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Chapter 16
“I can eat by myself now.”
“This is my pleasure. I can’t give it up.”
Unbelievable. But since he clearly had no intention of handing over the spoon, what could she do?
Even as she grumbled, Ellen obediently accepted each spoonful of the sherbet.
Had she already finished hers? Staring at her empty bowl, Ellen began to eye Rishio’s untouched sherbet with growing temptation.
“If you’re not going to eat that, can I have it?”
“No. You’ll get a stomachache if you eat too much.”
“Really? I think I could eat this all day. I guess I’ll just have to wait until lunch, then.”
“Once a day is enough.”
“Ah…”
Her pupils trembled as if something tragic had just happened.
Unconsciously, Ellen licked her lips, savoring the lingering taste.
“Don’t ever do that in front of anyone.”
“Tch. I’ll do what I want.”
As if to show a tiny act of rebellion, Ellen stuck out her tongue a little.
Annoyed, aren’t you? You must be annoyed.
Seeing Rishio’s raised eyebrow, she couldn’t help but let out a small, satisfied laugh.
“That’s a very bad habit, Anais.”
“You don’t have to lecture me about manners. I’m not a child, you know.”
“I’ve never once thought of you as a child. It just makes me want to kiss you. And judging from the look of it… you’d probably be quite good at it.”
His softly whispered words made her heart pound. When Rishio’s eyes curved beautifully as he smiled, Ellen’s face burned red.
“Is that… all you ever think about?”
Unlike her flustered reaction, Rishio remained perfectly calm—no, smugly so.
“I’ll give you this. Want to feed me?”
He lifted the sherbet bowl, his bluish-gray eyes deep and inviting.
“Eh? No way!”
“Hm, I thought so. What if I buy you some jewelry?”
“What do you take me for? I’m not that kind of—!”
Of course, she loved money. She needed it badly right now.
But she definitely didn’t plan to earn it with a kiss.
“I don’t need it…”
“I heard that as ‘I do need it.’”
Maybe her voice had been too quiet. He had caught her exact meaning.
“Well, since we’re on the subject… I did have something I wanted to ask.”
In truth, she had been carefully timing when to bring this up.
“Go on.”
“As the duchess, shouldn’t I be in charge of the household management? Like, keeping the ledgers and such…”
If you give it, I’ll take it. If you don’t, fine.
She added in a voice so tiny it could barely be heard, avoiding his gaze.
Why isn’t he answering?
Just as she was about to blurt out Please, give it to me!, Rishio finally replied.
“That’s a commendable thought. Do you know how to read the ledgers?”
It wasn’t exactly commendable, more like a cunning plan—but still, it was the sweetest thing he’d said so far.
Ellen jumped at the opportunity.
“Yes, I do.”
“The head maid will bring them to you. I don’t expect much, so don’t be too nervous.”
He doesn’t expect much?
Perfect. That meant things might actually go smoothly. Ellen’s eyes sparkled as she nodded eagerly.
“Yes!”
“If it’s too hard, I can help you.”
But only if you kiss me.
Rishio added lazily, winking and tapping his lips with his finger.
That sudden flirtation made it impossible for her to let her guard down.
At that moment, Ellen realized the bard had been right—nobles truly were masters of temptation.
“You’re too busy for that, Your Grace. Don’t worry about me.”
Rishio left to attend to his work, and Ellen finally had a short rest—being treated with even greater care by Dorothy since her return from confinement.
“I hereby appoint you as my personal maid.”
So much for Ellen’s earlier resolve to be cautious of Dorothy. It crumbled instantly.
“Really, my lady? Thank you! I’ll do my best!”
Just as Dorothy was jumping up and down with joy, the head maid, Gianna, brought in the long-awaited ledgers.
Dozens of heavy books were neatly stacked on the desk.
Excellent.
Ellen smiled with satisfaction and opened the most recent volume.
She hadn’t even flipped a single page when the head maid spoke.
“My lady isn’t feeling well, so please leave this to me. I’ll report to His Grace that you handled it yourself, so don’t worry.”
