“It really does feel like the pain is easing up a bit.”
“Doesn’t it? Should I apply some to your back and shoulders as well?”
“Oh, I—I can do it myself.”
“But it’ll be hard for you to reach, won’t it? We’re both women, so don’t be shy.”
Daisy flashed a wide grin and urged Edel on.
Though it felt like she was being swept along, for some reason, it didn’t feel unpleasant, so Edel loosened the drawstring of her pajamas and bared her back.
“Wow… I’ve never seen such a beautiful back.”
Embarrassed, Daisy let out a soft exclamation of awe.
But that admiration didn’t last long enough to be rude. She immediately and skillfully began applying the ointment to Edel’s shoulder blades, the area below them, and the muscles on both sides of her spine.
She spread it thin and even, so it didn’t feel too sticky, yet it left a cooling sensation.
‘To know exactly where it hurts like this at such a young age… it must mean she’s had a hard life since she was even younger.’
Feeling a tug at her heart, Edel smiled as brightly as she could.
“Thank you, Daisy.”
“Just call me Daisy.”
“Then you should call me Edel, too.”
“T-that’s a bit… Could I call you ‘Unnie’ instead?”
The word ‘Unnie,’ which she hadn’t heard in so long, felt a little ticklish, but Edel nodded.
“It feels like I’ve gained a cute younger sister.”
“C-cute? No way.”
Daisy waved her hands, giggling with a blush on her cheeks, before wrapping her shawl around herself again.
“Well, I’ll be going now, Edel Unnie. Get some sleep soon.”
It was a pity that she had to leave so quickly, but Edel couldn’t hold her back.
Daisy’s work was grueling, and for those who performed such heavy labor, sleep was precious.
“Goodnight, Daisy.”
Unlike earlier, when she had been on high alert, Edel walked her to the door and waved.
The room fell back into silence after Daisy left, but the scent of peppermint lingering in the air and the faint noises from beyond the thin walls made Edel’s heart feel strangely warm.
Back in her noble days, she would have pulled out her diary immediately to write an entry starting with, ‘I made a new friend today.’
* * *
“Lady Bohen! Your bath is ready.”
“Good, Mina. You’ve worked hard.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Hehe.”
Marsha lowered herself into the warm bath Mina had prepared.
Mina quickly lathered a soft towel with soap and began rubbing Marsha’s shoulders.
“You’ve had a lot on your mind lately, haven’t you?”
“Ugh, you mean that girl, Edel?”
Marsha let out a deliberate, loud sigh and shook her head.
“She’s a sly one. Not an ordinary girl at all. What on earth did she do to make even that Salia take her side?”
“Salia has a strange personality anyway. She doesn’t even know how to show proper respect.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying! It’s like she doesn’t even know who her superior is! Tsk.”
As annoyance etched deep into Marsha’s brow, Mina continued to wash her arms and fawned over her.
“Actually, it’s not just Salia. Laila and Daisy are like that, too. Especially that Daisy—she’s in the room next to Edel, so they seem quite close.”
“She must think that because of her father, she can dare to defy me. Impudent brat.”
“She’s only a coachman’s daughter, anyway. Birds of a feather flock together.”
But those words weren’t much of a comfort to Marsha. More servants turning against her was never good news.
“Those who don’t know their place need to be taught a lesson. Otherwise, they’ll start climbing over my head in no time.”
“What are you going to do?”
Mina asked with eyes full of anticipation.
“Just watch. Within three months, I’ll have both Edel and the girls crawling at my feet. A 100 Lington tribute is nowhere near enough!”
At that, Mina giggled again.
There was an implicit rule that in order to live comfortably here, one had to pay Marsha 100 Lington a month, and five of the servants willingly followed this rule.
Among them, Mina was the servant who fawned over Marsha the most. Not only did she pay the 100 Lington, but whenever she came across anything nice, she brought it to Marsha.
Thanks to this, she lived more comfortably than any other servant in the mansion and, occasionally, even stole from the estate with Marsha’s silent consent.
‘The money I make from selling stolen goods is worth far more than 100 Lington. Besides, I get to live as comfortably as the head maid, don’t I?’
Aside from the master’s family, Marsha and Mina were the only ones in the mansion who could wash with hot water.
