Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Overtime?
The two arms that had been pushing the mop froze in place as if they had turned to stone.
Camellia Valentine.
A fallen noble lady who had been branded a traitor overnight.
And my precious “blue-chip asset,” the one I had protected by carving away my own flesh and blood, sometimes even risking my life.
Why was that bastard Drake bringing up Camellia’s family name?
Was it just some provocative gossip to win Lady Freesia’s favor?
Or… was he about to talk about Camellia?
My heart began to pound violently.
I had to know.
I needed to hear what kind of scheme that bastard was plotting about Camellia.
Acting as naturally as possible, I slowly edged closer to where the two nobles stood, pretending to diligently scrub the stains off the wall.
Just a little more. If I get a bit closer, I should be able to hear…
At that moment, Lady Freesia snapped her fan shut and turned around.
Her sharp gaze swept over the workers—and landed squarely on me, who had crept a little too far forward.
“Even if I go inside, that does not mean there is no one to supervise. Do not slack off and do your work properly!”
At her sharp scolding, Baron Drake, who had been closely escorting her, also turned his head and looked in my direction.
A chill shot down my spine.
My face was fairly dirty from cleaning, but from this distance, it was enough for him to recognize me as that “insolent commoner” from the slums.
Oh, crap?!
I tightened my grip on the mop.
Should I just knock him out before he remembers?
Do I run right now? Or pretend nothing’s wrong?
In that brief instant, countless thoughts flashed through my mind.
But—
“Hmph, these lowly creatures dare move so sluggishly even after hearing Lady Freesia’s words. Honestly… Come, let us go inside.”
Baron Drake looked straight at me with a disdainful gaze—
And yet, astonishingly, he didn’t recognize me at all.
In his eyes, I was nothing more than a stain clinging to the mansion wall, or perhaps a random stone on the ground.
“Hoho, Baron, you do say such things.”
Creak—slam!
The two of them laughed leisurely as they disappeared inside, and the heavy doors shut tight behind them.
“Haah……”
Only then did I let out the breath I had been holding, barely keeping my legs from giving out.
Thankfully, my identity hadn’t been exposed.
But a more important problem remained.
That rumor about the Valentine family just now…
What the hell was that?!
I stared at the tightly shut doors, but not even the faintest sound came from beyond them.
In the slum house I lived in, I could hear conversations from next door if I focused, but this damned noble mansion was so silent it felt like it had soundproofing magic cast over it.
Damn it… this is driving me crazy.
I couldn’t exactly barge in and say, “Hey, sir! Mind if I listen in on that conversation too?”
If a mere day laborer pulled something like that in a noble estate, I wouldn’t just lose my job—I might lose my life.
Biting my lip, I racked my brain for a way to find a clue.
…
Right. The windows.
If I pretended to clean near the windows connected to the rooms inside and listened carefully, maybe I’d hear something.
I immediately put the plan into action.
With a bucket and mop in hand, I began cleaning the windows on the first floor one by one.
Scrubbing the glass squeaky clean, I pressed myself so close it was like I was trying to stick my ear through it.
“……”
Nothing.
Not a single sound.
To begin with, this mansion was ridiculously huge.
There had to be dozens of rooms, and there was no way I could know which reception room the two were chatting in.
After repeatedly cleaning the same spots and straining my ears for a long time, it was all for nothing.
Time, merciless as ever, didn’t wait for my desperation.
Eventually, the tightly shut doors opened again.
“Oh, Lady Freesia. Speaking with you today was as sweet as finding an oasis in the desert. This Drake shall eagerly await the next time I may behold your radiant beauty…”
With greasy, over-the-top lines, Baron Drake climbed into his carriage.
He just left…?
I rested my chin on the mop, feeling empty.
The most important part had slipped away, leaving me with nothing but the unpleasant experience of seeing that trashy baron again.
What kind of rumor was going around about the Valentine family?
It was already a ruined house—what more was there left to pick apart about her parents or bloodline?
If only Myrtle were here…
His face naturally came to mind.
