Episode 66. No Issues with Financial Status!
Martha had been sitting alone in the study since morning. Documents were spread out on the table. There were ledgers. There were income records. There were expense lists.
Martha was looking through them one by one, matching the numbers. Income from deliveries to the Viscount Muller family. Income from sales of the Fragrance Garden. Commissions related to the Imperial supply contract. The commission sent by Mr. Becker. Added to that a portion of the merchant caravan contract deposit for the hot spring construction. The numbers were stacking up neatly within the ledger.
Martha paused her pen briefly as she wrote down the final figures. And she thought to herself, "It's done."
She recalled the burdens the Duke of Valois had carried when she first entered this body. A debt of 80,000 gold. Five creditors. Leakage of estate income. Isolation in society. Family discord. She had cleared them away one by one. Out of occupational hazard. Out of meddling. Just because they weighed on her mind. And now, there were the numbers in this ledger.
As Martha closed the ledger, she thought.
"Financial status is fine. Debt is decreasing, and the family's income is gradually increasing."
Martha felt proud of herself. She began the distribution. First, she set aside the remaining debt repayment portion. She put that into the fund first.
Next, she calculated the operating expenses for the Fragrance Garden and the maintenance costs for the estate. Income was expected to increase once the hot spring construction was completed. She set aside a generous amount for operating expenses to last until then. She also set aside an emergency fund. It was uncertain when the situation regarding the Empress would explode. She needed funds to move quickly if it did.
After completing all the calculations, she found there was more leeway than she had anticipated. Martha looked at the numbers and thought, "I should give this to my parents."
It was dinner time. After finishing her meal, Martha took out a sack. Isabella and Claude looked at the sack. As she placed the sack on the table, Martha said.
"This is what's left after settling the supplies for the Viscount Muller family, the income from the Fragrance Garden, and various other things. Please use this to help with the family's operating expenses."
Claude and Isabella looked at the sack. Isabella picked it up. She opened it. She looked inside. There was silence for a while. Claude looked at Isabella. Her eyes were moist. Martha looked at Isabella with a bewildered expression.
"Our Serena, who used to even steal the emergency money from my drawer..."
Her voice trembled.
"To think she has changed like this."
Isabella wiped away her tears. Martha looked at Isabella. Mother, Miss Serena stole the emergency money and yours at that? Oh dear. But before she could even think about that, Claude half-rose from his seat and looked at Martha.
"Serena."
Martha looked at Claude. Claude pointed at Isabella and said.
"Don't make my love cry."
Huh? Martha froze. Claude had called Isabella my love. Duke Claude. The one who, unable to find a single word of praise in his life, would only pat her on the shoulder. Calling her my love.
Edward choked on his water. Isabella wiped away her tears and looked at Claude. Claude looked at Isabella, sat back down, and then looked elsewhere. The tips of his ears were red.
Martha looked at that and thought. So that is Duke Claude. He is the kind of person who cannot bear to see my mother cry. To think his ears are turning so red for someone over fifty.
Martha pushed a handkerchief toward Isabella.
"Mother, you shouldn't cry. This is my duty, and I am only doing it now."
Isabella took the handkerchief and looked at Martha.
"My daughter."
"What?"
Isabella looked at Martha, then wiped her eyes with the handkerchief. Edward spoke while choking.
"Why do I always choke while eating like this?"
Martha looked at Edward.
"Drink some water."
"I choked on water!"
Martha patted Edward's back. The dinner table fell silent, then buzzed with commotion again. Isabella ate her meal while wiping away her tears. Claude scooped up some soup while looking elsewhere. After his choking subsided, Edward quietly gave Martha a thumbs-up.
Watching that, Martha thought. So this is what a home, what a family looks like.
***
Martha had set aside money specifically for herself. Looking at the money placed before her, Martha wondered. What should she do with this money?
In the sixty years she had lived as a head maid, she had never received any personal allowance. She had a salary, but that salary had rarely been spent on herself. It was always spent on something else. For the household. To pay off the debt her brother had incurred. For her mother's medicine.
For the first time, it was money she could spend purely as she pleased. Martha thought for a moment, then called out to Lucy.
