CHAPTER 9
Josh’s Fury
Marie smiled calmly as she spoke.
“Refinishing furniture isn’t that hard. Even beginners can do it easily.”
As she said this, she reached out her hand to Mildred.
Mildred, quick to catch on, immediately brought over a piece of cloth sandpaper.
“H-Here you go.”
She handed the sandpaper to Marie, then quickly backed away as if escaping.
“……”
The Duke’s cold eyes briefly flickered with surprise and curiosity.
But it quickly settled again.
“Yes. People with strength tend to want to try it at least once, out of curiosity. Of course, weaker ones don’t even attempt it.”
Before he knew it, a piece of sandpaper had found its way into Calix’s hand.
“……”
A little while later…
Calix was struggling to contain a wave of rising anger.
All because of this wretched sanding.
He had never been remotely interested in interior design trends.
Yet when he came to his senses, there he was—gripping a table and furiously sanding it.
The Duke of Bloodstone, the most powerful noble in the kingdom, had been reduced to unpaid labor for a furniture renovation project!
“Your Grace, for large flat surfaces, it’s easier if you wrap the sandpaper around a wooden block like this. It gives you better control. Otherwise, it’s hard to manage your frustration.”
At first, he didn’t understand.
Why was this woman talking about frustration while giving a simple sanding tutorial?
But the more he sanded, the clearer the meaning of “rage sanding” became.
A twelve-person dining table that seemed to never end, and sandpaper that refused to cooperate.
His arms ached, white dust was flying nonstop, and no matter how hard he rubbed, the task didn’t seem to progress at all.
He swore to the heavens—he had never realized a twelve-person table could be this massive.
And that woman? She only demonstrated briefly and didn’t even pretend she was going to help.
She claimed she’d already done her part.
“As expected, Your Grace, you’re doing well thanks to your strength. Would you like to stop now? Some people quit halfway, saying it’s too hard.”
“…This is nothing.”
He couldn’t understand himself.
Why was he allowing himself to be manipulated by her subtle implication that quitting made him weak?
Wasn’t he Calix Bloodstone—the one who could silence even crying children just by walking in?
And now he looked like a lion being tamed by a beautiful trainer.
“Before applying gesso, you need to sand down the surface to make it less smooth. Also, to remove any scratches.”
“Gesso? Isn’t that what painters apply to canvas? You use that on furniture?”
“Yes. Paint doesn’t adhere well to bare furniture. Gesso improves adhesion and color vibrancy.”
Gesso… on furniture?
That was the first time he’d heard of such a thing.
How had she even thought of it?
“How did you come up with using gesso on furniture?”
“Huh? Oh, I just improvised a bit.”
She looked puzzled that he was even asking.
As if it were no big deal.
“Once the sanding is done, we’ll apply gesso two or three times. If there are any clumps, we’ll go over it again with a finer sandpaper.”
“You sand it again after applying gesso?!”
Calix’s face turned pale.
“Yes. Then, paint is usually applied two or more times, at two-to-three-hour intervals. And we finish with varnish.”
That was the last straw—he handed the sandpaper to Josh.
“Here. Take this.”
“My lord?”
Josh took the sandpaper hesitantly, tilting his head in confusion.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“……”
Josh had a strange feeling—his lord was avoiding his gaze.
What is going on…?
When Calix had suddenly grabbed the table and started sanding, Josh had been completely taken aback.
Even though his lord was always hard to read, this time, Josh couldn’t make sense of anything.
Forget it. I’m sure there’s a reason.
He figured it wasn’t his place to question his master’s actions.
So instead, he just stood to the side holding Calix’s cape, silently observing.
But why is he handing me this sandpaper…?
He felt a creeping chill of dread.
No way… It can’t be… right?
Josh forced a smile and shook his head in denial.
Then he gestured to Calix as if to say:
“My lord? Are you satisfied with what you’ve learned? Perhaps we should take the chair and head back now?”
But Calix’s next words made Josh question his hearing.
“You finish it.”
“Excuse me?!”
It sounded like his master had just blurted something out without thinking.
Was he distracted?
My lord? I’m not the one curious about this stuff!
Why on earth did he, a knight and not a resident of the White House, have to refinish this table?
“Um, Duke?”
Just then, Lady Whitehouse chimed in, stealing Calix’s attention.
