“If you have to marry someone you don’t like, I can see how it makes sense not to interact with him,” Miya said.
“That does make sense. Is that why you joined your fiefdom’s militia?” I asked. “I heard you used to lead a unit.”
“Yes. There was no life at the estate beyond the confines of the guest house, and my role as hostage was apparently served whether I was dead or alive... When my former husband ordered me to help the militia when they were short on men, on account of a monster horde, I stayed at the militia and never looked back. Of course, the unit I led was the disciplinary unit full of members who disobeyed orders.”
“Disciplinary unit?!” Hudom repeated, aghast—an expression mirrored in Rosenberg. The information must have also resonated with Sebas, whose brows were knitted.
It was easy to imagine that this disciplinary unit hadn’t been treated well—a place where it was unimaginable to send a young noble lady, especially one married to the son of the lord.
“Even for a one-sided political marriage...” Hudom began.
“The lord at the time, my former father-in-law, did not want me to have a shred of power. The disciplinary unit is beneath the other units. Even as a captain, my powers were severely limited. Moreover, orders are to be followed without question in the militia, as you must well know, Mister Veldoole.”
“Still... The disciplinary unit is always a ragtag band of ruffians sent into the most dangerous missions. Sending in his daughter-in-law couldn’t have been a good look.”
“Filling his pockets was more important to him than his reputation. With magic, I was useful enough to save him from hiring another captain. Besides, he must have thought that keeping me in a position of hardship would help him pressure my family and squeeze more profits out of the gold mines. My former husband also pushed for me to be in that position. He had no talent in sword or magic, nor any inclination to train. That did not stop him from being bitterly jealous of anyone more skilled than him—women in particular. That much, he always shrieked about. Apparently, that was a big reason he avoided me so much.”
“I don’t want to trash-talk your ex-husband, but he sounds like a real piece of work.”
“He really was, Miss Mizelia. That house was filled with people who did not hesitate to cast aside their decency and morals for any little scrap of money or satisfaction.” Eleonora’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. Was this the alcohol talking, or her built-up frustration? “Joining the militia was a stroke of good luck for me. Belonging to the disciplinary unit came with its own benefits.”
“How curious. Would you mind sharing?” Rosenberg encouraged.
Eleonora wet her lips with wine and continued. “It helped me regain part of my freedom. The first was time. Training and missions became an excuse I could use to escape the suffocating guest house, and even carve out some free time for myself. Money was another. In addition to their regular salary, soldiers are customarily paid stipends for each mission depending on how dangerous they are. Each fiefdom has its own way of paying these stipends. In mine, soldiers were awarded any money raised from the parts of monsters we slew and any bounty from bandits we captured. The disciplinary unit was not excluded from this cause. In fact, we had more opportunities than any other unit because we were always sent on dangerous missions. Thanks to those stipends, I was able to afford small luxuries like dining out in the city or buying the occasional book for myself.”
“I see... Any form of solace can give you the strength to break free from difficult situations. You seemed to have found it in the militia.”
Eleonora had been confined to a guest house without her own money or entertainment. When she finally escaped that prison, she was forced to go on dangerous missions for the militia. I admired her for fighting out of that situation all on her own, but this was domestic abuse to the extreme. No wonder the others were shocked to hear it.
“You should not be troubled by it, Master Takebayashi,” Eleonora said.
“I’m sorry. Was it written on my face?”
“On your brow. I have no pleasant memories of those days, but they are in the past. Thanks to Duke Jamil, who gave me a new life, a new job, and true freedom. A great fortune beyond my wildest hopes.” She nodded to her own statement, as if to reaffirm her outlook. Considering how I was told that she could have been executed with her ex-husband as an accomplice, I didn’t doubt her fortunes had improved...but was she really over the past? “Everyone goes through hardships,” she simply added. “I am sure you have too, Master Takebayashi.”
“There were times when I was on rocky ground with the people in my life, but nothing as dangerous as being sent out into battle. A few assassins were the worst of it.”
“Which is still crazy,” Hudom said. “How did that happen?”
“I’m not sure myself, and it was a long time ago. For example, a fortune teller on the street once screamed that I was going to be a serial killer one day and started attacking me with a crystal ball. Maybe I was cursed to attract people like that.”
I knew it wouldn’t have been the case on Earth, probably, but I’d found myself in enough senseless attacks that it would almost have made more sense if it had been a curse. Even then, I’d never been sent into battle, so Eleonora had me beaten on that front.
“In my case, I went there on missions. It was my job. As coldly as I was treated, no one outright wanted me dead,” Eleonora countered.
“No, that wasn’t as bad as—”
“But you had to—”
Eleonora and I were starting to break out into some kind of bizarre contest when I realized that Eleonora’s eyes were slightly out of focus—the only thing about her demeanor that was out of the ordinary. She was more talkative than usual, but her speech remained steady and clear.
“Eleonora, are you drunk?” I dared.
“Am I drunk...? I feel a little warm, perhaps, but nothing more.”
“All right... Wait. How many glasses have you had?” I asked.
“The first with cheers, you poured me one, then Miss Welanna poured me another, then two more while we were talking...” Eleonora swayed in her chair, as if the alcohol caught up to her while she was counting up her glasses.
“Hey, are you okay?” Welanna asked.
“Excuse me. I think I am drunk, after all. I feel a bit drowsy.”
“I thought so. Let me get you some water,” I said. It was a short span of time to down five glasses of wine. She didn’t look ill from drunkenness, but she would be better off hydrating nonetheless. I quickly found a large cup and filled it with ice water by means of magic. “Eleonora?” She was sitting back in her chair with her eyes closed, maintaining a prim posture.
“Hey,” Welanna nudged. “No dice. She’s out cold.”
“All right. Can I ask you to take care of her...and have her drink the water when she’s up?”
“No problem. I’m used to handling drunks.” Welanna carried Eleonora off to the ladies’ room. The other three downed their glasses and followed, intent on helping.
Our party was over, leaving me with the knowledge that Eleonora was a very subtle drunk. I’d be more careful about having her pace her alcohol intake in the future.