Before Alexis’s carriage opened, the second carriage that closely followed it opened first.
Out poured the senior servants.
The lower-ranking servants who had come with me in the luggage carriage hurried toward them.
The excitement they had earlier had vanished, replaced by a tense atmosphere.
“How is the preparation?”
The steward who had guided Han Jihyeok and me to the luggage carriage asked.
The blonde girl, Bloni, bowed deeply.
“Yes, steward. We have lit fires and tidied the surroundings as instructed.”
“Good work. Everyone, line up!”
The servants began to form two rows. Of course, I moved to find my place.
Standing side by side with Han Jihyeok, the steward opened the carriage door.
“Young master, preparations for the rest are complete.”
Alexis slowly stepped down from the carriage.
His black formal wear was tailored to fit perfectly.
A robe embroidered with the Ishiron crest in gold thread.
Shoulder epaulets gleamed without a single scratch.
‘Seeing him like this, he truly is the noble young master of the ducal house.’
His ebony black hair lightly fluttered, partially covering his eyes.
With his aristocratic looks and luxurious clothes, it was impossible to imagine he was once a boy living in the back alleys.
Alexis’s gaze met mine as he walked among the servants.
“......”
He frowned slightly at my appearance.
The steward quickly asked,
“Is there something uncomfortable? We will tidy it up at once.”
“...No.”
“A chair has been prepared over there.”
Alexis headed toward the chair prepared by the lower servants.
While he sat, the steward gathered the servants quickly and said,
“Bloni.”
“Yes.”
“We must prepare drinks and light refreshments for the young master.”
“Yes! All servants ranked third or lower, follow me.”
The lower servants moved in unison.
Meanwhile, the senior servants who had arrived in the second carriage gathered around Alexis.
“Since Euroseong Territory... must be inspected... I will go ahead first...”
I faintly heard the steward’s voice from afar.
‘Senior servants must have other duties.’
Even during travel, there is so much work.
Now that I think about it, my own servants including Betty and Heidi were the same.
There was no time to rest even while moving.
‘It must be tough to take care of the master under such conditions.’
Thinking this, I approached the servants unpacking luggage.
“Uh, so, the tea leaves... ugh.”
The servants looked embarrassed, staring at the tea cases.
There were so many kinds that they didn’t know which to pick.
‘It makes sense not to know.’
The tea entering the master’s mouth is strictly managed by senior servants.
Alexis had arranged the procession with servants who didn’t know me — in other words, the lowest rank among the lower servants.
The senior servants were not the top-ranked servants who worked closely with the master.
There were only four senior servants in total.
‘It’s natural they don’t know how to serve the master.’
Bloni lost her temper.
“What are you doing! You should pick the tea leaves before the water boils!”
Masa hesitated.
“Um, well, I don’t know which tea leaves to take...”
“Do I have to tell you one by one?!”
Bloni’s harsh expression made the lower servants shrink back.
They pulled Masa aside and whispered,
“Let’s just pick any before she gets angrier.”
“Y-yes...”
One male servant pointed at a box with an “Huh?”
“This one!”
“This? Volpholm’s Moonlight Tea?”
“When I worked as a luggage handler at the salon, only Volpholm was used.”
“R-Really?”
The lower servants watched Bloni.
She kept giving them sharp looks with her arms crossed.
Mari sighed with annoyance and muttered,
“They do nothing and just take all the credit.”
“Them?”
I asked, and Mari glanced at Bloni and her group, then said,
“Bloni’s gang. Among the lower servants, Bloni has the most influence and takes all the credit without doing anything.”
“Hmm...”
Looking carefully, these were the servants who cheered when Bloni said, “The young master is resting here.”
The lower servants other than Bloni’s gang took out the Volpholm tea cases.
“Then let’s use this—”
“Ah...!”
I flinched and the lower servants looked at me.
“Why?”
“Volpholm tea is good, but I thought Tadaro’s rosemary tea would be better now.”
“What—? Rosemary tea isn’t that good. Even commoners can get it. Tadaro is a common brand.”
“Though it’s considered common because commoners can drink it, the owner was a tea master at the Empress Dowager’s tea salon.”
