'Is it really necessary to define the relationship?'
They already had a good marital relationship. It didn't matter whether they liked each other or not.
He unconsciously gripped the reins tightly, but consciously relaxed his grip and placed his hand on his temple.
Enoch was also fully aware that he was attracted to Agatha.
But when she says she likes him, for some reason his mouth won't open.
They already had a good marital relationship. It didn't matter whether they liked each other or not.
He unconsciously gripped the reins tightly, but consciously relaxed his grip and placed his hand on his temple.
Enoch was also fully aware that he was attracted to Agatha.
But when she says she likes him, for some reason his mouth won't open.
"I wish Enoch liked me."
“...”
Enoch slowly wiped away the scar on his face and let out a low breath.
'I never thought I'd get traumatized.'
Enoch thought back to a woman who had confessed her love for him long ago.
The woman he had desperately clung to betrayed him and never returned.
Since then, he's covered up the incident. He was focused on ending the war to come back alive, but also because he didn't want to think about it.
After returning, Enoch did not look for Esther and thought he had forgotten her.
As Enoch looked into the trauma inside him, the horse reached the palace.
“Welcome, Marquis Aratus. Your access to the palace has been confirmed.”
Enoch, smiling bitterly, entered the palace while being greeted by the knights of the First Order of the Empire who saluted him.
Anyway, it couldn't stay like this.
If he can't even say he likes her or bring it up, then he has no choice but to find another way.
Agatha, who left the restaurant first, pushed Enoch's face which kept coming out of her mind.
'There's nothing I can do about this.'
The moment she confessed, the ball was no longer in Agatha's hands.
'Thinking about it will only give me a headache. Let's get to work.'
If she focuses on her work, she will forget all her troubles.
“Jesse, call the First Assistant.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Agatha headed straight to her office. Her first assistant, Ethel, who had been called by her maid, came to her office.
“Did you call, Ma’am?”
“I’m planning on doing a major overhaul of the Aratus Mansion.”
Before marriage, Ben, the butler of the Marquis Aratus family, paid for it, but it wasn't enough.
The mansion was splendid, but it lacked the ornamentation and art that a noble family ought to have, and the carvings needed to be more refined.
Curtains, draperies, tapestries, vases, and gardening matters to suit the delicate season between summer society and fall society.
This was a matter that the mistress of the household had to take care of.
“As you can see, it only has the basics.”
“I have heard that His Majesty said that he would provide the imperial craftsmen. Can I make a request to the Imperial Household Department today?”
“That’s right. And you need to get the materials, so contact Aratus and the higher-ups and coordinate.”
“I will contact them right away.”
While the aide was making preparations, Agatha began preparing to go out.
“Madam, what dress will you wear today?”
“I’m not going to a social gathering, so I’ll wear something not too flashy.”
At Agatha's command, her maid, Marie, brought several outfits.
“I chose an active outfit today.”
Most of them had modest designs without puffy petticoats.
“I like this dress.”
Agatha's final choice was an apricot-colored dress.
The dress with the green string tied around the waist had a slightly special hem made of embroidered sheer fabric.
Today, she'd rather wear a hat than a headdress.
She looked pretty good wearing low heels and standing in front of the mirror, giving off a lively vibe.
“Okay, I like it.”
Agatha left the room, holding her fan in her hand for the last time. Her aide, Ethel, who had finished her contact, followed her.
“We’ll need quite a bit of stone and wood to repair the mansion.”
“Are there any items brought into the capital?”
“I’ve contacted the higher-ups. It’ll probably take at least two days.”
“That should be fine. Tell them to bring plenty of cloth to use as a curtain.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Agatha briefly exchanged greetings with the First Vice-Captain, Leon Takran, who was waiting in front of the main mansion, and boarded the carriage.
The knights in charge of the escort surrounded the carriage tightly.
The carriage quickly headed towards the Aratus Mansion. It was able to pass through the main gate of the mansion before the aide had even finished talking to him.
“Madam, welcome.”
