The house was vast, its decor ostentatious and grand, and the furnishings were all high-end.
The interior had undergone modifications, with certain areas, such as the back kitchen, the servants’ quarters, and the dining room, having been sacrificed.
As a result of these alterations, some rooms and the main hall appeared cavernous, requiring furniture and decorative items to fill the void.
The benefit, however, was a simpler structure, well-suited for a single occupant.
It was evident that no one had resided there for some time; the unburnt coals in the fireplace had grown damp, dust had accumulated in numerous corners, and vines had crept through the window crevices.
As she continued exploring, Govet-Ghervil’s eyes lit up.
She ducked into the expansive kitchen, approaching a colossal white rectangular object, its lines stark and edges sharp.
Gripping the massive handle, she pulled it open, revealing an interior with a third of its partitioned space missing.
It was utterly empty, save for the rush of white, cold air that wafted out.
A faint disappointment settled over her; this enormous refrigerator didn’t rely purely on electricity but used a refrigerant for cooling.
“Not everything revolves around money,” a hand reached out beside her, closing the refrigerator door. “This is my father’s legacy to me.”
“A legacy… and your family, then…?”
“My mother passed away when I was born,” Konehl-Ghervil replied calmly. “My father was a Count of the Kingdom during his lifetime, dying of the plague about a decade ago.
In the years following his death, I dismissed all the servants and hired people to renovate the house.”
“…It seems you’ve emerged from the shadows of your past.”
Govet-Ghervil considered for a moment, then decided against offering words of comfort; they would likely be useless to this woman, and might even encourage her to take further liberties.
“Why don’t we talk about you instead?” Konehl-Ghervil said, patting her shoulder and gesturing towards the exit.
“Talk about what, exactly?”
“According to your diary, you were found by Abbess Anthea, which would logically make you an orphan,” Konehl-Ghervil observed, a hint of amusement in her tone. “Now a blood-related sister has appeared.
Are your parents going to surface someday too?”
“She is indeed my biological sister,” Govet-Ghervil confirmed, “but she has concealed many things from me, including, perhaps, our parents.
Until I am capable of extracting these truths from her, the identity in the diary remains applicable.”
Her final words were an implicit plea for discretion.
“I will keep your secret.”
A smile unconsciously bloomed on Konehl-Ghervil’s face.
She was likely the first person outside Solis Abbey to know this significant secret, a clear indication of the considerable trust she had gained.
After familiarizing themselves with the general layout of the house, the two women entered a room boasting floor-to-ceiling windows and a balcony, from which the ocean vista behind the house was visible.
“This will be our bedroom,” Konehl-Ghervil announced, “We’ll stay in this room until the Capital incident concludes.”
“Our?”
The one who had entered last casually closed and locked the door.
The young woman, who had been walking ahead, clutched her travel case, retreating warily.
“Have you forgotten the lesson from being kicked off the bed last night?”
Konehl-Ghervil, with one hand behind her back, steadily cornered the young woman against the wall and into a chair.
Then, bending forward, she propped herself against the wall with her other hand.
“Did you truly believe I couldn’t dodge that kick?” Konehl-Ghervil purred. “If you doubt it, you can take off your shoes and try again right now, to see if you can land a blow.
Or you can keep them on; I can help you remove them.”
“???”
‘How could someone be this perverse?’
Her face instantly flushed crimson, like a ripe apple.
Govet-Ghervil crossed her white-stockinged calves, tucking them beneath the chair, hoping to evade the woman’s gaze.
“…I’m hungry,” she mumbled, trying to divert the situation. “Please, get something to eat.
Replenishing my sleep drained me of so much energy; if I don’t eat soon, I’ll starve…”
She intended to use her old trick, but the pervert proved far more perverse than she had imagined.
Leaning in, Konehl-Ghervil whispered into her ear, her voice barely audible to anyone but the two of them:
“I’m hungry too,” Konehl-Ghervil murmured, a playful smirk touching her lips. “I’d like to get my fill first before I get you something to eat~”
‘What on earth should I do?’
‘Should I use mental suggestion to control this woman?’
‘What good would one or two seconds do!’
‘That damned liar! Didn’t she say she knew how to prioritize on the car ride here?!’
