Resetting Lady - Chapter 11

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Among the fabrics, Donna whispers while looking outside the shop.

“The male servants don’t have much work to do, yet they’re so full of themselves and annoying.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“But all the physical labor is done by the servants, isn’t it?”

“Serving tea, carrying luggage when guests come, opening doors?”

“Why are you so irritated?”

“There’s a mountain of work to do, but look. I only came out like this thanks to you, miss.”

She puts on a hat and spins around.

“That doesn’t seem right.”

Donna becomes sullen and picks up another bonnet. The large-brimmed bonnet made of sky-blue fabric suited Donna’s brown hair quite well. Knowing this herself, she smiled while looking in the mirror, but Karen shook her head.

“This summer will be quite hot, so a boater would be better than a bonnet made of that fabric. The brim to cover your face is nice, but that fabric will be hot and your hair will get sweaty and stick to your head.”

“This summer?”

I don’t know any “other summers” to compare it to. But I do know that servants and merchants will all be slouching around, rolling up their sleeves and barely wearing undergarments.

“I think it will be like that. Anyway, what about Bowen?”

“It’s not that I particularly dislike Mr. Bowen.”

While comparing the sky-blue bonnet and the straw boater, Donna glanced at Bowen.

“It’s just… our manor seems to have too many male servants compared to the number of maids. The work that male servants actually do is less than what women do, right? Maids are overflowing with work all day long – washing dishes, preparing meals, cleaning, changing bed sheets. But all the male servants do is change clothes and open doors or move luggage, hmph. They get paid more too, hmph.”

“I see.”

Is it Father’s vanity, or is even this a romance novel-like device? Those words that described Karen’s life remain in memories so old they could turn to ash. Burned into my brain like something singed, they throb and reveal their existence even after a hundred years have passed.

I don’t think the number of maids was written down. When I giggle, Donna looks at me strangely, so I wave my hand. Should this be called an error? But thinking of Father’s management mistakes as divine errors seems really too grandiose.

“Recently, Sera was delivering a letter and got scolded by Miss Isella again. Really, it’s not like she’s the one paying our wages!”

In a few months, she’ll be paying your wages. I giggled. Donna tends to be loose-lipped for a lady’s maid. Maybe it’s because she’s young and originally worked in laundry. But that’s why she often chatters about new stories, helping me forget boredom, which made me more satisfied. The reason I specifically brought Donna out was also a reward for such chatter.

“What happened?”

“She scolded her for handing over the letter by hand instead of presenting it on a silver tray.”

“Oh my.”

“She doesn’t even want to touch what we’ve touched, really.”

“Right, we don’t even have a silver tray to put letters on.”

“Uh… that’s not what I meant… Um… I’m sorry.”

Having lived with a countess, Karen knew well how many masters considered physical contact impolite, but she didn’t want to tell Donna about that. Instead of generously explaining class differences, Karen blamed her own poverty. The countryside has its own rules and customs, and such advice would be meaningless anyway.

“I’m joking.”

“Uh…”

“Smile.”

“…Ho ho ho.”

After awkward pronunciation, both burst into silly laughter.

In the end, it’s people of the same gender who spend the most intimate, longest time together. Even comparing conversation time, I probably spent more than half the novel with Isella rather than Raymond. But naturally, Raymond’s importance as a character was higher than Nancy, Donna, or Isella, and even Dulan would rank higher than the maids. This is a romance novel, after all.

But this time is different. ‘Now,’ it’s the maids who captivate daily life more intensely than Raymond. Every morning when Karen opened her eyes, seeing Donna’s face instead of Nancy’s filled her with a sense of achievement.

I thought all maids were similar, so it didn’t matter. But Donna’s fingertips weren’t as skillful as Nancy’s, and her sense was somewhat lacking. That difference came as freshness rather than annoyance. Donna was lively and had the innocence of an 18-year-old girl. From the changes in trivial daily life, Karen even felt affection for Donna. Though it’s an affection that could cut her belly with a knife at any time, the fondness isn’t false, so I don’t worry about it.

Let’s treat her well.

Karen repeated to herself while gently suggesting to Donna.

“Instead, let’s add decorative fabric with that material. Use ribbons for the trim, not flowers.”

“How about this ribbon?”

“Not that one.”

“Yes…”

But the muffler Donna picked up next really didn’t suit her, so Karen genuinely wanted to dissuade her from that choice. It was a design an old woman might wear. But Donna didn’t put down the muffler.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to choose that…?”

“Hm? Oh, isn’t it fine?”

“Not fine at all.”

“Actually, I was thinking it might be nice to give it to Mrs. Deere.”

