Chapter 3

The White Rose Mansion consisted of a total of five buildings, each larger than the main residences of most nobles.

Among the diamond-shaped arrangement of buildings, the beige one in the center was the main building.

The main building meant it was where the Duke resided.

“So I’m supposed to clean that place.”

“That’s right! You’re quick to understand, which is great. I heard from Amy that you’re a good kid, kind and fast with your hands.”

“…Thank you.”

Estelle couldn’t hide her embarrassment at the unfamiliar compliment.

In her life, compliments were usually words that had nothing to do with her.

“Are there any other rules I should keep in mind?”

“Oh! Ah, my goodness, look at me.”

Susan, who had been about to hurry off, came back and gently took Estelle’s hand.

“First, you must never make any footsteps in this mansion. It’s best to hold in even your breathing, coughing, and sneezing as much as possible.”

Susan’s expression darkened as if she were delivering a grave warning. She whispered to Estelle, whose eyes had grown round.

“The Duke hates noise more than anything. Are you afraid of bugs? Even so, you must endure it. If you scream, you’ll either get punished or be thrown out of here!”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good, and let’s see… Windows! Never open any recklessly.”

Estelle nodded. Not opening doors carelessly was a basic rule for any servant.

But why the windows?

Proper ventilation was essential for thorough cleaning.

“The Duke dislikes light.”

At her words, Estelle unconsciously looked up.

Now that she thought about it, something had felt off.

It was certainly a beautiful mansion, but it felt deserted, as if no one lived there, and something about it was different from ordinary mansions.

The source of the strange feeling was exactly that.

Tightly shut windows.

All the windows were blocked with thick velvet curtains, sealed so tightly that not even air could escape. Susan furrowed her brows and moved closer to Estelle.

“When cleaning, you must open and close them quickly. If any light accidentally gets in while the Duke is awake, you’ll be scolded.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to clean at night?”

“Hmm, no! The Duke sleeps from morning until afternoon and wakes once the sun sets. Fortunately, we rarely have to meet him directly. Still, it’s best to be careful, so I’m telling you.”

Susan laughed heartily and patted Estelle’s back.

“Oh my! Look how thin you are. Did you eat before coming? If you’re this skinny, you’ll collapse in no time.”

Susan looked Estelle up and down, clicked her tongue, and led her off somewhere.

Estelle was startled and tried to stop, but Susan’s strong grip left her no choice but to be dragged along.

Was it impossible to work if she was too thin?

She hadn’t expected that. Faced with an uncontrollable situation, Estelle was flustered.

“I’m sorry, Auntie. I’ll eat well before coming from now on, so please let me work just for today…!”

But Susan didn’t take Estelle outside the mansion, but rather to a small room where the servants gathered.

A spacious room connected to the kitchen, furnished simply and comfortably. When Susan opened the door, the servants inside looked at them.

The moment the lively chatter stopped dead.

“Ah, I’m sorry….”

“Alright! Attention! She’s our friend who’ll be working in Amy’s place, so everyone, please kindly teach her anything she doesn’t know! And!”

Putting Estelle in front, Susan grinned broadly.

“She’s pretty, right?! But so thin. Give her something to eat!”

“Huh? Really? Amy’s substitute has arrived? Welcome! That’s great!”

At that, the older men and women burst out laughing and came over to seat Estelle.

“Sit down, quick. We happened to bring some food from home.”

“Just today, we harvested fresh fruit! The Duke won’t like it, so let’s eat it ourselves! Haha.”

One side of the room was connected to the garden, and on the table placed there, delicious food was spread out in abundance.

Estelle couldn’t take her eyes off the hospitality she was experiencing for the first time in her life.

* * *

‘The mansion is dark, so it’s easy to bump into things. Try walking with your hand on the wall. It’ll help a lot.’

The servants gave her advice.

Just as they said, the ducal residence was pitch dark, with not a single ray of light. Not only the main building, but all the buildings were like that.

After cleaning two annexes for half a day, Estelle finally entered the main building to finish tidying up.

‘It feels chilly. The inside of the mansion is even colder.’

Estelle exhaled cautiously.

Outside, the sunlight sparkled warmly on the pale pink roofs, but inside, it was darker than any abyss.

Once she closed the front door, which had let in faint light, an endless, pitch-dark corridor stretched out before her.

‘The Duke rarely wakes before seven in the evening. So while he sleeps, secretly, quickly! Crack open the windows for ventilation and clean.’

‘No brooms. Only use a wet mop quietly.’

‘The Duke dislikes even the faintest noise of a broom brushing the carpet.’

No more than one person could wander the main building for cleaning. Only one.

If there were two, they might exchange words or double the footsteps, so it was forbidden.

The servants of the White Rose Mansion did their jobs but lived as if they didn’t exist.

Fortunately, Estelle was good at that.

She had always lived at home as quietly as a mouse.

After nearly finishing cleaning the third floor of the main building, Estelle finally took a breath.

The mansion was so large and had so many rooms that it was not easy to clean them all in a short time.

Now, only one room remained.

‘Once I clean the study, today’s work will be done.’

Before the Duke awakened, everything had to be cleaned up in a hurry.

According to Aunt Susan, the Duke’s most cherished space was the study.

‘It’s a very important place.’

It was originally managed by Aunt Amy, whose hands were always skillful. Now, it was Estelle’s responsibility.

Fortunately, thanks to Aunt Amy’s diligent last cleaning, there wasn’t much left for Estelle to do.

As the new maid, Estelle had to finish this task perfectly and quietly, without any mistakes.

She needed to clean without moving the Duke’s belongings on the table. This was the most important part.

Estelle, tense, finished cleaning with great care.

Even the books, pens, and ink bottle on the table were neatly arranged, as if following some rule.

This showed the Duke’s thorough nature, but it wasn’t something a mere servant should concern herself with. Estelle straightened her back, lifting the water bucket.

At that moment, the bucket bumped into the edge of the bookshelf, and the water sloshed and splashed out.

The water did not fall onto the fine carpet.

It landed on a man’s shoe.

“So you’re the new servant.”

A low voice brushed against the back of her neck.

The sound of footsteps approaching stopped behind Estelle. The tension running down her spine made her shoulders stiffen.

“There’s a strong smell of water. I’ve never smelled this scent from any other servant.”

Estelle was about to open her mouth, but swallowed her words.

The most important rule of the mansion:

‘Never speak.’

One must never raise their voice in the main building. Especially not in the place where the Duke resided.

Just as she was about to turn her head, the man behind her pressed her strongly.

There was no chance to turn around or escape.

Estelle, her gaze fixed on the tightly packed bookshelves, froze and even held her breath.

Though he didn’t touch her, the warmth from so close felt heavy. The air seemed incredibly dense.

“A maid with poor manners.”

His low voice carried boredom and reproach. The unfamiliar man’s deep tone made Estelle even more tense.

Her trembling green eyes couldn’t focus, and as he came close enough for her to see the title of the book in front of her, her vision blurred.

Then, the man’s sharp nose brushed against her hair.

“No one bothered to kindly warn a young maid not to enter carelessly?”

His broad, firm body touched her back.

When Estelle stumbled and made contact, a guttural sound escaped from deep in the man’s throat.

“The reason you’re left in the study at this hour is either to steal something,”

His voice, thick with breath, made her fingers curl. He stamped his wet shoe on the floor.

“Or it’s a not-so-clever plan to get noticed.”

Estelle couldn’t raise her bowed head.

“Which is it?”