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Chapter: 07
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 qualifications the ducal house requires.”
He let out a scoff.
“Even if you applied with professional certifications, the ducal house would not hire anyone.”
I tilted my head in confusion, and the young duke of Schultz continued.
“The Schultz ducal house does not recruit servants in the first place.”
“…What? Then the job postings…?”
“They’re just for show.”
His tone was so matter-of-fact that it only made me more puzzled.
“Then… are you saying there isn’t a single servant in the estate?”
“Of course not.”
His voice returned, sounding slightly incredulous. A faint crease formed above his brow, as if my question itself made no sense.
“But you’re saying you’ll hire me. From a house that doesn’t actually recruit new servants, despite posting job ads?”
“That’s correct.”
As I stood there dumbfounded, he continued calmly, once again speaking with flawless courtesy.
“It seems you now have another secret to keep, Miss Prim.”
Was that why he told me all this—to bring me in as a servant? But why?
As I hesitated, unable to respond, his low voice reached me again.
“I’ll pay you well. More than the Russell marquisate.”
“…Do you even know how much they offered?”
I asked without thinking. There was no ill intent—it simply slipped out because I was genuinely curious.
Of course, I knew that the wealth of nobles was beyond what commoners could even imagine.
But recently, the royal family had stripped the Schultz ducal house of its authority over liquid funds.
Does he really have that kind of money?
That thought crossed my mind because the salary offered by the Russell marquisate was enormous—not just for a commoner, but perhaps even for a noble.
Though, of course, it came with the condition that I had to win over the old madam’s favor and endure at least three full months.
As if reading my expression, he answered.
“Even if the royal family has taken away our control over funds, it hasn’t fallen to the point where you need to worry, Miss Prim.”
He smiled casually, as if it were nothing, but subtly pointed out my rudeness in questioning the ducal family’s wealth.
“Ah…”
Thinking about it a little more, it really had been a foolish question.
“I’m sorry. That was rude of me.”
Even if the Russell marquisate was the wealthiest, a house like Schultz wouldn’t have all its assets tied up in bank accounts.
At most, it was just a minor inconvenience—temporarily losing access to interest. The royal family couldn’t completely suppress a house as powerful as Schultz in one move.
After I apologized, he spoke again, almost as if to himself.
“Sergeant Prim spoke highly of you.”
“……”
“So? What do you think?”
It made no sense, yet Johannes Schultz looked as though he were the one asking me for a favor.
Did my father really help this man that much? Not financially… perhaps he saved his life.
With that thought, it didn’t seem right to refuse outright.
I turned my head toward the west.
The day was nearly over, and the crimson sun was sinking behind the towering ducal residence in the distance.
The Schultz ducal estate—Evanstein Castle.
It wasn’t far from my home. About thirty minutes by carriage.
The salary from the Russell marquisate was 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 on my father’s coffin, and the cigarette case placed on top as decoration.
What should I do…
In truth, the answer had already been decided.
If Johannes Schultz wasn’t pitying me, and wasn’t hiring me just because of his connection to my father…
And if my father really had helped him greatly, then refusing this offer would be nothing short of foolish.
So I needed to seize this opportunity.
I tore my gaze away from Evanstein Castle and looked straight at him.
“Then… I’ll gratefully accept.”
On the way back 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 expected.
There were many mixed 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 offered me far exceeded my expectations—so much that the Russell marquisate’s offer now seemed laughably small.
1,000,000 Berkra.
Even thinking about it again, it was an absurd amount.
And it’s weekly. With that, I can cover living expenses and continue studying pharmacology without interruption.
The work would surely be demanding, but with proper time management, it should be possible.
At first, I had been shocked when I heard the amount. I even wondered if it was special treatment because I was Sergeant Prim’s daughter.
But that wasn’t the case.
When I said the amount was too much of a burden for him, the young duke responded calmly:
“It’s similar to what the ducal house pays its servants. The details will be explained by the butler, Pret Gunner, on your first day.”
I didn’t know how much other noble houses paid, but I found myself regretting not getting a few certifications earlier.
First, I should inform the Russell marquisate that I won’t be able to join them…
“Edith, you’re back!”
Lost in thought, I suddenly flinched as someone grabbed my arm.
It was Mrs. Pensler.
Before I knew it, I had arrived home. I quickly took her cold hands—they were freezing, as if she had been waiting outside for quite some time.
“Why are you out here in the cold? It’s so late… you should have gone to bed.”
“I’m not cold. How could I sleep without knowing whether you made it home safely? Besides, I won’t be seeing you as often anymore.”
She waved her hand dismissively, her face full of concern. She still believed I would be commuting to Boeln.
“Ah, actually—”
“But did your father’s funeral go well? I was so worried sending you alone. They said only family could attend…”
She led me inside. The house was warm—it seemed she had lit the fire long ago.
“Edith, sit here and wait a moment. I’ll bring you some tea.”
I figured it would be best to stay quiet until she finished speaking. She had always been quite talkative.
Even after bringing the tea, she continued her stream of concerned remarks for quite a while.
Only when her voice finally slowed did I manage to speak.
“Ma’am, I have something to tell you.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Actually… someone I met at the funeral offered me a job nearby. So I’ll be working closer to home. I won’t be going to the Russell marquisate. The pay is good too…”
“What 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 frown deepened.
“Edith!”
Her voice turned unusually serious.
“You’re quite pretty, you know. Just this autumn alone, how many men sent you proposals?”
She went on and on—how could I trust a stranger enough to accept a job so easily, what if he had bad intentions, and so forth.
I hadn’t expected this reaction and felt quite troubled.
I couldn’t exactly tell her the truth—that I had accepted the young duke of Schultz’s offer to work at the ducal estate—so I had no choice but to listen to her scolding for quite some time.
“Really… it’s fine. I’m not that careless, ma’am.”
Only after vaguely reassuring her that he was someone trustworthy did I finally manage to leave her house.
