Episode 10
Has peace finally come to our house?
A large part of it is thanks to Dietrich, who has been steadily dedicated to exercising over the past two weeks. He worked hard without even showing a hint of exhaustion.
“Is this little one daring to look at me with admiration in her eyes?”
Dietrich reached out and roughly ruffled my hair.
Although our relationship had improved compared to before, I had never received such affectionate physical contact from him. I blinked my eyes wide in surprise.
Noticing this, Dietrich cleared his throat a few times and adjusted his expression.
“Why?”
I raised my hand and mimicked the action of rubbing my head as if to confirm what had just happened.
“What’s this? You just ruffled my head like this, Dietrich.”
“I-I can at least say thank you, you know!”
Did he just say thank you?
Did Dietrich say thank you?
The same Dietrich who would stick his tongue out at me and constantly call me ugly? The one who’d always scowl when he saw me?
As I stared at him in shock, Dietrich, feeling a bit embarrassed, pursed his lips.
“I went out of my way to thank you, and this is how you react…”
Looking up at Dietrich, whose face was gradually turning red, I couldn’t help but start to smile little by little.
“Are you really thankful to me?”
“Ha! Not even a little!”
“But just a moment ago, you said you were thankful.”
“No, I didn’t! It was… it was the other servants! The ones who attend to me said thank you, and I was just passing it along, that’s all!”
“Did the servants say thank you?”
“Well… they did, because I’m going to bed early. I’m not pestering them to have pillow fights or anything.”
Could it be that all his extra energy is being burned off through exercise?
Now that Dietrich had stopped causing trouble and become more well-behaved, even the attitudes of the employees had improved significantly.
In the past, the servants who had to chase after Dietrich all day had dark circles under their eyes. But these days, their faces seemed a little brighter.
“Hey, Dietrich. Do I still look ugly to you now?”
Dietrich didn’t reply, but he glanced away, his ears turning a bright red.
Dietrich’s shoulders flinched as he grumbled.
He sneakily glanced at me, gauging my reaction.
Since it seemed like he knew he did something wrong, I deliberately let my shoulders droop and put on a dejected expression.
“So, Mariela is ugly, huh? Am I really ugly…?”
I continued to sigh deeply with an exaggeratedly gloomy face. Seeing my display, Dietrich’s face turned into one of unease.
“Living as an ugly girl like Mariela is so hard in this world…”
“Y-you’re not that ugly!”
Dietrich waved his hands frantically, denying it. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, I mischievously pressed him further.
“Then, how ugly am I?”
“You’re like… uhm… oh, I know! You look like a squirrel!”
“A squirrel? The ones that eat acorns? And my cheeks are puffy like theirs, huh?”
A squirrel? Why a squirrel of all things?
Suddenly, I recalled the curtain incident. I frowned as I looked at Dietrich.
“Don’t tell me, Dietrich, are you still obsessed with flying squirrels…?”
“Ugh… Stop bringing that up! The nanny already told me that people can’t fly like flying squirrels!”
Dietrich looked so embarrassed that I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
When I laughed, Dietrich, who had been watching me cautiously, also began to crack a smile. Eventually, we both burst into laughter, laughing together as if we were possessed by something silly.
“Is exercising fun?”
Instead of teasing Dietrich any further, I asked him about his new passion for exercising.
“Yeah, totally! When I run for a long time, I feel like I’m going to collapse from exhaustion, but it also makes me feel really good. Don’t you know that feeling?”
Of course, I know that feeling.
Memories, long forgotten, slowly flowed back in like gentle waves, washing over the edges of my mind.
I loved exercising.
I loved seeing others become healthier and happier through exercise.
Back when I first started going to the gym, I saw people enduring pain from various aches and injuries. But after receiving exercise therapy, they would feel much better and even come back for more, saying thank you.
I loved those moments.
Watching people who had been feeling down from their injuries gradually regain their normal functions and brighten up was something I enjoyed as well.
‘That’s why I became a trainer.’
Although Dietrich wasn’t someone who had been hurt, he had recently become more confident through his workouts.
Every time the employees praised his posture or technique, he would try even harder.
Watching Dietrich like that gave me a strange, thrilling sensation that ran from my waist down to my toes.
‘A sense of accomplishment.’
The joy of helping others with something I’m good at. The joy of seeing someone improve because of me.
The confusion I felt was slowly washed away as waves of memories surged before me.
