Chapter 19

"It's been a long time, Miss Leisha—no, Madam."

"It's been a while, Ragnar. I'm sorry I can't let you enjoy your retirement."

"No, this is also a pleasure of retirement."

Ragnar smiled warmly, but one shouldn't be deceived by it. Ragnar, the super-spartan old man, is both gentle and strict.

"Sir, this is Ragnar, the former head butler of the Verdigo family. You know his face, right?"

"I remember meeting him at the Verdigo estate."

"That's right. It's an honor that you remember me, Sir. I am Ragnar. I worked as the head butler for the Verdigo family, but since Madam got married, I resigned from my position due to my age and handed over my duties to a successor."

As he says, Ragnar is indeed quite old, having served since the time of my grandfather and now being seventy years old. At his age, anything could happen. However, he is so vigorous and youthful that it's hard to tell, and he is impeccable. He is also the person who raised me, so I can't help but respect him.

When I left home to get married, he said he would resign, considering his duties complete. However, in this situation, the only person who could stand up to Lockdel is Ragnar, so I introduced him to my husband.

I feel bad that I can't let him enjoy his retirement in the territory, Ragnar.

I apologize silently in my heart.

If my husband likes him, he will be hired. I thought he might be reluctant to hire a butler from the Verdigo family, but after observing something, my husband nodded and took out an employment contract.

"If these terms are acceptable, I would like to hire you. An experienced person is never a hindrance, no matter how many there are."

"I will read it."

Ragnar quickly scanned the contents. By the way, I was asked for my opinion on the employment terms, but I didn't fully understand them.

Ragnar nodded and swiftly signed his name. Then, he bowed deeply, like a knight swearing allegiance.

"From this moment on, I will dedicate my life to the prosperity and protection of the Lindveld family."

My husband smiled, seemingly satisfied, but there was a hint of irony.

"Go ahead. If I use you for my purposes, I expect you to work for them."

"Understood."

What, what is going on between the two of them...

I tilted my head, confused by their conversation.

"Then, I will start my work immediately. First, we need to deal with this."

Ragnar looked around the room, and my husband sighed. By the way, the secretary, Diego, who had already collapsed, was face down on the desk.

"I'm sorry to start like this..."

My husband looked a bit embarrassed, but Ragnar remained calm.

"No, I have heard a bit about the situation. In the butler community, most things reach my ears. The world is smaller than you think. —Madam, it seems you are the only one with free time. Please help me with this."

"Uh... well, I have other work to do..."

Actually, it has been a week since then. I read through the materials I was told to grasp in two days with tears in my eyes, and just when I thought that was it, more work piled up, and my carefree life of three meals and naps crumbled.

By the way, we are currently in my husband's work villa. Well, with all those demons and goblins around, it's impossible to work there. I understand. It's nice to have a quiet place to focus.

This place is also perfect for discussing plots. Only those my husband trusts can enter here, so nothing said here will leak out.

"Can't you read the materials in a day?"

"Ragnar, my husband and I have a minimum living agreement—..."

I was almost in tears looking at the stack of papers. Will this even be done by midnight...? But I am determined to ensure I get enough sleep. With that resolve, I told Ragnar, and he smiled.

"Madam, having a place to shelter from the rain and wind is already more than the minimum. That means you have to do the work that comes with it."

Ragnar turned out to be even more ruthless than my husband. I knew it...

And, husband, this is all your job! Stop smiling and work your ass off!

"You're a great help. Because my father did nothing, the consequences are catching up now. We both have to suffer because of our fathers."

I want more capable people. I've always thought that having just one secretary is definitely overworking them.

"Well, I'll take this seat. One more thing, are there any documents or contents here that you don't want known?"

"There are none here. Important documents for me and the Lindveld family are sent to me. To prevent arbitrary decisions, the seal that the head butler should hold is in my possession."

Taking away the seal that the head butler should hold is a clear sign of distrust. Lockdel knows he isn't favored by my husband. However, he seems confident that he won't be replaced easily. He thinks my husband will eventually give up and make him compliant.

"I'll give you the seal once I see your work."

"I will do my best for that."

Honestly, hiring someone like Ragnar is quite rare. Once you become a head butler, you can't trust outsiders, as is the case with most families. It's a position that requires deep knowledge of the family's affairs, and you can't hire just anyone. Generally, they are chosen from the cadet branches.

Ragnar is from a cadet branch of the Verdigo family. Technically, it's a bit different, but it's similar. Therefore, hiring Ragnar, who was from another family, was a bit of a gamble.

However, from my husband's perspective, Ragnar is much better than Lockdel. Plus, Ragnar is old. After getting rid of Lockdel, my husband might plan to have Ragnar train a successor, someone from the cadet branches. Ragnar loves training people, so he won't mind. However, whether that person will last until the end is a mystery.

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