Ch#67
Chapter 67Laslo himself had been thinking the same.
'Lately, it feels like I'm just working while waiting to go home.'
Previously, he'd actually felt more at ease at the palace, so he'd linger there doing extra work even when Dimarcus hadn't asked for it.
But now, he was waiting only for the time to leave the palace, wondering why he'd ever acted that way before.
'Refurbishing the estate was a good decision.'
It had been days of turning the entire estate upside down.
Edel had spent money far more boldly than Laslo had anticipated, but he had no complaints about it. The results pleased him so much that he felt he'd never spent money this well in his life.
Even with all the gaudy items gone, the house felt even more splendid, and living there was more comfortable than before.
His once-empty study had transformed into a stately yet convenient space, and the bedroom decorated in deep red was exceedingly cozy.
Not just his rooms—the entire estate had become surprisingly stylish, clean, and convenient.
Thanks to that, both Linia and the servants all felt that something had changed!
Linia, who had been a tomboy, had become quite refined lately. No longer cowering and watching his moods like before, she now seemed mature.
'Is she imitating Edel or something?'
Recalling Linia standing in the exact same posture as Edel, Laslo chuckled softly.
The servants, now in newly tailored uniforms, treated him with far greater respect than before. Those who used to flee in fear now bowed their heads in greeting even from afar.
When he returned from the palace, Edel and the new head maid greeted him.
"You must have had a hard day."
"Welcome home."
Edel, who greeted him properly and escorted him to his study while briefly reporting the day's important matters, was truly a capable steward.
.
Thanks to her, things were finally running smoothly.
'If I'd refused His Majesty the Emperor's offer to give me that woman, I probably would have lived in chaos for much longer.'
He wouldn't have taken proper care of Linia either. He might not have even arranged a decent marriage for her.
As those thoughts crossed his mind, his horse passed through the gates of the House Criserus estate and reached the entrance.
As he dismounted, a servant quickly took the reins, and as he walked toward the entrance, the doors opened automatically to reveal Edel and the head maid.
"Welcome home."
Edel, with her blonde hair neatly pinned up and dressed in a simple black-and-white outfit, was beautiful without any adornments.
Laslo was struck anew by that fact, took a deep breath, and replied.
"Mm. No issues?"
"No particular incidents. The two formal outfits ordered from for you arrived this afternoon, and invoices from the florist, fruit vendor, and ham shop have come in. Please review them by the day after tomorrow."
"Any problems with the servants?"
"None. However, since everyone worked hard on the estate refurbishment, I wanted to ask about giving them special bonuses and a day off."
Laslo nodded as he opened the door to his study.
The oil lamp was already lit, and tea was prepared on the table.
His heart raced every time he noticed these thoughtful details.
"Sit first."
As he sat at the head of the conference table and gestured to the chair beside him, Edel placed the documents needing his review in front of him and poured him a cup of tea.
He was no expert on tea, but lately, he quite enjoyed the time spent drinking the tea Edel prepared upon returning home.
"So, what amounts were you thinking for the bonuses and extra day off?"
"For bonuses, 200 to 400 ringtons depending on rank, and a uniform extra day off for everyone. That would make the total bonus payout 6,400 ringtons."
"You didn't include 400 for yourself, did you?"
"............I'm sorry. I'll forgo my bonus."
Laslo frowned at Edel's response.
"I don't know why you'd suddenly say that."
"Ah, well...... I did include 400 for myself, but upon second thought, I'm already receiving plenty in salary......"
"You're misunderstanding again on your own. I meant it's too little. Yours will be 1,000 ringtons. That brings the total neatly to 7,000 ringtons."
"Pardon?"
Startled for a moment, Edel hurriedly waved her hands.
"No, no! I don't need that much money, and I already have enough!"
"Even as steward, there might be times you need funds. You'll have to tip the errand boys, and someone in a pinch might ask to borrow money. What would your standing be as steward if you had no cash then?"
Laslo said while rifling through the documents in front of him. Unable to refute his reasoning, Edel accepted the adjustment.
After signing the invoices and bonus-related papers, Laslo took a sip of the now-tepid tea.
Even without sugar, the tea sweetly moistened his refreshed palate with its fragrance.
"Truthfully, I want to give you more separately."
"What do you mean?"
"Compensation. I know best how much you're suffering."
Was it easy to turn a utterly messed-up house normal in such a short time?
House Criserus, which had lacked manpower and couldn't even cut unnecessary tasks, now operated with twenty-five servants including Edel.
The meals had improved dramatically with the new cook and quality ingredients, and the barren garden was gradually changing with the new gardener.
The new head maid Margaret was seasoned and good-natured, so all the maids followed her sincerely, and Collette, Linia's dedicated maid, was skilled with her hands and an excellent companion for Linia.
With the servants diligently doing their duties without slacking, the house stayed clean, and Edel's recognition of their efforts boosted their loyalty even more.
"This feels like noble life, and it's all thanks to you."
"I just did what needed doing."
"That's no easy task."
Laslo rummaged inside his still-worn jacket.
.
"You seemed burdened by the blank check, so I just picked something decent......"
He placed a small box in front of Edel and nodded for her to open it. Though flustered, she couldn't outright refuse, so she opened the box.
"Th-this is...!"
"Like it? If not, just keep it as emergency funds and sell it later."
Inside was a pair of teardrop-cut diamond earrings.
The diamonds were quite large and appeared flawless and brilliant at a glance—clearly not cheap.
"Count! This is too much!"
"The woman who tried to ruin this house shamelessly siphoned off an entire estate, yet you're making a fuss over mere earrings?"
"These aren't mere earrings...!"
"Ah, whatever. You're not going to make me take them back and embarrass myself, right?"
Laslo showed no intention of taking the earrings back.
"Why are you being so generous to me?"
Edel was genuinely curious.
She might seem like a good servant compared to Marsha. But that didn't easily explain giving her vast sums or jewels for every task.
Laslo, unable to come up with a ready reason, rested his chin on his hand, stared at the earrings for a long while, then muttered.
"Well. Guess I was a bit moved."
He then rifled through the remaining documents, realized there were no more signatures needed, gathered them neatly, and handed them to Edel.
When she still didn't touch the earring box, he even closed it himself and placed it in her hand.
"If you refuse too much, I'll be hurt too."
Her eyes widened at his words, but he just slightly lifted the corner of his mouth and headed to his desk.
In the end, Edel bowed deeply to him.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
She hugged the processed documents to her chest and left the study. Left alone, Laslo needlessly fiddled with his desk, then buried his face in his hands with a groan.
Idiot.
If no sound leaked out, he'd want to slam his head on the desk.
The earrings he'd given Edel were something he'd spotted at a jeweler while out with Linia not long ago. The moment he saw them, Edel came to mind—he'd thought they'd look great dangling from her earlobes. Since Linia was there, he'd left without buying, but the next day he couldn't stop thinking about them, so he'd even slipped away during work hours to purchase them.
As Edel had guessed, they were quite expensive, but he didn't regret the money at all.
.
