Countess Helen Windell was truly a person who spoke in a gentle, measured way. Bronwynner thought it would be nice if she could imitate even half of the countess’s speech.

The countess was also a thoughtful person.

On the day Madame Floss visited, after tea time, the countess suggested that Bronwynner take a walk in the garden. Arm in arm, they entered the camellia grove, and after walking for a while, the countess carefully said,

“Miss Pemberton, I hope you weren’t too hurt by what Lord Crimsworth said.”

“I wasn’t hurt at all, not in the slightest.”

Bronwynner answered honestly.

Ah, truly, her heart wasn’t hurt……! She just felt offended.

Her employer was remarkably direct, and his skill at sarcasm was, like his handsome face, arguably the best in Lennox.

The problem was that he hadn’t just said incorrect things.

⌜Only by stripping away that cheap look can I save face as the Duke of Crimsworth.⌟

Certainly, Bronwynner looked cheap. Until recently, she had been barely making ends meet on a nanny’s salary, so it would be strange if she didn’t. And she was now reminding herself daily not to forget her place while wearing expensive clothes and eating delicious food in the suddenly abundant environment she found herself in.

A life beyond one’s means ruins a person both materially and mentally. She worried that when she returned to her original life, she might feel that the luxurious lifestyle had been ‘taken away’ from her.

The life after the employment contract ended would be hers alone. Jeremy Lovedale would never understand her desire to exercise restraint for that time.

And he had no reason to.

‘Still…… couldn’t he speak more kindly.’

This thought crept in whenever he uttered something crooked.

This too was something Bronwynner had no right to expect. Jeremy was simply doing his job as an employer. Moreover, the work he had assigned her paid much better than the nanny job and was physically easier. Everyone except the employer himself was uniformly kind to her.

Just like Countess Windell.

“Miss Pemberton is such a generous person.”

“I just know my place.”

The countess took her hand.

“You don’t need to think that way. Lord Crimsworth probably just wanted to do well in his role as guardian. You know that my brother Derek is close to him, don’t you? My maiden family, the Farraways, and the Lovedales have been close since our parents’ time. When we were children, the three of us used to play together here at Crimsworth Court. Back then, we called each other Helen and Jeremy comfortably. It was before Maude was born.”

While the countess’s childhood was easy to imagine, somehow it was difficult to picture that man having a childhood too.

Bronwynner recalled Jeremy’s autumn-sunlight golden hair and his ash-gray eyes that resembled a cool breeze. Those were colors too brilliant or too cold for a little boy. He must have had a time when he was Kaylee’s age, but considering his current slender height and long limbs, he must have been much taller than his peers even at six.

‘He probably wasn’t even cute.’

She concluded decisively.

The countess continued her story.

“Even back then, he, I mean, Jeremy had a certain coldness compared to Derek.”

‘Should that personality be described as cold……?’

From Bronwynner’s perspective, that man wasn’t so much cold-natured as he was somewhat twisted. Lady Windell was such a gentle person that he probably seemed cold in comparison. She listened quietly.

“But he changed after the late Duke of Lovedale passed away.”

Bronwynner only vaguely knew that his and Maude’s parents had died early.

“Losing their parents so young must have been difficult for both Lord Crimsworth and Lady Maude.”

When she said this, the countess nodded.

“Yes, truly…… it was a terrible and sad affair. At that time, our parents wanted to take young Maude in and care for her, but Maude found Goldenborough unfamiliar, and Jeremy wanted to keep his sister here, so it didn’t happen.”

Since Crimsworth was the largest and most prosperous territory in central Lennox, the Lovedale siblings surely lacked nothing materially even after losing their parents. This Crimsworth Court still belonged to the siblings. Unlike Bronwynner, who had faced eviction from a small crumbling rental house immediately after losing her father and mother one after another.

That didn’t mean there was any reason for losing parents not to be sad.

Bronwynner sincerely mourned the late Duke and Duchess of Lovedale.

The countess continued.

“If only Lady Crimsworth had lived…… She loved her husband so deeply that the shock gave her a serious illness, and she followed him a year later.”

Bronwynner was quick-witted. She immediately noticed that the countess didn’t want to directly mention the cause of the late Duke of Lovedale’s death.

‘Was there some unsavory incident?’

Even if it had affected that twisted man, what could she do about it?

Still, if Lady Windell went this far to explain, it gave Bronwynner one more reason not to take his harsh words to heart. If she just did as he said, she wouldn’t have to hear unpleasant words anyway.

‘Just listen to what the employer says.’

Having reached this conclusion, she expressed sympathy to Lady Windell.

“That’s truly unfortunate, Countess.”

* * *

However, making that resolution proved futile as another incident disturbed Bronwynner’s peace of mind.

It happened while she was practicing the waltz in the atelier.

