The Black-haired Noblewoman, Who Disguised Herself, Seems To Have Been Doted On While Serving As The Caretaker For The Duke Who Dislikes Women - Episode 23

From that day on, I had meals with the other servants in the staff dining room, and I cleaned the mansion and did the laundry just like everyone else. The meals were slightly simpler than when I was being treated as a guest for the past few days, but they were more than enough for me. In fact, I was surprised that the servants were given such fulfilling meals three times a day. They even included little desserts like pudding, jelly, and mousse. The Everly family was truly different in every

I moved to a room on the servants’ floor. It’s in the basement, but it’s a clean and tidy private room. I can’t believe it. The basement room given to me by the Countess of Everly was much smaller, the bed was a rickety thing on the verge of falling apart, and both the room and the mattress were always musty.

There was no longer any time spent suffering from hunger, and at night, I could sleep soundly in a warm bed, feeling both mentally and physically invigorated. On top of that, my hair was always smooth and silky. How wonderful it felt. I was allowed to take a bath every day, and I wasn’t told to slather dye on my hair to hide its color.

Every morning when I woke up, my heart was filled with happiness, and while sincerely thanking the Duke of Harrington, I worked with full enthusiasm until sunset.

It was one morning, about two weeks after those days had passed.

While I was cleaning the hallway on the first floor, Duke Harrington and Mr. Curtis appeared in the entrance hall. They must be going out now. I put down the mop and quickly walked over to them. Since I don’t see the busy duke every day, I want to make sure to greet him properly when I do get the chance.

“Good morning! Have a good day, Your Grace, Mr. Curtis.”

“Oh! Your complexion is getting better day by day, Michelle. You look so radiant. Haha. It’s great to see you so happy.”

Saying that, Mr. Curtis roughly ruffles my hair. Duke Harrington glances at us and then stops, staring intently in our direction.

Huh? Was I acting strange or something…?

Seeing the duke, who is staring at me with a serious expression without moving an inch, suddenly makes me feel anxious. I hurriedly place my hand on my head to check if the white brim is askew and lower my gaze to my dress.

Then the duke muttered in a low voice.

“It seems you’ve been working hard. Everyone says that since you came, the cleaning of the mansion has been going smoothly.”

“Oh, thank you very much.”

I wonder if the steward reported it… It seems like everyone thinks well of me, which makes me feel a bit relieved.

Towards me, the duke suddenly asks an unrelated question.

“Are you good at dealing with children?”

“Is this a child?”

I quickly start thinking. …I wonder. Since being taken in by the Countess Everly family, I haven’t really interacted with small children… Oh, but when I went to the town on an errand, I did have a little conversation with a street vendor’s child. So, when I lived with my parents in the southern town…? Back then, I was a small child myself, but I used to play with the even smaller kids in the neighborhood. …Hehe. They were so cute.

After much hesitation, I answered honestly.

“Um, I’m not sure if I’m good at it, but… I like small children. Yes.”

“Oh, are you planning to take Michelle with you, Lord Lloyd? That’s great! I think she’ll be happy. If she’s a cheerful girl, the children will probably warm up to her easily.”

What are they talking about?

Mr. Curtis was happily talking to the duke, but I had no idea what they were discussing. In the end, the duke left with Mr. Curtis, still being vague about everything.

And that night, I was summoned by the duke and visited his office. As usual, Mr. Curtis was also there.

“An inspection of the orphanage… is that correct?”

“Ah”

The Duke of Harrington nodded and then gave me a detailed explanation of what he had just told me.

“I regularly visit the welfare facilities within my territory to check for any issues and to deliver the collected donations. My mother, who lives in the villa, diligently takes care of these matters, but I also want to see the situation with my own eyes, so I make it a point to visit a few places each month. Given the condition of my arm, I thought I would need a bit more help this time.”

“……”

I was at a loss for words. I had been surprised many times before, but this time I was truly astonished. Had the Earl and Countess Everly ever visited a welfare facility even once…? No, probably not. They always went out for parties and tea gatherings at other people’s houses, or to shop for decorations for the town. They never even brought up the topic of welfare facilities.

Perhaps because I was momentarily stunned, the duke looked puzzled.

“What’s wrong? Are you not feeling up to it?”

“!! N-no! Absolutely not! Please, allow me to accompany you!”

When Curtis hurriedly answered that to the Duke of Harrington, who was bathed in a halo, he said with a beaming smile.

“That’s great! The kids are going to be so happy. Yeah, we always take a lot of stuff and there are usually quite a few of us, but since there aren’t many women here, we end up taking mostly male servants with us. The other guards can’t really play with them either, so it’s just me or Lord Lloyd who can properly entertain them. But with Lord Lloyd in this condition right now, if Michelle can help out, it would really be a big help for me too.”

Duke Harrington……always playing with the children, huh……?

I felt as if I could see not just a halo but even angel wings on the duke’s back.

“I’m planning to go at the beginning of next week. Please take care of it.”

“Yes, understood. Likewise, I look forward to working with you.”

Sitting at the desk and replying as usual to the duke, who was sorting through documents with his left hand, I suddenly noticed. At the corner of the duke’s desk, where a pile of documents was stacked, there was a thin layer of dust.

Hmm… I’m curious. I want to clean up…