Curtains Down, Truth Uncovered
“Yes, that's right. The three head maids take turns supervising the overall management each month.”
Banya chuckled merrily as she led her along.
Ibel inspected even the maids' bathroom, meticulously checking if they had enough hot water and whether anything was lacking or insufficient.
She was especially curious about snacks beyond the regular meal menus.
“Pastries or cookies twice a week, along with milk rations. They can take one piece of fruit each morning before starting work, all grown by old man Dawson the gardener himself.”
No wonder their nutrition is so good.
Nodding, she sat down right there in the servants' dining hall and sampled the snacks herself.
Not because she wanted to eat them, but to clearly assess their quality.
“Not bad at all. What do you give them for birthdays?”
“Bonuses are given based on years of service.”
“No gifts?”
“The former madam would occasionally hand them out when she was in a good mood.”
But with the children always sick or potentially getting sick, good moods must have been rare.
And those cursed curtains kept out nearly all sunlight, making depression inevitable.
Victor wants me to take control of the household. This much spending should be fine, right?
After a brief moment of thought, she instructed that a bottle of wine be given to each person on their birthday.
Honestly, who doesn't like alcohol?
Bayern-labeled wine was easy to resell and perfect as a gift for loved ones or family— the safest, most universally appealing choice.
“The madam is giving out wine for birthdays!”
“Gasp, mine's in two days!”
“But what about those whose birthdays already passed this year?”
“I want one too... Mine was early this month. What if she thinks I'm cheeky?”
The maids, clustered together, immediately buzzed with excitement upon hearing Ibel's orders.
They tried to lower their voices, but free wine had them too thrilled to manage it.
Exactly as Ibel had planned.
“Banya, compile a list of everyone whose birthday has already passed this year and distribute them all at once. Give it about a fortnight?”
“As you wish. This old Banya is moved once again by the future madam’s generous heart.”
In truth, Ibel had proposed the wine giveaway first because she had a lot to order done.
If the sudden new madam demanded a full mansion cleaning out of nowhere... well, they'd obey, but resentment was inevitable.
So first, dangle some candy, then issue the necessary orders with solid reasoning.
Among Ibel's goals for today, the mansion deep clean topped the list by far.
“Oh, madam. I looked into it more thoroughly—the maid with the coughing illness was Mina, who started at age twelve. She fell ill soon after and quit shortly thereafter.”
“And?”
“The butler and I cough occasionally too, but only in winter. Everyone thought it was just a cold. Any others who developed the coughing sickness were let go quickly, out of fear they'd harm the young masters. No one with symptoms among those who've worked here long-term.”
“I see... No one who quit due to poor health has died?”
This was crucial.
The servants were fine, but the family had lung problems?
Having seen the servants' quarters, the clear difference was the building materials... It seemed unlikely, but maybe the house itself was the issue.
But then why were upper servants like Banya, who lived in the mansion, perfectly fine?
Maybe staying in the house as a child causes problems.
[No Onset]
Victor: Hardly ever at the house as a child; stayed in the capital after adulthood.
Genevieve: At the convent as a child, returned much later.
Damian: Still young. Currently robust and often wanders outside.
[Onset]
Seranna: Frail since childhood, mostly confined indoors.
Seranna's husband: Died of illness. Shared bedroom with Seranna. Resided in the mansion.
[Partial Onset]
Young maid: Developed coughing illness at young age.
Other servants: Began working in mansion as adults. Those with coughing illness quit soon after.
Anselm: Young age, rarely goes outside.
As she jotted a few lines into her separate notebook, Banya replied.
“No deaths that I know of. Come to think of it, I heard Mina regained her health after quitting.”
This is almost certain.
Even if the house is the cause, I don't know what part of it. Aside from the different building materials...
Noble mansions were naturally built of stone and marble for durability and longevity.
Could the stone be the problem?
“May I take a look at your room too, Granny?”
“Of course.”
“I'll visit later. So you started working at Bayern after becoming an adult?”
“Yes, at twenty-two.”
Ibel left the maids' quarters and issued cleaning orders to Banya.
“Deep cleaning starts today. Remove curtains from everywhere except Seranna's bedroom, fling the windows wide open. Send the old curtains to the incinerator and confirm they're actually burned.”
“Understood.”
“No mold anywhere in the house. I trust you.”
The maids would be run ragged, but it couldn't be helped.
Having inspected even the footmen's quarters, she headed next to the main kitchen's food storeroom.
She planned to get done what she could while the servants scrambled into the sudden deep clean.
“What in the world is this! Removing the curtains? What if curses get in!”
However, Ibel's ambitious plan overlooked one thing.
Genevieve's fierce opposition.
“What's the matter?”
Heading toward the drawing room, Ibel spotted Genevieve arguing with the maids and stopped.
Genevieve flung down the curtain she clutched and advanced on Ibel threateningly.
“Not even married yet, and you pull this! How dare you meddle with the family already!”
“It's settled with Victor. Essential for the children's health.”
“Ha! You think you're some doctor? Thick curtains keep out bad air. What if Anselm's cough worsens!”
Good lord.
Ibel twitched an eyebrow.
It was daunting where to even start explaining, but she had to say her piece.
“In 1861, Pasteur discovered germs. Just last year, it was proven that illnesses come not from miasma or curses, but from germs.”
“Wh-what? Germs what?”
“Germs. All diseases are caused by germs. Prevention requires a clean, hygienic environment. These filthy, dust-caked, threadbare curtains can no longer be tolerated.”
“Filthy! These are curtains I chose with utmost care!”
Ah, so that's the issue.
But that was her problem, not Ibel's.
Her patients were the twins, and germs preyed especially on the young and weak.
They thrived in dirty environments too.
Twitching her eyebrow pointedly, Ibel ordered a maid.
“Oh, and roll up all the carpets too. Fling the windows wide. Let some sunlight into this house.”
“No! Absolutely not! What nonsense!”
“I explained earlier. It's from the latest medical journals—check The Lancet later if you like. Ventilation, cleanliness, and sunlight are paramount.”