Episode 4: Morning at the Duke's House

The Valentoire ducal residence remained calm until the morning.

　The mansion, located in the northern district of the royal capital, looks like a winter fortress wall from a distance. Its exterior walls are made of gray stone, its windows are high, and its front garden is spacious. Even when a carriage passes through the gate and stops, not a single person rushes out in a panic. The servants stand in quiet formation, and the butler bows, his clothes wrinkle-free even in the morning mist.

　I felt a little intimidated by how neatly arranged everything was.

　Last night I stopped by the infirmary and gave them just the bare minimum of explanation. The children rubbed their sleepy eyes but wouldn't let go of my sleeve. I promised to come back tomorrow and handed Mina the key to the drawer in the accounting office, and as dawn approached, I headed to the Duke's house.

　I hadn't slept. But my eyes were strangely wide awake.

　"Come this way"

　The woman who stepped forward was of an age that was difficult to discern. She wore a dark blue maid's uniform perfectly, and not a single strand of hair was out of place. Just from her voice, it was clear that the atmosphere of the mansion revolved around her.

　"I am Tamia, the chief lady-in-waiting. I will show you around your room, clothing, and make all necessary arrangements."

　"……wife"

　"something"

　"No, I'm still not used to it."

　When I accidentally let slip my true feelings, Tamia's eyes twitched just a little. She didn't laugh. She wasn't surprised. Her face simply looked as if she had added another weight to the scales of her evaluation.

　"You'll just have to get used to it."

　"I agree"

　He's not kind, but he's efficient. I don't dislike him.

　The mansion was vast. I was led not to the main reception room in the east wing, but to a room properly furnished for the lady of the house. This surprised me, as I had expected a more decorative reception room in a contract marriage.

　"I received instructions from His Excellency last night."

　Tamia said as she opened the door.

　"Don't just provide the bare minimum, but provide enough to be absolutely necessary."

　"……is that so"

　It's probably the Duke's reasoning. If he treats his wife poorly after taking her into his home, it will disrupt order in the household. That must be his reasoning. Even though I think that, I'm troubled by the fact that a little bit of warmth is rising in my chest.

　From the room's window, I could see the garden, still covered in frost. The fireplace was lit, and there were fresh sheets on the bed. A stack of papers, sealing wax, and even an inkwell were laid out on the desk.

　"I heard you do bookkeeping work."

　"That's helpful."

　"Just being saved isn't enough."

　Tamia continued calmly.

　"I don't know the circumstances under which your mistress came to live in this mansion. However, since Your Excellency made the decision during the night, there must be a reason. But the servants will see their new mistress who has suddenly appeared. They will see her and make a judgment."

　"Yeah"

　"If you show a frightened face, they will treat you with contempt. If you show an arrogant face, they will rebel. Either way, the mansion will be in disarray."

　Those were straightforward words. There are needles, but they're not for stabbing; they're for sewing.

　"So, what should we do?"

　"We'd like you to move."

　Hearing that, I smiled slightly.

　"Understood"

　Without taking a break, I walked through the mansion.

　The kitchen. The laundry room. The pantry. An empty room that could be used as a children's room. The servants' lounge. What I learned while juggling the odd jobs at the orphanage was an eye for observing the flow of people. Where the water was stagnant, who was silently overworking themselves, where supplies were lacking. The same habits were reflected not only in the numbers in the ledgers, but also in the flow of daily life.

　In the kitchen, the preparation area in the morning was too far away, resulting in unnecessary steps. In the laundry room, dry and wet cloths were being carried in opposite directions, bumping into each other. In the pantry, the winter vegetables were stored in a location that was easily exposed to the heat of the fireplace.

　"Can you move this shelf over here?"

　"Y-yes?"

　"Also, we're two laundry baskets short. If we don't separate the wet and dry clothes, work will be delayed."

　"But we've never seen anything like that before..."

　"If there had been enough up until now, then two of the maids wouldn't have been sleep-deprived last night, right?"

