Chapter 91

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Being a housewife can be summed up in a word as 'housework,' but in practice, the tasks are varied.

It's not just cooking, laundry, and cleaning; there's shopping, mending, inventory management, financial management, furniture maintenance and repairs, childcare if there are children, and caregiving if there are elderly family members. Information gathering through neighborhood interactions is also necessary.

Communication skills are required, and there are techniques for cooking and cleaning. Financial management is impossible without reading, writing, and arithmetic.

There are many skills needed for childcare and caregiving.

Running a household is like running a business, requiring a diverse set of skills.

"So, do you understand now whether being a housewife or a maid is an easy job, or one that doesn't require one's life on the line, with three meals and naps included?"

"I fully understand...!"

"I'm sorry for saying it was an easy job...!"

A week later, in exchange for women's undergarments and other items, Haru and Laurent completed their maid training at the Kikunoi mansion.

I explained the situation to Mr. Rottenmeier and he agreed to take them in, but I don't think his eyes behind the glasses were smiling.

Laurent's guild master duties were being handled by Lala, who had once been a guild master in her long elven life, supporting the deputy guild master, so the adventurer's guild was running smoothly.

"I thought maintaining a household would be easy, but I couldn't even do that properly, and the guild master's job could be easily taken over..."

"I couldn't even use a mop well, and without a monocle, I couldn't tell the quality of ingredients, and I almost broke a vase while polishing it. I couldn't even mend clothes properly, and I was easily outmaneuvered by Mr. Rottenmeier..."

Dark clouds hung over their heads, and the atmosphere was gloomy.

In contrast, Mr. Rottenmeier and the server, Utsunomiya, looked content and seemed to be in a good mood.

"To add to your woes, being a maid is a job, so you can quit or take a break. But housewives can't do either. Do you think it's easy?"

"I should have known there are no easy jobs, but I underestimated it in my heart. I'm truly sorry."

"Even if you're not risking your life, you're responsible for your family's health and well-being. I'm sorry for saying it was easy."

She shook her head. She didn't want an apology; she wanted them to shed their prejudices.

"Haru, you've been treated unfairly as a female adventurer, haven't you?"

"Yeah."

"Laurent, you knew that adventurers risk their lives, yet they are poorly treated, and you've also been treated unfairly, haven't you?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Knowing the pain of being looked down upon and underestimated, why did you underestimate housewives and maids?"

"That's..."

Sunlight from the reception room of Kikunoi warmly illuminated them.

The tea in front of them rippled as they moved.

"It's because we didn't know," Haru said softly.

"It's because we didn't know. I didn't understand the work of housewives and maids."

"Me too. I didn't even know that the methods for removing grease and tea stains from dishes were different."

"Yes, it all stems from 'not knowing.' That's why I want you to learn. Most conflicts in the world arise from lack of knowledge and misunderstanding."

She took a sip of the tea she had been served.

It was adjusted with honey to my liking. Utsunomiya had been trained quite a bit to learn how to make tea to my taste.

A job where you can be scolded for something as trivial as tea is certainly not easy.

Seeing me take a sip, Haru and Laurent seemed to relax and took a sip of their tea, sighing in relief.

I placed a furoshiki-wrapped package in front of Haru.

"What's this?"

"It's the set of women's undergarments you requested."

"Can I open it?"

"Of course."

Haru's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she asked, and Laurent was slightly taken aback. "With me here!?" he exclaimed, but Haru paid no attention.

"It's perfect. This is also life experience! If you know what's needed, you can help female adventurers in trouble, right?"

"Well, yeah."

"Wait a minute. Forcing someone to see something they don't want to see is harassment. Laurent, if you don't want to, say so clearly."

"N-No, it's fine. If I can be of help when someone is in trouble, I can't say I'm embarrassed."

"Understood. Please go ahead."

Inside the purple wrapping, there were three sets of blue bras and boxer-like panties that Haru had said she liked.

By the way, in this world, there are bras.

In my previous life, a bra-like undergarment from the 15th century was found in an Austrian castle.

Actually, there were bra-like garments before that, but they were used to press the entire chest and keep it in place, not suspended from the shoulders.

