The Unlucky Villainess Small Fief

Chapter 32

"My lady? My lady? Where has she gone to?" A maid of the mansion shouted as she call for her lady. 

After the small talk that they had yesterday, Ortezca asked Melody where the village was located and pleaded to her that she wanted to come and see the village tomorrow early in the morning. Melody helplessly agreed at thus the two went out of the ducal mansion by feet 5 am in the morning.

"The lady is missing??? This is serious! Tell the lord that the lady is missing!"

"....um...the lord had went off by carriage too earlier."

"Whaaaat?? Inform young master Robert then!" The knight told the maid and ran off to tell his commander.

Robert and Feus were in the library, studying when a maid knocked by the door, telling that their sister has gone missing.

"Who cares about that woman? It's good that she has already been missing! Go away and do not disrupt our lessons!" He said and closed the door.

Neither of the servants nor the two boys know that the lady and her maid is fine and the duke was tailing after them along with the commander.

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"My lady!!" A village woman cried out as she saw Ortezca and Melody by the entrance of the village. Lucius also ran towards her in joy.

"Everyone!! You are alright!! Thank goodness!!" Ortezca said, about to cry again.

"Ah! It is Ortezca-neesan!" The kids who saw her ran to her too to give her a hug. Dialton and Glen followed suit.

"Grandpa Glen!! Sir Dialton!! You are ok!! Thank God!"

"Of course we are, you idjit, don't cry too much, i can already see that your eyes are swollen. You must have cried a lot before coming here." Glen said as he rubbed Ortezca's head, making her hair in disarray, and she smiled and laughed a little.

"How is everyone here?"

"All of us managed to make a livelihood, thanks to the lady's assistance. Oh, and the duke had also helped us too." The village man said.

"He did?" Ortezca set a questioning glance at Glen. Glen huffed and motioned her to come with him. The four went inside a house. There, Glen offered Ortezca a milk before setting down on a chair.

"Just before a group of unknown thugs came here, your father's knights came and subdued the enemy. I was shocked too, for your father was there. I immediately went to him and paid my respect." Glen said.

"He punched him to be exact." Dialton chuckled. Ortezca was dumbfounded. Oh how she would love to see that to happen.

"Then, he relocated us here near the kingdom, and the newly appointed king also helped us built this village too. He said that his empress would be mad at him if he did not take care of their fief, seriously, who does he think he is??" Glen huffed once again, gritting his teeth just by remembering the now King Suvvell.

"As of now, chocolate and coffee are being introduced in the kingdom, so, sooner or later, this village's economy will prosper eventually."

"Thank goodness, to hear that." Ortezca smiled.

".......enough about this village. How did you came here? Are you fine now?" Glen asked her. When he met the duke suvvell.  back then and asked the condition of ortezca, the duke looked troubled and did not answer him. He wanted to hit him but now he is the king, he would be accused of lese majeste.

"I walked by foot.and......i am fine."

"....you are not looking at me in the eye. You are lying."

"....I will get better and return here. I promise." Ortezca said. 

"...how about staying here for now?" Glen said but was interrupted by someone who entered the small house a bit unceremoniously.

"That wont be necessary. She has to recuperate in the mansion." Jeremy, said, with the commander in tow.

Glen gave Jeremy an expression 'the fuck is this shitty father talking about....?!wait...why is he here in the first place?!'

"Your grace. What brings you here?" Glen asked without bowing first.

"I came to collect my daughter who had ran off without letting me know."

All of the people inside the house were silent after hearing it.

"....are you an idiot?" Glen spoke up. He scratched his head. To think that Jeremy would come in a place like this.

"Haaa...come with me, we need to talk." Glen said as he passed Jeremy and went out of the house.

Glen is already 69 years old. He may be once a gardener of the mansion, he had seen the young lady grew up in his own eyes during his stay. He was there too during the wedding of the lord and the duchess. He had been a part of the Holminne household enough to be called a grandfather. 

As of now, he is about to scold the 43 year old head of the house.

"I see that you are not doing your job well as a father as ever." Glen said as the two of them trailed a path to the forest.

"....my apologies. I indeed had regretted my past actions." Jeremy glanced down on the ground in remorse, making him look like a kicked puppy. Glen's eyes twitched in irk.

"...dumbass." Glen blurted out, making Jeremy tilt his head in confusion. The word might not be part of the vocabulary of the today's era, as well as the word idjit, but he often heard it from Ortezca, so he had adopted it somehow. 

"Good thing that things had settled down, in the kingdom. You dont have to worry anymore, ok? Just focus on thinking how would you ask forgiveness from your daughter."

"....she doesnt remember anyone in the household." Jeremy mumbled. Glen back tracked his memories- the first time he met the lady and her maid in the hills after 3 months of search was quite terrifying- the lady and melody were living in the wild, with only a one small room you call a house. The lady also seemed to not have remembered him, and after having a talk with Melody, it seemed that after the accident the lady was gravely injured specially in the head and was unconscious for three days. 

Meaning, her not remembering her father might be better for good.