Chapter 32
The first place the butler guided me to was the kitchen. Perhaps because meals were prepared here daily, the kitchen was clean and well-maintained, standing in contrast to the generally worn-down house.
‘But the cupboards are almost empty, and the dishes don’t look like something a duke’s household would use—they’re all rather plain.’
That must be because Dante hardly stays here. The staff probably only prepared simple meals for themselves, so there was no need for elaborate, antique tableware suitable for a duke.
‘Fine china is expensive anyway.’
At least fine china is easier to manage. Silverware, on the other hand, tarnishes quickly if not polished regularly. Even if the dishes are tucked away, silverware must be cleaned often.
Sure enough, the only woman in the kitchen was polishing silverware with a dry towel.
She jumped up in surprise when she saw me.
“My! Oh my!”
Clatter!
Luckily, it was silverware, not a dish—it didn’t break, though the edges seemed a bit dented.
The butler pointed to her.
“This is Mrs. Marsha, in charge of the kitchen.”
I smiled gently and greeted her.
“Hello, I’m Yvonne. I’ve come to help manage this mansion…”
“Finally, our young master has brought a wife!”
Before I could even speak, she shouted loudly. When she said “wife,” I froze in surprise, and she grabbed my hand, shaking it energetically.
“Your name is Yvonne. Such a lovely name! It’s an honor to meet you! I wonder how happy Susanna would have been if she could have met you last year before she passed.”
“….”
I wanted to correct her, but I couldn’t interrupt her enthusiasm. She didn’t give me a chance to speak!
After greeting Mrs. Marsha, I went out to the garden and greeted the gardener, only to encounter the same situation.
“Oh my!”
Seeing me walking with the butler, an elderly man who had been sitting in the shade of a tree practically tumbled to his feet. Then he called out loudly:
“Greetings, Madam!”
“Uh? I’m not a madam… I’m Yvonne…”
“Now I can go to the afterlife and see the master without regrets. Oh, how wonderful!”
“….”
Why does everyone automatically assume I’m Dante’s wife? Even if the staff were curious about their employer’s private life, they usually wouldn’t be so blunt. A careless remark could easily get them in trouble.
Yet, seeing their genuine joy at the thought of Dante having a wife, I realized what kind of relationships Dante had with the staff.
“So, everyone working in this mansion has been here since the Duke’s childhood?”
The butler nodded proudly.
“Yes. Our master is a very affectionate person.”
“He hasn’t hired anyone new since then.”
“…Yes.”
That’s why, in this huge mansion, only a few older staff members remain.
‘No wonder a thief could slip in unnoticed.’
It was clear that only the minimum staff were kept: the doorman, the butler, the cook, and the gardener. Others had passed away over time, and no replacements had been hired.
‘At least it looks spooky enough that a thief would assume there’s nothing worth taking.’
From the outside, it might seem like no one lived here. Perhaps that very appearance had kept it safe so far.
“Is there a reason why no new staff are hired?”
“Once, a newly hired worker was caught stealing. While trying to stop them, the master’s nanny was pushed by the thief and got injured. That left a strong impression on the master.”
“I see.”
“Our master doesn’t trust people easily. That’s why it’s so good that you’ve come, miss.”
I gave an awkward smile at the butler’s praise. I could see how much Dante valued his people.
‘But this way, the mansion won’t function properly.’
After that, the butler led me to my room. It was a large, elegantly decorated room.
“May I really use such a big room?”
“It’s always been empty. We would be glad if you use it.”
“Thank you.”
“Please, make yourself comfortable.”
After the butler left, I set down my bag and walked around the room.
‘This must have been an important room. It’s so clean and well-organized.’
Even in this sparsely inhabited mansion, it looked like someone had worked hard to maintain it. There was no dust, no sense of emptiness, despite its age.
Perhaps the previous occupant was also a woman. There was a spacious dressing room inside, filled with very old dresses.
“These clothes are well-preserved.”
Though out of fashion, the material and condition were impeccable. Deeper in the dressing room were matching tiaras, earrings, necklaces, silk gloves, and silk stockings—all clearly valuable. I quietly closed the door.
‘I’d be scared of losing something.’
It was fortunate no thief had entered. I resolved to get a lock immediately and secure the door.
Outside, the garden stretched like a vast ruin. The gardener clearly pruned and cut weeds regularly, but that was about it.
Both the house and garden required attention. I sighed and turned back.
“This isn’t going to be easy, is it?”
Pepe, who had been wandering happily around the room, stretched and grumbled.
“This is abnormal. Leaving the house like this, it’s really strange.”
I shook my head. Having been hurt by Emil and Rosian, I didn’t want to blame Dante. If a thief had pushed the nanny, Dante might have become wary of hiring people.
“Don’t say that. It takes courage to trust people.”
“Hmph! Don’t defend him in front of me.”
Pepe snorted and turned his head, but he looked so cute that it only made me smile.
When I stroked Pepe’s mane, he squinted as if ticklish, then flopped onto my lap, purring and muttering as if he might fall asleep.
“Don’t overdo it. This mansion hardly has visitors. Why bother decorating it so nicely?”
“But a warm and beautiful home is nicer, isn’t it?”
Even if Dante didn’t come often, wouldn’t he feel better coming home to a cozy, inviting house? That might make him visit more often, to recharge.
‘And I want to help him in any way I can.’
Since leaving the County of Cline, he had helped me so much. I wanted to support him as much as I could.
Pepe, realizing my resolve, clicked his tongue instead of telling me to stop.
“I’m worried you’ll overwork. How can you manage such a huge place alone? And hiring new staff isn’t easy.”
“Yes, I won’t push myself too hard.”
I was happy that Pepe cared about me.
The next day, I energetically went to find the gardener. Renovating the garden would take a lot of time, so I wanted to discuss it first.
Even if I wasn’t really the mistress of the house, I would need the butler’s help to spend money. So I met the gardener with him.
“What can we do now? What kinds of trees are in the garden?”
Understanding that I wasn’t the mistress, the gardener spoke comfortably and gave me helpful advice.
“You need to trim the yew, boxwood, and privet nicely. Also, it’s time to prepare the winter flowerbeds. If you sow pansy or kale seeds now, they’ll sprout and bloom by winter. It’s very cost-effective.”
“Wow, we need to prepare for winter now.”
I nodded eagerly. The first thing to do was sow seeds now for plants that would bloom in winter.
‘Then I need to buy these seeds.’
Even preparing for winter was a challenge, but there was also the problem of planting flowers immediately.
“Then, is it impossible to plant flowers right away? I’d like to bring in some showy ones.”
