TNBT 03

Chapter : 3

Norman spotted Bailey leaving the room where Adel was staying and quietly beckoned her over with a wave of his hand.

Bailey had just finished bringing breakfast to the poor little mouse-like young lady.

For someone her age, Adel was remarkably small.

She needed to eat more.

She had probably always been petite, but after spending several months at the charity school, she surely had not been properly fed.

Her breakfast consisted of rich sausages, freshly made gooseberry jam from this year’s harvest, thick slices of buttered toast, and warm milk sweetened with honey.

It was quite a hearty breakfast for the morning, but Adel dutifully finished every bite.

Bailey couldn’t tell whether the girl had eaten it all because she was genuinely starving or because she wanted to make a good impression.

Either way, Bailey cleared away the empty dishes, hoping the skinny little mouse had finally eaten her fill.

Today, I should tidy up that hair of hers that looks like mice have been chewing on it, she thought.

As she walked, trying to remember where she had left her sharp tailoring scissors, she noticed Norman signaling for her.

“How is Miss Adel?”

“She seems to be adjusting well. I just finished serving her breakfast.”

“Good. I’d like you to keep an eye on her. And do your best to make sure she stays out of Her Grace’s sight.”

“Don’t worry. She’s not a thoughtless child.”

“The surname Baden is common enough. I never imagined she was that Baden.”

“I thought the same. Is Her Grace feeling any better?”

A bitter smile crossed Norman’s face.

Bailey was someone who knew how to keep her mouth shut. She had faithfully served Heightsrind alongside him for many years.

“Who can truly know what’s in Her Grace’s heart? Still, His Grace has ordered that Miss Adel be enrolled at Mainz Girls’ School starting with the September term. While she’s attending school, make sure she spends as little time as possible attracting Her Grace’s attention whenever she’s home.”

Bailey nodded and quietly walked away.

Mainz Girls’ School…

In a way, it was probably the most suitable place for Adel.

It was a school generally attended by daughters of middle-class families. There were also prestigious boarding schools for daughters of the nobility, but the tuition was extraordinarily expensive.

Of course, the House of Clauzen possessed immense wealth accumulated over generations, and their current businesses were thriving as well. Such tuition would amount to little more than pocket change.

But the Duchess would likely refuse to spend even a single coin from the ducal family’s fortune for that child.

Bailey couldn’t help wondering if the Duke and Duchess had reached some sort of silent agreement.

Although times had changed, daughters of noble families still received private tutoring to cultivate the refinement expected of aristocrats and ladies of society, while middle-class girls gained their education through school.

After graduation, it was customary for people to marry within their own social class.

Some, however, found employment as accountants, secretaries, typists in businesses, or—if they excelled academically—as private tutors for noble families or teachers at elementary schools.

As Adel was now, she had no parents or relatives to support her.

Since no one knew when the Duchess might decide to throw her out, it would be wiser for the girl to acquire useful skills and abilities to survive in society.

Putting those thoughts aside, Bailey slipped the sharp scissors into her apron pocket and picked up an old newspaper.

Whatever the case, that little mouse’s hair definitely needed trimming.

“Do you like it?”

With the soft snip, snip of the scissors, strands of beautiful hair drifted onto the newspaper spread across the floor.

Bailey smiled as she asked the little lady sitting quietly before her.

Matching the uneven lengths had required cutting more than expected.

Fortunately, Adel’s naturally wavy, silky hair suited a short bob surprisingly well.

The weather was bright that day, and the sunlight pouring through the windows gave her golden hair a brilliant shine.

The deep green eyes reflected in the mirror sparkled as they curved into a delighted smile.

“Thank you. You’re very skilled.”

Adel truly loved the way her hair looked.

While she had been at the charity school, she had often wanted to trim it herself, but the students were never allowed to use scissors or other sharp tools.

It was a precaution against possible accidents.

Smiling warmly, Bailey fastened a ribbon hairpin to Adel’s hair.

The ribbon was made of green satin that perfectly matched the color of Adel’s eyes, and it complemented her hair beautifully.

Adel felt genuinely happy.

She loved the accessory decorating her for the first time in months, but more than that, it felt as though the affection she had been starved of was slowly being restored.

At first, Bailey had seemed frightening.

But now she spoke so gently.

She was the only person in this enormous mansion who greeted her, spoke to her, and acknowledged her existence.

If Adel had gained anything from the charity school, it was the ability to read people.

Over those few months, she had naturally learned how to gauge others’ moods and recognize when someone harbored negative feelings toward her.

And she had immediately realized one thing.

Under no circumstances should she ever catch the eye of that proud noblewoman she had met yesterday.

Just as Bailey had advised, it would be best to stay quiet and avoid the Duchess whenever possible.

“Ma’am… since the weather is so lovely today, may I go outside for a little while? I’ve never seen such a beautiful rose garden.”

Ever since yesterday, Adel had wanted to open the French doors connecting her room to the garden.

