“My lord, you shouldn’t make such hasty declarations. The human heart is unpredictable.”

The atmosphere momentarily turned cold, but Roderick smoothly deflected it. Harzen responded indifferently.

“Fine.”

“Oh, by the way, does the madam know that our lord is a spirit contractor?”

Sion asked belatedly, examining Harzen’s expression with concerned eyes. Kalid and Roderick did the same.

They understood and fully accepted Harzen’s situation, but they couldn’t ignore the public perception of spirit contractors and their characteristically unstable temperament.

Spirit energy swirled around Harzen’s hand before dissipating. He answered with a more relaxed expression.

“Yes, I told her openly during our contract discussions. And she’s a spirit contractor too.”

“Oh, is that so? I had no idea that the Black Sword Master was a spirit contractor.”

Roderick’s expression showed interest. Sion and Kalid were both surprised and relieved, caught in a peculiar mix of emotions. Harzen nodded and calmly added:

“I imagine so. The spirit she contracted has a special attribute unlike mine, so it would have been difficult to recognize. She even proposed spirit communication first after our contract.”

“…And you accepted?”

“Yes, it seemed like a reasonable proposal.”

Harzen closed his eyes briefly as he answered Sion’s question. Rizel’s energy, felt through spirit communication, was cozy and stable.

The three men became solemn. They knew that their lord’s previous spirit communication link had been severed due to an unfortunate incident. It was especially tragic since it had been his first connection, and with his mentor no less.

Roderick’s hearty voice broke the heavy silence.

“Oh, isn’t that a perfect match then? Even with different attributes, having the shared experience of being spirit contractors is beneficial. That’s truly excellent.”

“It’s certainly better than an ordinary person.”

When Harzen half-agreed in a low voice, the expressions of those who had been watching cautiously softened. Sion pushed up his glasses and calmly added:

“Hmm, I’m also attracted to her talent. After all, the Black Sword Master is a well-known mercenary in the western and northern regions. She earned a platinum badge at her age—what more needs to be said? It shows her capability.”

“Sir Sion is always practical.”

“That’s precisely what an aide should be. Anyway, I believe there’s no harm in getting along well during the contract period, regardless of the assignment.”

“Indeed.”

After finishing the conversation with them, Harzen processed the documents.

* * *

Rizel’s personal maids blinked several times with slightly dazed expressions. After a brief exchange of glances between the two maids, Eina spoke as their representative.

“First, the overall atmosphere of the mansion is stable. From my perspective, though it’s quite busy, the salary is generous, and the relationships among the staff are appropriately balanced between friendliness and distance, making it a good environment to work in.”

“I see.”

Rizel listened with interest, caressing her chin. Next, Moka carefully continued while gauging the prospective madam’s reaction.

“Second, regarding public opinion about you… there isn’t much to say. Recently, rumors circulated that the Marquis might bring someone to be the mistress of the mansion, and everyone was curious—that’s all.”

“Well, I just arrived at this mansion today.”

Rizel immediately acknowledged this. From the maid’s words, she could roughly guess that her employer had laid some groundwork in advance. Finally, Eina spoke up.

“Third, the Marquis in the mansion is busy and quiet. He’s thorough in everything while remaining detached. Hmm, how should I put it—when he entrusts work to subordinates, he quietly observes and trusts them unless problems arise?”

“Ah, I think I understand the feeling. From the staff’s perspective, he must be a good master to serve.”

“That’s right.”

Eina confirmed with a small smile. Moka also nodded in agreement.

As Rizel, now at ease after hearing her employer’s reputation, began to whistle lightly, Eina suddenly added as if just remembering:

“Oh, and occasionally there are days when his mood and condition are low or he becomes sensitive. I’ve heard it’s best to leave him alone at those times.”

“…Really? Harzen has always been affectionate and respectful with me. I had no idea.”

Rizel’s shoulders slumped as she deliberately mumbled weakly. Beyond what was mentioned in the original story, she needed to gather any information about her employer.

As the atmosphere suddenly plummeted, the personal maids’ gazes crossed busily. Eina and Moka, knowing nothing, earnestly began to comfort her.

