Sephira had been reading not only books but also letters.
"Wait, hold on. Letters are off-limits."
(Why is that?)
"They're called private correspondence for a reason. It's a breach of etiquette for someone completely unrelated with no rights whatsoever to look at exchanges between individuals. And on top of that, you told me about it. No, more importantly, why did you even think to read the letter?"
(There were a certain number of people who slipped letters between the pages of books.)
"Ah, so that's how it happened."
This was unexpected.
She had a good memory, but Sephira possessed no concept of right and wrong.
So this must have been something I needed to teach her.
No, she's an intelligent entity who learns things on her own in the first place.
Which means I should tell her to learn from others too?
"Sephira, there's a saying: 'Watch others to correct yourself.'"
(Requesting details.)
Since she latched onto anything she didn't know immediately, I taught her the meanings of learning rules and considering others.
And once Sephira understood, she returned to the original topic.
(Several days ago, I observed the master peeping at his wet nurse. I reported my speculation and grasp of the cause of that action—does this violate etiquette?)
"Yeah, that's a really dangerous area. Remarriage talks for a widow are extremely sensitive."
Apparently, this was Sephira's way of acting after observing my worries.
But this kind of approach was outside my expectations.
Right now, Sephira operates on simple intellectual curiosity alone, and I need her to have things like discernment and consideration for others.
She seems to care about me, calling me master, but now, what should I do?
"I mean, I can't exactly say that. Anyway, Sephira, private letters are no good. ...Though thanks to you, I did understand why Harti was keeping quiet."
(I pride myself on having been useful.)
"Yes, but that's not the point. Hmm, maybe I should give you more leeway? The right answer alone isn't enough. Your way of thinking seems too linear."
(Your opinion is excessively rich in metaphor.)
Yeah, it's no good, but I wonder if she has enough emotional capacity to feel dejected.
"Alright, then from now on, observe humans as well. When and how do humans experience the emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness? When, where, who, what, why, and how. Systematize this and strengthen your understanding of the human emotional aspect."
(Accepting the master's order.)
"Well then, I'm going to go talk to Harti."
I exited the Emerald Room and headed toward the Red Room.
At this hour, she should be resting there, and I had been doing research under the guise of taking a break.
And today, Ikt was off.
Instead, Herkov was waiting in the Blue Room at any time.
Because apparently he falls asleep watching my alchemy in the Emerald Room.
"Harti, is now a good time?"
"Well, Asha-sama. What brings you here?"
When I knocked and called out, she invited me in immediately.
The Red Room was decorated with wallpaper bearing red patterns, and among the quarters where I lived, it was the smallest layout with only a parlor with a fireplace and a bedroom.
And as expected, there was little furniture.
The parlor only had chairs and a desk, and the shelves and storage were only small built-in ones.
"I'll get straight to the point. The invisible intelligent entity I created, tentatively named Sephira, read your letters without permission."
"Eh, letters, you say... surely not?"
"Yes, you've received a proposal for remarriage, haven't you?"
I affirmed this to Harti, who looked toward the bedroom.
Then I bowed my head.
"I'm sorry. For looking at the contents of your letter without permission."
"That is not Asha-sama's fault."
"But I'm the only one who taught Sephira that such things are wrong. If I failed to teach her properly, then it's my fault. Besides, if I hadn't mentioned it, you wouldn't have wanted to say anything, would you?"
Harti exhaled as if resigning herself, and smiled.
"As a wet nurse, as an aunt, and above all as one who watches over Asha-sama's growth, I was at a loss. However, since it has come to light, I shall speak without concealment. I know that Asha-sama is a clever person."
Harti seated me and went downstairs for a moment.
She prepared tea and sweet confections for me.
And the content of what she spoke about was, as expected, a proposal to pull her away from the Eurasion Duke faction.
"My family of origin, the Viscount house, has reached an important position thanks to His Majesty's patronage. Originally it was beyond our station, and we had no connections to rely upon; we are at the periphery of the Eurasion Duke's faction."
Originally nobles under the Niftas Count family attached to my name, if it had been my father who was the third son of the Count family, he would have been a match of appropriate status.
But the noble problem of insufficient family status arose when dealing with my father who had become Emperor.
If a proposal to pull Harti, who serves as my wet nurse, away arrived from the faction boss for that purpose, the Viscount family could not refuse.
So they sent tearful letters to Harti, who refused, and Sephira saw them.
"Are they forcing you to remarry such a terrible person?"
"No, not at all! That person is by no means a bad—ah..."
Harti denied it vigorously then covered her mouth.
There was no sign of her lying as she turned red; this was definitely what it looked like.
"Could it be, someone you know, and moreover, someone you're fond of?"
Harti, nodding slightly, spoke bit by bit about her prospective marriage partner.
Apparently, it was someone she had been in talks with for some time who served in the palace.
He was to inherit his family's territory and leave the palace to move to his lands.
He had asked her before the attempt to pull her away to accompany him as his wife.
Of course, he had also said he would raise the daughter between Harti and her late husband as his own child.
"This time, the Eurasion Duke's schemes have become entangled, making it against my will. However, if I let this opportunity pass, his family will arrange another wife for him, so he said he wants me as his wife... and courted me..."
Harti, her cheeks dyed red, was serving as my wet nurse but was still in her twenties.
She was at an age perfectly capable of building a new family.
"If Harti is happy with it, then I..."
"It is not good."
Her expression shifting from bashful, Harti's brow furrowed sternly.
"I would go with him to the territory. I would no longer be able to remain here."
That's right; once she left, she would no longer be a wet nurse and would lose the status to come and go from the palace.
If she were to build a new family, she couldn't continue being a wet nurse.
We would have to part ways.
"I wish to watch over Asha-sama's growth. You have no idea how much my sister worried about your future from her sickbed."
Harti's eyes grew tearful as she gripped my hand tightly.
"Above all, it is galling that this marriage would once again create a connection between the Niftas Count family and my family of origin."
"The other person is related to the Niftas Count family?"
Perhaps she had known him before because of that connection.
"I am angry at the Niftas Count family for not even sending a greeting, but my family of origin is also pathetic, pretending not to know the moment my sister died and fearing only the Eurasion Duke."
Harti's face flushed red for a different reason than before.
"No seasonal greetings, not even a letter celebrating your birth month. While saying it is thanks to His Majesty, they neglect Asha-sama who is the very foundation of that connection!"
"Harti, Harti. Calm down. I'm fine."
"I am not fine! How could I leave Asha-sama behind! I want, more than anyone, for you to be happy..."
Harti could not hold back her tears.
"His Majesty certainly loved my sister. And he loves Asha-sama. But neither can watch over you anymore. So I thought, if not I, then who would remain by your side..."
That was a sense of duty born of certain affection.
And also a sense of duty born of thinking of me.
I could not lightly deny it.
But if I didn't speak here, Harti would likely be unable to seize her own happiness either.
"I love Harti too, so rather than seeing you cry like this, I'd be happier if you seized your happiness and smiled."
Honestly, I should push her away more strongly.
But thinking that I wouldn't be able to see Harti casually anymore made me lonely and pained too.
To the person I could call my family in this life, I could only say such things because my own feelings were getting in the way.
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