“Take down all the curtains, mattress covers, and sheets and wash them.”

“But I just changed them yesterday.”

It was the third day since Leonie Mansfield had arrived.

“So what? The lye smell hasn’t gone away at all, probably because you didn’t rinse them properly. I couldn’t sleep a wink because of a headache. Wash them again.”

Couldn’t sleep a wink, huh.

Her snoring echoed down the hallway.

She said she would reflect on the past and live kindly after returning, but that clearly wasn’t the case.

Or was it that she hadn’t returned yet?

If so, being found out could mean instant death.

Clicking her tongue at the maid who stood still, Leonie added more work.

“Are you rebelling now? Unbelievable. Wash all the bedding in the storage room, too.”

“What? That’s ridiculous.”

“Are you talking back? No wonder everything’s a mess with no master around. It’ll take a while to get things back in order.”

Seeing her eyes roll wildly, Geneve gave up on arguing.

Before she got nitpicked further, it was better to just grab the sheets and curtains and escape.

“She told you to wash these again?”

Eva gasped as she saw Geneve coming down with an armful of laundry.

“Yes. And the bedding in the storage room too.”

“How are the two of us supposed to wash all that? There’s still cleaning to do.”

Eva’s legs gave out, and she slumped to the floor.

“Right? It’s impossible for just the two of us to handle this.”

Watching Geneve’s eyes darting around with thought, Eva clicked her tongue. “If you’re thinking of asking Mila, forget it. She hasn’t left the kitchen in three days trying to satisfy Miss Leonie’s picky tastes.”

“No, I’m going to speak with the Grand Duke.”

“What? Who?”

“The esteemed master of this house. I’m doing unjust labor. He should fix it.”

“You’ve lost your mind. Who are you going to say that to?”

“I’m heading out.”

Eva dismissed it as empty talk and shot Geneve a glance.

“You’re not going to listen even if I tell you it’s dangerous. Don’t tell me you’re running away?”

“Come on, do you think I’m that disloyal? Just get the laundry from the storage room ready for me.”

“What are you planning?”

Passing the laundry to the curious Eva, Geneve grabbed her coat.

“Just wait. I’ll find a solution.”

***

“Where are you from again?”

“From House Javier. It’s urgent, so I must see His Grace the Grand Duke immediately.”

“His Grace doesn’t meet people without an appointment. Go back.”

“I said it’s urgent. Please inform His Grace right away.”

“I said no.”

“It’s about the lady of House Javier.”

The gatekeeper’s expression turned even more hostile. “House Javier doesn’t have a daughter. Stop lying!”

“Is it really a lie? Just deliver the message. He’ll want to meet me right away.”

The gatekeeper hesitated at her confident tone, then left to report.

She had to ride a horse from the front gate to the mansion, it was that vast.

The Tanesia estate was quite large, but compared to this, it seemed modest.

They said this winter wasn’t particularly cold.

But waiting outside in the open for a long time was freezing. Her hands and feet were stiff with cold.

Just as she started to regret not leaving a message and going back, she heard the sound of a carriage.

“Are you the one from House Javier?”

A middle-aged man with chestnut hair asked from the driver’s seat of a two-seater open carriage.

“Yes.”

Rubbing her arms against the cold, the maid answered nonchalantly.

The butler raised an eyebrow at her attitude.

Recalling what had just happened, he observed her closely.

Normally, this maid should have walked to the mansion.

But the moment His Grace heard a maid from House Javier had arrived, he ordered the butler to personally fetch her.

“I am Baron Bern, head butler of the Grand Duke’s household.”

“Hello.”

Despite holding a key position assisting the Grand Duke in all matters, she only responded with a perfunctory greeting.

Baron Bern had raised Grand Duke Dumar while shielding him from all threats.

He prided himself on being sharp and perceptive.

And to him, this girl in maid attire was clearly no ordinary maid.

Having made a quick assessment, Baron Bern got off the carriage and spoke respectfully, “Please get in.”

“Shouldn’t His Grace come out instead of me going in?”

Surprise flashed in Bern’s eyes.

No ordinary maid would say such a thing.

Even though his tone had changed, the girl in maid clothes didn’t react.

Which meant she was used to being treated with deference.

“I apologize for the open carriage, but you must be cold. Let’s get you inside quickly.”

“Can’t be helped.” Shrugging indifferently, she let him help her into the carriage.

Bern added gently, “We’ll have something warm ready once we arrive. What kind of tea do you prefer?”

The hardest part of staying at House Javier was not being able to eat food or have her preferred tea.

