Interlude: The Jilgista Kingdom 1 (Aisha's POV)
To think Oneesama would go to
a foreign country was completely unexpected. Moreover, the one who delivered Oneesama's
letter was Ashren-sama, the son of a Marquis in the Kanista Kingdom.
He was much better-looking than Carter-sama,
with features so well-ordered I was fascinated.
It irks me to think Oneesama
will be working under him, but I cannot imagine my unamiable, plain-looking,
and inconsiderate Oneesama doing well there. She will surely come crying
back before long. By that time, I might be married to Carter-sama,
though.
An assistant to replace Oneesama
arrived immediately. Anyone can replace her, so it is only natural, but still.
I thought this meant there would be no hindrance to work at all, yet Carter-sama
has been in a foul mood lately.
Even just now, after I went out of
my way to brew him black tea, he took only one sip, didn't say "It is
delicious" or "Thank you," and just looked through documents
with a difficult face.
「I never
thought she would hand her resignation letter to His Highness the Second
Prince. If it had come to me, I could have covered it up and brought Layla
back immediately.」
He grumbled complaints of the same
content I don't know how many times now. Who cares about Oneesama. It
would be nice if you looked at me more instead. You haven't even noticed my new
hair ornament at all.
「Carter-sama, I have compiled these materials as instructed.」
The new assistant brought documents
several centimeters thick.
「Just to compile
this much, how much time did it take you?」
「However...
I hurried as much as I could even with this.」
「Do not
make excuses. More importantly, the creation of the test medicine is delayed;
you have finished the preparations, I assume?」
「I was preparing
the documents until just now, so I will do it right away.」
The assistant was a man around
thirty years old. He slicked his gray hair back and had a difficult-looking
face. I feel like the wrinkles between his eyebrows are deepening day by day; I
wonder if he is alright. Right, let's brew him some black tea too. He just
needs to take a short break. As I thought, I really am considerate.
Just as I was about to start
preparing the tea, I was stopped by Carter-sama.
「Aisha, what happened to the documents I asked for yesterday?」
「Documents?」
I wonder what he means? I am handed
many documents every day, but there are too many, so I don't know which is
which. I just placed them on my desk for the time being, and they became like a
lump of a mountain.
「Please
wait a moment.」
Where did I put them? When I pulled
out a document from the middle, the documents I had placed on top were dragged
along, collapsing with a thud and avalanching onto the floor.
「Hey, there
are classified documents in there. Handle them more carefully!!」
An irritated, angry yell was
showered upon me. To yell at me! It's Carter-sama's fault for handing me
documents one after another.
「How cruel,
there is no need to raise your voice like that, is there.」
「N-No. I
didn't mean it like that. But Aisha, I'm sorry, but could you organize
them a little more?」
When I said that with an upward
glance, tears slightly forming in my eyes, Carter-sama hurriedly
crouched down and began picking up the documents.
「Your desk
used to be cleaner before, wasn't it? Just make it like it was back then.」
That was just me placing all the
handed documents on Oneesama's desk. Oneesama's desk is still
there now, but documents are already piled high, and there is no more room to
put them, so I am placing them on my desk.
Reluctantly, I also picked up the
fallen documents and found one with many small numbers written on it.
「Could this
be the document you are looking for?」
「Ah, yes,
this is it!!」
See, it was right there. And yet, Carter-sama
looked at the document I went through the trouble of finding with wrinkled
eyebrows.
「Hey! It's
not even half done! Moreover, more than half the numbers written are wrong.」
「Is that
so? But just looking at that many numbers makes my head hurt.」
Because, there's no need for a young
lady to do calculations, right? My mother said so too. She said men do all the
difficult things for us.
And yet, Carter-sama let out
a deep sigh. Before, he would have gently smiled and patted my head, saying,
"It can't be helped." The gaze directed at me was tinged with a
slight color of contempt.
「Aisha, I won't tell you to be like Layla, but won't you
work a little more?」
「!? Are you
saying that Oneesama is superior to me, Carter-sama?」
「No... I am
not saying that. However...」
「You can
just have the assistant do such things, can't you.」
He's the assistant meant to take Oneesama's
place, right? All of Oneesama's work is what he should be doing.
I am busy, you know. I have to take
care of my skin and hair, and I have to have trendy dresses made too.
「Ah, I
suppose. ...Understood. But, at least clean up the top of that desk. Also,
someone from the Pharmaceutical Department will come to ask about the
medicinal herbs' drying time soon, so please tell them.」
Saying that, Carter-sama
dropped his shoulders dejectedly and headed to the adjacent testing room. I
furrowed my eyebrows at how tired and shabby his back looked. Since he is my
fiancé, I'd like him to behave more appropriately.
There was a knock on the door, and
when I opened it, a person from the Pharmaceutical Department stood
there.
「I have
come to ask for the medicinal herbs' drying time. Is Carter-sama
present?」
「If that is
the case, I am in charge of telling you. Please wait a moment.」
I wonder what this drying time for
medicinal herbs is? They come to ask almost every day, but I don't really
understand it. For now, I found a random memo in Oneesama's desk today
as well, and copied the numbers written on it.
Even so, they are just drying them,
so I wonder why they go out of their way to come ask. Ah, I know. He surely
came to see me. Fufu, in that case, it can't be helped.
Despite handing the memo over with
my absolute best smile, the staff member tilted his head after receiving it.
「Um, is
this really correct?」
「Are you
saying I am wrong?」
「No, no,
that is not what I mean. Lately, even when we dry the medicinal herbs according
to the time we receive, the finish hasn't been good. This didn't happen when we
were doing it exactly as Layla-san told us, though.」
「Isn't that
because your method is wrong? It is not my fault.」
Once again, I am made to hear Oneesama's
name. Is this man also comparing me and Oneesama? And speaking as if Oneesama
is superior, at that.
「I
apologize. Then I will follow this memo exactly.」
I glared at his back as he left in a
panic. What an incredibly rude man.
This time, Carter-sama's
angry yells could be heard from the testing room. It seems that assistant is
being scolded again.
But that has nothing to do with me.
Because it's already five o'clock; it's time to go home.
But if I don't clean up the
documents on the desk, Carter-sama will likely get irritated again.
「Come to
think of it, I have never seen Carter-sama read these documents.」
Which means, these must surely not
be that important.
「Then let's
just throw them away!」
I took out a garbage bag and tossed
the documents on the desk into it. The desk was immediately clean. And as a
bonus, the garbage bag was full. Alright, this is perfect.
All that's left is to leave a memo for the assistant to throw away the garbage. With this, my work for today is finished.
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