Chapter Title: Nursing Duty
"An allowance for maintaining dignity?"
"You'll be able to purchase clothes and accessories. So far, you've been wearing Lady Catarina's clothes, but now that you've caught the young master's eye…" _Caught his eye?_ What an odd expression. Adèle blinked, and Epony glanced at her through the mirror, avoiding her gaze as she pretended to pin a pearl in Adèle's hair.
"The shawl you were using was Lady Catarina's. And the young master doesn't like his mother, Lady Catarina, very much." _Ah, I see._ Adèle nodded indifferently. It's not uncommon for children to dislike their parents. It's not something to hide. After putting on a delicate coral bracelet, Adèle sat on the sofa in the reception room. As if on cue, maids entered with several silver trolleys. This was the first time Adèle had seen so many maids at once. Upon closer inspection, they were certainly different from Lucrezia's maid who had come to her. These maids all wore perfectly fitted black flannel dresses. Their pristine white caps covered their hair but not their faces. They made no sound, and it seemed they barely breathed. Without any instructions from Epony, the maids skillfully set the table. Once they were done, they silently left the room, like sand slipping through fingers. Epony seemed to have been considerate, as the breakfast consisted entirely of easy-to-eat dishes. There was lentil soup with grilled scallops in chicken broth, saffron risotto sautéed in butter, and perfectly cooked duck breast with cross-hatched skin. Epony watched as Adèle tasted the saffron risotto, her eyes widening at the unusual flavor, before speaking cautiously.
"Are you feeling well?"
"Yes. I'm not hurt."
"…That's a relief. Truly." Epony's reply sounded somewhat uneasy. Adèle looked at her quizzically. There was guilt in her blue eyes.
_Come to think of it, no one asked me if I was all right yesterday._ Not Cesare, not Jude Rossi. Not even Epony or Gigi. Even Dr. Giotto Grimaldi didn't examine her. More precisely, no one mentioned that someone had fallen from a six-story height and needed to be checked. Adèle took another bite of risotto. The time to feel sad about such things had long passed. Besides, with the head of the Bonaparte family injured, who cared about a shoe shiner falling from six stories? But Epony's feelings seemed different.
"Miss, I'm sorry I couldn't take care of you yesterday…"
"It's fine. I'm neither angry nor upset." Adèle deliberately cut Epony off, stabbing at the shell beans on her plate with her fork.
"What happened to the maid who pushed me?"
"…" Epony expressed mild discontent at the sudden change of topic by pursing her lips before speaking calmly again.
"She was found in the sewers. Her face was so mutilated that it was hard to identify her, but since you mentioned her hazel hair, it must be her."
"I see…"
"Her clothes were stripped off, presumably to destroy evidence…" Epony leaned in and whispered.
"She had a severe wound in the same area where the young master was injured." Adèle chewed on the shell bean, swallowing hard. _Lucrezia._ A frightening woman. _She harmed her man, huh?_ Her actions were reckless, but she was quick to cut ties and ruthless in covering her tracks. Considering the timing, it was clear that as soon as she sent the maid to kill Adèle, she had brought in a new maid from her household.
"When my brother said he wanted to partner with her, he wasn't kidding. Has this happened before?"
"There have been several unfortunate accidents involving young ladies who showed interest in the young master."
"What will happen to Miss Lucrezia?"
"There's no evidence, so we can't take any action against Miss Lucrezia."
"It doesn't have to be official, does it?"
"That's true, but…" Epony paused, hinting at the gravity of the topic.
"She's too prominent. The commoners adore Miss Lucrezia. She's well-known in social circles for her beauty. She also has extensive knowledge in archaeology and aesthetics, assisting many families. If something were to happen to her, all of Fornatie would be up in arms, seeking the culprit." _It would be difficult to handle discreetly._ Adèle nodded and pushed her plate away. Epony kindly took out the last remaining dish on the trolley—an orange soufflé.
"While it's unfortunate…"
"No, it's survival of the fittest and the law of the jungle."
"Thank you for understanding." Epony sounded genuinely relieved.
"But it might be good for you, miss. There will be no lessons for a while. The young master has ordered you to review what you've learned so far." Adèle paused with the small dessert spoon in her hand.
"What about Lady Flavia?" Epony smiled wryly.
"The young master is looking for a new governess, but he's currently busy. He plans to resume your lessons after the envoy from Orqueenia departs." Adèle nodded. _So she's probably already fish food or ground meat._ That was the end of Adèle's interest in Flavia Loredan. Seeing Adèle's eyes light up as she enjoyed the powdered sugar-dusted orange soufflé, Epony asked, relieved.
"By the way, when would you like to change into your outing clothes? Though you'll still have to wear Lady Catarina's clothes as your dignity maintenance budget hasn't been allocated yet…"
"Outing clothes?" Adèle asked, puzzled, and Epony gave her an equally puzzled look.
"I heard you were tasked with nursing the young master. He asked for you to start today." _Clang._ Adèle dropped her spoon.
---
Adèle hesitated for a long time before grasping the office door handle. As the oak door, adorned with mermaids and stars, opened, the rich scent of almonds wafted in.
"Oh? Miss Adelaide!" As soon as she entered the room, Gigi beamed.
"Wow! You look beautiful… Ugh!" Gigi, who had approached with a friendly greeting, was hit on the head by an ink bottle thrown by Cesare, causing him to snap his mouth shut.
"The carpet will be deducted from your wages."
"Ah! Yes, sir!" Gigi, covered in ink, screamed but quickly complied. He swiftly took out Cesare's ink bottle and used a cloth to blot the ink on the carpet to prevent it from spreading. Ignoring him, Cesare looked at Adèle. His cold golden eyes were as sweetly amused as always.
"Blessings of the Goddess."
"Blessings of the Goddess." Adèle returned the greeting only after receiving his. As usual, Cesare sat behind his walnut desk. Gigi stood to his right, as Adèle had seen before. But the man standing to Cesare's left was new. Adèle glanced at the stranger, standing like a statue, and Cesare immediately introduced him.
"This is Aegir Correll. Epony's younger brother and your bracciere. The task I assigned him ended quickly, so I'm introducing him early."
"Yes." Adèle, who had replied perfunctorily, stared at him.
_Younger brother…?_ Aegir was a young man, short and sturdy. Yes, he was a young man. His face, beneath his tousled auburn hair, looked too young to be the younger brother of middle-aged Epony. _Maybe her son…_ Just as Adèle was about to wonder further, she noticed that everyone in the room was subtly watching her reaction.
_Ah._ Realizing something, Adèle immediately nodded.
"Nice to meet you, Sir Aegir."
"I will serve you to the best of my abilities." At her response, Cesare chuckled, and Gigi whistled.
"Wow. You really catch on quick." From his reaction, Adèle was sure Aegir was Epony's son, not her brother. There seemed to be some backstory. She wasn't curious. Complicated family situations were as common as stones on the streets of Kimora.
"If you were really quick, you'd have realized the maid wasn't from Bonaparte."
"She hasn't even been here a month, sir!" Gigi said, fiddling with his ink-stained bangs.
"Anyway, my lord? Now that the young lady is here, you should start your treatment. The head of the Portduqain trading company will be at dinner tonight, so you shouldn't be late." Cesare frowned.
"That boar of a woman."
"She's a competent boar. Shall I call Miss Jane and Oliver?"
"No."