The Villainess's Exclusive Maid Is Too Good at Her Job - Chapter 18

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 18

“For now, we’ve agreed to accept 3 million Ecles as the commission fee.”
Hobbs tilted his head at Kendrick’s words.
“I thought you said you wouldn’t accept a commission fee.”
“Our valued client insisted on paying it.”
Valued client, he said.
When had he ever referred to a client in such a manner?
As Hobbs stared at Kendrick with an expression of disbelief—
“Oh?! Could it be that you’ve met the client who requested that job I resolved?! The one who made a contract with the vice-captain?!”
Gale came bounding in, inserting himself into the conversation with thundering footsteps.
“That’s right. He asked me to pass along his thanks to you.”
“Hahahaha! It wasn’t even that difficult of a mission to warrant thanks, really!”
As Gale beamed with delight, Hobbs turned back and posed another question.
“We’ll handle the 3 million Ecles commission fee on our end. Did he mention anything about the remaining funds?”
“The remaining funds….”
Kendrick briefly recalled Janet from their conversation.
She had hesitated to answer, as if troubled, when suddenly her eyes widened in surprise.
Then, after a moment of silence as if recalling something, she finally spoke.
“She said she’d make an investment.”
“An investment, you say?”
“Yes. All 27 million Ecles into Belpia tea leaf farms.”
“Belpia… tea leaf farms, you say?”
Hobbs questioned it with a tone of disbelief.
He had every reason to be skeptical.
Belpia tea leaves were notoriously poor in commercial value. Nobility wouldn’t touch them, nor would the wealthy commoners or even the middle class seek them out.
Tea that only the poor drank.
With such a strong reputation and minimal profit margins, there were virtually no farms that specialized in cultivating Belpia tea leaves.
Most simply grew them on idle land for brief periods before harvesting and selling them as a side business.
Yet she intended to invest 27 million Ecles—a substantial sum—into Belpia tea leaf farms.
“Could it be… that Miss Janet was somehow swindled?”
“Who knows. You’ll have to look into that starting now.”
Well, I shouldn’t have asked.
Kendrick added to Hobbs, who muttered his belated regret.
“In any case, find a Belpia tea leaf farm and proceed with the investment as she wishes.”
Kendrick was equally concerned, but he didn’t want to disregard Janet’s intentions.
‘She must have her reasons.’
Kendrick decided to trust Janet this once.

***

That night.
‘What was that earlier?’
Janet, unable to fall asleep easily, fidgeted with her left wrist.

“Then, how shall we assist you with the remaining 27 million ecus, valued customer?”
“Well, about that remaining sum….”

The moment I was about to answer Theo’s question.
A faint shimmer bloomed across the inner side of my left wrist.

「Salvation」

Those small characters gleamed and materialized upon my wrist.
And simultaneously, a torrent of information flooded into my mind.

“You’ve found a cure for the mysterious plague?”
“Yes! That cure is none other than Belpia tea leaves.”
“To think those worthless leaves could serve as a remedy for such a pestilence….”
“That’s precisely the problem. Since no farms cultivate Belpia tea leaves on a large scale, the supply is far too limited.”
“That’s certainly a predicament.”

Janet could sense it instinctively.
This was one of the scenes from the ‘original story’.
Which meant it was safe to assume this was one of the futures that would inevitably arrive.
‘Which means….’
In that very moment, Janet resolved to invest 27 million ecus into Belpia tea leaves.
If the situation unfolded as she recalled from the original story, the value of Belpia tea leaves would undoubtedly skyrocket in the future.
Moreover, if she prepared in advance—
‘I could even solve the situation where people can’t receive treatment because of a shortage of tea leaves.’
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t conceive of a better choice than investing in Belpia tea leaves.
But setting that aside.
‘How did that exact scene come to mind at precisely that moment?’
It was as if someone had placed the information she needed directly into her hands.
And simultaneously, that glimmering word ‘Salvation’.
‘No matter how much I think about it, this word “Salvation” seems connected to something….’
I’d heard that each verse of blessing possessed special power—could this be the power of the verse I possessed?
But that was as far as my conjecture could reach.
‘For now, I should investigate blessings.’
With that thought, I decided I’d have to visit the Library later, and I closed my eyes.
#Chapter. The Posterior

