PMZ 090 – He got a candy bar.

Then I go doing what I was told and go to the mansion’s back to get things to wash. Took a large laundry basket on wheels from the laundry room and pushed it around the rooms as I make some observations.

Then I ran into Hayato in the Grand Wife’s room, working on masking things around the fireplace. He was making small talk with the Grand Wife as he deftly unrolled the cloth and covered the furnishings.

“Oh, so you’re a newlywed then. That’s nice. Do you have any children yet?”

“Yeah, we are, and no, I thought there was no need to be in such a hurry yet.”

“You should consider; Time flies in an instant, you know?”

This topic seemed to be an inevitable part of the conversation between the elderly housewife and the young worker. The Grand Wife’ voice and speech had changed to a more social tone, and she even leaned forward from her rocking chair to engage in conversation.

She looked like an old lady who hadn’t seen her relatives’ children in a long time.

Just as I was thinking, “she will give him a candy bar at any minute” Hayato, who had finished putting up the cloth, looked up and stopped moving unnaturally. He turned his head toward me. I could almost hear his neck squeaking as he did.

The Grand Wife also turned her head towards me.

“…Oh, it’s you, isn’t it? I’ve heard about you from this person. You’re newly married, aren’t you?”

What did you tell her! It’s okay, though. I decided beforehand that I would give a typical answer to the question.

Would a maid working for a duke’s family marry a chimney sweep? But it’s not impossible to make sense of it.

“Yes, that’s right. I’ve fallen in love with him from the bottom of my heart. I’m going to do everything I can to support my husband.”

I married him because I fell in love with him. I don’t know of any better answer to a marriage that doesn’t care for one status.

“Well, I wonder if that’s why you drifted to my house. Is it because you couldn’t stay at the duke’s house?”

“That pretty much it, but lady Alisha understand. She’s my supporter.”

I made myself an ally. It sounds strange, but it’s kind of reassuring.

“So that’s what going on. Also, mister… I’ve meant to tell you for a while. that it’s not polite to keep your face covered, even if you’re a contractor.”

That was a good argument.

You can’t say no to that, especially if the person you’re talking to is an elderly person who is particular about etiquette. As long as Miss Anna doesn’t find out, I can do something about it, so I think it’s okay to show it here.

There are only four people in this room right now: the Grand Mistress, Hayato, the butler who brought Hayato here, and me.

In fact, this is the perfect time to show his face.

I nodded to Hayato, who was waiting for my reaction, and then he put his hand over his mouth and pulled down the cloth. He then took off his hat and lifted his goggles up to his forehead.

I felt as if the room was about a hundred times brighter, and when I looked at the Grand Wife, she too squinted her eyes as if she were dazzled.

“I feel like my glaucoma is getting worse. It’s so bright. Would you mind putting some drops in there for me?”

As I was told, I put the drops in her eyes, then pressed them with my handkerchief.

“Grand Wife, isn’t it glaucoma that makes you feel dizzy, not cataracts?”

“Oh, yeah, you’re right. I wonder why I felt that way?”

The old man’s joke is so hard to understand that it makes me laugh.

“… You’re a very bold woman. Even Stella would not laugh at something I said.”

She doesn’t?

I can only imagine how chatty this Grand Mistress is.

However, if I am working purely as a servant, it may be difficult for me to laugh at something the Grand Mistress says.

I can make a comment or laugh like this because I won’t even care even if I am fired; it won’t be a problem for me to make a living.

“I’m sorry.”

“You have a look on your face that says, [I’m not actually sorry at all]. I like ……. I like it. You should come back here when you’re free.

How would your husband like to be our servant instead of a chimney sweep? We’d love to have you.”

The position I was aiming for came from the other side. It was so fast that it was almost scary. More than half of the credit goes to Hayato. He was the one who initiated the conversation with the Grand Mistress.

I’m glad he came with me. But being a servant was a terrible move.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll pass. It’s more my style.”

He said, pulling out a gold dog tag from his chest and showing it to me.

–Hey, that’s my ……!

My eyes widened at the drastic action, but I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that the side with my name engraved on it was securely hidden on the back.

The Grand Mistress looked a little surprised and leaned her back against the rocking chair.

“So that’s where your money for living comes from, it’s B rank, right? I’ve heard that if you get to that level, you can have a stable life as long as you don’t break your body… So, why are you sweeping chimneys today?”

“I was worried about my wife.”

He smiled, making a single word unusually convincing.

The Grand Mistress agreed with him, “Well, I understand…”

It was beginning to look like a relationship between a con man and his victim, and a sense of guilt pricked my heart.

Lately, I’ve been deceiving everyone around me.

I’m going to stop lying for a while after I finished Miss Anna’s case…

Hayato pulled the cloth up to below his eyes, put on his goggles, and put his hat back on.

“Okay, I guess it’s time to move on to the next room. Is there any other room with a fireplace?”

“The only ones left are the head of the house’s reception room and the dining room.”

When Hayato was about to leave the room while talking to the butler behind him, the Grand Wife called out to him and stopped him.

“You, take this with you. You, too.”

She gave him a hand full of candy bars.

“When you finish cleaning the chimney, come and have a cup of tea. I’ve been bored lately with no one to talk to.”

The Grand Mistress seemed to like Hayato a lot.

I know how you feel. I understand too much to say anything.

“You too. Ellie, is it? Come to my room when you’re free. I have a lot of things I need help with.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I put the items to be washed in the laundry basket and left the room.

As I walked down the corridor to the next room, my ear cuff vibrated, a signal for us to start a communication.

 –I wonder what’s going on.

I immediately connected my voice by passing magic power through it.

I whispered, “What’s wrong?” the other side also replied in a whisper.

“Alice, the maid, is so cute.”

And then the communication was cut off.

It was like a hit-and-run. I took a critical hit to my heart and collapsed on the spot.