If You Wish For A Married Couple’s Duties - Chapter 7
Episode 7. The Role Of The Hostess (2)
***
Dooha burst into laughter as she saw Layla alone nodding her head with a happy smile.
In the middle of the noisy kitchen, she called out to the head maid.
“Sylvia.”
“Yes, Madam.”
“As far as I know, the Duke of Esbaden is the most prestigious family in the Empire, is that right?”
It was a random question that did not fit the situation, but the head maid answered as politely as possible.
“That’s right. The Duke of Esbaden is the most prestigious family in this empire after the imperial family…”
“For that kind of honor, the people who work for the best families in the empire don’t make sense.”
“Yes?”
At Dooha’s point, the maid hurriedly looked at the servants.
Aside from the fact that their faces looked untidy because they were covered with dust, their clothes were unspeakably unattractive.
Their old clothes had faded in spots, and their charred leather shoes were worn out and full of holes.
They were old pairs of shoes that made it seem like it was better to go barefoot.
“The books didn’t say anything aside from the costs of the ingredients. How are you paying the servants’ wages?”
The maid lowered her voice, frowning as though Dooha’s question was embarrassing and difficult to answer.
“Madam, those who work here are slaves. Providing food and shelter to them is their wage.”
Dooha was well aware of ‘slaves’.
Slavery certainly existed in Bashal.
But, they were not born as slaves. Rather, they became slaves after they’ve committed a felony or lost a one-on-one duel for their lives.
Because of this, Bashal’s concept of slaves was different from the Empire’s.
[Though they were born as humans, it would be more appropriate to say that they are just ‘livestock’ that are not treated as human beings.]
Dooha frowned as she recalled the description of the Empire’s slavery she had once heard from Layla.
In the first place, she was not in support of slavery.
Even the life of a single blade of grass or a flower was not easy.
How could people who were born alike be exploited for no reason?
But she had neither the right to rebuke nor the power to free the slaves.
Especially since she was a foreign duchess who came in as the princess of a foreign country.
Doha secretly sighed shallowly, and soon turned to the maid.
“Sylvia.”
“Yes, Duchess.”
“Make sure you get them new clothes and shoes.”
“Yes?”
The maid looked blank at the unexpected order.
“In Bashal, even those offering food to their masters wash their hands and cover their mouths with silk to keep the food from getting dirty.”
Dooha just smiled softly at the bewildered maid.
“But wouldn’t it be a problem if the people who make the precious food are not tidy?”
“But, Madam…”
The maid furrowed her eyebrows, unable to comprehend the Duchess’ orders.
No noble family provided new clothing to a mere slave on the grounds that they were not neat.
Because slaves were originally people who wore dirty and old clothes.
Even if the slaves who cooked food were dirty, the food on the table was delicious and clean.
“If food is precious, the person who makes it should also be valued and considered precious. Isn’t that so, Sylvia?”
However, the maid, who had lived her whole life serving upper nobles, could not raise any objection to her words.
The reason was unknown.
“…I’ll do as you please, Madame.”
The only answer she brought up after a long period of consideration was that she would follow the order.
Looking at the Duchess, Sylvia’s eyes twinkled more than before.
***
After visiting the kitchen, the chapel, the banquet hall, and the dressing room, the last place Dooha and the party visited were the stables.
Upon arriving at the stables, Dooha’s face brightened.
It was completely different from when she had cloudy eyes due to her being tired a while ago.
“Madam, Ark is over there!”
Likewise, Layla, who had a bored face, also pointed somewhere with a bright face.
Where she was pointing, a huge white horse dominated the stables.
It was the white horse that Dooha rode when she came from Bashal to the Duchy.
She didn’t mind getting her skirt dirty and went into the stables, affectionately petting her horse.
Perhaps the horse was happy to meet his owner, as he quietly lowered his head.
The maid watched the Duchess and cleared her voice.
“I told them to take care of the horse that the duchess came on separately.”
“Really? Thank you.”
Dooha’s reply showed she liked it, but Layla, who was standing next to her, snorted with her arms folded.
“For such a job, I can’t see anyone in the stable, Madam. Taking care of horses wouldn’t be an easy job, it’s hard work…”
“Layla.”
