Chapter 4
The city remained in an uproar over the public execution—but only for a short while.
In the days that followed, one incident after another took place.
For example…
Young Duke Schultz suddenly disappeared without a trace.
I stared blankly at the headline of the newspaper that had been delivered to my doorstep.
“Young Duke Schultz Vanishes Without Warning—Whereabouts Unknown.”
Johannes Schultz…
I unconsciously frowned.
So that man who had seemed completely unfazed…
Hadn’t truly escaped the pain of losing his father after all.
Though, of course…
There could have been another reason for his disappearance.
“…Ha.”
I crumpled the newspaper and tossed it onto the table before lowering myself into a chair.
Defeat in the war.
War reparations.
A public execution.
And now, the disappearance of the Young Duke.
Too many calamities had descended upon the once peaceful city of Müsen all at once.
The first few days had been complete chaos.
But reality wasn’t kind enough to wait for people who remained trapped in the past.
Everyone quickly returned to their daily lives.
Müsen wasn’t as lively as it had once been, but little by little, the city regained its vitality.
Which meant…
I had to pull myself together as well.
How much will I have left after paying the overdue taxes?
As I counted the death insurance money the government had paid for my father, I realized the amount wasn’t even enough to support myself for a month.
I won’t be able to continue my studies for a while.
I had been studying pharmacology.
Tuition wasn’t cheap, so money had always been tight.
Until now, my father had worked tirelessly to support my education.
But now…
I’ll have to find a job.
I couldn’t keep crying forever.
Father hadn’t raised me to be weak.
My mother had died giving birth to me.
Yet I had never truly felt her absence.
Father had raised me with enough love that I could proudly say I had been no less cherished than the daughters of noble families.
We hadn’t been wealthy…
But I had never lacked affection.
I just hadn’t expected that very upbringing to become an obstacle now.
There really isn’t much I can do.
Aside from a little knowledge of pharmacology…
And housework…
I possessed no remarkable skills.
Nor did I have any relatives I could turn to for help.
In the end, I visited Mrs. Pensler, the neighbor I had always been close to, and asked her for advice.
“Do you happen to know of anywhere that’s hiring?”
“Why are you suddenly looking for work?”
“Well…”
I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly.
“I think I need to earn some money.”
Mrs. Pensler’s eyes widened in alarm.
Her face filled with concern.
“Edith, I haven’t seen you around lately, and now you look absolutely miserable! Money? Has your father stopped sending you money? But he’ll be home soon, won’t he? What are you so worried about?”
“Actually…”
“Oh, don’t even mention it. One of my friend’s husbands was declared dead just the other day. The military came to their house and said he’d been killed on the battlefield. Honestly, what a bolt from the blue…”
Instead of answering…
I smiled bitterly.
A few moments later, Mrs. Pensler finally realized something was wrong.
The cheerful smile she had been forcing onto her face froze instantly.
She desperately tried to convince herself she was mistaken, lifting the corners of her mouth again.
But they trembled uncontrollably.
“Edith… no…”
Her voice shook.
When I neither confirmed nor denied it…
She understood.
“Oh heavens… What should we do…?”
“It’s alright.”
“I-I’m so sorry. I had no idea… I should’ve realized something was wrong when I saw how downhearted you looked…”
Her gaze wandered aimlessly before falling to the floor.
“No, it’s alright.”
I smiled gently.
“I think I’m doing better now. It was unbearable at first, but I’ve managed to pull myself together.”
“Oh, Edith…”
“I would’ve had to face this someday anyway. Father couldn’t live forever.”
I shrugged lightly.
“It just happened a little sooner than I expected.”
I smiled as if everything were fine.
“Let’s just keep living as we always have.”
“…”
“Just like when Father was away at war.”
“…”
“We’ll eat our meals, go shopping, gossip together… The only difference is that now I’ll have to earn money as well—”
Suddenly…
Mrs. Pensler threw her arms around me so tightly that I couldn’t finish my sentence.
But…
I really was alright.
Forcing another smile, I buried my face against her shoulder.
Then I gently patted her back.
It felt like the right thing to do.
It was foolish.
Ridiculous, even.
Only when I felt her shoulder gradually becoming damp…
Did I realize—
“…Ah.”
I was crying.
“What cruel heavens…”
“…”
“Stay strong, Edith.”
Her sorrowful sigh dissolved into the air.
And the unbearable reality settled heavily upon me.
I still wasn’t alright.
When people in Dochilia thought of Müsen, they usually imagined the same thing.
A city wealthier and more peaceful than anywhere else.
Always bustling.
Filled with opportunities.
Home to relaxed, friendly people.
“That’s all in the past now.”
