Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Servant Cedric - Redvell's Wicked Lady
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"One of the three pillars upholding the Kingdom of Birka."
That was the scholars' evaluation of the House of Marquis Redvell.
To add to that, one of those three pillars was none other than the royal family itself.
A mere noble house was being treated on the same level as the kingdom's pinnacle, the royal family.
And this assessment of the House of Marquis Redvell was by no means exaggerated.
The territories directly governed by Redvell alone accounted for 7% of the kingdom's total land area, and when including areas under indirect control, that figure rose to 20%.
Thanks to their grip on the major trade routes connecting to other nations, they amassed enormous wealth. Their military might was relatively lacking, but even that was only inferior compared to the other two pillars—the royal family and the earl's house—and incomparable to the assorted lesser lords.
The current Marquis of Redvell was hailed as a heroic figure who had elevated his declining house to its present heights in a mere few decades. His children, too, mirrored their father, demonstrating exceptional talent in their respective fields and further enhancing the Redvell name.
However, there was one exception among them.
The marquis's youngest daughter, Claudia Redvell.
Some of the most flamboyant rumors surrounding her included the following.
-She kept a massive man-eating beast as a pet and fed those who crossed her to it.
-She tortured people at the drop of a hat, leaving her body perpetually reeking of blood, which she masked with overpowering perfume.
-The marquis had deliberately chosen the remote rural fief of 'Eched' as her personal territory, fearing what she might do if left in a large, populated domain.
Her appearance was that of a heavenly flower, but her inner nature was the sludge of hell's gutters.
Thus, Claudia Redvell was a noble lady who received the most extreme of evaluations.
Naturally, few would willingly serve under such a lady.
Consequently, those who came seeking employment at Claudia's mansion in the Eched fief fell into one of two categories.
One type were those unaware of Claudia's reputation, drawn solely by the lavish compensation offered by the marquis's house.
The other were those who knew the rumors but had no choice due to their dire living circumstances.
Among these, the preference of the mansion's head butler, Bestian, leaned toward the latter.
The former rarely lasted more than a few days before fleeing, while the latter had a reasonable chance of sticking around.
'...But this interview candidate seems to be the former type.'
Thinking this, Bestian closely observed the young man before him.
Plain brown hair and brown eyes.
Not strikingly handsome, but overall soft-featured and gentle in countenance.
His puppy-like eyes betrayed none of the venom typical of those backed into a corner.
"Right, your name is Cedric. Where are you from?"
"From the city of Collim in the eastern Eisen Empire!"
"That's quite a journey. What brings you all the way to the Kingdom of Birka to apply as a servant?"
"My father served for many years in the prominent Knuck family of Collim. His main duties were in kitchen support. I too planned to serve the Knuck family like my father one day, but unfortunately, the family line came to an end, leaving me without a place. Having learned these skills since childhood, I wandered in search of a new master and ended up here upon hearing the rumors of this mansion!"
"I see... So you can cook decently, then?"
"I wouldn't call it perfect, but I'm confident it's at least palatable!"
Quick-witted, with an overall bright expression and demeanor.
That he was a foreigner made it impossible to verify his story, but that hardly mattered.
A house on the level of a marquisate would normally scrutinize such details rigorously, but in this Eched villa—where they were barely maintaining two-thirds of their regular staff due to constant desertions—even that could be overlooked as a minor quirk.
The real issue lay elsewhere.
'Good grief, I wonder how many days this bright young man will last against the young lady's poison.'
Bestian had witnessed it countless times: servants full of enthusiasm at hiring, withering day by day under Claudia's temperament until they finally fled the mansion.
It pained his conscience to think this youth would follow the same path, but he had no other choice.
The marquis's will was for Claudia to live a life that appeared 'unproblematic' to outsiders as much as possible, and the current state of the mansion—empty and echoing with vacant positions—contradicted that directive.
Bestian had to fill the manpower gaps somehow.
"Very well. We'll start with a three-month contract. As you might expect, quitting before the term ends means no pay."
"Understood!"
'If I assign him to kitchen support, he'll hardly ever cross paths with the young lady. That should help him last a bit longer.'
And so Bestian's plan crumbled exactly one week after Cedric entered the mansion.
The reason Cedric's presence came to light far sooner than Bestian anticipated was simple.
He was simply too competent.
"Cedric? He's a gem. Picks things up quick, and once taught, he never forgets."
"New hires usually take days just to adjust, but Cedric was fully productive from day one. Made things a lot easier for everyone."
"Never got proper rest without relief staff before, but thanks to this new guy, I might actually catch a break."
"Great with words, too—has a knack for making people smile. He'd fit in anywhere."
Cedric's assigned duties were kitchen support.
His movements were confined to the kitchen and food storeroom, and as long as he wasn't tasked with serving, there was no reason for Claudia to encounter him.
In that sense, Bestian's plan wasn't wrong—but the problem was the other servants' attitudes and atmosphere.
It wasn't as if Cedric's arrival suddenly filled everyone with overflowing joy.