"Lucy."
"Yes."
"We are having a barbecue in the yard tomorrow morning after our morning workout. Tell Helena to get ready."
Lucy looked at Martha.
"A barbecue?"
"Plenty of meat. Bread and vegetables too. Since we are all eating with the servants, make sure there is plenty."
Lucy said, taking out a notebook.
"A barbecue in the morning?"
"It's a morning barbecue. We eat it after exercising early in the morning."
Lucy paused briefly while taking notes in her notebook.
"My Lady, is there such a thing as a 'morning barbecue'?"
"There is no such thing. If you eat it in the morning, it's a morning barbecue, and if you eat it at lunchtime, it's a lunch barbecue, I suppose."
Lucy wrote it down. Morning barbecue. Something the Lady made.
It was the next morning. The sun was just rising. People had gathered in the front yard of the Duke of Valois estate. It was for the morning exercise.
Martha stood at the front and said.
"I'll start again today. Beginning with the arms."
The servants began to raise their arms. Maxim stood at the end of the line and followed along. Karl raised his arms with a sleepy look on his face. Helena rotated her arms while wearing an apron. Bruno raised his arms with a stiff expression, as if his lower back ached from the strenuous garden work yesterday. Isabella swung her arm beside Edward. Martha noticed Claude, who had been standing with his arms crossed.
"You too, Father. Even Mother is doing Father's love, so standing there like that is cheating."
Claude uncrossed his arms and raised them. Edward shrugged his shoulders as he watched his father from the side. The exercise session ended after about ten minutes. Then, gathering those who were about to leave, Martha said.
"We are going to eat in the yard today. Everyone, take your seats."
People looked at each other. Karl said.
"In the yard?"
"Yes. We are going to have a barbecue."
Helena looked toward the kitchen.
"I've been preparing since dawn."
Helena already knew. Lucy had informed her the night before. Helena had marinated the meat, chopped the vegetables, and baked bread since dawn.
A fire pit was set up in the middle of the yard. A griddle was placed on top. The meat was placed on it. A smell filled the air. The scent of grilling meat spreading through the early morning air was strangely fitting. People took their seats in the yard. The servants on one side. The families on the other. There was a sense of distance, but it blurred as Martha walked around with meat, replenishing the plates here and there. As she placed a piece of meat on Karl, Martha said.
"Eat plenty. Today is a day to eat until you burst."
Karl took the meat and said.
"My Lady, this is the first time something like this has happened."
"What do you mean?"
"Eating together."
Martha looked at Karl.
"We can start doing this from now on, I suppose."
Karl said, holding a piece of meat.
"You can do this often."
Martha let out a smirk. Helena walked around holding bread. Lucy followed behind holding vegetables. Bruno glanced around as he took his second plate, but took a third when Martha told him to eat more. Claude looked at Martha while eating his meat.
"What is this?"
"It's a morning barbecue."
"A morning barbecue."
"Barbecue eaten after a morning workout. I made it."
Claude took a bite of meat without saying a word. Then, taking another bite, he said.
"It's delicious."
Martha looked at Claude. Perhaps feeling burdened by the gaze, Claude looked elsewhere. Martha thought to herself, "He complimented me. Saying it's delicious. This must be Duke Claude's maximum."
Isabella sat beside Edward, eating meat, and said.
"How can meat be this delicious so early in the morning?"
Edward replied.
"Because you're eating it after exercising."
"Does exercising make food taste better?"
Martha asked.
"That's why I do morning exercises."
Isabella took another bite of meat and said.
"Serena, did you do this on purpose? To make me exercise and then feed me more?"
Martha said with a smile.
"You caught me."
Laughter erupted in the courtyard. The servants laughed. The family laughed. Karl laughed. Maxim raised the corners of his mouth. Helena laughed as she brought more meat from the kitchen.
Watching those smiles, Martha thought. In the sixty years she had lived as a chief lady-in-waiting, had there ever been a morning like this? No. It was happening now. Some things came about because it was her second life.
After the morning barbecue was over, Martha called for a carriage. Lucy followed along and said.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to the market."
"The market? Why?"
"To buy some gifts."
