fluvia 79: Fluvia and the Cornewall Family 2

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Chapter 79: Fluvia and the Cornewall Family 2

There aren’t many options for food or lodging in the small towns that only exist to services merchants traveling between Roseat and Hildeich – even if this route is extremely well-traveled thanks to the booming industry in the Dellarose Earldom.

Other than the few residences for those who live in the towns, there’s little more than a few inns that also double as taverns and restaurants.

Actually, the inns tend to double as temporary headquarters for almost every public service that I’m used to from modern Japan.

There may be a small residence that’s being used as a clinic, but you need to tend to more than 5 injured people at once? Clear an inn to use as a hospital.

Bandits or monster raid? The largest private room in one of the inns is now the Militia’s headquarters.

Town meeting? Inn.

I mean, these small towns are basically just pit-stops on the road.

Even shopping options are pretty limited – the one, maybe two stores are purely here for selling sundries that you might have forgotten (or lost) while traveling.

And also souvenirs from Roseat.

Humans are quick to see a way to make profits, after all.

I imagine the towns will switch to selling souvenirs from the Capital once we get closer to the Capital.

Currently, Brother and I are standing obediently to the side of Mother and Father, waiting in a private room in the inn we’re staying at for the night.

Our relatives from the Cornewall Barondom will be meeting up with us, so we’re borrowing the private room as a private dining room to meet them in, instead of trying to crowd into the inn’s dining room and hold a meet-and-greet there.

Also, we’re nobles.

There are a lot of people who are uncomfortable with eating with nobles, even minor nobles, so this inn is used to making these kinds of arrangements.

There was the clatter of horses and carriages outside the inn a short while ago, and the innkeeper had sent an attendant to inform us that the Cornewall Baron had arrived, so our entire household is gathered to greet them in the private room.

(The PR Office and other such officials aren’t members of the household and have already gone down to the inn’s dining hall a while ago, since they didn’t have to wait for the Cornewall Baron. The only official here is Edgar, as the Steward position is considered a position within the household, and the Instructors Fionna and Dale, as well as all the maids and butlers, are also formal members of the household. A few members of the Guards who are assigned for tonight’s guarding duties are here as well, although the rest of their current company have been joined with by Lysander and his group, and they’ve all gone to the dining hall as well.)

All in all, there are 18 people waiting in this room.

… I already thought we had done well in not bringing a large entourage of maids and butlers, only our personal servants plus 3 others, but when I count the full amount of people from the Dellarose House, it’s a little overwhelming.

And just think, most nobles bring 2-3 servants per person…

No wonder it’s easy for a noble house to fully occupy an inn, even one as large as this one.

Adding in the Cornewall Baron and household, the inn’s probably going to be at least 2/3s full for tonight.

After a short while, during which I was counting the amount of people in the room and trying to determine whether we would be considered a nuisance in a modern hotel in Japan, a tap sounded on the door and the courtesy proclamations were made before Baron Cornewall and the Cornewall House were announced and entered the room.

A dandy gentleman who doesn’t look like he’s in his 70s appeared, arm-in-arm with an older, gentle-but-stubborn-looking lady.

Behind him is a man and woman, who don’t look at all like they were in their mid 30s and 40s, respectively, followed by three kids of varying ages.

… Grandfather’s genes are too strong.

Except for Lady Marietta, his second wife after Grandmother died, none of the adults look their age at all.

When I look at these members, I understand why Mother’s appearance remained youthful enough that she can still be considered the Belle of Society even as she nears 40.

Doesn’t Lady Marietta feel intimidated with these kinds of people as her family members? She looks every bit the 50 years she is.

Not to mention … I mean, I understand she is Grandfather’s second wife, and he’s a charismatic ojii-san … but the age difference between Grandfather’s children and Lady Marietta is a little eyebrow lifting.

After all, Grandfather’s oldest child is 45.

Even though he started having kids early, Grandfather wed a new wife who was barely older than his children… No, I get it, 50 and 70 doesn’t feel that odd when you’ve gotten up there in age, but still…

… I probably shouldn’t be thinking rude things like this.

Anyway, Grandfather still looks hale and hearty, with a full beard, moustache, and head of hair, and he barely looks like he’s in his 50s, so it’s not like they look mismatched or anything.

