“In a way, my friend’s cousin knew an elderly person, a trader associated with this castle’s lord.”
Although it was a fabricated story, it wasn’t entirely false in the end. The friend’s cousin was the step-uncle, Count Neuberry, of the Duke, and there was a dispute over the successor position among the trader’s sons, making that part true as well. Going back would indeed lead to being chased by creditors, and coming here to work through connections was also true.
Everything was true, except for the fact that I am an Omega.
“That’s incredible!” The listening banquet official slapped his knees.
“Do you know how difficult it is to enter Shirarund Castle? Having the Duke as our lord is a big wish for us northerners. Moreover, they pay a lot of money when working in the castle, so there’s no reason to refuse if they ask you to do something. And now, a person from the central region is entering such a position. What on earth does that mean?”
As he spoke, the banquet official’s face seemed irritated, as if getting angry. Niall smiled and offered a teacup.
“Try this.”
“What is this?”
“We call it tea, made from nettle.”
“Nettle? Why that tasteless thing?”
“Nettle contains good components for the liver, so when you drink it, it relieves fatigue. If you regularly drink this tea to protect your liver, you won’t get hungover after drinking alcohol.”
The banquet official, who had been skeptical about its effect on the liver, showed a satisfied expression upon hearing that it could eliminate hangovers.
“Really?”
“I’ve assisted in herbal medicine for quite a while. We picked this during that time.”
“Herbal medicine? You’ve worked there too?”
“Not only that, I’ve tried being an alchemist, a beautician, a member of a theater troupe, a magician, and even a wanderer in the auction market.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Ktfjafg? Tbe vlv atfjafg?”
“Kfii wf. Qtja xlcv bo atfjafg lr qbqeijg lc atf mjqlaji cbk?”
“Ufbqif ogbw atf mfcagji gfulbc rjs atfs qgjmalmf ogff ibnf. Pr atja agef?”
Ufbqif jqqgbjmtfv, boofglcu Rljii meqr bo afj. Pa kjr j ufraegf ab rtjgf atf cfaaif afj. Rljii rwlifv kjgwis jcv vlraglyeafv afj ifjnfr ab fnfgsbcf.
Though there was a somewhat disapproving look about Niall, who wandered around without permission, no one stopped him anymore. It was because Niall had already become too friendly with the people inside the castle.
“Moreover, Phil, upon seeing Niall wandering around looking for work here and there, I even took the initiative to approach Gale and demand that he properly assign Niall’s job.”
“No, it’s like that over there. Originally, I came to replace my mate, who was supposed to be in for the day instead of Niall, but the mate returned earlier than expected, leaving Niall’s position vacant.”
Phil continued talking while twirling his hat in both hands.
“A skilled worker from the central region is rare, so let him settle down in one place. If he gets kicked out of here, how will he earn money? I heard that his debt is not a small amount.”
Gale listened to Phil’s words with a peculiar expression. Unbeknownst to Phil, there had already been three or more people who came secretly to Gale and discussed Niall’s whereabouts. Phil was the fourth, and Gale had a feeling that Phil wouldn’t be the last.
“I won’t send him away.”
Gale said only that and turned away. Although a position might be created around Niall, there would be no official appointment for Niall in the future. Once Niall starts actively treating the Duke, what excuse would he use then? Niall was someone who was supposed to quietly disappear from here sooner or later.
Niall, who had become friendly with the banquet workers, also began talking with the maids. The northern lands were harsh, and life for women in such harsh places was generally more challenging than for men.
Naturally, women were much more cautious of Niall than men. What’s there to trust about a central guy who’s not from the north? They acted more reserved and wary toward Niall than the men did.
But who was Niall? Wasn’t he the best administrative assistant in Gale Port? Without being asked, he boldly entered the rough kitchen like a millstone fort and casually peeled potatoes. He sat down without anyone telling him to, sliced garlic, chopped onions, and even cleaned the floor.