In front of the main mansion, the chief butler of Aratus, Ben, the administrator, and Conrad Lanzel were waiting to greet them.
“It’s been a while, Ben.”
Agatha got out of the carriage, escorted by the vice-captain.
While Ben's face lit up with anticipation at the news that the mansion was being renovated, the administrator looked nervous.
By the way, didn't you say that the Aratus administrator was sensitive about the receipt and disbursement of gold?
It was the same while preparing for the wedding, and he think he heard the news that the administrator was jumping for joy after receiving 500,000 gold kar from the 2nd Vice-Chief, Hubert Karwen.
Agatha smiled and held out her hand.
“Sir Conrad? I think I saw you at the First Mansion before the wedding, was that right?”
“Yes, Mam. It is an honor to meet you again, my lady. I am the administrator, Conrad Lanzel. Please call me Conrad.”
Conrad, who had kissed the back of her hand, raised his head with a face mixed with joy and anxiety.
“I heard you were coming to renovate the mansion today.”
“Yes. I think it’s time to let people know that the Aratus family is still going strong. External status is important, but the basics need to be in place so that the reputation of a prestigious family is not tarnished.”
Conrad sat up straight, drooling. Agatha gestured to the butler, Ben.
“Well, then, shall we take a look around the mansion before the royal craftsmen arrive? Please show me around, Ben.”
“Yes. Come this way, Ma’am.”
Agatha first took her attendants and toured the capital Aratus Mansion. The old mansion, with its unique antique charm, was just as it had been on the first day of their marriage.
“Good. I guess I just need to work on it a little.”
“Thank you, Ma’am.”
Agatha, who had praised Ben, added:
“I’ll just finish the mansion pieces with a little polishing. I’ll write down their locations and give them to the craftsmen when they come.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Let’s write down what we need, organize it, and submit it as a report. First, it would be good to decide on a direction for how to organize it.”
"All right."
Following Agatha's plan, the vassals of Nobilis and Aratus put their heads together.
The skilled craftsmen were already prepared, so if they just decided in the right direction, the mansion renovation would be successful.
As Agatha was calmly exploring the mansion with Ben's guidance, she sensed a presence at the top of the stairs.
It was Enoch's sister, Isabelle Aratus.
“Isabelle, you were home.”
“Yes, hello, Madame Agatha.”
Isabelle Aratus looked at Agatha and her retainers with curiosity.
“I’m planning to do a major overhaul of the mansion.”
Agatha told Isabelle why she had brought these people here.
'I wonder if she'll object.'
Although it is said that the internal affairs of a family are under the jurisdiction of the mistress, not everything goes according to plan.
Moreover, since Isabelle was the one in charge of internal affairs before Agatha came, she could have picked a bit of a fight.
"Yes."
Contrary to expectations, Isabelle Aratus was not opposed to the renovation of the mansion.
Rather, it seemed like she was a little bit happy about it.
“So, will the hall be renovated as well?”
“I plan to do that.”
Isabelle, who had come down the stairs without realizing it, nodded while calmly looking around the hall and the ceiling.
“Ben and I have tried our best, but there are many shortcomings. When we came to the capital and were invited to visit other noble families, we realized that there were many shortcomings.”
"Ah."
If you have seen the mansions of other noble families, you may have noticed some shortcomings in this mansion.
“Please take good care of the mansion, Lady Agatha. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know. I will do my best.”
It was a great thing that she didn't have to clash with her sister-in-law unnecessarily.
“...I’m glad to hear you say that. Isabelle, if there’s anything you want, please let me know.”
Agatha began to repair the mansion with a much more relaxed mind.
Soon, the imperial craftsmen sent by the palace arrived. Since she had often borrowed the imperial craftsmen to repair her house or castle, there were many familiar faces for Agatha.
“Madam. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”
“Yeah. Please take care of me this time too. There will be a lot of work to do this time, as there are a lot of places to take care of.”
“Don’t worry. We will do our best to make sure you like it.”
The palace craftsmen, with their artistry and skills, inspected every nook and cranny of the mansion and identified areas that needed repairs without Agatha having to give them any instructions.
