Chapter 1: The Berkshire Family Became Her Lifeline Part 8

“Ah-hem, Sarah Becker. But really, I just…”

As Max rambled on, Tamilan’s expression visibly relaxed, prompting Max to wonder if he was on the right track. Still, he let out a tentative smile.

“I just handed her a rose. That’s all, young master.”

“Enough energy to hand roses to maids, I see. But your skills don’t seem to be improving, Max Müller.”

“……”

Max’s face turned pale with dismay once again.

“I have matters to attend to today, so let’s refine your skills with a sparring match tomorrow.”

“Pardon? Y-yes… a sparring match tomorrow… Understood, young master.”

Whether Max’s shoulders slumped or not, Tamilan walked back toward the main building, lost in thought.

He hadn’t expected it, but it was certain that Marien Reed would also catch the eyes of the men.

There was no woman more beautiful in Berkshire, so it was only natural.

However, since she seemed to move only between the laundry area and the annex, the chances of knights seeing her were minimal.

But if by chance someone saw her, like today in the greenhouse, rumors would spread quickly.

There were sure to be others like Max who would try to approach her… Would it be wise to give a warning?

Realizing his thoughts were inconsistent, Tamilan pressed his forehead firmly. He had decided not to concern himself with her any longer, so thinking about her like this was a contradiction. Though he had received her help, his decision to keep his distance from her remained unchanged, so he reluctantly brushed aside the thought.

***

After the estate’s renovation was completed, Housekeeper Adel assigned Marien a variety of miscellaneous tasks to assess her capabilities. Adel had long relied on Lisa and Sarah, two of her maids, for reliable and satisfying work, but now Marien became the third. Each had her own working style, but all three consistently pleased Adel.

Marien worked by the book. She didn’t slack off and always fulfilled her share diligently. Her dexterity allowed her to complete tasks quickly, often earning Adel extra time, which made her a favorite. The summer curtains Marien had prepared were finished ahead of schedule thanks to her efforts.

“You did wonderfully, Marien,” Adel said, unable to hold back praise.

“The lady of the house is truly pleased with the summer curtains you made. It’s been a while since she’s looked so radiant.”

“The lady of the house liked the curtains I made?” Marien, surprised by the praise, flushed a rosy red. The original fabric for the curtains had been different, but Marien insisted on a fabric that was less prone to dust, citing the lady’s health as the reason. The new curtains were of such excellent quality that even the picky Madam Maya, who served the lady, was satisfied.

Indeed, it had been an excellent choice to hire Marien, and Adel secretly patted herself on the back.

“That’s right. The lady has decided to spend the summer with your curtains, so we’ll need to keep making them.”

“That won’t be a problem at all,” Marien said with a bright smile, rolling up her sleeves, while Adel responded with a similarly pleased smile.

“Ah, the lady has one more request. She wants the curtains you made to be installed in Sir Tamilan’s room as well.”

“In Sir Tamilan’s room?” Marien blinked in surprise.

“Yes, the lady specifically requested it because she’s that impressed with your skill.”

“……”

After the housekeeper patted her shoulder and left the embroidery room, Marien’s cheeks flushed faintly, and a gentle smile curved her lips.

Which fabric would be best for Sir Tamilan’s curtains? And when should she return his dagger…?

Marien no longer had reasons to visit the laundry area. With the renovations completed, the amount of laundry had decreased, and Sarah had stopped assigning her those tasks.

So, Marien began visiting the laundry area at the times when she thought Tamilan might appear, hoping to return his dagger.

But Tamilan hadn’t shown up, and now, a week later, she still hadn’t been able to hand it over.

She felt awkward, as if she were the kind of person who would hold onto someone else’s belongings. She had expected to return it quickly, which was why she still had it.

Why wasn’t he coming to retrieve it himself? He had seemed to treasure it.

Perhaps she should have found a way to return it immediately back then… but thinking of the knights, she shook her head.

The dagger was one concern, but in truth, Marien was more worried about something else.

She wanted to check if his wound had healed properly, wanted to make sure—like she did with Lisa—that he was recovering. Only then could she feel at ease.

Given that he had refused to see a doctor, he probably hadn’t sought treatment elsewhere. How was he doing?

The uncertainty stirred her anxieties, and she had to make a conscious effort to push those thoughts aside.

It seemed that her frequent encounters with Tamilan had been mere coincidence after all. As Lisa had said, it was rare for commoners to cross paths with members of the Burkeshire family.

“After coming here, I spent quite some time as a maid, but neither the lady nor the master appeared again. Back when the lady was in poor health, the housekeeper handled all maid hirings, so it was rare for someone like me to have met her. Many maids without as much seniority as Sarah or Lisa have never seen the lady at all.”

Marien mused that perhaps by the time one had worked for three or four years like Carol, they might have more chances. However, she was told it was difficult to meet the lady since she rarely left her chambers due to her health. At least the master and young master often went outside, so there were occasional glimpses of them around the castle.

***

Not long after Marien had tended to Tamilan’s arm wound, he was receiving follow-up care from Sir Haint, the captain of the guard.