“Please don’t be too disheartened. Perhaps the Marquis only wanted to show you his best side.”

“That’s right, it shows how much he cares for you. You don’t need to worry too much.”

“But it hurts to be in the dark about someone you’re going to marry. I wonder if I could know the cause?”

Rizel deliberately pretended to be upset, filling her voice with concern. Finally, Eina took a deep breath and began with a determined face.

“Well, as far as I know, there are two reasons. One involves matters related to his family, including the late former Marquis Carter, and the other is…”

“What is it?”

Rizel’s eyebrows rose slightly at the sight of the hesitant maid trailing off. Eina closed her eyes tightly, then opened them and answered with a slightly shrinking posture.

“…Spirits. Actually, the Marquis is a spirit contractor. But don’t worry! He’s never been extremely possessed, and he’s used the spirits’ power to develop the territory.”

In the end, the two reasons were identical to those mentioned in the original story that became entangled with Parsene. Since it involved family and spirits, there was no need to probe further. Rizel smiled gently and waved her hand.

“Eina, you don’t need to explain so fervently. I already know that Harzen is a spirit contractor. Regardless of public perception, that’s something I can embrace.”

“Ah, I see.”

The complexions of the fidgeting Eina and Moka brightened considerably. She comforted the relieved maids.

“Anyway, thank you for telling me.”

“It’s nothing. I’m glad it was helpful.”

“Yes, then please continue to inform me of various news and help me in the future.”

“Yes.”

The personal maids answered vigorously with nods. She chatted lightly with the two maids and then rested alone.

When dinner time came, Eina came to escort her. Rizel moved to the dining room following the maid’s guidance.

Amidst delicious food well-arranged on the table, Harzen was sitting and waiting. He gestured after noticing her approaching carefully.

“Rizel, sit across from me.”

“Yes.”

She sat facing her employer. While eating silently in their private situation, Harzen broke the silence first.

“Did you rest well?”

“Yes. The room was nice.”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

Silence descended after his calm response. Rizel fiddled with her cutlery before bringing up the topic of work.

“Harzen, what’s the schedule from now on?”

“First, we’ll rest tomorrow, and from the day after, we’ll need to fit your wedding dress and take care of other necessities. After getting married next month and adapting to life in the mansion, there shouldn’t be any special activities for the rest of the year.”

“I understand.”

Rizel committed his concise explanation to memory.

* * *

On the third day since arriving at the Darkus mansion, a visitor came to the mansion as her employer had informed her in advance. Rather than going out, they had directly summoned a dressmaker to the mansion.

The female dressmaker, who arrived carrying numerous items while panting, greeted her with slight nervousness.

“Hello, Lady Rizel! Let’s do our best together today.”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to working with you.”

Rizel lifted the dressmaker’s luggage effortlessly to help. The dressmaker’s eyes widened.

“Oh, but that must be heavy…”

“It’s fine. This is light for me.”

“L-Lady Rizel, you’re strong.”

The dressmaker could only blink. Eina and Moka’s awkwardly extended hands waved in the air before dropping.

“M-Madam, we should be doing this…”

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s just go like this.”

To Rizel’s eyes, the maids looked too fragile. She smiled lightly and moved to the dressing room with everyone.

Upon arriving at the dressing room, the dressmaker unpacked her things and, with the assistance of the personal maids, took Rizel’s measurements before showing her dress samples and catalogs.

There were wedding dresses, everyday dresses, and dresses suitable for banquets, parties, and other social gatherings. As she quietly scanned them with her eyes, the dressmaker’s gentle voice reached her ears.

“Lady Rizel, do you have any preferred dress designs? I’d like to reference them when creating your dresses.”

“…Honestly, there are so many types that it’s difficult to choose. They all look fine to me.”

Rizel let out an awkward laugh. She felt it would be easier if someone could simply pick for her, but having so many options made the choice more difficult. The dressmaker responded with a soft laugh.

“Thank you for saying that. Please take your time choosing and don’t feel pressured. The Marquis of Darkus had a special request.”