As for the man and woman behind them, the man is the second son, and soon-to-be Baron, Reynard Cornewall and the woman is the second daughter, Captain Brigida of the Royal Milita.

The children behind them are the children of Brigida Cornewall (now that she’s divorced she’s retaken her maiden name), Harris age 15, Jonathon age 13, and Bertia age 9.

By the way, Lord Reynard does have a wife and a few children, but they’re already in the Capital visiting with Mother’s younger sister, Lady Alessa.

Out of the six children, Lord Reynard is the youngest while Captain Brigida is the oldest.

The only reason Grandfather is still the Baron at his age is because all of them, including Lady Cornelia and Lady Alessa, refused to inherit.

Also, his first wife, Lady Juliette, had more girls than boys, so when Sir Lyron left the Lordship to become an adventurer, Grandfather became concerned.

Even though he wanted to hand the title over to one of his daughters and her husband, Grandfather couldn’t quite get any of them to agree.

Even Lord Reynard wanted to pursue other interests at first, but he was gradually drawn into territory management, and these days he’s practically running the Barondom as Grandfather enjoys his pre-retirement.

I can’t say I blame Grandfather for his negligence; it’s rare for someone to reach 70 let alone remain so active, so I understand that he wants to do the things he’s been wanting to do before he can’t do them anymore, but … … jeez.

The entire Cornewall family are free-spirits.

Grandfather approaches Father and Mother and bows as Lady Marietta curtsies.

“Good evening, Earl, Lady. We of the Cornewall Barondom are privileged to be allowed to journey together with you.”

“Good evening, Baron, Lady. It should actually be considered our pleasure to be joined by you.”

Father, Mother, Brother and I return the gestures as Father responds with the necessary courtesies.

As Grandfather and Lady Marietta are guided by one of our maids to their seats at the table, Lord Reynard and Captain Brigida approach and the whole process repeats.

Then it’s Captain Brigida’s three children; even though the kids usually tag along with their parents for the greeting, I suppose it’s to accustom Harris, who is nearing adulthood, to the requirements of society.

… I kind of feel like the receiving line at a wedding, greeting everyone as they walk by, but that’s the custom here.

To magnanimously allow your guests to be seated before you shows both your importance and your generosity – or something like that.

Once we’re all seated, with the maids and butlers waiting on us, Father then raises a glass for a toast to everyone’s good health and safety before saying,

“And now, please, you’re all Estella’s and our family, so please relax. There’s no need for courtesies tonight; be at ease.”

He has a broad grin on his face, already dropping the polite tone and adopting a jovial hint to his words.

Can’t be helped.

With Grandfather Cornewall appearing so often at Roseat, there’s no way for them not to have become familiar with each other.

Rather, from what I heard from the maids and butlers, Father and Grandfather Cornewall seem to be closer than Father is with his own father before the previous Earl Dellarose had died.

Captain Brigida, for one, seems extremely relieved that Father said that, and her posture promptly slouched as she let go of all her training as a Lady and leaned back in her chair.

She’s a military woman, after all, and has been on long campaigns to patrol the northern borders against barbarians and snowbeasts.

Raising her glass of wine, she lifts it towards Mother.

“Estella, you truly are a beauty these days! I’m so happy to see you’re well!”

Mother’s lips twitch a little, but since Captain Brigida didn’t mean anything malicious by it, Mother dismisses it.

Haa… she really is careless with her words, this aunt of ours.

After these past few years, I think I can guess how the sisters were in their youth and why they both affected Mother so much and why Mother doesn’t hold it against them as much as you might expect.

Yes, out of all her sisters, I think Mother is the one most suitable for high-society, surprisingly.

Most noble women would be reading ‘you truly are a beauty these days’ as ‘you weren’t a beauty before.’

Lucky for Captain Brigida that Mother is already aware of her habit of speaking without thinking and can adjust her mindset from noble women banter to her sister’s careless way of speaking.

“Thank you, Sister Brigida. Our fortunes HAVE been rather good these days. I trust you’re doing well as well?”

Captain Brigida laughs, leaning back and crossing her legs, ignoring Lord Reynard’s eye-roll at her improper behavior.

“Yes, now that all that unpleasantness has passed. Although it’s been tough, it helps that Grandfather has offered to take the children in until they’ve become of age.”

