Chapter 36 - Household Duties

At the Winter Mansion,

"Mother Good Morning!" I said as I opened the window of mother's room.

It has been 2 days since mother's accident and since then there is no sign of her even moving a single finger.

She is just sleeping and sleeping whole day.

"Mother you look so pretty today!" I said with smile as I looked at her.

"Sister!" Ash said as he came into the room, "Ash, Are you here to see mom?" I asked him.

"Yes I am!" Ash said with a smile, as came towards Mother and sat beside her.

"Mother good morning." He said in a gentle voice as he holded her hands.

But still Mother never replied to any of our greetings.

"I guess you must be really tired." Ash said in a low voice, as he kissed mother's hand, "Mom please rest well." He said as he gently put her hand down and stood up.

"Lets go outside." I said as I stroked his hair.

"Yes." Ash said as he smiled towards me.

"Sister you have confined yourself in the mansion for the last 2 days, why don't you go outside a take a walk to freshen you up." Ash said.

"Hmm, it's a nice idea but there are any things I need to do right now." I said as I scratched the back of my neck.

"Work? Do you mean..." Ash said as he looked at me.

"Yes you are right, Since Mother is unconscious all her work as the lady must be done by me." I said as I smiled towards him.

And seriously it's not a small work but there are lots amd lots of household work that I need to do since mother isn't here, and there are many things that I am unaware of, so father even arranged classes for me to learn about all those things.

So In shortly and simply I don't have even a second to waste. Till Mother fully recovers I must take care if the household.

"That must be a lots if work~~" Ash said.

"Well yeah we can say that..." I said as I smiled slyly.

"Hmm, then we might not be able to play together anymore..." Ash said as his face glommed.

"Yes it might be like that for a while." I said as I patted his head. I understand how he must be feeling since mother, while taking care of the household rarely spended any time with us so it was mostly me and Ash, and thanks to that we became really close to each other, maybe it's beavuse of that, now we know each other the best.

Even without saying we can tell what the other is thinking, our bond is that strong.

If I have to say in simpler way I will say that Ash for me is more likely a son whom I raised with love and care.

"Ash you...." I was able to tell him something but right then the maid called for me. "My Lady we are having a problem in the kitchen." The maid said as she looked towards me with a nervous expression.

"Problem? Why what happened?" I asked her in a worried tone.

"That....we ordered some fresh vegetables and fruits for the palace but there was some kind of misunderstanding between the merchant and our main chef and their small argument turned into a fight..." The maid said in one breath.

"It seems to a big problem..." I said as I looked the Maid and then at Ash. Would he be disappointed if I leave right now.

"Sister....Just leave..." Ash said as he walked forward. "Huh!! Really!!" I said as I looked at him. My sis con brother is letting me leave that's quiet amusing. I thought as I looked at Ash.

"But before you leave promise me one thing!" Ash said.

"And what is that?" I asked him. "Just promise that...you won't push yourself more then you can handle." Ash said as he looked at me seriously.

"Okay I will keep those words on mind!" I said as I smiled towards him.

"Remember what you said today if I ever find you trying something out of your capabilities. I won't talk to you every again!!" Ash said as he smiled towards me.

"Hehe I will!" I said and after that Ash started moving forward. Hah my brother was so cool at this age I wonder how he will be at his teenage years. will he be a soft boy or and intimidating person.

Well anyway right now there are important thjnsg to do!! "Take me towards the kitchen!" I said to the maid. "Yes My lady!" She said as she showed me the way.

We reached the kitchen and "You....Are you trying to call me a thief." The merchant said angrily he had a bump in his head and his rught eye was now blue in colour. "Yes I am calling you a thief!! What the hell can you do!!" The chef shouted angrily, he had scratches over his necks and his head bump was now purple in color.

"Wow the atmosphere is quite hot here!" I said jokingly as I entered the room.

Both the merchant and the chef stopped fighting and stood straight, "We greet lady winter!" Both of them said as they bowed.

"Both of you leave the greetings first tell me what the hell happened here!!" I said coldly as I looked at them angrily. Both of then gulped and looked at each other.

"My Lady that....this merchant has sending us incomplete items since last month and today I tried to query him but he started to fight with me." The head chef said.

"Incomplete items....Is is true?" I asked the merchant who was sweating.

"N..No...it isn't like that my Lady!! I have been delivering the items according to the list but..." The merchant said with hesitation.

"But what? Tell me clearly!" I said as I raised one of my eyebrows.

"My Lady I am not trying to defame anyone but since last month the money that are given by the winter family to buy the products are becoming less and less day by day, which can't even cover half of what has be asked for....which is why I somehow managed to bring each of every time in small amount.I just tried to do my work and the rest is unknown to me." The merchant said as he bowed, I could feel his sincerity but "So are you saying that their is a thief among us?" The head chef said angrily.

"I....I don't mean that all I want to any is that maybe there was some mistake in the ordering or in the management of the money." The merchant said as he looked at the chef.

"You...!!" The chef said angrily, "Stop fighting both of you!!" I said.

"You! Go and call Butler Mill here along with the person in charge of the kitchen management." I said to the the maid standing beside me.

"Yes My lady." She said as she left the kitchen.

Hmm, the merchant doesn't seems to be lying but that would mean there is a their among the winter residence employees....hah this might being trust issues among the employees.

And to think that all this happened in just a week without anyone knowing. And furthermore the tension in here is so suffocating, Mother must have gone through thus everyday.

I.....I can't make nay mistake! I must take care of all this properly!!

"Greeting to the lady!" Mill and the woman beside him said.

"Butler Mill Is she the one who is in charge of the kitchen management?" I asked as I looked at her, she seemed to be in her 20s with specs freckles on her face, chocolate brown eyes with orange colour hair and a timid look on her face.

"Yes My lady you are correct she is Cal who just started working as the kitchen manager since last month." Butler Mill said.

"Since last month...Hmm, so Cal would you please like to explain as to what is happening here??" I asked her.

"My...My Lady....I heard about what....happened here.....and its....all my fault....." She said as she stuttered, and her whole body trembled with a cold sweat coming from her forehead. She is too nervous.

"All your fault? Care to explain in detail." I said as I looked at her.

"My...My Lady I just started working her last month and I didn't knew that the merchant delivers food here every week I thought it's just monthly...." Cal said looking downwards.

"So you mean to say for the first week you used all the one month wroth money on buying the kitchen products.And after that the rest of money left what did you do with it?" I asked her.

"That My lady....I....used them to upgrade the kitchen utensils.....and then next week when he recept for ordering products came again....only little amount of money was left...." Cal said as her ears turned red.

Hearing that all the people gasped, This is a very big mistake but she is new and she is just too nervous right now, maybe she isn't realizing it but her whole body is trembling. "Hah so this happened..... Head Chef and the merchant I apologize for the inconvenience you had to face. Please don't take all this to your heart and continue your work." I said to both of them.

"My Lady!!" Both of said surprised by my apology.

"My Lady it isn't your fault!" The head chef said.

"Yes please don't apologize....infact we were the ones who should have talked calmly." Rhe merchant said.

"...Yes we are adults but still we acted like kids...it must be us who should be apologizing to the lady for seeing such an unsightly scene." The head chef said.

"Yes My lady Please forgive us!" The merchant said as he bowed. Followed by the chef.

"Huh! I am really glad for having such understanding people around me." I said as I smiled towards them.

After that everyone went back to work, except one, "You....Follow me..." I said to Cal who has turned blue in colour.