20

The man surprisingly showed interest in the topic.

“So the news that clerk brought earlier was a dismissal…?”

When his brow tightened, I corrected him before any needless misunderstanding arose.

“No. I received an offer from a better place, so I left.”

If the young lady accepted all the terms offered, there was no reason I couldn’t go. I wasn’t going to rot forever at the merchant guild, so experiencing a new environment wasn’t a bad thing.

I handed over a paper bag containing a fountain pen and cosmetics.

“My work ends after the last customer today. It’s a good opportunity, so I’m giving this because I feel good. I thought I might not see you again if I didn’t give it now.”

The man’s icy face softened into a very slight smile.

“That’s something you can’t be sure of.”

“Pardon?”

The man carried the paper bag and leisurely walked out of the shop. I shrugged, unable to parse what he meant.

Given the exceptional working conditions here, I had set my mindset to calmly accept any strange behavior that might occur at the Marquis’s residence.

But there was one question that wouldn’t go away.

‘Why does she like me so much?’

Miss Kiara’s explanation didn’t fully convince me. Still, I didn’t dwell on it deeply. How could a commoner like me understand someone who lives in an entirely different world?

It was nerve-wracking to start work as a noblewoman’s aide just two days after the interview. I always got especially tense on the first day of a new school year or a new job.

‘Because you can predict what the working life ahead will be like.’

Bad atmosphere from day one? If this were a job change, your future would be set for misery. But I’d had financial therapy, so I was ready to accept such situations willingly.

Knock knock.

“Miss. It is Cornelia.”

My first workplace was Miss Kiara, the Marchioness’s daughter’s, bedroom. Having only seen the parlor, I was secretly curious about a noble lady’s room.

“Come in.”

When permission came from inside, I carefully turned the doorknob.

‘Ah—it’s dazzling.’

It truly was dazzling. The phrase “I’m blinded” came to mind before I could stop it.

“A human Black Dia…?”

Using black and pink just like the recent pop-up concept, everything from the bedding to the sofa, display cabinets, and curtains was perfectly coordinated. It was more glamorous than the pop-up and clearly filled with luxury furniture.

‘There’s actually a crazy person who lives like this? Yep, my boss. Haha.’

Miss Kiara smiled contentedly at my dumbfounded expression.

“How is it? Do you like it? I changed it to celebrate the Black Dia brand launch. And since you’re coming, I paid a bit more attention.”

She wasn’t just interested in beauty and fashion; her life was literally beauty, fashion, and trends.

‘The chaebol flex is no joke.’

Kiara gestured to a luxurious, sturdy ebony table in the center of the room. I sat cautiously opposite her.

“Why, do you think I’m just wasting money on pointless things?”

The sophisticated wording left me momentarily speechless, but I quickly collected myself.

“If you enjoy it, that’s enough. If it were excessive compared to what you have, it would be wasteful, but this level doesn’t affect the Marquess’s estate’s finances at all. It’s healthier than nobles who gamble away their fortunes.”

Kiara smiled, satisfied.

“I don’t think my judgment was wrong. I’m looking forward to working together.”

She unrolled a pink parchment that lay on the table. A soft, sweet scent wafted from it.

“I’ll summarize your duties. As an aide, you assist me inside and out, just as the title suggests. You have two days off a week, but exceptions apply for important events like banquets or salons.”

I knew that. In modern times I’ve endured weekend work too, so I wasn’t going to stubbornly demand inflexibility.

“Every day you must compile and report information on things about to trend or starting to trend, and plan strategies for how I should present myself and prepare for society. I can’t tolerate overlap.”

Kiara’s eyes flashed fiercely.

“You’ll also oversee Black Dia–related work overall. It’s a brand essentially under my name, so it would be problematic if its direction were completely different from mine.”

She didn’t seem like an out-of-touch noble miss. She was talking about self-branding and PR. Having read many romance fantasies, I wondered if any noble had ever been this sincere about society.

‘She’s not as bad as I thought.’

