The Duke's Daughter Goes Her Own Way
[The Man Who Made Them Call Him (The Name He Gave Himself) "The Grim Reaper." Part 2]
Translated by: ME
I was abandoned by my family when I was young.
After that, I resolved myself, steeled my will, and lived on my own.
I never had anything like 'friends,' and I never felt I wanted them. I never had anyone I could 'place my complete trust in,' and I thought that was normal.
Well, with a background like that, you don't exactly grow up 'well-adjusted.'
It was only after I started living and working at the ducal estate that I realized just how 'warped' I had become.
***
I actually hadn't written my real name on the employment contract.
On the contract Thomas-sama gave me, I wrote and submitted my 'Ultimate Coolest Epithet.'
I naturally thought it would be rejected, but Thomas-sama simply said, [Very well,] and accepted it as normal.
…Wait, please don't accept it!! Reject it, Thomas-sama!
I later asked Thomas-sama why he had accepted it as is.
His reply was, [It seemed more amusing to accept it as written.]… Apparently, he had already investigated most of my background, so whatever name I wrote didn't matter to him.
They're scary in so many ways! The Macnagan Ducal house!!
Yes. *Now* I can genuinely think, 'They're scary in so many ways,' but back then, I didn't really understand that emotion of 'fear.'
It wasn't just fear.
All emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure—were things I 'didn't really understand.'
It's not that I had no emotions. I just genuinely 'didn't comprehend' them.
It was what the young lady called being 'emotionally underdeveloped.'
***
The servants are assigned their own rooms.
It's a vast ducal estate. Even if they gave rooms to all several dozen servants, there would still be many unused rooms.
Some servants share rooms with a few others, while others are given their own private rooms.
As expected of the butler, Thomas-sama seems to have a large, fine room. All the cooks share one room together. A certain careless maid apparently moved into a triple room herself because she can't wake up in the morning.
And I was given a single room.
It's a bleak, narrow room with almost no furniture. Even so, the bed that takes up most of the room, while small, is of good quality. This alone makes it far more comfortable than a cheap inn.
My having a single room is a kind of special treatment.
Given my background, I had a habit of reacting if I sensed a presence while sleeping—a defenseless act.
To be specific, the habit was readying a weapon against 'whoever' was there.
When I told Thomas-sama about this habit on the first day, he gave me a single room.
Thanks to that, I can sleep peacefully every night.
Just having a peaceful sleep guaranteed made me glad I was hired by this house.
***
A little over a month after I was hired.
Thomas-sama told me to attend the morning meeting.
This 'morning meeting' is for servants with 'head' or 'chief' in their titles. They listen to announcements from Thomas-sama here, and then each department head relays them to their subordinates.
When I went to Thomas-sama's office, nearly ten people were already assembled.
It seemed I was the last one. As I entered the office and closed the door, Thomas-sama said, [Now then, let's begin.]
Thomas-sama methodically relayed the announcements for each department.
Things like: the territory had a bumper crop and there's an excess of certain vegetables, so please incorporate them into the meal menus; the replacement for the carpet the master spilled wine on the other day will arrive the day after tomorrow; the master has a visitor this afternoon, so please prepare for that…
Normal announcements to keep the household running smoothly.
Why was I called, I wonder…?
Communications to us low-level workers usually come directly from Thomas-sama. Sometimes a valet comes to relay a message, saying 'Thomas-sama sends word.'
…Well, since I have no work, that hardly ever happens anyway.
Speaking of which, if I have no work, why am I even here…?
Holding such questions, I half-listened to the routine morning exchanges.
[Now then, finally…]
Closing what seemed to be a notebook with the schedule written in it, Thomas-sama looked around at everyone.
[It has been over a month since he was hired, but let me introduce the new recruit.… Come here, The Fallen Reaper Who, Cradled by Infinite Purgatorial Flames Born from Pale White Darkness, Dreams of an Aurora He Shall Never Glimpse Within the Eternal Prison Corridor.]
