CH extra 1

Dobbie Holt

27. Extra Story

It was shortly after the two entered the mansion. An unknown old man was standing in the lobby. It was clear that the black suit resembling the swallow’s tail was a butler, but it is a face that she didn’t recognise.

As Kyrie stood with a surprised look, the old man approached with a very welcome face.

“Hello. It’s a great pleasure to meet you. I’m Debbie Holt, who managed the mansion while you were away.”

Kyrie, who didn’t think there would be a person, was embarrassed and became serious.

“First of all, nice to meet you. I’m Kyrie. But you managed the mansion?”

“Maybe the mansion will be ruined quickly if no one lives.”

It seems that Laura and Maria were also aware that she would not enter this house immediately. Kyrie smiled a little.

“Now that I see it, you….. You look quite familiar.”

Debbie smiled happily.

“Do you remember? I’ve seen the Lord Protector several times at the FortDucane mansion when you were young.”

Kyrie fumbled over her memory. It was only then that the butler with a strict face that she saw at the mansion came to mind. He seems to have changed his impression so much that she didn’t recognize it.

She said as if she was a little sad.

“Well, what should I do? I didn’t mean to hire anyone.”

It was Nathaniel, not Debbie, who was startled by Kyrie’s words.  Nathaniel, who looked like a boy because his eyes were wide open, opened his mouth.

[You are not going to have a butler?]

“Yes, I wasn’t going to…… Do you need it?”

[Why?]

“I don’t think you need it”

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes as if he was surprised.

[Who will serve while taking bath?]

“I can do magic.”

[Cooking.]

“Let’s learn.”

[Serving guests and preparing a carriage?]

“…..Magic?”

Nathaniel got serious.

[Kyrie.  You must have broken your head due to water pressure.]

That’s not true…… Nathaniel’s expression was unusual to answer that. Kyrie certainly recognized that he was a noble to the bone. She thought he would be surprised and scared if she told him that she thought about farming herself.

“But if there are a lot of people….”

[No way. Don’t you think I came up to see something like that?]

Kyrie looked back at Debbie with a difficult face. Will he voluntarily return?

“Holt. If you’re coming down here because of this, should I talk to Fort Ducane again?”

Debbie, who was listening quietly to the conversation between the two, raised his eyebrows and smiled nicely.

“It’s not like that. This is my wife’s hometown. I’ve been working as a butler for the FortDucane family for a long time, and my wife got sick and quit her job.”

“Where is your wife?”

“She went back to the high place.”

(T/N: to God)

“Ah…..”

For a moment, Kyrie couldn’t take an aristocratic attitude, but she quickly regained her composure. Debbie’s smile deepened.

“I was going to spend the rest of my life here because the cemetery was nearby, but Miss Laura wants to treat this old man again. Fortunately, so far it has been suitable for the old man’s pastime, but you are free to do whatever you want in future employment.”

Debbie’s demeanor was clean and straightforward.  Indeed, even if Kyrie fired him, it seemed that he would not feel any regret.

[Look at that. I think you’ll like this guy. Right?]

Next to her, Nathaniel helped out a word. Kyrie also agreed. She hesitated to hire someone because she didn’t want to take responsibility for someone else, but there was no reason to hesitate again if it came out like this.

When Kyrie could hardly answer, Nathaniel bent down and whispered in her ear.

[He is a good man. It’s hard to find someone who is similar to your favorite Bund. Your friend has a good eye, so it’s not right to ignore it.]

“My friend with a good eye told me that I don’t have a good eye for men.”

[It’s okay because I have eyes for women]

She laughed in vain. In the end, Kyrie nodded.

“Nice to meet you. Then call me Kyrie.”

Debbie smiled.

“Please take good care of us, master.”

“This is Nataniel.”

“Yes. Do you want to look around the mansion?”

“Right.”

“And, in fact, there are a few more employees in this house. I think Miss Kyrie will like it because they’re all in the same position as me, but let’s meet for now.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll guide you.”

[Your friend is pretty good at human work]

Nathaniel muttered strangely as if he was having fun.

When they met, it was true.  All of them were so simple that they could quit at any time, and there were only those who were full of life enough to not have to work in this mansion.  Kyrie admired Laura’s eyes and decided to hire them as they are.

Kyrie looked around the mansion under Debbie’s guidance. It was a nice mansion with a light pigeon-colored outer wall and a low blue roof. The interior was decent and luxurious. The delicately crafted furniture of thistle oiled and shiny, and the ceramics and gypsum statues placed throughout the hallway were rare artifacts that Nathaniel once showed her, that is, deserve to be in other words.

