At Kyle’s call, Aelfrie snapped back to reality. It was her turn to greet, but she had momentarily lost herself in thought. Aelfrie quickly opened her mouth.

“It’s an honor to greet you this way. May divine blessings always be with the House of Hebrides. May I show a small token of my appreciation for your visit?”

“You may.”

At the count’s words, Aelfrie and Calon turned together.

Calon brought a potted walnut sapling that he had brought in the back of the carriage, while Aelfrie brought a basket containing a bouquet of flowers of five different colors, along with embroidery thread in the same five colors, and held it out before the count and countess.

The Gunters, who were standing next to them, chuckled as they saw the gifts.

“Ash Company fools. Are they mad?”

How could that be considered gifts? A walnut sapling, a bouquet of flowers, and colored threads?

Even if they visited a commoner’s house, they wouldn’t bring such gifts.

Yet they brought such gifts to the count’s house? Moreover, it was odd to even consider them as gifts.

“Is this some strange imperial custom?”

Viscount Gunter looked at the count’s expression in anticipation. He figured that the count would also find it ridiculous.

However, the moment he saw the count and countess’s expressions, Viscount Gunter was taken aback.

Contrary to what he had thought, the count’s face was adorned with a wide smile. With a voice that couldn’t hide his delight, the count spoke.

“Today, our House is truly blessed to welcome such delightful guests!”

Upon hearing the count’s laughter, Aelfrie clenched her fists under her sleeves.

“Thank goodness. It went as planned.”

The gifts she brought had significant meaning. The walnut tree symbolized abundance and knowledge, which is why it was included in the emblem of Denertum Academy.

Therefore, the academy held an annual event to distribute walnut saplings.

People would take these saplings, grow them into trees, harvest the walnuts, and from those walnuts, new saplings would be cultivated.

The act of giving such saplings to another was symbolic of spreading knowledge to new people.

And now, a very robust walnut sapling had returned to the count.

“If his last record is anything to go by, he took great pride in being the dean of the academy.”

That’s why Aelfrie had brought the walnut sapling.
As evidence that the knowledge you have disseminated has spread through many people to the Empire’s merchant guild.

It was a gift that held the meaning that the one with that knowledge has come to meet you again.

As Aelfrie had hoped, the count looked at the walnut tree sapling with an emotional gaze, as if a disciple had returned.

He wasn’t the only one giving that kind of look.

The countess also was delighted, holding a bouquet and a basket filled with thread.

‘The count has five children.’

Therefore, in the desire for all five children to live abundantly, they intended to sell the domain. The count and countess cherished all five of their children.

So Aelfrie decided to choose the five most frequently used colors from the coat of arms of the Hebrides Count’s family and present flowers and threads of those colors.

The flowers symbolized respect to the mother of a family that had given birth to five children, and the thread was an item traditionally embroidered by the mother when the children were to disperse.

It seemed that after selling the domain to the Ash merchant guild, the children would disperse after this winter passed.

Denertum has long summers, but also long winters. Noblewomen traditionally spent the long winters embroidering for their children or servants.

This winter, the countess would carefully embroider the coat of arms for her beloved children.

“Very good thread. Thank you.”

The countess was pleased as she touched the unusually lustrous and tough thread. While the threads she had prepared were good, as she was of a count’s family, the ones Aelfrie had brought were brighter and stronger than any she had handled before.

“If it’s not enough, I’ll have to place an order with the Ash merchant guild.”

“An order from the countess is always welcome. We will prepare the best quality goods that will satisfy you.”

Aelfrie’s reply further satisfied the countess’s words.

Though they lived quietly in the countryside, they were a count’s family. Therefore, many people came hoping for gains.

They acted as if they would offer anything just because they said something, like the couple from the army just a moment ago.

The countess did not like that attitude.

An excessive gift in a shallow relationship will eventually return as a massive debt.

Therefore, the countess felt trust in Aelfrie’s reply that she would prepare something good, instead of just saying she would give it.

“Steward, move the guests’ gifts to the living room. Make sure the whole family can see.”

“Understood.”

The count, who had spoken in a considerably different, gentle voice compared to a moment ago, guided them with a smile.

“Now, let’s go in together.”