Chapter 26: CH 26

The butler seemed to be worried.

“If you don’t like it, I’ll send you to Cesare. Then you can talk to Cesare.”

The butler quickly noticed what I was talking about. Actually, it was an open question. Will you cut off your finger, or will you clean the window?

So, for the average person, there is only one option, cleaning the windows.

If a person who has been obstinately serving as a butler is trying to do something like that, it will hurt his pride, but there is nothing else he can do about it.

And what would you do to someone who couldn’t afford it? However, if he had to go out and work to pay us back, he could have run away.

It was as inefficient as cutting off his finger.

“… I will clean the windows.”

“Okay, butler. You chose well. It’s better if your fingers are still intact, right? You’re no longer the butler of the duke.”

The butler lowered his head. I’m glad it was resolved without making a big noise.

Among those who do this, there are often people who curse or get angry as if it was not their fault, but the butler seemed not to be that type of person.

I told the head maid to bring the servants. Even then, the butler was on his knees.

“From now on, Albert will clean the windows. If you take him and monitor him, another order will be issued, so take him with you.”

“Yes, Duchess.”

The servants took the butler away instead of expressing their doubts with puzzled faces.

So, is this resolved?

As I was organizing my documents by tapping, I felt a burdensome gaze from the side. When I turned my head slightly, the maids were looking at me with envy.

“Why…?”

“You are so cool! You are really so, so cool! How can you do this all at once?”

“… Anyone can do it?”

I cleared my neck. Of course, she didn’t hate the compliments. It’s just disgusting because it’s like putting a spoon on someone else’s work.

“It is not. Usually, when this happens, most of the fingers are cut off and they will die while wandering outside. But the Duchess wasn’t like that. You are really merciful. I wouldn’t have thought of this way if it was me, right?”

“Really?”

“Yes! And this will make him repent even more.”

“… Why do you think so?”

“The butler… No, Albert has a phobia of heights!”

I didn’t know, I really didn’t know. Did I do that to someone with a phobia of heights? Oh my gosh, I’m Daphne…. How can you be this cruel?

“Hey, is that okay?”

“He has sinned, so there is nothing he can do about it. Still, his limbs are fine.”

“Right. A chance to repent of sins while cleaning the windows? Once you’ve done it once or twice, he will never think about it! I think he will stop gambling.”

The maids laughed softly.

Is this really okay..?

Somehow, it seemed like the cruelest punishment in the world.

I remembered the butler who was trembling earlier. However, the choice is yours…

I shook my head and cleared my thoughts.

*****

Daphne has been busy today. Not only did she take care of Albert’s job at once, she also made an announcement for the appointment of a new butler. It was scheduled to be published in the local daily newspaper from tomorrow.

Cesare was being informed of everything Daphne was doing. It was because Cesare had not yet completely dispelled the suspicion that Daphne could escape at any time.

Cesare turned to Joseph.

“Didn’t you say that Daphne seems to have resistance because you made her work a lot?”

“Haah….”

“There are times when you’re wrong, too, after pretending to be so proud.”

Cesare smiled and got up from his seat. Today’s work ends with this.

“Where are you going?”

“I have to eat dinner with Daphne. She said she would like to eat together.”

Cesare rubbed the back of his neck. I was told whether it makes sense to spend all day in one mansion and not be able to see her face.

It wasn’t something Joseph said to Cesare, but he overheard the conversation between the maids.

So, he asked her to have dinner together.

“Where do you eat? Which restaurant did you make a reservation for?”

Joseph asked a question with a bit of excitement on his face. Cesare tilted his head with a puzzled look.

“The duke’s chef is also excellent, do we really need to eat outside?”

“… Haah.”

Joseph sighed.

He’s such a loser in love

“But that’s not it! Isn’t it kind of like a date request? Dating at home like a long-time lover… It’s not so romantic!”

“Well, then what should I have to do?”