Thomas-sama called my name. Partway through, the head chef started choking and coughing. The head valet was looking down, trembling. The head maid was looking at me with an expression that said, [Oh boy…]
…What is it!? If you have something to say, say it with your words!!
Since I was called, I stood next to Thomas-sama. Everyone was looking at me with indescribable expressions.
What is this…? Pity? That's not quite it either… They really have indescribable expressions. It's an 'Aah…' kind of face, or…
[His name is long, so it's fine to call him 'The Pale White Grim Reaper.']
At Thomas-sama's words, the head housekeeper smoothly raised one hand.
[What is it, Melanie?]
[Yes. I understand the preferred form of address, but just to be sure, could you please tell us the full name one more time?]
Speaking in a crisp tone, the head housekeeper took a notepad from her apron pocket and quickly poised her pen.
Thomas-sama nodded, saying, [Very well,] and slowly opened his mouth.
[The Fallen Reaper Who, Cradled by Infinite Purgatorial Flames Born from—]
[Stop, Thomas-sama! My hand can't keep up…!]
Not only the head housekeeper, who was taking notes diligently, but the others had also somehow gotten out notepads.
['Born from Pale White…' what was it?]
['Born from'? I'm sorry, Thomas-sama! From the beginning again!]
[…Alright, is everyone ready? Once more, from the beginning. 'The Fallen Reaper Who, Cradled by Infinite Purgatorial Flames Born from Pale White Darkness'…]
The sound of everyone frantically scratching their pens filled the room.
What is this…?
I felt a faint sense of embarrassment.
A long name is cool, but it's inconvenient… Maybe I should have compromised with 'The Pale White Grim Reaper' after all…
Harboring a mysterious sense of embarrassment, the morning meeting concluded.
…The sight of everyone muttering while looking at their notes was a little eerie.
***
A few days after that morning meeting.
I still had no work to speak of. I mean, I really have nothing to do… Seriously, why did they hire me…?
Thinking such thoughts, I was, as usual, spacing out in a tree in the thicket.
[Yo, Grim Reaper.]
I looked towards the voice and saw a covert op in another tree.
Basically, they also have no daily work. Unless given a task by the master or Thomas-sama, they seem to spend their days however they like in this thicket.
While it's similar to my situation, it's not that they have 'absolutely no work' like I do.
They have the job of 'keeping watch for anyone who invades this thicket.'… Which, conversely, means they also have no work unless there are intruders.
[…Did you need something?]
I don't know how many people are engaged in covert operations in total.
This covert op who just spoke to me is a face I see often here. I know there are at least four others besides him.
[You look bored again today.]
[…Yes.]
I'm spacing out in a tree. From any angle, I don't look 'busy.'
Seeing me sigh involuntarily, the covert op man let out a small puff of a laugh.
[If you're bored, why not try talking to everyone in the mansion? Something like, 'Got any work for me~?']
That might not be a bad idea… I thought for a moment.
After all, having nothing to do every day is, conversely, exhausting. Just 'killing time' is a chore in itself.
But the other servants all have their properly assigned jobs. Even if I casually show up and say, 'Shall I help?' with 'the work they've been entrusted with,' would they really let me?
Moreover, someone like me only joined a little over a month ago; I probably have no credit or trust…
[There must be simple manual labor or odd jobs that even you can do, right?]
Maybe so.
And besides, going around asking for tasks would probably kill more time than just zoning out here.
I decided to give it a try… and headed towards the mansion.
***
First, wondering what to do, I headed to the kitchen. Someone was bound to be there during the day.
Peeking inside from the entrance, I saw the baker, even though it was afternoon, standing in front of the oven with a difficult expression, arms crossed. Is he… watching the baking?
Wait, he's baking bread already? There are still hours until dinner…
[Um…]
I hesitated over how to address him, and ended up with a half-hearted call.
But it couldn't be helped. I don't know their names.… Now that I think about it, besides Thomas-sama, I don't know anyone's name. But maybe that's normal.
