Chapter 34
In her previous life—before she turned back time—it had been normal to be endlessly bound by her parents and her husband. But now, even when she recalled those dark days, her heart no longer hurt.
Spending time with Khalid, the wounds she once carried had gradually faded—becoming faint, like a dream from the night before.
“…?”
Khalid wasn’t sure what part of her joy he was supposed to be thankful for, but seeing her smile so brightly made him feel happy all the same.
Just as he was about to embrace her—her arms already wrapped around his neck—he suddenly paused and asked,
“Is it all right for me to hold you now? Earlier, I didn’t mean to…”
He was being cautious, remembering that she had warned him before not to touch her carelessly.
Dahlia smiled and replied,
“Yes. It’s fine now.”
Once she gave her permission, Khalid pulled her close, his arm firm around her waist.
Their upper bodies pressed together through the thin fabric of their clothes. Though it wasn’t their first time touching, she could still feel the subtle tremor running through his solid frame.
“…”
That made Dahlia feel oddly ticklish and shy. She slipped out of his arms and changed the subject.
“So… do you already have a departure schedule in mind?”
“Hmm. Don’t you have a few things to finish up here first?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“There’s no rush. Take your time and wrap things up properly before we go.”
Dahlia nodded.
The clothes she was working on could easily be delivered by someone else, but she also wanted to learn more about the relationship between Mielle and Sylvia at the Zephyros Atelier.
On top of that, she and Roy had been visiting the city’s busy streets, making connections and leaving impressions on several talented people of Ahmad City.
“Then… about a week should be enough.”
“Who are you people?”
Meanwhile, Aaron was facing a crowd of visitors at the castle.
“We’re here to help!”
“Please give us any work that needs doing! Should we bring this inside?”
“I got here first!”
“It’s cramped—move over a bit, will you?”
“…”
After word leaked that the reclusive Grand Duke had returned to his ancestral castle, noble families had rushed to send their servants, hoping to curry favor with the mysterious man.
“Sigh…”
Aaron scanned the line of attendants, each holding armfuls of gifts.
At first, he had turned them all away out of annoyance. But they kept coming back, smiling sheepishly, loitering nearby—or even barging in again.
“…”
Seeing them now—standing before him so eager to ‘help’—he decided there was no point in chasing them off.
“Well, come to think of it, you might be useful after all. Let’s assign some tasks, shall we?”
Those who had been competing to show their loyalty were irritated at not getting the best jobs, but still followed his instructions efficiently.
With all the extra hands, the castle quickly began shedding years of dust and decay. As expected of servants who had grown up under the strict discipline of the capital’s nobles.
But not everyone helping was there out of genuine goodwill.
What a bunch of rats.
Among the workers, some with shifty eyes were clearly searching for clues about the castle’s master. Before long, they recognized one another.
Some had been sent by Shirei or the Crown Prince, while others were spies from entirely different factions.
“This was my cleaning area.”
“No, it’s mine. I’ll polish it even shinier than you.”
Each one tried desperately to get closer to the inner rooms.
Of course, Aaron had already sealed off important areas like the master’s chambers and study, but that didn’t stop them from sneaking around like mice scavenging for crumbs.
Some were caught and thrown out by Aaron himself. Others—those he particularly disliked—were assigned the dirtiest, most unpleasant chores imaginable.
Aaron was nothing if not thorough—and a little bit wicked. He kept track of which family each servant belonged to, appointed the most diligent worker as a watcher over the rest, and ensured no one slacked off or ran away.
“You there—wring out the mop properly! It’s dripping all over the floor!”
Among those appointed as monitors was someone Dahlia would have recognized.
“Oh, come on! Don’t just call me ‘hey, you’ because I’m young! My name’s Mary—Mary! I have a perfectly nice name, you know!”
It was Mary, the maid who had helped Dahlia escape from the Viscount Borbon’s estate.
Even after Dahlia’s departure, the viscount had remained hopelessly foolish—but Shirei, now his would-be son-in-law, had already spread all the juicy information he could spare like alms.
