Chapter 9
“…Pardon?”
This was bad.
Don’t tell me the servants of the House of Schultz are expected to know high society etiquette as well?
Suppressing my nervousness, I answered as calmly as I could.
“No.”
“I’ve never learned anything like that.”
Sir Fret frowned slightly as he studied me.
It seemed my fears had been correct.
Apparently, even noble etiquette was expected here.
I waited anxiously for him to speak.
Instead, I received an unexpected response.
“I simply assumed you had.”
“…What do you mean?”
Blinking in confusion, I looked at him.
Sir Fret held out the contract bearing the ducal seal and said,
“Where did you learn your manner of walking, your way of speaking…”
“…and these everyday manners of yours?”
At that moment, I still had absolutely no idea why he was asking.
Accepting the contract, I answered matter-of-factly,
“My father taught me.”
The crease between Sir Fret’s brows deepened.
It surprised me how dramatically his usually gentle expression could change.
Then he asked another question.
“Did your father happen to have any connections with high society?”
“No.”
“None at all.”
I shook my head.
If anything…
Father had always gone out of his way to avoid getting involved with nobles.
Forcing myself to recall faded childhood memories, I continued,
“Ah… When I was very young, a noble lady would occasionally visit our house.”
“But that was all.”
“My father was an ordinary man.”
“…Why do you ask?”
“Because…”
“…your noble etiquette is extraordinarily flawless.”
“…What?”
I spent a long moment trying to understand what he meant.
Then…
I burst into laughter.
Waving my hands, I replied,
“That can’t possibly be true.”
“I’ve never even brushed fingertips with a noble before.”
Well…
Except for his employer recently.
Unable to resist, I added jokingly.
“Is that so…”
Sir Fret tilted his head thoughtfully.
“Who knows?”
“Perhaps your father himself understood the etiquette of high society.”
“I suppose that’s possible.”
Seeing how puzzled he remained, I simply humored him.
He immediately relaxed.
“Of course…”
“It may simply be that my own experience is lacking.”
“In any case, since you insist otherwise, I won’t ask any further.”
With a pleasant smile, Sir Fret escorted me out.
We crossed the large courtyard surrounded by numerous buildings before finally arriving at the main gate.
This place is unbelievably enormous…
After taking one last look at the castle that couldn’t possibly fit within a single glance…
I secretly clicked my tongue in amazement.
Then I asked,
“By the way…”
“Will I never have any reason to visit the other annexes?”
“It’s nothing important.”
“I was simply curious since you never showed me around them.”
Sir Fret stared at me silently.
Thinking I might have asked something inappropriate, I hurriedly explained myself.
Fortunately…
He answered almost immediately.
“You may enter most places within the estate.”
“However…”
“Apart from the main castle, I’d appreciate it if you refrained from entering the other annexes unless specifically instructed to do so.”
“I understand.”
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Sir Fret.”
“Thank you for everything today.”
Just as I was about to step through the main gate—
“Oh.”
Sir Fret called after me.
“I believe you’re an intelligent person…”
“…so I’m confident you’ll remember what I’m about to say.”
His voice remained as gentle as ever.
Yet somehow…
There was a distinct chill hidden beneath it.
“Under no circumstances…”
“…are you to enter the basement beneath the western annex.”
His tone sounded less like advice…
And more like a warning.
Before I knew it…
A full week had passed since I began working for the House of Schultz.
The excitement that usually accompanied a first job had long since disappeared.
“Ha…”
Sitting at my desk, I let out yet another deep sigh as I stared through the window at the withered winter grass.
The servants of the House of Schultz hurried busily across the courtyard below.
I should have asked for physical labor instead.
At least then…
I’d probably feel much more comfortable than I did now.
But when the Duke of Schultz had offered me the position…
I had been too overwhelmed to think clearly.
Nor had I been shameless enough to make demands of him.
All I had wanted…
Was to do my very best.
I never imagined my work would literally consist of nothing but sorting documents…
I glared at the neatly stacked piles of paperwork I had finished organizing long ago.
Whenever a breeze slipped through the window and rustled the papers resting neatly on the edge of my desk…
It almost felt as though they were mocking me.
In other words…
I was bored out of my mind.
The work assigned to me was astonishingly simple.
I merely sat in my private office…
Sorting incoming documents according to their dates.
It wasn’t nearly as difficult as Sir Fret had implied.
Compared to the mountains of paperwork I’d handled while studying pharmacology…
This was effortless.
Unfortunately…
That had earned me the worst possible reputation among the servants.
On my very first day…
I had been quietly drinking tea by the window when one of the servants happened to meet my eyes.
“Miss Prim truly seems more like a noble young lady than a servant.”
In other words…
They thought I had it far too easy.
That someone of my station didn’t deserve such treatment.
And that wasn’t all.
“After all… you’re even given a private office.”