Was that supposed to be kindness? Somehow, her gentle smile felt… off. Ellen couldn’t shake the unease creeping up inside her.
“This is my work, so I’ll do it myself. I’m not feeling that ill.”
Her voice was soft but carried a sharp undertone. Then she turned back to the ledgers.
Each time she flipped a page, she muttered thoughtfully.
“Hm? Hmm…”
“Ledgers are complicated things, my lady. Please, let me handle them.”
Before Ellen could protest, the head maid snatched the book away.
Staring blankly at the empty desk, Ellen could only blink in disbelief.
Perhaps it was that overbearing act that set Dorothy off—her footsteps pounded the floor as she marched forward.
“Didn’t His Grace say to teach her sincerely?”
“How dare you, Dorothy—!”
The head maid shot her a daggered glare.
“I am Her Ladyship’s personal maid.”
Dorothy grabbed the ledger right out of the head maid’s hands and set it back down in front of Ellen.
Good thing I made her my personal maid.
They said that a position shapes a person, and Dorothy had become the picture of loyalty.
In that moment, Ellen’s opinion of her changed—from untrustworthy Dorothy to reliable Dorothy.
As long as I can keep that fiery temper in check, she’ll be quite useful.
But of course, the head maid didn’t take it lying down. She began to complain bitterly.
“I have to oversee the entire duchy, so my time is very limited. Without me, the estate would fall apart. I must have been in too much of a hurry. Please, my lady, do forgive me.”
She went on and on about all the duties she performed around the manor.
In other words, you just don’t want me to see what’s in those books, right?
Contrary to her claim, Ellen was sure the duchy wasn’t running smoothly at all.
Honestly, she could clean better than most of the maids there.
They’re all so unskilled.
Her eyes fell on the windows—wiped so poorly that new smudges had appeared.
If she’d cleaned them herself, they would’ve been crystal clear, invisible glass.
But no, that wouldn’t do. She wasn’t a temple maid anymore; she’d possessed the body of a noblewoman.
Absolutely not!
Ellen shook her head, as if to banish the servant-like instincts ingrained in her body.
Cutting off the head maid’s rambling, she said gently but firmly,
“I understand. I’ll take care of the ledgers myself.”
“Can you even count properly, my lady?”
Was she being mocked? Ellen, once known in the temple for her intelligence, had even managed its ledgers before she became a confessor saint.
Granted, the priests had only dumped the work on her because she was young and easy to order around.
“I can read ledgers just fine. Leave them and go.”
“It’s not that simple. Sigh… Very well, I’ll explain everything to you step by step.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Please don’t be stubborn…”
Why was it that every time she tried to act with dignity, someone had to provoke her?
Ellen slammed the ledger shut with a loud thud.
“One week. If I don’t fully understand the duchy’s accounts within a week, I’ll never touch them again.”
The head maid lowered her gaze, seemingly to hide her expression, but Ellen caught the slight upward curl of her lips.
“You must promise that, my lady.”
“I do. But if I succeed, know that a major personnel change will be inevitable. That includes dismissing incompetent staff.”
Ellen smiled sweetly—yet her words were sharp as a blade.
“T-that’s…”
“As the mistress of the house, isn’t that my rightful authority? If you think my proposal is unfair, feel free to inform His Grace.”
“N-no, my lady.”
“Then you may leave. I wouldn’t want to take more of your precious time.”
The head maid opened and closed her mouth a few times, but no words came.
In the end, she left with a stiff expression.
Once she was gone, Dorothy began pacing around Ellen, fuming loudly.
“How could someone in her position act like that? You should tell His Grace!”
Ellen remembered that Dorothy’s own attitude hadn’t been much better when they first met—but clearly, Dorothy herself had forgotten.
“No.”
“My lady, if you don’t master those ledgers perfectly, the head maid and the others will only grow bolder!”
Her eyes flashed with fierce determination.
Ellen couldn’t help but laugh. Dorothy looked like a small, harmless creature trying to act ferocious—adorable, but clawless.
