Suddenly, Mrs. Ritz’s face hardened. She wore an expression full of wariness, like a cat whose territory had been invaded.

There were occasional cases like this. When a noble lady hired as a tutor tried to seize real power in the mansion.

Generally, tutors were nobles, while housekeepers were mere commoners. So there was an underlying power struggle between the two.

It was a tug-of-war for power that occurred in any mansion, nothing special.

Mrs. Ritz strained her eyes. It had only been 2 years since she became head housekeeper. She couldn’t let herself be pushed around by a tutor already.

How would Mrs. Norwood have handled this situation?

Mrs. Norwood, who had been the Preston family’s housekeeper for decades, retired the year Jeffrey Preston passed away.

Mrs. Ritz was the one chosen as her successor. Mrs. Norwood had said to her, “There’s no one more suitable than you, Ritz.” But she always doubted her own abilities.

She wasn’t confident she could do as well as Mrs. Norwood. Sometimes the position of head housekeeper felt overwhelming.

But she couldn’t show it. That was the weight she had to bear.

Mrs. Ritz wanted to do her job perfectly and become a housekeeper the maids could trust and follow, just like Mrs. Norwood.

So she couldn’t lose to Jacqueline here. Especially not in front of the maids.

Having made up her mind resolutely, she tightened her lips. Jacqueline’s eyes widened for a moment, then she spoke amiably, as if she had read Mrs. Ritz’s mind.

“Mrs. Bernstein is allergic to chrysanthemums.”

“!”

“A few years ago, she fainted after inhaling chrysanthemum pollen at a party hosted by Lord Hanson. Since then, it’s been an unspoken rule not to decorate with chrysanthemums at parties Mrs. Bernstein attends. I saw on the guest list earlier that the Count and Countess Bernstein will be attending. Cornflowers are also chrysanthemums, so it’s better to be careful, Madam.”

“…Is that so?”

Mrs. Ritz asked quietly, as if hearing this for the first time. Then, seemingly embarrassed by her overly sensitive reaction, she belatedly lowered her eyes.

Jacqueline had no intention of fighting with her. There was no need to make Mrs. Ritz an enemy too; her life was difficult enough already.

“I heard she had been staying in her territory due to poor health, but it seems she’s returned to the capital. We’ll be seeing her after a long time.”

With those words, Jacqueline began climbing the stairs again. Mrs. Ritz silently watched her retreating figure.

If Countess Bernstein were to faint at a Preston family party, nothing could be more awkward. Especially if it was due to her own carelessness.

Mrs. Ritz quietly clenched her fist. She was as strict with herself as she was with others. She might even leave Preston Manor, unable to bear the self-loathing.

“…Thank you for the advice, Miss Jacqueline.”

Mrs. Ritz slightly bowed her head towards her. Jacqueline stopped and turned around. She looked down at Mrs. Ritz, who was some distance below.

She had said ‘Miss Jacqueline’, not ‘Miss Somerset’. The meaning was clear. It meant the distance between them had grown a step closer.

At last, Jacqueline smiled, her eyes crinkling.

“You’re welcome, Mrs. Ritz. You can call me Jackie.”

She waved the glasses in her hand and continued up the stairs. Suddenly, she recalled William’s words that Lord Preston didn’t like parties.

It was quite a famous story. There were several other rumors surrounding Windsor.

That he had never danced with a woman at a party, or that he didn’t attend social gatherings. Mostly rumors pointing out his arrogant personality.

In a sense, he was the most attention-grabbing figure in social circles. His striking appearance, unusual background, and haughty attitude. He had a power to draw people’s attention.

Whether he wanted it or not.

“He didn’t seem that arrogant to me.”

Jacqueline tilted her head with a puzzled expression. The Windsor she saw was taciturn and uninteresting, but not arrogant or rude.

Rather, he was extremely rational and had a cool personality. Thinking there must be some misunderstanding, Jacqueline knocked on the door of the study.

“It’s Somerset, Lord Preston.”

“Come in.”

Jacqueline entered the study, which always had a stiff atmosphere no matter when she visited. Windsor gave her a look as if asking what her business was.

She walked straight to the desk and put down the glasses she was holding.

“You left these in the living room. I thought you might need them during work hours.”

One of Windsor’s eyebrows went up slightly. He frowned faintly and muttered, “You could have sent a maid to do that.”

“I was on my way up to the second floor anyway.”

“I appreciate Miss Somerset’s kindness.”

“You’re welcome.”

In fact, Jacqueline was quite surprised that he had left his glasses behind. She thought someone with such a precise personality wouldn’t lose things.

Lord Preston has a weak spot too.

She smiled unknowingly, her expression softening. Then, seeing the pile of documents on the desk, she shook her head.

“Well then, good luck with your work.”

Leaving the study, Jacqueline headed straight for the child’s room. She knocked lightly and opened the door, asking in a friendly tone.