There are nearly seventy servants in this vast mansion. But I'm the only one assigned the porter job.… You don't even need to think about it, it's weird, right? In this ridiculously huge mansion, there's only one porter? Does that happen?
…Ah, but if there's only one and there's no work, maybe that's just how it is.
Wait, the baker isn't moving, he's just glaring at the oven… Maybe he didn't hear me?
[Excuse me—]
Calling out louder than before, the baker sharply raised a hand to stop me without taking his eyes off the oven.
[Shh! Quiet!]
His voice was tense and sharp, and I flinched slightly, thinking I'd messed up.
[I can't hear… the bread's voice…]
He muttered in a deliberately low voice.
…The bread's voice?
Huh? What is this guy talking about?
Does bread… talk? Are you developing 'talking bread' or something?
Thinking that, I watched him vaguely. The baker looked at me and grinned.
[So, how was that!?]
[How… was what?]
What is he talking about?
[Didn't I seem all 'Artisan!' and cool!?]
Huh…… Ehhhh~~………….
[I've been reading Bonifacio's biography lately. Know him? Bonifacio?]
[Well, somewhat…]
He was a famous artist from about two hundred years ago. He left behind many paintings, but his defining works are his sculptures. He was a man who could only be described as a 'genius,' and his works influenced many later artists.
[It was written in that book, you see. 'Bonifacio heard the voices of wood and stone.']
According to the baker, there's apparently a saying like that, which Bonifacio told his disciples.
The reason he's called a 'genius' is, of course, the brilliance of his surviving works, but even more so, his anecdotes are incredible.
A famous one is that he spent four years traveling the world on foot to find the stone for an apostle statue commissioned by a church…
It seems a disciple asked the master, who was carving that apostle statue, 'Master, how can you carve such a delicate and beautiful statue?'
They say Bonifacio didn't draw preliminary sketches or mark guidelines on the material when sculpting. He would face the material silently for a while, then, taking only a chisel, carve it all in one go. Seeing that up close, you couldn't help but find it strange.
To his disciple's question, Bonifacio reportedly replied:
['The 'souls' within the stone and wood speak to me. I merely listen to their voices and wield my chisel as they command.']
[I read that and thought, 'THIS IS IT!!' My ideal baker image is this and nothing else!]
Is that the only way…? I'm sure there are others…
[And so, I too will someday become a baker whose name is recorded in the Macnagan Ducal family history!]
…Bonifacio's name is recorded in 'art history.' How narrow that history seems in comparison… But in a way, you could say he's being realistic… maybe.
[Ah, so, did you need something from me?]
The baker—no, Nathan—said with a smile, as if remembering. I told him, [I was wondering if there was anything I could help with.]
[Well~… Not really, I don't think. Sorry. But thanks.]
[Nothing, huh?…]
It's not something you need to thank me for.
Since there seemed to be no work here, I was about to move on to the next place. The baker called out to stop me.
[Ah! I'm Nathan. Nathan Keane. And you're, uh…]
Saying that, Nathan put his hand into his cook's coat pocket.
Wondering what would come out, it was a piece of paper, maybe a memo.
['The Fallen Reaper Who, Cradled by Infinite Purgatorial Flames Born from Pale White Darkness, Dreams of an Aurora He Shall Never Glimpse Within the Eternal Prison Corridor'…]
That memo… has my name written on it? …And his voice was trembling like crazy at the end. His shoulders were shaking too.
[So lon…g…,] he muttered in a small voice, seemingly stifling a laugh.
So, where's the funny part!?
Once he seemed to have finished laughing, Nathan let out a [Haa…] and gave me a bright grin.
[This long name is a pain to say every time…]
Well, I guess so.… I'm learning my lesson. I admit it, my ultimate cool name is long. It's frustrating, but I'll admit it. So, are you going to abbreviate it to 'The Pale White Grim Reaper'?
