Chapter 20

Ragnath swiftly moved the documents to the side, one after another, at a speed that made me wonder if I was even necessary.

In fact, I had genuinely thought so when I was a child.

Back then, Ragnath handled everything on his own, and I was just a child who still wanted to play. Despite that, the amount of study I was ordered to do was enormous, and I had to consider the affairs of the territory as well, which made me cry in earnest. However, Ragnath did not allow it and taught me that it was my duty to protect this place.

I think he was a butler who served the Verdigo family from the bottom of his heart. Even if it seemed like he could take over, he chose to protect the next generation. He was fundamentally different from Lockdel.

Even Ragnath, however, had given up on that family. An excellent butler chooses his own master and has the right to do so.

I am somewhat concerned about the current state of the Verdigo family, but it is no longer my concern, so I return to wrestling with the documents.

"By the way, who currently holds the authority over personnel?"

While sorting through the documents, Ragnath asked the master.

"Technically, it's Lady Miriam, but in practice, it's Lockdel. Is there something you need?"

"Considering that firing a large number of servants, including the maids and footmen who are under his control, might disrupt the operations... Do you have any connections for hiring new staff?"

"We make donations to several training schools. It's possible to get priority introductions from there, but..."

"Given the timing, it would be difficult, and hiring a large number at once might raise suspicions. Rumors can sometimes be useful—there's an idea I have."

Saying this, Ragnath smiled at me.

"In the past, there have been many cases where a new mistress dislikes the old servants and fires them. So, let's use that. By coincidence, there is a grand event planned to showcase the new mistress. Let's make a grand entrance there."

No way.

Why is my workload increasing?

Master, didn't you say I didn't have to do anything? I was fine with the current situation. If you hadn't done anything, we could have continued living peacefully, right?

"To achieve this, as a mistress, we should start by making a visual impact."

"Coincidentally, I was thinking the same thing. I'm currently making arrangements."

"Of course, Master. Your quick action is a great help."

The two of them understand each other. I have a bad feeling about this. I might cry.

"By the way, my lady—"

"Ragnath, please stop calling me 'my lady.' I prefer to be called Reisha as usual."

My back itches when you call me that. Calling a master by their name can be a problem in formal settings, but in private, it's not considered particularly important. In fact, important figures are often from the branch families or relatives, so calling each other by name is quite common.

I was called Reisha from when I was a child, and I have no sense of being a mistress, so being called 'my lady' always feels strange.

"Then, with your permission, I will call you Reisha. Speaking of which, do you currently have a personal maid?"

"Technically, yes, but they're just assistants."

"I see. We need to start by organizing that."

This secondary residence has maids, but they are not exclusively assigned. There are only a few of them, so the care I receive varies from day to day. I often think this is the normal treatment. Still, chatting with the maids in the laundry room is quite enjoyable.

By the way, I wonder if they are doing well. I haven't returned to the main house since the master brought me here, so I might be worrying them. Or maybe they are enjoying themselves. After all, my hair color is unique among the maids, so Elise must be searching for me frantically, and the three of them would have recognized me immediately.

"Does the master have any candidates in mind? Preferably someone with experience."

"I do have a candidate. Not everyone in the main house is an enemy."

That's true. If they were all enemies, I might have fired them all. The senior staff are strict, but the junior staff are all good people.

"We could call them here, but what do you think?"

"Please do. I would like to meet them."

I inwardly screamed. Ragnath, with his gentle smile, is fundamentally the opposite. He likes capable people, but more importantly, he values how faithfully they serve their master. He has a talent for discerning this, and many people have been weeded out because of it. After working as the head butler for many years, his evaluations are quite strict, but in recent years, he has had little say in personnel matters due to the influence of my father and stepmother. He might not have had any say at all.

"If you didn't have any candidates, I could have searched for them, but it seems you have it covered."

"Hmm? Were you testing me?"

"It's not that, Master. Even someone like me has heard of the young head of the Lindbergh family. Serving such an excellent master is the highest honor."

Ragnath deftly sidestepped the master's words. I can't tell how serious he is, but he seems to approve of the master.

"However, since we might have to fire a large number of people, it would be helpful if you could look into it a bit. I can't manage everything, and it's a fact that experienced staff are better, even if we accept students from the training schools."

"Understood. I will make some inquiries. By the way, are the current employment conditions acceptable?"

"Yes, that's fine. If any issues arise, we can adjust."

"Understood."

Hmm, are these people really human? They talk while processing documents at high speed.

Glancing over, I saw Secretary Diego staring at Ragnath with his mouth agape. Yeah, I get it. They are strange people, and you want to know what's going on in their heads.

"Reisha."

"Yes!"

"Your hands have stopped. And so has the secretary's."

At his sharp observation, both of us immediately returned to our documents. We must not let the terrifying something hidden behind the smile be unleashed. I know how terrifying it is. Defying him is not an option, and I'm sure Diego understands that too.

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