Chapter 10

Mrs. Yolana is the widow of the Haines family.

After her husband died of illness, she handed over the position of head of the household and the mansion to her son and his wife, and now lives a carefree life as a widow in the same eastern district.

One day, on her way back from a friend's tea party, she extended her steps to a embroidery shop in the southern district.

She handed the items she bought to her maid and carried only her bag. After taking a few steps, her bag was snatched. The young man ran away. When she shouted "Thief!" a tall man nearby chased after him vigorously. Mrs. Yolana, being a strong-willed lady, ignored her maid's attempts to stop her and ran after the tall, silver-haired man.

The young man was caught and tied up by the silver-haired man, and her bag was safely returned. However, when she got home, she realized she had not thanked him. In her agitation, she had only said a few words of gratitude and returned. The conscientious Mrs. Yolana, unable to forgive her own mistake, exclaimed, "What a blunder!" and went to the guard station the next day.

"I must thank him."

"The captain does not accept thanks, so I will convey your feelings."

"Then at least to the woman who helped him."

Mrs. Yolana found out where the woman was staying and went to the hotel, asking the receptionist to call her. A woman with a gentle smile appeared, leading a young girl. When Mrs. Yolana expressed her desire to thank her, the woman politely declined, saying, "Your feelings are enough."

"If that's the case, would you at least come to my house for tea and some sweets?" Mrs. Yolana, feeling a bit stubborn (perhaps out of pity for her own age and vulnerability), suggested. "If it's just for tea," the woman agreed with a smile.

A few days later, a woman named Victoria Sellers, who introduced herself as a commoner from Randall, arrived with a child. She was not intimidated by the noble family and had elegant manners when enjoying tea. Mrs. Yolana thought she might have come from a wealthy family.

"What are your plans? You won't be staying in a hotel forever, will you?"

Victoria replied, "I plan to settle in this country, so I will leave the hotel soon and rent a room. I have found a good job."

"Instead of renting a room, why don't you stay with me? I have a small detached house for guests. It has a kitchen and a bathroom, and it's not being used at all."

Before she knew it, she had made the offer. She enthusiastically encouraged the surprised Victoria. The woman who had helped catch the thief was also taking care of the country's abandoned children, and as a citizen of Ashbury, Mrs. Yolana wanted to show her gratitude for her actions.

After much hesitation, Victoria finally agreed, saying, "If you can provide a proper contract."

"I will make the contract myself, so I would like you to check the contents before signing," she said, thinking that the woman must be well-educated.

The next day.

"Oh! It's perfect. A flawless contract."

The lease agreement Victoria brought included provisions for the tenant to compensate for any damage to the furniture or the house, and the rent was set at the market rate. Despite the high rent in the eastern district where the nobles lived, she did not try to negotiate a lower price.

"I really like you."

"Thank you."

Mrs. Yolana corrected the amount to half and then signed the lease. It was a rare contract where the landlord offered a fifty percent discount.

In the end, Victoria turned out to be an excellent tenant. She did not cause any disturbances, and the girl, Nonna, was quiet and did not seem to dirty the house. She prepaid two months' rent "just in case." When Mrs. Yolana invited her for tea, she would join if she had time, but would politely decline if she was busy.

The other day, Victoria said, "I know it's impolite since you have a cook," and brought over some homemade food. It looked good and tasted delicious. The dish she shared was "stuffed chicken with vegetables."

The vegetables and herbs were beautifully arranged, wrapped in flattened chicken, and then grilled and simmered. She added white wine to the simmering, and the sliced dish was beautiful in cross-section. Despite being chicken, which can be dry, it was tender enough for an elderly person to easily bite into. The outside, glazed with honey, had a crispy texture.

"I've met a good person. By the way, is your workplace nearby?"

Victoria replied that she worked as an assistant and housemaid for a famous historian.

"You are quite a mystery. How much can you do?"

There was a reason for her admiration.

One windy day, Mrs. Yolana's sun hat, which she had been wearing on the second-floor balcony, was blown away and got caught in a ginkgo tree in the garden. The chin strap had tangled around a branch, and it didn't look like it would fall anytime soon.

"That hat was a memento from my late husband, but there's nothing I can do. I'll pray it doesn't rain before it falls naturally."

When Victoria heard this after returning from work, she changed into trousers and climbed the ginkgo tree with ease, retrieving the hat and throwing it down. The branch was higher than the roof of a two-story house.

Mrs. Yolana, too shocked to speak, watched as Victoria slid down the tree and said with a smile, "I was a tomboy."

A lady who could act like a noble, work as a historian's assistant, cook well, and climb trees. Mrs. Yolana was completely taken with Victoria.

Susan, the maid Mrs. Yolana had brought from her parents' house when she married, was also fond of Victoria and Nonna.

"How could a mother abandon such a cute child? Victoria has accumulated great virtue," she said, tearing up and getting angry. Then she added, "Madam, when Nonna gets attached to you, can she stay in my room at night? That way, Victoria can go out in the evening. She's still young and doesn't seem to socialize at all."

Nonna, a child with a blank expression, would show a slight softness when Susan talked to her or gave her a small treat.

"Are you feeling like you're taming a wild kitten?"

"Madam, a kitten? I just wanted to experience a mother's feelings because the child is so cute."

"We are grandmothers, after all."

"You are so unsentimental, Madam."

Susan scolded her.

Victoria, who was making something in the kitchen, said, "Tomorrow is Mr. Bernard's birthday party, for whom I work as an assistant, so I borrowed a large pot from the kitchen and am cooking diligently." The good smell had been wafting from the detached house all day.

"Use our carriage to transport the food."

When she said this, Victoria was very pleased.

"I had forgotten how to transport it and was considering calling a hired carriage," she said with a wry smile.

Mrs. Yolana fell in love with the clumsy and adorable Victoria.