24-Hour Hoebinghwan Consultation Office, Episode 16
The Crown Prince looked at Rora.
The attendant’s gaze also turned toward Rora.
‘Who— Count Rien?’
If one worked in the imperial palace, one had to be well-versed in high-ranking nobles.
The attendant knew the news that the Crown Prince had killed the vice commander during the day.
The imperial palace was keeping it hushed, but he couldn’t help being afraid.
That same Crown Prince had issued an order not to come to the study, yet upon coming, he found that the prince was secretly meeting someone.
And that person was Count Rien.
‘Hoo.’
Information was precious even to an attendant. Depending on the circumstance, it could bring promotion or riches.
‘Hm?’
At that moment, feeling a chilling premonition, the attendant raised his gaze upward.
The Crown Prince was looking down at him with an indifferent face. His eyes were cold, as if waiting to see what he would do.
‘…!’
Information one wasn’t meant to know was sometimes fatal.
The attendant quickly bowed his head deeply.
“You seem to know how to work.”
At the Crown Prince’s low voice, the attendant finally recalled another piece of information.
‘The Crown Prince who came back from the dead has changed in temperament.’
The attendant felt the Crown Prince’s gaze vanish from above him, but he didn’t relax.
In the meantime, Ion looked at Rora.
“I think you should leave for today, Master.”
The attendant’s shoulders twitched once more.
At that, the corners of Rora’s lips, who had been writing something in her notebook, rose.
‘Our customer is quite clever.’
Now that attendant would spread the rumors on his own.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, I shall see you again soon.”
“Yes. I shall ask for your teachings again next time.”
It was only natural for a disciple to show respect to his master.
The sight of them exchanging honorifics with each other wouldn’t be much of a problem.
“Escort my master.”
As the Crown Prince spoke toward the outside, the mage standing in the corridor quickly approached Rora’s side.
“Please come this way, Count.”
“Then I shall take my leave.”
Rora gave an elegant greeting and then moved to follow the mage.
And she passed by the Crown Prince.
‘Hm?’
The Crown Prince felt the sensation of paper touch his own hand and immediately grabbed it.
Rora passed him calmly, as if she had never handed him any paper, and moved away down the corridor.
“I shall depart as soon as I am ready, so wait a moment.”
“Yes. Shall I assist you in preparing?”
“That won’t be necessary.”
The Crown Prince ordered the attendant to wait and closed the study door.
And he unfolded the slip of paper.
[It is ‘known’ that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is a thorough neutral party, devoting everything to caring for His Majesty the Emperor. The veracity of this is uncertain. For reference, she hails from the House of Marquis Kiona, one of the five great meritorious families, and is adept at spirit magic.]
“Ha.”
She had seemed to be writing something in her notebook—so she wrote this up in that short time?
“…She has the makings of an excellent partner.”
Crown Prince Diant. The corners of Ion's mouth, who had taken on his appearance, twisted curiously.
“Did the meal suit your palate?”
“How is your sleep?”
Rora’s voice suddenly lingered in his ears.
Ion folded the note again and put it in his bosom, muttering.
“…I might have to reward you greatly for this.”
He smirked and soon headed toward the Empress Dowager’s palace.
* * *
Mornings at the House of Count Rien started later compared to other noble houses.
But if one narrowed the comparison to nobles, the mornings of Count Rien were earlier than those of ordinary nobles.
“My lady, it’s quite dusty over there too?”
“Ah, is that so?”
Rora glanced over at the spot Tom pointed to.
“This house! It’s disgustingly spacious, there’s too much to clean!”
“Indeed. If only there were money, it could be such a lovely mansion.”
Rora pushed the mop diligently.
Had other nobles seen this, they would have laughed and spread all sorts of rumors.
But Rora had no choice.
‘What can I do about having no money?’
She had to live as frugally as possible with her current funds.
‘Tom said he would wait about two months, but I still need to pay him his wages.’
And the head maid would return soon.
So until then, she had to make do with physical labor.
“Ah, seriously!”
Rora grumbled without ceasing her mopping.
“Seriously, this is the second round of mopping, so why is the mop still getting dirty?”
“It’s because you haven’t cleaned at all, my lady.”
Rora’s fierce gaze turned toward Tom, but upon seeing his appearance, she closed her mouth.
Tom was currently wiping down the tables and chairs with a rag in hand.
“My lady, please push yourself a little more. You need to tidy up the first-floor hall properly so that His Highness the Crown Prince and the delinquent young master from next door can enter with peace of mind, can you not?”
“…Right. The butler is right. By the way, Tom, what’s for breakfast?”
“I went to the market at dawn and found some red berries. I made pie with them.”
