Chapter 7
Johannes Schultz stepped back again, as though he had never closed the distance between us in the first place.
His indifferent gesture made me unconsciously draw a breath before I slowly exhaled and answered.
“But… I don’t even have the professional qualifications the House of Schultz requires.”
He let out a quiet scoff.
“Even if someone applied with every professional certification imaginable, the House of Schultz wouldn’t hire them.”
I tilted my head in confusion.
Seeing my reaction, the Young Duke continued.
“The House of Schultz doesn’t recruit servants to begin with.”
“…What?”
“Then what about the recruitment notices…?”
“They’re a facade.”
He answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
That only left me more bewildered.
“Then… are you saying there aren’t any servants at the estate?”
“Of course not.”
His voice carried a trace of disbelief.
A faint wrinkle formed between his brows, as if he couldn’t believe I had asked such a question.
“So you’re saying…”
“…that you’re going to hire me.”
“Even though the House of Schultz never actually recruits new servants despite posting job advertisements?”
“That’s correct.”
I stood there, dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, he spoke as calmly as ever, his impeccable manners never wavering.
“It seems you’ve just been entrusted with yet another secret that you’ll have to keep, Miss Prim.”
Was that why he told me?
To make me his servant?
But why?
As I hesitated without saying anything, his deep voice broke the silence.
“I’ll pay you well.”
“More than the Russell Marquess family.”
“…How do you know what salary they offered me?”
The question slipped out before I could stop myself.
There wasn’t the slightest hint of malice behind it.
I was simply… genuinely curious.
Of course, I understood that a noble family’s fortune was beyond anything an ordinary commoner could imagine.
But…
The royal family had recently stripped the House of Schultz of its financial authority.
Does he really have that kind of money?
The salary offered by the Russell Marquess family had been enormous.
Not only for a commoner…
Perhaps even for many nobles.
Though, admittedly, it came with one condition:
I had to survive serving the elderly Lady Russell for at least three months.
As if reading my thoughts, he replied,
“Although the royal family revoked the House of Schultz’s financial authority…”
“…our finances haven’t deteriorated to the point where Miss Prim needs to worry.”
He smiled as though it were nothing.
Yet at the same time…
He had gently pointed out the rudeness of me doubting the wealth of the House of Schultz.
“Ah…”
The more I thought about it…
The more I realized what an incredibly foolish question it had been.
“I’m sorry.”
“That was terribly rude of me.”
No matter how wealthy the Russell Marquess family might be…
The House of Schultz possessed far more than the money sitting in bank accounts.
Losing access to those funds for a while merely meant they couldn’t collect interest on them.
Besides…
Even the royal family couldn’t suppress the House of Schultz so easily.
Not while they still wielded such immense influence.
As I apologized, he spoke almost to himself.
“Petty Officer Prim praised you often.”
“…”
“So…”
“What do you think?”
It was absurd.
Yet Johannes Schultz somehow looked like someone politely asking me for a favor.
Did Father really save this man’s life or something?
He certainly couldn’t have helped him financially.
Perhaps he had rescued him on the battlefield.
With that thought…
Rejecting him outright suddenly felt discourteous.
I turned toward the west.
The sun had nearly set.
Its brilliant crimson light disappeared behind Evanshtein Castle—
the ducal residence of the House of Schultz—
standing proudly in the distance.
It wasn’t far from my home.
Only about thirty minutes away by carriage.
The Russell Marquess family certainly offered excellent pay.
But compared to a six-hour daily commute…
And all the frightening rumors surrounding the old Lady Russell…
This wasn’t the time to be overly selective.
My gaze drifted toward Father’s coffin.
The mound of white lilies…
And the cigarette pack resting on top like a decoration.
What should I do…?
The answer had already been decided.
If Johannes Schultz wasn’t hiring me out of pity…
Nor merely because I was Father’s daughter…
Then…
If Father truly had done something extraordinary for him…
Refusing this offer would simply be foolish.
