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Chapter 66
When Tyburn and Herden returned and opened the doors of the mansion, the people who had been living inside finally regained their freedom.
Until now, House Katieron had amassed great wealth through the Del Trading Company. Each time, Heder never forgot to distribute generous bonuses to the household staff who had worked hard alongside him.
The problem was that even though their bank accounts were swelling with money, they had no way to spend it. Count Jeck would always send them a detailed payroll statement, but weren’t they essentially prisoners?
Now, the reins had been loosened.
“Wow, my goodness! I’ve saved this much? I can finally buy the house my wife always wanted!”
“My wife told me to earn a lot before I came back, and now I can return with pride!”
“Me too… I think I can finally buy a house!”
Dania exclaimed with a face full of emotion. The faces of those coming out of Katieron Bank were all bright. All their efforts and hardships had not been in vain.
After enjoying a long-overdue outing, Dania returned to the mansion late that evening. She came back glowing with excitement and held out her precious passbook to me.
“Look, Lani! I saved this much money! I even withdrew some to take to my family, and on the way back, I treated myself to a nice dinner!”
She said it with such a blissful expression that it made me happy just to see her.
Then Dania glanced around and lowered her voice.
“And with this much, I think I can even buy a house. Not right now, since I’m still young…”
Dania was a year younger than me—just seventeen. To own property without a guardian, you had to be at least twenty.
I had Tyburn as a guardian, but finding a trustworthy one wasn’t easy. People would betray even family when money was involved.
“Anyway, I think I can finally get a house!”
Dania’s face lit up with joy. And I understood that feeling.
That sense of having the whole world in your hands! The solid security of finally having your own home! The comfort of knowing there’s always a roof to shelter you from the rain!
Nothing could replace the stability a home gives you.
“By the time you’re an adult, you’ll have saved even more. You could probably buy a bigger house by then.”
“Do you think… I could even get married?”
“Of course, Dania! You’ll definitely have a happy family. If you plan to have lots of kids, then a big house is a must!”
“Kyaa!”
Dania squealed, pressing her flushed cheeks with her hands, shaking her head in embarrassment.
She really was adorable.
“But Lani, doesn’t this mean we don’t have to grow herbs anymore? Since Lord Tyburn is back?”
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
Soon, Tyburn and Heder would head back to the battlefield. In the original story, Heder went to war at sixteen.
When that time came, the restraints that bound me to this mansion would disappear—or so I hoped.
Even if Tyburn lived, contamination would continue to appear, and war would break out. And after that, the heroine would arrive.
Before that happened, a supporting character like me needed to quietly step off the stage.
Wouldn’t an old childhood friend type only get in the way?
Still, this herb field would remain useful to House Katieron. A time was coming when even battlefield herbs would be in short supply.
“Do you want to stop farming?”
Was my precious druid friend getting tired of this? Her skill level had already hit the max, but I still didn’t regret lending her that skill.
Dania truly had the makings of a great druid. If she didn’t want to do it anymore, I’d have to find someone else.
“No, that’s not it.”
Thank goodness. There was no one as talented as her.
“…I’m just worried. Lani, you know our field isn’t exactly ordinary. I don’t think anyone but House Katieron could protect it. And I don’t want it to become unnecessary later.”
“Don’t worry about that, Dania.”
Actually, Tyburn and I had already discussed the herb field. He suggested moving it somewhere else before it attracted attention.
But it couldn’t be too far away, so we planned to relocate it into the forest within House Katieron’s estate and restrict access to outsiders.
Even now, not just anyone could enter that forest. Only direct family members with permission.
When I explained this to Dania, her face relaxed with relief. Feeling better, we both laughed as we walked down the hallway.
I decided we should stop by the herb field while we were at it.
From inside the mansion came the sound of girls around our age laughing.
Carte pouted his lips.
Since being left behind here, Sornea had been holed up in her room, so it had to be those arrogant maids.
He suddenly remembered the maid who had hovered around Heder before. His mother had doted on her, and by the time they drove her out, she’d been clinging to Heder’s side.
A bat-like girl who clung to status.
“I need to teach them a lesson. How dare maids make such a racket?”
He had stayed quiet before, afraid Tyburn might catch him outside, but now he needed an outlet for his anger.
Carte stormed toward the sound of laughter.
“Next time, let’s go out together. We can snack and shop.”
“I’d love that! I was thinking I need some new clothes anyway. Look at this, it’s gotten short! I must have grown taller.”
Two maids were chatting cheerfully. Carte clenched his teeth and called out to them.
“Hey, you two over there.”
They didn’t seem to hear him and kept talking. Carte raised his voice.
“Hey! You two maids!”
Finally, Lani and Dania turned to look at him. One was a girl with brown hair and freckles—ordinary, nothing special.
The other, with her bright honey-blond curls, large eyes, and delicate features, stood out immediately.
A doll-like beauty rarely seen. And her face looked familiar.
‘Heder’s maid?’
Carte’s eyes widened.
Seeing that maid suddenly brought Siela to mind. Siela was ugly. It already infuriated him that such a girl was his fiancée—but now there was such a pretty maid near Heder?
‘Ugh! How irritating!’
He already hated being forced to do things he didn’t want to, and this made his anger boil over.
“You! Come here.”
Carte beckoned to Lani.
“Me, young master?”
“Yes, you!”
He barked the words.
“From now on, you’ll attend to me! You’ll only do what I tell you and listen only to me. Got it?”
“I’m sorry, young master, but I serve Young Master Heder.”
Lani answered firmly.
“Lord Tyburn gave me those orders.”
“Ugh! Are you saying my words mean nothing?! You can just tell Grandfather that you want to serve me from now on!”
Lani blinked.
“…And why would I do that?”
Carte stomped his foot. In this damned mansion, not even a maid would listen to him.
“Do what I say! Do you want to get hit?”
Lani sighed.
“I’d rather not, but I’m more afraid of Lord Tyburn.”
The way she chirped so casually, without a hint of fear, made humiliation wash over him.
Why did everything good and beautiful always go to Heder? Why did Tyburn only favor Heder?
And now even the maids!
“You like Heder better than me! You’re looking down on me too, aren’t you!”
Lani opened her mouth to respond but stopped.
‘No need for me to step in now.’
Because Tyburn had just appeared.
“Harassing the maids now, Carte?”
“Eek!”
Carte turned pale as Lani let out a quiet sigh.
