The Reincarnated Thirty-Something Woman’s Otherworldly Reform Life
[Let's Go for a Long Ride - Capital City Arc]
Translated by: ME
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*****
When I arrived for breakfast, a downcast Servas was already sitting at the table.
「There was a summons from the Royal Palace... I don't wanna go! I don't wanna go!!」
It seemed Servas and Claude were supposed to alternate visits to the Royal Palace once every two months, but this time, Servas had been specifically named and called upon before his turn.
A swift messenger had arrived early in the morning, but Servas had supposedly thrown a tantrum (or something?) to delay his departure, claiming he wanted to at least share a meal with his granddaughter.
「Are you shure you don't need to hurrwy, Gwampa?」
「...It's fine. This is the frontier, after all. The Royal Capital is far away」
He was eating, muttering to himself with a gloomy expression. Everyone else, perhaps used to this, completely ignored him and quietly continued preparing breakfast.
After complaining profusely, he still seemed reluctant when it was time to get into the carriage, so Magnolia toddled over and gave her grandfather a tight hug.
「My gwampa who works hard and my gwampa who is counted on is sho cool! Please go quickly, finish your duties, and... come back shooon?」
She tossed a glance at him from under her lashes—a pure, slightly lonely-looking 'Eye Beam' (※Self-proclaimed).
Servas's mood instantly lifted, and he left in high spirits. ...Good grief.
「...You've certainly mastered how to handle him」
Claude, his expression beyond exasperation and somehow resigned, whispered this. Magnolia averted her gaze slightly.
「I have no idea what you mean°?」
The servants who had been seeing him off began returning to their posts. Claude turned his eyes back down to Magnolia, who was far below him.
「Is your body alright?」
「Well... it's a little shtiff, but I can manage my normal life」
For the knights, it was probably just a warm-up, but it seemed to be tough on someone unaccustomed to it. Dean, for example, was not serving breakfast today because he would be focusing on his studies. His body must be hurting. It was understandable.
「It's best to train every two or three days until you get used to it」
「...I thuppose sho. That'sh better for the mushcles, too, isn't it?」
Magnolia nodded deeply.
「If you're feeling up to it, I'm going out. I'll call for you before noon, so tell me then if you can't manage it」
Magnolia rapidly questioned her uncle, who had stated this in a casual, expressionless manner.
「Eh! Uncle Claude, are you going to take me out with you?!」
「Yes. We'll be riding horses, so wear something easy to move in」
「O-kay!」
She gave a good-girl response. Claude turned around, knitting his eyebrows with a suspicious look.
(....Right. He knows I'm almost thirty, after all. My bad).
***
Thinking of her young uncle, whose work would likely overlap with her grandfather's, she decided not to go to the office and instead did some sewing for the first time in a while. It would be better to mass-produce the dress-pouch knockoffs that she would hand over to the Campbell Company, who would surely come to buy them whenever they had time. She had been bustling around for the past few days and hadn't touched a needle at all.
Lily also moved her needle alongside her.
「I feel a little bad. When I get the payment, I'll give shome to you, Lily」
「No, I receive a perfectly adequate salary. Besides, the lord's family isn't here this afternoon, so everyone is taking it easy. Please don't worry about it.」
Despite their appearance, the pouches were simple to make, so she diligently mass-produced both the 'commoner' and 'noble' normal-style versions.
「If there's a fabric shtore, I thuppose I should ask to shtop and buy shome, huh?」
「If that's not possible, I could always go on my day off, perhaps as a little excursion.」
Lily happily offered to do the errand. Magnolia was truly grateful.
「Thank you. Or maybe it would be better to have the Campbell Company bring the fabric I want made to me?」
「That would certainly be easier, wouldn't it. Though your profit would decrease by the difference in price for good fabric that's discounted.」
「Yeah... well, for now, it's jush enough to cover shpending money.」
「Servas-sama seems like he'd give you a lot of spending money, though?」
「Hmm. Even sho, I'm jush a guest here. It's always besht to have a shash to prepare for shudden expenshesh.」
「You're very sensible!」
Lily spoke with a voice that was slightly exasperated and yet impressed.
