Chapter 48: Chapter 48

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Chapter 48

4. Sleeping together

After Camilla entrusted the household’s internal affairs to me, I was busier than ever.

The first thing I had to do was to manage the Duchy’s budget. The cost of maintaining it was enormous, and it was only right given the estate’s size, but it was still more than I thought.

Essentially, it was a job entailing the management and the appropriate distribution of funds every month. It was Greta’s job before, but now that I’d replaced her, it was mine.

“Are these all the records we have?”

I looked at Greta as I finished flipping through all the books she brought to me.

“Yes, Young Madam.”

“…But shouldn’t there be a separate book with more details…”

“You won’t be able to understand it. The numbers are complicated and—”

I propped up my chin on one hand.

“I want to see it all.”

“…Alright.”

Greta had been despondent lately ever since Amoide took my side in front of her and Camilla.

Although it’s temporary, Greta couldn’t clamor for anything in the mansion after she was stripped of her position as head maid. The other maids were still wary of her, but this was enough for now.

“Go get everything. Every single one of the books.”

“…Yes.”

Greta reluctantly heeded my order and left the room.

I began to skim the expenditure books that Greta handed over.

“Hmm… It’s complicated.”

“Is it really difficult, Milady?” Rona asked as she placed a teacup in front of me on the table.

“The records are usually influenced by the habits of the person who wrote them down, so each symbol, sign or number is like a personal language.”

I tapped on the page with one finger.

“But there’s no way Greta’s going to kindly teach me the code, right?”

I wouldn’t even dream of her volunteering to do that. She’d just hope that I’d make as many mistakes as possible so that she could regain control once more.

“…I’m sure there’s someone else in the household who knows about this.”

“Butler Coulton!”

Rona cut through my thoughts immediately with her exclamation.

“Coulton?”

“Yes, he’s been here since the previous Duke’s time, and he’s worked for the household for the longest time, so he probably knows.”

“That’s true.”

Why didn’t I think of that?

“Call Coulton for me.”

“Yes, Milady.”

After a while, Coulton entered the room. The gray-haired butler was ushered in, and he greeted me politely.

“You called for me, Your Grace?”

“Coulton, sorry to bother you, but I need your help.”

“I’m glad to be of service.”

“You’re the best person for this, Coulton.”

“While the previous Duke was still with us, I assisted him in many things. I shall assist you as well, Your Grace.”

For a moment, I got the vision that Coulton was like a wise old man, with a silvery beard and all, who I’ve encountered while I’m lost inside a maze.

“Coulton, which expenditure takes up the largest portion of the estate’s budget?”

“It’s usually the consumables. Candles, soap… among other things.”

“Do you buy it all from the same place?”

The books should include the number of candles and soap purchased, as well as the place where they were bought.

“It doesn’t say how many were purchased.”

It should be in a separate book that Greta’s refusing to show me.

“And the place where they’re being purchased has changed.”

Coulton squinted and adjusted his glasses.

“Really?”

If the place really changed, shouldn’t Coulton know? But if he couldn’t remember…

“We don’t usually change stores where we buy in bulk because of the trust needed between both sides. Most of all, it should be easy to spot the items that have changed in the estate as well as the number bought… but it seems that it’s been a while since the place of purchase had changed.”

“Why did it change?”

I was really just curious. Maybe they didn’t like the soap from the previous store or something.

“Well, I’m not too sure about that…”

Coulton trailed off, but to me, it sounded like ‘I know, but I’m not telling you.’

“Coulton, tell me if you can recall anything.”

“Nothing comes to mind.”

Coulton gave me an amiable smile.

“I know you’re only being careful, but Coulton, aren’t you a loyal butler of the Efret Duchy?”

I tried to urge it out of him again.

What is it, what is it, hm? I wanted to pester him, but I kept it all to myself.

“It’s usually for the sake of embezzlement, Your Grace.”

“…What?”

The quill in my hand dropped to the floor.”

“Em. be. zzle. ment.”

Coulton said it slowly in a clear voice.

“I’ve returned with the books.”

Coincidentally, as soon as Coulton finished saying that, Greta entered through the door.

Greta saw Coulton inside and flinched, but she composed herself right away.

“Here you are.”

Thud.

Was it only by imagination, but was the sound of the books being placed on the table really that loud?

“Thanks.”