But when a single red tulip appears amid a field of nothing but white ones, it's bound to stand out.
What Cedric achieved was merely drawing faint chuckles or wry smiles from the staff, but compared to their faces hardened by gloom and duty, it was a monumental shift.
"Hmm, so you're the new servant who just joined, huh?"
It was all too sudden.
The kitchen staff, chatting idly while preparing dinner, turned at the voice from the entrance, doubting their ears—then froze solid.
Two maids stood there, faces pale with dread of the impending disaster, heads bowed low.
And among them, one young lady smiling alone.
Pale platinum blonde hair and pink eyes.
Her beauty evoked the allure and freshness of a flower bud on the verge of bloom, yet the servants trembled at her smile as if beholding a monster.
Perhaps out of a sense of responsibility as the highest-ranking person present, the head chef cautiously spoke up.
"Y-Young lady. What brings you to such a humble place..."
"Hey."
"Pardon?"
The doll-like beautiful smile crumbled.
Infused with utter contempt, rage, and irritation, Redvell's flower began spewing venom from her lips.
"When did I speak to you? Who gave you permission to open your mouth?"
"M-My apologies!"
"And wherever I go is my business. Who are you to yap about it? Think having a title like 'head chef' makes my authority look like a joke? Huh?"
There was no noble grace.
No dignified reprimand or polite circumlocution.
Her angelic features spat threats and mockery like a street thug's—creating a comical mismatch that bordered on the absurd.
Thud.
That was when Cedric stepped forward half a pace.
He hadn't stomped loudly or uttered a word.
Yet that casual little motion inexplicably drew all eyes with an odd magnetism.
A glint flashed in Claudia's eyes.
Losing interest in the head chef, she turned to Cedric and spoke again.
"What, you trash covering for each other now?"
Even at the sudden insult, Cedric merely blinked, offering no reply.
Claudia frowned.
"What, not gonna answer?"
"Mm, thank you for permitting me to speak, young lady. I was just troubled by not being able to open my mouth freely."
Claudia blinked in momentary confusion, then recalled her own recent rebuke to the head chef: 'Don't open your mouth whenever you feel like it.' Perhaps this servant was using that as a pretext to mock her.
Anger surged on her face, while the other servants paled.
But only for a moment.
Soon, Claudia flashed a sly smile for some reason.
"You. Your name."
"It's Cedric, Lady Claudia."
"Right, you. Being here means you're confident in cooking, yeah?"
"I wouldn't dare call myself a professional, but I do rate myself as adequate for personal consumption."
"Perfect. Make dinner tonight and bring it yourself. To my room."
It was an unreasonable demand in several ways.
Asking a mere kitchen assistant like Cedric to prepare dinner was one thing, but having him deliver it to her personal chambers was a far graver issue.
A male servant entering a young lady's room could easily be seen as gross impropriety.
Yet Cedric responded calmly, without hesitation.
"Though I'm lacking, if it's an order, I'll do my utmost. That said, do you have any foods you dislike?"
"Anything tasteless."
"Indeed, a foolish question on my part. I'll prepare at once."
As Cedric began gathering ingredients, Claudia eyed him suspiciously.
The other servants fidgeted restlessly, as if the tension was unbearable, but he alone remained utterly composed—a sight that irked her.
She considered slapping him across the face but quickly changed her mind.
'That composure won't last anyway.'
Smirking inwardly, she didn't forget to warn the others.
"You lot—interfere in this, and I'll punish every one of you. Stay out of it."
The kitchen staff bowed their heads, while the maids followed Claudia in fearful silence.
Upon reaching her room, Claudia dismissed the maids and entered alone.
She then used a small blade to nick the tip of her index finger.
As the beaded blood dropped to the floor, it rapidly swelled in volume.
-Grrrrr...!
Soon, the blood had transformed into a massive beast.
Its overall form resembled a wolf, but with two heads, each maw large enough to swallow a human torso in one gulp.
Claudia stroked the heads of the twin-headed wolf as it nuzzled her affectionately, then gave it its orders.
To pounce the moment Cedric opened the door and entered.
She passed the time anticipating his face—defiant as if to say 'do whatever you want'—twisting in terror and shock.
Soon, a knock came, followed by Cedric's voice from outside.
-Young lady, I've prepared your meal.
With a dark smile curling her lips, Claudia replied.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Cedric wheeled in a cart.
At that instant, the wolf lurking in the corner lunged at him.
From the wolf's jaws came a roar to terrify its prey—Yelp?!
'...Yelp?'
Claudia blinked.
She rubbed her eyes, then looked again.
Her loyal beast, capable of treating most monsters as a single meal, cowered on the floor whining like a frightened neighborhood mutt.
And before it stood Cedric, quietly wiping his knuckles—fresh from a flick to the head—with a handkerchief.
He turned to the stunned Claudia and said, utterly serious.
"Young lady."
"Yes?"
"It's not a good habit for pets to lunge at human food. Bad for their health, too. Looks like you've trained it poorly."
"…………."