A back-alley merchant who knew everything—from street gossip to the secret scandals of nobles.
And my reliable friend, Myrtle.
But for certain reasons, he had left for somewhere else for a while.
I hadn’t realized how much I’d miss having him around.
I miss you, Myrtle… hope you’re doing well.
“Hey! Stop spacing out and scrub properly! Let’s finish before sunset!”
The sharp shout of the supervisor snapped me out of my thoughts.
“Yes, sir!”
Right. Now that the baron was gone, there was nothing more I could do.
If I pushed any further as a mere day laborer, I’d only draw suspicion.
For now… I had to focus on what I came here to do—cleaning.
Who knows? Maybe if I make the walls shine like new, the lady might be impressed, talk to me, and I might get a chance to casually ask about the rumor…
Yeah, that’s definitely not happening.
It sounded like something out of a third-rate novel.
Even I found it ridiculous and let out a small laugh, but strangely enough, that faint hope gave strength back to my arms.
Well, I still had to earn money anyway.
Yeah. Let’s just think of this grime as that trashy baron.
I had long forgotten the original goal of rehab.
Putting all my strength into the mop, I scrubbed harder and harder, venting my frustration onto the stubborn stains.
“Hey… young man, take it easy. You’re going to wear the wall down.”
A middle-aged worker next to me tried to stop me with a tired expression, but I was almost in a trance—
Scrubbing, scrubbing, and scrubbing again.
Before I knew it, the sun had begun to set, and a red glow spread across the central district.
Finally, the cleaning was done.
“Phew……”
I wiped the sweat and dirt off my forehead with my sleeve.
As I tapped my aching back, a groan escaped on its own.
“Ugh……”
Taking a few steps back, I looked at the mansion.
The outer walls, bathed in the sunset, shimmered softly.
Soon, the two chimney cleaners who had come with me emerged, their bodies covered in black soot.
“My back is killing me. Does this place have a fireplace in every room or what? How many chimneys are there?”
“Man, we all worked hard today.”
“Yeah, you too, sir.”
As we exchanged brief words while wiping sweat—
With the sound of firm footsteps, Lady Freesia appeared outside.
She’s not going to nitpick something right before we leave, is she?
I tensed up, but she crossed her arms, scanned the mansion, and a faint satisfied smile appeared behind her fan.
“Oh my. It was worth the money. It certainly looks much cleaner now.”
“Here’s your pay for today. Good work, everyone.”
A servant who followed behind handed us our wages.
The weight of the coins in my palm.
And the pleasant clinking sound.
The first earnings I made after taking off the cast.
Nice. That’s a pretty decent pay for today.
With this, I could even buy a gift for Camellia, who was probably waiting anxiously for me.
Ah, and I shouldn’t forget to buy meat for that gluttonous dragon lady curled up at home.
The uneasy feeling from the Valentine family rumor eased a little as I held the money.
With light steps, I turned to leave the mansion.
“Hey, you there.”
At that moment, the servant’s dry voice pierced my back.
“The one who handled the outer wall cleaning. Yes, you.”
I flinched and stopped walking.
Looking around, the other workers had already gone far ahead.
I was the only one left.
Lady Freesia, standing near the entrance, glanced at me behind her fan, then turned and walked back inside.
As if receiving a signal, the servant beside her jerked his chin toward me.
“Follow me.”
“Excuse me? I’ve already finished cleaning my assigned area…”
“No more questions. The young lady is calling for you.”
…What?
The lady is calling for me?
That ridiculous, third-rate fantasy I had earlier flashed through my mind.
Did I really clean the walls so well she wants to recruit me?
Or… did she notice me pretending to clean while trying to eavesdrop?
Between countless uneasy thoughts and an inexplicable sense of anticipation—
I swallowed hard and followed the servant into the grand mansion.
In the first-floor reception room, illuminated softly by a magnificent chandelier—
Lady Freesia sat on a luxurious carpeted sofa, legs crossed, waiting for me with an arrogant posture.
“Why are you just standing there like a fool? Come closer.”