Chapter 5
5
‘The first man to ever satisfy me.’
That comment, ripe with potential for misunderstanding, was audible only to me. It seemed others couldn't see Mathias.
To satisfy our germaphobe contractor to this extent—does this mean my excuse to fire him is vanishing?
Just then, Dante, who had been elegantly polishing a wine glass, spoke first.
“You asked why I came to work as a housemaid, didn't you?”
It felt like he was about to reveal dangerous information that I shouldn't hear, but I had to listen anyway. In the future, if I were dragged in on charges of conspiracy, I'd spill everything to clear my name.
“Yes, it seemed like you've lived without any wants or needs.”
“I enjoy housework. Everyone tries to stop me, so it's not easy to do it at my own mansion.”
Unlike my serious contemplation, the reason was surprisingly simple, almost anticlimactic.
He polished the hazy wine glass until it sparkled, taking a long, leisurely pause before continuing.
“And because I wanted to rest.”
In the original story, he was a great contributor to the conquest wars, but after the war ended, he suddenly relinquished all his positions. That's why his resume stated ‘Former’ Commander.
So, he was saying that he healed by wearing an apron and doing housework on his days off? He looked like someone who would enjoy adult pastimes on the outside. Contrary to his appearance, he seemed to be a homebody with wholesome hobbies.
“You want to rest, so you do housework?”
“Yes, when I'm doing housework, I don't have time for idle thoughts.”
I wondered if he really wouldn't have idle thoughts while being subjected to endless nagging? He spoke so confidently without ever having suffered at the hands of the germaphobe Mathias.
Mathias, who had been sitting arrogantly and observing us, smirked with satisfaction.
‘His mindset is proper. Give that servant white bread as a special treat. There won't be much need to whip him.’
Such a feudalistic way of thinking.
Come to think of it, they both had black hair and blue eyes. Mathias's were a bright, sapphire blue, while Dante's were the color of the blue sea.
In contrast, I had brown hair and green eyes, which was very ordinary.
Mathias was translucent, and Dante had the strong persona of a mastermind commander who would change history, so why was I the only one who was plain? I wish I had rainbow-colored hair and fairy wings too.
Anyway, I would keep a hawk-like eye on that man. Because I was determined to kick him out immediately if even a speck of dust appeared or if he showed any suspicious behavior.
* * *
But Dante Van Dyke was a very capable man.
At housework.
True to the infamous saying that not a single blade of grass remained where the Devil Duke had swept through, not a speck of dust remained where he had passed.
The items and clothing that I had haphazardly stuffed away were also organized by type and color, all neatly arranged.
Moreover, he maintained a neat appearance without a single dishevelment even while working.
Indeed, he was a soldier through and through.
Besides, he was the man who satisfied the nagging germaphobe Mathias.
Normally, I would have been as happy as if I had found my life support system, but he was a double-edged sword that could raise another death flag.
Therefore, I followed Dante around, trying to find fault with him in any way possible.
“Here……”
Upon closer inspection, it wasn't a stain but the reflection of sunlight.
“……You polished it so much that the light is reflecting off of it.”
“Yes.”
I ran out of things to say and ended up complimenting him.
Dante wore a face that said that was only natural.
Next to his sleek shoes, I spotted something and widened my eyes like someone who had found a bill on the street.
I found it, a thread of weakness!
“That thing on the floor, is it dust?”
At my stern tone, like that of a company commander, Dante picked up what had fallen on the floor.
“It's a strand of hair that the master just dropped while walking.”
What he held in his slender fingers was a strand of brown hair.
“To think you couldn't even quickly notice something like that.”
I, the employer, was greatly disappointed in the housemaid.
It was purely forced, but that meant there was nothing else to pick on.
Dante, who had been quietly looking at the hair at my words, asked with a blank face.
“Is this some kind of test?”
“I didn't drop it on purpose. I'm not that despicable of a person.”
“To think you're so clean that you can't even tolerate a strand of hair you just shed, I will help you.”
He took out a pair of scissors from his apron and held them up.
“Since 80% of the foreign substances on the floor are the master's hair, I was already thinking of recommending a shave. It was a bit of an eyesore.”
He looked at me as if I were the main cause of the mansion's environmental pollution. His blue eyes shone as sharply as the well-honed blades of the scissors.
