IWIAHC Chapter 5

"A merchant from the capital said the corpse was hung on the city gate."

Wolfram addressed the air, not bothering to acknowledge that Lily had spoken of her own volition.

"I'll investigate whether any remnants remain. I'll also look into developments in the capital. Do you have any additional instructions?"

[We need to find a translator for the Solmon language.]

That was all Aiden said. No further explanation followed.

Was he planning to hire an interpreter because the heretic remnants might be Solmon people? To have them present during interrogations, perhaps. But he'd definitely said translator, not interpreter.

Lily itched to know why. However, judging by Wolfram's earlier attitude, it seemed wiser to remain a dutiful worker who knew her place.

She suppressed her curiosity and relayed the message to Wolfram.

"He says to find a translator for the Solmon language."

"Your Grace, that's..."

Unlike Lily, he seemed to grasp the duke's intention immediately. After a moment of apparent difficulty, he agreed.

Silence descended upon the office. After briefly gauging the atmosphere, Lily felt certain the matter had concluded and spoke politely.

"Then I'll take my leave now."

[Where do you think you're going? Your role isn't finished yet. You know that, don't you?]

Someone really ought to inform the ghost that smiling doesn't automatically make one look kind.

Lily sensitively detected the distrust and surveillance lurking beneath her employer's pleasant expression.

Hoping not to displease him, she explained.

"It seems I've finished what's immediately needed here, so I thought I'd complete the cleaning. Aide Wolfram, since I've been assigned to clean the main building for the time being, please feel free to find me whenever communication with His Grace is necessary."

She merely conveyed the duke's words. Until Wolfram gathered useful information and they could begin the next discussion, there wasn't much for her to do.

The ghost nodded with an understanding expression. As Lily turned to leave, Wolfram stopped her.

"Wait. I need to consult with His Grace about something."

He walked to the central desk and pulled out a bundle of documents. Then he began reading aloud.

"This is a petition regarding the land dispute in the Randel region. With the Semiviella River as the boundary, on either side..."

Lily could barely understand the particles in his speech. The names and legal terminology, though technically in Imperial language, passed through her ears as if they were something else entirely.

By the time Wolfram's explanation ended, enough time had passed that she could have roughly cleaned an entire lounge.

[The related materials?]

"The related materials?"

Lily parroted the ghost's words exactly, infusing them with both the fatigue of standing continuously and irritation at her work piling up.

Wolfram paid no attention whatsoever and spoke with renewed color in his voice.

"I have them prepared right here!"

He busily pulled out more documents.

'This must have been quite the unsolvable problem.'

Lily tried to sympathize with his situation, tapping one calf with the opposite foot beneath her skirt. After calculating her remaining tasks and route, she decided thirty to forty minutes wouldn't hurt.

However, the man knew no restraint. After the first agenda item ended, a second came, then a third.

In the end, Lily was held captive for several solid hours before being released. Even that was only thanks to her groveling that any further delay would cause catastrophe.

"I trust you won't be foolish enough to divulge what you heard today."

Wolfram threatened Lily with cold eyes as she tried to leave.

Admittedly, the conversation here had covered matters a lowly maid would never normally know in her lifetime. His attitude was detestable, though.

"I'll keep it in mind, Aide."

After that, Lily moved like a woman possessed. Even so, by the time she finished organizing her tools, the servants' dinner hour was nearly over.

She rushed to the dining hall to avoid going hungry. She'd just begun peeling a lukewarm boiled potato when Marie came looking for her.

"Lily, the head maid wants to see you. She said to stop by when you're done eating."

"Thanks for letting me know."

The corners of Lily's mouth trembled as she thanked her. She wanted to stop getting entangled with superiors!

Lily shoved dinner into her mouth amid frustration and misery, then went to the head maid's room.

She had a rough idea why she'd been summoned. The soldier on the third floor had surely tattled about her rampage.

Lily walked very slowly, trying to concoct a reason for why she'd had no choice but to force the door open so unreasonably. However, the only excuse that came to mind was something preposterous about wanting to confess to the aide she'd been secretly admiring.

In despair, Lily knocked on the head maid's door.

"Head Maid, this is Lily Dienta."

"Come in."

Upon entering the room, Lily quickly assessed the head maid's expression. She didn't particularly look angry.