Butler Ben took note of the points the craftsmen had pointed out and picked out anything else that was needed.
While waiting and drinking tea, Agatha read the report that the two groups had worked together to create, signed it, and gave instructions.
“There will soon be guests to be invited to this mansion. I will procure the artwork, so pay special attention to the garden layout.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“...”
Enoch slowly wiped away the scar on his face and let out a low breath.
'I never thought I'd get traumatized.'
Enoch thought back to a woman who had confessed her love for him long ago.
The woman he had desperately clung to betrayed him and never returned.
Since then, he's covered up the incident. He was focused on ending the war to come back alive, but also because he didn't want to think about it.
After returning, Enoch did not look for Esther and thought he had forgotten her.
As Enoch looked into the trauma inside him, the horse reached the palace.
“Welcome, Marquis Aratus. Your access to the palace has been confirmed.”
Enoch, smiling bitterly, entered the palace while being greeted by the knights of the First Order of the Empire who saluted him.
Anyway, it couldn't stay like this.
If he can't even say he likes her or bring it up, then he has no choice but to find another way.
***
Agatha, who left the restaurant first, pushed Enoch's face which kept coming out of her mind.
'There's nothing I can do about this.'
The moment she confessed, the ball was no longer in Agatha's hands.
'Thinking about it will only give me a headache. Let's get to work.'
If she focuses on her work, she will forget all her troubles.
“Jesse, call the First Assistant.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Agatha headed straight to her office. Her first assistant, Ethel, who had been called by her maid, came to her office.
“Did you call, Ma’am?”
“I’m planning on doing a major overhaul of the Aratus Mansion.”
Before marriage, Ben, the butler of the Marquis Aratus family, paid for it, but it wasn't enough.
The mansion was splendid, but it lacked the ornamentation and art that a noble family ought to have, and the carvings needed to be more refined.
Curtains, draperies, tapestries, vases, and gardening matters to suit the delicate season between summer society and fall society.
This was a matter that the mistress of the household had to take care of.
“As you can see, it only has the basics.”
“I have heard that His Majesty said that he would provide the imperial craftsmen. Can I make a request to the Imperial Household Department today?”
“That’s right. And you need to get the materials, so contact Aratus and the higher-ups and coordinate.”
“I will contact them right away.”
While the aide was making preparations, Agatha began preparing to go out.
“Madam, what dress will you wear today?”
“I’m not going to a social gathering, so I’ll wear something not too flashy.”
At Agatha's command, her maid, Marie, brought several outfits.
“I chose an active outfit today.”
Most of them had modest designs without puffy petticoats.
“I like this dress.”
Agatha's final choice was an apricot-colored dress.
The dress with the green string tied around the waist had a slightly special hem made of embroidered sheer fabric.
Today, she'd rather wear a hat than a headdress.
She looked pretty good wearing low heels and standing in front of the mirror, giving off a lively vibe.
“Okay, I like it.”
Agatha left the room, holding her fan in her hand for the last time. Her aide, Ethel, who had finished her contact, followed her.
“We’ll need quite a bit of stone and wood to repair the mansion.”
“Are there any items brought into the capital?”
“I’ve contacted the higher-ups. It’ll probably take at least two days.”
“That should be fine. Tell them to bring plenty of cloth to use as a curtain.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Agatha briefly exchanged greetings with the First Vice-Captain, Leon Takran, who was waiting in front of the main mansion, and boarded the carriage.
The knights in charge of the escort surrounded the carriage tightly.
The carriage quickly headed towards the Aratus Mansion. It was able to pass through the main gate of the mansion before the aide had even finished talking to him.
“Madam, welcome.”
In front of the main mansion, the chief butler of Aratus, Ben, the administrator, and Conrad Lanzel were waiting to greet them.
“It’s been a while, Ben.”
Agatha got out of the carriage, escorted by the vice-captain.
While Ben's face lit up with anticipation at the news that the mansion was being renovated, the administrator looked nervous.
By the way, didn't you say that the Aratus administrator was sensitive about the receipt and disbursement of gold?
