Happy ending 4

 Chapter 4

    ***

    Lily was uncomfortable by the male nobles giving her something.

    As they handed her gifts, they would say things like. “Don't feel burdened because it's just a favor.”

    If she refused, they even forced her to take it. There was nothing she could do if they delivered it to the mansion so Lily's parents knew.

    Then, when she danced with another nobleman, they felt betrayed.

    “After all I've done for her, why would she give the first dance to someone else?”

    One day, three men who loved Lily got into a fight at one of the Marchioness's outdoor parties. 

    “Lily Hedwick is my lady!”

    “That's shameless! Do you know how many diamonds I've given her? How can you claim her with a house you can't even afford?”

    They claimed ownership of Lily and compared how much money they had spent. In the end, after they couldn't come to a compromise and wielded their swords, Lily was uncomfortable with a one-sided gift from someone else.

    As such, it was uncomfortable to stay at Blake's castle for free.

    Even though Lily herself asked to stay. 

    ‘I asked for the job when I came into the castle, why didn't he say anything?’

    Of course, she didn’t misunderstand that there were other intentions behind this strange Duke.

    'He's not polite, and he has a rough mouth..........'

    However he was a much better man than the nobles who wore masks to hide their dirty insides.

    Still, it was a good idea to return the favor she received anyway.

    As long as she didn’t run into the man as he wanted.

    Lily rested for a while in the assigned room and raised her upper body.

    "..."

    It was dawn.

    It hadn't been more than a few hours since Lily had arrived at the castle late at night.

    She washed up in warm water and her body was tired.

    But she still couldn't sleep.

    It seemed that she would feel better if she helped with the castle work now…

    ‘I got such a nice room too. I have to do something.’

    Lily mumbled, looking around again.

    It was the room with the bathroom that Blake carried her in in his arms. It was high up in the castle and overlooked the snow-covered mountains.

    This was far from the fashionable homes of the capital of the empire.

    There were no famous paintings left behind by dead artists, and no expensive dry vine roses and displays.

    Still, it was the room of an aristocrat that she felt he did his best in the remote winter castle in the middle of the mountains.

    In the capital, witchcraft, a symbol of luxury, was everywhere.

    'Indeed, it seems that the witchcraft resources are mined by the Duke. I wish Lord Blake would let me handle things related to magic, but it doesn't seem necessary.'

    Lily knew how to use magic.

    It wasn't strong but enough to be used in everyday life.

    Still, spellcasters who used unscientific powers were in high demand wherever they went. However, Lily did not bring it up. It was because Blake found her a bother.

    It was like a silent rejection when rumors spread that the socialite flower was a spellcaster and he said nothing. 

    Of course, there was a misunderstanding.

    Blake classified the imperial palace newsletter as trash without reading it.

    He sometimes relieved his stress that way.

    -Trash, trash, trash this, trash that. One more bloody trash.

    -Do you want to take it all to the fireplace? Oh, I think this paper would make a good spark. -Yes, it would. We should be thankful the fireplace doesn't vomit.

    So the day he learned Lily's famous secret came later. It really was an appropriate time. 

    ‘I don't know how Lord Blake could not have known. I also said that I received magical help on my way to the Winter Castle.’

    ‘He misunderstood me when I said I used magic.’

    He misunderstood it on his own.

    Lily went out into the hallway anyway. She wanted to find something to do to pass the time.

    Outside the room, she could feel the rough, cold face of the castle. Just then, she heard someone in the kitchen.

    The sound of clinking as they washed dishes.

    The bubbles were simmering as if they were cooking.

    It was a vulgar but funny joke.

    Lily leaned her head gently toward the kitchen.

    "Gianna?"

    She called out the name of the maid assigned to her.

    The warm steam coming out of the pot instantly wet her cheeks.

    It was indeed a barren and cold space outside, but ...... it quickly turned into a lively and warmly inhabited place.

    “Ahahaha! That's really ridiculous!"

    The red-haired woman who had been laughing loudly and vigorously raised her head.

    “Miss Lily? What can I do for you at this hour?"

    Gianna glanced out the kitchen window. The snow had stopped and there was a winter mountain scenery under a full moon.

    "It's still dawn!"

    The employers of the castle were generally large, in fact all the people of the dukedom were.

    The people of the duchy had once been the Upus people. Even now, their identity was the same.

    The Imperials called themselves "pure-blooded Imperials" and had a bad tendency to despise the Upus people as barbarians.

    Gianna was a true Upus.

    She was large and her skin was light brown. 

