Chapter 63
“What… What are you saying? I’m already overwhelmed as the head maid, and now you’re suddenly talking about making me the butler?”
“You said the head maid’s job was hard because there’s no butler, right? Then you become the butler. We’ll hire a new head maid, no big deal.”
Edel was so taken aback that she felt dizzy.
But unlike her, Laszlo felt like a major headache had been solved in an instant.
“She must have managed the family’s finances and kept an eye on the overall state of the estate. The only issue would be the possibility of betrayal, but we’ve always kept an eye on the Canyon Count’s house, so it should be fine.”
Of course, Laszlo wasn’t oblivious to Edel’s shock and confusion.
“Don’t stress too much. The estate has been a mess for a while anyway, so no matter what you do, it can’t possibly get any worse.”
“…That’s such a comforting thing to say.”
“Surprising. You know how to be sarcastic.”
Laszlo chuckled cheerfully.
Edel was a bit startled by his bright laughter.
“So, he can laugh like this, huh.”
The furrowed brows that often appeared on his face smoothed out, and his sharp eyebrows, usually arched upward, softened slightly.
His mischievous gaze and firm lips curved into a smile, revealing his white teeth.
It was… beautiful. Almost a shame it wasn’t something she could see often.
Perhaps that was why her resolve weakened.
“Anyway, you’ll do it, right?”
“Well… I guess I don’t really have much of a choice at the moment…”
It was only after agreeing that Edel realized what she’d done.
“What on earth did I just do…?”
But it was already too late to undo it.
As soon as Edel agreed, Laszlo jumped to his feet and opened a compartment in the floor beneath the office desk.
“The floor… opens?”
Most people wouldn’t think to look at the floor unless they were hiding something secret.
From the area Laszlo was rummaging through, she could hear the mechanical clicks and turns of a dial, followed by the clunk of a metal box being opened.
Edel didn’t even need to look to know what it was.
“Don’t tell me… you’re opening the family vault right in front of me?”
“Yep.”
Laszlo’s attitude was as if she had asked something completely obvious.
However, the family vault was supposed to be kept in the most secretive location in the estate, its position a closely guarded secret.
Yet, here Laszlo was, boldly exposing it to Edel.
“My Lord! How could you open that in front of me? The vault should only be opened when you’re alone!”
“Well, you’re the butler now. You need to know about it, don’t you?”
“Even if I’m the butler—!”
“I’m someone who could die at any moment.”
Laszlo muttered nonchalantly as he took a few items out of the vault.
“Someone has to know about it in case I die suddenly. I hadn’t found anyone trustworthy to leave it to, so this works out well.”
Edel felt a chill run down her spine for a moment.
She was reminded again that he was someone constantly living under the threat of death.
But that didn’t help her make sense of the situation.
Oblivious to Edel’s confusion, Laszlo began explaining each document and item he had pulled out.
“First, this is the patent of nobility granted by His Majesty the Emperor. This one pertains to the fiefdom. And this… these are the documents about this estate.”
These were incredibly important documents, worth tens or even hundreds of millions of Ringtons if damaged.
Edel felt an overwhelming urge to grab Laszlo by the collar and shake him. She had absolutely no desire to see these documents. Not even a speck of it!
“You should entrust these to Lady Rinia instead of me!”
“That girl is far too reckless. If she knew, she’d blabber it everywhere.”
“And you think I wouldn’t?”
“Well, do you even have anyone to tell?”
Laszlo smirked again.
Edel was at a loss for words. The man, who had seemed charming moments ago, now resembled a villain.
“What on earth makes you trust me? Once word gets out that I’ve become the butler, your enemies will try to either recruit me or threaten me.”
“And you’ll resist, won’t you? You turned down a blank check, after all.”
Laszlo’s clear brown eyes gazed steadily at the delicate yet resolute Edel.
“Besides, it doesn’t seem like you have anyone you’d risk your life to protect or anywhere you long to return to.”
