Chapter 21: The Butler’s Deduction

Clom, who was skilled with words, grew up among the retainers with a quick-witted and sly nature. Sometimes he became prickly and fickle, and he spent a lot of money grooming himself. Even so, he was a lord who owned a large castle. A cheerful, eloquent, young, and handsome lord. But he had a problem. Despite being old enough, he had no intention of taking a wife.

He only created scandals with countless noble ladies. He never made a woman to keep close and cherish. In every village he reached, he drank and enjoyed the night with women, but he never made a fiancée. That was the problem.

For different reasons, Gladzor’s sons were still alone. It was time for them to find true companions, yet they remained like this. Women desperate to seduce these two handsome men were lining up.

The butler raised his wise eyes to the room closest to the lord.

Just a few hours ago, his lord had brought in a beautiful woman. She had been hidden under a large fur hat, but her facial features were delicate.

She was of moderate height, and since she had made a living selling dye, she was probably diligent. As a painter, she would be observant, and with her refined taste, she would know how to decorate this gray-tinged castle beautifully. Besides, he had brought a woman into the castle, unlike before. He had made her stay in a nearby room and was even trying to hide that he had gone to the forest. That left one undeniable reason.

He liked her.

Since status made marriage impossible, he clearly intended to keep her as a mistress.

The butler let out a small sound of admiration and nodded. He did not know how the two had met, but if the lord had given his heart, that was enough. Marriage might be impossible, but what did that matter? In this country, Jerond’s position as the next knight commander was already settled. If he never married and had a child with a mistress, the child would not grow up despised. Status could be granted by the emperor. If it came to it, the child could leave the empire and live as king of a new country without issue.

The butler suddenly felt relieved. He had been anxious because there was no sign of anything at the time when the portrait should be painted. Now that the scent of a beautiful woman would fill this castle, he could not be happier. He did not care how Clom lived. He only hoped that Jerond, his lord, would soon have good news.

“Look here. Go and call the empire’s best seamstress. Bring hairdressers and jewelers as well. While you are at it, select an administrator with refined taste who can decorate the castle. Also bring the best cooks and bakers, and bring two tight-lipped maids.”

At the butler’s orders, the servants moved quickly. Then they called Bardel, whom the lord had named directly.

“Did you call for me?”

“Come in. How is the painter doing?”

“She finished bathing and changed clothes.”

“Did she seem uncomfortable being touched?”

“Well…”

Bardel was one of the smarter maids. She had been lucky enough to meet a kind noblewoman, learn music and art, and study history with Gohr.

“She sent me outside.”

Bardel looked sullen. No, she truly was sullen. When she had been ordered to serve the first woman the lord had brought himself, she had been so happy. She had been excited and tried her best to dress her up, but the woman refused the bath and refused grooming. She was so hurt she could almost cry.

“Why?”

“I got the sense she disliked it. But I can understand why.”

Bardel rolled her clever eyes once, then spoke her thoughts.

“First, Lavarus is the place in the empire farthest from Isleam, right? It is in the south, but it is windy and rainy, so she would have always worn pants and heavy shoes that rain would not leak through. She collected and sold dye with an old woman, so she must have gone into seawater a lot. As far as I know, the dye-gathering process is harsh. They put it in jars with goat urine and let it ferment for a full month, then take it out, dry it, and grind it. During that process, flesh dissolves and sores form, so they can look like skin disease patients. And she must have lived worse than a farmer, so when would she have received a person’s touch? Just looking at her, she seems to still be a virgin.”

The Isleam Empire allowed free love. If two people’s eyes met, they could share love with anyone. As long as adultery and love triangles did not cause deaths, no one cared about past history.

Even so, the meaning of virginity was still respected and treated as precious. When a virgin married, the wedding was even grander, and husbands would give jewels or build a castle for their wives.

“Listening to you, that does seem possible. So do you think she will keep refusing to be touched?”