“It’s almost completely healed, but it’s not fully recovered beneath the surface. You need to be cautious until it’s completely better,” Haint advised seriously, wrapping the final layer of bandages around Tamilan’s arm. Tamilan irritably ran a hand through his hair.

“The injury’s on my left arm. I should be able to wield my sword now. If I keep cutting down on training time, the viscount will start to get suspicious.”

“Light use should be fine, but don’t overdo it like before. The viscount is preoccupied with the mining rights right now, so there’s not much for you to worry about,” Haint said while tightening the last of the bandage, giving another word of caution.

Tamilan gave a slow nod. “How’s the situation progressing?”

“Earl Gilford is bound to throw a fit. It looks like the mine will be transferred to the viscount as planned.”

Tamilan flexed his injured arm experimentally and spoke offhandedly, “Leak information about how the viscount obtained the mine to the Gilford family. Make him rage even more.”

Haint stroked his chin thoughtfully, his expression troubled.

“I’m afraid that might be difficult. For some reason, a few of the viscount’s intelligence agents have left their posts. I’m still trying to find out why…”

“Why? Didn’t you say he’s preoccupied with the mining rights?”

“We need to be cautious for now. You and I both know just how skilled the viscount’s intelligence network is.”

“I see.”

Tamilan’s reply was brief, but his inner thoughts were far from settled. He silently closed and then opened his eyes as if in patient resignation. When he rose from his seat, Sir Haint moved to follow. Tamilan picked up his coat and, with Haint’s assistance, adjusted his uniform neatly. Just as they were leaving the captain’s office—

“So, you’re saying that woman’s some kind of goddess or something? Just listen to how they talk her up… So what’s her name, anyway?”

“I made sure to ask the maids and got her name. It’s Marien Reed. There’s no way a beauty like her exists in the world.”

“So where can we see this maid? You need to tell us that first!”

The boisterous chatter of the knights on break in one corner of the training ground reached Tamilan’s ears like a sharp jab. He turned from his intended path and approached the group.

As Tamilan drew near, the noisy banter gradually diminished, until silence fell.

“Breaks are lasting a bit too long, aren’t they? I guess none of you thought about reviewing your training instead of wasting time with idle chatter.”

It was true that the knights had become a bit lax lately, as Tamilan had been preoccupied with other matters and training sessions had been less frequent.

“Ahem, well! What I was saying was, when you’re doing a downward strike, you need to put proper strength into your lower body…!”

The knights scrambled to switch topics from their gossip about Marien to technical swordsmanship talk. Tamilan’s lips curled slightly in a wry smile.

“I was feeling a bit guilty about not keeping a closer watch on the knights these past few days, but you’ve just given me the perfect chance to make up for it.”

He spoke in a low voice as he placed his hand on the sword sheath and leisurely walked towards the center of the training ground, the duel location.

“……”

The knights all tried not to meet his eyes or glanced at the entrance of the training ground, calculating an escape route.

“Seems like you have plenty of energy since you’ve only been doing multiple against one. How about a one-on-one match? You can duel a few as an example, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

Haint, standing nearby, preemptively spoke, concerned about Tamilan’s arm condition.

Not knowing the reason, the knights’ faces grew worried as even the captain stepped forward, and they all turned to the one responsible for this incident.

Everyone’s resentful gaze fell on Max, and Tamilan’s gaze naturally followed.

“……”

Max truly felt doomed this time.

“Fine, Max Mueller. It’s you. Step forward.”

The sound of the sword sliding from the sheath was chilling.

***

Carrying a basket full of fabric, Margaret, who had gone to pick it up on the head maid’s errand, shouted at Marien.

“Marien! You’re famous now!”

“What are you talking about, Margaret?”

Seeing Marien’s puzzled expression, the flushed Margaret quickly explained,

“I heard on the way back that word’s gotten around among the knights that you’re pretty.”

“Me?”

“Of course! Why are you even asking? Anyway, the important thing is that the knights joked about coming to the main building just to see you, and Young master Tamilan overheard it!”

Marien, who had finally pushed thoughts of Young master Tamilan from her mind, flinched at the mention of his name.

“…Young master Tamilan?”

“Yeah, and I heard he nearly killed half the knights because discipline had slackened. With this level of impact, don’t you think the lord will at least remember your name?”

Margaret spread the word with enthusiasm, but Marien knew better than anyone else that the rumor about Tamilan alone nearly killing half the knights was exaggerated.

No matter how much his arm had recovered over time, how could he have single-handedly faced the entire group with an injured arm?

It was an impossible story.

After finishing her morning chores, Marien walked toward the garden, imagining Tamilan wielding his sword.

He would surely look dashing and impressive.

She was curious to see him training, but the thought of the other knights there made her hesitate.

“Ah, Mr. Felix!”

Spotting the gardener waiting for her up ahead, Marien hurried over, pushing away thoughts of Tamilan. She had asked Felix for flowers to offer to her mother.

“Here, this is it. This is the last rose of the season. It’s in full bloom, so your mother will surely love it.”

Felix handed Marien a pink-tinged white rose, smiling warmly.