[Is Cesare okay?]
Hah!?
I was shocked he knew my real name. Nathan wore his cheerful smile as always.
[You see, before I was hired here, I was an intelligence agent for another country. You were pretty flashy, right? So I'd looked into your background and such. You hardly did any 'covering your tracks,' did you? I found your name right away.]
The 'tracks' he's talking about are one's past and identity.
It's true I was somewhat indifferent about such things. But it's not that I did 'nothing' at all. It was more like, 'If someone really put their back into investigating, they might find one or two things.'
The country Nathan was from probably put some real effort into investigating my background. Or maybe Nathan's own intelligence skills are just that high.
[If Cesare feels too familiar and you don't like it, would 'Victor' be better?]
[…Cesare is fine.]
He knows my full name…
In that case, my first name is better than my family name, which holds no sentimental value for me.
[Alright then, nice to meet you from now on, Cesare.]
I sighed and shook the hand he offered me.
***
From that day on, Nathan started calling out to me whenever he saw me.
Given my past, I never really understood 'social interaction.'
Nathan, knowing this situation, helped mediate between me and the other servants.
He seems to be a sociable person by nature, greeting anyone with a smile. And he isn't intimidated even by those who are unresponsive or aloof.
Thanks to him, within another month, I was able to learn the faces and names of the majority of the mansion's servants.
…Although, everyone ended up calling me 'The Pale White Grim Reaper' with a smirk.
Why is *everyone* smirking!? Seriously, what is so funny about it!!
***
About two months had passed since I was hired at the mansion.
I still had no particular work to speak of.
However, it seemed my surroundings had come to understand that there was 'a (supposed) porter with no work loitering around,' and occasionally someone would come to ask me to do odd jobs.
Things like: dispose of a dead rat in the basement storage room; fetch the towels that got blown away by the wind; weave a sturdy rope ladder…
Wait, that last job, what's that about!? What are you using a sturdy rope ladder for!? …Turns out, it was hanging from a certain room on the second floor. That window belongs to the senior servants' lounge.
Apparently, a valet had thought of it as 'a way to come and go easily' and tried it out. But even he got scolded by the master for that one. Of course.
But the reason for the scolding was, 'Stop it, because Ellie will want to copy it.'… That's not the right reason, is it? Normally, that's not the reason, right?
It's true the young lady is a bit clumsy… no, has limited physical coordination, so I can only imagine her taking a clean fall from the second floor.
And, as expected, only the young lady, who apparently wanted to try it, argued with the master about it.
The rope ladder is currently in the custody of the covert ops, it seems. They'd probably find some effective use for it.
As a side note, Thomas-sama taught me how to make the rope ladder. He said that 'in a place he was once in,' they sometimes had to make rope from their clothes and fashion it into a ladder.
Thomas-sama said, [I can't have you making shoddy work and getting needlessly injured.] …So cool…
***
I was living days like that, but I did have proper 'days off.'… Even though it feels like every day is a day off. Still, I try not to leave the mansion grounds on non-holidays.… Even if I have nothing to do.
On one such day off, Nathan invited me, [Wanna go into town?]
I was bored, so I said, [Sure.] On the day, I went to the service entrance at the specified time, and Nathan and Dee were there.
[Huh? Dee?]
I thought I was supposed to meet Nathan.
[I've got some business too, so I'm tagging along.]
When servants go into town, they can request a carriage for servants. They could walk, but it takes about an hour.
The carriage seats six, so when someone goes to town, they often go together in a group if a few people have errands.
Thanks to Nathan, I had more chances to talk with the mansion's servants. Through that, I sometimes learned about their personalities and backgrounds.
But I know almost nothing about this stablehand who calls himself 'Dee.'
No matter who I ask, they either say, [I don't know,] or [Ask him yourself.] So I did ask him once. 'Why are you working here as a stablehand?'
The answer was, [Who knows?]
I don't know if he doesn't want to say or can't say. I'm not particularly keen on prying anyway.
