Trading Between a Different World and Earth – Vol 2 Chapter 20

TN: Please read my translations only on my website nyx-translation.com since I never give my permission to any site to host my translations. And if you like my translations, please support this site on Ko-fi and Patreon to read several chapters ahead!

Enjoy~

TL: ALT

---

---

Chapter 20 – Mariel’s Past Part 2

Mariel sipped her iced coffee slowly and then began to speak.

I’ve heard a bit about Aire’s past, but this is the first time I’ve heard about Mariel’s circumstances.

Wataru tried to remain as calm as possible and not to interrupt.

Since she was confessing something difficult, he wanted to show her the right attitude.

Mariel’s eyes remained fixed on her glass.

“My family was a baronial family, and we called ourselves the House of Hanover. It was a long-established family that had been around since the founding of the country.”

“It must have been a great family. How old is it, by the way?”

“My father was the ninth generation, and it’s been around for about 160 years. But we were just a rural lord, and our title didn’t go up, even though we were old.”

It really is an old family.

If they’ve been around since the founding of the country, they must have done something great a long time ago.

It’s hard to say whether twenty years is a long or short reign.

The Tokugawa Shogunate lasted for fifteen generations, so he thought that nine generations was also a very long reign.

So Mariel really was a sheltered young lady from a noble family.

“So it’s in a remote area, so it’s far away from here?”

“Very far. It’s a long way to the southeast of the capital. If you were to walk there, it would probably take two weeks.”

“That’s quite a distance. It’s not a distance you can casually say you’re going home.”

“That’s true. There’s not a lot of entertainment, so it’s a really rural area.”

Mariel nodded, almost in self-deprecation.

If you think about it in terms of the same capital, it’s about 400km from Tokyo to Osaka.

If you calculate the distance in one day at 40km, it would be a journey that would exceed that in two weeks.

Mariel’s eyes look off into the distance, perhaps remembering her hometown.

What kind of area is this?

“But it’s a good place. It’s not too hot in the summer, and it’s warm in the winter, and the land is fertile. It’s rich in nature, and the river water is very clean, and there’s a lot of it. We get a lot of wheat, and at harvest time, the whole field is covered with a golden pattern. Even my father and mother, who are the lords of the manor, enjoy the harvest festival when it’s time to reap the harvest.

“From what I hear, it sounds like a good place, but why did it fall into decline?”

“It seems that during my grandfather’s generation, a very large monster disaster occurred. I heard it was so big that the kingdom sent a group of knights to help.”

Her voice trailed off.

Even if she doesn’t remember it, it must be a story she doesn’t like to talk about.

“It seems that many, many people died, and there was a great deal of damage to people and property. As a result, we had to spend a lot of money. It seems that the fact that the land was so rich made it attractive to monsters as well.”

“I can’t believe that there was such a harsh past.”

“At that time, the monsters were exterminated, and fortunately, my father’s generation reduced the number of monsters to the point where they rarely appeared, and the area became a peaceful place, but we ended up with a huge debt. My father and mother worked hard, but they couldn’t keep up with the repayments. In the end, we returned the territory to the country, and as a form of debt, I became a slave and was bought by the Master.”

“Thank you for telling me about your difficult past.”

Mariel’s shoulders relaxed as she realized she had told him everything.

The ice in her glass melted with a clinking sound.

Wataru listened to her story and thought about it.

It might have been cruel, but Wataru was able to balance his desire to mass-produce coffee trees with his concern for Mariel’s feelings.

To make Mariel happy, it was imperative that the business be a success.

“I’d like to ask you a few questions. Is that okay?”

“If it’s something I can talk about, I’ll tell you anything.”

“Let’s start by asking about the business. Do you think Mariel would be interested in running a coffee plantation?”

“I think there are farmers who want to earn an income other than from wheat, and I don’t know who the current lord is, but if there’s money to be made in the center, then I’m sure they’d be interested.”

“I see. Then I guess I’ll have to ask them. I guess I’ll have to ask Mariel to help me, too.”

That is one less thing to worry about.

If it seems difficult, then he’ll just have to find someone else to help him.

He could ask Baron Moye.

There might be some land that would be suitable.

“Mariel said that you live in the capital.”

“Most noble children attend the academy in the capital. To make the most of their time there, they work hard at their studies and make connections they can use when they return to their territories. They also look for potential marriage partners.”

“So it’s not just about studying.”

“I’ve tried to make the most of it to run my territory, you know? I worked really hard.”

“I understand. I’m very grateful that I was able to buy such an excellent slave.”

“So it wasn’t a complete waste after all. I had a very good friend named Fina, but I wonder what she’s doing now…”

“I hope there will be a chance to meet her again. Maybe we’ll go to that academy one day.”

It wasn’t the way she had originally hoped to use her skills.

Mariel’s smile was a little sad, but the truth was that she had wanted to support her family as a member of the Lord’s family.

But before she could finish her time at the academy, her household collapsed.

The slave trader Maso also said that she had received an education, but there was no guarantee that she had graduated from the academy.

“Um, I wonder if your parents are okay?”

“I don’t know. They might be relying on their connections as former nobles, but I was unable to track them down.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Oh, no, I don’t blame you. I just meant that if you want to know, I’ll help you.”

“It’s not that I didn’t want to know either. But I was afraid to find out.”

“Afraid?”

She nodded.

Wataru wanted to know no matter what.

She could have tried to tell her master indirectly.

But Mariel showed no such signs.

She gave priority to her work as a servant.

Even now, if Wataru had not pressed her, she would not have told him.

“I was bought by the master and live a better life than when I was a noble. I was afraid to know what my father and mother were going through because I thought they were living a much worse life.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“I couldn’t be that brazen. Slaves are bought to be useful to their masters, and I would have been an unnecessary burden. It would have been better if you didn’t know.”

Ah, so that’s how it is.

Mariel is a very responsible person.

She doesn’t sulk about being a slave; she tries her best to fulfill her duties as a slave.

She is completely straightforward, and even though her status has fallen, her heart is still proud.

Just by looking at Mariel, you can tell that her parents must have raised her well.

Therefore, Wataru had to say something.

He had to say something worthy of a master to a proud slave.

He had to respond to her feelings.

“Do not underestimate me. Listen, Mariel. No matter what your parents’ circumstances are, I’ll help them. At least I’ll make sure that they can live a normal life. You know I’m capable of that, right?”

“Thank you. Are you sure?”

“There is no good or bad. Leave it to me.”

“Master… please take care of my parents.”

“Yes.”

Mariel’s voice trembled as she bowed deeply, her cheeks wet with tears.

Wataru thought, “I want to turn these tears into tears of joy.”

If you like my translations, please support me on Ko-Fi and subscribe my Patreon to read several chapters ahead!

---

---

<< Previous Table of Content Next >>