‘I don’t want to lose Debi again.’

Worried that Deborah might notice his feelings, Zen suppressed his emotions and spoke lightly.

“Well, alright. I said I’d grant any request this morning, so I should keep my word. It’s not that difficult anyway.”

“I feel relieved hearing you say that.”

Deborah smiled sweetly. Staring at that smile, Zen said:

“By the way, I’m curious about something.”

“What is it?”

“Do you remember what I said two days ago?”

Zen pulled up one corner of his mouth unpleasantly.

Remember what he said two days ago? It was unreasonable to remember everything Zen had said, but she seemed to know which words he wanted to specify now.

[You had an interview, and I chose an interviewee I liked. So I cleared all the interview schedules. But you say you don’t want to work? Then I’ll have to gather interviewees again and waste my precious time. Who will bear that loss?]

Zen had certainly said that.

‘He must have been quite shocked. I remember it vividly.’

Anyway, back then she was too flustered to respond properly, but today was different. She had enough time to think and was feeling more at ease.

With a relaxed smile, Deborah opened her mouth.

“Mr. Baker. Do I have an obligation to repay that loss?”

Zen’s arrogant smile instantly evaporated. With his smile gone, his face somehow looked more like an innocent young man than an evil cold beauty.

“I didn’t sign a contract, nor did I make a verbal agreement.”

As Deborah said, she had no such obligation. Would Zen not know that? Of course not. He must know that all too well.

“Of course, you could file a lawsuit for damages against me, but even if you take all the assets of a working-class widow like me, it wouldn’t cover even a fraction of the loss you suffered then. Unless you want to have me imprisoned, that is.”

Deborah laughed softly after cheerfully uttering those frightening words.

‘By the way, he’s staring at me quite intently.’

Deborah thought the reason Zen couldn’t take his eyes off her was because he was dumbfounded.

“Anyway, when can I sign the employment contract?”

Her voice was unwavering, her back straight, and her hands clasped in front showed humility. Indeed, her eyes were clear and kind, befitting someone who had clearly drawn the line against immorality.

Everything about her said that she was not weak.

‘When in fact she is. Despite being so small and fragile.’

Yet Deborah did not hesitate to throw herself for people weaker than her.

Zen felt like his mouth was not just bitter, but burning. If he could just touch Deborah’s demurely clasped hands, it seemed this pain would disappear without a trace, but he dared not hope for that.

He knew all too well that it would not be allowed until everything was over.

“…”

Zen closed his eyes tightly, then slowly lifted his eyelids and spoke.

“When the butler returns, I’ll give you a formal employment contract. Your salary listed in the contract will also be increased.”

“No. The salary is sufficient. Honestly, 500 crowns is too much for my experience.”

“After serving the Duchess of Forea?”

When no words came out of Deborah’s slightly parted lips, Zen showed a satisfied smile.

“The work has increased, so naturally the salary you should receive should increase too.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Zen, who seemed to be finishing his words, opened his lips again.

“Ah, just in case, let me tell you that your salary calculation started two days ago.”

“What? There’s no need for that. When I sign the contract and officially start work, from then…”

“Didn’t I say I would hire you that day? I keep my word. Unlike someone, I’m not despicable.”

Zen said, twisting his mouth. Deborah swallowed a hollow laugh.

“Which of my actions seemed despicable to you?”

“Do you really not know? After mentioning Madam Saint’s name like that?”

“I didn’t just mention it.”

“Deceive someone else. I know better than anyone that she’s not such a kind person.”

“Surely not. The madam is very kind.”

“Ha! It wasn’t me who was deceived, but you.”

Deborah was fine with Zen smiling crookedly at her, but she didn’t like him disparaging the kind Madam Saint like that. Though not enough to lose her temper over it.

“Anyway, is that your answer to the conditions? Is there nothing else you want from me?”

Zen asked forcefully.

“I think I’ve made an overly generous request, to the point where I wouldn’t blame you for calling me impudent…”

Deborah said so, thinking she had sufficiently achieved her goal, but before finishing her sentence, she realized there was something else she wanted to ask.

“…however.”

Deborah awkwardly finished her sentence.

