Resetting Lady - Chapter 130

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Karen turned to look at Raymond.

“Lord Raymond, the window over there is broken.”

“Ah, there were strong gusts a few days ago, so it must have broken then. I’ll call a contractor soon.”

“The chandelier has no candles…”

“There was no need to maintain it, so I removed them. If you want, I’ll put them back in.”

Not ordering her to do it?

No way.

Karen fidgeted with her hands while looking at Raymond’s face. She had to ask. She really had to ask this.

“Lord Raymond, you said you reduced the maids and servants?”

“Yes.”

No way, surely not.

Karen tried to calm her pounding heart and asked calmly.

“How many are there?”

Raymond blinked and answered nonchalantly.

“Two people.”

Only two servants? Karen felt like she would have resorted to violence if the person in front of her was a scrawny priest instead of a soldier. Surely that couldn’t be right.

This was a nobleman’s mansion. It was a place that surely had over 100 permanent residents and boasted scenery grand enough for royalty to visit in summer.

“Two people?”

“Ah… there was a mistake in what I said. There are none.”

“…None?”

Karen felt her mind go blank. What was this man saying right now? But Raymond smiled brightly as if he didn’t know what Karen was thinking and answered.

“Yes. There are only the two of us in the manor. A porter will bring supplies by carriage once a week, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

Stay calm. Stay calm.

Karen suppressed her trembling voice and asked again.

“A manor of this size… you know it’s normal for about 100 people to reside here permanently, right?”

“Yes.”

“So the two of us will clean… cook meals and manage everything? So Lord Raymond and I… cleaning, building maintenance… the garden… everything that over 100 people used to do?”

Raymond nodded.

“Yes. There’s a lot to do, so it won’t be boring. That’s fortunate. I learned cooking and cleaning in the army.”

“Cooking… army cooking…”

At Karen’s response, Raymond nodded proudly.

“All my subordinates couldn’t help but admire it and ate everything up.”

“What kind of cleaning are you talking about…?”

“Karen, you don’t need to worry too much. I can handle 100 military uniforms in one day, oh, ouch!”

This should obviously be a joke.

Karen clenched her fists. The future looked bleak.

“…Ow, why are you doing that?”

Karen pinched Raymond’s side hard, but Raymond just looked down at her with a confused expression.

“That’s a funny joke. This time it was really amusing.”

Say it’s a joke. Hurry up.

But Raymond’s expression was bewildered.

“…If you need anything else, I can get it with money…”

That’s not the problem. Karen gritted her teeth.

“Do you want to die?”

“Pardon?”

“Lord Raymond, do you want to die?”

Raymond tried to appease the furious Karen, but she didn’t soften her expression.

“I won’t lift a finger.”

“Yes, I’ll do everything.”

Raymond answered readily without seeming particularly displeased. That made Karen even more anxious. Karen wanted Raymond to answer that he would hire people again, not that he would do everything himself.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

In her view, that was realistically impossible. Karen looked at Raymond with narrowed eyes and asked again.

“Don’t go back on your word? You clearly said you’d handle everything yourself?”

You’ll work yourself to death.

“If you die from working, wouldn’t that defeat the purpose? Just stay comfortable.”

Would it be possible to stay comfortable? This was the first time Raymond’s confident face looked so unsettling.

“Rest in your room. I’ll clean up a bit and come up.”

So he’s going to try to the end. Karen sighed once and asked as she went up the stairs.

“Which room should I use?”

There were too many rooms in this manor. Karen wondered which of the 170 rooms would be decent. Raymond headed toward the storehouse while saying to Karen.

“Wouldn’t the room we used to share be better?”

“The 3rd floor room? Did you clean it?”

“Yes… though I wasn’t the one who cleaned it.”

“Then it’s more trustworthy.”

At Karen’s words, Raymond waved his hand and said.

“Karen, I’m confident. I’ll wake you when the meal is ready, so rest.”

Sure you are.

Karen suppressed her sarcasm and waved back.

“I don’t know… you told me to stay comfortable.”

Karen watched Raymond bring a ladder and insert candles one by one into the chandelier before going up to her room. Thinking about how they’d only light it briefly at night and then have to extinguish them all one by one before bed, even Karen thought it was quite a bothersome task.