There was always plenty of work. Even if potatoes were peeled every day, it never ended, and no matter how many onions were chopped, the supply was endless. Anyway, volunteering to work like this, no one stopped the guy from the central region.
Moreover, this guy even did sewing well. The head maid saw a man sewing for the first time in her life. Other men would protest, saying that doing such things would rupture their manhood, but the guy from the central region casually sat in the sewing room, threading needles with the women.
“These days, central women decorate their hats with new feathers. The long-lasting flower decorations have finally come to an end. Thanks to that, I lost one of my side businesses. I was good at folding flowers with fabric, you know.”
That’s not all. He knew many stories that young women would like. The north was excluded in terms of culture and fashion. Young women were more wary of Niall than men. But Niall was someone who knew how to break through that resistance.
“Currently in the capital, it’s fashionable not to straighten the folds on the skirt. Unmarried women prefer to leave their hair down rather than tying it up high. The knights in the capital are practicing something called free love, and since they can’t do it with eligible women, they say they’ve increased their mischief with maids. I’ve seen young knights leading young maids by the hand to shady places like a theater several times.”
“Who wouldn’t find such stories intriguing? Niall knew too many stories that would appeal to these girls.
Niall. Niall. When Niall passed by, the women waved their hands and greeted him.
“Niall, try this. Niall, aren’t you coming to help with work today?”
“Niall, tell us that story from yesterday again. It was so interesting.”
Whenever women gathered, inevitably, men would gather there too. When women showed affection for Niall, men approached him even more eagerly.
The rough and unsophisticated northern men, lacking in eloquence, couldn’t figure out how to approach the maids even if they wanted to impress them. Now, with Niall as a bridge, they could.
Northern people were cautious and tended to reject outsiders. Niall’s observations about the northern people he had heard in the central region were accurate. However, once someone stepped inside their circle, they were enveloped with a strong sense of camaraderie. Niall wasn’t particularly more affectionate to these people. His kindness was just his innate nature and a survival instinct.
Niall simply knew how to listen to others’ stories well and tried to help whenever asked. That was all.
“Teach us how to make flowers, Niall.”
Apprentice maids approached and asked. Whenever Niall had spare time, he gathered the girls and taught them how to make flower decorations to attach to their hats. In the capital, they used feathers instead of flowers, but here, flower decorations were still the trend.
Among the girls was a child named Rosa, who didn’t speak much and seemed uninterested in hats. While other girls were busy attaching various things to their hats, Rosa quietly folded and unfolded flowers repeatedly.
“Can we stop now and try attaching them to the hat?”
Niall asked, and Rosa shook her head. Then she replied softly.
“I’m fine as long as I can just fold flowers.”
“Why?”
“Because my mom is very sick.”
Rosa was unusually small among her peers. Her hair, braided into two strands, looked coarse, and her eyes were so big they seemed about to fall out. Niall felt sorry for the girl.
After sitting by Rosa’s side for a few days and engaging in conversation, Niall finally learned about Rosa’s family situation. Rosa originally had no father and was the breadwinner for her sick mother.
“My grandmother says it’s all my fault that my mom is sick. Because she gave birth to me at such a young age. My mom used to work in this castle too, but this year, she couldn’t even leave the house because she got so sick. My mom doesn’t smile often. The only time she smiles is when she sees flowers, but since giving real flowers is impossible, I’m trying to fold them.”
“Why is giving real flowers impossible?”
“Because all the flowers belong to the Duke.”
“Why?”
“Because. All the flowers in this castle bloom for the Duke. No one else can have flowers.”
Rosa answered firmly, as if stating an immutable truth.
Niall stroked his chin. It was understandable that flowers were precious in winter, especially in the north. Furthermore, this wasn’t just any northern place. They would be treated even more preciously. However, Niall had seen flowers several times in this castle. Flowers adorned every room where the Duke stayed. They didn’t seem to be treated as exceptionally precious.
‘Just one flower.’
Niall stroked his chin, thinking. If it’s just one flower before it’s discarded, couldn’t he give it to this child?
Sinto que o duque não vai gostar disso