C52
The Arno territory was very busy before spring. The days got longer, the darkness lessened, and the time to get out and be active got longer.
In early spring, on the feast of the Purification of Our Lady, farmers put crosses on their plows and prayed for a bountiful harvest. The wheat sown in October had grown to some extent. Next year will come in a frenzy. Barley will be sown in March, and wheat will be threshed in the summer.
Busy farm work was the happiness of the serfs. It was because they could expect to get a lot of grain when they were busy.
The diligent shepherd had already led the sheep to the plain. The southernmost plain was the warmest in the land, so if he moved a little diligently, he could feed the sheep grass that had sprouted on the plain where the snow had melted.
The shepherd was leading the sheep while humming a couple of songs.
This winter was too harsh, but there weren't many people who couldn't survive the winter and die. When a serf died, there was a system in which the lord took the cattle owned by the serf as inheritance payment.
Usually, the lords used to take the best cattle, such as the strongest cows and the fattest pigs. Fortunately, however, Zachary, the Earl of Arno, was a good lord. Instead of a cow, he would take a suitable pig, goose, chicken, or goat.
In the summer of last year, a tragic incident occurred when a young man died leaving his pregnant wife. Zachary, who went to receive his share of the inheritance from him, pulled a sword from the spot and cut the neck of a hen. He then he came back with just his head. The rest of the body was left for the pregnant woman.
He, who is not eloquent, did not comfort the people of the territory with plausible words, nor did he loudly boast of his achievements.
However, as such anecdotes were collected and collected, all the residents of the territory did not hesitate to praise Zachary as a good lord.
With the arrival of spring, not only the serfs were busy. The castle was to be redecorated for the spring, and soon his lord and his wife would be leaving for the capital.
The attendants in charge of the carriage thoroughly inspected the wheels, the interior and even the family crest in the center of the carriage.
In particular, the interior was important, because no one but the lady would ride in the carriage.
He still couldn't believe that such a lady had been patrolling the territory for a while and showing her face to her servants.
After that, he didn't see the lady for a while. The coachman, Paul, who was checking to see if the seat was soft enough, mentioned as if he had just remembered.
"Oh, I don't see the lady these days."
“Maybe she's sick.
Theo, another young driver, who was checking the seams on the wagon wheels for proper fit, spoke up.
-Ill? I think you are exaggerating.
Paul's expression as he looked at the castle even though he responded that way was not good.
Paul also thought at first that Bianca was just a vicious and scary woman.
She was said to be an evil woman who was jealous of a pretty maid because of her ugly appearance, scolded every time she opened her mouth, her eyes were full of poison, and she treated her lord like a weed.
So when he heard the news that Bianca was scouring the territory, he got nervous thinking that she might find some fault with him and kick up a ruckus.
However, Bianca was completely different from the servants' gossip.
Of course, he knew that Bianca was young. But the gap between knowing and actually seeing was huge.
That didn't mean she was a sweet or shy girl. She was born with a different umbilical cord than her maids. She was someone noble by birth.
However, he seemed far from the rumors that he tortured the servants with meaningless excuses. Her pale green eyes that looked bored, her graceful mannerisms, and her seeming isolation from reality didn't seem to have the motivation to do so.
It was ridiculous to be jealous of a maid especially because of her 'ugly appearance'. Although she did not have blond hair, a voluptuous body and sky blue eyes, the general beauty standard today, her appearance was not comparable to that of the wives who worked at the farm. Of course, her appearance is not everything….
She obediently watched his work from a distance, and then disappeared. She thus she remained in her mind. If she had revealed even a hint of her bad temper, she would have been able to curse her and forget her as easily as she did until now.
Like Theo said, she can be really sick. Pale skin, forearms thin to the point of concern. It certainly wasn't a healthy look. Paul, feeling uncomfortable for no reason, closed his mouth.
Theo, unaware of Paul's feelings, concentrated on his work, mentioning the stories about Bianca that he had picked up from here and there.
“I heard that it's not that she doesn't leave the castle because she's sick, but that she gathered the maids to do something.
"Does the lady know how to embroider?"
—They are not embroidering….
Theo clicked his tongue. They told him that the maids were doing something, but he forgot because he was ignorant of such things.
Just as Theo was trying to recover his blurred memories, another driver, Avery, who had been listening, cut into the conversation.
“I also heard from my wife. But even my wife doesn't know what they do. They gathered some people, but they kept quiet.
“Since the mistress is very demanding, it seems that they have only gathered maids who can handle her personality.
"Then my wife would have been chosen."
"If your wife had been chosen, you'd be in trouble!"
Paul laughed at the thought of Avery's wife. Avery's wife was a shrill cook with a loud voice. Just as she is so stubborn to run the kitchen, even if Bianca, the lord's wife, was in front of her, she would not be friendly and would scratch her personality.
Even if Mrs. Avery can handle Bianca's personality, wouldn't it be a big deal if Bianca couldn't handle Mrs. Avery's personality and got mad?
Though he's glad she's not sick.
Paul breathed a sigh of relief, but he didn't even realize why he was relieved or what was bothering him in the first place.
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