Published: August 10, 2026
Night had broken.
My reunion with the housekeeper, Bibi, came in the morning, after the sun had already risen high.
She arrived for work while we were in the middle of a simple breakfast that the duke himself had cooked for us.
"I'm terribly sorry I'm late. Good morning... I'll prepare the breakfast now."
"I already made it, so it's not necessary. As you can see, we're already eating."
When the duke said that, Bibi paused for a moment, nodded, and gave a slight bow.
So that was her apology, then. No matter how you looked at it, she ought to have seemed at least a little more sorry.
This was not some "warm, family-like relationship." The duke of Dutchman was unmistakably being looked down on.
"Then I'll go make tea for after breakfast."
She said that in such a low voice it was almost impossible to hear, then quickly disappeared back into the kitchen.
She really was a maid with no spirit, no drive at all. Her attitude annoyed me, even though it wasn't my problem, and Marie looked at the duke with concern in my place.
"Um... is she always like that?"
"Well... no, she's rarely late... I suppose. She's always been rather unsociable, though."
The duke gave a wry smile as he tore off a piece of the bread he had made himself.
"I'm sure she thinks she's doing the work she's paid for. Anything beyond that... well. It seems she thinks her master is Yan."
"Why would that be? You're the one paying her salary, aren't you?"
"Yes, that is true, but... I'm afraid I'm rather poor at instructing people. Perhaps someone like Yan, who can firmly tell her what to do, is easier for her to obey. Hahaha, it can't be helped."
I frowned.
People often said the attendants at Granado Castle were a bit too familiar with their master, but this was on another level. Before we even got to the matter of master and servant, it was simply rude on a human level. The duke ought to reprimand her hard, or just fire her already.
I almost suggested as much, but stopped myself. The side profile of him nibbling his bread looked far older than my father, who was the same age as him.
At the same time, I remembered the rumor about him: that he "hated war."
This man no longer wanted to fight. Not with foreigners, not with his own people, not with anyone...
Bibi might have no friendliness whatsoever, but she wasn't attacking him, and she did the bare minimum of her job. That alone was enough for him now; he no longer asked for more. It was the way an old man had chosen to spend the end of his life. It wasn't my place to interfere.
I drank the tea served by the silent maid, and the duke's face deepened in wrinkles as he broke into a crumpled smile.
"Come to think of it, sir Cyrus, your granado trading company does trade with the Eastern Continent, yes? I seem to remember hearing that the origin of tea is in the East."
"...Yes. The maids and attendants brew all sorts of things on different days."
"Oh, how lovely, daily tea! Sir Cyrus, do you have any favorite tea leaves?"
"Well... sorry, but I leave that entirely to the attendants... to be honest, whatever I drink, I just think it tastes good."
At our harmless conversation, the duke narrowed his eyes with genuine delight.
"You are blessed with good attendants and a good family. Truly, I'm envious. Family is a wonderful thing."
"Yes, well... yes. I'm grateful to everyone at the castle."
Just then—
After finishing serving tea and sweets to everyone, Bibi bowed at the door.
"Then, Duke, I shall be stepping out for a short while."
"Hm? What's this? I don't recall giving you any task. If it's not urgent, then attend to our guests first—"
"It is urgent—I'm going to the market for supplies. My apologies, I'll be back at once."
Before she had even finished speaking, she turned on her heel. Before the duke could stop her, she darted out of the living room.
Just before the door closed, our eyes met. She was glaring at Marie and me—no, she looked frightened.
...No way.
A bad feeling crept over me. If I listened carefully, I could hear the quick patter of a woman's footsteps beyond the door. She wasn't rushing because she was busy—she was panicking, trying to get away from this place as quickly as possible.