“But ma’am, there are some servants complaining that it’s hard to wash with cold water.”
“What? Did you go around telling everyone that we use warm water?”
“Of course not! I played dumb. But a few of the sharp ones seem suspicious.”
Mina pouted.
Although she bathed in the leftover warm water after Marsha was finished, they kept that fact a secret from the other servants.
However, as winter deepened, it was impossible for the others not to notice the difference between their own grimy states and the always-pristine condition of the two women.
Marsha was silent for a moment before saying with a venomous glare,
“Tell them not to speak of things that are none of their business. Since when did the likes of them get to wash with hot water?”
“That’s true.”
“And you, watch your mouth. The Count and Lady Lynnia must not find out. Understood?”
“I know. Hehe.”
Mina massaged Marsha’s shoulders, trying to look fawning, but Marsha was too busy racking her brain over where the secret might have leaked.
She was skimming off the firewood budget by claiming the servants were using hot water, so it would be troublesome if that were discovered.
But soon, she clicked her tongue and dismissed the worry.
‘The Count is rarely home anyway, and Lady Lynnia has no interest in these matters, so nothing will happen.’
Even if she were in danger of being found out, she could make an escape route. After all, this house was as good as in the palm of her hand.
* * *
Today, Laslo received a letter from a noblewoman he had never even spoken to.
She was the Dowager Marchioness Barbara Celestine, a woman whose presence remained formidable even now, after her son had inherited the title and his wife had taken the role of Marchioness.
She was also a haughty aristocrat who wouldn’t even exchange words with those she deemed vulgar or snobbish.
For her to send him a letter—Laslo checked the recipient’s name several times, wondering if it had been delivered to the wrong person.
The content was equally surprising.
「To the valiant and loyal Count Krissus,
……(omitted) Though I know my words as a sidelined old woman might not carry any weight with you, I could not sit still once I heard the news, so I took up my pen.
……(omitted) Please, do not treat Lady Edel harshly.
She knows nothing of ‘that matter’ which was carried out in secret within the Lancaster Ducal family. The entire Ducal family shunned her completely.
Lady Edel was merely sacrificed in a transaction between the houses.
……(omitted) She is a truly kind, graceful, wise, and benevolent person.
Please do not push her into even greater despair. I earnestly implore you.
I shall return to the capital soon after mailing this letter. I hope we may share a cup of tea in the near future.
– Barbara M. Celestine」
Laslo scanned the front and back of the stationery and let out a short, hollow laugh.
“What? Do not push her into greater despair? She must think I’m a complete beast.”
He felt offended, but at the same time, puzzled. The letter was dated a week after he had been granted custody of Edel, and since she had been down in her estate for convalescence, she must have written it the moment she heard the news.
‘Why would the Dowager Marchioness Celestine care enough to do this? Even if they were close, to take the risk of being implicated in treason just to send a letter like this…’
Separate from his lack of interest in high society, he was quite knowledgeable about the nobles.
He had always had a good memory for faces and names, and as the Emperor’s personal guard, he had to be well-versed in the backgrounds of the nobles and the relationships between individuals.
However, he had never had a reason to look into the relationship between the Dowager Marchioness Celestine and the Duchess Lancaster.
‘It suddenly makes me curious.’
Along with their relationship, Edel… I also became a little curious about her, the person herself. After all, everything I knew about Edele Lancaster was based solely on rumors and my own assumptions regarding the power dynamics surrounding her.
‘They say Count Canyon educated her thoroughly from a young age to make her the perfect bride, don’t they? Though I have no idea what that standard of “perfect” is supposed to be.’
In truth, the very fact that she had been thoroughly educated by Count Canyon made my impression of Edele poor to begin with.
The Count Canyon I had witnessed was greedy, base, and cowardly. If a man who chased nothing but money and power had raised a girl with the intention of selling her off to a high-ranking noble family, what could he have possibly taught her?
‘Well… he must have hired good tutors to teach her etiquette and speech, but it’s obvious what the core of her character would be like. Doesn’t a bean planted produce a bean?’
Of course, when I recalled that Edele had not faltered even once since being captured at the ducal castle, I could not help but acknowledge her aristocratic demeanor.
However, there were so many nobles who were merely polished on the outside. One could not judge the depths of a person based on that alone.