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The Reincarnated Thirty-Something Woman’s Otherworldly Reform Life

[Departure]

Translated by: ME

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*****

At the Palmore household, the youngest son had suddenly declared he was going to Crews, and his parents and grandmother were right in the middle of trying to persuade him otherwise.

Apparently, sailors in the port town of Crews had developed "sailing sickness," and a fast horse had brought the news to the mansion early this morning.

Unluckily, since Lord Claude and the Young Lady had been to Crews yesterday, a messenger had arrived at the Palmore house just two hours ago asking to isolate anyone who had significant contact with them over the last day for safety reasons.

Yet, in a complete reversal, he was now saying he was going to Crews. His parents and grandmother furrowed their brows, wondering how on earth it had come to this, but Dean desperately recounted the events in the office to them.

「...Well, the Young Lady is right. You should stay here.」

「In the first place, what can you do when you know nothing, Dean? Wouldn't you just get in the way?」

His father and mother spoke with faces mixing confusion and worry. However, their youngest son would not listen.

They thought he had changed considerably in these few days.

Since two of their three sons were aiming to be knights, the adults had always thought it would be good for at least one to have a domestic job.

Compared to his older brothers, the youngest, Dean, was attentive to details, and his personality was gentle and modest. Since he was handsome—even if they said so themselves—they thought he was better suited as a valet than a knight.

However, he was still a boy living in Azenda. Just like his two brothers, he himself wanted to become a knight.

It was the territory ruled by the Devil General. Any boy would aspire to be a knight.

Into this situation—though it might be rude to say the timing was 'good'—the Young Lady arrived from the Royal Capital. In a sense, they had forcibly paved a path for his employment, and it was obvious he was doing it reluctantly because his parents told him to.

However. His attitude and studies, which used to be somewhat half-hearted, had shown eye-opening changes in the last few days.

Plum, who had been listening silently, spoke up gravely.

「You say you'll help, but help with what? How? You can say whatever you like, but that doesn't mean you can actually do it.」

Usually, when spoken to sternly like that, Dean would shut down or cry.

Since he is still small, he can't explain his feelings well, and his heart is soft and easily hurt, so it couldn't be helped.

However, today Dean faced Plum squarely and explained in a calm tone.

「Honestly, I think there is very little I can do. But I intend to properly complete whatever I am told to do. Whether it's chore work, tasks a child can do, anything. If there isn't even that, then at the very least, I want to give Magnolia strength so her heart feels lighter.」

His eyes were unusually serious.

Ah, he has decided on the person he will serve, despite his youth—the adults there thought.

They should probably stop him. But, as vassals?

Calling themselves friends would be presumptuous, but as humans who had started to open their hearts?

Would he be of use to his young master?

Would this be a step toward awareness for Dean himself?

「...It is 'Lady' Magnolia.」

His father corrected him with a sour face. His mother still looked troubled.

She must be worried. Compared to her two sons already attending the academy in the Royal Capital, her youngest son looked very small, which was only natural.

Plum spoke in the strict voice of the Head Maid.

「Well then, if you are going to say that much, go and do your duty properly. As the valet, Dean Palmore.」

「Yes!」

Dean replied in a loud voice and bowed deeply to the three of them.

***

Lily was handed a heavy leather bag by Claude, and she trembled in fear at the large amount of money she had never held before. Apparently, it was war funds.

She has been unnaturally touching the area around her hidden pocket for a while now, pale-faced and shaking.

Magnolia, Claude, and Sebastian also lamented Gai's absence.

If he were here, he would be incredibly useful and would likely do the work happily.

Servas and Claude intended to attach him as a supervisor and guard for the reckless Young Lady during this handover, given Magnolia's overly beautiful appearance and unbelievable ability to take action... but they never imagined he would be needed this quickly.

(This looks like it's going to become a more outrageous situation than relations with neighboring countries... If I don't withdraw him early and stick him to her, I won't be able to rest easy at all.)

Claude squeezed strength into his brow and lips.

Once Father returns, it would be best to make arrangements to return Gai immediately.

As for Sebastian, he never thought the small toddler his masters brought would be such an unconventional Young Lady.

She is too far outside the norm, both as a toddler and as a noble young lady, and remains completely incomprehensible to a person of common sense like Sebastian.

(For someone like this, he would be best. Why won't he come back sooner...?)

He felt his heart wouldn't hold out if he had to keep up with the Young Lady, who intends to cause more trouble.

He removed his monocle and wiped it carefully with a cloth to calm his agitated heart.

Magnolia and Lily were packing their few belongings into the carriage. Just as they were about to finish, Dean's family arrived and bowed to Magnolia.

Seeing their faces, she realized Dean had won them over.

...I don't think there's any danger, but I feel my stomach churning at the responsibility of taking on a young child. That said, he has just started to get motivated. I don't want to dampen or break the spirit of a hardworking toddler.

Magnolia wore a complex expression as she looked at Dean's parents and Plum, then lowered her head.

「I am thorry to cauth you worry. I will definitely return your thon thafely... I know it ith impothible to athk you not to worry, but I will borrow your thon for a few dayth.」

Dean's parents were dumbfounded that a Young Lady two years younger than their son was impossibly mature, and they silently shook their heads.

「...Young Lady. You must not bow your head to servants.」

Plum continued further.

「Dean is your valet, Young Lady. If push comes to shove, you must use this child as a shield. Please do not mind us, and do what you must do. If Dean can be of use, we are happy.」

「Okay. Thank you...」

Magnolia nodded with a troubled smile.

(A shield... Auntie, I can't use such a tiny six-year-old kid for something like that!)