According to our soon-to-be son-in-law, a powerful figure is coming out of seclusion. I can’t just sit idly here in this backwater. My successor will have to make his way to the capital someday, after all.
And so, in an attempt to make a connection, he sent one of his idle servants—Mary.
A servant from the southern region, who knew of Mary’s origins, soon complained to Aaron.
“There are attendants from the most powerful families here—why should we take orders from a girl sent by some lowly viscount?”
Aaron scowled and replied,
“Do I really need to explain that?”
“Yes, I’d like to hear it!”
“Because she’s better at the job than you are.”
Mary, who had shrunk back at the servants’ protests, puffed out her chest proudly at Aaron’s words and laughed.
“Butler, you’ve got good sense! I’ll work them twice as hard!”
Aaron only gave her a look of cold disdain.
“Just don’t get too familiar. I’m going to check the other wings.”
“Yes, sir!”
Satisfied, Aaron left. Mary, in turn, raised her voice even louder.
“All right, move it, people!”
“How are the preparations going?”
“Smoothly enough. Everyone’s in a frenzy knowing the Grand Duke’s returning.”
Khalid asked out of formality, not genuine concern. He knew Aaron well enough—gruff with humanity, yet tireless in his duties.
“Still,” Aaron said, “this castle is far too big for just me and Roy to manage.”
“True. Considering its size, that’s understandable.”
Khalid nodded, gazing over the vast structure.
By proper standards, a place like this would require at least five gardeners alone.
It wasn’t quite as large as the royal palace, with its endless annexes, but it was still immense—just touring the interior would take an entire day. Even with some magical assistance, two people were far too few to maintain it.
Of course, they could always seal off most of it and use only a portion, but Khalid wanted Dahlia to be able to use every corner as she pleased.
“We’ll have to hire more staff.”
“Yes, Master. You could summon more of your own kind, but hiring some humans might not be a bad idea either.”
“Hmm. True—since they’ll have to adapt to this place anyway. I’ll discuss it with Dahlia.”
As Khalid turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something.
“I heard several visitors came by today. Any of them worth hiring?”
At that, Aaron recalled the small, energetic maid who had been bustling around the castle.
Where was she from again? I’ve heard that family name before…
He didn’t bother trying too hard to remember—if it didn’t come to mind, it clearly wasn’t important.
“There is one, but since it involves bringing someone inside, I’ll keep observing before deciding.”
“Good.”
After hearing the rest of Aaron’s meticulous reports, Khalid stood as dawn began to break.
It was nearly time for Dahlia to wake up.
“Leaving already, Master? If you’re not too busy, stay a little longer.”
Unusually, Aaron tried to stop him. Despite being surrounded by so many people lately, he seemed to miss the days when he, Khalid, Dahlia, and Roy had bustled together in the Ahmad residence.
But Khalid smiled apologetically.
“Sorry. I need to go prepare breakfast.”
“…Figures.”
Khalid had long insisted that no one but him would ever handle Dahlia’s morning meals.
Aaron sighed in defeat, and Khalid gently patted his head before departing.
“…Lord Khalid.”
“Hmm?”
“You’re the only one left who still pats my head.”
Hearing the rare, childlike grumble in Aaron’s voice, Khalid smiled wryly again.
“I see. Once the relocation is complete, we’ll all live together again.”
“Yes. I’ll have everything perfectly ready by then.”
Aaron clenched his fist in determination. When Khalid disappeared before him, the tight fist slowly loosened.
“All right, back to work. Mary should be showing up soon.”
Mary always said, “The early bird catches the worm,” and unfailingly appeared at the castle gate at dawn. Since being appointed as the workers’ overseer, she’d become even more punctual.
“I’ll give it another day. If nothing goes wrong, I’ll keep her on.”
That human girl’s slightly unhinged brightness reminded him of Roy. She’d probably get along well with both Dahlia and Roy back in Ahmad.
Everything about the move to the capital was progressing perfectly.
Humming softly, Aaron began his day’s work.
