Muyoku no Seijo wa Okane ni Tokimeku

Chapter 78: Leo is going to Eland.

"...-Leonora-sama... it's time to wake up, Leonora-sama...."

(Hmm...? I can hear Kai's voice...)

*Tweet!* *Tweet!*

(And this is... the sound of a bird...?)

As the warm sunlight of the dawning sun gently caressed his cheek, Leo started to slowly wake up.

(Where is this...? There's a bird tweeting nearby, so... maybe this is a forest? Hmm, wild vegetables sell for a high price in the market... and I can earn a lot of money by selling medicinal herbs too... maybe I should go harvest some real quick...?)

Even though he was still a bit drowsy from sleeping too much, Leo couldn't help but think about all the money he would make by selling those plants in the market. However, as the initial wave of drowsiness started to fade away, Leo noticed something really important.

(Huh...? Wait, this isn't a forest! This is a carriage! And a really expensive one at that! Wow, is that gold adorning the walls!? ......No, wait, why the hell am I inside this carriage!?)

"Oh, you're finally awake, Leonora. Good, we're almost at the border."

"!!!!!!!!!"

After hearing that familiar voice, Leo finally remembered why he was riding this carriage right now. He was going to Eland with Kai, Gustav... and a caged bird. The young butler was sitting by his side, while the holy knight and the bird were on the seat across from him.

"That, uh, thank you for, waking me up, Kai...."

"It was nothing, Leonora-sama. I know you've been staying up late every day while studying with your teachers, so I let you sleep. However, you have to promise me to never do this again, okay? Your health is just as important as the knowledge you could gain from studying. Never forget that." – Said Kai, as he stared at Leo with a reprimanding look on his face.

"Un... I will try, to not, stay up late, again...."

Leo knew that Kai was reprimanding him because he was worried, so he decided to just comply with the young butler's demand, after all, he had already learned everything that he could from his teachers.

(I'm sorry, Kai! But you have to understand that I couldn't simply waste that golden opportunity!)

After escaping, Leo would never have the chance to study with the best instructors of the Empire again, so he did his best to cram everything he could inside his head. He learned a bit of everything during his studies, including history, religion, manners and even everyday chores, like how to make his own bed, among many other things. But what really made Leo give his all during his studies, was the fact that everything that he was learning had a practical use. In other words, with the knowledge that he had now, Leo could work anywhere he wanted, including high-class places.

(Those expensive restaurants back in Richard pay their workers really well, so I can earn a lot of money by working there...!)

However, even though Leo's motives for studying were actually quite selfish, to the servants of the Harkenberg household, who watched their young lady doing her best to learn how to do the work of a servant, Leonora had become way more than a saintess... to them, she was now the symbol of humility.

But Leo obviously didn't know any of that.

"Haaah∼, even if that was for the sake of becoming a good shrine maiden, I shouldn't have let your teachers teach you how to do the work of a servant... I mean, you're definitely better than us servants at some things, but making you do those heavy chores, on top of your studies, was a bit too much...."