“Today is the first day, so I do not know yet. But I will keep trying to make her trust me. Still, there was a good sign.”

The butler opened his gray eyes wide and asked what it was. Bardel moved her freckled cheeks broadly and answered brightly.

“She allowed me to brush her golden hair!”

It was tender.

The first hot bath in eight years was so good that it made her forget everything. The water was clean and hot, and the thing called soap gave off a pleasant scent. She did not know what it was made of, but when she held it, bubbles formed and made her skin soft. When she applied it to her hair and rubbed, the feeling was indescribable.

So Luti forgot all the world’s worries and focused only on the bath. The scent when rinsing her hair was so good that she rubbed and rinsed twice. She had fallen for it completely.

‘Sorotel, soap must be a good thing. It is much better than what I read in books.’

As Luti wrapped her dry body in a large cloth, she thought of Sorotel. She wanted to share this good thing with Sorotel. More than anything, she wanted to gain strength for the life that had just begun with the man named Jerond.

‘I miss you. If I could hear you growl, I think I would have courage…’

Suddenly she felt sad again. She firmly resolved to cheer up, but sadness and fear came one after another. She rubbed her body hard and tried to fill herself with courage, but it washed away quickly.

Luti covered her flat chest and private area as she dried herself. Afraid someone would come in, she moved her hands quickly. Then came a knock, knock, and a maid’s voice.

“This is Bardel. If you are finished bathing, I would like to dress you and brush your hair.”

Luti was flustered. After the bath, now hair and clothes too? If this was normal, how much longer would she have to endure this? Luti stood not knowing what to do, then jumped onto the bed while wrapped in the large cloth. Her healthy legs, used to running through the forest, carried her up at once. Along with the soft bedding, a fragrant flower scent spread.

Despite the tense situation, it felt good. Such soft, luxurious bedding. The blanket was mixed with silk-like weasel fur and marten fur, and the sheets were so soft. Just touching them made her feel she would fall asleep and sleep late. Luti waved her arms on the blanket and was startled. Water footprints had been left on the white cloth.

What have you done on these clean sheets! This is not some shabby bed made of lightning-split wood patched together piece by piece! It is not a bed covered with cloth scraps barely held together with crude powder!

Startled, Luti jumped back down from the bed. At the thud, Bardel came running and shouted.

“Lady Amblin!”

Bardel’s eyes went wide. Luti, fallen from the bed, was lying flat on her stomach, wrapped tightly in the large cotton cloth.

“Oh my goodness!”

She thought disaster had struck. That skinny person had fallen from the bed, so she must have broken something. She was supposed to paint. If her hand or arm was broken…

Fear struck her. If something really was broken, it would clearly be her fault. She had left the master alone, so she deserved punishment. Bardel’s vision went dark, and she ran desperately toward Luti. She did not even notice her dress hem tearing as she rushed over to lift her. Then a red stream trickled down.

“argh!”

It was a nosebleed. Red blood burst from the cute little nose set in that small face.

“Oh no, please kill me!”

“Good heavens, a nosebleed!”

Bardel quickly plugged the nose with her sleeve. It was a relief that the blood was not coming from her forehead or head, but she was still injured. And it was the woman the lord had brought himself, fallen from the bed and bleeding from her nose.

“I was not supposed to leave you alone! I will be killed… If your nose bone is broken… Oh no!”

I am dead. I will be hanged in the plaza after my neck is cut. Or I might be thrown into the lord’s dungeon and die with my tongue pulled out. I have not even turned twenty yet. As she was about to cry, not knowing what to do, a quiet hand touched her shoulder.

“Lady Amblin…”

Bardel stopped crying and met Luti’s eyes. Luti, blood smeared around her nose, smiled as if to say she was fine.

“…You are okay, right?”

Luti gestured that she had fallen from the bed. She mimed simply falling and bumping her face lightly. Relieved, Bardel burst into loud crying.

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