After passing through a fist-sized ruby crown and seeing Angela Morse’s “Coming Angel” caught in the gallery, Kyrie gave a weak smile.

“This is a work that Duchess Edenhole loved. They said it was really hard to get.”

[Is that so?]

“How did you bring it?”

[I didn’t threaten her.]

Kyrie closed her mouth and looked up at the work. Then she said,

“Actually, I don’t really like it.”

[That’s what I thought]

“Did you buy it knowing that?”

[Because sometimes art has a meaning in its collection.]

“Hmm. You sound like you’ll do anything for me.”

[If you exclude a few things, of course]

Kyrie burst into laughter at the extremely generous answer.

“Then if I ask you to pick the moon, will you pick it for me?”

Nathaniel made a subtle expression. She thought he would say that was too much, but he said something else.

[It’s possible, but I think it’s better for humans to live now]

Occasionally, Nathaniel would say something incomprehensible just like now.  Before, she thought it was just something he didn’t want to talk about, but now that she has gained some magic, she knows that it’s not like that.

“We ask from where you Transcendentalists come from, what you are, what you are capable of, what enlightenment is, what lies beyond the horizon……you never say that.”

Kyrie said, looking at Debbie’s back walking ahead. In the meantime, she admired Debbie’s skill in pretending that their conversation was not heard.

“I remember the sky was unusual when Lord Leschaux said that. I didn’t know in the past, but what kind of “Warning” is that?”

[Yes.]

“Come to think of it now, MarryAnne seems to have known that to some extent.”

[Forest beasts have better senses than humans.]

“I’ve been curious. If there’s a forest beast, are there sea animals?”

[A mermaid lives in the sea. More than that, I don’t know how you’ve lived with that curiosity]

They happened to be on the second floor. Debbie, who stood in front of the room where the Head usually lives, turned gently and asked.

“Come to think of it, what would you do with your room? I was informed there would be only one person living, so I think I’ll need some time to decorate one more room properly.…. Of course, we always organize our guest rooms.”

At Debbie’s words, Kyrie and Nathaniel blinked and looked at each other. And at the same time, they turned to Debbie.

“To the guest room.”

[To one room.]

Surprised by each other’s answers, the two turned their heads again. Kyrie rolled her eyes with a slightly surprised face, and Nathaniel looked a little subtle.

“Are you comfortable in the same room? Will it be okay?”

[I don’t think it’s a matter of whether it’s okay or not]

“I’ve seen you lying in bed a few times in Buchanan, but you don’t fall asleep, do you?”

[So?]

“Won’t it be uncomfortable if I use the bed first when I have to lie down?”

Nathaniel remained silent for a moment. Then he tilted his head and began to stare at the ceiling.

[In what sense?]

“There are times when you feel it’d be nice if there’s no one next to you.”

[Do you feel the same way?]

“Sometimes, that’s possible.”

[Okay…]

Nathaniel finished his words with a height that somehow sounded like a sigh. His expression was gloomy.

[My Miss Kyrie is like that, so I have no choice but to be kicked to the guest room.]

Kyrie’s expression became subtle. She blushed a little as she looked at Debbie’s gentle and harmless smile as if he couldn’t hear the owners’ conversation.

“What are you talking about?”

[It’s my house, but I can stay in the guest room. I understand]

“Oh, my. How ruthless…… Besides, didn’t I say I’d send you to the guest room.”

[Ah. Then it’s shameless by kicking the owner out of the house to the guest’s room. Thank you.]

“You’re the landlord, and I just thought you’d want to have your own room.”

[First of all, I know well that I look like a ten year old child in your eyes.]

At that, Kyrie began to look up at Nataniel with a coy face. Then, by the time Nathaniel reluctantly breathed a sigh of defeat, she showed dimples and laughed playfully.

“If you were really ten years old, I wouldn’t have cared if we shared a room. Is it really good that I don’t care about you?”

That was definitely not the answer that Nathaniel expected.

[What is that…]

“Debbie.”

Kyrie turned to Debbie right before Nathaniel said anything more.

“Leave the room alone. He has to sing me a lullaby so that I can fall asleep.”

Debbie smiled and nodded as if he was having fun, saying, this is how the legend and the Lord Protector are. Nathaniel said nothing with a grin on his face.