NOVEL NEXT “You’re pretty. Is that really the only reason you want to hire me as a servant?”
“That’s surprising in many ways.”
“Well, it’s not just because you’re pretty. How should I put it…”
“…?”
Catherine is hesitating.
What other reason could there be for her to stall her answer?
“Taking someone away… it feels nice, doesn’t it?”
“Yes…?”
My face must be completely blank right now.
My inner feelings can’t be much different either.
I’ve been told that emotions and thoughts are easily shown on my face since my adventurer days.
I could have predicted my expression without even looking in a mirror.
“Please don’t think of me as too strange. I ask for consent properly and sign contracts to hire people, you know.”
That’s not the issue here.
Her looks are certainly not ordinary; she’s a stunning lady, but her taste in things is quite…
Could it be that one’s appearance and taste in normalcy are inversely proportional?
I had no idea Catherine had such tastes.
“So, what do you think?”
“….”
“I can offer you a salary that’s on a different level than Eristirol. Just working for a month… you could buy yourself a luxury horse!”
“…”
Honestly, I was slightly tempted.
Just a little, tiny bit.
Not just any horse, but a luxury one.
The kind that nobles ride.
Thinking in terms of my previous life’s pricing, it would be close to 7 million won.
That’s over three times my current salary.
As someone who lived in a capitalist society, I couldn’t help but be tempted by that offer.
No, even if I hadn’t lived in a capitalist society, I would still probably be intrigued.
“And the weather in Oldenburg is much better than this snowy land. In spring, it’s not just about the snow melting; flowers bloom, and in summer, people have fun by the rivers. In autumn, the leaves turn red and create a beautiful scenery.”
“….”
Four seasons.
It’s something I practically never experienced in Eristirol.
In Eristirol, it was either snowy or cold every day of the year.
I wouldn’t mind it as I only stayed inside the castle, but cold weather isn’t exactly pleasant.
“And there’s definitely more to do and see compared to Eristirol, too?”
It’s definitely a better place than Eristirol.
They pay a lot, the weather is nice, and there are many things to do.
I might seem a bit materialistic, but I would love to go there.
“So, what do you think?”
However, it’s too late to go now.
If this proposal had come when I had been working for less than a year, I would have surely said, “I’ll go immediately!”
But now, it’s late.
At the very least, I want to see our little one grow up before I leave.
“I’m sorry.”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry, but… I can’t accept that offer.”
Catherine seemed taken aback by my response.
She frowned slightly.
“I see. Well, there’s nothing we can do about it then. Please drop by our domain once you leave Eristirol?”
“Yes.”
Fortunately, Catherine didn’t get angry and didn’t attack me or anything.
Rather, she composed herself again and spoke in a tone just like usual.
After Kyle grows up, visiting wouldn’t be a bad idea.
I’d just stop by to see mom first.
“It’s a little disappointing that I couldn’t recruit you, but is it okay for me to look around the estate some more?”
“Of course.”
Afterward, I spent some enjoyable time with Catherine.
Perhaps I felt a bit closer to her after understanding her feelings to some extent.
At least, that’s what I thought.
“Sophia, would you like to try this?”
“Thank you.”
Right now, she’s offering me food just like a vendor on the street, and I’m introducing her to delicious treats.
Although I hadn’t really explored the estate, I tried all sorts of foods as an adventurer—both delicious and awful.
As long as it’s not some top-tier food that only nobles eat, I’ve tried nearly everything.
I also learned a bit about gourmet food while attending a boarding school.
“Mmm! This is tastier than I expected! We should get it sold in our domain too.”
“That’s a good idea.”
By the way, her sociability is quite extraordinary.
While she seemed to maintain a certain boundary before, now she feels surprisingly free.
“Sophia!”
“Y-yes…”
“Why are you staying so far away? Come closer over here!”
“Understood.”
“Ha… If you joined our family, we could enjoy ourselves like this. The Young Master… is a bit stiff, isn’t he?”
“….”
It seems Catherine isn’t ready to give up on recruiting me yet.
*
“Young Master, I’m back.”
– Bang!
“Yikes..!”
I jumped in surprise as the door suddenly swung open.
Kyle stood there in the doorway.
“Young Master?!”
“Miss Sophia.”
“Y-yes?”
Kyle seemed a bit shaken and fidgety.
Is something wrong?
“Come in for a moment.”
Saying that, Kyle grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the room.
“Oh…”
Somehow, I ended up right in Kyle’s room as soon as I returned.
Originally, I planned to wipe off some sweat and change before coming.
“You were calling for me?”
