Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 3 Adopted Daughter of an Archduke Volume 2 by Miya Kazuki

Author:Miya Kazuki [KAZUKI, MIYA]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: J-Novel Club
Published: 2020-10-19T00:00:00+00:00

Hasse’s Contract

Kantna, the scholar-official in charge of Hasse, entered the room. He was an older guy of average height and build, but the phrase “small fry” came to mind the moment I saw him. You could tell just by looking at him that he was a spineless nobody who survived by ingratiating himself with his superiors.

His eyes flitted between Ferdinand and me as he tried to determine whether we had good or bad news for him. Even that made him seem like a sneaky small fry. He was definitely the type to boast to those beneath him while brown-nosing those above him far more than was even necessary.

Once we had exchanged noble greetings, Kantna sat down in the chair that Ferdinand had offered him. His eyes were wandering even more uneasily than before.

“Lord Ferdinand, may I ask why you have called me here today?”

“You cannot tell even with the both of us here?” Ferdinand asked, lowering his voice a little.

Kantna began desperately searching his memories, making a face as though he genuinely didn’t know. Perhaps he had forgotten what his job was or had been relocated, or maybe, somehow, he was just flat-out unaware that we were involved with Hasse.

“I beg your pardon, but nothing comes to mind.”

“...I am talking about Hasse,” Ferdinand replied.

Kantna’s eyes flickered for a moment, but his smile remained unfaltering. “Hasse, sir? What has happened in Hasse?”

“The archduke instructed that an orphanage and a printing workshop be constructed in Hasse. Rozemyne and I have been making progress on this task. I recently sent a few merchants I favor and one of Rozemyne’s attendants to survey the town, and according to them, you were quite uncooperative.”

“Why, that is quite shocking for me to hear...” Kantna continued to smile but his eyes lost focus a little, as though he was running a bunch of calculations through his head. It was clear as day that he was desperately trying to think of a way to save his skin.

“I heard that you were so uncooperative, in fact, that they found themselves considering the possibility that you actively intended to sabotage the plan.”

“There must be some mistake. Perhaps the merchants are plotting something themselves? They are easily corrupted by money, after all.”

Do you know what the word “hypocrite” means? I almost asked, but quickly swallowed the words. I was here to learn how nobles dealt with each other; now wasn’t a good time for me to interject.

“So you are suggesting that they lied to me?”

“Rather, I imagine that we misunderstood each other at some point, perhaps. After all, merchants live solely for profit. They are surely not adjusted to the way we nobles think,” Kantna said with a plastered-on smile. He kept mentioning the merchants over and over, entirely as though he had forgotten that Gil had been there as well.

Ferdinand always told me I was terrible at reading the room, and he was right. I tossed aside my restraint and just started speaking. “Are you saying that my attendant is

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