“Handle it yourself then.”

But Karen didn’t particularly want to tell Raymond not to do it. He’d have to struggle to realize he misjudged. Having served Isella, Karen knew it was impossible for an individual to manage a manor of this size.

From opening doors at dawn and closing them at night, to replacing broken windows and changing bedding – everything required human hands. Even Karen’s house, which was only about a quarter the size of this manor, had over twenty maids, and including servants, coachmen, and cooks, there were over fifty people.

Raymond probably didn’t know because he had mostly delegated household affairs to butlers and housekeepers. Karen shook her head. That’s men for you.

Karen expected Raymond to declare defeat in less than a month. Even if he moved his body well, that was in the realm of combat. Karen moved well in the realm of social circles and dancing, while his was the realm of battle.

Even though Karen had served Isella, she hadn’t done everything alone. What she handled was only a very small part. But that’s why Karen was amazed at Raymond’s confident attitude.

“…It’s still clean.”

Karen walked up the stairs.

It seemed the servants had finished things neatly even as they were laid off, or rather forcibly dismissed. Karen thought about her past when she quit Isella’s house.

“…I generously spread tar under the carpet before I left. Wasn’t that normal?”

She had been a bad maid, but Raymond’s servants seemed to have worked hard until the end.

“…It’s even more of a waste.”

Places with servants as skilled overall as those in this manor were extremely rare. Karen was almost in tears over losing the leisurely, relaxing vacation she had been looking forward to.

Creak.

Karen opened the door to the room she had previously shared with Raymond. The door wasn’t locked.

“…Sigh. I knew this would happen.”

Wind blew in.

Karen sighed seeing the window was open.

White curtains attached to the window fluttered, welcoming Karen.

He said there were strong winds. Did it open then? Karen approached the window and tied back the curtains. Some tree branches and a few flower petals from early spring had blown into the room.

Soft, young petals of pale pink touched her face.

Karen brushed off the petals.

Brilliant afternoon sunlight welcomed Karen.

Karen looked down at the garden from the window.

It was still a beautiful and peaceful manor.

The space Karen could have obtained at the end when she chose Raymond.

Vast meadows and flocks of sheep grazing here and there could be seen in the distance. Near the manor was a stream, and it would be nice to fall asleep reading a book on the small boat there.

Crossing the bridge over the stream, there was a fountain. Though water wasn’t flowing yet, it would in summer. In the rose garden, roses would be beautiful, and under the tunnel made of wisteria, a purple walking path would shine.

“If all the gardeners quit too, it’ll be chaos in summer…”

Karen couldn’t imagine how messy the garden would become without any maintenance. Her romantic notions were completely shattered. Karen resolved that she absolutely had to bring the gardeners.

“I must call the cook too.”

Raymond’s meals were not something to look forward to at all. The more she thought about it, the more her head ached. Karen shook her head. Complaints could wait until later. Now it was time to sleep. She was tired from the unfamiliar horseback riding.

Karen turned toward the room.

The large bed was spacious enough for five or six people to lie down comfortably.

She collapsed onto the bed. She flopped down with a thud. The bed was soft and large. Inside the bed, there was no gift box containing an arm, only the soft touch of cotton could be felt. Karen buried her face in the pillow and lay face down, kicking her shoes to the floor.

Raymond said he would handle things, so he probably would.

What she needed to take was rest.

Karen closed her eyes. The pillow had a faint floral scent. The smell of peace.

Karen, what about meals…

Raymond woke her a couple of times, but each time Karen gestured for Raymond to leave. It was truly peaceful sleep after such a long time.

“…Mmm.”

When she finally opened her eyes, it was the middle of the night.

She had slept too much.

Karen was momentarily confused when she woke up from sleep. She had slept for so long that it was difficult to grasp the situation. A headache came from sleeping too long.

“Haa.”

This time too, her dream was a nightmare. Karen had died again in her dream. No, it wasn’t just dying.

Karen had dreamed of drowning while still alive. Water slowly entered the coffin while she could only watch, unable to do anything. It was a dream of being buried endlessly beneath the ocean floor, feeling water rising from her toes. Karen sat up and wiped the sweat that had formed on her forehead.

“…”

Karen sensed someone’s presence and turned her eyes.

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