Chapter 11
“It really feels like the pain is easing.”
“Right? Should I apply some on your back and shoulders as well?”
“Oh, no, I can do it myself.”
“But it seems like it might be hard to reach. Don’t be shy, we’re both women.”
Daisy grinned broadly and urged Ethel.
Though she felt like she was being swept along, for some reason, Ethel didn’t mind. She untied her nightgown and exposed her back.
“Wow… I’ve never seen someone with such a beautiful back.”
Embarrassingly, Daisy murmured in admiration.
But her admiration didn’t linger rudely long. She skillfully applied the ointment on Ethel’s shoulder blades, under her wings, and along the muscles on either side of her spine.
Spreading it thinly and widely, it wasn’t too sticky, yet it felt cool and refreshing.
‘To know where it hurts so well at such a young age must mean she’s had a lot of hardship since she was even younger.’
Feeling a pang of sympathy, Ethel smiled as brightly as she could.
“Thank you, Miss Daisy.”
“Just call me Daisy.”
“Then you can call me Ethel.”
“Th-that’s a bit… Can I call you ‘sister’?”
The word ‘sister’ sounded a bit unfamiliar and made her feel slightly awkward, but Ethel nodded.
“It feels like I have a cute younger sister now.”
“C-cute? No way.”
Despite waving her hand dismissively, Daisy’s cheeks blushed as she giggled, then she wrapped herself back in her shawl.
“Then I’ll be going now, Sister Ethel. Get some good rest.”
Though she felt a twinge of regret seeing Daisy leave so soon, Ethel couldn’t hold her back.
Daisy had her own tiring duties to attend to, and a good night’s sleep was crucial for those who labored hard.
“Sleep well, Daisy.”
Ethel waved at the door, far more relaxed than earlier.
Though the room fell silent again after Daisy left, the lingering scent of peppermint and the faint noises beyond the thin walls made her feel oddly warm inside.
Had she still been a noble, she would have immediately taken out her diary and started an entry with ‘I made a new friend today.’
* * *
“Mrs. Bohen! The bath is ready.”
“Thank you, Mina. You’ve worked hard.”
“Oh, it was nothing. Hehe.”
Marsha soaked herself in the warm tub Mina had prepared.
Mina quickly lathered a soft towel with soap and began to scrub Marsha’s shoulders.
“There’s been a lot on your mind lately, hasn’t there?”
“Ah, that girl Ethel, you mean?”
Marsha sighed exaggeratedly and shook her head.
“She’s a real troublemaker. Not ordinary at all. How did she manage to win Celia over?”
“Celia has a bit of a strange personality. She doesn’t know manners.”
“Exactly! She doesn’t even seem to know who her superiors are. Tsk.”
As annoyance spread across Marsha’s face, Mina gently scrubbed her arm.
“Actually, it’s not just Celia. Laila and Daisy are the same. Especially Daisy, who seems quite close to Ethel since they’re next-door neighbors.”
“Relying on her father, she dares to defy me. Insolent girl.”
“She’s just a coachman’s daughter after all. They stick together.”
But this did little to comfort Marsha. The growing number of servants defying her was not good news.
“Those who don’t know their place need to be taught a lesson. Otherwise, they’ll soon climb over me.”
“What will you do?”
Mina asked with a hint of expectation in her eyes.
“Just wait. Within three months, I’ll make Ethel and those sticking to her crawl before me. A tribute of 100 Ringtons is just the start!”
Mina giggled at that.
There was an unspoken rule that to live comfortably here, one had to pay Marsha 100 Ringtons a month, and five servants complied willingly.
Among them, Mina was the most diligent in flattering Marsha. Besides the 100 Ringtons, she often brought Marsha nice things whenever she found them.
Thanks to this, Mina lived more comfortably than any other servant in the house and sometimes even stole things from the Count’s household with Marsha’s tacit approval.
‘The money I get from selling stolen goods is much more than 100 Ringtons. Plus, I get to live comfortably like the housekeeper.’
Only Marsha and Mina, excluding the family members, could bathe in hot water in this house.