So I've left it alone, knowing nothing.
…Though if I'm being honest, I am a little curious.
We can't use a carriage with the ducal crest, so we get a carriage that looks (on the outside) like a plain hired coach.
But while it looks as simple as a hired coach on the outside, the interior is astonishingly luxurious.
It's a carriage the young lady had modified for her incognito outings. According to the young lady, its name is apparently the 'Incognito Special DX Deluxe.' …What does 'DX' even mean…?
Between the plushness of the seats and the minimal vibration, it's more elaborate than the carriages with the ducal crest…
Incidentally, Nathan told me, [Oh, and the young lady said to get your impressions of this carriage later. When we get back, she'll probably come ask for your feedback.]
Impressions… What am I supposed to say…?
For now, maybe "The seats were plush" will do…?
Nathan and I weren't going into town for any particular errand. So we split up from Dee, who seemed to have some business, after deciding on a meeting time and place. We'd all meet back to ride the 'Incognito Special DX' home together.
With no particular destination, the two of us just wandered around the city. The area we were in was the central district of the royal capital, a block with more shops than residences.
The royal capital of this country is shaped like a fan with the royal castle at the top.
Main avenues extend radially from the castle, and several streets cut across these main avenues. The clientele and character of the shops lining the blocks formed by these vertical and horizontal main streets change from area to area.
The blocks close to the castle have many shops catering to nobles, and the further out you go, the more shops for commoners there are.
We were in a middle area, a shopping district used by both nobles and commoners.
There were high-end shops for nobles, and also shops with prices accessible to commoners. But basically, they were a bit expensive for commoners… that kind of place.
We walked around, browsing various shops, and entered one bookstore.
This bookstore seemed to deal mainly in entertainment novels. The spines of the books on the shelves were colorful, giving a miscellaneous impression.
There seemed to be many romance novels, and I saw a few female customers here and there. A girl who looked like a commoner was holding a book she had probably just purchased tightly to her chest, wearing a very happy smile.
…Come to think of it, I haven't read many books in the 'entertainment novel' genre, I thought vaguely.
Because of my work, I read a wide variety of books, since you could never have too much knowledge.
But 'entertainment novels,' as the name suggests, are purely for 'entertainment,' so the 'knowledge' you gain from them is almost zero.
Once, I had to make contact with a nobleman's daughter in another country, and I read 'the popular romance novel in that country at the time.'… It was astonishingly boring…
It was a story about the love between a young duke and the daughter of a lower noble, a mismatch in status…
Duke, love is fine, but do your job! Why do you only think about romance from morning till night, all year round!? A 'Duke' isn't in a position to be allowed that, is he!?
…That was my only impression. Well, I suppose it's an 'entertainment novel,' so it's okay if it's detached from reality. I just didn't really understand what made it enjoyable.
Thinking such vague thoughts while browsing the shelves, Nathan, who seemed to have bought something, urged me, [Let's go back soon.]
***
After leaving the store, while walking towards the carriage to meet up with Dee, who seemed to have spotted something, lightly punched my shoulder with his fist.
[That guy.… Doesn't it look like he's about to do something?]
He spoke in a low voice. I turned my gaze to where Dee was looking.
There was a man there.
At a glance, he looked like an ordinary man you could find anywhere. Average build and height, probably in his thirties. His attire seemed like that of a commoner, not particularly high-class, but it was clean. His hair was neatly cut short, and 'at first glance' there was nothing strange about him.
But his eyes.
They were wandering around, drifting here and there as if searching for something.
[What's up? Something happen?]
Nathan, who noticed Dee and I had stopped, walked over with a carefree smile.
[Nah, nothing yet. For now.]
[Ooh, that sounds ominous~]
Nathan, why do you sound so happy…?
[Which one, which one!? Which one's suspicious!?]
Seriously, why are you a little excited…?
[That guy.… He did it.]
Right as Dee pointed out the man to Nathan, we saw the man pick something from a lady as they passed each other.
