Chapter 27

“Come inside, Madam.”

Pepe, who looked like he was about to faint, opened the baron’s door. Eliana then asked Benny to stay outside. This is because other than Lujan, Pepe didn’t set up anyone else outside. Lujan alone was not enough to stop Sharchen.

“Benny, please.”

“Yes, Madam. Please rest assured and call me if you need me.”

“I will.”

Eliana and Pepe entered the baron’s room. Karman was sitting at his desk, watching Eliana as she stepped inside. His gaze stopped precisely at her necklace. Paying it no mind, Eliana moved closer to him.

“Did your true love, Sharchen, reject the white crystals?”

“It was for the dignity of the Hunter family’s baroness.”

“Since when have you cared for my dignity? From the moment you saw this necklace?”

“Get your act together, Eliana. Are you going to make your first social appearance wearing a necklace given to you by an outsider? That’s an act that will hurt your honor too.”

“Who’s talking about honor to whom?”

Eliana exclaimed. Pepe was startled and crouched his neck like a tortoise. Karman gently blinked his eyes at Eliana’s raised tone.

“You are the only one who looks at me and Sharchen with threatening eyes.”

“You want to live under that illusion. Is it normal to have that kind of relationship with an adopted daughter?”

“As I said, it was an inevitable choice to protect Sharchen.”

“You are a coward.”

“M-Madam. Please watch your words! You are being disrespectful to the Baron.”

“Pepe, that’s enough.”

“Do not insert yourself into this conversation. It will be your turn next.”

At Eliana’s growling voice, Pepe took a step back. Karman’s expression showed that he could hardly understand why Eliana was so angry. Eliana continued as she tried to calm her anger.

“Gillian is my friend. I often wear jewelry that my friends give me. Hurting my honor? I’m sure that’s just your misunderstanding. Did you hear that I was promiscuously rolling around in bed with an outsider?”

“Eliana. If you are deliberately trying to speak vulgarly, then stop.”

“If you want to hear vulgarity, then it will sound vulgar. I’m just telling you the truth.”

“I was just trying to protect you.”

“Protect me?”

Eliana burst out laughing. She had never been protected by Karman. In this situation, Pepe was nervous and was sweating like a waterfall, as it seemed like she was about to explode at any moment. Eliana regained her composure and spoke.

“Joseph saved me. You’re not saying that you didn’t even hear the commotion in the square a few days ago, are you? What did the baron do for me then? Did you ask if I was safe? Or did you have them investigate the case?”

“You hit someone else.”

“No. I would have been beaten if Joseph had not appeared then. You wouldn’t know because you weren’t interested in the truth.”

“You think I should cover up what you did to flirt with other men! Truly shameless!”

Karman got up from his seat and slammed the desk. Karman rarely changed his expression but now, anyone can see that he was angry.

“Did you see me flirting? Or did you see me kiss another?”

“Eliana!”

“He’s Duke Oliver from Conter! If you don’t believe me, I’ll introduce you at the party. I don’t throw away anyone I think will be on my side. At least they will give me more strength than the people in this mansion. This is my protection. I don’t care if you misunderstand me or not, but if you’re trying to restrain me, that’s another matter.”

“You are my wife!”

“You are the one who said I was nothing in this barony!”

Karman, who was momentarily speechless at Eliana’s knife-like words, let out a long sigh. Eliana was the first woman who shot back at him without losing a word. Eliana continued, lowering her voice.

“In this barony, how long do you think until I can have someone on my side? I want to have the person who could best keep me safe by my side. Please allow Joseph to be my bodyguard.”

“I cannot allow it. I saw what happened with the guard in the library with my own eyes.”

“What happened?”

“That……!”

“You misunderstand me because you believe in the rumors. You have no intention of trusting me in the first place. So how can you protect me? Do you know who is responsible for this failing barony?”

“M-Madam! What do you mean a failing barony!”

Karman contorted his eyebrows. Eliana placed the documents she had brought with her on Karman’s desk. She then went on.