Tohohoho (sigh of distress)...

And likewise, a guard knight with a face on the verge of tears stood before the carriage.

He had ridden a fast horse to the West, and just when he thought he was back, it seemed he had to go to the West again as Magnolia's guard.

「...It'th pitiful that you jutht came back, Big Brother Claude. Wouldn't it be better to thwitch him with another knight?」

When Magnolia considerately suggested this, Claude asked the knight with his usual scowl.

「...Is it impossible?」

「NO, I AM FINE...」

The knight answered with a tearful face. He must have felt the pressure. Claude didn't intend it, but it's a difficult situation.

(That scowl is his default, so you should just boldly say NO...)

And so, seen off by worried faces, the carriage carrying the four of them began to run toward Crews once again.

「Mr. Knight, thith. It'th a thpecial allowanth, tho pleath take it.」

Magnolia handed him a large silver coin from the leather bag she had received from Claude.

The guard knight's eyes popped out in surprise, and he frantically waved both hands with such force it seemed they might make a sound.

「I-I cannot accept such a thing...!!」

「It'th fine. Juth in cathe Grandfather forgetth your allowanth, it would be inexcutchable, tho thith is prepayment.」

「And stomach medicine from me!」

Presented with a large silver coin from the Young Lady and medicine from Lily, the knight had a complicated expression on his face.

***

To Magnolia, who kept looking at the fields from the carriage window as if searching for something, Lily asked curiously.

「Is something on your mind?」

「Yeah... I wath wondering if there were any paprikath.」

On Earth, there was greenhouse cultivation, imports, and developed freezing technology, so it was normal to be able to get almost anything at any time.

Paprika is a relative of the bell pepper, so I think it was a vegetable for the warm season.

In Japan, things with high Vitamin C were often expressed as "equal to X lemons," but surprisingly, there are many foods with more Vitamin C than lemons.

Paprikas are easy-to-find vegetables here too. And on Earth, they were supposed to have a high Vitamin C content.

Even with fruit, people tend to associate Vitamin C with citrus (of course, citrus fruits are still useful foods), but when measuring the edible parts, there were several things with higher content.

This is only as far as I confirmed in Home Economics class data tables on Earth, though...

「Paprikas are summer vegetables... Some bear fruit until late, but I think they are gone by now.」

「...You're right.」

Following Earth's knowledge, let's go with cabbage for now. After that, I think cauliflowers.

I can think about paprikas again when it gets warmer.

I debated buying ingredients in the town of Crews, but I don't know how much it will cost. Thinking it would be cheaper to buy directly from farmers, I purchase potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and chili peppers. I visit several farmers so as not to buy up their own food supply.

I also check the farmers' gardens for persimmons, but I don't see any. Magnolia tilts her head.

(Are there no persimmons in Europe? Are they possibly native to Asia? Wait, then why do they have kiwis? Those are native to Asia too, right?)

True, they fit the garden of a Japanese house better than a European landscape... Magnolia realizes she has no memory of seeing footage of persimmons growing in European scenery, as far as she knows.

I hope they have them in the town of Crews. Persimmons also have a lot of Vitamin C.

(I didn't see them last time, but it would be great if I could get acerola...)

And, as far as Magnolia knows, the king of Vitamin C is acerola. It should have by far the highest content.

(Fruit, and salt. Also containers like preserving jars, alcohol with a high percentage, clean cloth...)

I turn my thoughts over while visualizing the nutritional composition tables I flipped through long ago.

(This is strictly based on Earth standards, so it's possible the nutrition is completely different... In that case, I'm stuck.)

I tried various things to know the differences from Earth.

When I was allowed to cut the 'potato' (jagaimo) with a knife, something like starch stuck to it. I grated it, collected it, dissolved it in water, and boiled it, and it thickened, so I know it has the same properties.

However, I cannot prove if it is nutritionally the same.

(Well, I have no choice but to try.)

Wanting as much certainty as possible, I scour my memories relentlessly.

I dig up methods to measure Vitamin C from my memory, but only things using reagents or kits come to mind. Naturally, there is no way I would know how to make reagents.

I wonder if there is anything I can check with the knowledge of an ordinary person.

(Vitamin C... Ascorbic acid, was it? ...Food additive. Antioxidant... Hmm?)

Vitamin C was labeled as "Vitamin C" or written as "Ascorbic Acid." It was used as an antioxidant because of its antioxidative effects.

I remember reading that when I casually looked it up after seeing it written on a plastic tea bottle.

(Apples in a bento box... Didn't we soak them in salt water or lemon juice to prevent discoloration? Does using lemon juice utilize the antioxidant effect? If I drip vegetable or fruit juice on it to check, will I know if the content is high...? No, even if that's true, salt water also prevents it, so I can't say for sure... It might react to other substances like fructose or citric acid, so I can't generalize?)

「Young Lady, we will soon arrive at the fortress where the knight order's garrison troops are stationed.」

Perhaps out of concern for Magnolia who was deep in thought, the guard knight spoke in a small voice.

I had assumed we were going to a guard station, but if it is a visit as the Lord's deputy, it makes sense it would be the fortress, the unit's headquarters.

「Underthtood.」

I can see many knights lined up in front of the fortress.

Inside the approaching carriage, Magnolia slapped her cheeks with both hands to psyche herself up.

The three others looked at each other in surprise at Magnolia's behavior.

(Alright, Magnolia. No time to wait! Here we go!)

After a short while, the carriage stopped, and the door opened slowly.

What was lowered down by the guard knight was a small girl.

*****

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