THM 07

Chapter 7

Johannes Schultz stepped back again, as if he had never come any closer in the first place.

At his indifferent action, I instinctively drew in a breath, then released it along with my reply.

“But I don’t even have the professional certifications the ducal house is looking for.”

He let out a scoff.

“Even if you applied with professional qualifications, the Schultz ducal family wouldn’t hire anyone.”

I tilted my head in confusion, and the young duke continued,

“The Schultz ducal house doesn’t recruit servants to begin with.”

“…Pardon? Then what about the job posting…?”

“It’s just for show.”

He said it so matter-of-factly that I grew even more puzzled.

“Then… are you saying there isn’t a single servant in the estate?”

“Of course not. That’s not what I mean.”

His voice carried a hint of disbelief, as though my question itself was absurd. A faint crease formed above his brow.

“And yet, you’re saying you’ll hire me? From a house that doesn’t actually recruit new servants despite posting notices?”

“That’s correct.”

As I stood there dumbfounded, he spoke again in a calm tone, perfectly composed.

“It seems Miss Prim now has another secret she must keep.”

Was that why he told me all this—to bring me in as a servant? But why?

As I hesitated without answering, his low voice followed.

“I’ll pay you well. More than the Russell marquisate.”

“…Do you even know how much they offered?”

The question slipped out before I could stop myself. There was no ill intent—I was just genuinely curious.

Of course, I knew that the wealth of nobles was beyond imagination for commoners.

But not long ago, the royal family had stripped the Schultz ducal house of its financial authority.

Does he really have that kind of money?

That thought crossed my mind because the salary offered by the Russell marquisate was enormous—unimaginable for a commoner, perhaps even for a noble.

Though, of course, it came with the condition that I had to win the favor of the old marchioness and endure at least three months.

As if reading my expression, he answered,

“Even if the royal family has taken away our financial authority, we are not in such dire straits that Miss Prim needs to worry.”

He smiled faintly, as if it were nothing, yet subtly pointed out my rudeness in questioning the wealth of his house.

“Ah…”

Thinking about it a bit more, it really had been a foolish question.

“I’m sorry. That was rude of me.”

No matter how wealthy the Russell marquisate might be, a ducal house like Schultz would have far more than just liquid assets.

At most, they were only inconvenienced by temporarily losing access to certain funds and interest. Even the royal family couldn’t crush a powerful house like Schultz in one go.

As I apologized, he muttered almost to himself,

“Private Prim spoke very highly of you.”

“……”

“So, what do you think?”

It was absurd, but Johannes Schultz looked as though he were the one asking me for a favor.

Had my father really done something extraordinary for this man? It couldn’t have been financial help—perhaps he had even saved his life.

With that thought, it felt almost impolite to refuse outright.

I turned my head westward.

The sun was nearly set now, a deep red disk sinking behind the towering ducal residence in the distance.

Evanstein Castle—the Schultz ducal estate.

It wasn’t far from home. By carriage, it would take barely thirty minutes.

The salary at the Russell marquisate had been decent, but considering the exhausting six-hour round trip and the rumors about the lady of the house…

This wasn’t the time to be picky.

My gaze shifted to the pile of lilies atop my father’s coffin, and the cigarette case placed neatly on top.

What should I do…?

In truth, the answer was already decided.

If Johannes Schultz wasn’t hiring me out of pity, nor solely because of his connection to my father…

Then if my father had truly helped him greatly, refusing this offer would be nothing short of foolish.

Which meant I should seize this opportunity.

I tore my gaze away from Evanstein Castle and looked straight at him.

“Then… I’ll gratefully accept your offer.”

On the way home after my father’s funeral, I thought I would feel empty and hollow the entire time.

But in reality, it was nothing like I had expected.

I felt a mix of emotions, but if I had to sum it up in one word, it would be… dazed.

Standing in the sharp night sea breeze, I recalled what had just happened.

The salary Johannes Schultz had offered far exceeded my expectations—to the point that the Russell marquisate’s offer now seemed laughably small.

One million Berkrani.

Even thinking about it again, it was absurd.

And that’s weekly. With that, I could cover living expenses and continue studying pharmacology without interruption.

The work would probably be demanding, but if I managed my time well, it should be possible.

At first, when I heard the salary, I was shocked. I wondered if it was because I was Private Prim’s daughter—some kind of special treatment.

But that wasn’t the case.

When I said the amount felt like too much of a burden, the young duke had replied calmly:

“It’s similar to what the servants of the ducal house receive. The details will be explained by the butler, Fret Gunner, on your first day.”

I didn’t know how much other noble houses paid, but it made me regret not getting a few proper certifications earlier.

First, I should inform the Russell marquisate that I won’t be coming…

“Edith, you’re back!”

Lost in thought, I flinched when someone suddenly grabbed my arm.

It was Mrs. Pensler.

Before I knew it, I had already arrived home. I quickly took her hand—she must have been waiting outside for quite some time, as it was freezing cold.

“Why are you outside in this weather? It’s so late… you should’ve gone to bed.”

“I’m not cold. How could I sleep without knowing whether you got home safely? And besides, I won’t be seeing you as often anymore.”

She waved her hand dismissively, her face full of concern. She still thought I would be commuting to Boeln.

“Ah, well—”

“More importantly, did you send your father off properly? I was so worried letting you go alone. They said only family could attend the funeral…”

She led me inside. The house was warm—she must have lit the fire long ago.

“Edith, sit here and wait a moment. I’ll bring you some tea.”

It seemed I’d have to keep quiet until she finished speaking. She had always been quite the talker.

Even after bringing the tea, she continued her stream of worried remarks for quite some time.

Only when her voice finally softened did I get the chance to speak.

“Ma’am, I have something to tell you.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Actually… I met someone at the funeral who offered me a job nearby. So I’ll be working close to home. I won’t be going to the Russell marquisate. The pay is good, too…”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

Instead of being pleased, Mrs. Pensler frowned. Then she looked at me as if I were being foolish.

Seeing my confusion, her expression hardened further.

“Edith!”

Her voice turned unusually serious.

“You are quite pretty, you know. Just this past autumn alone, how many men sent you proposals?”

Then she began listing one concern after another—how could I trust someone I had just met, what if he had bad intentions, and so on.

I hadn’t expected this kind of reaction, and I felt stuck.

In truth, I had accepted the young duke’s offer to work at the ducal estate. But I couldn’t tell her that outright, so I had no choice but to endure her scolding.

“Really… it’s fine. I’m not that reckless, ma’am.”

Only after vaguely reassuring her that the person was trustworthy did I finally manage to leave her house.