Surprised, Deborah’s mouth slightly opened.

“Why do you say that? Isn’t this the outcome you wanted?”

Jen smirked crookedly. Deborah, astonished at his arrogance, replied with a voice tinged with surprise.

“That’s right.”

“Then that settles it.”

Jen responded as if he had just resolved a tedious matter.

Deborah forced a smile, thinking to herself. The man who had passionately insisted on keeping her, now so nonchalant in choosing a governess, a position more significant than a well-dressed maid.

‘It’s a relief, yet unsettling at the same time.’

One of her worries had been resolved, albeit in a haphazard way.

Deborah quickly bowed, fearing Jen might add something unexpected.

“Thank you for considering my opinion. I’ll take my leave now.”

Jen silently watched Deborah leave. Even after she was gone, he continued to stare into space for a while.

He sighed and leaned back.

“Haah…”

Even after dealing with the paperwork, it wasn’t over. He had to go out again in an hour, unsure of when he would return.

Too busy for comfort, Jen found it hard to concentrate. Sedric’s report lingered in his mind.

Sedric had gone to that fishy neighborhood, but why couldn’t he shake off the scent of the sea from his nose?

Why did he imagine her, whom he had never seen, crouching in front of the sea, crying?

As Deborah hurried down the corridor, a familiar man appeared.

“Hello, Ms. Deborah.”

His handsome face beamed with a friendly smile, his voice warm and kind. Deborah also smiled slightly in response.

“You’ve changed how you address me.”

“Mr. Baker calls you by your first name, so… Or is it uncomfortable for you?”

“Not at all.”

“That’s good to hear. Please feel free to call me Sedric.”

“How can I refer to the butler so casually…”

“Ms. Deborah, you call Mr. Baker by his last name, don’t you? Why not me?”

“Well, then Mr. Learford…”

“What? If you’re going to use my first name, drop the ‘Mr.’”

Deborah chuckled softly.

“It’s strange to attach ‘Mr.’ if we’re on a first-name basis, isn’t it?”

“Is it?”

“Indeed.”

Deborah smiled, her face devoid of any shadows.

‘Just as I heard.’

Sedric observed her face quietly, recalling his trip to Barmouth.

Jen had given Sedric just two tasks. First, bring her luggage. Second, find out how Deborah lived in Barmouth.

‘How she lived?’

Sedric had smirked and frowned at Jen’s uncharacteristic phrasing. But upon reflection, it meant ‘find out what kind of woman she is.’

Sedric agreed with a smile as usual, though he thought it wouldn’t be an easy task.

Investigating an ordinary woman is harder than a businessperson, and a rural town is more closed off. Surely, they would be wary of a stranger like Sedric.

‘This might take a while. Should I consider it a vacation?’

Inappropriate during such busy times, but still.

With that in mind, Sedric traveled a long distance by train to the familiar port town of Barmouth.

He expected pleasant scenery associated with the seaside: blue sea, sandy beach, gentle sound of waves.

Expecting Barmouth to be similar, Sedric stepped off the train, but the town was more like a bustling market.

Perhaps due to its proximity to the docks, a fishy smell pervaded the air from the train station. Wooden boxes for fish were lined up everywhere.

Fishing nets were carelessly strewn about.
Additionally, it seemed there weren’t many wealthy people in the area, as the attire of the people on the streets was uniformly shabby, making Sedric stand out even more.

The locals either found Sedric intriguing or suspicious, not letting up their sharp glances.

‘Why would Lady Saint reside in such a place? She seems like someone who would dislike this kind of environment.’

With that thought, Sedric headed straight to the mansion where Lady Saint was staying.

Her residence was situated quite a distance from the sea. From the yard, the seaside was visible in the distance, but reaching the sea required a considerable carriage ride across a high plateau where the quaint mansion sat alone.

Even if the fishy smell didn’t reach this far, the modest mansion didn’t seem to fit Lady Saint.

Considering the Forea Duke’s mansion is one of the most impressive buildings in the south, it was baffling why someone who lived in such luxury would choose to endure life here.

‘A secret hobby of the rich?’

Pushing aside such whimsical thoughts, Sedric spoke gently to the maid who had helped pack Deborah’s belongings.

“You must be worried about having to take on the work alone for a while.”

The maid smiled softly and shook her head.

“No, it’s alright. The tasks I’m supposed to do alone were the ones Deborah had been helping me with.”

“Helping you? But she must have been paid for it.”

“Yes, but Deborah always worked more than what she was paid for.”

Deborah always volunteered to take on unavoidable, difficult tasks. Like going out to shop in bad weather, for example.

“Hmm. She sounds like a very kind person, Mrs. Johnson.”