WSRN 12

chapter 12

A low voice made me think it was just my imagination, but Wilhelm stood there with a gentle expression.

Maybe I just heard it that way for a moment. I tilted my head innocently.

“Yes. A boy with bright ruby-like eyes of this height… isn’t that Xian? I walked with him while talking just a moment ago.”

“Yes. It’s the young master. But as for having a conversation…”

Wilhelm answered me but suddenly closed his mouth with a suspicious look. I waited for him to continue, but what he said next was completely different from before.

His expression had also settled calmly, like a still lake.

“I apologize. The young master… enjoys his walks quite a bit. He probably left for another place shortly.”

‘…Enjoys walks?’

Even though I had just met Xian, that didn’t sound quite right.

I nodded to indicate I understood and stepped into the room.

Although I stepped in confidently, I froze in place at the sight of the room, which was completely different from when I had left.

‘What is all this?’

The furniture and structure hadn’t changed. But in the relatively small room, several maids stood in perfect formation without the slightest disorder, and I couldn’t help feeling overwhelmed.

Wilhelm approached my hesitant side and began explaining.

“I heard you would be staying ‘inside’ rather than independently. I will guide you to whichever you find more comfortable between the main building and the annex. Where you are now is the main building; the white building at the back is the annex.”

“Can I choose?”

“Of course.”

Then naturally…

“The main building!”

My top priority was to rehabilitate Xian. So of course, I had to choose the place where Xian was.

‘Please don’t tell me after wandering around here, the room is in the annex.’

Wilhelm widened his eyes slightly at my immediate answer and muttered something almost imperceptibly without moving his lips.

“You really are an unusual person.”

“Excuse me?”

“No, I understand. I will prepare accordingly. However…”

When I looked at Wilhelm trailing off, he gestured toward the people who were still there.

“Whichever you choose, you will need dedicated maids. Feel free to select. They all volunteered themselves.”

“My dedicated maids?”

“Yes.”

I was even more stunned by his unequivocal answer.

‘All of these people?’

People like me, who suddenly entered the family without any established abilities, want to take responsibility for me? And six of them?

“Really… me?”

While I was utterly bewildered, a faint smile appeared on all their faces.

‘Ah, did I look too foolish?’

I hastily composed my expression and straightened my posture, lifting my chin to maintain some dignity.

‘But how do I choose?’

Since Wilhelm brought them, it didn’t seem like anyone was particularly unskilled, and all of them appeared to have goodwill toward me because they volunteered.

Pressing my cheek for a moment, a thought suddenly struck me, and I clapped my hands.

‘That’s it!’

I quickly withdrew my hands from the curious gazes and smiled as brightly as possible. Then, looking straight at the staff, I spoke in a relaxed, leisurely tone.

“Xian—”

Their hands twitched. Eliminated. That person’s eyes were clearly shocked. Eliminated.

As expected, it was a slightly bitter result. Quite a few people were unsettled when I mentioned that name.

‘I don’t know the exact reason.’

Anyway, only one person remained completely unaffected. I memorized that person’s face and continued speaking.

“—Will my room be close to yours?”

I asked Wilhelm, turning sharply toward him. He shook his head in confusion.

“I’m just curious.”

This confirmed something. Xian probably avoids being in front of people whenever possible, and others seem reluctant to mention or approach him.

Even the fact that he disappeared immediately after telling Wilhelm to watch over me suggested that.

I had a hunch that this might be one of the reasons Xian became so dark-hearted.

‘Then at least…’

I hoped that while I’m with him, such things would happen less often.

I will be visiting Xian often in the future, and I don’t want to go with people who are afraid of him. But if it’s simply fear…

Why is he hiding? Even so, Xian is a duke, for heaven’s sake. It was frustrating.

‘I need to find out.’

I smiled as if I hadn’t asked with any hidden motive and stepped in front of the person I had noticed earlier.

“May I ask your name?”

Her brown hair was neatly tied back, and her calm honey-colored eyes left an impression.

Even though I approached her, she remained expressionless. But subtly, she bent her knees to meet my gaze.

‘Seems strict but kind.’

It reminded me faintly of Wilhelm’s first impression, and I smiled.

“I’m Marian. Would you allow me to serve Lady Elena?”

“I would very much like to ask that.”

“Thank you.”

Although her words were simple, I liked Marian very much.

As I turned happily, Wilhelm nodded and gestured for the others to leave. Once those besides Marian and Wilhelm exited, I felt a bit of relief.

‘Perhaps I was a little tense.’

Strangely, in front of people who are kindly disposed toward me, I felt more tense and found it harder to act naturally.

Marian quietly stood behind me, and Wilhelm, holding a stack of documents he had retrieved from somewhere, gestured outside.

“If you have nothing else to prepare, I will guide you.”

“Okay to go right away.”

As we walked down the corridor, Wilhelm spoke.

“I have prepared everything you might need, but if there is anything you dislike, please feel free to say so.”

“Hmm, understood.”

‘Though I doubt there is anything.’

A room that keeps out rain and wind and keeps the back warm is already perfect. Even in places where I had severely lacked abilities, I survived just fine.

‘Well, not entirely fine.’

In any case, even the guest rooms where I stayed briefly were more comfortable than before, so there was no need to worry. I walked comfortably.

The room we arrived at one floor above was, as I expected—or rather, beyond imagination—wonderful.

I looked around repeatedly, marveling.

The walls were pale green, furnished with antique furniture. But because the room was for me, the furniture was all small, which added a charming twist and made it cute.

Most impressively, not a speck of dust floated even in the sunlight streaming into the room. I couldn’t help but exclaim.

“I really like it.”

“That’s fortunate. It seems the urgent arrangements made by Your Excellency were worthwhile.”

‘…Huh?’

I thought I heard a slightly embarrassing word, but before I could ask again, Wilhelm moved to the center of the room.

He placed the stack of documents he was holding on a small table.

“Please sit and review. I have narrowed down the people who will inform you of upper-level duties.”

I quickly sat and picked up the documents, my mouth dropping open in shock.

‘Is this for real?’

Every single one of them was a highly respected authority whose name alone would command recognition.

There were even people I had heard of in my previous life—people who had opened diplomatic channels with enemy nations, I think.

“Do I really have to choose from among them?”

“Do you not like them?”

I wanted to argue with Wilhelm, bewildered.

‘How am I supposed to handle people like these!’

I tried to hide my trembling lips.

“No, I meant… can I really be served by these people?”

His eyes lit up briefly. He probably assumed I didn’t know the people in the documents.

“Don’t worry about that. They all have plenty of time.”

No, that can’t be. I couldn’t hide my astonishment and asked again.

“These people?”

“Since Your Excellency requires them, it’s impossible that they wouldn’t have time, right?”

Behind Wilhelm, who spoke with a chuckle, it was so chilling that I could almost see a dark shadow.

‘…Huh? Wait.’

Looking more closely, it wasn’t a trick of the eyes. Outside the large window, there really was something like a shadow.

‘What is that?’

I forgot to respond and jumped up from my seat.