“But Madam, some servants are complaining about washing in cold water.”
“What? Did you spread rumors that we’re using warm water?”
“No way! I denied it firmly. But a few sharp ones seem to be suspicious.”
Mina pouted her lips.
After Marsha finished bathing, Mina would use the leftover warm water to wash herself, but she kept this fact strictly hidden from the other servants.
However, as winter deepened, it was impossible not to notice that while others became grimier, the two of them always had a pristine appearance.
Marsha was silent for a moment, then spoke venomously, glaring.
“Tell them to stop being so presumptuous. Since when did they think they deserved to bathe in hot water?”
“Exactly.”
“You be careful too. The Count or Lady Linia must not find out. Understood?”
“Got it. Hehe.”
Mina massaged Marsha’s shoulders, trying to be ingratiating, but Marsha was preoccupied, trying to figure out where the secret might have leaked.
She was skimming off the firewood costs while pretending the servants bathed in hot water, so getting caught would be problematic.
But soon, she clicked her tongue and dismissed her worries.
‘The Count is hardly ever home anyway, and Lady Linia isn’t interested in such matters, so it should be fine.’
Even if it came to a crisis, she could find a way out. After all, she practically had this household in her grasp.
* * *
Today, Laszlo received a letter from a noblewoman he had never spoken to before.
The sender was Barbara Celestine, Dowager Marchioness, whose son had inherited the marquisate, and her daughter-in-law now held the title of Marchioness. Despite stepping back, Barbara’s presence remained significant.
She was also known as an aloof noble who never mingled with the vulgar or the greedy.
For her to write to him, Laszlo double-checked the recipient’s name several times, thinking it might have been delivered incorrectly.
The content was equally surprising.
“To the brave and loyal Count Crissus,
…(abridged)… Though I know my words, as an old woman in the back room, may carry no weight with you, I could not stay silent after hearing the news and felt compelled to write.
…(abridged)… Please do not treat Miss Ethel harshly.
She knows nothing about the covert ‘incident’ within the Lancaster Duchy. The entire Ducal family thoroughly isolated her.
Miss Ethel is merely a victim of a transaction between families.
…(abridged)… She is exceedingly kind, graceful, wise, and benevolent.
Please do not push such a person further into despair. I earnestly beg you.
After sending this letter, I will soon return to the capital. I hope we can share a cup of tea sometime soon. This is where I end my letter.
– Barbara M. Celestine”
Laszlo skimmed the letter back and forth, letting out a small chuckle.
“What? Do not push her further into despair? She seems to view me as a complete beast.”
While he felt somewhat vexed, he was also curious. The letter was dated a week after he had received Ethel, and since she had been staying in the territory for convalescence, it was clear she wrote this as soon as she heard the news.
‘Why would the Dowager Marchioness Celestine go to such lengths? Even if they are acquaintances, sending such a letter at the risk of being implicated in treason…’
Despite his disinterest in the social scene, he knew quite a lot about the nobles.
He had a good memory for faces and names and, as an imperial guard, needed to be well-versed in the nobles’ personal details and relationships.
However, he had never had reason to investigate the relationship between the Dowager Marchioness Celestine and the Duchess of Lancaster.
‘Now I’m suddenly curious.’
He was now intrigued not only by their relationship but also by Ethel herself. What he knew about Ethel Lancaster was mostly based on rumors and assumptions derived from her surrounding dynamics.
‘Count Canyon raised her rigorously to be the perfect bride from a young age, didn’t he? I have no idea what that ‘perfection’ entails, though.’
The fact that she was meticulously educated by Count Canyon actually gave him a negative impression of her.
From his experience, Count Canyon was greedy, base, and cowardly. If he raised Ethel with the intention of selling her off to a great noble family, what could he have taught her?
‘Well… he must have hired good teachers to instruct her in demeanor and manners, but her core must be obvious. You reap what you sow.’
Of course, he had to admit that Ethel’s aristocratic demeanor had never faltered since she was captured at the ducal estate.
But there were plenty of nobles who looked good on the outside. Judging her entirely based on appearances would be foolish.
