Episode 8: Farewell to the Servants
In the castles of nobles, the head of the family and their kin often have their own rooms within the main residence, leaving the servants to their living spaces in detached annexes.
Although the Valten estate was a mansion rather than a castle, the layout of the buildings resembled that of a typical noble residence.
The lord of the house, his wife, and the second son enjoyed multiple rooms situated in particularly sunlit spots of the estate, while the eldest son’s chamber was tucked away in a corner of a separate building, just down a corridor.
Among the various servant quarters, the ceiling was notably low, and the walls bore patches where the plaster had chipped away. Luke’s room, dim even during the day due to its damp, semi-basement location, resembled more of a storage shed than an actual bedroom.
“…Is this all…?”
As he stuffed a few pieces of clothing into a fabric bag, Luke whispered to himself.
Packing was completed all too quickly. The mansion of the illustrious Valten family was overflowing with luxurious furnishings.
Despite the troves of opulent items gathered through wealth, Luke’s personal effects were so few they could fit in a single bag.
“Um, I’m sure there’s something here…”
As he rummaged through an old, rickety chest with misaligned drawers, he came across a silver pair of scissors tucked away safely.
These scissors were smaller than ordinary ones, with elongated tips and a delicate floral pattern etched onto the handles. They were embroidery scissors, typically used by noblewomen for their sewing projects.
“…Grandmother’s scissors…”
These scissors had belonged to Luke’s late grandmother, the former Baroness.
When Luke first arrived at the Baron’s household, his grandmother had reportedly been confounded by the sudden appearance of a grandchild.
In the beginning, she had left the care of the baby Luke entirely to the servants and hardly ever visited him. However, when their paths did cross, she was inevitably charmed by the innocent sweetness of the little one.
Seeing Luke’s youthful face, resembling August’s so much, melted her heart. Over time, as they spent more moments in the same house, she gradually grew fond of him and eventually came to dote on him as a caring grandmother should.
It was his grandmother who stood up for Luke when Hermine came to the house and when his half-brother, Matthias, was born. It seemed she was more vocal in defending Luke against Hermine than August, who had forcibly brought Luke into the baronial mansion.
“…”
His grandmother passed away from an illness when Luke was just seven.
Hermine had always found Luke’s grandmother bothersome and harbored a deep loathing for her simply due to her being her mother-in-law. Thus, shortly after her passing, nearly all of the grandmother’s belongings, including clothes and jewelry, were hastily disposed of. The only item left behind was this small pair of scissors.
As Luke gently tucked the small scissors into his breast pocket, a hesitant knock echoed from the shabby door.
“Yes?”
When Luke opened the door, he found a man in a white chef’s shirt standing before him, his head bowed in respect.
“…Luke-sama…”
“Johan!”
Johan was the cook for the Valten household. He had once been the head chef of a famous upscale restaurant in the royal capital, but his talents had led him to be recruited by the baron’s family.
Having tended to the Valten kitchen for over a decade and now appointed head chef, Johan was edging into middle age, yet his skills and palate remained sharp.
Dragging his feet, Johan gripped his trembling hands nervously and bowed his head sadly.
“Luke-sama… please take care of yourself…”
“Johan, is it alright for you to be here?”
Worriedly, Luke reached out to support Johan’s shoulder.
Many of the servants working for the Valten family harbored sympathy for Luke.
While there were some who exploited Hermine’s influence to treat Luke poorly, the majority of the servants had grown disgusted with Hermine’s tyranny and arrogance, which treated people like mere objects.
Seeing their short-tempered mistress bullying her young stepson was enough to break anyone’s heart.
It might be difficult to protect Luke openly under Hermine’s watchful eye within the mansion, but behind the scenes, where she couldn’t see, everyone treated him kindly, however little they could manage.
Johan, the head chef, was among them. Despite Luke not being allowed to have the education a nobleman should possess, Johan treated him kindly and patiently taught him the steps for preparing ingredients, along with various cooking tips.
Johan’s wife had also been a maid at the Valten estate. They had worked side by side in harmony for many years, but she had departed from this world long ago. The couple had no children, leaving Johan with no family to care for.
“I have some savings. Even if madam fires me, I can manage to feed myself…”
Thus, Johan bowed even deeper to Luke, as if pleading for understanding.
“Please forgive the others… Those who have families to support have their circumstances…”
“Yeah. I understand.”
Luke ran his hand gently along Johan’s slightly thinning back, nodding to reassure him.
For those who weren’t single like Johan, it would be a struggle to come and say goodbye to Luke at all.
Having lived in this house for so long, Luke was well aware of the precarious position of the servants, who risked losing their jobs for little more than Hermine’s disapproving glances.
Johan’s voice trembled as he spoke.
“I’m sure the Lady… wishes for your happiness, Luke-sama…”
Lady referred to the late Baroness. Among the family residing in the same house, the only one who truly wished for Luke’s happiness was his deceased grandmother, and that thought hit home yet again.
Luke extended his hands, cradling Johan’s dry and chapped ones, worn from the constant washing.
“Stay healthy, Johan.”
With a muffled sob, Johan wept quietly.
Despite the head of the family’s eldest son preparing to leave home, only one old man was there to send him off.
No, he wasn’t alone.
From the garden-facing window, from behind the slightly ajar door, and from the shadowy corners of the spiral staircase, Luke felt the presence of several figures peering in at him.
Footmen, maids, grooms, gardeners, handymen, and butlers—all were servants working in the baronial mansion.
Each of them bore complex expressions, half filled with anger and half with deep regret. Some even wiped the corners of their eyes with the sleeves of their garments.
“Thank you, everyone.”
Luke squinted against the light, waving gently, careful not to draw attention from his family.
Thump! Thump!
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