Chapter 10 titled “3. Wicked Adults”:
Lucien was delighted by Benedict’s words. It was as if he was saying her existence was of great use to him.
He really was a kind person.
“But you’ll need an adult.”
Lucien quickly added this, feeling shy about his praise.
“Um, Jun always helped me. He even taught me how to sew.”
Strictly speaking, Jun wasn’t an adult. But he could do almost anything and had kindly taught Lucien how.
“Who’s Jun?”
“He was a member of the troupe. He taught me sewing.”
“Must be a crafty lady, huh?”
Lady? Jun wasn’t a lady…
Before Lucien could correct him, Benedict grinned and said,
“I have a big brother who helps me too.”
“Brother?”
“Yeah. You remember Mr. Bell, the butler?”
Lucien nodded.
Though she hadn’t spoken much with him, he had quietly made sure she was comfortable and taken care of. She was grateful to him.
“The Bell family has served as butlers to the ducal family for generations. So now, Mr. Bell’s son, Alfie, is supposed to be my butler. He should be on his way here.”
“Where is he now?”
Mr. Bell had passed away along with the late duke. It was strange that even three days after the funeral, his son had not yet shown up.
“He’s abroad.”
“Abroad?”
“Yeah. He’s been traveling and studying. It takes time for the news to reach him, so he probably hasn’t heard yet.”
Benedict took a piece of preserved fruit for dessert. Lucien, who had been swallowing her saliva, finally followed his lead and tasted it.
“When he arrives, the door to the butler’s room, which has been locked all this time, will finally open. That’ll be a big help.”
Lucien was slightly surprised. It was because of what she had seen early that morning.
She had clearly seen the door marked “Butler’s Room” slightly ajar. She was sure she hadn’t misread the sign.
“Others… can’t open that door?”
“No, they can’t.”
Benedict answered casually as if it was obvious, putting another piece of fruit topped with cream into his mouth.
“There are only two keys to that room. Usually, the butler and his successor each hold one.”
“So there’s no key in the mansion right now?”
“There’s one in my room. It was found on the only returning staff member after the incident. I’ve been keeping it safe, planning to return it to my brother when he arrives.”
So, did someone use that key to open the door this morning?
As if answering her unspoken question, Benedict added,
“Since that day, I made sure the butler’s room stays locked. I thought it was right for my brother to be the first one to enter.”
“So it’s been locked all this time?”
“Yeah. Mr. Bell locked it before he left.”
Lucien’s expression darkened.
If she wasn’t mistaken this morning, it meant someone had disobeyed Benedict’s order and opened the room.
And they had stolen the key he was keeping safe.
There’s no way the butler’s son returned from abroad secretly at dawn just to peek inside.
“Lucien, what’s wrong?”
Sensing something was off, Benedict asked. Lucien looked around cautiously and, after confirming no one was nearby, quietly opened her mouth.
“You see, Benedict. Actually…”
The Next Morning
Just like yesterday, Lucien rose early and was sitting crouched on the wooden stairs leading to the basement.
“You really didn’t have to come.”
Benedict, seated beside her, gently nudged her arm.
They were both wrapped in thick blankets from head to toe. From afar, they must have looked like two large lumps on the stairs.
“But you’re only here because of me.”
“No, it’s because of the retainers.”
Benedict suspected one of the staff who had been shoving documents at him had also thought to search the butler’s room. Maybe even fabricate something.
“If someone really did such a thing, I’ll never forgive them.”
Not just because it betrayed the loyalty a retainer should have.
Benedict believed that the first person to touch Mr. Bell’s remaining belongings should be none other than his son, Alfie.
That’s why, even knowing there might be useful documents inside, he hadn’t dared enter.
From the serious look on Benedict’s face, Lucien realized how much he cared for Mr. Bell and his son.
“I’m going to guard that room. For my brother’s sake.”
“Benedict, you really are kind.”
Lucien remembered what Jun had said when she left.
He had warned her nobles were horrible and would surely try to hurt her.
‘I want to tell Jun.’
That Benedict was one of the kindest people she had ever met, and would never do such a thing.
Maybe then Jun wouldn’t worry so much about her.
“Why do you keep staring at me?”
“Well…”
Lucien couldn’t bring herself to explain Jun’s concerns. To do so would mean admitting he thought nobles were all bad.
“B-Because you’re cool!”
Thankfully, a decent excuse came to mind quickly.
Jun had always loved it when Lucien called someone cool. She figured Benedict might feel the same.
“…What?”
He looked utterly flustered.
Had he seen through her excuse? Lucien quickly added,
“I mean, it’s cool how much you care about the butler!”
“What kind of answer is that?”
Did he think it was strange?
Benedict’s lips jutted out slightly in a pout.