　The bewildered young maid nodded in surprise. I don't mean to blame her. She just doesn't know how to turn.

　Tamia initially just watched with her arms crossed. But as I rearranged the kitchen counters in half an hour, organized the flow of cloth, and began calculating backwards to the time for serving breakfast to the servants, she eventually began silently giving instructions to one of the maids.

　"Two carts. Also, measure the dimensions of the empty room."

　"I've got it"

　His voice had changed slightly. From the voice of the one doing the testing, to the voice of the one doing the turning.

　The atmosphere in the mansion changed slightly before noon. People's movements became less jerky, and their footsteps became more synchronized. These kinds of changes are subtle, but those who work there every day notice them immediately.

　I opened the window in the hallway to let out the sweltering heat. A cool breeze hit my cheeks.

　"That's reckless."

　When I turned around, Elisha was standing there.

　I hadn't seen her since morning, yet she was suddenly there. Her neat black hair and tightly closed cloak were flawless. But her eyes, alone, had picked up on every change in the mansion.

　"It's not unreasonable. The walking distance is shorter than to the relief hospital."

　"The comparison is flawed."

　"I thought the ducal family's residence would be a bit more inconvenient."

　"Is that how it looked?"

　"No. It's a house where the people are kind, but the system is causing them to lose out."

　Elisha's eyebrows rose slightly.

　"That's quite an assessment."

　"I'm praising you."

　"That's not how it sounds."

　"The truth is, it sometimes has a bad taste."

　After a brief pause, his lips moved slightly. I think he smiled. Probably so faint that anyone else would have missed it. But I saw it. The man rumored to be a cold-blooded duke smiled just a little in the hallway of his mansion.

　"Now I understand why Tamia seemed so unusually busy."

　"are you mad"

　"The opposite is true. He's unusually not in a bad mood."

　Wouldn't that be a pretty significant achievement?

　I closed the window and picked up the order form that was on the desk. It listed the number of blankets, winter boots, and children's pajamas.

　"this is"

　"This is for welfare facilities."

　As I answered, Elisha's eyes fell on the order form.

　"I checked the numbers last night. I want to get the rest before the cold weather really sets in."

　"You haven't even gotten used to the mansion yet, and you're already thinking about that?"

　"You can get used to it later."

　"If you fall, you lose everything."

　"Then I'll hurry as much as I can without falling."

　As I said this, I instinctively pursed my lips. I had to hurry. There wasn't much time before next month's audit.

　Elisha was about to say something in return, but before she could, a loud noise came from the front door.

　"Get out of the way! I'm that girl's guardian!"

　A low, hoarse, drunken shout. It was a voice I'll never forget.

　A chilling coldness ran down my spine.

　Uncle, Bazant.

　Before I entered the relief hospital, this man tried to use my name as collateral for a loan. He sold off the last grain of his land, yet still drank alcohol from midday onwards, and used his family's names whenever he was in trouble. In my first life, the documents he presented to me only pushed me further into a corner.

　My feet almost stopped moving for a moment.

　But then, a low voice came from beside me.

　"Let's go."

　It was Elisha.

　There was a strange calmness in those two short words. It wasn't comforting. It didn't say "it's okay." It was simply a voice that wouldn't give you time to escape, but would stand alongside you and move forward.

　I took a breath and nodded.

　"yes"

　Standing in the entrance hall was a middle-aged man already reeking of alcohol. He wore several flashy rings and worn-out, high-quality clothes, his face clearly suggesting that he was superior to everyone else.

　As soon as Bazant saw me, he tilted his chin up triumphantly.

　"Skyler, you've acted on your own initiative. Come back right now."

　The memory of the execution platform tightens my throat for just a moment.

　But the person I am now is not the same person I was back then.

　And I was no longer alone.

　On the polished floor of the entrance hall, my shadow and Elisha's shadow stand side by side.

　Beyond that, my uncle's smile slowly twisted.

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