Chapter 6
“Is this really acceptable? That maid clearly won’t do.”
“That’s right! Taking the young master out into the garden—she must be out of her mind.”
The discussion took place in a dark study lit by a single lamp.
Around the couch where the elderly head butler sat, servants gathered with worried expressions.
“We must get rid of Claire. I wonder how that person would react if they found out.”
“Then who will attend to the young master? Have you already forgotten how Elin had her ribs broken?”
“We can just bring in someone from outside! It’s easier to use people who won’t say a word even if they die.”
“First of all, how is she still intact? After dealing with that monster! No, better yet—we should stage an accident and eliminate both of them.”
Thud.
The head butler slammed a paper knife down onto the table and glared at the man who had spoken last.
“I-I’m sorry.”
“Choose your words carefully. Until that person returns, we only need to maintain the current situation. We do not have time to waste on half-failed defects who cannot even manifest an ability.”
However—
The butler’s gaze narrowed as he looked at the flickering light. The reflection on his monocle trembled.
“Still… that maid will need to be removed.”
He had never wished for the young master’s comfort. A servant was only needed to maintain appearances. Something unnecessary had latched itself on.
Theodore is an obstruction to my Voltier.
The head butler, Vender, curled his lips coldly.
From the day after the visit to the garden, the harassment began.
Being forced to work from the crack of dawn to prevent her from sleeping, having skin-irritating chemicals poured into freshly washed clothes, being shoved down staircases—such things continued.
For an ordinary person, it would have resulted in severe injury from exhaustion or trauma.
Yes, for an ordinary person.
Pathetic.
Standing at the base of the stairs, Claire sensed a servant approaching to shove her and subtly shifted her body aside.
“…Huh?”
The man let out a foolish sound as he stumbled past her and fell toward the stairs—only for Claire to grab him by the nape of his neck and stop him.
I can’t afford to take the blame for this.
Looking down at him with cold eyes, she said,
“Are you alright?”
“Uh… uh.”
“Then get lost.”
After receiving a half-hearted response, Claire casually threw him back into the hallway and went down the stairs.
This is annoying.
It seemed clear she had become a target after taking Theodore to the garden.
If you want to fight me, just do it openly. Why act so sneaky?
In the mountains where she had lived, everything was straightforward.
The strong crushed the weak, and conflicts were resolved through direct combat—the victor taking all.
As Claire pushed a trolley forward, she paused before gripping the handle.
A familiar scent of grass drifted from it.
Is this windflower?
Windflowers often bloomed near her old hut in the mountains—beautiful purple petals that, upon contact, caused a burning sensation. A poisonous plant.
Adults can be so childish.
Snickering voices came from behind her.
Claire glanced at them sideways, sighed, and grabbed the trolley handle.
Warm…
Windflower was indeed dangerous—but only to fragile, ordinary humans. To Claire, whose blood carried that of a bear beastkin, it was merely an odd herb at best.
“What? Didn’t you apply it properly?”
“No! You saw it yourself!”
“Then why is she fine?”
The two maids whispered furiously, blaming each other.
Claire released the trolley and walked toward them.
“W-what?!”
Startled, one maid glared at her, but Claire ignored her and picked up a handkerchief from the floor.
“You dropped this.”
“Ah.”
The maid with black bobbed hair flinched, staring at the handkerchief in Claire’s hand.
It had clearly been treated with poisonous extract. There was no need to hesitate.
“That’s not mine. L-let’s go, Emily.”
Pretending ignorance, the maids hurried away.
Claire clicked her tongue and wiped her hands with the discarded handkerchief.
Clean properly. I can’t have this getting on the young master.
She carefully washed her hands using even water from a vase in the hallway before throwing the handkerchief out the window.
After checking the trolley one last time, she headed to Theodore’s room.
“Young master, it’s Claire.”
After knocking and entering, she saw Theodore, still groggy from sleep.
“I’ll prepare your tea right away.”
As Claire set down the tea set, Theodore watched her quietly and said,
“You’re later than usual.”
“Ah, there was a minor issue. It’s been resolved.”
Claire chose not to mention the harassment.
Anyone can see my position in this household. No need to burden him with it.
What she feared most right now was losing this high-paying job for relatively easy work.
Theodore slowly sipped his tea.
The pale pink infusion passed his pale lips.
Does that even taste good?
Claire had never understood people who enjoyed tea.
It’s just scented water.
Soup would be better.
After finishing his cup, Theodore set it down.
“More?”
“No.”
“Shall we head to the garden now? The flowerbeds by the pond have been replanted—you might like to see them.”
At that, Theodore seemed intrigued.
“Nothing special was there last week.”
“We had an urgent order. We worked through the night and early morning to finish it.”
Theodore narrowed his eyes.
“…Did they make you work on it too?”
“Yes.”
Of course they had. The rushed reorganization was clearly meant to make Claire’s life difficult.
“How long did you work? After leaving my room.”
“I attended to your night care and worked until 2 a.m., then woke again at 5 a.m. to continue.”
Losing sleep was annoying, but gardening itself had been surprisingly enjoyable.
Maybe I have a talent for gardening.
Claire felt oddly proud and wanted to show him her work. But Theodore’s expression darkened as he grabbed her wrist.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Pardon?”
Claire blinked at him, confused.
“Oh—that. I wanted it to be a surprise. The flowerbed turned out quite bea—”
“You didn’t trust me? Enough to endure harassment in silence?”
Oh. That’s what this was.
Claire slightly opened her mouth.
Apparently, this fragile raccoon-like noble was feeling guilty.
“That’s not it. It really wasn’t that difficult.”
Lack of sleep for a few days meant nothing to her.
And I can’t exactly say it’s because I’m a beastkin.
Beastkin held a poor position in the Empire, which was why she had falsified her identity when applying as a servant.
But Theodore still looked troubled.
Seeing his tightly furrowed brow, Claire scratched her head.
It really is fine…
“From now on, I will report such things. Shall we go for a walk?”
In the end, she gave in a little, coaxing Theodore outside.
Seeing the flowerbed might cheer him up.
The freesia flowerbed surrounded by a low stone wall near the pond was her proud creation.
Still looks like fried eggs. Beautiful.
As Claire admired it, she turned to Theodore.
He stared at the flowerbed, biting his lip, then asked quietly,
“You didn’t move all those stones yourself, did you?”
The stones were each the size of a child’s head, forming a tightly packed wall.
She moved all of that in a week?
He looked at Claire’s scarred hands. Most were from mountain training and hunting, though he could not know that.
“…Is it not good?”
Misreading his expression, Claire looked dejected and turned back to the wall.
The two, each misunderstanding the other for different reasons, ended their walk earlier than usual.