Mrs. Pensler frowned.
“After the defeat, the whole country is struggling. Müsen isn’t any different. And since this is the Schultz family’s city, its reputation has only gotten worse.”
She explained that nearly every factory was already full of male workers.
There were very few places willing to hire women.
“Most women end up working at taverns or serving as maids for noble families. Some become housekeepers in wealthy homes. But those positions are almost all filled now. About the only thing left is tavern work.”
She grabbed both my shoulders firmly.
“Edith, whatever you do, don’t you dare set foot in a place like that!”
That left me with only one option.
“I think it was about a month ago…”
Mrs. Pensler thought for a moment.
“The Russell Marquess family in Bölen started looking for a personal maid to care for the elderly Marchioness. But no one seems willing to apply.”
She sighed.
“I think it’s because the position doesn’t include room and board.”
The Russell Marquess family of Bölen.
The family was effectively run by the elderly Marchioness herself.
Gifted with extraordinary business sense, she had made a fortune through the railway industry.
Not only that…
She controlled enormous financial assets.
People said even the royal family hesitated to provoke her because she carefully weighed every profit and loss before making a decision.
A woman that meticulous…
Couldn’t possibly be easy to serve.
“But…”
Mrs. Pensler hesitated.
“I’ve heard Lady Russell has an absolutely terrifying personality. Countless servants have quit because they couldn’t endure her. Are you sure you’ll be alright?”
She asked several more times.
But I wasn’t in a position to be picky.
The journey required a three-hour train ride.
However…
The wages were excellent.
The Russell family even covered the train fare.
There was no reason not to go.
I’d simply have to sleep a little less.
Besides…
If the problem was merely serving someone difficult…
Then I’d simply endure it.
If I could get hired, I’d not only be able to pay my living expenses…
I’d even be able to continue my education.
Before I knew it, I had arrived in front of the post office.
The busy streets looked no different from before the news of the kingdom’s defeat.
“Tulips! Rare winter tulips! Half price today only!”
“Latest society gossip! Fresh off the press!”
Listening to the lively voices around me somehow eased the heaviness in my heart.
After making my way through the crowd, I entered the post office.
The waiting line was enormous.
Nearly an hour later…
It was finally my turn.
Approaching the counter, I quickly spoke to the exhausted-looking clerk.
“I’d like to place a telephone call.”
“To where?”
“The Russell Marquess estate in Bölen.”
“A long-distance call starts at thirty Rubles. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes.”
“Please note that after the first ten minutes, you’ll be charged one Ruble per second.”
After explaining the fees, the clerk connected the call.
The Russell family’s butler proved to be astonishingly strict.
He relentlessly questioned me about my personal information.
Asked whether I suffered from any chronic illnesses.
Whether I took medication.
And he repeatedly warned me that lying about anything could result in my application being canceled.
Only after answering every question honestly…
Did I finally manage to secure an interview.
Even before ending the call, the butler reminded me again and again that the elderly Marchioness became extremely angry if anyone arrived late—or canceled an appointment without notice.
He strongly urged me to be punctual.
By the time the call ended…
I felt as exhausted as though I had spent the day doing manual labor.
And honestly…
That probably wasn’t an exaggeration.
I finally understood why the Russell family’s job advertisement had remained unfilled for so long.
Even so…
I wasn’t afraid.
If anything…
I felt motivated.
The thought of having to face everything alone from now on was frightening.
Yet…
Perhaps it was for the best.
Keeping busy would be far better than sitting still and drowning in dark thoughts.
That’s right.
How long are you going to keep moping?
Once again, I steeled my resolve.
Just as I turned toward the exit of the post office…
The newspaper displayed on one wall caught my attention.
“The Windsor Royal Family Revokes the Schultz Duchy’s Financial Authority.”
“Missing Young Duke Schultz—Will He Return the Embezzled Fortune to the State?”
People were still obsessed with Johannes Schultz.
Everyone blindly believed the royal family’s announcement.
And they tore into him without mercy.
Were they simply looking for someone to blame?
Or did they truly believe every word they had been told?
Even if the former Duke of Schultz had actually embezzled an enormous sum…
The Young Duke had been fighting on the battlefield.
He had nothing to do with it.
There was no proof that the missing money was even in his possession.
Lost in thought, I frowned.
Then I looked up.
“…Huh?”
A tall figure stood directly in front of me.
I blinked.
Then glanced back and forth between the newspaper headline…
And the man before me.
Golden hair that gleamed beneath the sunlight.
Deep blue eyes like the sea.
And features so striking they were impossible to forget.
“I heard you’d disappeared…”
It was…
Johannes Schultz.
