Chapter 65
While suffering from Roberta’s relentless scolding, fortunately, it didn’t take long to find Nancy.
Celakia barely managed to pull Roberta away, who was clinging to her skirts, and settled into the study of Marguerite and the Duchess.
“……”
Nancy placed her tea on the table and glanced at Celakia. Her expression pleaded silently to be allowed to stay by her side. Celakia deliberately pretended not to notice Nancy.
When Nancy, shoulders slumped in disappointment, left, only Marguerite and Celakia remained.
“I’ve already packed everything. If you tell me, I’ll leave the mansion immediately.”
Marguerite spoke as if she had been waiting for this moment. Celakia silently watched her for a moment before asking:
“If Aldrich had continued doing the same thing, what would you have done?”
Marguerite hesitated, seemingly surprised by the unexpected question.
She studied Celakia’s expression as if gauging her intentions, then, with an open attitude, confessed honestly:
“I would have tried to have a conversation.”
“With Aldrich?”
“Yes.”
“Hm. That’s quite a reckless thought. You never considered telling Tenus?”
Marguerite conveyed her stubborn intent with her silence.
Do servants take after their masters?
A faint, inappropriate smile appeared at the corner of Celakia’s lips.
“I still think your decision not to tell Tenus the truth was wrong.”
“……”
“But on the other hand… I think I can understand it.”
Marguerite slowly lifted her heavy head. A look of surprise flickered across her face. Her behavior was completely different from before, which was puzzling.
Celakia awkwardly met her gaze. Even she realized her own inconsistency. She hadn’t expected her feelings to change so quickly.
At first, Marguerite’s choice not to reveal the truth seemed like cowardly evasion. Celakia had firmly believed she was even insulting Tenus.
It was, in fact, a narrow-minded judgment.
She hadn’t considered that genuine concern or sincere feelings might be hidden beneath it.
Bearing a terrifying truth alone is more grueling than expected. One might even feel the weak desire to confide it to someone.
Yet Marguerite did not tell Tenus the truth.
Come to think of it, Celakia herself had never confided her own deep feelings to Chester, out of concern for him.
Perhaps Julien, too, had similar reasons for not telling Celakia about the situation with Viscount Renshy.
Celakia suddenly wondered why she herself had ultimately failed to reveal Aldrich’s true nature to Tenus.
Was it because she pitied him, fighting alone for the sake of the Duke’s family? Or was it due to shallow personal feelings?
She had spent days pondering this with Marguerite’s matter in mind, yet she still couldn’t find a clear answer.
Celakia swallowed a sigh and met Marguerite’s eyes.
“Wasn’t it hard to bear that terrifying truth alone?”
“Milady, I…”
Marguerite bit her lip, seemingly holding back rising emotions. Celakia continued gently, as if comforting her:
“Running a mansion as head maid without the mistress must have been no easy task. It must have been difficult to handle with ordinary responsibility alone. Tenus entrusted you because he judged you capable.”
“……”
“From what I’ve observed over the past few days, you never betrayed Tenus’ trust. My previous words were completely wrong.”
“……”
“The Seiden household would suffer more without you. So I’ll give you another chance.”
A look of astonishment crossed Marguerite’s face. Celakia made a self-deprecating joke mixed with a smile:
“I was an inadequate mistress myself, after all. Giving each other one more chance seems only fair.”
Marguerite bowed her head, her complexion pale, speaking in a heavy, muffled voice:
“I apologize for not serving you properly.”
“It’s alright. I haven’t done well either. But if something similar happens again, promise me you’ll tell me. That, at least, you can promise, right?”
“Yes. I will, without fail.”
“I’ll figure out a way to punish Aldrich. Since His Majesty personally granted him the title, expecting a fair punishment from the royal family is unrealistic. When a servant is involved, the punishment a noble receives is obvious.”
Seiden could punish him internally, but historically, nobles who harmed commoners were rarely severely punished. Aldrich’s heinous crimes couldn’t be overlooked so lightly.
Moreover, punishing him now, while he holds the acting Duke position, carried great risk.
There had to be a clever solution.
While Celakia pondered, Marguerite quietly observed her and then spoke gravely:
“Milady, I have something to tell you.”
After Marguerite left the study, Celakia couldn’t move for a while. The truth she had reluctantly revealed, hidden just one layer deeper, was truly shocking.
Her words still echoed in Celakia’s ears, ruffling her thoughts.
“Haa.”
Celakia exhaled and struggled to rise, burdened by the weight on her heart.
Roberta and Nancy were waiting outside. It was better to leave the room before they burst in, unable to contain their impatience.
It was a little strange that they had left her alone so far, given their temperaments.
Celakia forced her drooping lips into a smile. She couldn’t show a tired face. If she did, who knew what additional treats Nancy, who had already brought a nourishing dish besides shark liver oil, might bring next.
Tapping her cheeks and forcing a lively expression, Celakia opened the study door.
Yet, in the hallway, Roberta and Nancy were nowhere to be seen.
“……Why that expression?”
Instead, Tenus was there, frowning and looking down at her. Celakia blinked, wondering if she was seeing things.
“Marguerite didn’t look well either. Have you decided to let her leave now?”
Was he here because he worried about Marguerite?
Trying to compose herself after his unexpected appearance, Celakia replied:
“No. Marguerite will remain in the mansion. She takes care of it better than anyone else.”
Tenus tilted his head.
“Isn’t that your job now?”
“……”
Celakia turned her head, pretending not to hear and avoiding the question. But Tenus’ gaze from the side was too sharp to ignore.
Eventually, unable to resist his silent pressure, she muttered in resignation:
“……You said as long as I don’t die, it’s fine. Why does work keep piling up since the banquet?”
“Well. If you keep that promise, nothing else really matters.”
With a light laugh, he returned to the question he had first asked:
“If it’s not about Marguerite, then why would your expression be bad?”
“……My expression isn’t bad, though?”
She had left the room smiling. How did Tenus notice?
Celakia quickly changed the subject:
“By the way, what brings you here?”
He looked at her suspiciously, then answered quietly:
“You wanted to see the Long Gallery.”
“Oh.”
Now that she remembered, he had said it would be okay to go the day after tomorrow. Something needed to be cleared first, he had said.
Knowing he wouldn’t answer if she asked what, Celakia asked another question instead:
“Where is the Long Gallery?”
She thought it would be nice to explore a new place instead of only reading pirate books in the study to refresh herself.
Without answering, Tenus started walking ahead. Celakia stared at his receding figure, and he glanced back over his shoulder.
“What? Not coming?”
Drawn by his gesture, Celakia instinctively ran to his side.
“……Going together? What about Lord Belfona and Nancy?”
“I told them to take a short break, but they went outside to practice swordsmanship.”
“Outside?”
Celakia looked out the window in the corridor. The sky was overcast, threatening rain.
“Is that okay? Looks like it might rain.”
“Training in the rain isn’t so bad.”
Tenus dismissed any concern, as if it didn’t matter what they did. His long legs moved steadily forward at a pace Celakia could easily keep up with.
They strode up the stairs, passing the third floor with bedrooms, passed the fourth floor which she had never entered, and reached the top of the main building, the fifth floor.
Like the fourth floor, this was a place Celakia had never explored before.