    She wiped her rough hands on a rag and stood in front of Lily, the height difference was even greater.

     

    Lily thought the servants were more like hunters than the demure servants she had seen.

    “Are you hungry? You came here at dawn. You can eat then go to bed.”

    "No. I said breakfast can wait for tomorrow, and I must keep my word. Besides, what are you all doing together?"

    Lily looked over Gianna's strong shoulder at the other maids.

    It had been five hundred years since the Upus Kingdom had been incorporated into the Empire, and not all of them were born in perfect Upus, so their skin color was different.

    The Duke didn't seem to have a concept of servant's clothes, so they all wore ordinary clothes.

    Even the servants who took care of her bath wore normal clothes. It was true that the laws of survival were more important here... 

    ‘...I would wear something comfortable like that.’

    Sitting in a circle, the maids were cutting dried meat.

    It was a truly unique and amusing sight to Lily. It was like a group of hunters.

    One of the maids sneered and laughed unnaturally.

    “Hahaha, that's nice.........................dawn.”

    The employees of the Upus house were awkward with Lily.

    The two maids who helped Lily with the bath were not here.

    The maids here seemed distant to Lily. They shared a glance.

    “Are the Pureblood Imperials normally so white and frail?”

    “You'll only find out when more Pureblood Imperials come to this castle.”

    “The aide, IIDexter, is big even though he’s from there. That woman really seems to be a noble lady.'' 

    Lily felt like a chick in a wolf's den.

    Everyone had adapted to the harsh wild and lived rough, but they had to be careful with this chick because if she was accidentally stepped on, she might get seriously hurt.

    But Gianna was comfortable with Lily. They had just gotten a little closer when she introduced her last name earlier. Gianna explained, trying to refrain from using harsh words familiar to her mouth.

    “We’re making preserved food together. Around this time of year, snow storms comes and the mountain path is completely cut off.”

    "That's wonderful. Is there anything I can help you with?"

    Lily wanted to give them a hand. She wanted anything to do with labor.

    The maids looked at each other, bewildered.

    “Yes….but how much strength could she apply with those skinny arms?”

    "Gold."

    "Hmm..............."

    In the first place, they didn't know the nobles worked. They knew how high class people in the empire lived.

    And how noble they pretended to be.

    They were the ones who see the working class less than dogs.

    Every once in a while, Blake the Master would come in with an earful of information whenever he had to go to the capital.

    They didn't know when the good-looking Lily would suddenly become angry and slap them.

    "............ So, would you like to have a taste?"

    The freckled maid held out a well-dried piece of dried meat.

    Lily crouched down between them and ate the meat without hesitation.

    "Oh!"

    She imagined the brick-hard jerky people ate only in the slums, but it was completely different. It didn't even smell like it and it was easy to chew.

    “It’s not as salty as I thought it would be."

    What's more, it even felt like something she had eaten as a child. It was as if someone as small as her was sharing something that he had carefully brought with him from a distant place. It was a taste of memories, flickering in front of her eyes, scenes she didn’t even remember.

    The maids, who were staring at Lily with nervousness, loosened their facial muscles.

    They were nervous that she would yell at them for giving her such a thing. However, Lily chewing the jerky, was adorable.

    “Oh, yes. Snow storms don't last too long, and they don't come very often."

    “Try this part too. It's the lower belly part near the hind legs, but it's much softer."

    Lily was full thanks to the occasional snacking.

    The maids were buoyed by her beautiful smile as she ate all she could.

    They rolled up the sleeves of their dresses and selected the most well-made jerky.

    "But am I being helpful right now?"

    Lily questioned after her small stomach was about to burst.

    No matter how she looked at it, this was not a way to help, but a way to get a treat. The maids loved it so much, so they tried to match the mood.......

    "Ah yes! Of course."

    The middle girl, the one was most awkward, laughed out loud.

    The girls were busy just feeding Lily. They brought a new piece of meat to Lily's mouth every time she finished.

    Lily couldn't go on like this and looked around. She had to find something else to do. There was an old barrel on the sink came to her vision.

    "What purpose did you have for putting it up there like that?"

    Gianna answered Lily's question.

    "A horse is about to give birth. It’s the Master’s favorite. So we replace drinking fountain water with warm water every hour and check on its conditions….”

    "Are you going to do it now?"

    "Yes, I was just going to finish cleaning the jerky and go right to the stable."

    “Then I'll go. Can I take the hot water to the stable?"

    Lily quickly got up and held the wooden barrel in her arms. She was happy to have something to do properly.