If she had, she wouldn’t have been so quick to throw away her life when she came here.
“A person with nothing left is surprisingly reliable—so long as I become their sole refuge.”
“Does that mean… you’re offering to become my only refuge?”
“Does the idea not appeal to you?”
Once again, his smile carried a hint of mischief. It even felt faintly seductive.
Something fluttered faintly in her chest, but Edel ignored it, convincing herself it was just the evening chill.
“You are surprisingly careless, my lord. Trusting someone means not doubting them, but you trust me far too easily.”
“I have a decent eye for people.”
“Yet you hired someone like Marsha as the head maid?”
“She was easy to read and therefore easy to manage. Though I didn’t realize she was embezzling that much. Honestly, I value peace of mind more than a bit of money.”
Laszlo casually referred to an amount sufficient to buy a house as “a bit of money,” leaving Edel on the verge of sighing.
But as she skimmed through the documents Laszlo had shown her, she understood why.
“This estate has… this much wealth?”
The wealth of the Count of Chrysis far exceeded Edel’s expectations—by an overwhelming margin.
Laszlo even owned a mercenary guild, making his assets vastly superior to those of the Canyon Count’s house.
The realization made Edel want to grab him by the collar all over again.
“How could someone with this much wealth not know how to manage it?!”
If the extent of the Chrysis estate’s wealth were revealed, public opinion of the count would change immediately.
As the newly appointed butler, Edel was pleased to uncover the family’s strengths. However, the daunting task of organizing the neglected assets and turning them into a vibrant, flourishing source of wealth felt overwhelming.
Feeling an unexpected sense of injustice, Edel muttered with a disgruntled expression, “You truly aren’t a good lord.”
“I’m well aware. That’s why I’ve always needed someone like you. Though I don’t know why it took me this long to realize.”
Laszlo chuckled, finding his own thoughts amusing.
However, seeing Edel’s dejected face made him feel a bit guilty.
“It must feel overwhelming. You’ll need someone to advise you.”
“Sigh…”
Edel responded with a deep sigh.
Noticing her frustration, Laszlo made a suggestion that felt like a gift.
“Marchioness Barbara Celestine has been wanting to meet you. How about seeking her advice?”
“Head—no, Butler. The fabric merchant has arrived.”
“Ah, has it gotten that late already?”
Since becoming the butler, Edel’s days had become even busier, with hardly a moment to catch her breath between visitors.
“Ask them to wait in the drawing room. Just serve some light refreshments.”
After instructing the maid who had brought the message, Edel continued inspecting the quality of the newly delivered ingredients.
“Are these the finest butter and cheese your shop offers?”
“Y-Yes, of course. With this quality, you won’t hear any complaints anywhere.”
That might be true from the merchant’s perspective, but for Edel, who had experienced the finest ingredients, it was still unsatisfactory.
“But I can’t deal with the Canyon Count’s suppliers. That would only raise unnecessary suspicions.”
After letting out a sigh, Edel paid the merchant and had the butter and cheese stored. However, she refrained from signing any long-term supply contracts.
As soon as her work in the kitchen was done, she rushed to the drawing room where the fabric merchant was waiting.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s get straight to the samples.”
Taking a sample book from the merchant, who hadn’t even finished their tea, Edel began examining fabrics for autumn and winter curtains. The current ones looked far too cheap.
“Can this one and that one be made a bit thicker?”
“Apologies, but we can’t make them any thicker. Still, this should suffice for curtain fabrics.”
Edel responded with a simple smile.
It was true that many noble households might settle for such fabrics.
But in a wealthy, influential noble family like this—closely associated with the Emperor—such compromises wouldn’t do. Edel knew well that even small details reflected the family’s prestige.
“That’s unfortunate. Please contact me if better fabrics become available.”
She politely but firmly dismissed the merchant, who seemed eager to make a sale, and returned to her office.
Thank you ,that a great job