A Knife to the Heart

Theo's eyes widened as he took in the sheer volume of paperwork before him. He had always been a quick learner, excelling in school despite his aversion to social interactions. Now, he would need to channel that same focus to navigate his new reality as Lord Greymont. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the daunting task at hand.

At the same time, he could feel his new "wife" Lia glaring at him hoping to see him fail. He heard her say as well, "You seem lost in thought Theo. Is this too daunting for you?"

He touched the papers with his hands as he shook his head no. He wanted to start but then a new voice interrupted his actions, a voice he could hear that told, "Documents for the Management of Greymont Castle have been accessed now initiating Castle Estate System or CES."

It almost sounded like a video game tutorial from the game Castle Keepers Eric noted as a three dimensional map of the entire castle became visible to him. "How quaint this is," he mused to himself as it marked the rooms of every floor and the surrounding grounds of the area. It didn't show people but it did show him occupying a space named "Lord Greymont's Office", a work space.

"Alright, let's get this over with," he murmured as he picked up the first document with trembling hands. The words on the parchment blurred and rearranged themselves into a sleek, digital display—a familiar interface from the games he had played. The CES guided him through the paperwork, highlighting areas that needed his attention with a gentle pulse of light. The ease with which he could navigate the system was a stark contrast to the weight of his new responsibilities.

He could see the castle's primary issue was currently holes in its walls alongside a lack of staff to fix this. He looked at Lia and asked, "How many people work for our house?"

Lia sneered at him though and replied, "You don't know that? You should since over half the staff are maids you try to play with when you're not with me."

Theo felt his cheeks redden with embarrassment at her accusation. He had no memory of such behavior, but he knew he had to address the issue at hand. "I'm sorry, I don't recall doing that," he mumbled, hoping she didn't catch the slip. He cleared his throat and continued, "But we need to focus on fixing the castle's walls before they fall apart."

Lia slammed both hands on the desk sending the stack of papers on it flying. "Theo! Don't play dumb!" Her hands then clenched tightly. "I know you have tried to sleep with every maid in this castle you scum! I brought you for the purpose of letting you know this!"

Eric trembled at Lia's accusations. He let deep-seated fear in his soul. "Lia..."

"No! I have tried to balance our family's budget to fix our walls and the most glaring error in our expenses inhibiting this was the fact you hired a rotating staff of twenty maids just to help you cover the fact you were draining our funds to indulge your own pleasures!" Lia explained angrily.

Theo felt a twinge of guilt, recognizing the gravity of the situation. He had to change course. "I understand, Lia. That was... unwise. We need to prioritize the well-being of our people and the stability of our home. We will fix this together," he said firmly, his voice a mix of sincerity and resolve.

"I don't believe you! Unless you fire all but three of these maids now I will let the former Lord Greymont now and cancel our marriage!" Lia threatened as she knocked over the ink well on the desk.

Theo felt his heart drop into his stomach. This wasn't the way he wanted to start his new life, but he knew he had to fix the mess he had apparently been thrown into. "Alright, I'll handle it," he said, his voice firm as he stood up from the chair, his eyes never leaving hers. "We'll get the castle back in order, and I'll make sure the remaining staff are treated with the respect they deserve."

"No, you will fire seventeen maids and have me vet three of my choosing for you to keep or else."

Theo felt a knot of anxiety coil in his stomach. "I understand your anger, Lia, but we must be fair to the people who depend on us." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Let's review their performance and find a more suitable number to keep. We can't just cast them out without considering their livelihoods."

"You were never considering their livelihoods when you hired them in the first place Theo. Those maids have spoken to me about you themselves." Lia answered as she grit her teeth. "We can't keep more than three because of how much you have already spent on them you womanizer."

Theo felt the weight of his new reality pressing down on him, but he refused to let the anger and accusations get the best of him. He took a deep breath and tried to maintain his composure. "Very well, we'll keep the most capable three. I'll review their records and ensure they are treated fairly," he said, his voice steady despite the tumult within. He knew he had to build trust and respect in this new life.

Lia though shook her head, "No, you will have me help you pick them because I know you will try to bend the rules. That's final."