Geneve’s face lit up as she named the tea she had come to love while staying at House Tanesia.

“Mogaring tea. They didn’t have it at House Javier.”

Of course they didn’t.

A small pouch of it cost as much as a bag of silver. It was a top-tier luxury tea.

If House Javier had such an expensive tea, that would’ve been even stranger.

The butler made up his mind to start an investigation into this young lady the moment they arrived at the mansion.

“Aren’t you hungry? We’ll prepare refreshments of your choice.”

“Fruitcake. And butter cookies, if possible. I’m craving sweets because of the cold.”

While they exchanged a few words, the carriage arrived in front of the mansion.

The butler elegantly stopped the carriage and replied kindly, “Right away.”

“Why did you come here?”

The Grand Duke asked bluntly the moment she stepped through the front doors.

“I already told you. It’s about Lady Javier.”

Geneve pouted as she handed her coat to the butler.

“Why? Did you two have a falling out? Are you here to hand over some information?”

“Even if that weren’t the case, it’d seem that way. It’s cold. Let’s go somewhere warm.”

Despite the heating, the high ceilings and excessive space made the main hall feel chilly.

At Geneve’s request, Kaiden immediately turned.

“To the study—no, Bern, is the reception room warmer?”

“Yes, Your Grace. The small reception room is likely warmer.”

At Bern’s response, Kaiden turned the other way.

“This way.”

Taking Geneve to the reception room, Kaiden sat on the sofa and pressed her.

“Hurry up and tell me what this is about.”

Baron Bern quickly ordered a maid to prepare refreshments and followed into the reception room.

“Lady Javier keeps making unreasonable demands. Your Grace needs to step in.”

“What demands? Don’t tell me she asked for money.”

“She wouldn’t say something like that to me. I’ve been washing curtains and sheets for three days straight. Today, she told me to wash all the bedding in the storage room, too.”

Kaiden’s face went blank hearing Geneve’s complaints.

“What?”

“Please hire a laundry maid right away. Or let me send it to a laundry shop.”

“You came all this way just for that?”

Kaiden’s voice sank low to the floor just as a knock sounded.

Baron Bern quickly dismissed the maid who had brought in the tray and began serving the tea himself.

He didn’t want this interesting conversation to be interrupted.

“Just for that? You could die doing all that laundry,” Geneve grumbled, her eyes fixed on the cup the butler was pouring.

“This laundry maid, where can I find one?”

“How should I know?” Geneve replied dryly, then picked up the teacup with a blissful expression.

Kaiden glared at her smug face and sighed. “Bern, get one immediately.”

“It will be difficult to hire a laundry maid right away. We’d need to check with the hiring office or post a notice. That would take a few days. Same with laundry shops. As always during the social season, nobles are swarming the capital. They’re overwhelmed with orders.”

“Days? No way. She said everything has to be done today.”

Geneve protested with a teary face, a piece of cake halfway to her mouth.

“Then just don’t do it.”

At Kaiden’s words, Geneve shook her head. “I disobeyed once on the first day and ended up with double the work. I can’t quit because of Your Grace, but if I don’t follow orders, I’m the one who suffers.”

Kaiden’s face contorted at this unfamiliar dilemma.

Bern barely held back a laugh at a look he hadn’t seen since his master’s adolescence.

He was tempted to watch a little longer, but seeing Kaiden squirm, his heart softened.

“Your Grace, how about sending the laundry to Dumar’s estate? We’ll compensate the laundry maids there for taking on extra work.”

Kaiden’s eyes lit up at Bern’s suggestion. “That’s a great idea. What do you think?”

“I think it’s an excellent idea.” Nodding vigorously, Geneve continued, “Can I finish this before I go? I’m still cold.”

“Take your time. I’ll send someone to fetch the laundry. You can return with the clean bedding.”

Geneve’s face brightened at Bern’s suggestion. “You’ll do that? You’re so kind. What I thought would be a rough day has turned happy.”

“What’s the big deal about that?”

“It’s something Your Grace never would’ve thought of.”

Kaiden, out of things to say, sullenly picked up his teacup.

“Ugh, what kind of tea is this?”

For Kaiden, who preferred bitter flavors, the sweet and tangy tea wasn’t even drinkable.

As he grimaced and set the cup down, Bern said, “The young lady requested it. Though Your Grace doesn’t like it, Duke Kenneth enjoys it, so we keep some in stock. Shall I bring you another tea?”

“No, it’s fine.”

“May I have another cup, please?”

Beaming, Geneve watched her teacup being refilled and suddenly said, “But something’s strange.”