I was the only servant assigned one.
When I found that out…
I had been deeply embarrassed.
Receiving such an enormous salary while doing so little made me feel guilty.
Several times…
I had tried helping the other servants with their work.
But every single time…
Their answer had been the same.
“No, Miss Prim.”
“We couldn’t possibly burden you with such difficult work.”
“Certainly not.”
Their voices were sharp.
Yet their expressions remained impeccably polite.
At first…
It had been difficult to tell whether they genuinely meant it.
Eventually…
I painfully realized the truth.
They had completely excluded me.
“How could people like us possibly dine alongside Miss Prim?”
“Please, go ahead.”
Naturally…
They never included me during meals or breaks either.
I wasn’t expecting the close camaraderie of people who shared the same room…
But I had hoped we could at least become friendly.
Father had always showered me with love and kindness.
Yet…
He had never allowed me to become close to anyone else.
“Ha…”
Watching several servants laughing together while carrying woven reed laundry baskets…
The smile on my face gradually faded.
The moment they noticed me…
Their expressions instantly turned cold.
Quietly…
I stood up and drew the curtains shut.
The rough fabric felt strangely coarse beneath my fingertips.
To be fair…
Their behavior wasn’t exactly bullying.
If I had been in their position…
I probably would have thought it unfair as well.
Perhaps they simply found me difficult to accept.
After all…
We earned the same salary.
Yet our workloads couldn’t have been more different.
On top of that…
Sir Fret continued treating me with excessive courtesy.
I’d repeatedly begged him to speak to me more casually.
Yet his answer never changed.
“I’m simply accustomed to it.”
“This is much more comfortable for me.”
He always said it with that same gentle smile.
Eventually…
I gave up trying to persuade him.
At this point…
There was only one way I could continue working comfortably in this mansion.
I released the curtain.
I wasn’t sure whether an ordinary servant was allowed to seek out the master on her own…
But first…
I needed to speak with the Duke of Schultz.
Meeting the Duke of Schultz turned out to be surprisingly easy.
When I asked Sir Fret…
He readily agreed to arrange it.
Passing down a long corridor…
I opened the door.
The first thing that greeted me was the familiar bittersweet scent of tobacco—
The same smell that had lingered at Father’s funeral.
Tapestries hung between the carved arches lining the walls.
“So…”
“I heard you wished to see me.”
“Is something wrong?”
His gentle voice drifted across the room.
I looked toward the ash wood desk in the center of the study.
The man who folded his newspaper and looked up at me…
Was the Duke of Schultz.
It had been a while since I’d last seen him.
Compared to my memories…
His features seemed even sharper now.
Perhaps it was because he’d been helping me back then.
At the time…
He hadn’t appeared quite this cold.
His face carried the rigid discipline unique to officers of the Dochilian Navy.
Emotionless…
Yet tinged with unmistakable weariness.
It was strangely captivating.
As a result…
I found myself even more formal than before.
Of course…
He was now my employer.
Showing proper respect was only natural.
The Duke slowly straightened from where he had been leaning back in his chair.
“Fret tells me you’ve been performing your duties well.”
The moment our eyes met…
I felt my palms growing damp.
Trying not to appear nervous, I straightened my back and spoke.
“The problem is that there isn’t enough work.”
“…That’s a problem?”
A slight crease appeared on his forehead.
I nodded.
“The amount of work is far too small compared to the salary I’m receiving.”
“I have an obligation to work much harder than this.”
“That’s the problem.”
A faint crack appeared in the Duke’s composed expression.
One eyebrow lifted.
“…An obligation?”
He slowly repeated the word as though tasting it.
Though somewhat intimidated…
I continued.
“I’m your servant.”
“To be honest…”
“I’m rather uncomfortable.”
“The other servants don’t think well of me either.”
“…”
“And lately…”
“My mind is constantly occupied with thoughts like…”
“‘What will they say about me today?'”
“Even after I return home…”
“I can’t stop feeling uneasy.”
It was true.
I still had work to do every afternoon.
Yet I had become so self-conscious during meals that I’d lost my appetite more times than I could count.
And only one week had passed.
I let out a quiet sigh.
“Surely…”
“…the Duke of Müsen isn’t deliberately giving me preferential treatment just to ease my grief.”
Without noticing how the Duke’s expression had gradually changed…
I continued.
“And on top of that…”
“Sir Fret treats me as though I were his superior.”
“It’s incredibly uncomfortable.”
A quiet chuckle escaped the Duke’s lips.
The sound stopped me mid-sentence.
Only then did I finally look directly at him.
He rested his chin lightly upon his interlocked fingers.
His blue eyes slowly traveled over my dark green dress embroidered with white thread…
Down to my charcoal silk stockings…
And finally…
To the polished tips of my shoes.
His lips, which had remained in a straight line until now…
Finally parted.
