SOWD Chapter 70

Chapter 70

As a chef trained under a strict apprenticeship system, he was meticulous about hygiene, proficient at preparing large meals on time, and took the initiative to develop new menus without being asked.

Thanks to him, Laszlo and Rinia realized what kind of meals they should have been served all along. Even the servants’ meals improved in quality.

“Where is Mr. Philip?”

“Oh, he went to gather the figs drying outside. Tomorrow, he’s making a fig pound cake for the Count and the Lady’s dessert.”

“Is Mr. Philip doing well as an assistant?”

“He’s diligent and smart. He’s doing well now and will only get better in the future.”

Edel smiled proudly, feeling she had chosen the right people. It was rewarding to prioritize character as well as skill when hiring new staff.

“Well then, I’ll look forward to a delicious lunch.”

“Don’t worry! Hahaha!”

Edel greeted Oliver and the other maids before resuming her inspection of the mansion.

After checking Rinia’s room and Laszlo’s office on the second floor, Edel finally stopped by Laszlo’s bedroom.

As she opened the door, a familiar scent wafted out.

“It’s common for a man’s room to smell unpleasant, but the Count’s room doesn’t. He doesn’t even use candles or potpourri.”

Edel, who was used to the scent-saturated bedrooms of nobles, found Laszlo’s room particularly neat and tidy.

It wasn’t just the smell; the contents of the room reflected that as well.

The room contained only essentials: a canopy bed, a dresser, a couch, and a chair. There were no gaudy decorations. It aligned with Laszlo’s preference for keeping his space free of anything unnecessary for rest.

“Good choice to go with red carpeting.”

The carpet was red but in a dark shade, avoiding a garish appearance. The bedding was plain white cotton, while the canopy curtains were red with golden embroidery.

Laszlo had been pleased with the updated decor, and Edel had felt proud then, too.

She suddenly remembered ordering a bedroom robe for him.

“I ordered it in reddish-brown. I wonder if he liked it? It should suit him very well…”

Edel imagined Laszlo standing by the window in the robe. Knowing his dislike for restrictive clothing, he likely wouldn’t wear a shirt underneath.

The robe’s opening would reveal his firm chest, but he probably wouldn’t bother to cover it fully.

“Would he sleep without the robe, just under a thin sheet?”

Realizing she was indulging in inappropriate thoughts, Edel whispered to herself, startled by her own musings.

“I must be losing it.”

“You don’t seem that way to me.”

“Eek!”

She was shocked to hear a voice behind her. Laszlo, who had only just returned to his room, was equally startled.

“Oops. Did I scare you?”

“N-no, it’s fine!”

But she was not fine.

Her heart was racing wildly, as if he had read the thoughts she had just been entertaining.

“You’re back early?”

“Ah, yes. Today, His Majesty is inspecting the royal knights. With plenty of people guarding him, he told me to go home and finish cleaning.”

Watching Edel clutch her chest to calm down, Laszlo opened a drawer and asked,

“But why are you here?”

“I was inspecting the mansion to check for anything amiss that needs addressing.”

“See? You have to admit I have an eye for people. Where else would you find a steward like you?”

His playful smile and casual shrug made him seem unusually approachable, easing Edel’s flustered heart. That was until he spoke again.

“Still, it feels strange to have someone else in my bedroom.”

Laszlo meant it harmlessly, given his past threats from assassins. Having others in his bedroom had rarely been a good experience.

Knowing this, Edel still felt flustered.

“P-pardon? I-I was just here for work, not for anything else…!”

“Hmm?”

Initially puzzled by her reaction, Laszlo noticed her reddening ears and cheeks. Realizing how his words might have sounded, he quickly added,

“Wait! Don’t misunderstand! I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that, until now, the only others in my bedroom have been assassins. So it’s unusual to have someone else here, especially a woman! No, that sounds weird too—what I mean is…”

Flustered by his own explanation, Laszlo stopped speaking.

An awkward silence ensued until Edel broke it.

“So, um, what were you looking for?”

“Oh! Uh… what was I looking for again?”

Laszlo felt like hitting himself. If only he had come up with a smooth excuse, he might have salvaged the situation.

As he fumbled through the open drawer, he suddenly remembered.

“Right! This… letter opener! I brought it from the office, but it’s inconvenient not having one here.”

Edel graciously accepted his explanation.

“I’ll order another letter opener, so there’s one in both your office and bedroom.”

“That sounds good.”

Laszlo coughed awkwardly and nodded. He then showed the letter opener to Edel with a sheepish look before heading toward his office, muttering to himself about his frequent mistakes only when Edel was around.

The Round Table discussions in the Empire of Fispera were famous for the emperor and nobles “removing their rank insignia” to engage in open debates.

Any statements made during these meetings were exempt from punishment, and it was even taboo for the emperor to show signs of displeasure about what was discussed.

As a result, the emperor found the meetings burdensome, and the nobles eagerly awaited the chance to attend, especially before Dimarcus became emperor.

“Damn it! Did that man become emperor just to hold these Round Table meetings?”

Isaac, who had just left the “Room of Wisdom” where the meeting had taken place, grumbled, gnashing his teeth.

Once, Isaac had both criticized and flattered the emperor in the Round Table discussions, but today he had just been verbally beaten by Dimarcus.

Isaac had opposed Dimarcus’s announcement to reduce taxes according to the law, claiming it was “too sudden,” and had walked away without even getting a fair hearing.

“To reduce the tax rate from 45% to 30% immediately? Are we being set up to die?”

Under the previous emperor, such an issue wouldn’t have even warranted a Round Table meeting. When the nobles raised taxes illegally, the emperor’s bribes would increase, making the situation even more prosperous.

But Dimarcus was immune to bribery, and his policies had garnered massive support from common nobles and the general populace, who had long been oppressed.

In the past, this would have led to poisoning or assassination attempts, but now even those were not so easily executed.

“If only Laszlo weren’t around, we could have killed him somehow!”

Laszlo, who was always at Dimarcus’s side like a shadow, was truly like a ghost.

No matter how skilled an assassin might be, they couldn’t get past Laszlo and the mercenaries of Calliope.

Where he found such people was a mystery, but the experts of Calliope followed Laszlo’s commands. From swordsmen to those skilled in poisons and antidotes, and even experts in medicine and herbs, Dimarcus was safe from any poison attempts.

Now, Laszlo had become the thorn in the side of those who once only saw Dimarcus as the problem.

“If only I could place someone next to the emperor. But I can’t find the right person…”

If only someone could stop Laszlo, even for a moment, or seize an opportunity to kill Dimarcus themselves…!

Just imagining it sent a shiver down Isaac’s spine, though he knew it was still a distant dream.

Thus, when Edmund Milton, the deputy commander of the Imperial Knights, secretly visited Isaac, it was a welcome opportunity.