‘Such a pervert should be sent to the gallows!’
The case she held had already shifted from a protective embrace to a retracted, ready-to-shove position.
“Hahahaha, just kidding.”
The atmosphere instantly shifted as Konehl-Ghervil’s other hand, which had been hidden behind her back, now produced a jingling set of keys.
“The keys to most of the rooms in this house are here,” she said, dangling them. “If you’re uneasy, you can lock the doors.”
Her tension eased, and Govet-Ghervil ultimately refrained from smashing the case into the woman’s face.
“I suggest you rein in your perverse behavior,” Govet-Ghervil retorted, “Otherwise, when you end up on the gallows, no one will come to your aid.”
Taking the keys, she stood from the chair and moved a safe distance away.
After surveying the room, she chose to step onto the balcony to enjoy the sea breeze.
“Is that so?” Konehl-Ghervil chuckled. “I hope the one to execute me that day is you; that way, I’ll be sure not to resist.”
“You’re disgustingly greasy…” Govet-Ghervil muttered, “What on earth transformed you into this?”
Turning back in confusion, she saw the woman unreservedly changing clothes in front of the wardrobe in the room.
Her side profile, curves, and form were completely exposed.
“!”
“I… I remember you weren’t like this when we first met…” she stammered, rapidly turning her head away as if she hadn’t seen anything.
“How was I back then?”
As they spoke, Konehl-Ghervil had already donned a pair of black over-the-knee stockings.
Her fingers traced the edges of the stockings, pulling them up and releasing them, the nylon fabric snapping back against her skin with a crisp sound.
“Who the hell knows what you were like…” Govet-Ghervil mumbled, trying to clear her head by pressing her temples. “Definitely not a pervert…”
“I need to make a trip to headquarters and won’t be back until evening,” Konehl-Ghervil stated. “Please wait at home; someone will deliver fresh ingredients shortly.”
With her final black robe now on, Konehl-Ghervil jingled the car keys in her hand and exited the room.
“Leaving so soon?”
“Wait for me!”
The scene abruptly shifted as Govet-Ghervil found herself being tossed out of the backseat, Konehl-Ghervil holding her by the waist with one hand.
“I’ll take you sometime, but not now,” Konehl-Ghervil said. “Govet-Ghervil mentioned your cooking skills are fine, so prepare a candlelight dinner for me tonight.
Goodbye.”
Winking at her, Konehl-Ghervil waved and drove away from Number 19.
“You could at least give me my pay for these two days!”
Watching the car disappear into the distance and closing the iron gate of the courtyard, Govet-Ghervil felt as wretched as if someone had skipped out on paying a debt.
While ostensibly free, she was penniless and could go nowhere in this place.
The worst part was, her stomach truly rumbled with hunger.
She returned to the room, disheartened, where she saw a complete set of clothes, including socks and underwear, discarded on the floor.
Her face inexplicably flushed again.
Opening a drawer, she discovered several more similar sets of socks and underwear.
‘So this really is Konehl-Ghervil’s bedroom…’
‘That idiot is too lazy; she doesn’t even know how to tidy up!’
She gathered all the clothes, wrapping them in an outer garment, and took them to the separate laundry room downstairs to soak, feeling somewhat better afterwards.
She lay on the bed for a while, unable to sleep, so she simply donned an apron, picked up a bucket and a mop, and began cleaning the house.
With so much dust, she knew better than to expect Konehl-Ghervil to clean it.
Govet-Ghervil wanted to stay a few extra days to repay her debt, and a clean, comfortable environment was essential.
There were no particularly dirty spots; most issues could be resolved with a rag and a mop.
She ignored the locked rooms and avoided touching objects whose purpose she didn’t understand.
After nearly an hour of sweeping, she estimated she had only completed a tenth of the task.
It couldn’t be helped; the house was simply too vast.
The greenery in the courtyard also needed trimming.
At this rate, she wouldn’t finish in a whole day.
Reluctantly, she finished sweeping the living room and stepped out into the front yard for some fresh air.
The doorbell rang at an inopportune moment.
A small girl dressed as a nurse stood outside the iron gate, nervously fiddling with her fingers as she looked at Govet-Ghervil.
“Um… are you the Chief’s friend?”