Chương 62: Chapter 61: The Neglected Count.

Only the Golden Five had elaborate, fancy manors carved out of the city itself. For the rest of the nobility, it was largely up to them to find their own accommodations. Most Noble families had at least enough wealth to live a more comfortable life than the average commoner in Aelheim. Count Gideon Calloway was no exception to this. It was a large three-story house, at the very center of the Veyne District, surrounded by similar Nobility all around him, though the other houses were either smaller or less grand.

I didn't arrive by carriage; I chose to travel via Sky Circle instead. Only Sere and Anias accompanied me. I did not want to be seen in the streets with Violet yet, and for the man I wanted to see today, bringing Damian along would be a bad idea. Sere had… simply insisted. The mere act of using a carriage was a delineation between the Dukes and everyone else. A Ducal House in Aelheim could afford to use a carriage every day. Any other Noble had to pick and choose.

My coming here in this state was a proverbial lowering of my head. Even the clothing I wore -a simple white dress- had no special ornamentation or embroidery. It was something Anias had bought from a store any commoner could frequent. There were three guards posted outside the Count's home. We had given word of our arrival in advance, and as such, the guards waved us through.

There might be a handful more guards, but by and large, most of the Nobles in this neighborhood would pool their resources together to hire a larger contingent of security. Count Gideon Calloway himself opened his door for us before we even made our way to it. He, himself, was dressed in the clothing most favored by commoners. Count Gideon wore a simple waistcoat made of drab wool, fastened with plain wooden buttons. I noticed a faint smattering of dark ink stains near the cuff of his left sleeve.

His trousers were simple black, held up by a worn leather belt. He had looked far more uncomfortable in the clothes I had seen him in last. His gaze flicked over me, at the clothing I wore. Then, his eyes settled on me.

"You honor me with your visit, Lady Veyne. As I said, I would have been more than happy to come greet you in your Manor instead." I gave the man a small curtsy.

"I am glad to meet you as well, Count Calloway. I had business in this part of the city, and so I thought it appropriate to come visit you myself. Shall we head inside?" The man paused a little, nodded, and stepped aside.

"I fear my own abode might not be suited to the task, My Lady." I stepped inside, Sere and Anias in tow. There were no statues, no chandeliers, and no plush carpets to muffle our footsteps. The floor was made of simple, polished oak, visibly scuffed in places. There weren't any elaborate tapestries. In their place were large wooden cabinets, many of them almost overflowing with papers. My understanding was that most of the Nobility at least liked to pretend they were what they had once been.

It seemed Count Gideon didn't bother.

"I must apologize for the state of things," Count Calloway said as he led us inside.

"I rarely receive guests of your... station.

"There is no need to apologize," I said.

"It looks like the home of a man who actually does the work he is assigned. I find it rather refreshing." Count Calloway was silent at that, though he did visibly freeze in place for a moment. He led us down a short hallway and up a narrow, slightly creaking wooden staircase to the second floor. He stopped at a heavy oak door at the end of the hall and pushed it open, gesturing for us to enter. The room he led us into resembled a makeshift audience chamber, though even this was simple.

It consisted of a simple, dark leather sofa and two matching armchairs arranged around a large, low wooden table. A single maid was currently busy dusting the table. She stood at attention and froze when she saw us, quickly stepping to one corner after giving me a curtsy.

"Please, have a seat," Count Calloway offered, gesturing towards one of the two seats.

"Can I have my housekeeper fetch you some tea? I am afraid I only have standard black, but it is freshly brewed."

"No, that's quite all right," I said, choosing to sit on the sofa inside. Sere sat right alongside me with a small hop. She pulled out her notebook and began scribbling. I understood the word before she'd even finished. SWEETS? I tried not to smile.

"Actually, if you have something sweet, I would be happy with that." Anias took a position near the door, presumably to let her see the entire room easily. The Count looked at me for a moment.

"I am afraid we might not have anything to your taste."

"It is not for me." I gestured to my side.

"It is for my friend. And you will find that my taste is not as refined as you think." The Count slowly nodded before he sat down on one of the chairs.

"Fetch them something, Lillie. One of the cakes should do." The maid hastily bowed and left, leaving us alone.

"Now, My Lady," Count Calloway said reluctantly, "I am afraid I do not know why you chose to visit. Was there anything wrong with the reports I have submitted this month?" Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

"Not at all," I said.

"Though I suppose I am here because of them, in a manner of speaking. I wish to commend you. I mentioned that I was grateful to you only two days ago. Have you forgotten so quickly?"

"No, My Lady," He said.

"It simply surprised me."

"I have read your numerous requests for more funding. You wish to expand the scope of our public spending, but you lack the resources to do so. I am here to give you the funding you requested."

"What?" The man stared at me, his eyes narrowing in an instant.

"Your father has ignored me for many years. What is the catch, Lady Veyne? If there is some illicit favor you wish for in exchange, then I am afraid I am going to have to decline." The door opened just then. The maid stepped inside and moved over towards us. She set down a single plate in front of me. It looked like a slice of dry, chocolate cake. I smiled at Sere and moved the plate closer to her. She reached out almost immediately and…she used her hands. Oh well.

"My father is a military man," I said.

"If he rejected you, do know that it was not out of any malice. It was simply that he didn't understand the value you brought to our District. I understand, so I wish to provide you with the resources you need. It's no more complicated than that." I felt a nudge on my shoulder. I turned to see Sere holding out a mouthful-sized piece in my direction. With her other hand, she held out the notepad. YUMMY I hadn't planned on eating, but it was probably fine. It didn't make much sense to reach for a fork here.

