MDIHC 15

“How frustrating!”

With no way to let out my frustration, I slammed my fist on the dining table. I clenched my molars and glared fiercely at the empty air.

“D-Did something not suit your taste?”

The maid who had been attending to me asked in surprise.

“No, no. It’s delicious.”

Hearing the slight tremble in her voice, I quickly reassured her. Breakfast really was delicious. Maybe because this was a rich household, the quality of the food was so much better than it was back in Pomoz.

What frustrated me was that I had planned to start my morning fresh by eating breakfast with Daniel, but then I found out he had already woken up and finished eating.

“Did he get that from his father? He’s an early riser.”

I mumbled unconsciously as I poked at the salad in front of me. I was not lazy. I was average! It was Daniel who was overly diligent!

“Let’s see. If we wallpaper and paint the room today, at the very least he won’t be able to sleep there tonight, right? Which means! Oh~ well! Daniel will just have to sleep with me tonight!”

Before I knew it, all my frustration had vanished. Instead, I was left with the sweet anticipation of sharing a bed with Daniel tonight.

‘Now that I think about it, what time does Daniel usually go to bed? If he wakes up early, maybe he sleeps early too?’

“Is there a schedule or routine for Daniel?”

I turned my head and asked the maid who was serving breakfast.

“I’m not sure. I only handle meals, so I don’t really know about that.”

“Really? Then who’s in charge of Daniel’s daily routine?”

“Well… I wouldn’t know that either. I only serve meals and do kitchen chores…”

“Then what did Daniel eat for breakfast today?”

“He had a fried egg, bread, a slice of apple, steamed broccoli and carrots, and a glass of soy milk.”

As the maid answered promptly, I imagined what Daniel’s breakfast looked like. Compared to what I was eating now, it seemed a bit modest, but since he was just a child, that amount was probably enough.

“I’ll have lunch with Daniel. What time is it usually served?”

“Around 11 o’clock.”

Maybe because breakfast was early, lunch was also earlier than expected. That meant I’d have to eat again in about two hours. In that case, I had to stop eating now.

“Clear this, please. And bring me Daniel’s daily schedule.”

“I heard you were looking for his schedule.”

You again?

As Madame Perede walked into the room, I sighed inwardly.

I understood that as the head housekeeper she was involved in everything in the mansion, but the fact that she was always the one to show up whenever I asked or requested something was a problem.

It meant I was only allowed to communicate with her. In other words, communication only happened on her terms.

“Yeah.”

Since Daniel’s schedule was what mattered most, I simply held out my hand. But instead of handing it to me, she deliberately placed a single sheet of paper on the desk.

It smelled of fresh ink, as if it had just been written. On the stiff sheet were only five lines:

6:00 – Wake up
7:00 – Breakfast
11:00 – Lunch
4:00 – Dinner
6:00 – Bedtime

“That’s it?”

The words slipped out of my mouth the moment I saw it.

“Yes.”

Perede answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“What about snack time? Playtime? Studying? There’s nothing? And why does he sleep so much? Is he really sleeping?”

“Proper sleep is very important for children. If the young lady would like a snack, you’re welcome to request one at any time. Aside from the scheduled times you see, all the remaining time is free for the young lady to study or play as she pleases.”

What an absurd answer.

“With whom?”

“…”

“Who plays with Daniel? Who teaches him? You said there’s no nanny, no tutor, right?”

“It was the late madam’s wish that the child be raised freely…”

“Enough with the dead lady’s wishes. So basically, all you do is feed him and put him to bed, huh?”

I cut her off, annoyed. This was getting more and more ridiculous.

“Haah… What was that kid’s dad doing while his son was being neglected like this?”

Without thinking, I muttered a complaint against the Earl of Winchester. Sure, his handsome face and upright speech could make anyone forget in person, but it was still a fact that he’d left Daniel unattended all the way until he was nearly grown. And it was still happening.

“His lordship is a very busy man.”

Even though I hadn’t addressed her, Madame Perede interjected. When I looked up, I saw a middle-aged woman with a stern face defending her master. Whether it was out of loyalty or just defiance against me, I couldn’t tell.

“What’s so important that he can’t even look after his own son?”

“Would you like to see his schedule as well?”

“Sure.”

I refused to back down against her sarcastic tone. She pressed her lips together and spun around sharply with a loud snap! of her skirt.

I kept my mouth shut and stared at the door after she left. A little later, a different maid entered the room, timid and cautious, as if testing the waters. She handed me two sheets of paper.

“What’s this?”

Unlike Daniel’s schedule, these were filled to the brim with writing. One looked like a basic daily schedule, and the other seemed to be a weekly planner.

“Up at 4:30 AM? Is he a country grandmother or something?”

I was dumbfounded the moment I saw the Earl’s wake-up time. The sun probably hadn’t even risen by then. I knew he’d wake up early, but this was too much!

“Jogging before breakfast at 6? On an empty stomach? Isn’t he hungry? Leaving for work at 6:40? The royal palace is just a stone’s throw from here—why go so early? What does he even do at that hour? Bedtime at 9 PM? The guy who says he has trouble sleeping goes to bed this early?”

All those questions burst out after just one glance at the schedule. The weekly planner was even more intense. Tasks were color-coded—black for Knight Commander duties, blue for Earl of Winchester affairs, red for personal training as a Sword Master. Not a single day was left empty, and most days had at least two tasks. On busy days, there were five! He even had an out-of-town trip scheduled soon.

“He’s never even home, is he? He leaves before Daniel wakes up and comes back after he’s asleep. When does he even see his kid?”

It was the schedule of a complete workaholic. I clicked my tongue and set the paper down.

“Isn’t that exhausting?”

Looking at the Earl’s jam-packed schedule made me frown. No matter how strong and well-trained he was, even a Sword Master would eventually collapse with this kind of pace.

One schedule with too little to do, and another with way too much. They both sat in front of me.

“What a mess.”

A deep sigh escaped me.

The table was lavishly set, which I liked. Even better, it matched the “kid-friendly menu” I had specifically requested.

“Daniel! Eat up and enjoy!”

“…Okay.”

The boy answered softly and began eating hesitantly. I pretended not to look, but watched him eat out of the corner of my eye. His use of the fork was clumsy. Even the way he held it was all wrong.

‘Looks like no one taught him.’

I held back the urge to say something. If I criticized him right away, he might get discouraged or lose his appetite.

‘Still, it’s nice to see him eat well.’

Even though he had sauce from the hamburger steak on his face, yolk from the fried egg had splattered on his clothes, and a cherry tomato had rolled off the table, well, kids are like that.

“But Daniel, why aren’t you wearing the clothes we bought yesterday? You didn’t like them?”

I asked casually as he sat there in slightly small, worn-out clothes.

“Ah!”

Daniel looked down at his clothes as if he’d just remembered. Then he quietly lowered his hand to cover the yolk stain already on his shirt.

“I wore this in the morning.”

“Really? Guess you didn’t feel like changing?”

Ah, I get that. Honestly, if I could wear my comfy pajamas all day, I would. I’m still waiting for some hip fashionista to make pajamas a trend for outdoor wear.

“If I wear two outfits in one day… I get scolded.”

Clink. My fork stopped midair.