The Villainess With White Roses

Chapter 7 - A Prison Of Elegance

___
ANDRELISE

I might just lose my mind right now.

I'm sitting here surrounded by stacks of books, each one packed with rules and guidelines about household management and everything I need to know about running the place. Honestly, it feels like I'm drowning in paper.  Who even enjoys reading about the "proper" way to manage a household? Ledgers, inventories, and staff etiquette...

Seriously, why did father thought it would be a good idea to make me responsible for running an entire household? 

He really knows how to ruin a girl's dreams.

After Father conducted a thorough search on Hannah, he discovered that her deceit went deeper than just embezzlement, she was involved in multiple crimes ranging from forgery to identity thief and even assault. as expected, Father gave her the punishment I suggested, but he went a little far by blacklisting Hannah and her entire family from getting a job anywhere in the empire.

But this is better, as far as I know, he would have gone worse by cutting off the hands Hannah and her whole family or something worst.

I'm relieved that my probation has been lifted, but now I'm thrust into a role I never wanted—overseeing the household management. My plan was to rid us of Hannah and her influence, not to take on the burden of running this place. What's the point of freedom if it comes with responsibilities I didn't ask for?

"It's like trading one prison for another." I mutter.

Charlotte is bustling around, dusting and tidying as if she doesn't have a care in the world, and here I am, sinking under the weight of all this dull nonsense.

At least I've gotten rid of all the old maids.

I asked Charlotte if she had any friends she'd like to stay, but she just shook her head. So, I went ahead and recruited a new staffs, and  made Charlotte my official personal maid.

She's reliable, and I trust her, which is a rare find around here.

But sitting here with this mountain of books makes me think twice. I still need to find a new housekeeper. I didn't see anyone trustworthy during the selection process for the new maids, and that's starting to weigh on me.

If I can just find someone I can trust, I might be able to breathe a little. Until then, I guess it's up to me to keep this household running smoothly.

My eyes glaze over as I scan yet another line about "maintaining order" and "efficient allocation of resources."

There are way more pressing matters than this—like finding Satrel Dernn. I've been trying to uncover information about him for weeks, even sneaking out at night, and finishing close to no information but one thing is certain, there is no way it's a real name. And then there's my poor lost Leon, which has become a misadventure of its own.

The last time I went into the city, I thought I'd finally get a lead on him. Instead, I got scammed—twice. First, there was a decrepit old man with wild hair who insisted he'd seen Leon galloping near the southern fields. "I swear on my life, I saw him just yesterday!" he claimed, his eyes sparkling with mischief. Eager for any scrap of information, I handed him a few coins, only to find a flock of sheep at the location he pointed me to.

Not long later, an old woman approached me with the same story. "Oh dear, I saw your horse just the other day, looking splendid!" she said, eyes gleaming with opportunism. I fell for it again, and she led me to an abandoned alley before disappearing with my coins. Now, I'm annoyed, realizing they looked alike—same crooked nose, same beady eyes.