「Come, shall we finish up now? We need to tie up your hair.」
Her hair was carefully combed and skillfully styled into a half-updo.
「I'm worried my hair will fall out if I tie it up too often...」
...Her shoulder-length hair was fine and delicate. Tying it up too tightly seemed like it might cause breakage or shedding. She directed a skeptical look at her own head in the mirror. Lily gave a wry smile.
「Don't worry. When you get a little older, it will naturally become thicker.」
「I thuppose sho...?」
A small bow made from the same fabric as her yellowish-green dress (or rather, made from the scraps) completed the look.
***
Plum came to call, saying Claude was ready, so Magnolia hurried downstairs. Her uncle was waiting at the foot of the stairs, dressed quite casually in a white shirt, a dark grey vest, a soft black jacket, and black riding trousers.
「I'm shorry to have kept you waiting」
「It's fine. Come, let's go」
No sooner had he spoken than he hoisted her onto his shoulder, just like Servas did, and strode off briskly. He placed Magnolia onto the saddle of the horse prepared by the entrance, then leaped lightly onto the back.
The horse started off briskly, seen off by the servants.
「...Riding sidesaddle, you look like you might fall off. Can you straddle the saddle?」
「I think sho... will my pants shhow? I-ish that okay?」
「...........Here. Put this over yourself」
After a long silence, he lent her his jacket.
「Do girls wear twousers for riding, too?」
「Yes. However, since we mostly ride sidesaddle, a dress style is also common. Women have more freedom, generally.」
(Ooh, that's good to know!)
「If I ride horsesh a lot, would it be okay for me to wear riding clothes jush like a man's, even normally?」
「*Normally*...?」
He repeated the word skeptically.
「No, you are supposed to wear a dress normally. Denied.」
「Ehh~...」
Sensing a disturbing trend (?), he immediately rejected the idea.
「...More importantly, are you scared?」
「No, it feels wonderful!」
Claude's bay horse gently kicked the dirt. After enjoying the flowing wind and scenery for a while, Magnolia turned her face toward her uncle.
「Where are we headed?」
「The domain capital is nearby for now. We'll grab some food there」
(Ooh!! Eating out!!)
Magnolia's excitement soared. The food at the mansion was delicious, but the occasional meal out was always exceptional. She had eaten at inns and eateries several times on the journey from the Royal Capital to the Azenda Margraviate, and the experiences, whether the food was delicious or merely tolerable, had all been interesting in their own way.
「There are many wheat fields just before the domain capital. There are several small lakes, so it's easy to draw water from them, meaning there are many types of fields besides just wheat. Near the town, there are woods and forests, and also open areas that serve as rest stops.」
「Heh! Sho that's how it is」
The trees shedding their dry leaves for autumn mingled with evergreens that kept their vibrant green foliage. Small, colorful flowers bloomed along the smoothed, hardened roadside, and occasionally, nuts like acorns had fallen.
「Ah, Uncle Claude! A squirrwel! A squirrwel!」
A tiny squirrel was running across the not-so-wide road. Claude looked at his excited niece and smiled quietly.
「Since there are many forests, they run around everywhere. Look, there's a squirrel in the tree deep on the left, eating a nut. You'll see rabbits running around everywhere, too.」
「Eeeh! It'sh twue! How cute!!」
「They sometimes come into the garden」
「Really?! Wow, I wanna see one!」
Seeing her acting like a child for once, Claude felt a sense of wonder that she could make such a face. She was a strange existence, neither child nor adult.
***
After riding for a while, houses and shops became more numerous. The road changed from dirt to cobblestones, and the slow clatter of the horse's hooves sounded pleasant.
The streets radiated out from a central square, extending toward the forest from which they had come. Even though it was the domain capital, it was quaint and not a particularly large city.
As if to demonstrate the area's natural bounty, the center of the square had a large tree and a lawn-planted resting area, with benches placed around it.
The church with its triangular roof overlooking the square was perhaps Romanesque in style. Near the center, there were several large buildings and some shops with charming exteriors. The walls were white or brown, and the roofs had a slight pitch. Colorful flowers spilled out from potted arrangements on the timber-framed windowsills.
