HDFL 05

Chapter : 05

“What’s all this? Anyone who saw this would think it was a noble family’s dining table.”

“I decided to go all out for once. I wanted to make something nourishing for you, Uncle.”

Smiling brightly, Lucrezia carried one dish after another to the table.

There was creamy risotto made with rice, peas, and mushrooms, along with whole-wheat pasta generously loaded with fresh seafood.

She had also prepared Sarde in Saor—a traditional dish once eaten by sailors, made by layering crispy fried sardines with onions sautéed in oil and vinegar. It happened to be Uncle Jack’s favorite.

Strictly speaking, they were all meals made with ingredients common people enjoyed, so calling them luxurious cuisine would have been an exaggeration. Still, the spread looked lavish enough.

“I even prepared a little wine to go with the meal. Alcohol isn’t good for you, so only one or two sips, okay?”

“I can still finish a whole bottle without any trouble.”

“Uncle…”

Still wearing her apron, Lucrezia puffed out her cheeks in protest.

Chuckling helplessly, Jack took a small sip of the wine before setting the glass back down.

The little girl who had barely been able to speak when they first met had somehow grown into someone who could completely boss him around.

Once they started eating, Lucrezia happily chatted away about her day.

She talked about leaving early that morning, stopping by her favorite bell tower observatory, the lively atmosphere in the city just before the festival began, and wandering through the market while buying ingredients from the shops she frequented.

Naturally, she left out everything related to the guild and her jobs, but it was more than enough to give Jack an idea of how she’d spent the day.

“You know, Uncle Jack… I think I’ll have to be away from home for a while.”

“Oh? Why’s that? Something happen?”

“I got a job as a live-in maid at a noble family’s townhouse during the festival. The pay’s really good, so I’ll probably be staying there for the time being.”

“Well, that’s good news.”

It was a complete lie, yet Jack accepted it without the slightest suspicion.

As far as he knew, she’d quit doing guild work long ago. Whenever she accepted a long-term job in the past, she’d used similar excuses before leaving home.

Jack was well respected by everyone in the neighborhood, so while Lucrezia was away, the people nearby took turns checking in on him and helping with daily chores.

Besides, he was still healthy enough to get around on his own with the aid of crutches.

If Uncle ever finds out the truth, he’ll only worry. I’m sorry… but I have no choice but to lie.

It pained her that she couldn’t tell him the truth.

But there was no way she could honestly explain the kind of work she was about to do.

As they continued eating, Lucrezia occasionally reached over to place dishes that were out of his reach onto Jack’s plate.

Feeling guilty, she glanced at him every now and then.

“What’re you staring at me for? Looking at me isn’t going to wear out my handsome face.”

“I just looked at you once. Isn’t it a bit much for a middle-aged man with a belly to be that confident?”

“A man’s nothing without confidence. Even if you’ve got nothing, acting confident works in your favor.”

“Yes, yes. I know.”

Giggling, Lucrezia rested her chin on one hand as she twirled the pasta around her fork before popping it into her mouth.

If her mother were still alive, she’d have received quite the scolding over those table manners.

But sharing a happy dinner with Uncle Jack was enough to make her feel completely content.

“So… when are you planning to get married?”

“There you go again. I’m only twenty-one! Isn’t it ridiculous to get married when I’m still this young?”

“When I was your age, people were already getting married at eighteen. Twenty-one is more than old enough.”

“And yet you’ve never been married yourself.”

“I couldn’t. That’s different from not wanting to.”

Apparently, Lucrezia wasn’t the only liar at the table.

Even now, the women at the marketplace still loved gossiping about Jack’s younger days.

Before becoming a blacksmith, he’d sailed the seas as a fisherman.

With the broad shoulders and sturdy physique of a seasoned sailor, people said he could intimidate the toughest street thugs with nothing more than a glare.

Though now…

He was simply an ordinary middle-aged man with a thick beard.

“What about Theo? I don’t exactly like that he’s involved with guild work, but he’d make a decent husband for you. Takes after his father—surprisingly devoted once he falls in love.”

“…Please don’t say something so horrifying. How could you possibly think of pairing me with that womanizer?”

“He’s a bit too friendly with women, sure. But once he’s married, he’ll end up completely wrapped around his wife’s finger. I’ve known him since he was a kid—I know exactly what kind of man he is.”

Lucrezia’s expression stiffened as she remembered Theo’s colorful dating history.

Her childhood friend had a habit of falling head over heels almost instantly, only to get dumped within a week.

In that sense, Jack wasn’t entirely wrong.

But as for seeing Theo as a man…

Absolutely not.

“My body’s like this now, so I can’t help worrying about your future. If I could at least see you married, I’d be able to close my eyes in peace.”

“There you go saying things like that again. You’re still perfectly healthy, so don’t talk like that.”

“You don’t know how the world works. Life’s a lot easier when you’ve got someone by your side who’ll always stay in your corner.”

Answering his nagging with half-hearted replies, Lucrezia finished her meal and stood up.

“I’ll get your bed ready. While I’m doing that, don’t forget to walk around the living room for your exercise and brush your teeth.”

“Stop treating me like a child. I already exercised enough this afternoon.”

“Liar. You barely even touched your crutches today. I checked.”

Every morning before leaving the house, Lucrezia dusted a fine white powder onto Jack’s wooden crutches.

It was meant to prevent slipping…

But it also served another purpose.

By checking how much powder remained when she got home, she could tell whether he’d actually been walking around as he was supposed to.

“Fine, fine. I’ll walk around a little.”

“That’s better.”

As Jack slowly made laps around the living room with his crutches, Lucrezia quickly cleared the table and prepared his bedding.

She stayed close the whole time, ready to support him if he looked like he might lose his balance.

“Good night, Uncle. I’ll put out the lights.”

“Right. Sleep well, too.”

Jack’s gruff yet gentle voice drifted through the flickering candlelight.

It had been a satisfying day.

Smiling softly, Lucrezia blew out the last remaining candle.

The following morning, Lucrezia hurried toward the district where the nobles’ townhouses were clustered.

The Duke’s townhouse stood in a location impossible to reach by the vaporetto—the public water buses used by ordinary citizens.

Left with no alternative, she transferred between several gondolas before finally getting off nearby and walking the rest of the way.

By the time she reached her destination, three whole hours had passed since she’d left home.

In a city built on islands, where the network of canals allowed people to reach almost anywhere within an hour, such a journey was exceptionally long.

“…This really is something.”

Squinting against the blazing summer sun, Lucrezia looked up at the enormous mansion before her.

“Magnificent” was the only word that seemed appropriate.

Constructed from marble as white as grains of sand and accented with blue-gray stone, the mansion stood out dramatically against the city’s sea of brown rooftops.

The only features that proved it belonged in Benin were its countless windows—designed to reduce the weight on the soft ground—and the decorative openings intentionally built into the walls, a hallmark of the city’s architecture.

“I’m here for the servant interview. I was told that if I asked for Mr. Derek, I’d be allowed inside.”

“Ah, so you’re the person the head butler mentioned. I’ll open the gate. Please wait a moment.”

So he’s not just the deputy… he’s acting as the butler too?

For a brief moment, Lucrezia almost felt sorry for Derek, imagining how hard he must be worked under someone like Kallian, whose first impression had been less than favorable.

With a soft scrape, the townhouse gate slowly opened.

Relieved to discover that the gatekeeper was directing her through a side entrance instead of the intimidating main gate, Lucrezia stepped inside the mansion.