Chapter 20

– Chapter 20 —

“I am sorry. I was upset because I couldn’t wait and see.”

Whitney laid flat and pleaded guilty.

The truth is, Isabella’s appearance is no accident.

She has a regular routine.

After receiving a report from Ozen, she took care of several tasks, and after lunch, she took a walk around.

Her timing was consistent, and Whitney, who had been watching for a long time, knew Isabella’s movements.

Everything, including up to this detail, was as Whitney calculated.

“What I gave Erin is authority.”

“I don’t think you can swing the situation however you want.”

Isabella looked at the employees who caused the problem and criticized them.

She imprinted Erin’s authority on everyone.

The employees who complained flinched and were frightened.

Whitney opened her mouth to speak to Isabella, looking at the situation.

“Madam, but they’re all people who’ve worked here for a long time. There should be no one discriminated against for unjustified reasons.”

In other families, employees were to only do as they were told and could not express their opinions.

They eventually found themselves at the mercy of their employers.

But the Leinsters have always treated their employees with fairness.

I treated them as reasonably as I could, and the reason extended to the distribution of work.

What Whitney said was not wrong.

“So there’s something wrong.”

Whitney calmly said to Isabella.

“Some people complained due to the little madam’s inexperience. Since you’re so favorable towards her, you can’t even see the problem unbiasedly. Employees are finding it difficult to accept the new redistribution of work.”

Whitney spoke fluently as if she had been waiting to say it.

“Are all of these words true?”

Isabella’s eyes turned to Erin this time.

Erin was not panicking.

I calmly looked around at how the situation progressed now and tried to stop the corners of my mouth from lifting.

Aiden’s words then came up to me.

I think……

And then the next words.

I think Whitney’s trying to show Erin’s mistake.

That’s why she is trying to show her that you don’t deserve it.

Everything Aiden said was right.

I’m sure she’ll try to bring in Mother because that’s the surest way.

So it’s not a coincidence that the Duchess appeared.

As expected, Aiden is clever.

Even in this situation, Erin was admiring Aiden.

With just a few words, I predicted this far ahead.

Before, I used to feel bad for him because whenever Whitney was involved, he would freeze in place and tremble in fear.

All three children tried to act aggressively, even calculating Whitney’s ideas for Erin.

Aiden was changing little by little.

I felt overwhelmed by the change in Aiden. He’s getting stronger.

The smile that Erin had been holding back leaked out. She was so proud of Aiden.

At that moment, Erin and Whitney’s eyes meet.

Erin stared at Whitney, keeping her eye on her.

In the end, it was Whitney who turned her head away first.

What? Why are you smiling like that in this situation?

Strangely, my spine cooled and anxiety crept up.

But then, an employee who stayed quiet stepped up.

“Madam. May I dare to say a word?”

“Even if I try to stop you, it seems like you’re still going to do it.”

“Then, I’ll take the freedom of saying it. I hope the little madam will continue to lead us.”

“I-I also think the same.”

Another employee said in agreement.

“Little madam is still young and hasn’t been here for very long, but she listens to us and thinks about what she can do best.”

Erin took the time to meet everyone, one by one, over the past few days to ask how they were doing, what they had been doing, and even what they liked.

The employees who were interviewed by Erin were grateful for her sincerity and concern.

“That’s right. No matter what we do, it’s our job to do it faithfully, but we want to do something more enjoyable.”

“Okay. I see what you mean.”

Isabella nodded, listening to what her employees had to say.

The words of the employees weighed in. Whitney broke the ice with a deep bow.

“Madam. Because of the little madam, everyone can be satisfied with the positions that they want right away. However, we can’t just do what everyone wants.”

“Someone has to take on the jobs that others don’t want to do.”

Isabella replied in sympathy with Whitney. It was then the employees were anxious and wary that Whitney’s words might gain strength.

A loud, clear voice rang.

“Whitney’s words are right.”

It was Erin.

“So does that mean Erin has the same thought too?”

“No!”

At Isabella’s question, Erin exclaimed without hesitation.

At that moment, Whitney’s expression cracked, but Erin continued without even looking at her.

“Of course it’s hard, and there needs to be someone who does the jobs that other people don’t want to do. There are things that stand out as much as you work, and things that you can’t see well no matter how hard you work.”

“Yes. But it’s also necessary.”

“That’s right! So I’d rather compensate you for these things rather than do anything else.”

“Compensate?”

“Yes. There’s something you’re willing to do that you don’t want to do.”

Erin said it clearly.

“I think there needs to be a reward that compares significantly to what everyone wants to do.”

This was a constant concept she followed in her previous life.

“If you think it’s punishment to do it because it’s hard and dirty, who will work hard?”

Erin said sincerely, for the employees to consider their positions.

It wasn’t just to adequately handle the situation and be recognised by the Duchess.

The more she spoke, the more strange the faces of the employees became.

“People will hate it more and more if they are treated badly.”

It was what Erin felt while looking around the mansion.

From the toilets to the stables, to the employees who clean up the dirt, and to the employees who do some hard work outside of the mansion, they were being treated badly.

In particular, several of those who worked were kicked out of Whitney’s sight.

In fact, Whitney deliberately ignored those she didn’t like and made it harder for them.

It has been a vicious cycle.

“Your mother said that. Don’t force yourself to eat something that doesn’t taste good. Eat something that you think is good.”

“That’s right.”

“But there are times when I’m willing to eat something that doesn’t taste good.”

“When is that?”

“Whenever I’m sick, Mona gives me a medicine that tastes very strange. Though I hate to eat it, I’m rewarded with chocolate-covered strawberries.”

Erin said with a look of ecstasy as if the strawberry was in front of her.

“It’s really delicious! So I don’t complain at the thought of eating it.”

The corners of Isabella’s mouth wriggled. She was holding back her laughter.

Erin had a more innocent smile on her face.

“So shouldn’t we use the same method?”

“Good thinking.”

The Duchess smiled and nodded slightly.

“Then, I can’t give strawberries with chocolate that Erin likes, so what kind of reward will be good?”

“Money!”

Erin simply replied.

The best reward she knows is money. There was no reward more direct than that.

“Right. That would be the best way. But other than that, it will also be necessary to improve the working conditions.”

“Please help me with that, Mother. I lack the ability to judge such things in detail.”

“Oh my, you did such a great job. But, thank you for asking me for help, as promised.”

No matter how mature she was, her body was only 10 years old.

No matter how smart she was, this was something she couldn’t do.

Erin deliberately asked the Duchess to do so.

In fact, she wanted to show that she was counting on Isabella.

Isabella made eye contact with Erin and gave her a lovely smile.

“The duchy’s pay is already high, and I’m worried that people are only going to volunteer because of that.”

Whitney had a meaningless concern.

“Then I’ll do it. You can go to the stable and work, or you can go to a more difficult place. It’s fine.”

A maid raised her hand.

She was the one who kept quiet and didn’t show any signs until now.

Her sincerity was something Isabella was looking at too.

“I have six family members to be responsible for. Four of them are younger than me. I’ll do it.”

The other maids began to speak one by one.

Among them were those who were prepared to be penalized

To protect Erin, they all sided with Erin with one heart.

After all, it was a job to hire people.

The efficiency of work is important, but the minds of those people are the most important.

And now the employees’ hearts were undoubtedly directed to Erin.

That alone is Erin’s good work on this one.

Rather, now, Whitney’s ability has come into question.

“Whitney.”

Isabella called Whitney.

She only called her name, but it had many meanings.

She blatantly said that she doesn’t find a problem with this situation.

– To Be Continued –