After the explanation, she rolled up the pink parchment and added:

“You’re the first aide we’ve had, so a proper study hasn’t been prepared yet. For now you’ll share the butler’s workspace. And there’s one more important thing.”

“Yes. Please tell me.”

“Maintain decorum.”

“Decorum, maintain?”

“Yes. You’re the first aide I personally chose. We’ll be moving together a lot, so you must represent Kiara properly. I don’t ask much, just stay as neat as you are now. If you attend events, the Marquis’s estate will of course provide dresses.”

I thought of the few clothes I owned at home. Since my salary increased, I should match the Marquis’s household’s standards.

‘Should I go shopping?’

Before that thought could finish, she interrupted with another comment.

“If you’re thinking of shopping, I’ll accompany you.”

“Pardon?”

“As the young lady, I can’t dress my aide like a pauper. You probably don’t know noble culture yet, so I’ll take care of it personally. Also to see your taste.”

I had no intention of refusing a purchase, so I nodded readily.

‘She’s a chaebol, so she’ll buy me the good stuff.’

After assignments, I followed the butler Penel to the office. It wasn’t as big as Miss Kiara’s room, but it was sufficient for work.

“When you come to work from now on, greet the lady first and then work here. If you need to go out, tell me in advance.”

After placing my bag on the desk, Penel guided me around the Marquis’s residence. It was so vast that even a quick tour took an hour.

‘It’ll take a while just to memorize locations.’

I decided to first memorize the spaces I’d use directly, like the office and the lady’s room. The last place he showed me was the staff dining hall. A maid saw us, asked if we wanted to eat, and promptly brought food to the table.

The menu was far more varied and appetizing than at the merchant guild. The food was delicious, so I gave my new workplace high marks for a satisfying lunch.

“There is a separate dining hall for maids and servants; this one is for aides and the Marquess’s retainers. When busy, meals are even brought up to the office.”

It seemed to arbitrarily divide ranks, but I didn’t show it and nodded. Penel briefly explained the Marquis family’s information I should know in advance.

“Currently, in this Marquis’s residence reside the master, Marquis Antonia Aurelīus, and Marchioness Clara. Also their daughter Miss Kiara and the youngest son, Mr. Aidan.”

‘A family of four.’

I summarized the information and organized it in my head.

“You might think of Mr. Aidan as a junior marquis, but he is actually the next Lord of the Magic Tower, the heir of the Magic Tower. He showed genius magical talent from childhood. He mainly lives at the Magic Tower and only visits the Marquis’s residence occasionally, so there’s no need to worry about him too much.”

‘A chaebol family and they even have the Magic Tower? The Marquis raised lucky children.’

Thinking it might be an overbuff, I listened with some reservation to Penel’s continued explanation.

“So Miss Kiara is currently highly regarded as a candidate for junior marquis. But there’s also the possibility of adopting an heir from a collateral line to continue the Marquis family. The Marquis has not stated a clear intention yet, so just listen and keep your mouth shut.”

Penel also introduced the numbers and composition of the maids and servants, as well as the head maid and head butler. Since they were in the dining hall, it was possible. I greeted them even more politely for the first day.

“Oh? There’s a face I haven’t seen here before?”

At that moment, a young man’s voice cut the atmosphere. A slightly bald, mischievous-looking man approached. The head maid and head butler bowed and quickly left.

‘…This feels off.’

Butler Penel introduced me to him.

“This is Miss Cornelia Libertas, who joined as Miss Kiara’s aide.”

He openly scanned me. It felt as if a bug crawled across my shoulder, unsettling but something I’d experienced at work before, so I didn’t mind much.

“Oh, you’ll be assisting our young lady? Nice to meet you, I’m the Marquis’s aide, Bartolo.”

He extended his hand in a handshake gesture. I gladly took his hand. But I felt a strange sensation between our joined hands. When I looked up, Bartolo was grinning lecherously.

‘This bastard?’

He had scraped his fingernail across my palm between our hands.