ASDEF 21

Chapter 21

What, is it already afternoon?

No, when on earth are they going to tell me about the most important thing, the household accounts, and about appointing my personal maid?

Please, I want to rest now too! Is it because of this tightly cinched dress, but I feel like I can barely breathe!

Why am I even sitting here listening to this…….

“A etiquette teacher will come once a week starting now. The greetings here are quite strict, so through etiquette training befitting high society, we will elevate Madam’s dignity…….”

Now an etiquette teacher too…….

Unable to overcome my impatience, I finally brought up the main topic myself.

“Du, Duchess, after hearing your kind explanation, I think I understand what the lady of the house’s role is. I’m very, very grateful for the etiquette teacher as well. But Duchess, I have one question…….”

“Please, speak freely.”

“Well…… about the household accounts Father mentioned at breakfast.”

“Ah, the household accounts. You seem very curious about them.”

At the word ‘household accounts,’ a flicker of interest appeared in the head maid’s eyes.

I nodded as calmly as possible. Seeing my composure, the head maid curled the corners of her mouth upwards.

“Of course, I must tell you. Especially since it’s a matter His Lordship himself directly instructed. In fact, I brought last month’s household account book with me. Please, take a look.”

The head maid handed me a neatly kept account book.

I quickly opened it and looked inside. The entries were so dense that even at a glance, there wasn’t a single gap to be found.

‘Wow, this is so well-organized……!’

I bit my lip gently. Because from now on, I had to find a flaw in this account book.

According to Mary, only then could I get my hands on that ‘account book’ that only the Duke possessed.

Namely, the household account book of Lily Benson, Daniel’s mother and the former mistress of this house.

The Duchess, who was the daughter of the Viscount Belph, was so sharp and meticulous that she didn’t employ an accountant and managed the mansion herself.

If I followed her account book exactly, even the strict Duke wouldn’t be able to find fault with it.

Because finding fault would be tantamount to tarnishing his deceased wife’s honor.

The head maid, unaware of the student’s hidden agenda, continued her lecture.

“Now I will explain the most important aspect of household management. A diligent mistress writes her own household accounts, and records even the smallest amounts. The household accounts are the best way to properly grasp a family’s finances…….”

“Which accountant wrote this account book?”

Without taking my eyes off the book, I deliberately muttered loudly enough for the head maid to hear clearly.

At my muttering, the head maid raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“What do you mean by that, Young Madam?”

I pointed to a specific section with my finger.

“Usually, kitchen ingredients are processed using FIFO—first in, first out—but here, LIFO—last in, first out—is used.”

Recalling my past life experience as a sous chef, the basic method was to use the oldest stock first.

If you use LIFO, the ingredients bought earlier remain as inventory, making it increasingly difficult to assess their quality as time passes.

Then, there is also a risk of fraudulent accounting due to ingredients of unknown quality.

Finding such a loophole in an accountant’s own ledger. Ha, Kim Eun-hee! I’m not dead yet! When Daniel returns, I’ll tell him all about my exploits and ask for a bonus.

When I glanced up, the head maid’s gaze was already fixed on the account book. Her face showed clear signs of confusion.

This is the perfect timing.

I was about to use this as a pretext to get to the main point.

“Young Madam, that is……. I believe it was written by His Lordship.”

“……Eh? Wh-Who wrote it?”

“If it’s last month’s account book, I heard His Lordship wrote it himself due to the accountant’s absence.”

Gasp. So, did I just challenge the Duke’s account book……?

How am I supposed to find a flaw in an account book written by the Duke himself!

The sudden silence in the room felt like it was choking me.

“Is there any problem?”

The head maid peered intently at my flushed face and asked.

I urgently gave a thumbs-up.

“Th-This is truly an amazing accounting method!”

“……Pardon?”

“To use fresh ingredients first to maximize the flavor of the food. Does this stem from Father’s deep insight? My dull mind couldn’t possibly think that far. Hoho.”

I genuinely tapped my dull head with my fist and smiled brightly.

‘It’s my fault for trusting Daniel. I’ve been had again. Again!’

The sharp gaze of the head maid, who had been staring at me intently, gradually melted away like snow.

“Indeed. No one can match His Lordship’s insight.”

“Well then, Mrs. Jones, about this account book. Would it be alright if I held onto it for a while……?”

“Of course. His Lordship will be pleased as well.”

At her words, I clutched the account book to my chest as if holding onto a lifeline.

Just as I was finally calming the cold sweat on my back, the head maid’s clear voice rang out.

“Oh my, it seems I forgot something. You must have been uncomfortable without a personal maid all this time. I should have assigned one to you sooner, but we had to follow formal procedures, so I beg your generous understanding.”

Finally, the topic of my personal maid.

The head maid’s eyes began to shine even brighter than before.

Only then did I realize. This was her main point all along.

“So that Young Madam may be attended to comfortably, I will assign a clever girl…….”

“Thank you, but I want to choose my own personal maid.”

“……You wish to do it yourself?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected turn, the head maid blinked her wrinkled eyes widely. Her face clearly showed bewilderment.

“I am the head maid of the Benson household and have served His Lordship for 20 years. The young master has now grown into a fine gentleman, but back then, he was just a little baby.”

“For 20 years? You are quite remarkable, indeed.”

“Ahem! The maids are also under my charge. I can see them more clearly and objectively than anyone.”

“I’m sure you can.”

“I’m not saying this to receive a compliment. I’m concerned that you might be doubting my judgment…….”

Though unintended, the head maid’s face began to redden, as if her pride had been scratched.

I soothed her gently.

“Do not worry. I trust your judgment completely.”

“Do you perhaps have someone in mind already?”

“Ah, no.”

“Do you wish to hire someone from outside?”

“That wouldn’t be the case.”

“Then, for what reason do you refuse my recommendation?”

Her piercing gaze bore into my face.

I could guess how she had managed to survive 20 years in the Benson household, where most servants supposedly couldn’t last a month.

The head maid was a person with immense pride in her profession. She wanted to see her will prevail until the end.

But I couldn’t let myself be overwhelmed by her momentum. Because I, too, had a path I needed to follow.

Those with strong pride cannot defeat those who have their goal in sight.

“I want to give everyone a fair opportunity.”

I slowly got to my feet, broaching the main topic. While maintaining my own momentum, of course.

“As you said, my personal maid is a very important position. Ah, naturally, second only to you, of course. So, assigning a maid according to your judgment would be convenient in many ways.”

“Yes, that would be a convenient and wise decision.”

“I know. But I believe that the more important the position, the fairer the selection process should be. So…….”

I grandly threw open the half-closed curtains, letting the warm sunlight seep into every corner of the room. Then I turned towards the head maid and smiled.

“I will hold interviews.”

“……Interviews?”

“Yes, interviews. It will take some time, though.”

“Are you planning to evaluate the maids’ skills directly?”

The head maid asked back, startled. I answered her question squarely.

“No.”

“You give a peculiar answer. If not that, then what?”

“The skills of the maids in the Benson household are undoubtedly excellent without even seeing them. Through these interviews, I intend to assess the most essential virtues for a maid: honesty and integrity. I believe a maid with such qualities is the right person to be my personal attendant.”

As I finished speaking, I fixed my eyes with intensity.