Episode 11
“Wake up, baby Ella!”
Dietrich is so full of energy this morning.
But I’m still a three-year-old child who needs proper sleep.
I shook off Dietrich, who had barged into my room early in the morning and was shaking my arm, then quickly pulled the blanket over my head.
If I close my eyes again now, I could probably sleep for another two hours.
“Aren’t you curious about what the butler installed outside?”
Not curious at all.
“Jumping on it together would be so much fun.”
Not fun at all…
…Jumping?
“What do you mean by jumping?”
“Look out the window. That black thing over there! It’s the most popular toy in the Duchy right now!”
Peeking out from under the blanket, I sat up, following Dietrich’s directions.
As soon as I saw the pitch-black thing installed in the garden, all traces of sleep vanished.
Oh my goodness! That’s…!
“They say you just climb on it and jump. Doesn’t it sound fun? Don’t you want to try it right away?”
A trampoline! Isn’t that a trampoline?
The very thing I used to jump on every day with my friends outside the school gates, called by various names like ‘bouncy,’ ‘boing,’ or ‘pong pong!’
A wave of affection surged in my heart for the butler who hadn’t even been here for a week.
“Let’s go, Dietrich!”
“Let’s go, baby!”
“Wait a moment. Both of you need to change out of your pajamas before heading out.”
Standing at the door were the nanny and maids, who must have entered at some point.
Now that I think about it, both Dietrich, who got excited and ran here right after waking up, and I, who just got up, were still in our pajamas.
There’s no way I could jump on a trampoline wearing this frilly dress.
“Then let’s change and meet outside in front?”
“Yeah!”
The nanny grabbed Dietrich’s hand and led him back to his room, leaving me with three maids.
Betty and Laura are the maids I’m most familiar with, always attending to me… but who’s this?
A new hire?
As I stared intently at the unfamiliar face of the woman, she smiled with her eyes crinkling, almost hiding them entirely, and bowed her head toward me.
She looked a bit older than the nanny.
“Hello, young miss. I am Yasmin, a governess sent from the main household.”
“A governess?”
“Yes, I will assist the nanny in looking after you from now on. In noble families, it is customary to have a governess in addition to a nanny once the children grow to a certain age.”
I see.
When it comes to manners and customs, Yasmin, who had worked in the Duke’s household, probably knew much more than I did as a reincarnated soul.
“May I fix your hair for you, young miss?”
“Yes!”
After a few gentle strokes from Yasmin’s hands, my hair was instantly styled into an adorable shape.
To think she managed to create such a complex hairstyle in a single go!
As expected, a governess sent from the main household is on a whole different level.
“I’ve braided your hair into a round style today. How do you like it?”
“It’s the best! Yasmin, how did you make it so pretty?”
“Thank you, young miss. I used to serve madam Catherine, the wife of the young duke, back at her family home.”
The young duke… That name sounds vaguely familiar.
I vaguely recalled that the Duke of Callenberg was my grandfather, and the heir was my father’s younger brother.
I wonder if I’ll ever get to meet my grandfather or uncle one day?
‘From what the maids say, it doesn’t seem like grandfather has much interest in me.’
For now, I was just satisfied with Yasmin’s impressive handiwork, as she skillfully braided and tied my hair into pigtails.
Our nanny was originally hired to take care of Dietrich, so she wasn’t particularly adept at styling a little girl’s hair beautifully.
The maids, who weren’t specifically hired to care for children, were even less skilled in that regard.
“Oh my, you’re so adorable, young miss!”
While I was staring at myself in the mirror for a while, I twirled around with a giggle, and Betty’s exclamation came from behind me.
I thought she was holding back for longer than usual.
Judging by her tone, which sounded like she could barely contain her affection, she’d probably start patting my head any moment now.
As I twirled around again and tilted my intricately braided hair toward Betty for her to pat, a sudden sound of friction made me freeze.
Turning my head, the first thing I saw was Betty standing still, wide-eyed, her hand clenched into a fist.
