ASDEF 23

Chapter 23

“I heard you’re the eldest of three siblings. You must have a hard time paying for your father’s medicine, right?”

“H-how did you know…?”

How did I know? Through this household’s information network, Wally, of course.

“I looked at the household accounts. The maids here get a salary of 20 gold. That amount must be tight for covering hospital bills.”

“…There’s no one else but me to earn money. The maid salary at the Benson household is much higher than other places, after all.”

“So that’s why you left your previous house. The reviews about you there were quite good too.”

I set down the evaluation log about Isabel that the Cheshire household, where she had previously worked, had sent over. Then I lifted the teacup with steam rising from it and took a sip.

“You’ve probably heard this too. That I personally select my personal maid.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Why didn’t you apply? You must know well that the personal maid receives a higher salary.”

“Well, that is…”

Isabel’s eyes wandered, unable to find their way. I answered in her place.

“Because there’s already someone chosen?”

At my question, Isabel let out a sigh.

“…Yes. Here, the person recommended by the head maid is appointed to that position. I’m not tactless enough to challenge the head maid.”

“Is that really the only reason?”

“Of course, it’s also not attractive enough to choose for 10 gold. It’s a position that draws everyone’s attention.”

“Hmm, so that’s why the other maids didn’t apply either.”

With that, the room fell into silence. It was I who broke the heavy stillness first.

“But, if I said I wanted to make you my personal maid, would you refuse?”

“E-excuse me?!”

Startled, she stared at me with wide eyes, her face full of surprise. The air around us grew tense.

With a calm expression, I lifted the teapot and poured tea into another empty cup. Then I slid it toward Isabel.

“I’d like you to become my personal maid.”

“M-me…”

“If you do, I’ll cover the hospital bills you need.”

“What? Why would the young lady do that…”

“Ah, is ‘cover’ the wrong word? I want to buy you with that money. Because you’re someone worth that much.”

“…Me?”

“Yes.”

Looking at Isabel’s face, which couldn’t hide its fluster, I could tell at once—this was quite an unconventional offer.

Until Isabel came, I kept avoiding the issue, thinking my salary from Daniel wasn’t enough. But in the end, there were only two choices.

Give up something big to gain something small.

Or give up something small to gain something big.

And I’d made my decision. I would willingly use the salary Daniel gave me to buy a good person.

If that was the shortcut to gaining the Benson family’s vast fortune, I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment.

“So be my personal maid, Isabel.”

Duke Robert Benson sat in his study early in the morning, deep in thought.

*’The young lady says she’ll personally select her maid… what should we do?’*

He mulled over the words the head maid had conveyed the night before.

Robert Benson had started as the vice-captain of the Royal Knights—now absorbed into the royal army—even before he inherited the dukedom.

The word ‘failure’ was hardly befitting of him.

Duke Robert Benson was present in every victorious war. As if everything had been foreseen.

During the Plitium Campaign, a superstition spread that God favored the Duke of Benson in all matters.

Of course, the Duke himself believed that superstition too. That is, until he suddenly lost his wife fourteen years ago.

But somehow, once the misfortune started, it didn’t stop.

Not long after, his firstborn son, whom he had strongly believed in, suddenly insisted on becoming a wizard and refused the position as head of the family. His only daughter had no interest in marriage whatsoever and only shut herself away in the library.

If only it had stopped there. But the Duke of Benson heard something truly shocking through the maid who had served his wife her entire life.

His deceased wife’s past.

The moment he heard it, he let go of the last rope of reason he had barely been holding onto.

“Here again. Damn these thoughts…”

The Duke of Benson, who had unconsciously thought of his dead wife, downed the glass of water in front of him and shook off his reverie.

Days filled with nothing but misfortune. Then suddenly, a great change came.

Daniel, who had never shown any interest in the family, abruptly made a strange proposal.

Even bringing up the card of marriage.

*’You always wanted me to marry. If I were to marry, could I receive Wilhelm as my share immediately?’*

*’Marriage? You don’t mean that Briana Hellera, do you?!’*

*’No. It’s someone else.’*

*’…What?’*

*’I told you, I’ve come to hold someone else in my heart.’*

So the one who had only ever wanted Briana Hellera suddenly brought up someone else? How could someone who was always either at the palace or on the battlefield have met another woman without anyone knowing?

It was an absurd turn of events, but at any rate, it meant a troublesome issue was resolved.

In his heart, he wanted to give away Wilhelm or anything else, but he never voiced it. Because, son or not, he didn’t fully trust his words.

The Duke of Benson demanded that the child be brought to him immediately.

Is she real? First, he had to see her face. If she existed, he wanted to see just what kind of child she was.

And finally, he met her.

Celestine Fields.

She was the daughter of a small, unfamiliar household.

She clearly lacked the sophistication or refined education of other young ladies, but Celestine, sitting across from him, kept catching his eye with her bright face.

A white, round face and transparently shining emerald eyes.

Even as she looked at his rough demeanor, she smiled gently, as if trying to melt even his frozen heart.

She even had a rather capable side to her, not backing down from difficult questions.

The Duke, who had armed himself with wary eyes, found himself nodding at her answers before he knew it. He began to wonder—was it this charm that had captivated Daniel?

In the end, at the end of that bewilderment, he gave his permission for the marriage.

Of course, he still needed to observe further.

While his son and daughter-in-law stayed here, the Duke of Benson planned to look closely into his daughter-in-law’s character through his watchers.

He had intended to have her secretly watched and, if he sensed anything suspicious, swiftly deal with her.

“She managed to slip out of my grasp…?”

The impatient Duke of Benson wanted to call his daughter-in-law immediately and demand the reason.

But if he did, it would be obvious that he had tried to place a spy on her.

Even if she knew, his daughter-in-law probably wouldn’t have much to say back, but the problem was the stubborn Daniel. Who knew what he might bring up as an excuse.

For now, he had bought time with Bournemouth, but if his son set his mind to it, he would soon be faced with a problem beyond his own abilities.

Moreover, he was worried that this might only make his daughter-in-law grow more wary of him.

“Your Grace, it’s the head butler.”

A knock came from outside, and the head butler opened the door halfway and entered.

“Your Grace, the young lady is here to see you.”

“…Celestine?”

Through the open door, a familiar presence appeared. It was his daughter-in-law, looking at him with a bright face.

His daughter-in-law, in his study, where even his own children rarely came.

He quickly stiffened his face to hide his surprise.

“Ahem. What brings you here?”

His daughter-in-law entered the study and, watching his expression, carefully asked.

“I have something to tell you, Father. And, and to have some tea together…! If you’re busy though…”

Celestine, who had not yet been assigned a maid, had come carrying a tray with tea herself.

The Duke, unable to take his eyes off her for a moment, rose from his seat and sat at the table.

“No, sit down.”

Soon, Celestine, seated across from him, placed the teapot and two cups on the table. As she poured the tea, the fragrant scent of chamomile filled the silent room.