Zen raised an eyebrow with his characteristic arrogant smile, looking intrigued.

‘Oh dear, I shouldn’t have said that just now.’

Deborah felt a little embarrassed, but Zen seemed a bit pleased.

“Well? ‘However’?”

Deborah spoke, trying hard to ignore the infinitely growing embarrassment within her.

“Now that I’ve become an employee of this household, I’d like to get along well with the other staff members from now on.”

It was an entirely unexpected statement. Zen furrowed his brow slightly, pondering Deborah’s words for a moment, then asked with a grim face.

“Is someone making you uncomfortable?”

Deborah quickly replied.

“No! Both Shelley, who has been taking care of me these past few days, and the chef, whom I haven’t met yet, have treated me with utmost hospitality.”

“Then why are you suddenly saying such things?”

Suddenly, indeed. Deborah swallowed a bitter smile and answered.

“Because they’ve been treating me too generously. I’m no longer a guest, but an employee here.”

Deborah continued politely.

“If it’s alright with you, could you arrange for me to meet the head maid? I’d like to greet her and hear about the upcoming schedule. Also, I need to move rooms.”

In other words, Deborah was saying she wanted to live with the other staff members from now on. Though her work would be different, she would sleep in the same room as them, eat in the dining hall, and mingle with them.

Zen, who understood her words all too accurately, replied indifferently.

“So? You brought up that ‘even if you call me impudent’ thing just to make this request?”

“…”

“I’m really dumbfounded…”

Zen sighed deeply and tilted his head slightly to the side as he spoke.

“It seems you didn’t hear about this part from Madam Saint. We don’t have a head maid in our household. The butler manages everything, but as I said earlier, he’s away on business.”

He straightened his head and continued.

“I said the butler manages all the Baker household staff, but you’re an exception.”

“What?”

“Isn’t your work different from that of the other staff? So you can communicate with me about work matters.”

Deborah nodded as if she understood. Seeing this, Zen spoke calmly.

“And you won’t have any occasion to mingle with the other staff.”

“What?”

Deborah’s eyes widened.

“Why not?”

“Superiors and subordinates can’t be close originally. The closer they get, they become more uncomfortable rather than comfortable. So if you really care for them, it’s better to stay as you are now. Keep using the same room too.”

Deborah was dumbfounded.

“I’m not their superior. Even tutors in noble households live with the staff in all aspects of daily life. Even if they use a private room, they don’t use one as nice as the one I’m using now…”

“That may be how other households do it. But here, I make the rules.”

Zen said, raising his chin.

‘He’s not letting me speak further.’

Left with nothing more to say, Deborah stood still with a faint smile.

Glimpsing her perplexity in that smile, Zen asked.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“Yes.”

When Deborah answered without hesitation, Zen chuckled. It was a normal smile without arrogance.

‘My goodness. I didn’t know he could smile like that.’

Deborah once again marveled at his beautiful appearance. Of course, without letting it show.

“You’re quite strange too. Anyone else would pray every night to keep receiving such treatment.”

“There’s nothing to gain from receiving something undeserved.”

“Undeserved? Why is this undeserved?”

“Well, I’m a commoner, and a widowed former maid at that.”

You could ask any passerby and they would know. They would all be surprised that Deborah was enjoying such undeserved fortune.

But the master of this house and Deborah’s employer seemed quite displeased with her answer.

“Nonsense. Whether it’s deserved or not isn’t decided by such things.”

Zen said, shooting a fierce glare.

‘Hmm. I wonder about that.’

Deborah didn’t agree with Zen’s thinking. Equality was right, but it was somewhat unreasonable to call for equality in the current era.

‘And it’s not convincing coming from someone who mocked my level this morning.’

Deborah said calmly with a smile.

“Please, couldn’t you understand my situation? I want to get along well with everyone as much as possible.”

“Don’t worry. Everyone will treat you well.”

Somehow, to Deborah’s ears, Zen’s words just now sounded like “I’ll make sure of it.”

‘Hmm. It must be my imagination?’

As Deborah hoped she had misinterpreted, Zen added a chilling remark.

“If you’re really that uncomfortable, I guess I have no choice. I’ll have to fire the maid who was exclusively assigned to you.”