Chapter 9: She Takes Her Work Seriously

He might break his promise to me later, saying he’ll pay off my ‘small request’ with money. Like those exploitative employers who don’t pay part-timers even if there’s a written contract. After all, he’s a great noble, and I’m just a low-ranking one.

Right now, I can’t even send a carrier pigeon to the mercenaries. It’ll take at least two days for them to reach Pins, and even if I send a message, it’ll take at least four days for them to come and pick me up.

While I’m here, I’ll make sure to leave a lasting impression on Duke Xavier. Plus, I’ll make sure to burden him with a ton of guilt. Also, seeing the situation here, I feel like I want to help.

“What? What do you mean, sincerity? Are you really planning to marry the Duke?”

“Maya, really. Do you think I’m some lunatic obsessed with marrying the Duke?”

Sigh. Even my maid is like this. The road ahead is long.

“I- I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I don’t want to stay here either. I’ll send a carrier pigeon in two days and stay only until the mercenaries arrive. For now, let’s rest in the tent and then come out to help.”

At my words, Maya’s face brightened as she asked again.

“Really?”

“So don’t cry, Maya.”

“…Yes.”

Flash.

Suddenly, a flash of light flickered behind the tent. When I turned my head sharply, a silhouette briefly appeared between the swaying tents before disappearing.

‘Huh? Did I just see something red for a moment… or not?’

Tilting my head in confusion, I led a dejected Maya toward the tent assigned to us.

＊

Inside the tent, I lay on a makeshift bed and rested for about 30 minutes. Thanks to that, the stiffness in my muscles from two days of traveling in the carriage eased a bit.

As I stretched my arms and stepped outside the tent, I saw a man in a chef’s uniform standing next to Maya, who was holding a water bottle. Maya noticed me and smiled as usual.

“Oh, Miss! You’re awake?”

“Yeah.”

She was crying so much earlier, but now she’s smiling. That’s better.

“Miss, the volunteers we brought with us quickly built a lot of tents. So many of them! Everyone’s really happy. They’re also thrilled that there’s plenty of water.”

Of course, they should be. I spent so much money on this.

“But what are you doing with the water bottle?”

“It’s for dinner. The Duke sent a personal chef for you, Miss.”

“What?”

“Miss, we meet again. I’m Pierre Garma. We met during the interview.”

The man next to Maya, who greeted me, was a chef I had hired through the trading company.

What is with this Duke? Does he think I came here to play? Why is he using valuable personnel for personal matters? He should focus on feeding his soldiers properly.

“Alright, Pierre. Let’s go together.”

“Huh? Oh, yes.”

I led the chef, whose name I remembered because it was amusing, to the open tent being used as a kitchen.

Inside, the volunteers and chefs I brought were working alongside the existing chefs to prepare meals. The previously filthy environment had already been cleaned up.

Hmm, good. Money really does work wonders.

“Pierre, go help them.”

“But the Duke instructed me to attend to you, Miss…”

“I didn’t come here to be pampered.”

Even so, Pierre hesitated. The Duke’s orders must be intimidating.

“Pierre. Who do you think is paying your life allowance, base salary, and 200% of your base salary?”

“Oh.”

“I’ll be watching. You know you have to complete your mission for the month, right?”

“…Understood.”

After a brief silence, Pierre seemed to have a revelation. He left with a quick, “I’ll do as you say, Miss,” and ran into the kitchen so fast his feet were a blur.

“Maya, let’s go too.”

“Yes, Miss.”

The kitchen was in chaos, preparing food for hundreds of people. Large pots were lined up over the fire pits, and people were busy chopping ingredients and cooking.

I found a spot, crouched down, and began peeling the mountain of potatoes with a small knife. Maya, who looked uneasy, eventually sat beside me and started peeling potatoes as well.

“Miss…”

“Are you wondering when I learned to do this?”

“Yes. I’m surprised.”

This is awkward.

To Maya, who had known Yuria since childhood, it must have seemed strange to see me handling a knife so well.

And no wonder—before becoming my maid, Maya had worked as a kitchen helper, yet here I was peeling potatoes better than her.

“It’s… a hidden hob…by?”

“A hobby? Peeling potatoes?”

Just then—

“Wow, look at that kid peel those potatoes like a pro.”

“Right? She’s even better than me, and I’ve been working in kitchens for over five years.”

People working in the kitchen began gathering around me, sneaking glances. Judging by their appearance, they weren’t the volunteers I had brought.

Hmph, this is nothing. I worked part-time at restaurants for years back in Korea. All that suffering is finally paying off. Hail to the jack-of-all-trades!

“Excuse me! Who are you calling a kid? That’s my lady you’re talking about!”

Maya, who was glaring, got angry even though I didn’t react. She even threw the spoon she was holding onto the ground.

“Oh, could it be…”

“Yes, this is Yuria Graham, a baron’s daughter.”

Ugh, she didn’t have to say that.

“Oh, the little villainess.”

“The immature baron’s daughter?”

“She followed the Duke all the way here?”

The people clicked their tongues and returned to their places.

What a terrible reputation. Even when I do good deeds, this is how it turns out.

But I wasn’t here to be praised, so I quickly brushed it off. After all, I only needed to impress the Duke. Honestly, I didn’t care what these people thought of me.

“What’s wrong with those people!”

My maid, the more you act like this, the more ridiculous your master looks.

Even though I tried to tug at her skirt to calm her down, she didn’t get it, so I had to say something.

“Maya, just peel the potatoes.”