Maude was playing the piano accompaniment, and Seth, who had been forcibly dragged in by the young mistress, awkwardly served as Bronwynner’s partner. Countess Windell was observing her posture and steps.

“Seth, lead the lady more actively. Miss Pemberton doesn’t know where to go, so her steps are getting tangled.”

Seth was a tall, handsome footman who enjoyed the highest popularity among the maids at Crimsworth Court. True to his position, which was based on height and looks, he was vain and confident, but for some reason, he kept making mistakes in front of Bronwynner, acting nervous.

Flustered by Lady Windell’s comment, Seth missed the beat. This caused Bronwynner’s steps to tangle again. Seth lightly grabbed her arm as she stumbled.

“Are you alright?”

She smiled.

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry for being clumsy.”

“You shouldn’t apologize to me, Miss Pemberton.”

That was something Bronwynner often found confusing. When should a lady apologize and when should she not?

Countess Windell nodded.

“Seth is right. When your partner makes a mistake, you should wait until they apologize, then say it’s alright.”

“You know what, my lady? Lady Devon doesn’t apologize even when she makes mistakes.”

The countess pretended not to hear Maude’s comment. Having heard the name Lady Devon before, Bronwynner was curious about who she was. Noticing this, Maude looked at Bronwynner.

“Lady Devon is the leading candidate to become Lady Crimsworth. Her Majesty the Queen is desperate to match her with my brother.”

Talking distracted Maude, who now played the accompaniment incorrectly. Bronwynner’s steps tangled because of that. This time, she apologized to her partner.

“Seth, I’m sorry.”

Seth’s earlobes turned red.

“I should have paid more attention just now.”

Maude chattered on.

“That’s right, Seth. What I got wrong wasn’t the rhythm but the harmony. Anyway, Lady Devon was the first student at the Whitman School. She’s the former Marchioness Whitman’s granddaughter. If I were Miss Pemberton, I’d keep my distance from Lady Devon.”

⌜I am your guardian, not your fiancé.⌟

Why did that statement have to come to mind now of all times?

Bronwynner had taken Jeremy’s words to heart and treated him very formally whenever they happened to meet. The relationship between a guardian and ward might differ from that of an employer and employee, but he hadn’t said anything about it.

She still felt embarrassed when she remembered how she had mentioned becoming his mistress when he first offered her the job. Sometimes she would suddenly recall it while trying to sleep and kick her blanket in frustration.

So she felt somewhat indignant, and if Maude hadn’t immediately added more, she might have replied, ‘I won’t do anything that might cause Lady Devon to misunderstand.’

“Lady Devon already made her debut at the end of last year. Since then, she’s conquered half of Whittingham society. She’s truly a thorny rose, a peony in full bloom……”

“Maude, that’s enough.”

The countess intervened.

Seth asked what Bronwynner was curious about.

“Then who controls the other half of society, Lady Maude?”

“That would be Lady Celestine Harrows. Those two are the twin pillars of the Whitman School.”

‘Lady Celestine’ was related to the purpose for which Jeremy had hired Bronwynner. She pretended to focus on her feet while listening to the girl’s chatter.

“Miss Pemberton, if you must become close to one of them, Lady Celestine would be better. At least she’s somewhat kind. That’s probably because her fiancé shows more interest in the engagement.”

“Well, Lord Crimsworth does show absolutely no interest in marriage.”

Seth’s words carried a hint of relief, likely due to the custom where existing servants are completely replaced when a new mistress arrives. It was quite common for ladies to bring footmen or maids they had employed in their maiden homes.

‘If…… the duke marries Lady Devon, will I lose my job too?’

Bronwynner idly imagined.

“Crimsworth does need a mistress. My brother won’t settle down, and you can see how troublesome that is for me.”

“Lord Crimsworth is still young.”

Countess Windell had married a man eight years older than herself and was quite satisfied with that life.

“I didn’t know everyone was so interested in my marriage.”

At the sudden intrusion of this voice, the piano accompaniment stopped. Seth, who had been turning Bronwynner’s body counterclockwise, came to an abrupt halt. She lost her balance and ended up in a position where she was cradled in the footman’s broad embrace.

While in his arms, her eyes met Jeremy’s.

* * *

“Jeremy! Didn’t you say you were going to Whittingham today?”

Maude asked.

“Plans changed.”

He replied curtly. Maude looked around.

“Oh, we were in the middle of practicing waltz…… that is, Miss Pemberton was.”

“Ah, so that was waltz.”

He stared at Bronwynner. Whenever she received such a gaze, she felt as if she had done something wrong. She felt the same when he said this:

“Well, shall we see the results of the practice, Miss Pemberton?”

Maude placed her hands on the piano keys, and Seth also put his hand on Bronwynner’s slender waist. Bronwynner composed herself.