“Miss Sophia.”
“Yes.”
Kyle suddenly calls for me.
Is there something that happened while I was away?
“Are you… going to Oldenburg?”
“Yes?”
Suddenly asking if I’m going to Oldenburg?
“What do you mean all of a sudden?”
“Didn’t the Oldenburg Young Lady mention it?”
“Oh…”
So that’s what it was.
It seems Catherine spoke to Kyle before she mentioned it to me.
“What do you think I would say?”
A mischievous grin appeared on my face.
Normally, I wouldn’t have teased him like this…
“Do you think I’d say I’m going to follow the Oldenburg Young Lady?”
“….”
Kyle hesitated to answer.
I thought we had built some trust, so it was a playful joke.
However, seeing him hesitate to answer made me a bit disappointed.
“Of course I said no.”
“Excuse me?”
“It was a good offer, though. As Louise mentioned previously, it’s a nice city. Just listening to the Oldenburg Young Lady, you could tell it was a good place.”
Eristirol is not a bad place, but most would agree Oldenburg is better.
“They said they would pay a lot too. Triple my current pay.”
“…..”
Looking at it in this way, it does seem there’s no merit to staying here.
That’s probably why Catherine was trying to recruit me.
Who would refuse an offer to switch from a small company to a major corporation?
Of course, this isn’t exactly a small company.
“But there was something more important.”
“What is it?”
Kyle finally spoke up.
He must have been anxious, thinking I might actually leave.
The reason why I wouldn’t leave is rather simple.
“The Young Master is here. Right here, in Eristirol.”
It’s been three years since I started teaching our little one.
Now that I’ve started, I should see it through to the end.
It’s a habit that remained from my time as a man.
That’s also why I toughened it out in boarding school.
And why I worked as an adventurer for a few years.
“If you were to send me away, then I wouldn’t have any choice, but… I won’t quit before Kyle grows up.”
“…I see.”
“Yes.”
Upon hearing my words, Kyle finally calmed down.
However, he still couldn’t meet my eyes.
“Young Master, I’m your servant and private tutor. I’ve already spent three years in the castle helping you and spending time together. Did you really think I would so easily switch sides?”
“……”
He still seemed unable to answer swiftly.
He must’ve genuinely thought I’d be swayed by Catherine.
“Don’t worry. I gracefully declined.”
Well, maybe in 5 or 10 years, I might end up working there, but…
“…I shouldn’t have asked you so abruptly, especially since you just returned. I’m sorry.”
It was indeed sudden.
At first, I wanted to say I was back and explain slowly after I cleaned up.
But I ended up being dragged into the room like this.
“Take it easy. We don’t have any tasks for today anyway.”
“Yes.”
I said that and bowed as I left the room.
By the way, Kyle is surprisingly strong.
I honestly couldn’t muster much resistance when he pulled me.
It was a bit of a surprise, and he’s also physically stronger than me.
If I used my mana, it wouldn’t matter, but there’s a clear difference in pure strength.
As expected… a woman’s body has its downsides.
Besides looking pretty and having a big bust and hips, it offers no other advantages.
Even those traits are useless when it comes to physical tasks.
“*Sniff*… *sniff*…”
By the way, I have an unpleasant smell.
Did I start to smell slightly from sweating while walking outside?
Entering Kyle’s room like this was a bit inappropriate.
“I need to wash up.”
I didn’t notice the nice scent in Kyle’s room, but walking down this hallway it felt too strong.
I wonder… did Kyle notice it…?
“*sigh*…”
This isn’t good.
I really need to wash up.
*
“Oh.”
“Sophia?”
“Oldenburg Young Lady…?”
Just as I entered the bathroom, Catherine was alone taking a bath.
There’s usually no one around at this time…
“Oh.”
Now that I think about it, Catherine must have come in with me.
So of course we would cross paths.
“I’m sorry. I’ll just leave…”
“Don’t worry. We’re both women, right? Just take a bath together and keep me company.”
“Yes…”
Actually, it’s nice that I can wash up immediately.
After washing my body, I entered the tub.
Among the several baths, I stepped into the one Catherine was in.
Some were ridiculously hot, which I wouldn’t be able to endure, so I had to be careful.
“Ah… if only Sophia could serve me, it would be great. You could even help me bathe.”
“As I said during the day, that’s…”
“I know, I know. You can’t, right?”
“Yes…”
Why does she keep bringing it up when she knows?
“By the way, Sophia, you really have a huge bust.”
“Is it… really that big?”
It’s true that I have a larger bust, but is it really so outrageous?