… That does sound tough.

Captain Brigida is often away, after all, but she’s still stationed in the Capital.

If Grandfather is taking her kids in, that means they’ll be in the Cornewall Barondom, not the Capital, so even when she returns from campaigns, it will be difficult for them to see each other.

I glance over at her kids, but they don’t show much reaction to the news.

Harris has a kind of blank, expressionless look, and Jonathon and Bertia both look exhausted from traveling.

It’s only natural, I suppose.

They’ve already been traveling for five days just to meet up with us from the Cornewall capital.

Even I was tired today; although it was mostly due to riding a horse the entire way, I’d likely still be tired even if I was just being jostled inside the carriage, and that was just one day.

Just saying, Brother isn’t normal so there’s no point in comparing normal kids to him.

“There hasn’t been any more… complications, correct? That kind of man … …”

Mother seems to feel personally offended that Captain Brigida’s ex-husband had been such a … … poor example of a man.

Although she speaks evasively, it’s pretty obvious she thinks he’s the scum of the earth that would sell his own children if he had to, let alone try to get revenge on his ex-wife.

“I’d like to see him try. To think he’s been having a tryst on his mistresses as well.”

Captain Brigida hmphed, trying to appear amused, but she’s still clearly upset about it.

I understand. It’s hard to move on with that kind of betrayal.

Auntie, I completely sympathize!

“Indeed. At this point, all his supports have been removed from beneath him. If he still thinks he can struggle, I’d like to see him try.”

Oh. Although he looks more like an intellectual, it seems like Lord Reynard has definitely inherited the Cornewall temper as his eyes glint dangerously.

“I think it’s unlikely … correct?”

Mother glanced at Edgar sat at the other end of the table, together with Instructor Fionna and Instructor Dale and all the other non-servant members of both the Cornewall and Dellarose households.

Although she wasn’t sure exactly how, Mother knew he had gotten involved in the situation in order to shut down Captain Brigida’s ex-husband completely.

Heheh.

He wasn’t expecting to be called out to, so Edgar had to hurriedly swallow down whatever he was eating.

It’s rare to see him so flustered these days, so it feels a bit nostalgic.

“Ahem. Er, yes. It’s quite unlikely. Although Sir Trystan has some small accomplishments among the Royal Guard, there’s nothing of much worth that would help him gain the loyalties of others. The penalty was also quite substantial, so I’d imagine it would strain his livelihood to invest in others to find trouble. The only quality of any sort of merit he had was his silver tongue, and even that would find itself hard-pressed to match itself against Captain Brigida’s own accomplishments, without even taking into account her backing.”

“H’oh… so you’re saying that Sir Trystan’s inferiority to Brigida will keep him in check?”

Lord Reynard asked, raising his eyebrows as he addressed Edgar.

Just saying, despite being 15-ish years younger than Uncle Reynard, Edgar’s status isn’t at all inferior to his, so he’s perfectly comfortable with the interrogation.

“For now, I would imagine so. Of course, it would be imprudent to leave everything up to chance.”

Lord Reynard seems to have understood the underlying meaning to what Edgar said, so he backed down and returned to the dinner conversation among the family.

Edgar also returns to his meal, albeit a bit apprehensively, keeping an eye out for further interruptions from our end of the table.

Instructor Fionna and Instructor Dale are trying not to laugh, but it’s difficult.

It’s just THAT rare for Edgar to be caught unawares in an uncomfortable situation these days.

Hm? Me?

… I’m desperately trying to pretend to be a ‘normal’ 8-year-old, okay?

It’s not that easy; it can’t be helped that I just don’t talk that much in public.

Haa… … …

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<a/n: Sorry for the delay; some writer’s block, some minor unexpected incidents, yadda yadda. Y’know, typical stuff.
But I’m definitely glad I sat on it and rewrote this chapter. Brigida came off a bit airheaded and flighty at first and Fluvia was really rambly in the first iteration.
Btw, Brigida was initially part of the Royal Guard, but I changed my mind to turn her from a noble knight into a more warlike one, so she’s with the Milita now, the one that actually goes out and fights stuff.
Lotsa dashing women in this story, I guess.
And yes, Sir Trystan had a lot of trysts. He’s a one-off char; he’s lucky enough to even get a name.>