Unable to hold back any longer, she finally asked.

Bailey thought for a moment before answering.

“You’re right. The weather is wonderful today. The rose garden at Heightsrind is famous throughout Pforzheim. Still, I think it’s better if you remain inside today. Her Grace hasn’t left her room yet… and it wouldn’t be good if the two of you happened to meet while walking in the garden.”

“I understand, ma’am.”

Though disappointed, Adel obediently nodded.

Even Bailey thought it was a shame.

Yesterday’s gloomy skies over Pforzheim had disappeared, replaced by the clear blue June sky the city was known for.

It was far too beautiful a day to spend entirely indoors.

Even better, the mansion’s pride and joy—the magnificent rose garden—had survived yesterday’s heavy rain without losing its blossoms.

Still, despite the lovely weather, it was safest for Adel to keep a low profile for at least one more day.

Remembering what Butler Norman had just told her, Bailey gently changed the subject.

“Miss Adel, did you bring any belongings with you when you came here?”

“I… didn’t bring anything.”

Adel answered with quiet embarrassment.

From the moment she had arrived at the charity school, she hadn’t even possessed a suitcase.

The only thing that truly belonged to her was a small pendant her kind nanny had hidden deep inside her clothing.

When opened, it revealed a portrait of her gentle father on the left and her loving mother on the right.

It was the only possession she had left.

Even at the charity school, she had desperately protected it from being taken away.

The beautiful silk clothes she had worn when she left the Baden household had been replaced with coarse cotton garments and vanished somewhere.

But fortunately, the tiny pendant—her greatest treasure—had remained safely hidden beneath her underclothes.

It was all she had left.

“I see. If you have nothing to read or anything to occupy yourself with, spending the whole day in this room will be difficult. When His Grace returns, I’ll quietly ask whether you might borrow some books from the library. Do you enjoy reading?”

“I love it!”

Adel’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

The only books available at the charity school had been a history textbook on the Republic of Erwin, a grammar textbook, and an arithmetic book.

Sometimes the students secretly passed around scraps of paper containing prayers, but they were hardly enough to satisfy Adel’s endless curiosity or her hunger for books.

She memorized the verses from those prayers, silently reciting them as though they were poems sung by wandering bards.

She simply could never bring herself to enjoy history or grammar textbooks.

“Do you think there might be fairy tales… or books about distant southern lands?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t use the library myself. Young Master Karl rarely left it when he was around your age, so I’m certain there must be books that would interest you.”

“Who is Young Master Karl?”

Bailey hesitated for a moment.

He would be returning next week anyway.

There was no harm in telling her in advance.

It might even be wise to warn her.

“Young Master Karl is His Grace Duke Clauzen’s son. He turned eighteen this year and is currently studying in Schultz. He’ll begin attending university this September, so you probably won’t see him often. He may return during school holidays, but he’s a very busy young man. If you do happen to meet him, simply be respectful.”

“Yes, I understand.”

A trace of anxiety crossed Adel’s face.

The Duke of Clauzen, whom she had met yesterday, had seemed intimidating.

Yet he had rescued her from the filthy reality of the charity school.

They had exchanged only a few words, but the gray eyes that looked at her had held a certain warmth.

The Duchess, however, had been terrifying.

Her jewel-like blue eyes had burned with anger, and simply meeting that blazing gaze had made Adel instinctively lower her head.

She couldn’t help wondering what kind of person Young Master Karl might be.

“Worried?”

“…A little.”

Looking down, Adel gently rubbed the carpet with the tip of her shoe.

“There’s no need to worry. Young Master Karl is a gentleman. If you behave with proper manners, he’ll treat you like a lady. He’s remarkably handsome and tall. There isn’t a single young nobleman in Pforzheim who could compare to him. He’s also calm, quiet, and well-mannered. Still, it’s best not to cross paths with him too often while you’re staying at Heightsrind. I doubt he’d pay much attention, but it’s safer that way.”

Adel nodded.

“Very well. Can you sew?”

“A little.”

“Then today we’ll practice sewing and embroidery using scraps of cloth. The time will pass quickly, and if you finish, you’ll have a handkerchief you’ve made yourself. Two birds with one stone.”

Sewing wasn’t something Adel particularly enjoyed.

But there was nothing else to do in the room, so she agreed.

A little later, Bailey returned carrying a square of cotton cloth and several colors of embroidery thread.

Taking the cloth Bailey had cut for her, Adel carefully followed her instructions, stitching neatly around the edges.

Although repetitive work wasn’t her favorite, Bailey had been right.

Time passed surprisingly quickly.

Once Adel became comfortable hemming the edges, Bailey lightly sketched a simple design onto the cloth with pale chalk.

Following Bailey’s instructions, Adel carefully embroidered over the pattern.

Though still clumsy, lovely pink roses gradually bloomed across Adel’s handkerchief—

roses as beautiful as the garden of Heightsrind itself.