[…Simon discovered a silver coin worth five shillings.]
[…Simon discovered a gold earring worth approximately seven shillings.]
Watching [Simon’s Log], Elisa had grown numb. The male servant had already found all the lost coins and had now started searching for jewelry.
Leave some for me! I’ll sneak out through the window tonight and look for it myself!
[Simon passed by the mansion and was stopped by the male servants, who reported an accident that had just occurred.]
Come on, keep him occupied!
Elisa pretended to turn a page of her newspaper, while her eyes were fixed on [Simon’s Log], hoping the male servants would keep Simon occupied until nightfall.
***
“Mr. Simon, I wasn’t paying attention. I’m willing to accept whatever punishment you decide.” The servant who had made the mistake was named George, and he explained the trouble he had caused to Simon.
While polishing the silverware, he had dropped a silver pot onto the floor, leaving a dent in its base.
George kept his head lowered, not daring to look at Simon.
Beside him, the other six male servants huddled together, stealing glances at Simon’s expression.
They were the manor’s remaining ordinary male servants. They had come together hoping to plead for George, but none of them dared to speak.
Although Simon was around their age and even younger than some of them, he was a first-class male servant and held a higher position.
What’s more, Simon could chat and laugh with head maid Maria!
Maria was a stern woman, and all the servants were afraid of her. Yet they had seen, more than once, the most terrifying creature in the manor smile in Mr. Simon’s presence!
It was like watching a ferocious tiger nuzzle against Mr. Simon’s palm!
The male servants feared the tiger, and so they feared Simon as well.
Simon turned to look at George, and the sweep of his gaze made every male servant stiffen.
“George, you’ve been a male servant for six years. Why are you still making mistakes like this?” Simon asked the servant responsible.
“I… I was distracted at the time,” George answered uneasily.
Simon nodded, picked up the damaged silver pot, examined the dent, and said, “This silver pot is worth eight pounds. Repairing it will require reshaping, repolishing, and re-engraving the decorative patterns. It will cost at least twelve shillings.”
The male servants all shuddered. Twelve shillings amounted to two or three weeks of their wages.
“However,” Simon said calmly, setting down the silver pot, “our beautiful and benevolent Miss Elisa once said that when a subordinate makes a mistake, the first time, you give them forgiveness.”
The male servants breathed a collective sigh of relief and looked at Simon gratefully.
“But there’s a second half to that saying,” Simon continued, his tone growing firmer. “The second time, you give them consequences.”
The male servants shivered and nodded vigorously.
***
No, I never said anything like that!
Watching [Simon’s Log], Elisa felt that this male servant was becoming more and more outrageous. He was actually putting words in her mouth!
Still, that was a very good way of handling things.
He had offered forgiveness while also giving a warning. This male servant really did have leadership ability.
Elisa pondered the saying and found it increasingly ingenious.
“Miss Elisa,” Maria said from beside her, handing her a letter. “This is a letter from Miss Mabel. It actually arrived early this morning, but the maid who received it forgot about it. I will punish her.”
Elisa set down her newspaper, accepted the letter, and smiled elegantly. “My father once said that when a subordinate makes a mistake, the first time, you give them forgiveness. The second time, you give them consequences.”
Maria lowered her head. “Thank you for your kindness, Miss Elisa, and for your father’s as well. That is truly a piece of advice filled with wisdom.”
Elisa nodded with reserved elegance, cheering inwardly. A perfect application!
Not only did it demonstrate my refinement, it also helped establish the existence of my wealthy merchant father, who doesn’t actually exist.
That was also necessary for playing the role. How could a wealthy merchant’s daughter never mention her father?
Elisa lowered her head and opened the letter. “I’d like some time to myself.”
Maria and Eve left the bedroom.
As soon as the bedroom door closed, Elisa collapsed onto the sofa.
Playing a lady was exhausting!
She wriggled into a horizontal position on the sofa, propped her legs up on the armrest, and opened Mabel’s letter in a posture that was practically “indecent.”
[Elisa, I hope you have been well since we last saw each other yesterday…]
The beginning was all pleasantries, so Elisa skipped straight past them.
[…I had a dream last night. I dreamed that we were kidnapped by gangsters and locked in a lightless dungeon. Then a hero emerged from beneath the ground and rescued us, two helpless young ladies…]
Elisa suspected that the hero had a real-life model, and Mabel simply found it awkward to mention his name.
After all, she was still a noble young lady. Even if she was a little mischievous, she retained a certain sense of reserve.
The letter was two and a half pages long. Mabel had spent half a page on pleasantries, a page and a half describing the hero from her dream, and the final three lines asking whether Elisa was free and if they could go out together next week.
So I’m only worth three lines, is that it?!
Elisa sighed and wrote a reply saying that she could, as long as they didn’t go to the East District.
There was something else inside Mabel’s letter. Elisa tipped it out and found a gold pocket watch with a small note attached to its cover.
[Please give this to Mr. Simon as thanks for his help.]
Elisa froze, then shook the envelope again. It was completely empty. There was nothing else inside.
Where’s my present?!
You weren’t writing to me at all! You just wanted to write to that wretched male servant!
If it weren’t improper to write directly to another household’s male servant, Mabel would certainly have sent the letter straight to Simon!
Miss Elisa felt that her position was becoming increasingly precarious.
Oh well. Simon is my subordinate, after all.
Besides, I already have the perfect plan to win over that wretched male servant!
I’ll teach him [Mysticism] for a few more days, then appear before him in the guise of a mysterious, mature lady!
She rang the bell to summon the maids, handed her reply to Eve, and instructed her to have a servant other than Simon deliver it. She then gave the gold pocket watch to Maria and asked her to pass it on to Simon.
[Simon accepted the pocket watch. His affection for Miss Mabel increased, and his guilt toward Miss Elisa increased.]
[Intimacy +2]
I told you, stop increasing intimacy at times like this!
Miss Elisa huffily closed [Simon’s Log].
***
Simon examined the pocket watch in his hand. A solid gold outer case, an enamel dial, blued steel hands….this watch was worth at least twenty pounds.
As expected of Mabel, the most generous and wealthiest member of the three heroines.
Incidentally, Elisa was the stingiest.
“Wait a moment, Miss Maria.” Simon called out to Maria as she turned to leave after delivering the pocket watch.
He took a silver brooch from his pocket and handed it to her. It was the item Maria had recently lost.
“You actually found it!” Maria was astonished.
Taking back her brooch, Maria thought for a moment, then took a sewing kit from the pocket of her maid’s uniform and handed it to Simon.
“This is for you. You look like you could really use it.” The head maid smiled and pointed at Simon’s collar button.
The button had already come loose and was in urgent need of repair.
Simon thanked Maria and accepted the sewing kit.
Rather than sewing it back on immediately, Simon stopped Eve as she passed by and handed her the handkerchief she had lost.
“Thank you, Mr. Simon!” Eve exclaimed, delighted to have her handkerchief back.
She thought for a moment, then pointed at Simon’s collar button. “Mr. Simon, give me your coat. I’ll sew the button back on for you.”
[Simon reflected that Miss Maria was like a stern older sister, while Eve was like a caring younger sister. How should he handle this collar button? What a troublesome dilemma.]
Oh, so now you’re being picky, are you?!
Miss Elisa who had been unable to resist the temptation to reopen [Simon’s Log] clenched her fists.
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