Chapter 37

### Chapter 37: Servant Cedric (3) – The Reversal of Fortune

Claudia wakes up late.

But the mornings of the servants who assist her begin early.

While she lies in a daze, half-asleep, the maids enter her room at a set time to wash her, and arrange her hair and attire.

Claudia’s half-awake, half-asleep face, with her eyes barely open, is as beautiful as a masterpiece painted by a dedicated artist. However, the faces of the maids assisting her are as rigid as stone.

Because in this state, Claudia is like a bomb that could explode at the slightest provocation.

If her hair gets tangled during brushing, or her skin is rubbed the wrong way while changing clothes, the moment she opens her eyes:

The previously picture-perfect beauty of her face contorts into a demon-like expression, and she immediately ‘punishes’ the maid who made the mistake.

The most common form of punishment is a slap, but in severe cases, a fistful of hair may be pulled out or the maid might be beaten until bruises form.

However, it’s not as if the maids can leave Claudia be or rush her morning preparations. If Claudia, upon regaining full consciousness, notices something unsatisfactory about her appearance, that too becomes a reason for punishment.

Ultimately, the only thing the maids can do is focus all their energy on ensuring there are no mistakes while performing their duties.

“Hmm…”

Claudia’s consciousness fully awakened just as the preparation work was almost finished.

As she stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror, her brow suddenly furrowed.

She felt like she had forgotten something important.

She began to recollect her past memories in the flow of her consciousness.

‘When did I fall asleep? My last memory is vague…’

“Truly a magnificent skill, haha! I’m at a loss for words, my lady!”

“There’s no need to be so embarrassed! Cedric, you are well known for your discretion! I will forever keep to myself the fact that you were so engrossed in your meal!”

“In that case, I will take my leave! Please do call me again if you need anything!”

The newly hired servant. The cooking. Clear eyes. A cheerful tone.

Claudia suddenly remembered everything that happened last night, and the fact that she had nearly fainted due to the overwhelming shock, and without realizing it, let out a sound.

“Ah.”

“Miss?”

“Aaaaah, Aaaaaaaaah!?”

“Miss! Why, why are you like this? Miss Claudia!?”

***

The kitchen is, surprisingly, a space with a strong hierarchy.

This may be due to the handling of dangerous items such as fire and knives, or the fact that any problem with the food could result in the entire kitchen staff sharing responsibility.

Particularly for newcomers like Cedric, who suddenly take control of the kitchen alone to prepare meals for esteemed individuals, bypassing existing members to receive direct praise from the head chef, it’s natural for those caught in the middle to feel dissatisfied.

But not so.

“Hey, Cedric! Are the potatoes peeled?”

“Yes, here they are!”

“The onions – ”

“All of them are sliced!”

“Salad vegetables – ”

“I’ve washed and neatly arranged them!”

“Good, excellent!”

In general, most grievances tend to fade in the face of overwhelming results.

Especially when those achievements make one’s own life easier.

Of course, even if Cedric were to boast arrogantly about his skills despite all this, those who harbor secret grudges would undoubtedly exist, though they may refrain from speaking openly.

“Wow, you’re truly gifted. How do you do that so quickly?”

“Ah, this is not solely my talent, it’s all thanks to your kind mentorship.”

“Hmph, well, my teaching does seem to be quite skilled.”

“And since I’ve already fetched the water, please take a short rest. Consider it my gratitude.”

“Huh? That’s not necessary…”

“Sometimes, we need a bit of luck to keep work enjoyable, don’t you think?”

“Hmm, is that so? Now that you mention it, that does make sense. Haha! I truly approve!”

The polished persuasion skills reminiscent of a certain Canary man, perfected to the highest degree, melted away even the complaints of these individuals.

With Cedric around, their bodies feel at ease and their status as seniors is sufficiently respected, so why would they choose to argue?

However, the warm harmony of the kitchen did not last long.

“Newbie!! Where are you? Get out here this instant!”

A sharp, cutting voice echoed from the center of the mansion.

At the cry of ‘Miss’, known as the embodiment of fear to the servants, the faces of the kitchen maids, who had been preparing meals with relaxed expressions, stiffened.

As they uneasily exchanged glances with each other:

“Cedric. Follow me now.”

The butler-in-chief, Bastien.

The number two figure in this mansion, with a somber expression, called Cedric, who was in the kitchen.

“Yes, Mr. Butler.”

Without asking a single question, Cedric immediately followed the butler-in-chief to the center of the mansion.

There, more than a dozen servants were waiting in high tension. Their eyes were full of sympathy for Cedric and the fear that the fallout might affect them.

And in the center:

Claudia, glaring fiercely with a venomous gaze, was staring at Cedric.

“Right, you’ve come.”

Her terrifying voice was like being stabbed with an ice spike, rather similar to the growl of a beast.

No, it wasn’t just similar.

Indeed, surrounding Claudia were five blood wolves made from blood, shaped like bone and flesh, waiting for her command with glinting fangs.

Bastien’s face darkened.

There was a real possibility that a body might need to be disposed of in this situation. He glanced at Cedric’s face and sighed.

Instead of falling to his knees and pleading as expected, Cedric was simply blinking his eyes vacantly.

