Chapter 57

This is a story about the peaceful daily life of the Laguren family after the main plot has concluded.

Albes was nervous.

To put it in perspective, he was as tense as he would be while waiting for a ceremony to begin, dressed in formal attire as a knight. No, perhaps it was even as tense as the waiting period just before entering battle. His limbs weren't shaking, but if he let his guard down, his body would become too tense.

However, he was hiding this on the surface.

Albes stood in front of the mirror and checked his appearance multiple times as a precaution.

He wore his usual simple yet well-maintained clothes, with all the buttons neatly fastened. He adjusted his collar and pulled the cuffs to the right length.

The face in the mirror was somewhat stiff, but it gradually returned to a normal state as he took deep breaths.

His dark blonde hair, which usually looked bright in the sunlight, was neatly combed today.

There was no disorder anywhere. As a noble, he was modest but not lacking in dignity. It was his usual appearance.

"…Alright."

Albes muttered to himself, as if encouraging the person in the mirror, and headed to the kitchen.

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The Laguren family once had many servants.

There were so many that, compared to the size of their territory, they seemed excessive, as they managed multiple estates and entertained guests from the capital.

However, with the rapid decline, the number of servants also decreased. The renowned chefs, the attendants who took care of daily chores, and the staff who handled the back-end work all decreased.

When Albes's father was a viscount, there were still a few elderly servants who refused to seek employment elsewhere. Now, there are no live-in servants left.

That said, it's not as if there is no help at all.

Yurana, who was hired as a maid before the decline and still comes to help with housework, and her husband Rob, who handles heavy work and also serves as a coachman, are proud to still be the Laguren family's servants.

Additionally, there are former servants who come to help irregularly in the Laguren territory, and the villagers always care about the modest life of the Laguren family and often bring food.

Yurana, in particular, insisted on taking care of the housework, saying, "This is just my hobby."

Fortunately, they are not as impoverished as they once were.

After his sister Lucia's engagement was broken, Albes secretly worried about the future, but now that a new connection has been made, the situation is stable.

In that case, it's time to increase Yurana's salary, which has remained low since the decline.

Albes thinks this, but...

"I've told you many times, I'm just a part-time maid. I'm already receiving a sufficient salary."

Yurana smiled and declined.

However, this was within expectations. Having been refused many times, Albes was not about to give up immediately.

He cleared his throat and continued his persuasion calmly.

"Yurana, I'm a viscount. I don't want to be a miser who even hesitates to pay a single maid's salary."

"Sir Albes is certainly not a miser!"

"I'm glad to hear that. I save money, but I don't want to be called a miser. So, please let me increase your salary. You do more than just a part-time maid's work, and recently you've even been managing the knights who stay here..."

"The knights' presence has made my work easier."

"Really?"

"They help with cooking, cleaning, and even laundry. The amount of work I do has actually decreased."

Albes was momentarily speechless at Yurana's words.

Currently, the elite knights of the kingdom's army take turns staying at the Laguren estate.

These large men, who usually handle the most intense battles, handle everything from farming to cooking in this house, always with a smile, making one wonder what they find enjoyable.

In that sense, the physically demanding work might have decreased.

But... that's not the issue.

Albes regained his composure and continued his persuasion.

"True, the amount of work might have decreased. But managing the knights is a new responsibility. Besides, Yurana, you're more than just a maid. You also serve as a confidant for Lucia..."

"Recently, Tiana has been sharing that responsibility."

"Lucia's consultations have doubled, so it's just right to share the load. Plus, you always listen to my complaints..."

"Oh, being consulted by Sir Albes is a special privilege and a reward for me!"

Yurana smiled and then suddenly became serious.

She looked up at the tall Albes, puffed out her chest, and pointed at his chest.

"Sir Albes, let me be frank. My husband, my children, and of course, the villagers have all seen how hard you work and have been thinking about how they can help. Not for money, but purely to support you. Please don't take away my small joy of supporting you!"

Yurana's words were strong, and her eyes, which looked up at the momentarily flustered Albes, were equally strong.

Albes hesitated but ultimately had to give in on the salary issue. While they are stable, they are not wealthy, so it is helpful that Yurana is willing to accept a lower salary.

Most importantly, it feels good.

Albes remained silent for a while and then sighed.

"...Alright. I appreciate you and everyone else."

"Sir Albes' words mean more to us than anything else!"

Yurana smiled brightly.

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"...So, I just need to bring up Yurana's children!"

Lucia, who had come to the kitchen for water, was surprised when her brother, who had been silently thinking about something, suddenly spoke.

She had been worried about what kind of problem he was facing, given his serious expression...

"Is it about Yurana's salary?"

"Yes. I want to increase it, but Yurana won't agree at all. However, her children will soon start working officially for our family. When that happens, I'll have to pay them a salary, and if I use Yurana's current salary as a benchmark, it will be too low. So, I need to increase Yurana's salary, at least to be more than a new hire. ...Alright, this should work!"

"...Do you think so?"

Lucia tilted her head and murmured.

Albes didn't notice her skeptical reaction, or perhaps he pretended not to notice, and continued to pace around the room, organizing his thoughts.

"If I hire those children officially, what salary should I offer? Using that as a benchmark, I should increase Yurana's salary to at least one and a half times her current salary. Two times might be too much, but one and a half times is necessary to maintain balance. Even then, it's still too low..."

"Well, at least that much should be acceptable. But..."

Lucia hesitated.

She knew Yurana's character well, having been taken care of by her since childhood. She understood why Yurana wouldn't agree to a salary increase and why her brother wanted to raise it.

But Yurana is who she is.

It doesn't seem like she will easily agree, as Albes thinks.

"...But, maybe, who knows?"

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

"No, nothing. Just try to persuade Yurana well."

"Leave it to me! ...I can't say it with confidence, but I'll do my best."

Albes slapped his cheeks with both hands and took a deep breath.

He repeated deep breaths several times and then left the kitchen with determination.

"I hope it goes well..."

Lucia respected her brother Albes. He was practical, thoughtful, and considerate of others. He also had the strength to face any difficulty head-on.

"...But Yurana is a tough opponent."

She whispered softly and sighed.

The outside became a bit noisy. It seemed Albes had started negotiating with Yurana, who was cleaning the yard.

However, as expected, the tone of the voices that could be heard suggested that Albes was at a significant disadvantage.

"Brother, good luck...!"

She clenched her small fist in support and prepared to boil water.

If the negotiation succeeded, it would be a celebration. If it failed, she would make tea to comfort her exhausted brother.

Fortunately, there were plenty of pastries she had made the day before.

As she arranged them on a plate, the knights entered noisily.

They seemed to have come to prepare for the evening meal but were surprised by what they saw.

"Little sister, is this... preparation for Albes' disappointment party?"

"Huh? Well, it's..."

"I just passed by, and Yurana was like a fortress. Albes won't win against that. The strategy wasn't bad, but the opponent is too strong."

"Yeah, that woman is a tough opponent. I'd give up if I were in his shoes."

The knights nodded solemnly.

Even the fearless active knights of the kingdom's army admitted defeat before the battle. It seemed that Albes' victory was still far off.

"...But I'm sure Yurana will understand eventually."

"We want to support Albes too, but realistically, it will take a while. How do you even approach such a person?"

"Albes is trying various things..."

"There's no point in forcing something that can't be done. Alright, let's invite Albes for a drink tonight!"

The knights, who had started washing vegetables, smiled mischievously and seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Lucia smiled wryly and peeked outside.

As expected, Yurana was still in the lead. Albes' voice sounded weaker.

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(End of the Extra Chapter: Albes Negotiates)