“Oh! I love red berries!”
“I know, which is why I made it.”
He was subtly considerate, wasn’t he. Rora was thinking of the red berry pie when she suddenly said something that came to mind.
“Tom, I’m sorry, but—”
Rora’s expression grew serious.
“Our food expenses are limited.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Red berries at this time of year must be quite expensive—”
Tom cut Rora off.
“I got them for free.”
And he raised one corner of his mouth, showing quite a dashing smile.
Rora briefly set down the mop and clapped her hands.
“Amazing, Tom!”
“I seem to be quite popular.”
“You’re the best, Tom!”
“There are three pans of pie.”
“Incredible, Tom!”
“I’ll only eat one pan, so you can have two.”
“As expected of Tom!”
“Right. I am who I am, after all.”
Rora had found Tom amazing since she was young.
He was definitely unbending and sometimes even felt cold, but strangely, whenever Tom went somewhere, he always came back having received something.
“My lady, let’s clean up to here and then have breakfast.”
“Sounds great!”
The speed of her mopping increased. Rora thought.
‘It really is nice having Tom here.’
It wasn’t because of the red berry pie.
All this time, greeting mornings alone in this huge mansion hadn’t particularly caused any emotional turbulence, but still, being alone in such a large space had been truly desolate.
‘There’s just one more person here, yet it’s so lively.’
Rora recalled her childhood.
Even then, the family fortunes had been declining, but nevertheless, there had been quite a few people in the mansion, including her grandfather.
There had been at least enough employees to maintain the mansion’s proper appearance.
‘Those were good times.’
Well, that didn’t mean now was bad.
Life is just different from time to time; it can’t always be the same, can it?
It was at that moment.
“Tom, later contact Jack as well—”
Ding-dong.
The magic doorbell rang.
‘Hm? What is it?’
Rora’s gaze turned to Tom.
Tom had already moved to the window.
“…My lady.”
“What is it?”
Tom’s expression was grave.
Rora was suddenly overcome with tension.
“The second customer has arrived.”
The delinquent customer from next door?
Rora was a bit surprised by the unexpected news. Tom was the same.
“…It seems the delinquent young master really has regressed. To think that Lord Sorinte would be up at this hour and dressed so properly.”
Standing beside Tom, who was muttering as if he couldn’t believe his eyes, Rora let out a small groan.
“Is he going to a job interview somewhere?”
“That’s what I’d like to know.”
Sorinte Cheoseu. The second customer was dressed not flashily but neatly.
Tom couldn’t hide his astonishment.
“He isn’t draping his jacket over his shoulder but wearing it properly on both arms, and furthermore, all his shirt buttons are fastened, and even his long hair is tied up neatly in one bundle!”
Rarely did Tom show emotion.
“He is definitely a regressor.”
Rora averted her eyes slightly from Tom’s appearance.
Then she checked her own appearance.
‘Hm, the apron is a bit awkward, but this should be fine enough.’
She had been debating whether to change clothes since she had been cleaning, but the second customer was looking this way with an earnest gaze.
“Let’s go out.”
“Yes.”
Rora, accompanied by Tom, headed toward the front gate where Sorinte was standing.
“Lord Sorinte.”
“Ah.”
As Rora approached and called out to him, Sorinte grabbed the iron bars of the front gate.
“May I speak with you?”
Oh.
Yesterday he had spoken entirely in casual speech, but today he was speaking formally. It seemed to be because of the surrounding eyes.
Rora signaled Tom with her eyes.
“Open it for him.”
“Yes.”
Clank.
As soon as the gate opened, Sorinte entered and strode quickly to Rora’s side.
“I have something to consult you about.”
And his voice was very quiet.
It was a cautious yet urgent attitude, as if he were mentioning a very pressing and confidential matter.
“I—”
Tom slightly opened his mouth then closed it. He was standing behind Rora, staring at Sorinte disapprovingly.
‘Aha.’
Rora immediately realized why Tom was acting that way.
‘It’s because of Sorinte’s way of speaking.’
Rora and Tom had lived like siblings, but he had never once carelessly uttered Rora’s title.
Though they were close, he had always shown her full respect.
Because Rora was Tom’s liege.
‘Still, I can’t touch him rashly.’
One never knew what a regressor might do.
‘Therefore, I must watch him for now and handle him carefully, as if handling glass marbles.’
He was someone who had tried to destroy the empire, no less. It would be a disaster if she needlessly pointed out his manner of speaking and caused an uproar.
‘It’s fine.’
Rora signaled to Tom with her eyes and then met Sorinte’s gaze.
“Customer, what consultation do you require? Shall we go inside and talk?”
“There is no time for that. It is an urgent matter.”