The Nanny of House Herzen - Chapter 34
A refined and delicate nanny? Beth knew such a nanny was a rare find, especially one like Evelyn who had arrived like a bolt of lightning on that fateful day.
But Evelyn wasn’t coming back.
Since the Duke began inviting her to his bedroom, he paid her an exorbitant amount of money. It was so surprising that even Beth was taken aback. It was unlikely that any ordinary woman could earn such a sum.
And yet, she left. It seemed she had no intention of returning.
Upstairs, Johanson had been fussy for several days. Beth sighed.
In the end, she sent a letter to the wet nurse who had insisted on bringing her own child.
The following day, a peculiar letter arrived at the mansion.
To the Lady of Herzen,
Please forgive the impertinence of this unsolicited letter. I would like to inquire more about the conditions for the nanny position you are seeking.
I run a bookstore in my golden years and have a clever young employee. She is of noble birth, well-educated, and has experience caring for a child.
However, I must mention that she is young and very beautiful, with golden hair and blue eyes. This might be a concern for typical nobles, so I ask in advance…
The letter seemed to come from one of the many newspapers in the region that carried the advertisement. What stood out was the sender’s name.
Hannaeve Ivy Celsius.
The Celsius name was one of the few in the kingdom that could rival Herzen. Such a name couldn’t be impersonated lightly. However, the letter came from a bookstore in a bustling city in the central region.
Beth was curious about this young, beautiful, blonde employee. In fact, she was exactly the type of nanny she wished to hire.
Even though she had already contacted a wet nurse, she couldn’t ignore the name Celsius. So, she took the letter to the steward.
The steward’s eyes widened as he read the letter.
“So it’s true that elder Lady Celsius has left her estate.”
“You mean it’s really from Lady Celsius?”
The steward’s eyes narrowed.
“Write a reply.”
“Me? Shouldn’t we inform the master if it’s really from Lady Celsius?”
The steward nodded.
“We’ll have to send the reply in person.”
“What?”
Beth’s eyes widened at the steward’s incomprehensible words. The steward clicked his tongue in exasperation.
“It could be… it might be the same person. She has golden hair and blue eyes, after all.”
“But she’s said to be of noble birth?”
The steward lowered his voice significantly.
“Why are you being so obtuse? I know you’ve been preoccupied with the baby lately.”
“Y-yes?”
The steward, clearly frustrated, smacked his own chest.
“Do you really think that the woman who cared for our baby, that Evelyn, looked like a commoner to you?”
The head maid couldn’t outright say yes. But Evelyn had always claimed she was simply well-educated…
“Look at her hands…Do you think those are the hands of a commoner? I bet she’s never even scrubbed a floor before coming here. Now, write the letter quickly.”
Beth realized she had only really looked at Evelyn closely on her first day at the mansion. That day, Evelyn’s hands and elbows were covered in wounds from crawling, so it was impossible to judge the fineness of her fingers.
Now that she thought about it, Evelyn’s awkwardness when she had tried to help with cleaning. Beth had dismissed it at the time, thinking Evelyn was still recovering from childbirth.
“What, what should I write?”
Beth asked, making the steward frown.
“What do you mean, what should you write? Thank her, ask for a formal introduction, and tell her we’ll send a messenger to collect her.”
Although bewildered, Beth complied.
The next day, the steward gathered a few young errand boys and asked.
“Do any of you remember the nanny who stayed upstairs for several months? Do you recall her face clearly?”
Only one boy raised his hand. It made sense, Evelyn rarely ventured outside.
“You’re sure you remember? Describe her to me.”
The fifteen-year-old boy hesitated but then replied,
“She had golden hair, blue eyes… like the goddess statue in the square. Very beautiful… and about this tall.”
He seemed certain. The steward asked another question.
“Do you think she would recognize you?”
“No way, sir. I only saw her from a distance, holding the baby. She wouldn’t know me.”
Finally, the steward handed the boy a letter.
“Take this and see if she’s staying there. Even if you don’t spot her right away, stay in the area for half a day and keep an eye out.”
“Yes, sir.”
The master wouldn’t notice a single errand boy missing.
That very day, the new wet nurse arrived with her child. Johanson’s crying decreased, but the lights in the master’s room stayed on even later than usual.
The errand boy returned after three days.
“It’s definitely the nanny, sir.”
He sounded so sure that the steward was suspicious. He confirmed again.
“Are you certain? Absolutely sure?”
“Yes, sir. There’s no one else as beautiful as her around here.”
The boy’s naive response was, in fact, accurate. There wasn’t another person with her beauty in this land who could warm the master’s heart again.
However, the Duke was a complicated man. He often left the estate without explanation and returned looking very weary.
Approaching him directly to reveal the nanny’s whereabouts without a valid reason was out of the question.
Precious time was slipping away.
