CH 6

Hmm. Didn’t she just lose her temper in front of me? 

Should I call this absurd, or should I call it consistent? Rin approached Olga, who had been left alone to hang out her laundry, and she called for Olga. 

“Olga, what a surprise!” 

Startled, Olga backed away and shrugged when she saw her face. 

“Oh, miss? How are you here. . .”

“Do you have any friends? Don’t you have any? Oh, no!” 

Olga stuttered with a pierced face for anyone to see. 

To be honest, I wasn’t surprised at all. It wasn’t normal to see her behaving like this towards me. 

Because she was bullied among the maids, she wondered if she could gain my favor.

Growing up in an orphanage, Rin was not the first to experience talking to a child like Olga. 

Mostly, no, all the children who have been separated from their families bear a big scar in their hearts. Among them, the children with the most severe scars couldn’t get along with their friends at the orphanage and were left out. Furthermore, among the children who were outside, there were some children who were harsher to the weaker ones. 

And those kids usually. . .

It was right for me.

She beat everyone with more precision and sincerity than anyone else. 

Rin, who was born with a natural skeleton, had sharp hands from a young age, and after she started learning swordsmanship from her master, no one in the neighborhood could match her. Thanks to her, she used to get effective results for the time she put it. 

But teaching with such a weak body seems to have the opposite effect.

Concerned, Rin called Olga. 

“Follow me.”

“What? Why?”

“If you answer, will you call the second mistress again?”

Olga followed with her mouth shut. Her wincing dragged her into her bed, and Rin pulled out her little box from her drawer. 

One of the few properties Yana owns. Judging by the age and design, there were several old-fashioned earrings that were clearly inherited from dead parents. Rin pondered for a moment as she opened the box. 

It’s not mine, so can I use it like this? 

Will you? Of course not. 

But –

If Yana doesn’t come back, all of these things will be thrown away.

Adequate self-justification is also beneficial to mental and physical health. 

Rin decided to take out Olga’s mind before taking out the accessories. 

“Olga.” 

“. . .Yes?”

“I’ll soon be kicked out of Tuslena Castle and be taken to Pindias Great Prayer.” 

Olga replied with a sullen face, “I know that.”

“Then do you know why you weren’t fired?”

Her chubby face turned even more sullen in an instant. 

“No. . .”

“It was because I asked the second wife. I’ll change the way you view me, and then you’ll stay by my side.” 

“I saw the lady as weak. . .”

“Ha. You still don’t know what that means? It means that if I leave for the Great Prayer, there will be no excuse for you to remain in Tuslena.” 

“Yes? What do you mean?” 

“You know? The Tuslena Employee Discipline Book.” 

Olga’s complexion turned black. An unprecedented fear crept into her eyes. 

Tuslena is a lineage called the Apostle of God. 

In the theocracy of the Ra Empire, Tuslena’s secrets are bound to be linked to the state’s secrets. For this reason, the employees employed by the Tuslena Duchy’s family had to draw up a special contract. The content of the contract could be summarized in three lines. 

Exceptionally high salaries. 

However, in case of dishonorable retirement, an additional confidentiality agreement could be signed. 

When writing an additional confidentiality pledge, ‘life’ will be preserved. 

It’s really just about saving lives. She’s going to be kicked out with only her tongue and hands cut off. 

Tuslena’s Employee Discipline book is so famous that there is no one in the empire who doesn’t know about it. This is because it specifies the most terrible and inhumane punishment among the contracts approved by the imperial family.

From the day the second lord’s wife tried to forcefully dismiss Olga, she was already scheduled for a dishonorable retirement. 

“Olga, without me you will be driven with your hands and tongue cut off.” 

“Ugh.” Olga’s eyelashes trembled as if she was imagining having them cut off. 

“To be bullied and kicked out mute. What a terrible ending. . .” 

“No!” 

Oh, now you finally cry? 