Theo nodded in agreement, his gaze never leaving hers. "Alright, we'll do it together." He knew that building trust would be a long road, but he was determined to start walking it today.

Based on what Eric could tell, this elf, Lia Greymont had absolutely no trust in her own husband Theo. He watched her step back and clutch her belly seeing the stress now coating her face. He asked, "Lia, is your natural hair color gray?"

"Yes, fortunately, it is. With how much stress you have caused me I can't help wondering if it's greyer." She let out a weak laugh and added, "I am going to our child three months from now, but if you don't shape up by then this will be your last chance. You got me pregnant Theo, yet you are definitely not father material."

Her words stung him but he knew she was right. He had to change, for Lia, for their unborn child, and for the people of Greymont. "I understand," he said solemnly, "And I'll do everything in my power to prove myself."

"Those are hollow words that only a desperate noble says to their superiors Count Greymont. Someone like the King of Manis, our king, hears that often from slackers like you. Be sure to finish the paperwork quickly, maybe even call your maids for help." Lia rebuked him then curtseyed and stepped out of the room with a loud slam of the study door.

Theo felt the weight of his new identity crushing him. He had been thrown into a world of nobility, a place where words had the power to make or break alliances, and actions had consequences that echoed far beyond his personal life. He took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the CES, which had been quietly waiting for his command.

The system then spoke in length saying, "Management of the Castle is poor. Lia Greymont has been registered as a citizen and is currently in love with you, but her trust level is low. A new relationship system has been added to CES where you can see both the trust and love levels of citizens. You now also have a stat screen for increasing stats in Health, Strength, Agility and Intellect. You have gained one stat point for completing an important conversation with Lia."

Theo felt a strange mix of embarrassment and motivation. "Alright, CES. Let's get to work," he said, his eyes scanning the virtual interface that hovered before him. He allocated his new stat point to intellect, knowing that navigating the intricacies of nobility would require a sharp mind. Yet when he looked at his stats he felt something horrible, despite being a count, Theo was likely very weak he now had 5 Health, 5 Strength, 5 Agility, and 5 Intellect. How could the goddess Selphy let him be a beginner character?

With a grimace, he dove into the paperwork, the rustle of pages becoming his only companions. Hours ticked by, and the sun's warmth began to fade from the study windows, replaced by a cool evening breeze. His eyes grew heavy with the weight of his responsibilities, but he pushed on, driven by a newfound determination to be more than just a lord who had played games in his previous life as well as here. The pages he read all listed maids that worked under the household for an exorbitant 2000 gold coins per month.

He intended to read through each profile but first worked to clean up the ink stains on the pages with a white cloth he found in his pocket. He realized though the papers were badly damaged though and would need to be rewritten later. As he finished blotting out as much ink as possible though he heard a knock at the door and a young woman with brown wolf ears and a tail walked in.

Theo looked straight into her red eyes and down her body seeing she wore a tight green vest knotted across the front with black strings and a beige pants skirt along with tan boots. Her hands were a bit rough but held a large platter of steak meat.

"Milord, I came to bring you dinner and hunted a giant boar with my bow," The woman informed him. Theo began to blush as he examined her and found her abs and muscles as appealing as the fatty, cooked meat slab resting in her arms.

He buried his thoughts in his new CES system and papers as he quickly glanced down to avoid eye contact. Looking at both though informed him that she was a beast girl maid named Sharona. The system also informed him of his Lover's Host skill activating. Theo felt a discomfort in his pants as Sharona approached and looked down at his loins. "Your attraction towards Sharona has increased," CES insisted as Theo quickly gazed back up at Sharona.

She set down the plated steak with herbs and offered to cut it. Theo gulped in surprise as she bent forward with a steak knife in hand, although, instead of aiming for the plate-"Slick!" the knife plunged through his left hand resting on the table.

"Milord! I'm so sorry! It seems like I slipped!" Sharona gasped. Theo grunted in pain, but then heard her add, "But pain is a very important thing to learn about. You see... I can't let you finish today's paperwork. I refuse to leave your side milord! I will make you mine!"