Lucy followed, taking out a notebook. They rode in the carriage to the commercial district south of the Impenal Palace. The market was open. It was early morning, but there were already many people. There was a smell. The smell of fish, spices, and bread mingled together.
As Martha stepped out of the carriage, she said to Lucy.
"What do you think Lady Bianca likes?"
Lucy thought for a moment and replied.
"Perfume, accessories, dresses. And, surprisingly, books."
"Books?"
"Yes. It seems she frequents bookstores from time to time."
Martha nodded and walked on. They headed toward a bookstore visible in the distance. They went inside and looked at the titles of books one by one. They picked up this one and put it down. Lucy watched from the side and said.
"My Lady, you aren't going to read the whole book, are you?"
Martha said.
"You have to choose gifts carefully."
"Why?"
"A gift only has meaning if it suits the person. Buying just anything isn't a gift; it's just an object."
Lucy jotted this down in her notebook. What Martha eventually found was a newly published book on family management by a scholar and a collection of secret love scandals. She thought Bianca would like them. She might be flustered, but once placed in the bedroom, reading the anthology was surprisingly exciting when she couldn't sleep.
Next, she looked for something for Lily.
"What do you think Lily likes?"
"Miss Lily likes the Princess."
"I know that, but not me."
Lucy said after a moment of thought.
"Dolls. And ribbons. Miss Lily wears a lot of ribbons, and her eyes light up when she sees a nice one."
Martha nodded and went to a ribbon shop. She chose a light pink silk ribbon for Lily. It was a color Lily would like. She asked to be wrapped and requested that a small flower-shaped decoration be attached to the end of the ribbon. As she received the wrapped item, she said to Lucy.
"Lily will like this, won't she?"
"Trust my judgment, Princess."
"When did you get to be like this with Bianca? Did you find out all of Lily's
tastes?"
"Well, life goes on. Hoho."
As they left the market, they were walking toward the carriage. That was when it happened. Someone was walking towards her from the opposite direction. It was Leon. Martha and Leon's eyes met, and they stopped in their tracks in front of each other.
"Princess."
"Your Master."
"I can't believe we're meeting here at this hour?"
"I have some business to attend to."
Lucy stopped pretending to take out a notebook from the side. Martha looked at the box she was holding. She had already left Bianca's and Lily's with Lucy. There was one left. Martha looked into it. It wasn't Leon's. She hadn't thought to buy it. However, there was one she had bought after it caught her eye while wandering around the market. She hadn't bought it with the intention of giving it to anyone in particular, but she had kept it.
Martha took it out. It was a small wooden box. When the box was opened, the gentle melody of a music box spread out. Martha held it out to Leon. Leon took it and opened the box. Soft music flowed, and inside, a man and a woman were spinning around.
"What is this?"
"A music box."
"Why are you giving this to me?"
Martha said, looking at Leon.
"I thought you should have one too, Young Master."
Leon looked at Martha, then at the music box, then back at Martha. He said nothing. Martha spoke.
"The music... was nice. I received a settlement for the herbs and other things this time, so my allowance was quite substantial. Since you helped me a lot, Young Master, too. It is a gift."
Leon said, looking at the box.
"... Thank you."
Martha nodded and walked toward the carriage. Lucy followed behind Martha, turning back once. Leon was standing there holding the box. He was looking at it. His face was different from usual.
Lucy turned her gaze forward and took out her notebook.
[Lucy's Secret Shock Journal - Episode 66]
The Princess said that she had once stolen Lady Isabella's emergency funds in the past. I thought that if she hadn't been part of the Duke's family, she might have made a name for herself as a master thief.
Also, we had a barbecue party with the servants after our morning exercise. It felt strange having the Duke and the Lady join us as well. I remember what the Princess said to me in a low voice: 'The boundaries of family are not fixed. They are something you create.'
Then, while we were at the market choosing gifts for Lady Bianca and Lady Lily, we ran into Young Master Leon. She gave him the music box she had bought for the Princess to play with when she felt lonely in her room.
Princess, what was the meaning behind giving that music box to Young Master Leon?
The man and woman spinning around inside the music box were wearing a dress and a tuxedo...
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