“Huh?”

“Yes?”

“Do you dislike this Mrs. Deere person?”

“No, not particularly… Miss, it’s Mrs. Deere.”

Who on earth.

Karen was confused.

“Don’t you remember Mrs. Deere?”

“Uh, um… who was she again.”

At Donna’s face asking why I don’t know, Karen’s face reddened for a moment. Karen mentally went through the manor’s servants, townspeople Donna might know, and even society people Donna couldn’t possibly know, but there was no Mrs. Deere. When Karen looked flustered, Donna smiled as if to tease her.

“Oh my, miss. Even so, she was your governess for 8 years.”

“Govern… ess?”

I can’t remember. Seeing Karen’s bewildered face, Donna becomes more surprised.

“Mrs. Deere… she taught you etiquette and dancing and… I don’t know much but… various things. Do you really not remember?”

“Ah, ah. Ah… Mrs. Deere.”

“Yes, she lives nearby so I thought you came here on purpose.”

How could I remember? It’s not Karen who has these memories. Though I’ve lived as “Karen” for a hundred years, ultimately only one year repeats, so Karen was slightly flustered.

A governess. I know the governess’s room connected to the child’s room. It’s been empty for so long there was no need to enter, and already a hundred years ago, when I became Karen instead of being “Karen,” there was no such thing as a governess.

A lord’s daughter couldn’t live only with maids without a governess. Even if they don’t send her to monasteries or universities like men to build academic knowledge, they must teach refinement. Things that Isella or maids like Donna couldn’t teach.

“It wasn’t that long ago, but it feels strange when someone who was always there isn’t around anymore. You saw her every day, miss, so it must be worse for you?”

“Yes, it feels like it’s been about 100 years already.”

“What?”

Watching Donna laugh it off, Karen said it was natural she couldn’t remember, but Donna just laughed saying “of course not.”

Karen hadn’t heard Mrs. Deere’s name once in 100 years. Because she left the Hyer Estate before turning seventeen. She’d never come to this shop with Nancy either. What happened a few years ago for Donna was over a hundred years ago for Karen, something she’d never experienced.

Even though she was at the manor for 8 years, she wasn’t an important figure afterward, so she was never mentioned again. Karen couldn’t help but admire how beautiful the unpredictable nature of human life was. A novel is just a novel. Those countless meetings and uncountable events were more important to Karen because they were unimportant days. Karen hardened her expression to calm her excitement.

“So, which one would be good?”

“Since she’s still young, wouldn’t pink be fine too?”

“Really?”

Karen spoke sparingly while choosing various items and asking about Mrs. Deere. Donna chattered plenty about Mrs. Deere without particular suspicion, but what she gained was less than expected.

A friend of Karen’s mother, she was a woman from the declining middle class who worked as Karen’s governess for 8 years. Like most governesses, there was a wall between her and the maids, and she mainly spent time with Karen and the lord and his wife. After the mother died, she quit work and is barely getting by on a pension. She apparently had a particularly bad relationship with Nancy.

“Nancy used to be a gypsy before becoming a maid, right?”

“Um… I think that might have been the case…”

“So she tried to kick her out, calling her dirty.”

“Oh my.”

“So… ah, since it’s right next door, how about we go see her?”

Of all things. Karen felt her body stiffen with slight tension. Not knowing anything about someone she saw for 8 years straight meant Karen couldn’t prepare for anything. I’ll look strange. But… while hesitating because no excuse came to mind, fortunately Bowen entered the shop. It was time to go in.

* * *

“Really ugly.”

“That’s right.”

“Donna, be quiet.”

Ignoring Bowen’s words, Karen enthusiastically discussed the ugliness of primates with Donna. To think such ugly animals exist. Karen had never come to the circus during this ‘outing’ event before.

When she was with Nancy, it wasn’t on this date, and then they would watch musical performances and street musicians instead of hat shops and circuses. Karen thought she did well to kill Nancy, but decided to come see the circus with Nancy in the next life, captivated by the spectacle before her eyes. Quite an enjoyable sight, isn’t it? I should show Nancy too.

“Nancy… would Nancy like this kind of thing too?”

“Hm?”

“Nancy, I mean.”

“Would there be anyone who wouldn’t like such sights? Oh, but I’m not sure about Nancy. Since she’s originally from gypsies, maybe she’s done things like that?”

“How about enjoying it quietly?”

“Never mind, ugh.”

Come to think of it, I knew little about Nancy. I see. Did she do things like that too?

But Karen found it hard to imagine Nancy among the women performing aerial stunts in revealing clothes instead of maid uniforms. She always wore the same maid uniform, after all.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————