“...Really?”
“Yes. The owner’s will is to make good-tasting tea leaves that even commoners can drink, so the price is only relatively low.”
“Then Tadaro’s rose tea is better, right? It’s pricier after all.”
“Rosemary tea removes toxins, recovers fatigue, and calms the mind and body.”
It’s the perfect tea for rest.
The lower servants’ eyes widened.
“Then Tadaro’s rosemary tea is best.”
“Yeah. How do you know all this?”
“Huh? Um... I heard the Western Wonhwa also enjoys it...”
She rolled her eyes and mumbled an excuse.
Mari and Han Jihyeok laughed in disbelief, but other servants nodded with an “Ah!”
“Your acquaintance knows both the young master and the Western Wonhwa well, huh.”
The lower servants nodded.
Then Bloni suddenly snatched the Tadaro rosemary tea case from a servant’s hand.
“Even a beetle’s better than you guys. When will you boil the water?!”
“S-Sorry...”
“Hurry up!”
The lower servants excluding Bloni’s gang moved quickly.
They quickly filled the kettle with water, heated it, and took out madeleines prepared by Ishiron’s patissier.
I warmed the madeleines with steam from the water.
On a whim, I melted chocolate in a small pot and gently spread it on the madeleines.
Han Jihyeok squatted nearby watching me.
“You do everything.”
“It’s better to eat deliciously if we’re going to eat anyway. Chocolate helps relieve fatigue too.”
“That’s true, but how did you learn to do this?”
“I often did it when feeding my younger sibling snacks. My sibling was raised delicately and wouldn’t eat bread unless it was freshly baked.”
If it didn’t feel freshly made, they never put it in their mouth.
But if I didn’t feed my sibling snacks, my grandmother would get very angry.
So I had to come up with tricks to get the snacks eaten.
“...Yeah, ‘back then.’”
Han Jihyeok looked as if to say ‘You mean when you were Yu Hyemin.’
While I was transferring the chocolate-covered madeleines to a plate, Bloni abruptly snatched the plate away.
“The young master is starving, and you have time to chat? You’re low-born and thoughtless.”
Bloni, annoyed, put the plate with rosemary tea on the tray.
Then she called,
“Steward~.”
With a sweet face, she ran toward Alexis.
Other servants turned off the fire and headed that way.
The steward looked at the tray and said,
“Rosemary tea?”
Bloni shyly said,
“Um, it’s not a very high-grade tea, but actually Tadaro’s rosemary tea is excellent. The owner worked as a tea master at the Empress Dowager’s tea salon.”
“Empress Dowager’s tea salon?”
“Yes, as a tea master. And rosemary tea removes toxins, relieves fatigue, and calms the mind and body.”
I was just repeating what I had said.
After scolding us to stop chatting and hurry, she acted like she knew better.
The steward asked with a surprised face,
“The madeleines are still warm. How did you bring them?”
“I warmed them here with steam from the kettle. Also melted chocolate and spread it on top.”
“Do you know how to do that?”
Bloni lowered her head, embarrassed.
“I did this when taking care of my younger sibling’s snacks. My sibling was delicate and wouldn’t eat bread unless it was freshly baked.”
...Huh.
She literally repeated my words.
Though the tea leaves are one thing, copying someone’s family story verbatim is another.
Because she looks impressive, the steward and senior servants looked at Bloni with pity.
“You must have had a hard time.”
“At the time, I thought it was hard, but now I think it was a good memory!”
The middle-aged senior servant stroked Bloni’s hand.
“What a beautiful-hearted child she must be.”
“I’m just shy.”
Then Bloni glanced at Alexis behind the servants.
Her gaze was intense enough that even Alexis glanced at her.
The other lower servants looked incredulous.
‘If only they saw what Bloni did to us, they wouldn’t say that.’
Since they were far apart during preparation, they probably didn’t hear her harsh voice.
The steward brought the tray to Alexis.
‘I’m starving too...’
If I have to travel long distances again, I must remember to give servants all three meals.
I was sulking with such thoughts when Alexis glanced at me.