She burst into tears because she said a few bad words to me, the owner, and still thought she could come out of this as a winner. I really thought you were a child.  But sure, if I teach her well, I will be able to control her so she won’t do anything stupid. 

After all, it’s much better than throwing it out hastily. Rin looked at Olga who sat down with her face covered. 

“Stop it. If you listen to me carefully, I will not leave for Pindias Great Prayer. If I don’t leave, your tongue and hands will be fine, and your relationship with the employees will be smooth.” 

“What. How?”

“You can be my ears and my eyes.” 

Olga sat down on the floor and looked up at Rin with her wet eyes. 

“To do that, you have to get close to the other employees as well. Are there any employees who don’t hate you? I don’t hate them, but I don’t particularly like them enough to approach them myself.” 

“. ..Yes.” 

Rin picked out a couple of the smallest and least expensive trinkets in the box. Olga looked at her with a bewildered face and she took the trinket from her. 

“This. . .”

“Give them a present. It’s a gift from me, but tell them it’s because I don’t need it. It’s to get to know them and show them that their relationship with you and I is smooth.” 

“But. . .” 

“And say hello every morning. Say good night. It’s okay if you curse at me. Oh, are you really going to curse me?”

“No! What do you know me for? I don’t have someone I’m close to enough to curse. . .” 

“And your tone. You have a knack for making listeners feel bad, so fix it as soon as possible.”

I think I cheered her up enough, because Olga snorted and stood up. 

“When did I offend you, please say that!” 

“You don’t think so? Is there a reason why you don’t have friends? I’m sure I’ve been with you for many years. Are you sure you’re not too?” 

“. . .” 

“It will be difficult, but try. If it’s difficult, follow someone else. You can act like a friend or a girl you like. Then I’ll go at least halfway. 

“. . .”

“You have nothing to lose by following my words. Pretend to be deceived and trust me.” 

Olga, who was watching me carefully, opened her mouth in a crawling voice, “–Lady, it seems that you have changed somehow.” 

Not really. It’s just because the soul has changed. 

“Are you uncomfortable because you’re not foolish?” 

“Ho-ho. No, it’s not. . .” 

“It’s up to you whether we stay in Tuslena. Understand?” 

I felt a little more comfortable now. 

* * *

The next morning was one to die of piercing muscle pain. 

Still, I went out to exercise without losing. Originally, exercise is the hardest part when you start. Thinking of holding the sword again after building up physical strength brought out a smile. 

Rin’s day started with exercise and ended with finding another trace of Yana. However, even after several days, she could not get any income related to the latter. 

Considering Yana’s stuffy environment, I definitely expected something like a diary.

No matter how much I searched the bedroom, I couldn’t find it. Anything, really.

When I turned to the bedroom, drenched in sweat, the first thing I saw was on the table. With a flower basket that is burdensome enough. 

“What is this?”

Olga answered the obvious question with her eyes. 

“It is medicine and flowers for restoring energy. It was given by the fourth Lord.”

The fourth lord? How many children are there in this family? 

But why did the fourth lord send this to me? 

Looking at what she has said this time, it seems that he has been concerned about Yana’s health quite consistently. Maybe it was because he knew the true nature of this family? 

I put the suspicious looking medicine in the corner of the bedroom and asked Olga, “Any news?”

Yesterday, Rin gave Olga a new mission. 

Just once a day, getting small information about the Tuslena family from the maids. Should I say I’m lucky or should I say it’s natural. It seemed that the effect of selling jewelry was quite good. 

“Of course I do.” 

Olga said arrogantly with a commanding expression. “That’s right. The date has been set for the lady to leave for the Pindias Great Prayer.” 

“When is i?”

“The day after tomorrow.” 

“What?”

The day after tomorrow? Did she really say the day after tomorrow?

“Are you smiling and saying that you like it now? Isn’t it different from the story that you will be kicked out the day after tomorrow?”

“–Ah!” 

Rin ran out of the bedroom, leaving the pale Olga behind.