But one mustn't let down one's guard. Conversations that began calmly could escalate instantly like snowballs tumbling down a slope.

Lily observed her more carefully. Angela was looking at a log book at her desk. Lily's eyes widened.

That was the log where everything related to the head maid's duties was recorded. Detailed information about the maids and work evaluations were written there too.

Her body began trembling. So the disruptive behavior on the third floor was the problem after all. What if her 20 percent pay raise got revoked?

She desperately composed a script.

'I'm sorry, Head Maid. I've long admired Aide Wolfram. Standing before the office where he works, I couldn't suppress my burning heart and so—yes. Let's say that.'

Angela finished writing and looked up. Then she began praising the trembling Lily.

"Lily, I knew it was right to entrust you with the main building. The aide himself came to tell me your cleaning work is exceptionally thorough."

Lily blinked.

"I already knew, of course, but I didn't expect you'd catch the aide's eye on your very first day."

"Head Maid, what do you mean..."

"Didn't you clean the office in the main building today?"

"Ah, yes. That's right. I helped the aide!"

She absolutely hadn't lied. She hadn't cleaned the office, but she'd definitely helped Wolfram.

Angela spoke with a satisfied expression.

"This afternoon, the aide came personally and said he was relieved that despite the duke being bedridden, the management of the maids seemed to be going very well."

Lily lowered her shoulders, which had been tensed up. She'd worried for nothing, she thought with relief—but only for an instant.

"So starting tomorrow, go directly to the office."

"What?"

The monosyllable "what?" contained the compressed essence of a longer question: 'Why is this suddenly going in that direction?'

Normally Angela would have scolded her for questioning her words, but instead she answered kindly.

"The aide said he could trust the office to you. He requested that you be dedicated exclusively to the office since he dislikes having his attention divided by other duties."

The more Angela spoke, the more her face glowed.

"Actually, I opposed it. No matter how well you clean, you're not at a level to be in charge of the office. And an exclusive assignment for it? Why would that tiny room need someone dedicated to it? Even dedicating just the mornings would be plenty..."

Lily agreed with that sentiment. To anyone unaware of the circumstances, this reassignment would make it look like Lily Dienta had landed herself an absolute cushy job.

However, having to follow a superior's orders was equally true for lowly maids and head maids alike.

"But since the aide insisted on it, what can we do?"

Angela added with a smile.

"Continue to bring honor to our maid department."

"You can count on me, Head Maid!"

"Good. Well done."

Lily left the room and returned to the dormitory.

After telling Marie, who asked if cleaning the main building had gone well, that it had been manageable, Lily savored free time that felt like it had been ages.

While changing into comfortable clothes and chatting with friends to process the day, the events at the main building gradually faded. There was an element of deliberate forgetting involved.

However, it could never become something that hadn't happened.

That night in her dreams, Lily floated through the air, running endlessly down a corridor to escape the pursuing ghost duke.

The corridor continued without end, the ghost chanted, "Lily... Lily...." ominously while doors suddenly opened at intervals and Wolfram suddenly burst out shouting, "His Grace's opinion is needed!"—a terrible nightmare.

Having gathered cleaning tools like dusters, brooms, and trays, Lily sighed and muttered.

"I'll probably keep having nightmares..."

Never mind the scariness—the exhausting part was working even in her dreams.

Unlike yesterday, the soldier on the third floor didn't stop her. He seemed to have received advance notice.

"Good morning!"

She entered with a bright greeting. Wolfram hadn't arrived yet.

Cleaning maids' work hours began at an extremely early hour. To avoid encountering nobles at all costs, time and routes were meticulously planned.

However, this no longer concerned Lily. She'd been summoned as a spirit interpreter rather than for cleaning purposes.

Even so, she'd brought cleaning supplies and come early because she couldn't stand to leave the pigsty of an office as it was. It truly was a mess that stirred one's professional spirit.

Not only yesterday's sandwich plate but the day before's plate still sat on the table. To say nothing of the numerous teacups with dried contents stuck inside.

Lily picked up a plate, muttering.

"If he'd just left them outside the door, they'd be collected automatically. There won't be any plates left in the cupboard."

[Back when I was...]

"Eek!"

A voice suddenly tickled inside her head. Lily reflexively clutched the plate tightly.

She absolutely mustn't break fine china worthy of presenting to a baron. She'd get her wages docked as a penalty!