Chapter 110
---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------
110.
'Good heavens. All the way until dawn? And here I thought he was always singing about how much he despised being heir. Clearly, the Duke is no different from any other man. But my, how that adorable child has grown so quickly...'
Belma gazed at Julian sleeping peacefully, her mind drifting to memories of his childhood.
Rebecca finished her simple ablutions and asked while drying her face.
"The wash water smells wonderful. What's been added to it?"
"Ah, green tea. It's said to be excellent for soothing the skin."
"How thoughtful. I like it. You're Belma Dawson, the head maid, aren't you? I look forward to working with you."
Rebecca spoke with a bright, radiant smile.
Even in the faint sunlight filtering through the partially drawn curtains, Rebecca's face shone like the sun itself.
Belma found herself momentarily entranced, gazing at Rebecca's luminous complexion.
'Ah. So there was a reason he drove himself until dawn.'
Though it might seem presumptuous, Belma had always believed no one was more beautiful than Julian.
But compared to Rebecca, Julian was merely a handsome black cat.
"Where should I change my clothes? I'm ignorant of everything here, so please teach me well, head maid."
"Please, just call me Belma. The dressing room adjoins the bedroom. The Duke has filled the wardrobe with dresses suited to you. I'll show you the way."
Nothing in the Duke of Johannes Castle seemed small.
The dressing room was as vast as Sandra's Boutique.
Rebecca stood speechless before the mountain of dresses hanging in the wardrobe.
Even someone with little aesthetic sensibility like her found herself gasping at the sheer beauty of the gowns displayed in succession.
She had no idea which dress to choose from among so many.
She didn't want to appear frivolous, yet neither did she wish to seem like a serious person devoid of taste.
After careful deliberation, Rebecca selected a brown dress with slightly exposed shoulders.
The muted velvet fabric in a desaturated brown evoked a composed elegance.
Simultaneously, the gracefully revealed rounded shoulders dispelled the oppressive atmosphere the fabric might have created.
"I'll wear this one."
Having changed into the dress, Rebecca descended the stairs with Belma.
Servants bustled about busily, opening the castle to the morning.
One maid, diligently attending to her duties, widened her eyes upon encountering Rebecca.
The maid paused briefly to admire Rebecca's beauty before offering a respectful curtsy at Belma's subtle cough.
"Good morning, Duchess."
The maid seemed uncomfortable with the title, her greeting slightly awkward.
"It's lovely to meet you. I'm Rebecca Obelia. I look forward to your kindness going forward."
Her warm response brightened the maid's expression.
Several other servants, who had been quietly observing their exchange, greeted Rebecca.
Surrounded by staff in an instant, Rebecca found herself occupied with returning their greetings.
Belma appeared like a savior, dismissing the servants and gently guiding Rebecca toward the Dining Hall.
"You must be hungry. It would be best to have breakfast first. The Duke specifically instructed me to ensure you're well cared for."
"I understand."
Typically, servants who had worked long in a household would regard newcomers with suspicion.
Some, as a form of hazing, would deliberately withhold proper instruction or nitpick constantly.
The tension between an aging head maid and a new bride was a topic that frequently surfaced in high society.
When Rebecca first became the Duchess, Grace had been quite harsh toward her.
However, when Fabiola tormented her far worse, Grace eventually took Rebecca's side.
I heard that the Duke of Johannes Castle had long been served by generations of loyal retainers.
The head chef and Croa were among them.
And Belma was both a dear friend of the Previous Duke's wife and practically Julian's nursemaid.
So Rebecca steeled herself for the possibility of territorial resistance and rose from bed.
Yet contrary to her braced expectations, the staff welcomed Rebecca with genuine warmth.
"Chef Champ has already informed me of your ladyship's preferences. I shall fatten you up beautifully, so please enjoy your meals without worry!"
The head chef thumped his chest with his fist, radiating confidence.
It seemed that Champ, the chef Julian had sent to Obelia Mansion, had properly briefed him.
Instead of finely ground apple jam, a crisp-textured apple jam graced the table.
It was precisely to Rebecca's taste.
Rebecca savored the cinnamon fragrance wafting from the apple jam as she bit into a freshly baked, crispy white bread.
Paired with warm milk and homemade ham, it was perfection itself.
As Rebecca ate diligently, she suddenly felt eyes upon her and lifted her head.
Several maids and servants were peering through the slightly opened dining hall door, watching her.
When Rebecca waved toward them, Belma raised her eyebrows sternly and shouted.
"Do you all have nothing better to do? Stop disturbing the Duchess's meal and return to your duties at once!"
Despite Belma's scolding, they all scattered with delighted giggles.
They all seemed to get along well.
Belma turned back to Rebecca with an embarrassed expression.
"My apologies. The position of mistress has been vacant here for quite some time. It seems everyone is curious about the new Duchess...."
"It's quite alright. I'm grateful for the welcome."