He had stolen something from the lady's handbag. Well, nine times out of ten, it was her wallet.
The lady, of course, hadn't noticed. Nathan started walking towards her.
The pickpocket was walking towards us.
Dee subtly stuck his foot out in the pickpocket's path. I retrieved the 'something' he had just stolen from the pocket of the man, who stumbled over Dee's foot. As expected, it was a wallet.
The man, off-balance and flustered, hadn't noticed his 'spoils' were gone.
[Whoa there!]
Dee, with an innocent face, grabbed the arm of the man who was about to fall and said, [You alright?]
In that gap, I walked up to the lady ahead of us.
The lady was being profusely apologized to by Nathan (who was pretending to have bumped into her accidentally) and was laughing apologetically.
[Um, excuse me.]
When I spoke, both the lady and Nathan looked at me.
Even Nathan was making a puzzled, clueless face. His acting skills are amazing… As expected of a baker (planned) to leave his name for posterity.
[Do you need something from me…? Or is it for this person…?]
[Ah, well, I'm not sure which of you it is…]
Saying that, I held out the wallet in my hand to both of them.
[Did you… drop this?]
[Nah, not me.]
[Oh my! That's my property!]
To the lady, who was gratefully thanking me over and over, I said, [No, no, I just picked it up…] when Dee, who had come up from behind us, passed by.
Nathan bowed to the lady, saying, [Really, sorry about that!] and quickly walked off. I somehow managed to evade the lady, who was saying, [I want to thank you properly, please tell me your name,] and chased after the two who had gone ahead.
Entering the alley the two had turned into, I found Dee and Nathan waiting a little way in.
[Alright, let's make a run for it.]
Nathan said in a slightly cheerful tone, and Dee laughed lightly.
[Yeah. Don't need the hassle.]
I nodded at his words.
Being treated as a 'hero' by that lady would indeed be the biggest hassle.
Following the two, who knew the area well, we walked through narrow back alleys, turning unnaturally many times.
Our pace wasn't constant either, sometimes speeding up, sometimes slowing down, occasionally even stopping.
This was a way of walking to check if we were being followed.
I can understand Nathan being used to this kind of action, given he was once an intelligence agent in another country.
Then what was Dee in the past?
I could tell Dee was more alert to our surroundings than Nathan. And he was performing these actions more 'naturally' than Nathan.
Perhaps…
Are skills like 'checking if you're being tailed' or 'silencing your footsteps' 'essential skills for a servant of the Macnagan Ducal house'?
…No, that can't be… or rather, I feel like I can't say for sure…
It's just such a strange house…
But more than that.
Thinking about it, it started to seem funny, and I couldn't help but let out a laugh. Nathan looked at me curiously.
[What's up? Grinning like that.]
[Huh…? Ah, no…]
Even as I spoke, another laugh escaped.
[It's just kind of funny.]
We just returned the stolen item to the lady who had her wallet picked, without her knowing it was stolen. In general society, that's a 'good deed.'
I've used crowds to eliminate a target and escaped. That's a 'crime,' and you run because you'll definitely be captured if it's discovered.
But this was my first experience running away after doing a good deed.
The fact that we were running *because* we did a good deed was just inexplicably funny.
And not just me alone, but all three of us together.
[Hey. Laughing's fine and all, but let's hurry back?]
From a few steps ahead, Dee spoke, sounding exasperated. Nathan replied nonchalantly, [Yeah. The sun's starting to set too,] and caught up to Dee, starting to walk.
The two of them walked, poking and jostling each other playfully as they talked. I stood still, watching them.
The two of them, who were walking ahead.
Turned around simultaneously and called out to me.
[If you wanna be left behind, just say so.]
[If we're too late, you'll miss dinner~]
To them, I replied, [I'm coming now,] and started walking to catch up.
But for some reason, it still felt funny, and the corners of my mouth kept curling up into a smile on their own.
It's itchy… this feeling.
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