“May I speak with you inside for a moment?”
“Very well.”
“M-My lord? But I—!”
Josh wanted to throw the sandpaper away that instant.
Lady Whitehouse turned to him and said gently:
“Sir Josh? You don’t have to do it if it’s too hard. This furniture’s quite big, so people with less muscle may find it tough.”
“Too hard? Preposterous!”
Too hard, she says?!
What gentleman could walk away after being told such a thing?
Especially in front of his master!
But it wasn’t just about avoiding the sanding anymore.
Josh needed to follow Calix to prevent a potential disaster.
What if His Grace is rude to her? I may have to jump in and stop him!
Clearly, that young lady didn’t understand how terrifying his master could be.
No, this is bad!
But he couldn’t exactly defy his lord and drop the sandpaper either.
My lord! How could you leave me here! You don’t expect me to refinish this giant table alone, do you?!
But Calix didn’t seem to hear his silent cries.
With a solemn face, he simply followed Lady Whitehouse.
My lord!
Josh desperately stared at Calix’s retreating figure.
But the Duke never looked back.
Noooo!
Josh clutched his head in silent agony.
Before him sat the enormous table, waiting patiently.
How am I supposed to finish this monster?!
“M-My lord…”
There was no one around he could plead to.
In the end, he had no choice but to start sanding.
Scritch, scritch, scritch, scritch.
The coarse surface of the furniture began to smooth.
Scritch, scritch, scritch, scritch.
His lips jutted out in a pout, and his fingers tensed.
Why me?!
Scritch, scritch, scritch, scritch.
Why do I have to do this?!
To make things worse, the towering man named Dwayne was sanding away with blissful devotion.
He looked young despite his huge frame.
Yet he was crouched down, smiling serenely as if this were heaven.
Scrape scrape scrape.
His massive hands—each the size of a washbasin—held a tiny sheet of sandpaper like it was a ticket to paradise.
Wherever his hands passed, a soft white powder rose like magic.
Old wood transformed into a pale glow, as if it had applied makeup.
His sanding was so rhythmic and consistent, it was like a machine running a 1-circle vibration spell.
Does he never tire?!
With a devout expression like he was offering a prayer, the giant worked with sacred precision.
Scrape scrape scrape.
Is he a human sanding machine?!
As they walked down the hall toward the sitting room, Calix spoke.
“…I smell paint.”
“Yes, I’m doing a DIY interior renovation right now.”
“DIY…? You mean without a professional, you’re doing it yourself?”
“Yes, what I just showed you with the furniture is also a form of DIY. I’m trying to renovate not just the furniture, but the entire house.”
“……”
A noblewoman, managing the renovation of a whole mansion without a professional team?
Refinishing furniture was one thing, but renovating a large estate was another matter entirely.
Something that should be done by a team of skilled workers—with just a few servants?
“As I mentioned, the act of decorating it myself brings joy. Of course, it does require time and energy.”
Her tone was natural and confident.
It wasn’t because of a lack of money—it sounded like she genuinely enjoyed the process.
“Do people really enjoy this enough for it to become a trend?”
“Yes.”
The woman walking beside him was nothing like a typical noble lady.
She showed no sign of intimidation, remaining calm like a quiet lake.
She didn’t whisper behind his back or avoid his gaze.
Even though he was infamous for being fearsome, she talked with him freely.
She didn’t even try to win his favor.
And yet, this could really become a trend?
Strange, yet it made sense.
“Incredible. That you intend to lead a new trend like this…”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Her green eyes met his directly, still unshaken.
“By the way, I saw chickens earlier—what’s the story with them?”
“Oh, that. The villagers brought some food. Chickens and potatoes, things like that.”
“You even built a chicken coop in the garden…?”
“Yes. For fresh eggs.”
“Eggs…?”
Calix could hardly believe what he was hearing.
Behind them, Mildred flinched.
“And the patch of soil next to it…?”
“I asked them to plant potatoes. They’re a great staple crop.”
“……”
This time, Mildred sighed and shook her head in secret.
Calix suddenly stopped walking.
“Wait a moment…?”
“Yes? What is it?”
Marie turned to look at him.
Calix seemed to come back to his senses and asked:
“You’re set to vacate this place soon. Why are you doing all this?”
Marie smiled faintly.
“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”