I smiled at Greta, then I immediately opened the first book.

“Huuu.”

I leaned against the pile of books.

“I’m almost done.”

I was completely encased by towers of books, all examined and rearranged.

After Greta gave me the sort of cipher for the symbols and records she had written, almost half a day had already gone by.

“Ugh…”

In the middle of stretching, I picked up a book.

“You’ll still continue reading, Milady?”

“Yeah.”

Apart from the accounting books, there were a few cookbooks here and there on the table as well.

“Are you looking at the pictures, Milady? There are other more interesting books…”

Rona approached the pile and picked up the cookbook on top, flipping through a few pages.

But then, she suddenly looked up with a frightened expression on her face.

“…Are you reading all of this? Such a difficult book? As expected, Milady is—!”

Before her hymns of praises continued, I cut her off.

“Nope.”

I shut her down right away. It wasn’t a cookbook I could read in the first place. I was just wondering if I could read languages of other countries in the continent.

“I just took a look at them, but I can’t read them because they’re not written in our language. Oh, you’re holding it upside down.”

Rona returned the book to the pile.

“But why…?”

“I’m looking at the pictures.”

“Do you enjoy looking at them?”

“No, I’m not doing it for fun.”

The illustrations of the food in there were quite appetizing, but it’s just in print after all. They’re nice to look at on the page, but enjoying food while just looking at pictures was something I never did, even in my previous life.

Rather, I like being able to taste what’s in front of me.

“I’m thinking of cooking.”

That’s why I’ve been buried under these piles of books.

“Cooking…?”

“Yes. I was wondering if the recipes in the cookbooks could help me.”

“Why did you suddenly want to cook, Milady?”

“To cook something that’s good for a cold.”

After seeing him fall sick again last time, I began to feel anxious. Raymond said there was no need to worry, but it didn’t seem like that to me.

To others, it’s only a harmless cold, but to Amoide, it would be immensely difficult.

He already couldn’t do many things because the threat of a seizure was always hanging over his head, but on top of that, he would get colds more than others.

“And I want to feed Amoide my own food.”

“Goodness, then if it’s Milady’s cooking, I’m sure His Grace will love it!”

Rona’s eyes turned into hearts again as her imagination fluttered through a rose-colored filter.

“But Milady, do you know what His Grace likes?”

“…No.”

Right. I don’t know. Gosh, that’s the most important thing.

“Hmm, anyway, if I keep browsing through these cookbooks, I’m sure I’ll find something.”

Reaching up to one pile, I touched the spines of the books with a fingertip.

“But I can’t read most of them.”

In some cases, it would be enough to just look at the illustrations, but the methods and tips for cooking were all in writing.

“I got these thinking they’d help me, but it’s not like I could take and borrow all of them.”

The books were full of unknown letters. Whether they were written with alphabets or hieroglyphics, they just made me dizzy.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Hmm…”

Rona also diligently tried to read the title of the book closest to her.

“But I can’t even read the title.”

I opened the book I was holding to a random page. There were all kinds of meat, fish, vegetables and fruits shown, and there were also notes written by Jean himself at the borders of the pages. Perhaps he wrote his own methods, but I was still lost.

“I don’t even know if it’s a duck or chicken dish. No, is it turkey?”

With the feathers plucked, they all looked the same. There’s just a slight difference in size.

“Rona do you know what it says?”

“No, Milady. If you don’t know, how could I?” Rona shook her head. “Why don’t we ask the chef? He’s probably memorized a lot of these.”

“Isn’t he a bit busy? I don’t want to bother him when he already has a lot of things to do.”

Lately, Jean’s enthusiasm had shot up because he wanted to create more recipes for the sake of Amoide’s health, so he’s even been staying up late at night.

“Oh, then…” Rona clapped her hands once, seeming as if she remembered something.

“Then what?”

I lifted my face behind the pile of books.

“Why don’t you ask that person?”

“Who?”

Rona smiled as she saw me tilting my head to one side.

“You know. That person.”

——

tl/n:

The title of this new arc (합방) is actually more vague. It could pertain to the designated room sharing day, or the actual room that a couple stays in, or even the act of sleeping side by side on one bed. Or even better *waggles eyebrows* the spicier take on it, which is, ahem, what I chose. But do keep in mind that the original arc title isn’t as direct as my translation.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────