Stalls and shops with canvas roofs, like a *marché*, peeked out between the buildings. There was not just food, but also spices, accessories, clothes, and flowers. Paintings, jars, and other slightly suspicious items. Used books. Foreign sundries. Magnolia's face naturally broke into a smile at the excitement and clutter, as if a toy box had been dumped out.
A little farther back, the homes of the domain residents and craftsmen's workshops were divided into districts. These areas, too, were overflowing with various flowers in the windows, and European-style iron signs were scattered here and there.
(Wow... it's like a town from a picture book!)
Dismounted from the horse and perched on Claude's shoulder, Magnolia restlessly moved her head left and right. The domain residents looked full of life, and outwardly, there were no visible scars from the war.
The air was filled with the scent of flowers, the various aromas of the food stalls, and the smell of bread being baked somewhere. After thoroughly looking around, she noticed Claude watching her with an uncharacteristically gentle expression.
「Should we go into a restaurant, or walk around a few stalls...」
「Stalls! Let'sh do the shtalls!!」
When she answered so eagerly, he chuckled deep in his throat.
「Understood. What looks good...」
「What kindsh of goodsh are Azenda'sh specialtiessh?」
「Azenda has been influenced by various countries for a long time, so things are mixed. If we're eating from the stalls... there's the grilled meat on skewers, which is also commonly eaten in Ascald. Fried and grilled seafood, like what is eaten in the Marinase Empire. What is commonly eaten in the Monteorona Theocracy is a round, flatbread-like dough wrapped around seasoned meat and vegetables, like a roll sandwich, or bean stew...」
「Oohhh...!!」
The combination of her growing hunger and the indescribable scents made her tremble as she listened, her cheeks flushed. (It shounds sho good! I want to eat all of it, every single thing!!)
Claude seemed to read her thoughts and laughed out loud, which was rare for him.
「Well then, shall we go buy some?」
「I'm getting down! I'll carry the luggage!」
Her intention to buy as much as possible was completely transparent, and this time, he laughed with a booming voice.
***
「Oya, Claude-sama! You've brought quite the beauty with you!」
The skewer stall owner greeted them heartily.
「Ah, she's a relative. She's going to eat a lot, so for now, let's buy one of each kind... a pork, beef, and chicken skewer, with salt, sweet glaze, and marinade glaze, one of each.」
「Aye aye! I'll serve a sweet egg glaze on the house for the cute little miss, too!」
Magnolia confirmed that he had added two extra skewers—one for her and one for Claude—and gave a spirited thank you. (I shall play the part of the cute little girl everyone expects!)
Next, they went to the seafood stall and bought grilled shellfish, something that looked like squid, grilled shrimp, white fish fry, and shrimp fry. Then, they had the 'roll sandwich'—which resembled an Earth-style wrap sandwich—cut in half, and bought two cups of a chili-con-carne-like bean stew. At the grilled seafood stall, they got a free squid fry, and at the sandwich shop, they received a cheese topping for the chili-con-carne knockoff as a bonus.
It seemed the respect for the lord's family was genuine, not an exaggeration or flattery. People cheerfully called out greetings everywhere, and Claude responded to them.
...As former citizens of the Azenda Grand Duchy, they must have had unspoken, pent-up feelings due to the war. The fact that the territory had become so vibrant and the family so beloved must be due to the efforts and dedication of Servas and Claude, as well as the now-deceased great-grandmother and grandmother, the servants, and all the knights. Magnolia felt admiration and pride in her heart.
Magnolia walked carefully, holding two plates—made difficult to drop by covering them with another wooden plate like a lid. Claude, holding the rest of the ingredients in his left arm and juice and cider in his right hand, sat down on a bench in the square.
「...That's a lot!」
He spread a handkerchief on Magnolia's lap after she sat down and handed her the wooden plate full of food.
「Now, eat whatever you like first. Don't eat one whole thing, or you won't be able to try the rest. For the skewers, take one bite, and then try the next. If you still have room, we'll buy more.」
「Okay!」
(How generous!) Magnolia praised Claude in her heart.
「「Let'sh eat! (Time to eat!)」」
*****
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