CH 27

Chapter 27: Please keep the secret until the grave

If I attack from a different direction…what should I do?

Then I suddenly remembered what Katie told me. I will try to explain from this point.

“Hey Katie. It may be valued, so I will have to go to the temple soon. And then I won’t be able to read any more of those interesting books that Katie tells me about.”

“Oh…but isn’t it the same for everyone who has skills?”

“In my case, there is a high probability that it will happen. After all, my father is a notorious person. He is also disliked by other nobles. Many families want to avoid placing a skilled person in such a house. It’s like affixing a foil.”

Taking a breath, I continued.

“The noble families may try to work on the temple to increase the material that becomes an ally to the infamous Count house. If that happens, the temple will try to take me in. My father should not be hostile to the temple. And once I enter the temple, they will not let me out easily.”

“That’s…”

Katie seems to know that my reputation is quite bad, so she can’t argue.

I could just fold up here.

“I’ve been thinking that I could just live in this mansion forever. My father doesn’t care about me and I’m treated with contempt by the servants, so the main house was suffocating. The Academy was also nothing but hardships, so I’m relieved that I don’t have to go anymore.”

“I was aware of My Lady’s hardships.”

Katie says that to me.

“A life where you are hated by people is over. If I can live quietly here, I am fine with that.”

“But you are engaged, are you not? Won’t you eventually have to marry?”

Oh, that’s right. Katie… or rather, the household members don’t know about this because I didn’t say anything.

(Well, even if I had said something, there was nothing that could be done about it.)

I explain because there’s no other choice.

“My fiance hates me. It’s also because of my father’s dark rumors, and there is someone else that he likes.”

“That’s…”

Katie’s face looks like she is about to cry.

“I want to get away from that person who has been so cruel to me. That’s why I don’t want to get married. If the engagement is also dissolved as a result of my being cursed, I’ll be happy. Right, Katie? At least I want to live in an environment where I can go out freely and buy books that I like.”

By the way, I want to hide my abilities so that I can eventually lead a civilian life and escape from here freely.

“…Understood, My Lady. I will keep this matter to myself.”

After explaining this, she seems to have finally understood.

“Thank you. Keep it a secret for a lifetime. In return… Ah, I’ll give you this.”

I put my hand on the collar of the cleaning clothes I was wearing. I had used a brooch of my own to hold the collar in place.

Maybe it was because it was a spare outfit, but the button was a little loose.

I take off the brooch and let Katie hold it.

“This is my gratitude. Please accept it.”

“My Lady… I can’t accept such a valuable thing.”

Katie is surprised and shakes her head.

“No. It’s my fault that you got involved in this situation, and you may not be able to return to the mansion like this… Aren’t you worried?

Katie falls silent.

“So save it just in case. I’ll give you a letter to Oji-sama later, in case you have to find another job. If you have that, you can worry about the future without worrying.”

Katie finally let out tears and wiped them with her hand.

“To go to such lengths…I will take your secret to my grave. I promise.”

I was grateful for her saying it with a determined expression.

But is it really worth crying about…? I just want to make an open-minded choice, but I want her to stay quiet.

“Now, please check the results of the cleaning. And then please prepare for lunch.”

I brightly said to Katie and pulled her hand.

After that, it wasn’t until the evening that the cook and two servants finally came with the housekeeper.

Along with the house butler…

…It was dangerous.

If it had been during the day, I would have borrowed a spare outfit from Katie for cleaning and would have been learning how to cook in the kitchen, learning how to use a knife.

I was lucky to be changing and resting when I was tired.

“We apologize for the absence of the cook and servants, My Lady.”

When I moved to the reception room, the house butler, who was waiting, said and deeply bowed.

From this attitude, it seems that I have not been abandoned yet. If the “curse” cannot be lifted… I don’t know what will happen.

“In the end, did the cooks not come here on their own?”

“No.”

The butler denied it clearly.

“There seemed to be a problem going… so this time we brought a live-in person.”

“What kind of problem was there?”

I understand if they don’t want me to know, but what does it mean to have a problem?

“It seems that there has been a lot of theft in this area. It’s scary because it’s dangerous to go.”

The butler’s words were rough, but he didn’t seem to be lying. Besides, Katie was attacked just now.

“That’s scary… it’s a hassle that we can’t send anyone from here. Is there any way to do something?”

“We also brought a guard. We rented a room in front of this mansion and used it as a base to protect the outside of the mansion.”

“I see.”

When I nodded, the butler left the room.

“I wonder if the public order has really deteriorated so much…”

It’s a little inconvenient.

But it looks like I won’t have to worry about meals, and I was able to easily learn how to clean and cook from Katie.

“There is also an advantage for me.”

The guards are only on the outside.

If I borrow clothes from Katie and go out, they shouldn’t be able to be recognized as myself. Can’t I just go out all the time?

(I can secure my safety this way because I was able to help Katie.)

There is also a reason why I want to go out.

It has become inconvenient for Lars-sama and the others to visit this house frequently to contact me.

(If I use a live-in human, the house butler or housekeeper may come for supervision at short intervals because they are in the same capital. It would be inconvenient if Asher-sama’s identity was reported at that time.)

If it is a visiting human, they will only do the work they have been assigned and return home. So if it had been like before, it would have been fine to have them visit at night when they were not there, but that is not possible with a live-in person.

That’s why I want to go and contact Lars-sama myself.