dean. Use it carefully, and weturn it when you've memorized it pwoperly, okay?」

「Yeah. Got it!」

For a moment, Dean opened his eyes wide as if taken aback, but soon his expression became filled with determination and motivation, and both Lily and Magnolia relaxed their cheeks.

...Since he's motivated, we must get him on track before he cools down.

Strike while the iron is hot.

She negotiated with Servas and Claude at dinner.

「Jusht in cashe, I want to pwactice martial arts. Pleashe teach Dean, who is planning to become a footman, together with me!」

The two looked at Magnolia with complicated faces.

For some reason, the little girl in front of them appeared to be incredibly enthusiastic.

(This is a bad sign...)

Claude tensed his brow and lips, on guard.

For Magnolia, she absolutely had to get an OK for Dean here! That was all she was fired up about, but...

...Having seen her strike at the Giant Ant earlier, it didn't seem to Magnolia that she had much aptitude for martial arts.

However, the moment they uttered a word of denial, they could only envision her charging into the knight order.

She would deny it herself, but unfortunately, her actions up to now told the story.

Before things got dangerous, it would be better to teach her moderately and train her moderately to divert her attention—Servas and Claude held this unspoken conversation through their gazes.

「...Ah, Magnolia was being taught by Slasher Lila, wasn't she... Well, I suppose. We don't know what might happen, so it might be good to remember a little.」

「I don't think it will happen, but since it's Magnolia... it would be better if Dean could also respond when entangled with ruffians.」

Saying this as if skimming the surface, the two looked at each other and nodded.

(All right! With this, we should be able to learn the basics for now.)

...But, somehow, they're dissing me again, aren't they? Magnolia thought, feeling somewhat unconvinced.

Although she pouted, when she glanced at Dean secretly helping with the serving, his cheeks were flushed and his hands were clenched.

It was good that he looked happy, above all.

However. She hated being taught by two monster-like people, and since they seemed busy, she felt hesitant.

(If possible, it would be nice if a rookie knight or someone could teach us...)

「From tomorrow, you should participate in the morning training.」

「...Thank you vewy much.」

...Would it start with running or something?

Well now, what will happen?

These thought come over her mind while she's thinking about sleeping early today to prepare for tomorrow.

*****

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