“Give the servants some refreshments too.”
Really?
I opened my eyes wide and looked at Alexis.
The other servants looked as if they could jump for joy.
Well, since most of the lower servants were minors, they’d be hungry soon after.
Alexis picked up a madeleine and spoke again.
“This is enough for me; give the rest to the servants.”
“They’ll all be happy.”
“We’ll depart in an hour. Until then, rest freely.”
“Yes, young master.”
Thanks to Alexis’s consideration, we could finally really rest.
Everyone looked extremely happy.
We moved far away so Alexis could rest comfortably.
Bloni brought madeleines and distributed them to the servants.
The senior servants said they didn’t need any, so they gave the whole tray to the lower servants who worked hard preparing.
Masa happily went to get a madeleine.
But...
“I...?”
The madeleines ran out right in front of Masa.
A boy from Bloni’s gang said with a bored expression,
“There aren’t enough. Blame that girl who made too few.”
Masa looked downcast, staring at Bloni’s gang.
Some of them had two or three pieces.
Other lower servants pulled Masa away.
“Let’s go. We’ll just eat some bread.”
“Yes...”
But the tasty food was all taken by Bloni’s gang.
Freshly squeezed orange juice, cookies, soft castella cake — all belonged to the gang.
Other lower servants got only coarse barley bread.
“Ugh, I wanted to eat madeleines too...”
Masa said with a gloomy face.
Mari gave Masa a water pouch and said,
“It’s okay if you wash it down with water.”
“Mm...”
I ate some bread too.
It wasn’t tasty, but it felt better to have eaten something.
Bloni’s {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} gang was almost like a festival.
“To serve food to servants? That’s unimaginable if it were Lord Adelik, right?”
“Of course.”
“Is he usually so kind to servants?”
“Hearing the low servants, it seems not. He’s uninterested.”
“Then you know what?”
“What?”
“That he likes Bloni.”
A servant said with a smirk, looking at Bloni.
“I saw it clearly. The young master looks at Bloni specially.”
Bloni laughed lightly and tucked her hair behind her ear.
“Is that so?”
“Is there any maid prettier than you? I think it’s obvious.”
One of the tactless gang members said, “Huh?”
“But you’re engaged to Countess Astra? She’s supposed to be very pretty.”
Then Bloni frowned.
“The young master was at Astra Manor. Maybe he can’t refuse because he’s gotten a lot of help from the countess.”
“Really...?”
“Besides, no matter how pretty, it’s dirty blood.”
“Ah.”
“Not just commoner but an immigrant slave. If holy water mixes with filth, is it holy water? It’s worse than plain water.”
“Still, she’s supposed to be very pretty. And trusted by the Wonhwa.”
“All rumors.”
“Because features blur in the demon realm, so she seems pretty, but actually isn’t.”
Bloni slammed the madeleines down and said,
“No matter how pretty, personality matters.”
“That’s true, but if the Countess Astra dislikes her, would the young master like the maid?”
Bloni’s face twisted.
She glared at a tactless servant and suddenly turned away.
“It’s not impossible.”
“Why?”
“You know. Like last time when he stared at my hair quietly.”
Bloni smiled and continued,
“Also, he prepared madeleines for me, included me in the procession, and let me rest. Doesn’t that mean there’s a possibility?”
“He is really strange.”
“That’s right~.”
The gang chattered noisily.
Would you be the second Duchess of Ishiron then?
Don’t forget me then.
Han Jihyeok glanced at me.
At that moment, my communication stone started ringing.
‘Oops.’
I quickly looked around.
No commoners nearby with communication stones.
Unless a noble family lent it for work, I could be misunderstood as having stolen it.
“Wait a moment.”
I quickly put down the bread and stood up.
I went deep into the forest and checked the code.
‘It’s my brother?’
What is it?
Just as I was about to connect,
Ssssss!
A strange sound came, and something suddenly jumped in front of my eyes.
At that moment—
Clang!
With a sharp sound, something was cut in half.
“Don’t wander around carelessly in this forest. It’s full of snake monsters.”
Alexis frowned and looked at me after cutting a snake monster in half.