Betrothed to My Sister's Ex

After that... Marquis Dario left Nanny Ella behind and returned to the embassy in the royal capital. Left all alone in an unfamiliar place, Ella was so intimidated it was almost pitiful.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me, I’m causing trouble," she repeated over and over, yet she worked hard for the sake of Granado Castle.

Apparently, as part of her training, she was moving from place to place. Among them, she seemed particularly valued by the laundry maids. Worried about her, I occasionally visited the laundry area. Since I was taking care of Lisa and only had brief moments, I couldn’t visit multiple times a day, but each time I did, Ella was surrounded by maids.

“Wow, just like Ella said, the dirt really came off!”

A young maid exclaimed excitedly.

“Also, the dye didn’t fade at all. It’s amazing!”

“There are different kinds of stains. If you choose the detergent accordingly, they come off more efficiently,” Ella said with a smile.

I was glad... it seemed she was doing well.

I heaved a sigh of relief. Although Ella had reluctantly started working at Granado Castle at the marquis's behest, she was far more motivated and studious than I had thought. Her reputation inside the castle was excellent, not just among the laundry maids. Toppo, the head chef, also smiled warmly at her as she ran around serving.

“She’s quite skilled at fieldwork too. She’s so efficient that she can deliver freshly picked vegetables straight to the kitchen,” Johan praised.

Ella didn’t have any special abilities, but she was a hard worker, persistent, and willingly took on tasks others disliked—a true all-rounder.

“A good person has joined. Is she really only here temporarily? I hope she decides to stay for good,” was everyone’s comment after Ella had been at Granado Castle for a week.

Watching this from my room window...

“She seems to have settled in quicker than I expected. That’s good,” I said as I fed Lisa some barley porridge.

“Yeah! I like Ella too!” answered not the usual maid Mio, but the eight-year-old maid apprentice, Ceri. Mio was still away at Lord Cyrus’s side, so when she was absent, my conversation partners were Ceri and her grandfather, the butler Wolfgang.

Alongside Mio, Wolfgang was one of the key figures at Granado Castle. More involved in management and supporting Lord Cyrus's work, he also monitored the attendants closely. As usual, with a gentle smile and narrowed eyes, Wolfgang brewed some herbal tea for me. Quietly, he murmured,

“That woman... it seems true she has spent a long time devoted to housework. Her feet have the build of someone who has crawled on floors for mopping and mending since youth.”

“You can tell a person’s upbringing by their feet?”

“Of course. This Wolfgang is a former soldier. I studied human anatomy. Heh heh.”

Wolfgang laughed lightly as he offered me the teacup. W-Was that really okay...? Somehow it felt like he just said something cruel with a smile, but I’d rather think it was my imagination.

While arranging some biscuits, Wolfgang continued.

“Without dissection, her abilities can be seen from others’ reactions. However, whether she is trustworthy as a human being is something even examining her insides wouldn’t reveal.”

His words sounded somewhat loaded. I frowned.

“...What’s wrong, Wolf? Is there something suspicious about her...?”

“No, madam. What I’m suspicious of is her master.”

“...Master...? You mean Marquis Dario? Or Lady Sophia? They both don’t have the best relationship with Lord Cyrus, but they aren’t exactly enemies either, right?”

“No, madam, don’t worry. A butler’s job is to be cautious about everything and to doubt any new factor.”

He said only that and handed me the arranged biscuits. Was that an evasion?

But indeed, Wolfgang was right. I had a good grasp on Ella’s work, but I still didn’t know much about her as a person.

I opened the window and called out loudly to Ella, who was cleaning the garden below.

“Ella! After you finish that task, have you been given any other work?”