**Chapter 8**
“Are you going to be okay?” Muriel asked in a small voice. Lin nodded and gave a faint smile, indicating that she was indeed fine indeed. However, Muriel’s face still showed concern as she looked at her.
“Should I go with you?”
“No, you said it yourself. I should go alone.”
“It’s dangerous to go into the forest alone. Oh dear.”
“I’m really fine. And I’ll bring back a lot. Let’s ask Aunt Julie to make raspberry jam for us.”
Muriel looked at her with pity as she pretended to be nonchalant.
Thirty minutes ago, the lady had ordered her to pick raspberries. Normally, this wasn’t her job. Preparing food ingredients was the task of the kitchen maids.
But she couldn’t say no. She couldn’t refuse in front of the lady.
While it might seem like a burden, Lin tried not to think of it that way. Picking raspberries was tiring, but it meant she could be away from the lady for a while.
At least for half a day, she wouldn’t have to worry about the lady’s gaze. Muriel looked at Lin with a sad expression as she answered cheerfully.
“We’re not kitchen maids, after all.”
The duties of the employees at the Ilufus Duke’s household were strictly delineated. It was quite rare for Muriel, whose main job was to attend to the lady, to be picking raspberries.
“I’m really fine.”
Lin comforted the grumbling Muriel.
As she went to the kitchen to grab a basket, Aunt Julie, having heard the news, got angry. How could they send her alone into the forest? She suggested going with another maid, but Lin refused.
Soon, guests were expected to visit the Duke’s household. Perhaps that was why the kitchen was busier than ever. Sweat was beading on Aunt Julie’s face as she spoke to Lin.
To ease the worries of those concerned, Lin smiled even brighter.
“Don’t go too deep into the forest. If it’s not for kitchen work, I’ll be chasing after you.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be careful.”
“Right. You know what to do. But really, be very careful.”
“I understand.”
“Don’t try to gather too much, okay?”
“I will.”
She adjusted her hat once more as she stepped out through the rear entrance. Aunt Julie’s concern wasn’t unfounded.
The raspberries the lady wanted were deep in the forest. If she wasn’t careful, she might encounter wild animals. So, it was an unspoken rule to move in pairs when gathering mushrooms or fruits.
“It’ll be fine.”
Lin reassured herself as she walked. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t scared. However, she felt a bit of anticipation as well.
What if she happened to run into the young master again? How would he treat her this time? Just thinking about it made her heart flutter.
She decided to think of it as an adventure. Sometimes, such nonsensical imaginings helped her endure the harshness of daily life.
With determined steps, Lin headed into the forest. As she entered the quiet woods, she felt a sense of freedom.
Unlike when she was at the inn, the Duke’s household was always bustling with people. While that could be nice at times, it could also feel suffocating.
In the forest, no one recognized her and spoke to her. A smile spread across her face as she walked.
“It’s beautiful.”
The deeper she went into the forest, the more the fresh air lifted her spirits. Every rustle made her turn around in anticipation, but it was just the sound of rabbits or squirrels passing by, contrary to her hopes.
“I guess I won’t see him today.”
When she overheard the maids whispering, saying that a young master was too busy to compare to Elizabeth.
He was said to be under the expectations of the current Duke, Volter Ilufus. He was busy attending classes all day, preparing to succeed him at any moment.
She also overheard that the young master would soon enroll in the academy.
“If he enrolls, I probably won’t see him anymore.”
She wondered why she couldn’t stop thinking about the young master, but she couldn’t shake off the thoughts. Thinking of him made her heart flutter and lifted her spirits, making her forget the scolding she received from Elizabeth.
“Oh, raspberries.”
As Lin walked while thinking about the young master, she soon began to see raspberries in front of her. She needed to work quickly to fill this small basket.
Gently brushing her hand over the bushes, the raspberries fell helplessly into the basket.
She had heard that the guest coming in a few days liked raspberries. It was obvious that the lady liked this guest.
“Brother Philips is coming. What should I wear? I’ll have to ask Mother to make me a dress.”
It was easy to tell that the lady had someone she liked, as she excitedly picked out accessories and dresses.
During the week the guest would stay, it was certain that the lady would put a lot of effort into her appearance.
“It’s still a long way off.”
As she thought about various things and diligently picked raspberries, she still hadn’t filled even a half of the basket. Although the lady hadn’t specified how many raspberries she should gather, she needed to prepare enough to entertain the guest.
“Should I take a short break?”
After picking raspberries non-stop, she felt thirsty.
She set the basket down by the stream and crouched down. Carefully, she cupped her hands to scoop up some water. The cold water flowing down her throat refreshed her chest.
She thought it might be okay to be a little lazy. It seemed fine since the lady hadn’t told her when to return. She plopped down on the ground and leaned against a nearby rock.
She hadn’t noticed it while moving thoughtlessly, but after walking for quite a while, her legs began to ache. She stretched her legs out and started to thump them with her fists.
After some time, the pain in her legs, which had been throbbing, began to subside little by little.
“I should get back to it.”
Suddenly standing up, she started picking raspberries again. She needed to gather as many as possible before sunset. As she concentrated on her task, beads of sweat began to form on her forehead.
* * *
“Good job.”
Aunt Julie’s face was filled with pride as she received the basket. She had worried about potential accidents, but thankfully Lin returned without any issues.
“Go inside and rest.”
“I want to greet the lady first.”
“Today should pass without incident. You brought back plenty of raspberries as she wanted. Now I’ll cook something delicious. What’s so important about that guest anyway? Sending a girl alone into the woods…”
Aunt Julie muttered her complaints quietly, but Lin just smiled. For her, the time spent picking raspberries hadn’t been as bad as she had expected.
She carefully checked her appearance as she went up to the lady’s room.
She had tried hard not to get dirty, but her apron had gotten stained with plant sap. What should she do? The lady would surely dislike seeing her like this.
However, her worries didn’t last long. If she went back to her quarters to change, the sun would definitely have set by then.
Then the lady would be furious. With a resigned expression, she knocked on the lady’s door. Upon seeing her, the lady immediately frowned.
“Don’t come in here looking so filthy. Get out of my room at once!”
As Lin hesitated, Muriel quickly gestured for her to leave. She would take care of the lady’s bedding today, so not to worry. Lin quickly bowed and exited the room.
To serve the lady tomorrow, she needed to wash the clothes she was wearing and clean herself up.
After several rounds of scrubbing, the stains finally came out. Hanging her clothes on the line, she returned to her room to find the other maids, who were chatting animatedly.
After leisurely finishing her bath, she took her laundry and headed to the laundry room.
Maids had to wash their personal clothes. Since she only had two outfits, she needed to wash them diligently.
After pounding the clothes several times, she finally managed to get the plant sap out. When she hung the laundry on the line and returned to her room, she found the other maids gathered, chatting away.
“Lin, you’re back? Come over here. Austin has a funny story to tell.”
One of the maids waved her over. As she approached, the younger maids burst into laughter, curious about what was so amusing.
“The lady likes the guest coming in a few days. You might see a new side of her while he’s here.”
“Still, do you think she can hide her temper?”
“Trust me. I saw her last year, and it was so funny.”
“Really?”
“She’s a proper lady in front of Young Master Philips. Thanks to that, the maids have it a bit easier.”
At Austin’s words, surprise spread across the faces of the seated maids. The chatter about the guest arriving in a few days continued late into the night.
