I Became the Older Brother of a Villainess - Chapter 6.2
After finishing dinner and a bath, I entered the office, enjoying the lazy feeling. It was the exclusive office for Cierra Glutoni, the duke.
In my previous life, I could only use a room that doubled as a warehouse. Now there are massive bookshelves, abundant books, intricate documents, and luxurious furniture—all of it was used by the former owner of this body.
I ran my fingers smoothly over the polished furniture, savoring the feeling, and glanced out the window.
“They’re all working hard. In the meantime, I should work hard at disliking them too.”
To wrap up the day, the maids were bustling around. The hearts above their heads were still vividly visible even in the dimly lit room.
“I can’t let those who don’t belong to me occupy a space exclusively meant for me.”
“Alberto!”
The decision was made. I called for the butler waiting outside the door.
“You called, Your Grace.”
The butler’s attire was impeccable even at this late hour. Following him, three maids entered. They brought me new sleepwear, warm tea, and a simple snack.
“Thank you. It smells nice.”
Sinking into the plush leather sofa, I savored the tea brought by the maids. I might not know what kind of grass was steeped in the water, but it felt good.
I scrutinized the heads of the maids. One had a single heart indicating favorability, another had a black heart, and there was one with four black hearts. The tea suddenly tasted bitter, so I set the cup down on the table.
“Butler, how many people work in our mansion, excluding tenant farmers?”
“Excluding tenant farmers, there are 142, Your Grace.”
“That should be manageable to go through tonight. Bring the ledger containing information on all the staff working here.”
Everyone’s eyes widened, and the butler’s mustache twitched.
“Now? But the time…”
“Now.”
“But you must be tired today, young master.”
“Now.”
The butler reluctantly nodded, seemingly conceding defeat.
“I will fetch it. If there is any information not yet organized, I will ensure it is sorted by tomorrow morning.”
“No need for that.”
I didn’t need fresh information. It was enough to sift through useful individuals and identify those not worth keeping.
“Instead, wake Daria early tomorrow. There’s work to be done.”
“Shall I prepare for your outing?”
“No. Just wake her up early and feed her before I call.”
“Understood.”
Confusion lingered on their faces, unsure of what I was planning.
“I’ll be back soon.”
The butler bowed slightly and left. As I casually nibbled on a snack, I added,
“Oh, by the way.”
The gazes of the butler and three maids all turned to me. I pointed at the guy with four black hearts floating above his head.
Three might be acceptable, but four was too much, right? Somehow, four black hearts felt worse than five. What’s the point of keeping room for additional dislike? If it’s something to dislike, might as well make it a complete aversion.
“You don’t have to come starting tomorrow.”
“Really?”
“Get rid of him in my sight.”
At my command, the guy who had been disliking me wandered out uncertainly. Left alone in the empty study, I popped a snack into my mouth. It was sweet and moist.
This mansion was entirely mine.
***
I spent the night reviewing information on over 100 servants. I was concerned about not being able to read the characters, but fortunately, the status window was helpful. The status window, overlaying the unfamiliar characters, acted as a suitable translator for me.
Based on the information, I identified key individuals who required attention. It’s a common practice to be cautious of those who have been working for a long time. If they were on the side of the former Duchess, they would undoubtedly regard me and Daria as thorns in their sides. Anyone with ties to the mother was marked as a person of concern.
I took note of the names listed in the selected ledger. Remembering basic personal information, including names, was easy for me. Thanks to the muscles I had honed in life, not everything I learned while working in a brothel was about reading people’s reactions.
I carefully examined the ledger and selected around 30 individuals. Once daylight came, I planned to further filter out those with suspicious status windows among the chosen ones and dismiss them.
While scrutinizing the ledger until the faint light of dawn, I dozed off for a couple of hours. Perhaps my enthusiasm had waned, as my once tense shoulders now felt heavy and knotted.
Summoning a servant, I gulped down cold water and then adorned myself with an excessively luxurious cardigan.
‘Come to think of it, this servant….’
It was the same person I saw yesterday, the one who showed a hint of favorability toward me. Perhaps due to the unexpected dismissal of a colleague last night, the servant seemed nervously uneasy. Our eyes met, and the one favorability point he had seemed to flicker and fade.
“What is Daria doing right now?”
“Yes? Oh! Lady Dalia is still sleeping, sir, I mean, Your Grace…”
I got up from my seat. The favorability gauge of the attendant quickly flickered. I couldn’t tell if it was going down or up; my mind was in turmoil. It was uncomfortable to be so sensitive to every small action. I knew what kind of feeling it was. Memories of numerous part-time jobs, trying to please guests and bosses, rushed through my mind.
“I need to see Dalia.”
“Then, to allow the lady to prepare…”
“Enough. Let’s go now.”