So, I let her feed me. It was drier and sweeter than I might have liked, but I enjoyed it well enough.

"Thanks." Sere beamed and went back to her own eating. I turned to look at the Count, who was staring at me with obvious confusion. I tilted my head.

"What?"

"You are…quite different from what I had expected." The Count finally said.

"In a good way, I hope?"

"That…remains to be seen." Ouch. I'd thought he would be more subtle than that.

"There is, however, one thing I do want," I said at last. Count Calloway's eyes narrowed. He leaned forward.

"And what might that be?"

"I have children at our estate. Orphans. They were taken by the Blue Vipers. I want you to build a new sanctuary for them. A heavily guarded, Veyne-sponsored shelter. The standard orphanages are exactly where the Vipers found their prey to begin with. I will not throw them back to the wolves. Of course, I would appreciate it if they were taught practical life skills here. I will leave those to your discretion." Count Calloway just stared at me.

"You want to fund an entirely new, fortified facility? Just for street orphans?" I wanted to fund several, but it's best to start with one.

"Yes?" What about this was so hard to understand? He frowned, stared down at his hands.

"Of course, there is one other thing I would ask for." He looked up at me again, eyes narrowed as he leaned forward.

"And that is?"

"You require the funding to open food banks, pave roads, replace faulty Magical Implements, renovate churches, and open orphanages," I said.

"I would like to be present at some of these events." Count Calloway really did wear all of his emotions on his sleeve. He was looking at me as if I were some strange cat that had wandered into his house, and he hadn't quite decided if I had rabies or not yet.

"You wish to be there? To these…lowly happenings?"

"I do."

"My Lady," he said slowly, "your presence at a soup kitchen or a road paving would draw every reporter in the city. It would become an absolute spectacle." I smiled.

"I imagine that it would." Count Calloway stared at me for a long moment, the realization dawning in his eyes. And then, he laughed. Count Calloway laughed. It was such a surprising sound to hear from the man that it almost made me jump.

"My Lady, do not worry. That is truly a very small price to pay for what you are offering me." That was good. It would have been rather annoying if he were the type who only cared about good deeds if the intentions behind them were just as pure. There was silence for a time, punctuated only by the sound of Sere taking a bite, letting out a delighted sound, only to eat again. I didn't know she liked chocolate this much. I would remember that for the future.

"I do have a question." Count Calloway said.

"If you'll permit me to ask it." It was hard not to sigh.

"If you do have any questions, ask them whenever you wish." He seemed to chew on something.

"Why? You said you valued this aspect of administration when your father did not. When your father's father did not. I'm told you grew up lavishly, even by the standards of a Ducal House. Why do you care?" Hadn't someone else asked me a question like this some time ago? I reached out a hand to lightly brush over Sere's shoulder. She froze for a moment before she leaned into the gesture.

"This is my friend. Her name is Sere, and she is very dear to me." I took a deep breath and met the Count's eyes.

"She was one of the children. The ones targeted by the Blue Vipers." I saw the realizations slowly dawning on him. This, I supposed, was something he did understand. Far more than a Ducal Heir who suddenly cared about the common folk she had never seen before. Oddly, he still seemed to be wrestling with something. I didn't see why. He was getting everything he was asking for. More than he could have ever hoped for. Was my reputation that bad? Or was the reputation of all Ducal Houses so low?

"Is there an issue?" I asked finally, breaking the silence.

"My Lady, you present me with a tempting offer, and yet I am not sure how I can accept it, and keep my oath at the same time."

"Pardon?" Count Calloway sighed.

"I swore an oath to your father, as my father did to his. As such, it is hard for me to accept a decision that would bring disrepute upon House Veyne, no matter how much I might want it."

"I'm afraid I do not understand." I truly didn't. House Calloway leaned back.

"You wish to increase my funding. While that is noble, that funding has to come from somewhere else. It would mean reducing the budgets of the other Counts. Counts who have more…obvious functions. More prestigious functions."

"That would reflect poorly on you. In time, it might do more harm than good. Especially given Julian Greenward's recent advances. Many nobles will think less of you, My Lady." I was finding myself coming to quite like the man. I was also wondering just how on earth my father had managed to spurn him as he had. My father might have been, by all accounts, a great man. It was becoming increasingly clear he was still a fool in many ways.

"I am not going to reduce anyone's budgets. In fact, I am expanding them for the two Counts as well." He just stared at me blankly.

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"There are many Artifacts in my Family's Vault," I said.

"I intend to sell a few of them." Count Calloway went perfectly still until he resembled a statue more than he did a man. I was fairly certain the man had even forgotten to breathe.

"You…are serious?"

"I am." As it so happened, many of the relics in my Family's Vault didn't have any great function. Most of them were simply trophies taken in war, or heirlooms passed down from one generation to the next. They held symbolic value to dead ancestors, but right now, we needed money for the living. To me, the exchange was simple. As for the other Artifacts… they were a different matter entirely. They sat in a sealed vault I hadn't yet visited. Selling them felt wrong.

Like I was selling the lives of the children they were made out of. More than once, I'd debated simply destroying them all with my Godblade, but surely that wasn't right either. I hadn't decided what to do with them yet. But that didn't keep me from selling the ones we already had.

"My Lady, has anyone ever told you that you are an odd woman?" Count Calloway finally said. I smiled.

"You don't know the half of it, I'm afraid." I could only hope the last of the three went as well as this one.