“Well… it is true that I care.”
He adjusted his blanket and continued.
“Besides, my father… he always felt guilty toward Mr. Bell.”
“Guilty?”
“Yeah. I only know because I happened to overhear it once.”
Perhaps to pass the time during the long dawn, Benedict began to tell a very old story.
“Alfie’s mother used to be a maid here.”
Benedict didn’t remember her well, but there was a small portrait of her in the butler’s room. He remembered she was very beautiful.
“Alfie knew everything and, like his father, was always dignified and calm, even as a child.”
Benedict’s eyes drifted upward, lost in old memories.
“That… incident happened when he was twelve. He wanted to travel to the capital with his parents for his birthday.”
“I feel like the Duke would have agreed.”
Lucien replied, thinking of his kind nature. Benedict nodded.
“But Mr. Bell was strict. He didn’t think it was acceptable for a butler to leave his master’s side for personal reasons.”
“So he refused?”
“Halfway. Alfie ended up going with just his mother.”
Benedict’s voice grew heavier. Lucien’s heart sank, sensing where the story was going.
“On the way back, his mother died in an accident.”
“…!”
Lucien was too shocked to respond. She could only stare at Benedict with wide eyes.
“It was raining hard. The carriage was on a narrow path… Mud from a landslide made it slip.”
“Ah… no…”
“She died on the spot. While holding Alfie in her arms.”
Benedict had overheard this story last year while hiding in the study and eavesdropping on servants cleaning the fireplace.
They also said the Duke was heartbroken about it.
“Alfie left the mansion later, but maybe that incident was the reason.”
“Out of guilt?”
“Maybe. And I heard Mr. Bell resented him afterward.”
That can’t be true.
Lucien wanted to say that, but a memory flashed in her mind and caught her breath.
It was from the funeral.
“Take back those filthy flowers immediately.”
“Someone like you doesn’t deserve to offer flowers!”
Someone had shown hostility toward a survivor.
Thinking about it, both Lucien and Alfie had survived by the sacrifice of adults. Perhaps being hated was… inevitable.
“Of course it’s nonsense. My brother didn’t do anything wrong.”
But Benedict declared it firmly.
Lucien, though thinking she didn’t deserve comfort, felt a quiet part of her heart being gently soothed.
“Mr. Bell couldn’t possibly hate your brother.”
But… could she really believe that?
Lucien couldn’t bring herself to nod.
The chill of dawn had seeped through the blanket, and she pulled it tighter.
No sound came from the basement.
The locked butler’s room remained quiet.
The Next Morning
Benedict and Lucien again went down to the basement.
But today, the new kitchen maid had arrived before them and was already cleaning. They couldn’t sit on the stairs like before.
And more importantly, the nanny, Tabitha, had found out they spent the cold dawn on the stairs and arrived with a stern look.
“Duke, I told you you’d catch a fever.”
“I was doing my duty as a duke.”
Benedict showed no remorse, so Tabitha changed tactics.
“Miss Lucien was coughing all night.”
Benedict immediately looked at Lucien in alarm, and Tabitha knew she’d hit the mark.
“You understand now, don’t you?”
“Uh… yeah. Sorry.”
He apologized right away to both Tabitha and Lucien.
“Now go back to your room. I need to give Miss Lucien her medicine.”
Benedict glanced at Lucien one last time with a pitying look. As if saying, “You really have to drink that?”
After he left, Tabitha sighed.
“It’s a good thing we have you, Miss Lucien.”
“Pardon?”
“The Duke only stood up to the retainers because of your advice. You really did something amazing. Come now, let’s get your medicine.”
Lucien blinked at her.
Honestly, she had thought all the staff here disliked her.
But Tabitha’s voice was so kind, she could feel the sincerity behind it.
Tabitha led her to the servants’ hall, dissolved powdered medicine in warm water, and handed it to her.
It smelled terrible and tasted even worse, but Lucien, used to drinking herbal decoctions, gulped it down easily.
“Oh my, we should have you take this in front of the Duke next time.”
Tabitha chuckled warmly and whispered, “The Duke complains for ten minutes every time he takes medicine.”
“Let’s see… no fever. Open wide. Good. Hmm, your throat’s a little swollen. You should rest now, alright?”
Lucien was happy to feel Tabitha’s warm hands on her forehead and cheeks. But part of her still found such kindness strange.
“The lady of the house…”
“Call me ‘Nanny.’ Everyone here does.”
Lucien hesitated at the unfamiliar title, then finally spoke.
“N-Nanny… do you not hate me?”
The nanny looked at her in surprise and held both of Lucien’s cheeks gently.
“Oh dear…”
After a long pause, the nanny smiled sadly.
“You must’ve met a lot of wicked adults… haven’t you?”