It was the same while preparing for the wedding, and he think he heard the news that the administrator was jumping for joy after receiving 500,000 gold kar from the 2nd Vice-Chief, Hubert Karwen.
Agatha smiled and held out her hand.
“Sir Conrad? I think I saw you at the First Mansion before the wedding, was that right?”
“Yes, Mam. It is an honor to meet you again, my lady. I am the administrator, Conrad Lanzel. Please call me Conrad.”
Conrad, who had kissed the back of her hand, raised his head with a face mixed with joy and anxiety.
“I heard you were coming to renovate the mansion today.”
“Yes. I think it’s time to let people know that the Aratus family is still going strong. External status is important, but the basics need to be in place so that the reputation of a prestigious family is not tarnished.”
Conrad sat up straight, drooling. Agatha gestured to the butler, Ben.
“Well, then, shall we take a look around the mansion before the royal craftsmen arrive? Please show me around, Ben.”
“Yes. Come this way, Ma’am.”
Agatha first took her attendants and toured the capital Aratus Mansion. The old mansion, with its unique antique charm, was just as it had been on the first day of their marriage.
“Good. I guess I just need to work on it a little.”
“Thank you, Ma’am.”
Agatha, who had praised Ben, added:
“I’ll just finish the mansion pieces with a little polishing. I’ll write down their locations and give them to the craftsmen when they come.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Let’s write down what we need, organize it, and submit it as a report. First, it would be good to decide on a direction for how to organize it.”
"All right."
Following Agatha's plan, the vassals of Nobilis and Aratus put their heads together.
The skilled craftsmen were already prepared, so if they just decided in the right direction, the mansion renovation would be successful.
As Agatha was calmly exploring the mansion with Ben's guidance, she sensed a presence at the top of the stairs.
It was Enoch's sister, Isabelle Aratus.
“Isabelle, you were home.”
“Yes, hello, Madame Agatha.”
Isabelle Aratus looked at Agatha and her retainers with curiosity.
“I’m planning to do a major overhaul of the mansion.”
Agatha told Isabelle why she had brought these people here.
'I wonder if she'll object.'
Although it is said that the internal affairs of a family are under the jurisdiction of the mistress, not everything goes according to plan.
Moreover, since Isabelle was the one in charge of internal affairs before Agatha came, she could have picked a bit of a fight.
"Yes."
Contrary to expectations, Isabelle Aratus was not opposed to the renovation of the mansion.
Rather, it seemed like she was a little bit happy about it.
“So, will the hall be renovated as well?”
“I plan to do that.”
Isabelle, who had come down the stairs without realizing it, nodded while calmly looking around the hall and the ceiling.
“Ben and I have tried our best, but there are many shortcomings. When we came to the capital and were invited to visit other noble families, we realized that there were many shortcomings.”
"Ah."
If you have seen the mansions of other noble families, you may have noticed some shortcomings in this mansion.
“Please take good care of the mansion, Lady Agatha. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know. I will do my best.”
It was a great thing that she didn't have to clash with her sister-in-law unnecessarily.
“...I’m glad to hear you say that. Isabelle, if there’s anything you want, please let me know.”
Agatha began to repair the mansion with a much more relaxed mind.
Soon, the imperial craftsmen sent by the palace arrived. Since she had often borrowed the imperial craftsmen to repair her house or castle, there were many familiar faces for Agatha.
“Madam. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”
“Yeah. Please take care of me this time too. There will be a lot of work to do this time, as there are a lot of places to take care of.”
“Don’t worry. We will do our best to make sure you like it.”
The palace craftsmen, with their artistry and skills, inspected every nook and cranny of the mansion and identified areas that needed repairs without Agatha having to give them any instructions.
Butler Ben took note of the points the craftsmen had pointed out and picked out anything else that was needed.
While waiting and drinking tea, Agatha read the report that the two groups had worked together to create, signed it, and gave instructions.
“There will soon be guests to be invited to this mansion. I will procure the artwork, so pay special attention to the garden layout.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
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