“Hmph.”
Layla bit her lips only when the Duchess called her name.
But she wasn’t wrong either.
Embarrassed, the maid looked around and raised, having found someone.
“Oh my gosh, head maid!”
Then, one of the men called her and ran to her.
He had gray hair and looked somewhat anxious.
“It’s suspicious that you are at the stables.”
“I’m done, say hello to the Duchess.”
Upon hearing that she was a duchess, the servant bowed hastily as soon as he saw Dooha.
“Oh, my. I greet the Duchess.”
He constantly bowed his head, acting as if he were in a state of bliss.
“I didn’t know that Madam came because this place is out of Madam’s league, I’m sorry.”
It was a sincere apology, but Layla looked upset as though he had insulted her master.
“Heh, how disappointing is it that when the Duchess is here, people don’t even show their faces?”
“I’m so sorry. Actually, the stables are hectic right now.”
Dooha’s eyes widened at the man’s words.
“Why? What happened?”
“Well, one of the new horses has a very bad temper, and everyone is going crazy because he refuses to train and keeps destroying the barn door.”
This time, the maid frowned at the stable keeper’s words.
“Who rides a horse with such a fiery temper? Either send it back or use it as a stallion.”
“That is, Sir Nate liked it, so he told me to tame it and send it to Kreuz. We’re in a lot of trouble, too.”
“Sir Nate?”
“Yes, it’s a precious red horse from the northern mountain range…”
“Hmm.”
The Duke’s uncle said he had to get his hands on it.
If so, there was nothing she could do as a maid.
“Then be careful not to cause any other damage and neglect the words of the Duchess…”
“Brother!”
It was then.
Another stable keeper ran over from afar with a pale face.
“What’s up?”
“Norman and the youngest got kicked by a horse with horseshoes on! Norman is dead, and the youngest can’t breathe!”
“What?”
Everyone gathered there froze at the sudden news.
They couldn’t believe a person died trying to tame a horse.
At other times he would have given up right away, but now he couldn’t.
Wasn’t it an order from the second highest ranking person in the castle?
Even the Duke could not ignore his order at will, but it was clear that their necks would fly away if only his servants did not follow the order.
The moment when a chilly silence enveloped the surroundings,
“Please guide me right now.”
“Yes, yes?”
“I want you to guide me to where the injured person is. The horse must be there, right?”
It was none other than the Duchess who broke the silence.
Dooha’s face, the Duchess’ face, looked more serious than ever.
***
Crying
The red horse that was said to have killed a person was still roaring in the middle of the pasture attached to the stables.
As a famous horse that was brought from the northern mountains, he boasted a huge appearance and a shiny mane.
Of course, his temperament was as dirty as his beautiful face, but he looked exactly like someone.
Dooha frowned and stared at the running red horse.
Meanwhile, the stable keepers were struggling with a single horse.
“Hold on there! Pull!”
“Don’t go over! If this happens, we will all die!”
They tried to knock him down by pulling the noose around his neck, but to no avail.
The horse began to rampage even more, perhaps thinking he was being attacked.
“It has been in that state for four hours. I don’t know if this is going to end up with another person dead or not.”
Dooha narrowed her forehead at the words of the stable keeper who guided her.
After observing the horse for a long time, Dooha turned to him…
“Does it run like that just from getting close?”
“If you get very close. Now, he seems to be running more and more with more energy.”
“Okay. Are there any donkeys here?”
“…Yes? Donkeys?”
Looking at the duchess suddenly talking about donkeys, the man looked embarrassed.
“There is one pulling the carts, but why are you looking for a donkey all of a sudden…”
Dooha answered his question by pointing at the red horse.
“Tie him and the donkey side by side and leave them alone.”
“Yes?”
“Do what I say if you don’t want to see people get hurt again.”
“That, that…”
The keeper of the stables who had guided her felt so lost that there was no time to ask her why.
Dooha changed the topic without any hesitation, having paid attention to the red horse running wild in front of her.
“Where’s the injured person?”
“Oh, there he is.”
At her question, the stable keeper pointed under a nearby tree.
There, there was a young man who had not yet taken off his shirt, panting as if he was about to run out of breath.
***
