DLBF Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – The Servants

Chapter 1, Part 1.3

Novel Title: ルーデンドルフ公と森の獣 (Duke Ludendorff and the Beast of the Forest)

Author：かわい有美子 (Kawai Yumiko)

Illustrator: 周防佑未 (Suoh Yuumi)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 藤森賢士 (Kenji Fujimori -MC), ユリアン ルーデンドルフ (Julian Ludendorff -ML)

*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

֍֍֍

The elderly man then opened the gate with a creaking sound.

“That’s great. I thought you might not be home,” Fujimori said with a smile and a bow, then he turned to go back to the taxi. 

The old man called out to him, “You get in my truck from here.”

Surprised by the curt order, Fujimori bowed his head.

The man wasn’t friendly. But at least he seemed willing to take him inside.

“That’s Tanba, the gardener.”

As Fujimori paid the taxi fare, the driver discreetly informed him.

“A gardener?”

Nodding, Fujimori thought he did indeed look like a craftsman.

“He’s been the gardener here for generations. He’s also in charge of maintaining the estate when it was unoccupied. He’s a bit cranky. But, well, that’s just the way he is.”

Thanking the driver for the information, Fujimori loaded his suitcase onto the bed of the truck and climbed into the passenger seat.

“Sorry for the trouble. I’m Fujimori. Nice to meet you.”

“Yeah.”

Tanba replied curtly to Fujimori’s greeting.

***

“Wow, this place is well-built!”

Fujimori’s voice was full of excitement as he looked at the magnificent porte-cochère in front of the entrance.

The ceiling was much higher than he had expected, giving the place a completely foreign mansion-like scale. This wasn’t on the level of a typical summer villa in a Japanese resort area.

No wonder Fushimi was so obsessed with it for so long. The fact that such a large mansion had not yet been formally investigated was impressive. If it were located in Tokyo, it wouldn’t be surprising if it were already designated as an important cultural property due to its grandeur and history.

Of course, the fact that it had always been privately owned and that the ownership had at some point transferred to foreigners likely played a role. Nevertheless, it was a mansion that architecture enthusiasts would drool over.

Nowadays, even overseas, mansions of this scale that remain in private hands are rare. Most of them have been converted into hotels or something similar… Fujimori’s mind was racing with thoughts.

“Neo-Gothic… No, maybe part of it is Romanesque. It’s amazing, right?”

He cheerfully spoke to Tanba, who had parked the truck. But the old man didn’t respond and instead started unloading the trunk from the truck bed.

“Oh, allow me. It’s heavy because there are a lot of books.”

As an architecture enthusiast, Fujimori was more focused on the joy of being able to see the inside of the mansion than on Tanba’s lack of friendliness. He eagerly unloaded the heavy trunk himself.

He had come with the idea of lecturing Mr. Ludendorff about the Japanese language and culture during his one- to two-week stay. So he had brought quite a lot of luggage, including materials for his dissertation.

As he struggled with the trunk, muttering “Here we go,” one side of the double front door opened. They possibly knew someone was here due to the sound of the truck.

Fujimori turned to see a middle-aged foreign woman in a classic black dress with a white apron, the kind you’d only see in maid cafés these days.

She seemed to be in her mid-fifties, slender, with large eyes and a sharp, high nose. Her overall appearance was strict. Her mostly black hair, streaked with grey, was neatly tied back, and she wore a headdress.

Unlike the maid cafés, her skirt reached close to her ankles, and the apron matched its size, with very minimal lace frills. The outfit was completely practical, unlike the decorative kind found in cafés.

Judging by her features and demeanour, Fujimori guessed she was German.

“Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Fujimori.”

He greeted her cheerfully in German. But the woman, who had her hands clasped in front of her, simply nodded without smiling.

“You’re right on time. That’s good.”

She reminded Fujimori of the strict old lady from ‘Heidi’. For a servant, she seemed quite high-handed.

But given her attire, she certainly wasn’t Mr. Ludendorff’s mother. Moreover, Fujimori’s position was more like that of a Japanese language teacher rather than a guest. So he was probably on equal footing or possibly even subordinate to this head maid-like woman.

“Thank you for having me.”

He bowed his head.

In the meantime, without a word, Tanba started the truck and drove around to the back of the mansion.

“Huh? Ehh?”

Fujimori was dumbfounded, watching the truck leave. He wondered if the service only included a ride from the gate to here. 

The woman addressed him, “This way.”

The woman led the way into the mansion, and Fujimori followed obediently.

“Leave your luggage there.”

She pointed to a spot next to the door they had just entered. Fujimori placed his heavy suitcase, filled with many books, there.

֍֍֍

*Translator’s Note: I think this strict old lady that Fujimori-san was referring to was Dete, from ‘Heidi, Girl of the Alps’ anime. I put her picture down there. So the woman (her name is Frau Gessner by the way) must’ve looked somewhat like Dete but the attire could be slightly different. -K

Next update: 2024.10.23

֍֍֍