ORCA 16

“I said it’s customary for the family to cover funeral costs. So, you won’t have to worry about funeral expenses, which is fortunate. However, wouldn’t it be best if no corpse came out of this mansion?”

Having reached this refreshing conclusion, Orca left behind only what he wanted to say and turned back. After that, he did not hesitate for a single step. Pepe, who was left behind, gulped. He was confused as to whether Orca meant for him to ensure Niah’s body didn’t turn up, or if he should just be careful enough to ensure no one’s body turned up.

It was obvious that it wouldn’t be good for an untoward incident to occur in the mansion, especially in a ‘Wair family’ mansion. However, if asked whether the Young Master was the type to pay special attention to such things and voice them, the answer was no. At least, that was how Pepe had known him.

“Pepe! What on earth is going on?”

“Why did the Young Master come here? Huh?”

“Why did you send Niah away?”

“Say something. Pepe!”

Pepe, who had been dazed, managed one word.

“Oh, honestly. Just go do your work.”

Since he didn’t know anything either, he had no explanation to offer. He had a strong premonition that a major upheaval was coming to their life in the mansion.

Sunshine poured through the distillery window, illuminating every corner of the room. It was a lazy afternoon. Niah glanced at Bailey, who was casting a disapproving look at him. The two stood facing each other across a large table. Silence hung between them for a while.

On the checkered tablecloth, tools used for brewing tea were laid out neatly. Niah bit his lip as he took them in. Tension was already mounting.

Thanks to sleeping for a full day, his cold was gone, but he had never dreamed he would be entrusted with such a task. Since the first thing he heard upon waking was that he had to go to the Young Master, he hadn’t even been able to sort out the situation. He had never served the Young Master, nor the masters of the house. On top of that, Bailey, who had come to teach him the job, looked unhappy, which frightened him for no reason. He wondered what on earth was going on.

“I’m only going to show you once, so remember well.”

Bailey rolled up his sleeves and started to demonstrate. He had a grumpy expression.

First, he poured boiling water into one of the two teapots he had brought out to warm it for a while. After that, he transferred the water to the other teapot. Waiting for both teapots to warm up, he finally poured the water into the teacups, and while the cups were warming, he began to steep the tea.

“I’m really only going to show you once. Watch closely.”

“Okay!”

Bailey, speaking spitefully, scooped a spoonful of tea leaves into the first teapot he had warmed. He poured fresh water into it and closed the lid. While waiting for the tea to brew, he discarded the water from the other teapot and the teacups into a separate bowl.

There was no wasted motion in the hands performing the set process. Since it was his daily routine to serve tea to the mistress several times a day even before Orca arrived, it was only natural that he was accustomed to it.

Niah watched Bailey’s hands intently. He was worried about whether he would be able to remember all this and follow it exactly. Since he had said he would only show him once, it was certain that Bailey would fly into a rage if he asked again.

The bigger problem was that even if he tried to retrace the steps in his head, his mind was already a jumbled mess. Niah could only move his lips without making a sound.

“Now, when it’s all done, you just put this here and pour it out—that’s the end.”

Bailey said listlessly while pouring the brewed tea over a strainer placed on the empty teapot. His demonstration grew increasingly insincere. He filled the teacups roughly, not hiding his annoyance. Niah, on the other hand, nodded diligently.

“This is the sugar bowl. Move the sugar cubes here, and take some of the cream made in advance in the creamer—that’s the real end. The Young Master doesn’t take either, but take them just in case. Now, well… you just need to go into the Young Master’s room and mimic exactly what I did. Got it?”

Bailey shrugged at Niah, who looked as if he didn’t understand at all. He then immediately walked out of the distillery. He didn’t even intend to wait for an answer. With his fast-retreating back, Niah was left on the verge of tears. He felt that washing dishes instead of Adrian or pulling weeds while hunched over all day would have been far easier. Even if his body were tired, his mind would have been at ease.

Niah bit his lip hard, trying not to cry. It was too cruel that he had to do something he was certain to fail at.

To delay his departure even for a moment, he deliberately cleaned the tools he had just used slowly. Just then, the door swung wide open. Niah was startled and hurried his hands. He felt his heart pound, fearing he would be scolded for being lazy.

“Hello.”

Unlike his worries, a greeting was heard. It was Harriet, a servant from the distillery. Niah just rolled his eyes and glanced at her. Harriet took a three-tier tray out of the cupboard. She packed not only the tea treats prepared in advance but also the tea leaves, cream, and sugar cubes for him. Several tasks were finished in an instant. Niah felt a bit sorrowful at her swift actions, which felt like they were pushing him out the door.

Harriet pointed to the food and told him their names. She also added that he should answer well if the Young Master asked about them.

Niah whispered the names one by one. Just that alone made his mouth water. From the roast beef sandwich on the bottom tier of the tray to the scones with clotted cream and honey, and the tarts topped with pickled peaches, everything looked delicious. When he sniffed the air without realizing it, it smelled so incredibly delicious that it sent a shiver down his spine.

“You can eat the leftovers. The Young Master barely eats anything and sends them back.”

“Pardon…?”

She giggled for some reason and said that. She was the first person who had ever told him it was okay to do something. Moreover, he couldn’t believe she was smiling at him with such a joyful face. A sliver of unidentifiable suspicion arose. It was only natural. Other servants were always busy teasing or mocking him unless they were angry.

However, the same words—that he could eat them—flowed from her lips once more. It didn’t seem like she was playing a mean prank. As if possessed by something, he nodded.

He had recently entered the mansion and hadn’t yet memorized her name, but she was like an angel. I must ask her name and remember it well later, he resolved inwardly. First, going to the Young Master’s room was the priority.

He loaded the tea tools and tea treats onto a trolley and left the distillery. It was a long walk from the 3rd floor of the West Wing, where the distillery was, to the 4th floor of the Center, where the Young Master’s room was. Fortunately, he didn’t get lost in the mansion. Sometimes, on days when he wasn’t feeling well or had been scolded severely, he would occasionally lose his way, but today he was fine. He had slept well, he wasn’t sick anymore, his mind was clear, and he was in a good mood, in his own way.

The problem was that he was very, very hungry because he hadn’t eaten since before he went to sleep yesterday, but since ‘she’ had told him he could eat the leftovers, he just had to endure it a little longer. He planned to eat just one and return the rest. He felt that if he got greedy, he would surely get into trouble.

While pondering what to eat, he soon exited the West Wing and entered the Center Hall. The mansion was divided into the West Wing, Center, and East Wing, based on the halls on each floor. Passing the parlor on the 3rd floor of the Center and going up the ramp, the Young Master’s room appeared at the end of the corridor. Somehow, his steps gradually slowed down. He had only ever come to the Center when tasked with carpet cleaning or window washing; he had never been inside a room, so his heart pounded.

Niah, who had reached the front of Orca’s door at a snail’s pace, hesitated to knock. Doing something he had never done before was indeed scary. If he made a mistake, he would surely be scolded, and he was even more afraid because he hadn’t yet received the punishment he had been told he would get later. If he brewed the tea strangely, he might even be punished double. As this imagination repeated itself, entering became more and more frightening.

But he saved me yesterday… and besides…

Come to think of it, not only ‘she,’ but the Young Master was also someone who had told him it was okay to do something. He felt like a fool for having forgotten something so important. The Young Master had said he would keep his secret, had let him rest from work yesterday, and had even protected him from Pepe. Even though he ignored most of his apologies, the Young Master had even answered “Yes” when he spoke to him.