Hopefully, at Your Mercy - Chapter 20

Chapter 11.1

She wanted to know if there really was someone named “Ruyan” in this world.

Or could it just be her imagination?

If someone with that name did actually exist, who were they?

Were they still alive?

If so, where were they, and what were they doing?

She wanted answers to so many questions, but as a lady who couldn’t even read, there was no way she could find out on her own.

That’s why she had to ask Philip. As the chief steward of a high-ranking noble house, he must have the connections and resources to find this information.

Philip wrote down the name “Ruyan” on a piece of paper.

“What’s her last name?”

“I’m not sure.”

Whether she even has one or not…

“And she’s a woman, I presume?”

“Yeah, probably?”

Philip raised an eyebrow at that.

“Is there any other information you can give me? Whether she’s a noble or a commoner, her age, her job, any details that would help narrow it down…?”

Feeling awkward, Delinda nervously crunched on her cookie.

She felt a bit guilty for how little she could offer him. She really didn’t have any useful information beyond fragmented memories.

“I don’t know much else. Just… she seemed to have had a close connection to the imperial family at some point.”

“…The imperial family?”

To be precise, it was the crown prince, but she couldn’t reveal that much.

She figured it would be best to start investigating the imperial family and work her way up carefully. If she said outright that this person had ties to the crown prince, it might lead to some potentially dangerous complications.

The imperial family felt like some untouchable, sacred ground.

Once again, Philip nodded in understanding. Then, after a long pause, he asked the question that had been on his mind.

“But how did you come to know about this person… if I may ask?”

“Sorry, Philip. I’ll explain later. Could you just focus on looking into her for now?”

“Of course, my lady. If it’s something you’re curious about, I’ll do everything I can. Just give me a bit of time.”

“Thank you.”

Philip nodded in his reliable way, putting her at ease.

With Philip turning his attention back to his paperwork, Delinda continued to sit there quietly and munch on her cookie.

Piles of documents were stacked high on the refreshment table. She observed Philip flipping through them at a frantic pace.

‘Judging by all those numbers, that one must be about tax collection in the territory…’

Studying the alphabet had made her familiar enough with the language to catch the gist of what the documents were about.

One document was about the territory’s tax collection. Another detailed how a shipment of honey—a specialty of the Schultz territory—had been stolen by bandits on its way to the port. And a notice that a priest from the territory was being transferred to another temple.

No matter how big or small the issue, everything seemed to end up on his plate.

He probably handled all the minor matters himself and only brought forward the ones that required the duke’s approval.

‘Is he really handling all this by himself?’

And a digital approval system didn’t exist in this world. No wonder he had such dark circles under his eyes.

Delinda carefully suggested, “Philip, would you like a little help?”

Even just organizing the tasks by category would make things a lot more easier and efficient than what he was doing now.

But Philip just shook his head with a warm smile.

“It’s alright, my lady. You should enjoy your days without worry. I’ll take care of all the headaches.”

“…”

Once again, he spoke to her as if she were an eight-year-old, and then he smiled.

‘Philip is the son of the previous chief steward, right? He’s from a family that’s sworn loyalty to the duke’s household for generations.’

Delinda couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

He looked to be just past thirty, still quite young.

This was the time for him to be enjoying his life, perhaps even dating, but instead, he was bogged down with overwhelming responsibilities. He had a handsome face, yet it looked worn out from exhaustion…

Delinda lay sprawled on the sofa, blankly staring up at the ceiling. Traipsing around with Iskan had left her feeling physically and mentally drained.

All sorts of thoughts spun around inside her head.

‘Delinda doesn’t seem as much of an idiot as the rumors say. Philip does treat her a bit like a kid, so maybe she’s just a little behind? But would it be too odd for her to ask Philip to find someone for her? Or maybe she’s only perceived as a fool by the public…’

Oh well, who cares? It’s easier this way, so might as well keep playing the fool.

Delinda anxiously watched Philip work for a good while before she finally left his office about ten minutes later. Just outside the door, there was someone standing against the wall.

“Oh! You startled me!”

It was one of the few remaining servants in the mansion, Viller, who was Philip’s loyal assistant.

With a stern, cold expression, he gestured for Delinda to follow him.

“I will escort you back.”

Delinda thought it wasn’t really necessary, but she nodded and followed him anyway.

Viller Romhel. He was always silent, and his cold expression made him the most difficult person to approach within the mansion.

“It’s nice that you like to spend time in the chief steward’s office when you’re bored, but please don’t linger too long. He has a lot of work to get done.”

And on top of that, he didn’t seem to be all that fond of her, either.

He wasn’t openly hostile like Rose, but neither was he as indulgent and protective as Philip.

It was clear that Viller was bothered by how long she had spent in the chief steward’s office while he was busy.

Well, I probably did seem like a bit of a distraction.

“Okay. I won’t disturb him for too long.”

“Yes, rest well, my lady.”

Delinda gave him a compliant reply, and Viller politely gestured toward her room.