So…
I had to seize this opportunity.
I tore my eyes away from Evanshtein Castle and looked straight at him.
“Then…”
“…I’ll gratefully accept your offer.”
* * *
On the walk home after Father’s funeral…
I had expected to feel hollow.
Empty.
As though everything inside me had vanished.
Instead…
I felt something completely different.
My emotions were complicated.
But if I had to summarize them in one word…
It would be bewildered.
The cold sea breeze whipped against my face as I recalled what had happened only moments ago.
The salary Johannes Schultz had offered me…
Far exceeded anything I had imagined.
It made the Russell Marquess family’s offer seem almost laughably small.
One million Berk.
Even now…
It sounded unbelievable.
And that’s per week.
With that much money, I could cover my living expenses… and continue studying pharmacology without interruption.
The work would undoubtedly be demanding.
But if I managed my time carefully…
It should be possible.
Honestly…
When I first heard the amount, I had been shocked.
I wondered whether he was giving me special treatment simply because I was Petty Officer Prim’s daughter.
But that assumption had quickly been proven wrong.
When I told the Young Duke the salary was far too generous, he calmly replied,
“It’s roughly the same salary the servants of the ducal household receive. The details will be explained by the head butler, Fret Gunner, on your first day.”
I didn’t know what other noble families paid.
But for the first time…
I regretted not obtaining a few professional certifications much earlier.
First, I should let the Russell Marquess family know I won’t be coming…
“Edith! You’re home!”
Lost in thought, I nearly jumped out of my skin when someone suddenly grabbed my arm.
It was Mrs. Pensler.
Without realizing it, I had already reached home.
I immediately took her freezing hands in mine.
She must have been waiting outside for quite some time.
“Why are you standing out here in this cold?”
“It’s so late…”
“You should have gone to bed.”
“I’m not cold.”
She waved her hand dismissively.
“How could I possibly sleep without knowing whether you’d made it home safely?”
“And besides…”
“I won’t be seeing you very often anymore.”
She looked at me with obvious concern.
She still believed I’d be commuting to Bölen every day.
“Actually…”
“But did the funeral go well?”
“I was worried sick after sending you there alone.”
“They said only family members could attend…”
She gently ushered me into the house.
Warm air greeted us immediately.
She must have lit the fireplace long before I arrived.
“Edith, sit down for a moment.”
“I’ll bring you some tea.”
I had a feeling it would be impossible to interrupt Mrs. Pensler until she had finished speaking.
I was used to it.
Even after bringing the tea…
She continued worrying over me for quite some time.
Only after her voice finally quieted did I manage to speak.
“Mrs. Pensler…”
“I have something to tell you.”
“Hm?”
“What is it?”
“Actually…”
“I met someone at the funeral.”
“They introduced me to a job that’s much closer to home.”
“So I won’t be going to the Russell Marquess family’s estate after all.”
“The pay is good too…”
“What are you talking about?”
To my surprise…
Instead of looking pleased, Mrs. Pensler frowned.
She stared at me as though I had completely lost my mind.
When I only looked back in confusion…
The crease between her brows deepened.
“Edith!”
Her voice became unusually serious.
“You’re a pretty girl.”
“Just this autumn alone, how many marriage proposals did you receive?”
Before I could answer…
She launched into an endless lecture.
How could I trust someone I’d just met?
What if he had ulterior motives?
What if he intended to take advantage of me?
She continued one worried warning after another.
I hadn’t expected this reaction at all.
It left me at a complete loss.
After all…
I couldn’t exactly tell her the truth.
That the Young Duke of Schultz himself had offered me a position at the ducal estate.
So…
I had no choice but to sit there and endure her scolding.
“Really…”
“It’s alright.”
“I’m not that reckless, Mrs. Pensler.”
Only after repeatedly assuring her that the person was trustworthy…
And convincing her not to worry…
Was I finally able to leave her house.