As expected, Claudia’s eyes twisted further.

“Hey.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Is there anything you want to say to me?”

Everyone waited with bated breath for Cedric’s answer.

In the deafening silence where even the sound of someone swallowing could be heard, he finally spoke.

“Good morning, Miss! Since it’s such a nice clear day, how about going for a walk?”

‘It’s not about that!!!’

The inner thoughts of the servants present instantly aligned.

-Grrrrr!

Four out of the five blood hounds nearby growled menacingly, showing their dissatisfaction.

But as if sensing something unusual, they soon turned their gaze towards the remaining one.

If translated into human language, the look could be interpreted as ‘Why are you just standing there?’

-Keeeeeeng…

However, the last one completely ignored its comrades’ stares and showed absolutely no intention of attacking Cedric, as if it were petrified with fear.

Upon seeing this, Claudia’s eyes twitched.

The blood hounds created through the Redbel family’s rituals were each equivalent to a 3rd-grade martial artist, a special servitude unique to the Redbel family.

Furthermore, since they could return to Claudia’s body to recover as long as they didn’t suffer fatal wounds, they were normally very bold and courageous, even in situations where normal beasts would exercise caution.

The fact that these blood hounds avoided combat despite sensing their master’s discontent suggested that they judged the man before them to be a formidable opponent who could eliminate them in an instant if provoked.

If, by sheer coincidence,

If this servant could really suppress all the blood hounds attacking him,

And all the other servants were to witness this in real time,

Wouldn’t they think, ‘Eh, the Miss isn’t that much, huh?’

Of course, the likelihood of this actually happening was minimal.

Threats from blood hounds were merely one of the many means augmenting her authority. Her fundamental power stemmed from the Redbel bloodline.

But even the mere possibility of losing face in this way was unacceptable to her.

As Claudia pondered what to do, a flash of inspiration struck her.

A malevolent smile spread across her face as she addressed Cedric.

“You truly have no idea what you’ve done wrong?”

“Mistake? If I’ve made an error, please inform me. Miss.”

“Hah! The fact that I have to even ask you this shows that you’re already failing as a servant. Someone like you shouldn’t even be hired here, so scram!”

Claudia’s mind raced.

For some unknown reason, this person had entered the mansion as a servant.

If someone with the ability to intimidate blood hounds chose to enter under the guise of a servant, there must be a reason for it.

It would be inconvenient for them to be driven out before achieving their purpose, so surely they should cling to me and beg—

“Understood.”

“Eh?”

An unexpected response escaped Claudia’s lips.

Regardless, Cedric slumped his shoulders, openly revealing disappointment and frustration on his face as he continued.

“If that’s Miss’s wish, then I have no choice. It was an honor to serve Miss, even for such a short time.”

With that parting remark, Cedric began offering farewell greetings to the other servants one by one with repeated bows.

Claudia’s pupils wavered wildly.

“Wait! What, is that it? Can you really be fired just like that?”

“Well, there’s nothing in my contract that states ‘the master cannot fire a servant at will,’ so, sigh, I must be more careful next time. Oh, Mr. Butler, how will my salary be handled in this case?”

“Uh, well, that’s the thing.”

Even Bastien seemed equally mystified by the unfolding situation, awkwardly glancing at Claudia’s expression.

Under normal circumstances, he would have admonished Cedric’s conduct as disrespectful and restored Claudia’s authority. But given how both Claudia’s and Cedric’s reactions were anything but ordinary, even he was unsure of how to respond.

Meanwhile, Claudia was lost in thought.

‘If this person just quits and leaves like this… what about my revenge?’

To be so easily toyed with by an ordinary servant and let them off without punishment was intolerable, both as a noble’s daughter and based on Claudia’s own character.

But if she tried to harm him physically, Cedric’s evident strength that could quell blood hounds gave her pause.

She could contact the main Redbel family for support, but what could she possibly request?

-My servant mocked me and I can’t punish him, so please send over the knights.

Her baron father would surely question her mental health.

Her sibling rivals would likely burst out laughing.

In any case, Cedric must not be allowed to get away.

‘Then again, as long as he remains employed here, he is still my servant. There must be plenty of ways to make him suffer.’

With this thought, Claudia cleared her throat and spoke.

“Well, if you’re so attached to staying, I might cancel the dismissal.”

To this, Cedric’s gloom-laden eyes turned toward Claudia.

“No, it’s fine.”

“What? It’s fine, what?”

“If I have to constantly worry about being abruptly fired, I won’t be able to dedicate myself to my duties as I did before. This kind of mindset could inconvenience my fellow colleagues, so I should step down here.”

“…”

Claudia’s cheek twitched uncontrollably.

Pfft!

She covered her lips with her wide fan and spoke again.

“Relax. There won’t be any more surprise dismissals like this.”

Only then did the clarity return to Cedric’s eyes.

Somehow moved by his gaze, Claudia herself felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

Yes, this is normal.

The fact that Cedric, overwhelmed by the master’s smallest act of mercy, was exactly what constituted the proper attitude of a servant!

“Miss.”

“Hmph, get rid of those thanks.”

“No, it’s not that. I’d like you to add that information to the contract.”

“…”