JustPeachyNovels

The Role of the Lady (2)

Duha let out a small laugh as she watched Leila nodding with a satisfied smile.

She called the head maid in the bustling kitchen.

“Sylvia.”

“Yes, my Lady.”

“As far as I know, the Esbaden Duchy is the most prestigious noble family in the empire. Is that true?”

It was an odd question given the situation, but the head maid answered as politely as she could.

“That’s correct. The Esbaden Duchy is the most respected family in the empire after the imperial family…”

“For such a prestigious family, the appearance of the people working here is quite unacceptable.”

“What?”

At Duha’s remark, Sylvia quickly glanced at the servants.

Despite their hard work, their faces were covered in dust, and their clothes were in terrible condition. Their old clothes were faded in places, and their worn leather shoes were full of holes, so much so that walking barefoot might be better.

“The ledgers only show expenses for food supplies. How are the servants’ wages being paid?”

The head maid frowned and lowered her voice, finding Duha’s question awkward.

“My Lady, the people working here are slaves. Providing them with food and shelter is considered their wage.”

Duha was well aware of the concept of slaves.

There were slaves in Bashar as well, but they were different. In Bashar, people became slaves for committing serious crimes or losing in a life-and-death duel. This made them different from imperial slaves.

“Humans born as humans but treated as nothing more than ‘livestock,’” as Leila had once explained to her about the empire’s slaves.

Duha frowned, recalling this explanation. She had never been in favor of slavery.

Every blade of grass and every flower’s life was precious. How could anyone exploit others born as human beings without any reason?

However, she neither had the right to criticize them nor the power to free the slaves, especially as an outsider and a foreign princess in the duchy.

Duha sighed quietly and then turned to Sylvia.

“Sylvia.”

“Yes, Duchess.”

“Get new clothes and shoes for them.”

“…What?”

The unexpected order left the head maid bewildered.

“In Bashar, even those serving food to their masters wash their hands and cover their mouths with silk. To ensure the food remains clean.”

Duha gave a gentle smile to the confused head maid.

“If the food is precious, shouldn’t those who prepare it also be treated preciously?”

“But, my Lady…”

Sylvia furrowed her eyebrows, unable to understand the Duchess’s order.

No noble family would provide new clothes to slaves simply because they were untidy. After all, slaves were expected to wear dirty old clothes.

Even if the slaves making the food were dirty, as long as the food served on the table was clean and tasty, that was all that mattered.

“If the food is precious, so should be the ones making it. Don’t you agree, Sylvia?”

“……”

However, the head maid, who had been serving nobles all her life, couldn’t refute the Duchess’s words.

She didn’t know why.

“…I will follow your orders, my Lady.”

After a long pause, her only response was to follow the command, now looking at the Duchess with a renewed glimmer in her eyes.

*** *** *** *** ***

After the kitchen, Duha and her entourage visited the chapel, banquet hall, and wardrobe room, finally arriving at the stables.

Duha’s face lit up as they reached the stables.

Her previously weary eyes now sparkled with excitement.

“My Lady, there’s Ark!”

Leila, who had also been looking bored, pointed excitedly.

Where she pointed stood a large white horse occupying a stall alone.

It was the white horse Duha had ridden from Bashar to the Esbaden Duchy.

She ignored her dirty skirt and entered the stable, tenderly stroking her beloved horse.

The horse, pleased to see its owner, lowered its head obediently.

The head maid watched the Duchess for a moment before speaking up.

“I instructed the stable men to give special care to the horse you arrived on, my Lady.”

“Thank you.”

Duha responded indifferently, but Leila crossed her arms and snorted.

“For something so special, there’s no one here in the stable, head maid. Taking care of a horse isn’t an easy job, yet no one’s around…”

“Leila.”

“Hmph.”

Leila closed her mouth only when the Duchess called her name.

But she wasn’t entirely wrong.

The head maid, flustered, looked around and finally raised her hand to call someone.

“Ah, head maid!”

A man came running towards them, looking anxious and nervous.

“What brings you to such a shabby place…”

“Never mind that. Greet the Duchess.”

Hearing the title, the stable hand quickly bowed to Duha.

“I humbly greet the Duchess.”

He bowed repeatedly, looking very apologetic.

“I’m sorry for not realizing you were here, my Lady.”

Though his apology seemed genuine, Leila looked displeased, as if he had insulted her mistress.

“Hmph, how busy must you be not to notice the Duchess arriving?”

“I’m truly sorry. The stable is in chaos right now.”

Duha looked at him curiously.

“Why? What happened?”

“One of the new horses we brought in has a very nasty temperament. It refuses training and keeps breaking out of its stall, causing a lot of trouble.”

Hearing this, the head maid frowned.

“Who would ride such a fiery horse? It should be sent back or used for breeding.”

“Well, Lord Nate likes it and insists we tame it, saying it’s a precious red horse from the northern mountains. We’re really in a bind.”

“Lord Nate?”

“Yes, he ordered us to tame it and send it to Kreutz.”

“Hmmm.”

Since the Duke’s uncle had specifically asked for it, there was nothing the head maid could do.

“Make sure there are no more accidents, and don’t neglect the Duchess’s horse…”

“Brother!”

At that moment, another stable men came running, looking pale.

“What’s wrong?”

“Norman and the youngest got kicked by the horse! Norman’s dead, and the youngest can’t breathe!”

“What?”

Everyone froze at the sudden news.

Trying to tame a horse had led to someone’s death.

Normally, they would have given up on the horse, but this time they couldn’t.

The command came from the second most powerful man in the duchy. Even the Duke couldn’t ignore his orders, let alone the stable hands who might lose their heads for disobeying.

The air was thick with tension when Duha spoke up.

“Show me the way.”

“Pardon?”

“Take me to the injured person. The horse should be there too, right?”

The one who broke the silence was none other than the Duchess.

Duha looked more serious and determined than ever.

*** *** *** *** ***

Hiiiiing-

The red horse that had killed a man was still rampaging in the center of the pasture attached to the stable.

It was a magnificent horse with a glossy mane, befitting its reputation as a prized horse from the northern mountains.

Of course, its temper seemed as fiery as its appearance.

Reminds me of someone.

Duha frowned as she watched the red horse.

Meanwhile, the stable men were struggling against the horse.

“Hold on tight! Pull!”

“It’s not budging! We’re all going to die at this rate!”

They were trying to pull the horse down by the noose around its neck, but it wasn’t working.

The horse, feeling attacked, only became more frenzied.

“It’s been like this for four hours. I fear we’ll have another body to deal with.”

Duha frowned at the stable men who had guided her.

After observing the horse for a while, she turned to him.

“Does it react like that even when you get close?”

“Yes, it gets even more agitated if you get too close.”

“I see. Do you have any donkeys here?”

“…What? Donkeys?”

The man looked confused at the Duchess’s sudden mention of donkeys.

“We have one that pulls the cart, but why do you ask for a donkey…?”

Duha pointed at the red horse and answered.

“Tie the donkey next to that horse and leave them alone.”

“Pardon?”

“Do as I say if you don’t want to see more people get hurt.”

“But…?”

The stable men didn’t have time to ask why.

Duha, seemingly unconcerned with the rampaging horse, changed the subject.

“Where are the injured?”

“Over there.”

The stable men pointed to a tree nearby.

There lay a young boy, barely out of his teens, gasping for breath as if about to die.

Episode 6 – Episode 8