“Oh, that’s a necklace I haven’t seen before, Miss Maidservant?”
Sandy, the Kitchen maidservant, spoke to Janet as she checked the tea caddy in the Kitchen pantry.
“A necklace?”
Ah, this one.
A necklace set with a blue gemstone was peeking out above her clothing.
It must have become visible when she reached toward the higher shelves.
“Is that also a gift from the Margrave?”
At Sandy’s question, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, Janet nodded awkwardly.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Though it was actually a lie.
This was a gift Theo had given her during their outing some time ago.
Separate from the gift sent under the Margrave’s name.
‘He said I should always wear it since it’s a protective necklace.’
He’d told me that if I broke the blue gemstone attached to the necklace, location information would be transmitted to him.
It was essentially an emergency GPS.
It seemed he wanted to be prepared for situations where someone might directly harm me, much like what happened with the Sien incident.
Fortunately, though, I hadn’t needed to use the necklace yet.
Ever since that meeting, peaceful days had continued uninterrupted.
At the sight of Janet gazing at the necklace with a gentle smile, Sandy’s eyes sparkled with delight.
“Miss Janet, could that gift perhaps be from someone other than the Marquis? Someone you’re keeping hidden, perhaps… a secret lover?”
“What?”
“For instance, a hidden paramour or something like that…”
“Sandy!”
The head Kitchen maidservant hastily cautioned Sandy, who had posed the insinuation with such mischievous intent.
Sandy flinched in surprise and quickly bowed her head in apology.
“I’m so sorry, Miss Janet.”
Rather than dismissing the concern, Janet smiled warmly and nodded graciously.
After all, if she said it was fine, the head maidservant who had just scolded Sandy might look foolish.
As Sandy hurried back to her station and resumed her work with renewed diligence, Nia—the one who had administered the rebuke—approached Janet cautiously.
“My apologies, Miss Janet. The girl is still quite young…”
“That’s understandable. Don’t worry about it, Nia. I’m not bothered at all.”
“Thank you for your gracious understanding.”
“More importantly, I’m relieved to see how well you manage the Kitchen staff.”
At Janet’s praise, Nia’s cheeks flushed a rosy hue.
Julietta Ludwig, the mistress of the Separate Residence, was the type who disliked people and rarely offered praise to anyone.
Consequently, the servants of the Separate Residence could not help but be delighted by even the smallest compliment.
“Not at all. I’m simply doing what must be done.”
“Performing one’s duties properly is no simple task, after all.”
At Janet’s words, Nia’s face flushed an even deeper shade of red.
“Thank you for saying so, Miss Janet.”
Nia answered briskly and returned to her station to resume her work.
In the brisk efficiency of her movements, one could sense her pride in her labor.
With a faint smile, I examined the tea caddy in my hand.
‘The tea is nearly depleted.’
It seemed the tea leaves stored in the Warehouse would soon run out as well.
While food provisions fell under the head cook’s purview, tea leaves were my responsibility.
This was only natural, as tea leaves were considered a luxury rather than a staple food.
The tea storage box in the Warehouse could only be opened with a specific key.
Originally, Sien had managed this key, but after my arrival, it had become my charge.
‘Perhaps I should diversify the types of tea leaves we order.’
I could place orders for the varieties Miss Julietta preferred and add tea leaves that seemed suited to her tastes.
‘My studies on tea leaves are proving useful now.’
Had I not studied poisonous plants, medicinal herbs, and tea leaves while transcribing the botanical compendium?
Thanks to that knowledge, I was confident in selecting teas that would suit Miss Julietta’s palate.
I withdrew my notebook and began recording the new tea leaf varieties to order.
‘This should suffice.’
I must handle this without error.
I was turning to leave with that thought when—
“…Hmm?”
Caught off guard, Janet’s eyes widened in shock.

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