MDIHC 20

Chapter 20 …

“I don’t understand what he’s thinking.”

Lorinus de Winchester was truly a difficult man. At our first meeting, he held a sword to my throat like he was about to kill me, yet surprisingly let me go easily. He readily accepted a marriage proposal from a woman he’d only met once, but after we were married, he treated me like a stranger. On our wedding night, he claimed he would remain chaste and quietly went to sleep.

Even now!

“Could it be… that he’s actually impotent?”

I had a very reasonable suspicion. I mean, how can a man and a woman sleep in the same room for days on end, and nothing happens? There should at least be some kind of reaction, right?

“No, wait. There’s Daniel—he’s undeniable proof. How could Lord Winchester be impotent?”

The flames of my doubt were extinguished the moment I recalled that very solid piece of evidence. Honestly, with that strong, muscular body of his, it didn’t make sense for him to be impotent. With those muscles, that grueling training schedule, and having reached the level of a Sword Master… maybe I should be wondering if he’s actually overflowing with testosterone.

“Then if he’s not the problem…”

My shoulders slumped on their own. If Lord Winchester wasn’t the issue, then the problem must be me.

“His ex-girlfriend was incredibly beautiful. Compared to someone ordinary like me, of course I wouldn’t catch his eye.”

Ack! I just wounded myself with my own thoughts.

“No, no! That’s a bad comparison! She’s the main character’s mom! Of course she’d be gorgeous! And I’m just an extra, so it’s natural that I’d be average-looking! Besides, my mom always told me I’m pretty when I dress up! That means that among extras, I’m on the prettier side. That should be enough!”

I tried really hard to boost my own confidence, but it didn’t help much.

“Ugh! Why is Mrs. Perede so late? If she came on time, I wouldn’t be sitting here thinking about all this nonsense!”

And so I finally started blaming someone else.

“My lady. May I come in?”

As if my anger had been the trigger to make things move, Mrs. Perede’s voice came from outside—as though she’d been waiting for me to get upset.

Alright. Let’s forget about Lord Winchester for now and focus on what I have to do!

“Gather all the servants.”

I said it even before Mrs. Perede stepped into the room.

“All… of them, my lady?”

As always, Mrs. Perede furrowed her brow slightly at my words. It wasn’t surprising anymore.

“Yes. Every single one. No exceptions.”

I repeated myself exactly, but this time with more emphasis, just to be clear that I didn’t want a single person left out.

“They’re not all here.”

I walked into the hall where the gathered servants were waiting, supposedly all of them. But when I counted, five were missing.

“Some of them have the day off, I believe.”

Mrs. Perede said these were all who were supposed to be present. But I didn’t call everyone just to do a headcount for fun.

“The duty roster shows that five people were scheduled to have the day off today. But ten are missing.”

“Some might be taking sick leave unexpectedly.”

“Is that so? Then who called in sick today?”

“Demi, Lin, Otto, and Patty. And Kiran worked late last night, so I told him he could come in late today.”

Mrs. Perede didn’t hesitate at all. Like a capable housekeeper, she spoke as if she knew everything about the staff.

“Four people called in sick? That sounds more like a pandemic sweeping the capital.”

“They say the flu’s going around lately.”

The weather’s warm—how could the flu be going around now?

“Alright. I’ll speak to them later then.”

I decided to deal with the absentees later and turned my gaze toward the gathered servants. The Camellia Estate was large and a bit old, so naturally it required many staff members. Honestly, too many.

“From now on, May will serve exclusively as Daniel’s personal maid. Since it’s a dedicated role, her salary will be increased.”

I looked at the maid I’d had my eye on previously. Daniel was already six years old and would be busy with studies soon, so I figured a dedicated maid would be enough, without a nanny.

“Th-thank you, my lady.”

May seemed surprised at the sudden promotion but bowed deeply in gratitude.

“…”

I silently looked at the lined-up staff. Some looked nervous, some stared at me curiously. Others wore indifferent or even defiant expressions.

“You.”

My finger pointed at one of them.

“You, you, you. And you, and you.”

One after another, I pointed at several people. The gesture was arrogant and rude enough to offend anyone being singled out.

“You and you as well.”

After pointing to two more, I finally lowered my hand. I took a moment to look each of them in the eye.

“Everyone I just pointed at—you’re fired.”

All the various expressions among the servants instantly unified into one: shock.

“M-my lady?”

“What do you mean, suddenly?”

“This can’t be right… Mrs. Perede, did you approve of this?”

Those who had just been fired, naturally, reacted in disbelief. Some stepped forward in protest. Others snorted in disdain, or turned to Mrs. Perede as if hoping she could talk some sense into me.

I didn’t budge an inch.

“My lady, this is unreasonable.”

Mrs. Perede, who had gathered them, stepped forward to speak on their behalf.

“There are no grounds to suddenly dismiss these staff members who’ve worked hard for the estate. And not just one or two, but many. Without them, the estate won’t run smoothly. Please reconsider.”

She spoke like a strict teacher scolding a misguided student.

“Nope.”

And I replied like a defiant troublemaker. I even wanted to pick my ears for emphasis but decided against it—wouldn’t befit a countess’s dignity.

“My lady.”

Even that much seemed to infuriate Mrs. Perede. Her voice grew more firm.

“You cannot dismiss innocent staff like this.”

“Innocent? Who said they were innocent?”

I asked back, fully implying that her ignorance of their faults was itself a serious problem.

“Servants working in Camellia Estate, under the Winchester family, ignored the young master of the household—Daniel. That’s clearly neglect of duty and valid grounds for dismissal.”

I turned to the ones I had fired.

“They kicked the young lady out of her room under the pretense of cleaning.”

One maid glared at me while biting her lower lip. Even after learning I was nobility, she hadn’t dropped her haughty attitude. Arrogant brat.

“They neglected to serve a proper meal to the young lady.”

Another maid bit her lip and looked flustered, eventually lowering her head. At least she seemed to realize her mistake.

“They wouldn’t let me change clothes, saying it would add to the laundry.”

The last maid looked like she was about to cry. Maybe she already was—losing a job suddenly can do that.

“Why should I keep people in the estate who can’t even do their jobs properly?”

I looked Mrs. Perede squarely in the eye—as if to say, you’re the one responsible.

“I understand what you’re saying, my lady. I’m sure this has been a good lesson for them. I’ll make sure they treat Lady Daniel better from now on. So please, let’s stop here.”

Mrs. Perede tried to calm the situation.

“Nope.”

But I was still the defiant brat, and I had no intention of stopping the dance I’d started.

“This isn’t a one-time mistake. It’s a deeply ingrained attitude that won’t change with a warning. The fact that they’ve been like this for years only makes me less inclined to forgive.”

I made it clear again—I had no intention of forgiving them or listening to her.

“My lady!”

When it became obvious I wouldn’t listen, Mrs. Perede raised her voice. The fox who had ruled the Camellia Estate in the master’s absence seemed deeply humiliated to be overruled in front of the very staff she’d once commanded.

She bit her lips shut and glared at me in silent protest. I met her gaze with indifference.

“I’ll resign.”

At last, the words fell from Mrs. Perede’s mouth.