“Take a second look at how this family is falling to ruins while you try to shackle and torment me.”

“What do you even know about this mansion?”

At Karman’s words, Eliana followed with a laugh.

“I have eyes and ears so I know. Your eyes and ears may have been blocked by the butler and Sharchen.”

“M-Madam! That’s preposterous.”

“Check this document to see if it’s really preposterous. It exposes all of your negligent  administrative skills.”

Pepe swallowed his saliva. He thought that for some reason Eliana might have found a mistake that didn’t exist. However, it was true that he had been living comfortably as a butler for the past few years. He also had quite a bit of money hidden behind. What if she knew all of that? Pepe wiped his sweat which made his handkerchief damp. But even after wiping, his sweat poured down like rain.

“Pepe has done his best.”

“The Baron knows best that what he has been doing is far from the best. So, weren’t you listening to all these rude comments from me?”

“Eliana, do you think you can come up with a special alternative just because it’s you?”

“Yes. I do.”

Eliana said confidently. As if it was unexpected, Karman smirked, followed by a “Ha”.

“Then let’s hear what you can do from that cheeky mouth of yours. From where to start and how to fix it.”

“Reduce the cost of groceries by three quarters from next month. The goal is half of what it is now. Too much food is coming in for the number of people here. Neither Sharchen nor the Baron eat much. However, by comparison, the grocery storehouse is always full like the butler’s belly.”

“Heup.”

Pepe breathed in for a moment. He tried to pretend to be slim while pressing down on his stomach, but it was in vain.

“Write letters of recommendation and send away unneeded maids and attendants so they can move to another house. Sharchen in particular has too many maids. Let them go and check the guards’ training status with the remaining salary. Do you think anyone in this mansion can properly wield a sword if the kingdom orders us to fight?”

“…….”

“Gather the money you use for luxuries and recultivate and replant the garden. The garden is the face of the family. I went to the Hutts and saw firsthand that a good family can maintain a good garden.”

This was a problem that Eliana had been trying to swallow down her throat. The mansion had long since deteriorated due to the long absence of a hostess. Karman’s face, as he tried to talk with an arrogant expression, gradually hardened.

Eliana wondered if he might have been really oblivious to these issues. He was just a dimwit who took over a mansion because he had a good family. He was only able to hide it because of his handsome face and dull personality.

Eliana couldn’t hide looking at him pitifully as she spoke.

“Candles, cloth, milk and paper can all be made here, so why are you buying them? Is it perhaps because you don’t want to manage all those things. Am I correct, butler?”

“…….”

Pepe could only gulp. The workshops in the Barony had long been covered with spider webs. This was a result of Pepe’s guidelines to live efficiently, but in reality, it was because he found it cumbersome. He could have made extra income from it, but he opted not to. Karman didn’t know the details so it was all swept under the rug.

However, Karman’s expression turned vicious when Eliana pointed out that fact accurately. His sharp gaze turned to Pepe. Pepe lowered his head and felt the inside of his mouth drying out.

“All this management should be done by Pepe, the butler, and the Baron. Or maybe the ‘real’ baroness Sharchen. This is all that I can see with my own eyes. Do you now understand why this house is in such a state? The people of the previous generations who resided in this mansion certainly did not do this.”

“…….”

Karman said nothing and remained speechless. Eliana expressed her relief with “Huu”, and hit the final nail.

“The man in charge of this mansion is not Jerik Hunter. How long do you plan to live in his shadow? Please read a book and look around.”

“…….”

Eliana stared directly at Karman. Then she gently turned her gaze to Pepe and said,

“Do you understand what I mean, butler? We have to do our best so that the Baron doesn’t have to care about all of these things.”

“…….”

“In return for this valuable advice, I must take guard Joseph as my bodyguard. It’s the least that I can do to protect myself since you don’t want to give me a shield.”

“…….”

“I’m going to get out of this d*mned mansion on my own.”

Eliana uttered the words she felt strongly from within. Neither Pepe nor Karman said anything. Eliana looked at the pair alternately and turned back. Then Karman’s mouth opened.