When I first saw those watching me, I wondered if they meant to spy on me, but that feeling never materialized.
The warmth in their eyes toward me was far too genuine.
'This would be unthinkable at the Devonshire Estate.'
The retainers I remembered were invariably businesslike and cold.
Most of the staff would watch me with frigid expressions.
Julian often described the Duke's Castle as a wasteland, but from my perspective, it was nothing of the sort.
Compared to House of Devon, this place was like a flower garden in spring.
Rebecca began her first day as Duchess by eavesdropping on the head chef and Belma's conversation.
* * *
After finishing a simple breakfast, Belma began earnestly showing Rebecca around every corner of the Duke of Johannes Castle.
It was a place she would need to manage for the time being. She wanted to do the work properly before leaving.
Rebecca straightened up and listened carefully to Belma's explanations.
"Finally, this is the office where you'll be staying, my lady."
"My office? Not Julian's office?"
"Of course. The Duke has his own separate office. I mentioned earlier that the spacious study we saw is his office, didn't I?"
"I thought this was a second office."
"Not at all. It's only natural that the Duchess needs a place to work as well. You can't exactly write documents at your vanity, can you? Oh, since we're on the subject, would you like to look over this month's ledgers?"
Belma rummaged through the office as if it were her own home and brought out a thick folder of documents.
Rebecca accepted the ledger with reluctance.
"I'm not particularly skilled with calculations, so there are likely many shortcomings."
"Not at all. Even at a glance, it's remarkably well-organized."
"Still, it will fall short. You have so much more experience."
Rebecca paused and looked at Belma. It didn't seem like she was mocking her divorce history at all.
Rather, her face was brimming with expectations about Rebecca's abilities.
'Oh dear....'
But contrary to Belma's expectations, I had no idea what a mistress of the house actually did.
Danae had given me a brief education before I came here, but theory and practice were entirely different.
Each territory had its own circumstances, and I had to adapt accordingly.
For a moment, I wished there were a mouse hole I could crawl into.
Having been through one marriage, it was clear she had high expectations of me.
I considered lying and pretending to be familiar with such matters, handling things haphazardly.
But I soon abandoned the idea.
This time, I truly wanted to do well. I didn't want to be merely a Duchess in name.
Not knowing wasn't shameful. What was shameful was doing nothing at all.
Rebecca opened her mouth with a slightly awkward expression.
"The truth is... I know nothing at all."
"Pardon?"
"When I was the Countess of Devonshire before... my ex-husband wouldn't let me do anything. So I know even less than a new bride."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Belma's face.
Just as Rebecca had suspected, Belma had been filled with anticipation when she heard that a seasoned lady was coming as the mistress of the house.
She had to live so busily filling the empty role of mistress that she couldn't even care for her own family.
She thought she was finally about to catch her breath, but now she had to teach everything from scratch.
However, Belma had already heard Rebecca's circumstances from Julian beforehand.
'Good heavens, you should have told me this too! Then I would have at least prepared a manual in advance.'
It wasn't Rebecca's fault that she knew nothing.
A mistress of the house had finally arrived!
Belma thought she could endure a little more hardship, and gently took Rebecca's hand as she smiled bitterly.
"It's quite alright. If I don't know something, I can learn it. Please don't hesitate to ask me anything. I'll help you to the best of my ability."
Rebecca's expression, which had grown clouded, gradually brightened.
Soon, she broke into a radiant smile.
"That's right. I can learn it. I can absolutely learn it! Then shall we start right now?"
"R-right now? You must be exhausted from wandering through such a vast castle all morning. Perhaps you should rest a little first...."
"No. I'm not tired at all. Please teach me. Everything!"
In truth, Belma had spoken out of her own desire for rest, but she found herself unable to dissuade Rebecca.
The brilliance in her eyes, brimming with such vitality, was far too radiant to deny her the opportunity to pursue her passion.
* * *
"My lady. An urgent message has arrived from the Imperial Palace. What shall we do?"
A servant approached Rebecca, who had just finished her lunch and was sipping her tea.
Rebecca read the letter.
It stated that an emergency state council meeting would be held this afternoon and that she was to attend without fail.
"Tell the attendant who brought the letter that the Duke of Johannes will be in attendance. I shall inform His Grace directly."
"Yes, understood."
The servant left the dining hall with a beaming face.
Every time an urgent letter needed to be delivered to Julian, it had been fraught with difficulties.
He would often vanish without a trace despite being in his room moments before, or he would send the letter back, claiming it was a nuisance.
But for matters to proceed so smoothly now—
The servant inwardly showered Rebecca with praise.
The Duchess who fled had returned.
E-book publication.
January 12, 2022
Author.
Long night sky
Publisher.
Desert fox
Published by.
Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
Submission received.
naver.me/54VzzLSn
Blog.
blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox
Twitter.
@wjt_fennecfox
---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------