I took a step back with a very flustered expression. That man was definitely crazy.
The crazy man with the scissors approached closely and added.
“It's for the sake of the master and my near-obsessive perfectionism.”
“Ah, suddenly, I think I've changed to a more tolerant personality that can allow that much.”
No matter what, I didn't want to be shaved by a mastermind. In the end, I made the excuse that I needed to plant lettuce in the garden plot and immediately ran away.
I passed through the perfectly cleaned double doors and went down the stairs connected to the garden, sighing once again.
To think that cleaning maniac was in the same category as Mathias. A commanding germaphobe and an acting germaphobe gathered in one place.
“I should stop finding fault with his cleaning.”
Because I couldn't find any flaws at all.
Then, was the only thing left to find suspicious activities that indicated he was planning a rebellion? That seemed too risky.
* * *
In a corner of the garden, I was wearing a straw hat pulled down low, plowing furiously and deep in thought.
“I understand the desire to whip a handsome aristocrat, but stop trying to find fault with him. It'll be hard to find someone as talented as him.”
It was Mathias's voice, sitting on a garden chair and setting the mood. He was leisurely drinking tea while listening to classical music through a gramophone.
He wasn't wearing his uniform today but a navy suit, which seemed to make his precious appearance shine even more. But he could change clothes too?
I lifted my straw hat slightly and stared at him.
“That man is a dangerous person who will destroy the empire with a rebellion, you know?”
Since he was just a beautiful ghost anyway (I decided to just believe that), it was okay to say it.
At my words, Mathias stroked his chin and narrowed his eyes.
“Is that a bad thing? It's just that the governing structure will change, and the regime and governing system will be altered. It will change for the better for you, a commoner. The class system will be abolished.”
“I might be framed as an accomplice and get caught in the middle. Intelligence agents are already running around with their eyes peeled because of the recent intelligence war.”
Then Mathias picked up a newspaper and said.
“As long as you are the manager of this mansion, you won't be caught and killed. More than that, if you pick my beloved Rilke Rose and plant lettuce and such, you might die by my hand. Can't you stop right now?”
The end of his sentence rose with a gradient of anger.
Mathias's brow furrowed menacingly at the sight of the rose that had been mercilessly plucked by my hand.
I looked at him with an embarrassed expression.
“I didn't know because the roses weren't in bloom…… Was it precious to you? I'm sorry.”
“The gardens and grounds of this mansion were famous for their beauty. Royals and nobles came to spend their vacations, and even the Queen of another country visited. It is your responsibility to beautify not only the mansion but also this place.”
I looked over the grounds, which seemed to be at least 10,000 pyeong including the forest, and made a face of disgust. Not only were there a huge number of rooms, but there was even a forest in the garden?
“I prefer nature as it is.”
At my serious statement, Mathias made an impossible expression.
“All the plants here require delicate care. They are precious things imported from far away.”
They've been breeding and surviving on their own without any careful care so far, right? What's the difference between them and the cosmos on the highway with their strong vitality?
“Even if you have a capable housekeeper, it's impossible to perfectly manage the external scenery.”
“You can hire a gardener. However, it would be nice if they had combat abilities like the housemaid we hired this time.”
“Why?”
“Because uninvited guests will be coming soon. You need to have the ability to protect yourself. Hire cooks, butlers, and other personnel for the mansion's security.”
“Are there many thieves in the area?”
So, he was saying to hire gardeners, cooks, and butlers who were good at fighting in order to arrest the night visitors? That man seemed to be a very worried person.
“Weren't you just saying that it only needed to be kept clean? Why does it feel like the conditions keep increasing?”
“If someone breaks in, won't the mansion become dirty? Protecting the mansion is also an important duty of the manager.”
Looking at the man who wanted ten more things after satisfying one, I internally lamented.
Mathias spread out the newspaper to me and ordered.
“Replant the roses you picked. If they die, I won't let you off the hook.”
“Yes……”
Okay, now that things had come to this, I would find a talented person to replace Dante. If I said, ‘I've found someone more talented than you, so please leave,’ he would acknowledge his defeat and step down.
I should go to the market and place a job advertisement in the newspaper again.
Brought a Mastermind in as a Housemaid