For the first time, I felt the faint thought that perhaps a second life wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Living by helping others with what I’m good at…
As I stayed silent for a long time, lost in thought, Dietrich cautiously glanced at me.
“Ella, do you hate being called a squirrel? Squirrels… aren’t they cute?”
Maybe Dietrich doesn’t hate me as much as I thought.
That realization made me burst into laughter again.
***
Hoo…
I inhaled deeply and exhaled, putting on a determined expression.
In my right hand, I held a light blue outfit, and in my left, a white outfit.
‘Which outfit suits Kiki better — the light blue one or the white one? That is the question.’
Kiki was the name of my stuffed bunny, which I cuddled with every night.
The name ‘Kiki’ was inspired by the ‘ki’ sound from ‘rabbit’ (tokki) in Korean.
At that moment, I was facing a monumental, life-altering decision — choosing which outfit Kiki would wear today.
The problem was that the skilled nanny had made so many beautiful clothes for Kiki.
After narrowing it down to the two most fitting outfits, I found myself completely stuck.
But both of them were just so cute!
“Hmph.”
“Miss, are you trying to dress Kiki? Would you like me to help you?”
“No. This is a decision I have to make myself.”
When I sternly drew the line, Betty, who was sitting next to me tidying up clothes, chuckled softly.
“If you ask me, I think this white one looks prettier.”
“Really?”
After hearing Betty’s opinion, I realized the white outfit had sparkling jewels embedded all over it, making it look absolutely stunning.
Normally, I maintain the mindset of an adult.
However, whenever I see a cute toy or get surprised by something, my emotions swing, and the thoughts of a three-year-old suddenly surge to the surface.
I guess it’s because my brain hasn’t fully matured yet…
Ugh…
I grumbled, still unable to make a final decision between the two outfits.
Seeing me like this, Betty and the other maids couldn’t help but break out into a chorus of giggles.
“You all are something else. How long have I been telling you to help the young miss change her clothes?”
Even as the nanny scolded them, the maids remained unfazed.
“But, nanny, just look at the young miss. She’s so adorably focused on her dilemma. How could we possibly interrupt that?”
“Miss, what’s troubling you?”
“This… Kiki’s clothes…”
The nanny stifled a laugh through her nose.
But then, as if she remembered her purpose for entering the room, she quickly composed herself.
“You can worry about Kiki’s clothes later. For now, you need to greet the new servants who have arrived.”
New servants?
I carefully placed both of Kiki’s outfits on top of her and turned around completely to face the nanny.
The maids brought in a lovely dress they had picked out in advance.
“The servants sent from the main estate have already crossed the front gate.”
“Did a lot of them come?”
“Yes. It seems the Duke has been generous this time.”
The nanny reached out and gently curled my hair into a round shape with her hand.
“Don’t worry. If any of those people dare to cause you trouble, I, Betty, will personally handle it — bang!”
“Betty.”
Hmm?
Does Betty not like the servants sent from the main estate?
Even when the nanny scolded her in a strict tone, Betty stuck out her lips in defiance.
“But you never know. The servants from the main estate might act all high and mighty. They’ve always looked down on our household because of the Duke’s poor relationship with them. Remember when they came to collect Madam’s coffin? They acted so—”
“Betty! You’re saying too much in front of the young miss!”
It was only after the nanny sternly cut her off that Betty finally fell silent.
The Madam’s coffin? Are they talking about my mother’s coffin? What happened back then?
I wanted to ask more about it, but the nanny didn’t give me a chance.
“Now, young miss, it’s time for you to greet the new household members as the lady of the house.”
When I stood at the entrance with the nanny, the servants from the main estate had already arrived.
As soon as they spotted me, they immediately bowed their heads in unison.
“Greetings, young miss.”
It seemed like Dietrich had already greeted them ahead of me. He glanced my way and gave a small nod.
It was a rainy afternoon, with rain falling in thin, straight lines.
Since they had a lot of luggage, it appeared that they didn’t have the chance to use umbrellas, as all the new servants were completely drenched.
Most of the newly arrived servants were guards. However, there were also maids, footmen, a butler, and even a live-in physician, totaling a whopping ten people.
“I am Gerard Meyer, the newly appointed butler. I will do my utmost to serve you both from now on.”
The butler stepped forward and bowed again, bending at a sharp, precise angle.
Even in his rain-soaked appearance, the silhouette of his muscular build was faintly visible.
His entire body seemed firm, and his sharp gaze had a striking intensity.
I found myself unconsciously hiding behind the nanny.
