To like knitting that much—how could anyone be so earnest about it? My heart softened without me realizing. I let out a small laugh and brushed Pepe’s head gently with my fingers.
“Please be nice to the Duke, Lady Pepe.”
At my words, Pepe started flailing his short arms wildly, yelling in outrage.
「Ugh, that guy’s a fox! You don’t have to be nice to him! Don’t even talk to him!」
“Lady Pepe, honestly.”
Even though Pepe spoke like that, it was clear she didn’t actually dislike Dante that much.
As I playfully poked at her with my finger, I rested my head back on my arms and fell into thought again.
‘Isn’t there something I can do to help the Duke?’
Thanks to Dante, I’d left Count Cline’s territory and found both work and lodging here in the capital. Yet, I couldn’t think of a single thing I was truly doing for him.
‘And I’m clearly not even a good teacher. Rowan gave up and ran away, remember? Even though the Duke has lessons every week, he’s barely improving at all.’
If the student is motivated but not improving, then that just means it’s the teacher’s fault.
I drooped my head in gloomy silence. Then came another polite knock. Straightening my back, I told them to come in. Once again, it was the butler.
“Young lady.”
“Yes, Mr. Butler.”
“Madam Marsha is looking for you. It seems to be about the new dishes and tableware.”
“Ah, I’ll go right away.”
There were already many elegant antique pieces in the mansion, but I had ordered some new ones that fit current trends. After all, with all the renovations and workers coming and going, we needed affordable dishes that could be used daily without worry.
As I tucked Pepe back into my apron pocket to go check, I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten.
‘Right. I do have a job to do now.’
From the very beginning, Dante had entrusted me with managing this estate. He had placed full trust in me.
And repaying that trust with my dedication—that was the best way I could show my gratitude.
‘Let’s do my best and work hard.’
My eyes sparkled with determination.
After that, the mansion quickly began to take shape. The most noticeable change was in the garden—it had completely transformed.
“Wow, there’s really a full herb garden now!”
“Heh, I may be old, but I can still manage this much.”
The elderly gardener—who alternated between calling me “madam” and “young lady”—had created a lovely herb garden.
From there, stepping across volcanic stones led directly to the rose beds, newly planted by hired workers.
‘The roses still look small and sparse, but in a few years, they’ll grow into a stunning rose garden.’
I had picked and arranged the colors carefully so they would bloom beautifully together. I was already looking forward to seeing them in full bloom.
‘Though… I probably won’t be here by then.’
I likely wouldn’t still be living in this mansion by that time. The thought stung a little in my chest.
Anyway, the Duke of Christopher’s household staff were impeccable—except for the part where they all called me “madam.” Everyone treated me kindly.
Still, since there wasn’t anyone around my age, it sometimes felt a bit lonely.
‘It’d be nice to have a friend to talk about embroidery with… or take walks together.’
But as an employee, I couldn’t exactly afford to whine about such things.
So, pushing away the thought, I threw myself into decorating the mansion with enthusiasm.
It was around that time that I met my new friend.
That day, the weather was beautiful. Dante had been called away during a knitting lesson and hadn’t returned from the palace for an entire week.
Each time I went to knit, I was extra cautious, half-expecting him to suddenly be sitting there. But as even the regular lesson days passed without him returning, I began to feel a little deflated.
“How mean. When he asked what I’d do if I didn’t do my homework, that must’ve been his way of saying he wouldn’t do his.”
I knew he was probably too busy to come back, but I couldn’t help feeling sulky. Puffing out my cheeks, I tossed down my knitting and stood up.
“This is because I’ve been sitting here all day. I need a change of scenery.”
But I couldn’t just wander outside the mansion, so I decided to make some fruit sandwiches and head out to the garden.
“I’ll have lunch in the sunshine.”
Walking through the now-beautiful garden made my mood lighten a bit. And as I felt better, another thought naturally came to mind.
‘The Duke would really like to see how the garden’s changed.’
I wanted to show him how carefully everything had been arranged and explain each detail to him. As I walked along, imagining him beside me, I suddenly shook my head.
‘Idiot. You’ve been thinking about the Duke nonstop since earlier.’
He wasn’t even home—and who knew when he’d return? I pouted my lips again in frustration.
Right then, an unfamiliar voice rang out.
“Oh, honestly!”
It sounded flustered, coming from a corner of the garden. Since all the restoration work was finished, I had assumed no one else would be there, so I nearly jumped in surprise.
‘Who could that be?’
It was a young woman’s voice. There weren’t any young women here besides me—which could only mean one thing: an intruder.
‘But if she were suspicious, the gatekeeper wouldn’t have let her through…’
Maybe I should just take a peek.
I crept quietly toward the sound—and there I saw a lovely young woman, her skirt caught on a tree branch, struggling to free it.
“Why won’t this come loose?”
The fabric was stuck tight; even when she pulled hard, it didn’t budge. Seeing which tree it was, I instinctively covered my mouth with my palm.
‘Oh no! That’s a thorn tree!’
To keep the garden’s color balanced year-round, we had planted a few evergreens, one of which had thorns.
‘She won’t be able to get it loose easily. She needs to move gently…’
I took a step closer, intending to offer help.
But just then, she must have gotten frustrated, because she grabbed her skirt with both hands and yanked hard.
“Ugh, honestly!”
Riiip!
In an instant, her skirt tore, and she stumbled backward.
“Kyaah!”
Then—thud!—she fell to the ground. It looked painful even from where I stood, and I squeezed my eyes shut in sympathy.
“Ah, ow ow ow…”
If only she’d just landed on her bottom—but she must’ve tried to balance herself mid-fall, and instead slammed her right leg against the stone path. Eyes glistening with tears, she clutched her leg, then noticed her torn skirt, her face flushing bright red.
“Wh-what a mess. Oh, heavens.”
If it were me, I’d be more worried about the pain, but fittingly for her graceful appearance, she seemed more concerned about her disheveled clothes.
‘She’s going to cry at this rate.’
I hurried over to her and asked gently, “Um, are you all right?”
“……!”
She must have thought she was alone in the garden, because my voice startled her, her eyes widening like a rabbit’s.
‘Wow, she’s even prettier up close.’
Her golden hair shone like honey, and her slightly narrow eyes gave her an elegant, aloof look. She stared at me warily and asked,
“…Who are you?”
Hmm.
“I’m the new gardener’s assistant.”
After a pause, I introduced myself that way. It wasn’t exactly a lie—I’d worked hard enough on this garden to deserve the title.
“The gardener’s assistant?”
“Yes. I’ve been helping with the garden’s upkeep. I just saw you fall, and I was worried—”
“I-I didn’t fall! My clothes got caught, that’s all!”
Her face turned crimson again. She must have been embarrassed about looking like a child who tripped.
‘But if she wants to insist that, she should probably get off the ground first.’
Anyone could tell she’d fallen, but I just smiled awkwardly and didn’t mention it. Realizing her position, she flushed all the way to her neck and scrambled to her feet.
“I-It really wasn’t—ow!”
“You might’ve hurt yourself badly! You shouldn’t move too suddenly.”
“……”
She looked like she wanted to keep denying it, but her eyes were brimming with tears—it must have really hurt.
Finally, she let out a long sigh and murmured,
“Ah… what a disgraceful sight.”
She must have really liked that dress. I gently took her wrist, and she looked at me in surprise, eyes widening again.
Pointing toward a nearby bench, I said,
“I have a sewing kit with me. If you sit down, I can mend it for you.”