“Go out into the streets! Do you know how many restaurants have a good atmosphere? If you had made a reservation for just one of them!”

Joseph’s voice rose. He can handle everything, but I don’t know if he is just immature when it comes to Daphne.

“What did you do before you got married without dating?”

“Uhm…”.

Cesare cleared his throat and turned his head.

“Haah…”

Joseph sighed once more.

“Maybe, never?”

“You know it too, don’t you? How busy I am.”

“Still, I thought you would meet Ladies secretly….”

Joseph shook his head.

So Gabriel was also brought in, and that’s what made this situation even now. It seems that Cesare has a long way to go.

“Go today and say it again. I hope we can have dinner together tomorrow.”

“While eating? If we go out now…”

“What a frustrating thing to say! What restaurant has an empty seat when the weather is good!”

“Then….”

“I will look around and find a place that can reserve a vacant seat tomorrow. So go ahead and ask for a date again!”

Cesare nodded.

Thinking about it, I think Joseph was right. Eating at home is something I always do, but what’s special about it?

Cesare and Daphne have just reconciled. It would have been better if there was a little special event.

Cesare sighed. I guess this is difficult. It didn’t seem like an aptitude.

*****

Are you asking for a date at home? This is not a middle-aged couple.

Still, it was funny to think of Cesare’s serious and cold face. I don’t think I’ve ever dated a lot, but I can teach you from now on, well.

I’ll let it slide!

****

The first day we had an indoor date, Cesare asked another date to go out and have dinner the next day, but unfortunately our outdoor date was pushed back.

First of all, there were no seats. The next week was the week of Burstoad most famous festival.

Thanks to this, people flocked to the neighboring estates, even from the capital, so the whole estate was crowded with people. Needless to say, it was a reservation at a famous restaurant.

If we taking advantage of the Duke and Duchess title, it would have been easy to get a seat in a restaurant.

Here comes the second problem we face. Because of the festival preparations, which was the cause of all this, there was no time to go out to eat.

“We have a restaurant reservation for next week, so let’s have dinner together.”

“Sure.”

In the end, our official date was decided on the first day of the festival.

In the meantime, I warmed up to the festivities, played with cherry, and ate dinner with Cesare in the evening.

Oh, and Albert, who had been cleaning the castle windows for about a week, eventually collapsed and was carried away as the stress had reached its peak.

Was it too difficult for someone with a phobia of heights to do?

Then, why would you touch such a large amount of money… In the first place, you shouldn’t do anything you can’t take responsibility for.

But since I am a benevolent Duchess, I also gave Albert a rest period.

The seven days of the festival will allow you to take a break from cleaning the windows.

After that, he has to go back to his original job without any fuss.

Albert’s face contorted in despair when he was told that he had to return to cleaning the windows after the festival, whether he thought the punishment I had given him was merely a show.

Albert’s expression was very unpleasant, but I couldn’t help it.

Applications for a new butler post in the local newspaper were also piled up.

I can’t handle it right now because I’m busy, so I’ll have to do it after the festival is over.

Time passed so quickly and it was the long-awaited festival day.

*****

“Oh my. It’s not like this.”

“Bess. Bring me rubies, not diamonds.”

“Where is the perfume?”

Today is the day of the festival. The maids were busy moving to make me the most beautiful woman in the world today. They used to be ambitious children, but today they are even more so.

Somehow, I think they’re more exciting than me…

Thanks to them, I have been like this for  hours.

As soon as I woke up, I took a bath, got a perfumed oil massage, and brushed my hair for a long time saying what style they should use for my beautiful hair.

There was a long debate over whether this dress suits her better or that it can make the Duchess look more beautiful.

And at the forefront was Shannet.

I wondered why it took so long when it was just going out, but Shannet, who was doing my hair, ears, and fingers with jewels one by one, left my neck open.

The overall look was gorgeous with the addition of the jewelry, but the empty part seemed to stand out somehow because only the neck was empty.