Well, I just saw the author using “countess” so I assumed it would make more sense to have him be titled as count. But your point is quite valid if there’s such a differentiation in the titles in the English language. I will go back to Earl then starting next chapter, been that way for like forever anyway 😉 )

Btw. I am not sure if the author really meant “Count” instead of “Earl” for Hifumis title.
There simply does not exist a female version of “Earl” and as such the wife of an Earl or a female successor to an Earl is simply called “Countess” in English.

So thinking about Hifumi’s position I think “Earl” would be more fitting because the origin of the term “Earl” comes from nobility with more rights / power in their territory than a count has (even though the terms became equivalents in meaning later on).

See wiki for that.
The term “Earl” had become replaced by “Duke” later on when “Earl” was equalized with “Count”.
So with the influence and power Hifumi has I think “Earl” fits better than “Count” as the term “Earl” would better indicate.Hifumi’s position.

Lack of an editor. Sorry, but that’s mostly my quirk to express it’s written in a very common language unlike the formal speech Origa always uses.
Sorry, but I lack the language depth to make it more obvious in less repetitive ways. And the Japanese language doesn’t make it easier either since in the raw it’s pretty clear what degree of formality the spoken word uses.

Cheers for the work

Every few lines, there’d be a “well, (insert sentence), you know?”
Kill me already.

And origa banzai!!!

Pretty sure she would kill herself before causing problem for Hifumi