Next was the sight of her hand, now flushed red.
“Governess, what’s the meaning of this…?”
The moment of surprise quickly passed, and Betty’s gaze turned sharp as her eyebrows arched fiercely.
Even though Betty, who was known for having the worst temper and expression in the house, glared daggers at her, Yasmin maintained the same calm and composed expression she had earlier.
It was hard to believe she was the same person who had just loudly smacked the back of Betty’s hand.
“How dare you attempt to touch the young miss hair without her permission?”
“I was merely reaching out because the young miss is just so adorable!”
“Do they not teach basic manners to the staff at the branch household? One must not lay a hand on the person they serve without their explicit consent.”
Yasmin’s gaze as she looked down at Betty was devoid of any warmth, full of disdain.
Hmm.
Well… considering this is a society with a strict class system, Yasmin’s words were technically correct.
‘But still, there’s the bond I’ve built with Betty over time.’
I couldn’t easily take anyone’s side.
To be honest, my time living in this world hasn’t been long, so I don’t know much about etiquette.
If the nanny had been here, she would’ve sorted out the situation, but unfortunately, she wasn’t.
“But the young miss is still a child…”
“Even if she’s still young, a master is a master. Until now, you may have behaved carelessly like someone from the branch household, but now that I’m here, you will properly show respect to the young miss.”
Betty looked a bit aggrieved, trembling slightly, but since Yasmin’s words were correct in principle, she could only hold her tongue.
I understood that what Yasmin said just now was the right thing.
‘But did she really need to educate her by hitting her?’
Betty could be impulsive at times, but she wasn’t someone who stubbornly resisted for no reason or behaved arrogantly.
She genuinely cared for both Dietrich and me.
If Yasmin had explained things properly, Betty would’ve understood and adjusted her behavior quickly. But instead, she resorted to slapping her hand out of the blue…
‘And what’s with the constant mention of the “branch household”?’
No matter how grand the main household might be, Yasmin was working here now. Speaking in such a condescending manner was unwarranted.
Yasmin, who had been glaring sharply at Betty, turned her gaze toward me and softened her expression.
Her face now looked gentle, as if she weren’t the same person who had just belittled the household moments ago.
“The butler has installed a trampoline for the young master and young miss. It’s a humble gift prepared with the help of the main household’s staff. Please enjoy it.”
“Um…”
“Now, shall we go outside together? May I hold your hand?”
What should I do?
Betty and Laura were ordinary maids, lower in rank than Yasmin.
If I openly rebuked Yasmin in front of them, it would damage her dignity and sour the mood.
Since Yasmin was technically right and held a higher position, it seemed wiser to let this go for now and comfort Betty later in private.
After sorting out my thoughts, I extended my hand and placed it in Yasmin’s.
Yasmin held my hand firmly and, before stepping out of the room, cast a glance at Betty and Laura, who had been about to follow us.
“You two stay behind and tidy up the young miss bedding. Make sure to clean the room thoroughly as well.”
“…Understood.”
Hmm.
These tasks are usually handled by lower-ranked staff. Yasmin shouldn’t have assigned them to my personal maids without asking me.
Only after separating Betty and Laura did Yasmin’s mood seem to lift, and she began chatting in a much brighter tone.
“The weather is lovely today, isn’t it, young miss?”
I couldn’t quite get a read on her.
Should I just observe her for a little while longer?
It’s natural for some friction to occur when unfamiliar groups of people start working together.
Besides, Yasmin came from one of the four prestigious ducal households in the empire, so her pride must be sky-high.
By the standards of noble etiquette, it seems Betty was indeed at fault.
“Do you like cake?”
“Yes, I do.”
I responded with the kind of answer Yasmin seemed to want as she smoothly shifted the conversation.
“That’s wonderful. I’ve instructed the kitchen to prepare lots of cake for you to enjoy after jumping on the trampoline.”
That… probably isn’t going to end well.
