Chapter 5

Rafina ultimately spent the rest of the time clumsily, and slept peacefully alone at night.

The next day, she was told, "You have no plans," and thus obtained a phantom two-day holiday.

She was also told, "Please take your time," regarding the days after that.

On the third night after her marriage, Rafina counted on her fingers in bed.

(The food is delicious. The warm bath comes with a massage. The bed is fluffy. There's no particular work or obligations. There's no Katrina, who uses my name without permission, so there won't be any strange rumors, and my parents who don't believe in me are not here. A warm climate away from the hustle and bustle of the city. No pressure or risk of pregnancy from a white marriage.)

This marriage was forced upon her instead of her crying sister.

It wasn't supposed to be a happy match, yet all she gained were benefits.

(...Huh? Is this happiness?)

The treatment was much better than she expected.

Verion, who was feared as a monster, turned out to be just a lizardman with four horns.

—A chill ran down her spine.

(S-scary...)

The sudden peaceful life.

For a former poor workaholic, it felt like an unfathomable terror.

(Too happy to be true! Is there... something behind this—Ah!?)

In her previous life, weekdays were for work, weekends for part-time jobs, and nights for side jobs.

There were times when getting four hours of sleep was a luxury.

Being told that she had nothing to do the next day and the day after was a problem directly related to her livelihood.

It felt like a silent suggestion to quit.

(Resignation... which means divorce!)

It was a very real possibility.

After all, this was a white marriage, and Rafina was the 'Poison Flower of the Capital.'

Even though they were newlyweds, they hadn't even eaten together yesterday or today.

Rather, she felt no other possibility.

(It's best to assume that we will eventually divorce.)

Still, she absolutely did not want to return to the Oren Marquis family.

She needed to prepare to live as a commoner after the divorce.

Fortunately, the current Rafina had the memories of her past life as a poor workaholic.

She had the determination to do anything if she set her mind to it.

(First, I need to learn more about this world.)

She had memories from when she was old enough to remember.

However, Rafina had always been a noble lady.

She knew about the noble society and the general education required for young ladies.

And only the minimum knowledge about estate management.

While not useless, these skills didn't seem particularly useful if she became a commoner.

Moreover, she didn't know much about the life of commoners.

She had never heard about literacy rates or school enrollment rates. She didn't know how common it was for women to work.

In short, Rafina was naive about the world.

(I'll start studying now, since I doubt I'll be divorced tomorrow.)

She decided to leave her room and gather information the next day.

Even if she couldn't do much now, the future Rafina could do anything.

She was young, healthy, and not sick or injured, except for the fatigue from the carriage ride.

And most importantly, she had no debt.

The lightness of being alone was something she had longed for in the past.

Thinking that freedom had come sooner than expected (or so it seemed), she felt invincible.

(I haven't given up on love either...)

Living and working as a commoner might be harder than falling in love.

With such thoughts, the love-naive Rafina fell asleep.

*

The next day, Rafina left her room and wandered around the castle.

Even if she would eventually divorce, she was now the wife of a border lord and the lady of Argald Castle.

She observed the servants working everywhere, but no one scolded her.

(But I started feeling guilty.)

Just the sight of the lady with her maid made the servants stop their work and bow.

She had wanted to start her social observation from nearby, but this was not helpful at all.

"Hmm."

"Is there something that concerns you?"

Istie, who was leading her, stopped.

"Can I go back to my room for a moment?"

"As you wish."

The servants probably felt like they were being inspected.

She didn't want to interfere with their work, so she thought about coming back later, but then an idea struck her.

"Actually, can I visit Istie's room instead of mine?"

"Yes. ...Yes?"

Istie's blue-gray eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow, you're Fiona? You're Istie's relative. It's impressive that you're working in this castle, even for a short term. We always need more hands, so it's a big help. Alma, Alma! Come here! You'll work with Alma on the laundry. If you have any questions, ask Alma. I'll leave it to you!"

The veteran maid, who had taken care of Rafina in a flurry, left with a pale Istie.

Left behind were the young maid called Alma and Fiona.

Fiona, of course, was Rafina's alias.

To gather information about commoners, she had put on a uniform and joined the servants with a simple plan.

She had changed her makeup and added freckles, so no one would recognize her as the border lord's wife.

"Let's go. I'll show you the laundry room first. All the tools you need for laundry are there."

"Yes, please."

Alma, who didn't seem to notice the newcomer's true identity, stood next to Rafina.

"Are you Fiona? You can call me Alma. Have you worked in any other mansions?"

"No, this is my first job."

She had never done cleaning, housekeeping, or cleaning services.

Of course, it was her first time as a maid.

"You don't need to use formal language. It's a hassle to be so formal when we're working together, right?"

"Okay, then. How long have you been working here, Alma?"

They left the castle through a servants' passage.

The laundry area and laundry room were outside the castle.

"Almost six months."

"Is that so? Have you worked anywhere else?"

After walking a bit, they saw a covered pond.

It was like an artificial pond without a fountain.

Several people were already squatting, moving their hands covered in bubbles.

Next to them were baskets piled high with laundry before and after washing.

"I used to work at a furniture store in town. The work isn't much different, but I earn more here."

From Alma's tone, it seemed that it wasn't unusual for women to work outside the home.

Perhaps she had made some progress.

"By the way, Fiona, you said you're here for a short term. Are you already thinking about your next job?"

"Something like that."

"You should stay here. We're short-handed, so I'm sure you'll be hired permanently soon."

"U-um, but..."

She couldn't stay for long.

After all, she was the lady of the house.

Alma nodded as if understanding Rafina's hesitation.

"I get it. It's scary, right?"

"Scary?"

"Oops, wrong? The lord..."

They passed the pond and entered a small shed, about the size of a small house.

It was a place to store laundry tools and laundry temporarily, and it was their destination.

Alma, confirming that no one was around, continued in a whisper.

"A few years ago, the lord took on that appearance. Many servants quit because they were scared."

"I see..."

She remembered the veteran maid's words: "It's impressive that you're working in this castle, even for a short term," and "We always need more hands."

It seemed that the employment had not caught up after the mass resignation.

"We're just low-level servants, so we never see the lord, which is good. But it's tough for the maids inside. Even though they know the lord, their bodies freeze up."

"Really, that scary?"

"It's not logical. That's why people who don't flinch when they see the lord are valued."

The promotion criteria were too unique.

However, if work was delayed, it would affect the lives of the citizens.

It must be very important.

"My family is poor, so I don't want to quit my job here. As a laundry maid, I don't have to meet the lord, so it's safe. Thinking about it that way, these calluses are part of the job, I guess."

Alma looked at her rough hands and smiled brightly.

*

A few days later.

Next to her, Alma stood, unable to prostrate herself.

In front of her was a lizardman who didn't seem to belong in the laundry area.

No. Her husband, Verion, stood with the steward.