Episode 27

Then there was a knocking sound. A lady-in-waiting came in and introduced herself.

“My name is Sophie. Take good care of me. My experience as a maid is 5 years!”

“Please take care of me, Sophie.”

Sophie was a lively, older sister-like woman.

“You are tired. She will be attended by a maid in the bath. Have a good rest tonight.”

“I know.”

Elisha nodded her head. The butler said goodbye and left the room.

Elisha asked her Sophie to help her change her clothes. As for Elisha, she was nothing more than a single-breasted gentleman.

'I need some clothes……. I'm sure I'll need cosmetics too.'

I wondered if Lucerne would buy something like that. She wasn't greedy to embellish, because she needed a minimum of dignity to serve as the general's wife.

After changing her clothes and eating, Elisha sat down on the bed. She clung to the bed as if her tired body melted away from her travels.

'Let's not relax.'

Lucerne before parting……. She seemed quite interested in her.

However, he did not know if his mind would change after one war.

Elisha was sure she wouldn't be surprised if he even forgot her own name. Originally, those in power were indifferent to those in a lower position, and it was because they were full of whims.

'I survived here safely……. When that man becomes the family head, he will get out of here.'

All Elisha wanted was to get out of here and live peacefully. No worries about money, no worries about being hit by anyone, and no hunger. So healthy…….

'It will not be an easy road. Because Jacob and Marco have to disappear.'

She knew the Cartier family. Elisha has already been on the same boat with Lucerne.

Jacob and Marco didn't let go of the door even once. They had to ruin her life and blaspheme them in her previous life. Their downfall was Lucerne's victory, and that victory will be directly related to the reward and tranquility that Elisha will receive.

Maybe one day, a family will be born. Thinking about it strangely made her eyes wide open and her stomach hurt.

Having her own family has been Elisha's long-held dream. It was a luxury for her but her now. Because her goal was to survive right away.

She must first show that she can be a hostess. Elisha thought. For a man like Lucerne, people with abilities should be moderated.

'Now you ignore me……. I want to show you…….'

Her eyes grew heavy.

'But what was the letter about? I'll have to look for a butler later. As long as there is no doubt.'

Elisha thought.

'Than you think……. There might be a lot of wealth to be gained by living in this house.'

Elisha remembered her wedding ring, which she had left by her bedside. A black diamond ring alone would be worth at least 2,000 gold coins.

'I've been in debt all my life because of 30,000 gold coins……. These people give me things like this casually.'

But she, Elisha, had no right to pay her debts. There is only one way for Elisha to pay off her debt. All she did was get Lucerne to divorce her.

'It's like a casino chip.'

She recalled the casino she had seen along Jacob several times in her past life. A chip that looked like a toy turned into a huge gold coin. She won't be able to exchange chips until she leaves this house. That was the condition of marriage.

'At Lucerne's request……. Because the condition of marriage is that ownership of the property acquired through marriage is acknowledged only when the divorce is successful.'

It was funny. I would taste a lot of wealth, but I wouldn't be able to get my hands on anything. However, it is much better than before. Because I see hope. Elisha laughed in her sleep.

Before long, she fell asleep soundly in the exhaustion of her travels.

*​ *​ *​

The butler read Lucerne's letter and was stunned twice. First, because of the size of the letter.

She said, 'You wrote a letter of six lines? All about the madam?'

1. Inform her wife about the mansion in moderation.

2. Do not allow going out.

3. Buy what you need, regardless of money.

4. Be polite.

5. Closely monitor that no one is contacting you separately.

And, number 6…….

The butler knew Lucerne well. She was so detached from women that she had never let a woman into the mansion before.

'As rumored, did you really have eyes like fireworks? Or is she a contract bride for a status business?'

The butler for a moment forgot his duty and thought. The case of Elisha and Lucerne was widely known all the way to the Duchy of Cartier, two days away from the capital by the gate.

This is thanks to the fact that gossip was carried along with the news of the war. The story of the two men and women who spent a burning night groaning as if they were making fun of the Cartier family all night was spreading like a legendary anecdote.

But the 5th and 6th items…….

'It's not that I didn't understand that you asked me to monitor it, but the sixth and last instruction. This is kinda…….'

It was an embarrassing request to the butler.

'For me to do this myself?'

However, it was impossible to reply to additional questions. It was a sin to send a letter to Lucerne asking about trivial things while he was out on the battlefield.

He will be crossing limbs now. The butler burned the letter with a pensive face.

*​ *​ *​

That is how life in the mansion with the hostess began.

'What would change if the hostess came? At first, just learning the affairs of this mansion would be a big deal.'

