CDMGS 37🌻

Chapter 37

“I’ll be leaving first. I plan to clean the office a little earlier today.”

With an awkward smile, Sasha stood up. Immediately, gazes from both sides bore into her. Half of the food on her plate remained untouched.

“Well then, I’ll be going! Everyone, good luck with your afternoon duties!”

Balancing her plate, Sasha darted her eyes here and there as if cheering everyone on, then quickly vanished.

The moment she left the dining hall completely, Eki’s lips parted, as though waiting for that exact timing.

“The one who opened the door… who was it?”

Normally, her plate would have been licked clean by now. Instead, it looked nearly identical to when she had first received it.

The butler, who had been absently watching Sasha’s retreating back, slowly turned his head. The light smile he had worn throughout lunch had completely vanished.

“The person you’re thinking of.”

He shrugged. Eki’s glare sharpened, so fierce it looked like she might pierce him on the spot. And not with the fork in her hand. No—the faint shimmer in her lower body suggested something far more dangerous was about to emerge.

“Why on earth—”

“Because I tasted it.”

“……!”

Eki’s body snapped back into its human shell at once.

“Tasted it?”

But tasted what?

All the servants of the mansion could taste their food, but this man—this man was different. He consumed something else entirely.

Just like the Duke.

The two of them… what they consumed was…

Before the thought could finish unraveling, Eki suddenly realized the butler was no longer there. He had already left the dining hall.

From then on, there was no need for me to go purchase supplies.
The tea leaf merchant—no, the butler—had returned to the mansion.

If anything was needed, I could simply inform the butler or the Duke, and the message would be passed along to the territorial beasts.

But though I no longer needed to buy things, I still had plenty of reasons to visit the back gate.

Why?

Because that garden was filthy.

I had already started cleaning it. And once I’d started, there was no way to stop.

“With a team of four, we should be able to finish in a week.”

Until now, the cleaning teams had always been restricted to two or three people, as per the rules. Thanks to the Duke’s permission, I had finally organized a team of four. Even if the garden was wide, it would be manageable in no time.

“Once that’s done, I’ll reassign two servants from the front garden over to this side.”

I slashed lines across my old month-long plan and scribbled in the new one.

Then, I got to work on my share.

Luckily, today too, the territorial beasts did not appear. If only I could get through one more week without them, the plan would be perfect.

“Hello, Head Maid. Is there anything I can help with?”

“Aah! You scared me!”

So much for the beasts being the problem.

It was the butler, suddenly appearing at my side and crouching down to speak.

Startled, I flung the weeds I was holding straight into the air. In seconds, a whole handful of weeds landed squarely on top of his head.

His sleek black hair and practiced smile… were now buried beneath a crown of green weeds.

I froze, hands awkwardly raised. Then, blinking rapidly, I brushed the weeds from his head.

“Sorry. You startled me.”

“…It’s fine.”

For a split second, it looked like his teeth had clenched, but maybe I was imagining it. Quickly, I stuffed the weeds into a trash bag.

His hair was a little disheveled, but come on. He startled me—he could endure this much.

Flustered, I turned away and wiped my hot cheeks.

“Four people are plenty for this job. Thank you, though.”

Whether or not I’d dumped weeds on his head didn’t matter. This wasn’t something I could approve anyway.

Cleaning in teams of four had only been allowed with the Duke’s permission. A fifth person was out of the question.

‘Why of all times did he have to come when I’m crouched in the heat, sweating like this?’

His gaze burned at the side of my face, but I forced myself to focus on pulling weeds. Out of habit, I wiped my forehead—

Wait.

Shouldn’t my bangs be plastered to my skin by now? Instead, my forehead—and my entire body—felt cool. Almost too cool.

The blazing sun was gone. Shadows had gathered. The air was sharp, as if rain might fall any second.

“Rain is coming. Wouldn’t it be better if I helped so we can finish quickly?”

So he felt it too. The butler tilted his face closer, locking eyes with me. Exactly like in the dining hall.

Why is this man so free?

Wasn’t the butler supposed to be the busiest person in the mansion?

And yet… some small part of me almost wanted his help. Almost.

But no—before I could indulge the thought, I quickly swallowed it.

Because the other servants’ faces had gone pale the instant he appeared.

Jameson’s octopus-like head had blanched to white, bubbles frothing at his mouth.

Alex had hidden himself behind a tree—badly—his wooden body still visible.

And Eki… she was gripping a shovel, eyes sharp and glittering.

Her round, innocent gaze was gone, replaced by something deadly.

I waved my hands quickly.

“But the rules say no more than three people can work together. Even having four of us is only because the Duke granted permission. Five would be too much…”

“Ah. The rules.”

He sighed, after listening intently to every word I said.

Yes—the rules.
The rules that, if broken, would get you expelled from the mansion in an instant.

“It’s fine. Let’s just finish before it rains.”

“What? No, you’ll get thrown out again…!”

Reckless. Completely reckless.

At this rate, he might get kicked out after just a single day. And if I stood by and let it happen, I could be punished too.

Wasn’t this exactly how he got caught the last time? Always breaking the rules?

The butler rolled up his sleeves and bent to pull weeds.

I reached out to stop him—

Clang!

A shovel came whistling from somewhere and stabbed into the dirt right where he had been reaching.

My hands flew to my mouth. His skull could have been split in two.

Slowly, I turned. There was Eki, fists clenched.

“The Head Maid said no.”

So the shovel wasn’t just for show. She had actually intended to strike.

The butler stared at the embedded shovel for a long moment before straightening. His smile was intact, but I thought I saw his brow tighten.

The air between them crackled. Not with affection, but like sparks about to ignite.

This is round two, isn’t it…?

Again, their gazes collided across me. Again, I was stuck right in the middle.

A perfect déjà vu.

But this time, the butler stepped forward. I didn’t dare turn my head—his presence alone pressed too heavily on me.

Please, fight without me in the middle!

“Can you handle it?”

“It’s you who should be worried, Butler.”

“Why?”

“Because he won’t stand idly by.”

“Impossible. I’ve done nothing.”

“The Duke ordered me to protect her. I’m simply doing my job.”

“Is that really the only reason?”

“Of course not.”

I couldn’t help it—I tilted my head, blinking in confusion.

The butler.

Was he… speaking informally just now?

Eki was being impeccably polite. Yet his words… were anything but.