Chapter 10
“Well, I heard he completely incinerated a ten-meter radius. Even the nearby horses and the loot were burned to ashes. Luckily, no one was hurt.”
I imagined the scene in my mind.
I pictured him sitting alone in the middle of a blackened forest.
What he showed in the library earlier was just a small taste.
“…He’s really powerful.”
“Of course. With the Master’s support, he’s been doing various research and development, so he’s even more famous now. In his field, he might be considered one of the top talents in the Empire.”
I thought about how he had complained about the workload. A small chuckle escaped me as I thought,
I guarantee you’ll never be able to quit.
People who constantly talk about quitting usually can’t. Real quitters just leave quietly without a fuss.
And the salary here looked pretty generous.
If it were me, I’d be grateful and work with a “Thank you for employing me” attitude.
He’s so carefree, saying whatever comes to mind.
But…
Didn’t it feel like we actually had a good conversation?
Talking to him had been fun, and I had learned a lot. He was skilled enough to have personally made the God’s Tears potion.
Being on good terms with him won’t hurt.
I smiled faintly and sipped the sherbet that had melted into sweet juice.
In fact, I would probably run into Ansen a lot from now on.
I need to figure out if I really am some kind of mutant and maybe even ask him to make more of the God’s Tears.
Of course, not for killing anyone—
For business purposes!
The God’s Tears was still an undisclosed potion here. Even if it were revealed, its dosage would classify it as dangerous.
But I already knew how to lower the concentration and reprocess it. I had read about it.
When was that potion’s secret revealed in the original story again?
If I started making it just a little earlier than that, it would be a huge hit.
Who would refuse a potion that could amplify manifestation powers?
I could almost hear the sound of money jingling in my head. I laughed to myself and jumped up.
I noticed the wall clock—it was six o’clock.
I said firmly to Anna,
“Anna, stop cleaning now.”
Anna straightened her bent back, eyes wide.
“Suddenly? Why?”
“Go home. Quickly. It’s six o’clock.”
“Eh?”
An awkward silence followed. Tilting her head, Anna cautiously asked,
“Uh… go home? What does that mean?”
I opened my mouth wide in shock. She didn’t know what leaving work meant?
How much had she been working? Thinking back, Anna had been by my side from the moment I woke up until I went to sleep.
Does she even take breaks while working?!
“My goodness…”
I took a deep breath and said sternly,
“…Anna. From now on, you must leave work at six.”
“So… that means…?”
“Go back to your room and rest. Take your personal time until tomorrow before you come back. Do whatever you want during that time. I won’t interfere.”
“O-okay… okay?!”
Anna was startled and dropped the duster she was holding.
I ignored it and pointed to the clock.
“See, it’s already six. So go for today.”
“No! What about dinner? And my bath…!!”
“It’s fine. I’ll take care of that. Just go home.”
A person won’t die from not bathing for a day. But Anna kept waving her hands helplessly.
“Miss, servants don’t get breaks! The time you sleep is my rest time! Did I do something to upset you…?”
I cut her off firmly.
“Anna. Every job—every servant—must have a time to leave work. And, in my opinion, the proper workday is eight hours.”
I shook my head, remembering my previous life spent as a working machine.
“If you keep working like this, your body will break. On your way, stop by the library and tell Ansen to take a rest too.”
“Wha—? Since when…?”
I had no choice but to step up to Anna. Without hesitation, I started pushing her toward the door.
“Come on, hurry and leave work, okay?”
“Oh my! Miss! Why are you doing this?”
Anna waved her hands frantically, but I didn’t stop and pushed her fully out the door.
“Come back around eleven tomorrow. I’ll be sleeping in. Got it?”
Then I said, “Rest well,” and quickly locked the door.
“Miss—!!”
Anna pounded on the door outside, calling desperately.
I hummed a tune and walked straight to my bed, flopping down.
“See you tomorrow, Anna!”
Happily shouting, I heard a small sigh from outside, then footsteps slowly retreating.
