Emily took a deep breath, keeping her gaze averted as she tried to calmly reason with the eccentric man before her.  

“…It’s truly unfortunate, my lord, that there are no suitable young ladies in this region for you to associate with.”  

Though her voice trembled with fear, the message seemed to get through.  

“You’re surprisingly articulate, aren’t you?”  

She didn’t know what he meant by that, but even meaningless praise was still praise, and she felt obligated to express gratitude.  

“Thank you, my lord.”  

“Were you educated somewhere?”  

“I worked at the vicar’s house for a long time. The vicar’s wife taught me many things.”  

“I see.”  

Her answer seemed adequate, but he didn’t say anything further. Curious about his reaction, Emily cautiously raised her eyes.  

When their gazes met, the young master smiled at her, dimples forming on his porcelain-like cheeks. The unexpected sight left Emily frozen like a statue.  

Had time stopped? Or was it that his refined elegance was so overwhelming, it seemed to purify and still the space around him? 

The sunlight streaming through the window seemed to gather and glow around him, making his presence even more radiant.  

His soft, curved gaze partially veiled his striking blue eyes, and his sharp nose and gracefully shaped lips made his beauty almost otherworldly. It was a sight too stunning for mere words to describe.  

Caught off guard, Emily didn’t realize her gaze was fixed on him, as though she couldn’t look away.  

“What is it?”  

The silence broke, and only then did Emily realize she had been staring at him for far too long. Startled, she quickly lowered her head.  

“N-Nothing, my lord.”  

She stared at the floor, trying to calm her burning eyes and the ringing in her ears. Even as she struggled to regain her composure, the vivid afterimage of his face lingered. 

She noticed his polished shoes step back, and for a moment, she dared to hope he was leaving. But then, another question came.  

“What brought you to work here?”  

“…I heard they were hiring, and the vicar’s wife wrote me a recommendation letter.”  

Should she repeat what she had already told the steward? Would giving too much detail be seen as inappropriate? 

Unsure, Emily hesitated before glancing up slightly to gauge his mood.  

“I see.”  

The young master turned his head to look into the distance. Before Emily could say anything else, he slowly turned away.  

“It was a short conversation, but I enjoyed it, Emily.”  

* * *

Arthur left the attic and headed straight for the bathroom.  

“M-My lord…?”  

“Out. All of you.”  

He dismissed the lingering servants with a sharp command, turned on the bathtub faucet, and began stripping off his clothes.  

Even with the most modern plumbing, hot water didn’t come out immediately without priming the pipes, but Arthur couldn’t wait. He stepped into the cold water anyway, unable to endure the noise cluttering his mind.  

“…”  

As the ringing in his ears subsided, his blurred thoughts gradually cleared. But with clarity came a surge of anger.  

What kind of drug had they used on him to leave him in this state?  

He could tolerate the occasional hallucinations and auditory delusions, but the real issue was that the symptoms had flared up at such a critical moment. His mind had felt foggy, like it was wrapped in a dense mist, making it impossible to think or speak properly.  

He had finally seized an opportunity to approach that outsider, only to fail to make a proper impression. Though he had tried to maintain a calm demeanor, there had been a point when he couldn’t even understand what she was saying, forcing him to retreat.  

So, why exactly had she come to work here?  

Arthur splashed the still-cold water over his face, scrubbing hard. Then he quickly dismissed the thought. Judging by the sack-like clothing she had worn when he first saw her, she was likely just another poor girl looking for a few coins in exchange for menial labor.  

If that were the case, simply giving her some money would solve the issue. The problem was that he currently had no disposable funds. If he did, he wouldn’t have needed to resort to approaching someone like her in the first place.  

What mattered now was that she seemed to be extremely wary of him. Perhaps she had heard stories about him from the other staff. 

Even so, he had tried to be as approachable as possible—introducing himself by name, behaving like a gentleman to avoid being mistaken for a philanderer—but her fear had been written all over her face.  

Arthur replayed the interaction in his mind, analyzing every detail to ensure his fogged brain hadn’t caused him to act improperly. He recalled her behavior, her reluctance to speak, and the few words she had managed to say.  

“A suitable young lady from a good family, she said…”  

For a girl from the countryside, her speech had been surprisingly polished. There was something peculiar about her tone, but that wasn’t important. Arthur returned to his earlier thoughts.  

When their eyes met, and he smiled at her, her reaction was…  

That brief moment when her wary and fearful expression gave way to a dazed look was something Arthur recognized all too well. He had seen it countless times before. 

Though he found it bothersome, his appearance often drew unwanted attention from women.  

He let out a dry laugh, staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Even wet and disheveled, his features remained intact. It was the one inheritance he could still rely on after losing everything else.  

With an irritated hand, he scrubbed his face again before leaning back against the edge of the tub with a sigh. Water spilled over the rim, soaking the bathroom floor, but cleaning it up was someone else’s problem.  

* * *

Emily finished her tasks for the day, outwardly calm but inwardly shaken.  

At first, she worried she might have made a mistake. But the conversation had been brief, with little of substance exchanged.  

Nothing she had feared had come to pass. That left only the situation itself. What kind of illness afflicted the young master that he would stoop to speaking with someone as insignificant as her? 

Her mind was filled with questions, but there was no one to answer them.  

The only person who might know something was Hannah, but she didn’t seem approachable at the moment. When Emily returned to their shared room, she found Hannah lying face-down on her bed, quietly sobbing.  

Emily hesitated before silently heading to her own spot. Hannah stirred at the sound, sitting up with a sniffle.  

“Nothing happened,” Hannah mumbled.  

Something had clearly happened.  

“I just… I miss my mom. That’s all.”  

“I see.”  

Hannah didn’t seem to want comfort, so Emily left it at that. After a moment of silence, Hannah wiped her face and asked in a nasal voice,  

“You’re better at your job than I expected.”  

Had Hannah been scolded for underperforming again? Emily had seen it happen several times but pretended not to know as she cautiously replied,  

“Really? I was worried, but I’m glad to hear that.”  

Emily decided to test the waters with a carefully worded question.  

“I’m still unsure about some things, though. Is there anything I should be careful about while working?”  

Hannah’s mood seemed to improve, as she puffed herself up and answered with a hint of arrogance.  

“Well, for starters, don’t go near the basement storage. That’s where they keep the expensive liquor and spices.”  

“Of course. I wouldn’t even look at it unless I was assigned to clean it.”  

“And… be careful around the steward. He’s very strict.”  

Emily nodded, hoping to steer the conversation toward the young master.  

“Mr. Jefferson is strict, huh? Thanks for the warning.”  

“No, not Mr. Jefferson. He’s actually very nice.”  

“Oh, so there’s a separate butler? I’ve never met him.”  

One more difficult superior to deal with, but that wasn’t the focus right now. Hannah, however, seemed preoccupied, muttering seriously to herself.  

“He went to the capital right before you arrived. When is he coming back, I wonder?”  

“I see.”  

Emily was about to give up when Hannah let out a frustrated sigh, pulling her hair loose.  

“The butler needs to return soon. The young master’s medicine ran out ages ago.”  

Emily’s ears perked up, but she casually fluffed her pillow as she echoed Hannah’s words.  

“The young master’s medicine ran out? That sounds serious.”  

“He keeps wandering around. I’m worried he’ll cause another commotion… Anyway, let’s go take a bath.”  

Hannah ended the conversation there, but Emily felt she had learned something important.  

She let out a quiet sigh of relief. The young master was clearly unwell, but as long as the butler returned from the capital, she’d probably never have to deal with him again.