Chapter 81
Angela wasn't the only one who was boiling inside.
'It seems the Duchess's taste is unreliable.'
Edmund watched Edel dancing with Laszlo from afar, and clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Idel, who looked as though she was about to fall into his clutches, took a step back at the crucial moment.
"It seems you have other desires than what I imagine."
“I have no desires. All I asked for was a chance to serve you delicious food and good wine, and to talk comfortably with you about your life.”
"About my life?"
“If you are experiencing any difficulties or problems here, please let me know. I will do everything I can to help you.”
Edel nodded slowly.
Edmund lowered his voice even more to entice her, and whispered close to her ear.
“You must be suffering a great deal, aren’t you? To force a noble person like yourself to work as a laundry maid? What a terrible act by Count Crisis!”
“I appreciate your concern, but in reality, I live here in a peace and comfort I have never felt before.”
"What?"
At first, he thought he had misheard her, or that her words concealed another meaning.
But Yeddel looked at him steadily, without any hesitation, and said:
“Count Crisis is a very noble and respectable man. His sister, Miss Linnea, is a bright and kind girl. Even the palace staff are good, loyal, and faithfully follow me.”
“Of course, but your place is not here. You should be in a much higher place, not at this level.”
"A higher place?"
Idil suddenly burst into laughter. But her laughter carried with it a sense of disappointment and perhaps suppressed anger.
"I fell once and crashed badly, do you think I'd want to go up there again?"
“I know your heart is full of wounds, but your natural place is to be the flower of high society. I will help you, don’t be afraid.”
“No, I don’t want that. ‘Idyll Canyon’ and ‘Idyll Lancaster’ have already ended a long time ago. Now, I live a satisfying life as a housekeeper at Count Crisis’s mansion.”
At that moment, a servant approached to tell Idil that Laszlo was looking for her.
"It seems I have to go now. I hope you have a great party."
Edel bid Edmund farewell with a perfect bow, and left without any hesitation.
At that moment, Edmund responded with a formal sentence,
"I hope to see you again."
But the feeling that he had been manipulated by Edel angered him.
To make matters worse, he saw Idil dancing with Laszlo as soon as she arrived at his place.
“Damn it! Did they plot together to make fun of me? You arrogant woman. When Laszlo falls, I’ll make sure you fall with him to the bottom.”
Edmund clenched his teeth in anger, but when someone approached him, he regained his smiling face as if nothing had happened.
***
The party finally ended at 2 AM.
But the lights of Count Crisis's palace did not go out immediately.
“Well done, Count. And you too, Miss, have made a great effort.”
When Idel said that, Laszlo smiled slightly and glanced around the concert hall.
The hall, filled with guests eating, drinking, and dancing, was surprisingly clean. It was expected to become a mess once the party was over.
And because the nobles certainly did not clean their places, this means that there were unseen efforts that continued throughout the ceremony.
“I was just walking around pretending to be sober, so what did I do to deserve this praise? All the effort was from you, you and the servants.”
Laszlo addressed the servants who were lined up faithfully, and said truthfully:
“You have put in a great deal of effort. I will ensure you receive generous rewards for this work. You will be informed of the details through Edel. Now, just do the basic cleaning, then get some rest.”
The servants knew that Laszlo was not stingy, so smiles full of pride appeared on their tired faces.
At that moment, Chef Oliver emerged from the preparation room and said loudly:
“Why don’t you eat something first? You must be hungry.”
Laszlo then realized that the servants had not eaten anything all day.
“Thank you for not abandoning this oblivious gentleman. Let’s do as Oliver said and eat something. I, too, am beginning to feel hungry.”
Everyone laughed loudly and went into the dining room, which was being used as a preparation room.
The temporary tables, both large and small, were laden with leftover food from the party and were neatly arranged. Bread, butter, and jam were plentiful, enough for everyone.
Edel approached Laszlo and whispered to him:
“I know this goes against protocol, but may I allow the servants who have worked so hard today to eat in the same room as you?”
"With all this beautifully prepared food, if I refuse, what will my position look like?"
“Even if you refuse, our loyalty will not be affected. It is not important whether we move the food to another room or eat on the floor. What matters is your mood.”
"You're good at persuading people, aren't you?"
Laszlo said that jokingly, but in the end he nodded.
“Everyone who made an effort today deserves to be honored. Sit around the big table instead of crowding around the small tables. Come on!”
Thanks to their master's generosity, every one of the workers at Crises Palace sat around the large table and began filling their plates with food.
Although the food had cooled down a little or was no longer fresh, it was still delicious, which made them forget their tiredness and feel happy.
But the most excited was Linnea, who felt like she was reborn thanks to this party.
“Miss! Tell us about the dance request you received today.”
Colette asked her, winking at her, and Linnea's face immediately turned red.
The other servants, who were carrying food and drinks into the hall, joined the conversation, saying:
"Who was that handsome man?"
"Do you know him?"
"Could it be that he fell in love with you at first sight and asked you to dance?"
Laszlo answered for her, interrupting the barrage of questions.
“What love at first sight? He is the son of Count Tallon, one of the Emperor’s close confidants. When she complained about not having a dance partner, Count Tallon asked his son to ask her for one.”
“But it seems that this was not just a normal request…”
“That’s right. They seemed to get along very well.”
Linnea seemed more embarrassed by the servants' comment than by her brother's interruption, and waved her hands, saying.
“No, no, it’s as my brother said. Count Tallon only asked me to dance to save face, nothing more.”
However, her flushed cheeks and hesitant smile suggested otherwise.
When the older maids saw this scene, expressions of satisfaction appeared on their faces.
"What beautiful days!"
“Even I was overjoyed just by exchanging glances.”
Laughter erupted around the table.
But Edel didn't hold back in adding some practical advice.
“In any case, the most important thing is that Miss Linnea has received a request to dance from a man other than the Count in front of the other nobles. She will probably receive other requests at future parties.”
"Really?"
“This party has once again highlighted the status of the Count Crisis family. So, I say this as a precaution, you don’t have to accept every dance request. I’ll tell you tomorrow how to politely decline.”
Linnea looked hesitant and unsure how to act, but she nodded uncertainly.
She seemed to be thinking seriously, but when Laszlo started tapping the glass with his spoon, Edel could no longer keep track of her condition.
“You have all put in a tremendous effort today. Honestly, I didn’t think this palace was capable of hosting such a magnificent party.”
When the master, who usually spoke little, showed a tendency to talk at length, all the servants quieted down to listen.
“I know that my neglect in caring for the palace has caused some people to suffer for a long time. I would like to take this opportunity to offer my apology.”
For Nabil to apologize to the servants was a rare sight.
But the real surprise came next.
“Chef Oliver, sous-chef Philip, as well as Charlotte, May, and Bianca, the dishes you prepared today were wonderful. Thank you for your effort in front of the fire.”
"Sh-, thank you."
“Head Butler Margaret, you cleaned the great ballroom and all the places the guests passed through wonderfully. And I know that Daisy, Dina, Elliott, Lily, Ditto, and John also put in a great effort. Thank you.”
He began calling out the names of the servants one by one, pointing out the hard work each of them had done and thanking them.
Who would have imagined that the man who, three months ago, only knew the names of Marsha, the former head maid, and Marco, the driver, would reach this level of appreciation?
“Count…!”
"Thank you for remembering my name."
“Ah, this is so touching… the tears won’t stop.”
People often suffer not from the effort itself, but from the feeling that no one appreciates that effort.
But now Laszlo tells them that he truly appreciates them, and that he is grateful to them from the bottom of his heart.
At the end of this moving moment, Laszlo turned his gaze towards Edel.