Feeling relieved, I rolled over on the bed and stretched.
Poor Anna didn’t even know what leaving work meant.
If the servants needed help even after leaving, they could alternate day and night shifts.
From now on, I’ll make sure everyone leaves work on time.
I had experienced a hard, enslaved life before. Now that I was the employer here, I wanted to live with some humanity.
In my previous life, I never had the time or means to help others…
But here, I had plenty I could do.
After all, I’m the daughter of a wealthy family where money and food flow freely just for existing!
I got up with a proud expression and walked to the window.
Pulling back the curtains, I opened the window and saw the mansion’s garden, filled with trees and flowering vines.
The leaves swayed gently in the wind, and the sunset painted the sky in a spectacular view.
I closed my eyes with a happy expression and murmured lazily,
“This feels really good.”
It truly was a peaceful evening.
Another day in this place was coming to an end.
The next day, at lunch.
I chewed the crispy-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside chicken and said,
“…So, I think Ansen should get a vacation.”
“A vacation?”
The Duke asked, his voice low. I answered,
“Yes, a vacation.”
He slowly put down his fork.
“I thought he was already sufficiently compensated.”
I nervously sipped apple juice, then cautiously raised my head.
“Uh… you’ve never experienced being a servant, so you might not know, but when working, there are important things beyond compensation. For example…”
He raised one eyebrow, questioning. I muttered in a small voice,
“Making sure they have enough rest time…”
Before I could finish, he interrupted with a sigh.
“Why should I care about his rest time?”
“….”
I was at a loss for words, staring at him. He seemed completely unaware of the problem.
Hmm, how do I explain this…?
Then an idea came to mind: perspective-taking is best in situations like this.
“So, the person who has to work without rest… is you, Father.”
I stopped mid-sentence. The Duke would never work under someone, so I was a better example.
“…Imagine it’s me.”
I explained passionately.
“Don’t think of it as someone else. If my own family member were overworked like this, wouldn’t you feel a little concerned?”
At that moment, Walter, standing behind the Duke, snickered, then quickly covered his mouth in surprise.
I glanced at him and continued.
“What if someone has to work in a harsh environment, without sleep or proper meals?”
“….”
“What if they were locked away in a room alone, with no time for family?”
“….”
A heavy silence fell in the dining room.
Finally, the Duke spoke mechanically.
“Ansen is…”
I opened my eyes wide in anticipation.
“An orphan.”
“…?”
“He has no family waiting at home.”
I blinked in disbelief.
How did the conversation even end up here? And was it okay to hear this from someone else?
This is worse than a wall.
I quickly regained my composure. I couldn’t give up on Ansen’s vacation.
I wanted to stay on good terms with him and needed a way to earn his trust.
Right now, giving him a vacation is the best way.
I swallowed nervously and looked directly at the Duke.
His red eyes glinted coldly, as always.
I gathered courage again.
“Um, I believe that even without family, people need personal time…”
“….”
“Without enough rest, work efficiency suffers, and also…”
But my voice grew quieter. His expression remained unmoved.
This person is too self-absorbed to see things from another perspective.
I’d seen people like this in my previous life—shields that could never be broken.
Besides, he and I weren’t particularly close, so he wouldn’t coddle a child’s request.
Realizing this, I reluctantly decided to give up. Still, I felt disappointed.
I poked at my fork sulkily, when the Duke sighed and quietly said,
“…Fine.”
I widened my eyes. He had set down his knife and was looking at me.
His lips slowly opened.
“One day should be enough.”
A day? That alone was already generous.
But I wanted to push a little further. I spoke cautiously,
“C-Could it be a bit longer… maybe a week?”
“Two days.”
“Could it be… four?”
“…Two. No more.”
He closed his mouth, refusing to discuss further. I quickly nodded, afraid he’d change his mind.
“Y-Yes, understood! Thank you!”
Even just two days is better than nothing.
It wasn’t a bad outcome.
I smiled with satisfaction at the Duke, but he avoided my gaze and shook his head.