Before the discovery in Austria, corsets were the norm, and the design of bras was thought to have originated in the early 20th century.

However, the bras found in the castle were even embroidered, suggesting they were worn as visible undergarments.

The undergarments I showed Haru were similar, made by a couturier in the capital.

They were beautifully embroidered and looked expensive.

I studied their structure after being allowed to examine them and then returned them to their original state.

So, I prepared an embroidered undergarment set for her.

"For practical use, the bra has enhanced physical defense, and the panties have measures against 'menstrual disorders,' cold prevention for warmth, and resistance to mental abnormalities."

"Ah... Can I appraise them?"

Haru took out a monocle from her pocket and examined the undergarments closely.

After nodding several times, she passed the monocle to Laurent, who did the same.

He then rubbed his chin and muttered, "Hmm."

"Despite using cheap fabric and thread, the added effects are impressive, as expected..."

"To mass-produce, we need to keep costs down and make a profit."

Incidentally, Elise did the sewing, and I added the effects with my song.

After hearing this, Haru nodded.

"More than sufficient, yeah. If you trust Elise, she must be very skilled."

"Yes, she has the 'Blue Hand' like me."

"Wow...!"

"Amazing!" Haru patted Laurent's shoulder and cheered.

People started making things not just for convenience, but perhaps also to see someone's happy face.

"Have the customers left?"

"Yes."

In the evening, while reading my grandmother's diary in the study, a long shadow fell.

Looking up, I saw Mr. Romanov's green eyes gently looking at me in the setting sun.

After that, Haru shyly clasped her hands and said she wanted to become a customer of Effet Papillon.

After agreeing, she said, "If I bring materials, can you give me a little extra?" and left with Laurent for the city.

"You told Laurent that most conflicts in the world arise from lack of knowledge and misunderstanding."

"Yes."

Not knowing the other person leads to thinking one's values and justice are absolute and imposing them on others.

Conflicts arise when these impositions are not accepted.

However, if you fully understand the other person's situation, you can present conditions that consider their circumstances and avoid imposing your values and justice unilaterally.

When I explained this, Mr. Romanov stroked his chin and said, "I see."

Through this incident, I also realized something.

"I thought I couldn't judge others."

"You can't judge others...?"

While folding the diary I was reading, I looked at Mr. Romanov, who tilted his head.

Learning from the past to inform the present.

I've been reading my grandmother's diary recently to find ways to enrich the domain.

The red of the setting sun outside the window was particularly piercing.

"Until I got involved in the lord's work, I thought my parents were foolish. I didn't know how busy a lord could be. Even now that I know, I still think they are foolish."

They were doing their best in their own way, and that's how Kikunoi has thrived.

But my relationship with them is cold.

People are mirrors of each other.

Just as they distance themselves from me, I distance myself from them. It's a heartless relationship.

And at the end of this heartless relationship, I am trying to take power from my parents.

"Thanks to your efforts, it seems I can dethrone my father in the near future. But if that happens, what will my little chick think of me?"

He is attached to me now. But I am the one who will bring down his important father.

Even if our relationship is strained, the social impact on a father being dethroned by his child is immeasurable.

When he realizes I dethroned his father, will he hate me?

And when that happens, will I be able to not hate him?

When I said I lacked confidence, Mr. Romanov's brows furrowed.

"Mutual estrangement and hatred continue the negative cycle. The concept of karma is well said."

But I don't want to let go of him. Even if we end up hating each other in the future, I want to do what I can for him now.

Even if it means he might kill me in the future.

When I whispered this, Mr. Romanov sighed quietly.

"Do you not think that we, as teachers, would intervene to prevent that from happening to Regulus?"

"I can't imagine teachers killing their students."

"Even if Regulus were to kill you, you wouldn't seek revenge? That's a bit hurtful."

Mr. Romanov shrugged as if consoling a poor student.

I smiled in response.

I don't harbor such hopes.

"I don't wish for revenge from the teachers. If the worst happens and I die, please swallow your anger and resentment and help him. Otherwise, the negative cycle will continue until one bloodline is extinguished. I'll add it to my will, so please be prepared."

The setting sun overlapped with the image of the future Regulus.

Even knowing I couldn't touch him, I couldn't help but reach out.

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