“…Yes, Miss.”

Maya, looking deflated, quietly sat down and picked up the spoon again.

After finishing the potatoes, we moved on to peeling onions.

Maya started crying as she peeled the onions. If they soaked them in water, they wouldn’t sting as much and would peel more easily, but I guess no one here knows that. Well, considering they didn’t even have enough drinking water before I arrived, it’s not surprising.

‘But what’s the Duke doing, still holed up in his tent? Isn’t he hungry? I need to show him that I’m working hard, but he’s not even coming out.’

As I worked, wiping away tears and sniffles, I glanced around.

Seriously, where is he and why isn’t he showing up?

I looked at the mountain of potatoes and onions in the basket and smacked my lips.

＊

At that moment, inside the Duke’s private tent, Xavier had been staring at the spot where Yuria Graham had been sitting for the past 30 minutes, his hands clasped under his chin.

“It’s like a storm passed through.”

It was true that he desperately needed supplies, but he hadn’t expected to agree to the contract so easily. Yet, he had fallen into Yuria Graham’s pace. That’s how urgent the supplies were.

Even though she claimed not to like him, her occasional glances at his face were undeniably flustering.

‘Your Grace, are you in pain anywhere?’

To top it off, she even expressed concern for his health. Such affectionate concern was something he couldn’t stand.

Xavier finally tore his gaze away from the spot where Yuria had been sitting and reached for the bottom drawer of his desk, infusing it with his black aura. The drawer, equipped with a mechanism that only responded to specific magic or aura, opened automatically at his energy.

With a metallic click, the drawer revealed dozens of small glass bottles trembling slightly.

“Only two left.”

There were only two bottles containing the highest-grade holy power, which he had received from his close friend, Priest Melvin.

Yesterday, during the process of driving beastmen across the river, a regular soldier had accidentally crossed into the boundary of Moirai’s ‘Forbidden Land.’

The Forbidden Land.

A desolate area in Moirai, said to bear the wrath of the Goddess Maha. Anyone who enters is cursed, and without promptly consuming holy power, they become dependent on it for survival.

Xavier had immediately given the soldier two bottles of holy power to suppress the curse in its early stages. He should have gone himself, as someone already cursed, but it was his mistake.

Two bottles should be enough to last until Priest Melvin arrived.

Holy power had to be consumed daily, as its effect in suppressing the curse only lasted 24 hours.

Xavier’s gaze naturally fell on the cat fishing rod tucked into a corner.

That Rexton… He clearly told him not to leave it there, but he never listens.

‘Do you have a cat?’

When she had asked that, it had been nerve-wracking.

“Your Grace, I’ve brought the report.”

A familiar voice pulled him out of his endless thoughts. Regaining his composure, Xavier responded as usual.

“Come in.”  

Rexton entered the tent and saluted Xavier with perfect posture.  

He swiftly handed over the report and began reciting its contents without missing a beat.  

“An additional 100 tents have been constructed for each battalion, and the shortage of tents and medics for the field hospital has been resolved. Additionally, the issues with food supplies, volunteers, and water have also been addressed.”  

As Xavier carefully reviewed the report, his eyes gleamed. Solving the water issue? Not just drinking water? He could hardly believe the words he was reading.  

“Did they bring a water spiritist?”  

“Yes, Your Grace. I was surprised as well.”  

“I see. Graham did something very Graham-like.”  

The muddy waters of the Hume River, which separated the allied forces and the enemy, were unusable for drinking or even basic washing. Yet, bringing in water spiritists had solved the problem in one go.  

“Three of those expensive water spiritists, no less.”  

“Yes. You can even take a shower now.”  

Rexton’s expression twisted in confusion. Xavier, noticing this, tossed the report onto the desk and leaned back in his chair.  

“What’s wrong? Are you surprised that the so-called little villainess, acting as the Graham Trading Company’s representative, turned out to be more helpful than expected?”  

“…A little, yes.”  

“Think of it positively. It’s only for a month.”  

“But, Your Grace, she might use the contract as leverage to demand marriage.”  

A faint wrinkle appeared on Xavier’s sharp nose.  

“Rexton, since when did you develop the habit of eavesdropping on your superior’s conversations?”  

“I-I’ll correct myself!”  

Rexton stiffened with tension.  

“Even if that were the case, it wouldn’t matter. Do you think I would actually marry that Graham?”  

“N-No, Your Grace.”  

“By the way, get rid of that fishing rod.”  

“But, Your Grace, in case you need it…”  

“Throw it away.”  

The firmness in his voice made Rexton’s neck stiffen even more, but he couldn’t disobey.  

“If I throw it away, the sofa might get shredded instead. Then we’d have to bring in another new sofa.”  

“…….”  

“Please reconsider.”  

It wasn’t as though he didn’t remember. Come to think of it, there was a memory of something being enthusiastically shredded with great joy…  

He shook his head vigorously.  

“Fine, just hide it somewhere you know.”  

“Yes, Your Grace!”  

Only four people knew his secret.  

Rexton, who had been with him since childhood, General Jude, Butler Albert, and Priest Melvin.  

‘Especially Yuria Graham—she must never find out.’  

He didn’t know why, but he was certain of it.  

“When will Melvin arrive?”  

“The day after tomorrow, Your Grace.”  

“Alright, I see.”  

Thinking that two bottles of holy power would suffice, Xavier prepared to leave with Rexton for the dining area.  

At that moment, a shadow flickered outside the tent.  

“Your Grace, it’s Jude. It’s about Lady Graham…”