"Huh, what a coincidence! Sherry's mother is the cook!"
After Vivian helped Sherry away, Nalant opened the population register.
He had to bring the Daughter of Luck under his command. As usual, he planned to show kindness to Sherry's family.
What he hadn't expected was that Sherry's mother was the only cook in Storm Territory.
Knock, knock, knock!
"My lord, the guards report that a female serf has arrived outside the castle. She says she's Sherry's mother and is kneeling at the castle gate, asking to see you!" Just then, Thomas's voice came from outside the door.
"Perfect timing!" Nalant had been about to send someone to Misfortune Village, but she had come herself. "Take her to the first-floor hall!"
After instructing Thomas, Nalant stood and walked out of his study.
"This serf, Rose, pays her respects to the lord!" Thomas soon brought a woman in her thirties into the inner castle. She wore an old linen dress, but it was clean and neatly laundered, which was uncommon among poor serfs.
"Good. Stand up." Nalant nodded. "Thomas, bring her a stool."
"My lord, Rose wouldn't dare sit. I came to beg you to spare Sherry!" Nalant's kind gesture had caught Rose off guard, but she didn't dare actually sit down. Instead, she hurriedly explained why she had come.
Sherry had suddenly developed a fever the night before. Since Storm Territory had neither a doctor nor a priest, her mother Rose had risked going to the edge of the Blazing Forest to gather herbs.
When she returned, she heard from the villagers that Sherry had become the Daughter of Misfortune and that the lord had taken her to the castle.
Terrified, she had hurried to the castle and knelt outside the gate, begging to see the lord.
"My lord, I know it's presumptuous of me to ask this, given Sherry's current status. But she's my only daughter, and the only reason I have to go on living... I'm willing to pay ten gold coins, and I promise to take Sherry to the Blazing Grassland and never set foot in the duchy again! I only ask that you kindly and mercifully accept my plea!"
"Hmm? Ten gold coins?" Nalant hadn't had a chance to respond, but after hearing Rose's words, he was stunned. Ten gold coins were a fortune for a serf. He hadn't expected Rose to have that kind of money.
"Rose, where did you live before?" Nalant knew she was a cook, but a cook couldn't have earned that much. He was curious about her past.
"My lord, I used to run a tavern in Tulip City. It was called Rose Tavern."
"Rose Tavern in Tulip City?" Nalant's eyes widened. A vivid memory from the original owner's mind had just surfaced.
A few years earlier, when the original owner had attended the Noble Academy in Tulip City, many noble scions from the academy had liked to gather and eat at a place called Rose Tavern.
They said the cook there was not only beautiful but also made delicious food. She even knew how to cook monster meat. Many minor nobles had invited the owner of Rose Tavern to join them, but she had refused them all.
Looking at Rose now, Nalant could see that she was still an attractive woman, though her deliberate effort to conceal her appearance made her less striking than the stories the noble scions had told.
Of course, Nalant had been a useless second son back then and had never been to Rose Tavern, which was why he hadn't recognized her earlier.
"You were the one who ran Rose Tavern in eastern Tulip City?" Nalant asked again to confirm.
"Yes, my lord. My lord, here are the ten gold coins. Please, show mercy and spare Sherry. I swear by the gods that I'll take her to the Blazing Grassland and never return to the duchy!"
The Blazing Grassland wasn't far from Storm Territory, with only the Barony of Quinte between them. But it was no safe place; it was every bit as dangerous as the Blazing Forest.
The grasslands were home not only to all kinds of monsters but also to uncivilized barbarians. There were no civilized human settlements in the Blazing Grassland. It was practically a forbidden land.
If the Daughter of Misfortune went there, she wouldn't even encounter other people, so there would be no one nearby for her to bring misfortune upon.
"No, Lady Rose." Looking at Rose's earnest expression, Nalant smiled and shook his head.
Rose's face paled. She thought Nalant had rejected her plea.
Just then, Nalant spoke again. "I won't burn Sherry, and you don't have to leave Storm Territory!"
"Lady Rose, other people might think Sherry will bring misfortune, but I, Nalant, am a lord blessed by the God of Glory. I believe Sherry will bring me good luck! So I'll keep her here in the castle!"
"What?" Rose was stunned. She had never heard of a Daughter of Misfortune bringing good luck.
Yet the young lord didn't seem to be making fun of her. Rose asked in disbelief, "Is that true, my lord?"
"Of course. Come, I'll take you to see Sherry!"
Nalant rose and led Rose out of the hall.
"My lord!"
Nalant soon brought Rose to the maids' room, where Vivian was still watching over Sherry.
Rose saw Sherry sleeping and, finding nothing wrong with her, finally relaxed. But when she looked at Vivian, she froze again.
"Lady Rose, hello!" Vivian greeted her with a smile.
Vivian knew Rose had recognized her. She wasn't wearing her mask, and Rose had once asked her to sew a dress.
"Y-you... hello, Vivian! I never thought you wouldn't..." At last, Rose believed what the lord had said. Perhaps Sherry really wouldn't be sent to the stake. After all, Vivian, the previous Daughter of Misfortune, was standing right in front of her, wearing the castle maid's uniform.
"Thank you, my lord, for sparing Sherry!" Rose immediately knelt and expressed her gratitude to Nalant.
"Get up, Lady Rose! This is the revelation of the God of Glory, and it's also my duty as your lord." Nalant nodded with a smile, then continued after a brief pause. "Rose, although I won't kill Sherry, she'll have to live in the castle from now on. She won't be able to reveal her identity outside for a long time..."
"My lord, Rose understands. As long as Sherry can live in peace, I have no other wishes. I'll say goodbye to her and tell her to serve you well from now on!"
Rose understood what Nalant meant. Just like Vivian, everyone would be led to believe that Sherry had died. That was the only way to keep her truly safe.
"No, Rose, I'm afraid you've misunderstood. I'm not saying Sherry can't see you. I have a better idea: I'll appoint you as the castle's head chef. Then you can see Sherry every day, and there'll be no worry about her identity being exposed!" Nalant said with a smile. "Lady Rose, what do you think?"
"Ah, become the castle's head chef and see Sherry every day?" Rose was overjoyed. Tears of gratitude welled up in her eyes. "Thank you, my lord! Rose would be glad to!"