When the butler saw Elisha for the first time, she thought that her expressionless face was indeed a doll-like person.

She was a typical imperial beauty. She has a soft egg-shaped white face, a bit of a baby face, thick lips and big eyes. The simple face without a single make-up was beautiful, but not shocking. Nor was she a face with enormous features.

Her posture was upright, her hands rough, but her expressionless face looked quite haughty. Maybe she was like an arrogant aristocrat.

She said, 'She's a typical fallen aristocrat.'

The impression that her ego alone supported her precarious body gave her butler such a feeling.

In the capital overflowing with wealth, on the contrary, there were many people who were robbed of that wealth, and ruined nobles were common. The butler, who lived in contact with nobles, knew it well. Most of the fallen nobles who visited the servants as guests were the truth.

Fallen aristocrats were despised, so they stubbornly built their pride. It was said that the contract brides who sat down for the sake of identity business often mistreated the servants out of fear of ignoring them.

'But I don't think it's that far.'

That was how the butler felt when he saw Elisha following her around the mansion as if she were there or not.

The next day, the butler went in to see Elisha after breakfast. Her attire was unpretentious. Even her dress seemed to have only one. Elisha asked in a quiet manner.

“Can I go out for a while? I have the things I need.”

“I'm sorry, but it would be good to discuss that when the general returns.”

“Looks like he's been banned.”

Elisha frowned slightly between her fine brows. The butler, in a gentle manner, said that since the merchant would come from the afternoon, she would be able to shop inside the house.

“So the only thing he allows is shopping?”

Elisha said without hesitation.

“That is…….”

The communication method was clear and concise. That was the second impression the butler had. Besides, he seemed to have a bit of an eye for it.

“You can do whatever you want. I mean inside the house. If there is anything you want, I will give it to you.”

“Then how about cleaning?”

“Yes?”

The butler doubted his ears. Elisha, who had lowered her hazy blue eyes, was looking straight at him.

“Can I clean the house?”

“…… There's nothing wrong with that. Why do you have to……. It's okay to do nothing. You should learn housework slowly…….”

“I can't be lazy when my husband is out on the battlefield. Besides, if I stay still, my body hurts.”

Elisha's words stunned the butler even more.

“Oh, and.”

Elisha added in her calm tone.

“Cleaning is not just sweeping and mopping.”

Elisha pointed to her hallway.

“It is to sort out the cause of everything rolling around out there.”

And ten days later, the butler had to revise all his first impressions of Elisha that afternoon.

*​ *​ *​

“Looks like we can cut some more expenses this way. Also, please attach one servant who can write well. I think I need to make some inventory of the art in the house. I'll write the draft, and this…….”

“Excuse……. Lady. Do you know how to read ledgers?”

“Do you think I can't read the numbers?”

“No, it is not. A ledger is not just a number.”

Elisha smiled lightly. It was a barely visible smile, and that was the biggest change in expression the butler had ever seen.

“When I was living in the monastery, Rosaria, the abbot and archbishop, took good care of me and asked me to learn the bookkeeping of the monastery, and then I learned the basics.”

“No, are you talking about the war hero Rosaria? Indeed…….”

I guess you're not a normal person. It was what the butler thought was the first twist. The next, the next day, even more amazing things happened.

“Since the Great General is on the battlefield, he does not know when he will return. I'm short on time, so I'd better take a tour of the mansion and introduce myself to the hirelings.”

“…… Yeah? So you're going to say hello to the people below you?”

“Yes. It can not? When the servants saw me in the mansion, they were startled as if they had found a ghost.”

“Under. However……. Lady. As you may have heard, the general does not consider the high or low status when selecting people. Therefore……. In particular, the knights under the direct command of the general could act very rough…….”

“Is that rough?”

Elisha nodded her head incredulously.

“Ian and Nora are very nice.”

“…….”

The butler remembered Ian, a former spy and on the verge of drug addiction. He was an unknown man. Nora was a woman who spoke very little of her.

Besides, one of the knights, Corinne, was a convict.

“They don't use swear words, they don't hit anyone, and even if they have complaints, they are good people.”

“However…… Do you?”

“Then let's go right away. I'll take care of it. Butler, work slowly.”

That day, Elisha toured the mansion all day and greeted each employee lightly. Everyone was shocked.

And the following week she said something amazing.

“I heard that today was originally the day the general had a meal with his men. It is right for the general and I to be together, so I will go instead.”

“…… Are you serious?”

Once every two weeks, Lucerne held a banquet and dinner with his men. Elisha going out where the tough soldiers and knights appear? It was a dumb story. Elisha nodded her head as if there was something wrong.