Published: August 2, 2025
“I truly apologize for what happened the day after our important discussion.”
This morning began with Mr. Reinhardt’s apology.
Gathered here for breakfast were the same four people who had talked together last night, plus five girls—no, rather, young girls wearing sleeveless maid uniforms. They looked about middle school age and stood lined up against the wall, faces on the verge of tears.
At both ends stood head maids Mr. Alone and Ms. Lilian. Their stern expressions and the way they flanked the girls made them look like guards escorting convicts to the execution platform… creating an incredibly heavy atmosphere.
“Excuse me, but please allow me to confirm once more.”
First, how did this situation come about?
“These girls stole Lord Ryoma’s secret formula, or the method for making the product, and used it without permission.”
The girls trembled at these words, their faces turning even paler, with the one on the far right almost in tears.
“That secret formula you’re referring to is the sugar scrub made by mixing yeast and vegetable oil, right?”
“Exactly.”
The cause of this situation is the sugar scrub I mentioned yesterday.
Or rather, partially because I talked about it?
Apparently, last night during a break, these girls overheard from fellow servants the recipe for the sugar scrub. Since they could gather the ingredients easily, they actually made it and tried using it. At that point, for them, it was just a simple story.
The problem was that the sugar scrub was initially recognized as a newly developed “beauty secret formula.”
But as the information spread, it distorted like in a whisper game, becoming just a trivial tidbit that “mixing yeast and vegetable oil and applying it is good for the skin,” so they didn’t realize it was a secret formula.
These girls are laundry maids, responsible for washing all the clothes of the Duke’s household servants. Looking closely, their youthful hands, about the age of middle schoolers, were painfully rough with cracks and chapping.
...For girls their age, with hands in that condition, hearing such a tidbit and having the ingredients on hand...
Of course, they’d want to try it!
Psychologically, it makes perfect sense, but their actions caught the attention of senior servants, and the story escalated to “stealing the secret formula.”
In noble households, servants are bound by employment contracts containing a “duty of loyalty,” which prohibits leaking or unauthorized use of any knowledge gained through work in the mansion, including information about the master, the master’s family, or guests.
Since the sugar scrub is considered a secret formula and product brought in by me as a guest, even if they were unaware, they violated this rule. They are also investigating which servant shared the recipe with them.
“What they did has tarnished the name of the household they serve and disgraced their master’s reputation. Appropriate disciplinary action must be taken.”
Who would want to conduct important business or confidential discussions in a household where servants leak information?
Such behavior fractures the trust between guests and the master and shows a lack of professionalism as servants.
Whether I spoke about the sugar scrub carelessly or not doesn’t matter.
Ms. Alone, the head maid, seemed to imply as much between the lines.
No mention was made about what the “appropriate disciplinary action” was, but judging by the girls’ expressions and attitudes, it must be a severe punishment. Whether they lose their jobs as maids or face something worse is unclear, but...
This situation is unpleasant.
“Mr. Reinhardt, I understand. I was the one who spoke about the sugar scrub in front of the servants... but since arguing that point seems pointless, may I ask a question as one of the victims?”
“Of course.”
“Then, regarding this matter, may I make some requests?”
“As your employer, I must show sincerity. Depending on the content, I may not agree to all, but please do not hesitate to say them.”