“Would you like to go for a walk together, Benjamin?”

The child took his eyes off the book he was reading and gave her a dubious look. His contemplative eyes seemed to recall the times he had been scolded by his uncle whenever he was with Jacqueline.

Dangle, dangle.

The child’s legs swung slowly as he was lost in thought. Jacqueline’s voice turned sweet like chocolate.

“The weather is absolutely lovely. The breeze is refreshing too. I’m sure it will put you in a good mood. How about we have some lemonade together after our walk?”

The child’s cheeks flushed slightly. No matter how much he enjoyed reading, he was still at an age where running around was more fun.

However, the child, more mature than his peers, didn’t act rashly. Jacqueline added with a pretentious expression.

“Did you know that famous philosophers’ hobby was walking? Walking isn’t just aimless wandering, it’s a time to face your inner self. It’s a very important time to contemplate life and reflect on yourself.”

Convinced by the plausible words, Benjamin finally put down his book and stood up. Jacqueline turned around with a triumphant expression that seemed to say, “No matter how mature you try to be, you’re still only six years old.”

A moment later, the two were walking side by side in the well-manicured garden. The early sound of cicadas could be heard from somewhere. Jacqueline’s expression relaxed.

“It seems summer is really coming. The cicadas are already out.”

“Yes.”

Benjamin wasn’t a talkative child. Perhaps silence really was a family tradition of the Prestons, Jacqueline nodded, recalling the equally taciturn Windsor.

But that was fine. Fortunately, she was quite talkative, so it balanced out perfectly.

Jacqueline strolled leisurely through the garden, matching her pace with the child. Walking under trees with lush leaves, she took in the verdant greenery.

Sunlight filtering through the leaves formed a net-like pattern on her cheeks.

It was peaceful. The gentle breeze, the smell of damp earth, the warm leaves, everything was tranquil.

Cicadas chirped loudly, but even that couldn’t break the serenity.

At that moment, Benjamin stopped walking and stared at a cicada clinging to a tree. His brown eyes sparkled with mischievous curiosity, unlike usual.

Like the stirring of spring.

Jacqueline seemed to understand what the child was thinking. She too had been six years old once.

Back then, everything in the world was fascinating, and she didn’t even know how the days passed. There were no worries about what to do in the future or what kind of person to become.

She became a princess, then a chef, then a knight, then a lady, several times a day.

If cookies tasted good, that was enough to make her happy, and if her father and mother hugged her affectionately, it felt like she had the whole world.

Jacqueline smiled slightly and leaned towards the child, whispering.

“Why don’t you try catching it?”

“Pardon?”

Benjamin turned to her with a startled face. It might have been embarrassment at having his thoughts discovered, or surprise at the absurdity of the suggestion.

Benjamin, who had looked tempted for a moment, quickly returned to his mature expression.

“The heir of the Preston family doesn’t touch cicadas with his hands, Miss Somerset.”

It was as if the roles of teacher and student had been reversed.

Jacqueline silently looked at the child. Benjamin was only six years old, but there were more things he couldn’t do than things he could. And the child accepted this as natural.

When he goes to boarding school, he’ll live under even stricter rules.

She wanted Benjamin to feel at ease, at least here. This was Benjamin’s home, after all.

To Jacqueline, home was a place to return to, and also a place she wanted to return to. She hoped Preston Manor would be the same for the child.

A place full of happy memories. And a place he would want to return to when things got tough. Like a sanctuary for the heart.

Jacqueline narrowed her eyes and whispered secretively. It was like the whisper of a devil tempting primordial humans, but the innocent child didn’t notice.

“It’s alright. There’s no one here but me anyway. And I’m quite good at keeping secrets.”

Saying this, Jacqueline pretended to zip her mouth shut. Benjamin wore a confused expression.

“But…”

“Even if you’re the heir to the Preston family, you’re still only six years old. No one will scold you for doing what you want to do.”

“The future Duke of Preston doesn’t catch cicadas with his hands.”

Benjamin repeated the same words once more, as if shaking off temptation. However, his voice was noticeably quieter than before.

Jacqueline tempted the child with an even sweeter voice.

“That’s not written anywhere. When I was six, I used to catch ladybugs with the maids. I loved their shiny red color. After it rained, I would purposely jump in puddles.”

Of course, she got scolded terribly by her mother afterwards, but she didn’t bother to add that part.

“…Really?”

“Of course. And I still grew up to be such a fine lady.”

Although now she was more famous for the nickname ‘penniless lady’ due to her father’s business failure, she didn’t bother to add that either.

“Will really no one know?”

The child looked around surreptitiously. Jacqueline quickly turned her body. She glared around, keeping watch.

“I’ll keep a lookout, so go ahead and catch it to your heart’s content.”

After hesitating for a moment, Benjamin finally succumbed to her temptation. It was too sweet a whisper for a mere six-year-old child to resist.