Side Story: Tabitha Can Do Anything, So She Can Teach Me Anything
“IT’S not something I want to discuss with my mothe—… I mean… Aaarghhh!”
“Oh my… Oh my.”
Master Gerald’s face grows redder by the second as he realizes his slipup, so I spare him the embarrassment and leave the room.
A year has passed since the lady joined our household, and one day since the night they finally consummated their marriage. And while I don’t doubt that Master will cherish his precious wife and take good care of her, I just wanted to be sure. He’s a rational person, but men can sometimes act in completely unexpected ways.
A smile rises to my lips as joy bubbles inside me, and since I’m in the servants’ corridor, I let it. I’m always mindful of my behavior so I don’t cross the boundary of our master-servant relationship, yet deep in my heart, I’ve allowed myself to view him as a beloved son as precious and true as my son Rodney. Of course, I’m not aiming to replace his mother, my lovely lady Katrina. Rather, after so much time nursing him to sleep in my arms, such feelings naturally developed.
The marquisate of Drewett suffered a series of poor harvests after Master was born. Additionally, Master possesses immense magical prowess, which left Lady Katrina weakened after his birth and unable to bond much with her new child. She was raised to place her duties as a noblewoman first and foremost, and thus struggled to prioritize her children. She is incredibly compassionate, however, and I can only imagine how she felt when her sole contact with them was a daily update from the servants after they had long gone to bed.
Master is intelligent and coolheaded, so he never complained, even as a young child. But all children crave the warmth of a loved one, and he looked so lonely on occasion that I resented my status for ensuring that I could be no more than a mere servant to him.
…Yet what a year he’s had so far!
I can’t help but chuckle as I arrange for a hot meal to be brought to the lady when she wakes again. I’m sure she’ll enjoy something warm and fresh.
✦ ✦ ✦
CERTAIN duties are required of noblemen, and other duties of their noble wives. Young noblewomen are taught how to support their future husbands, ensure the continuity of the bloodline, socialize with fellow aristocrats, and even aid in managing a territory. The higher a noblewoman’s rank, the more expected of them.
Although noble myself, I’m merely the third daughter of a poor baron, born without any outstanding beauty or particular talent or skill. My parents couldn’t even afford a dowry, so no betrothal was sought for me. In fact, many young noblewomen are in the same exact position, and we usually end up servants to the higher aristocracy. I was no exception and joined Lady Katrina’s retinue through my father’s connections.
Back then, she was only seven years old, yet very clever and already well aware of her family’s social status. Her manners and etiquette were so perfect that I remember feeling embarrassed by my own though I was eight years her senior. Therefore, I trained hard to prove that I was worthy of serving her. My efforts paid off, and I was one of the few attendants selected to accompany her when she married into the Drewett household.
Lady Katrina’s family is one of prestigious nobles, and Marquis Drewett’s is the same. The marriage was political, which she was raised to expect. Despite that, she was nonetheless a young maiden, sighing and blushing whenever she read one of those romance novels so trendy among the commoners. The books were frowned upon by the nobility, so she had to keep them hidden, and of course, only we, her long-time servants, were privy to that side of her.
…Unfortunately, her husband Lord Wallace was so unrefined! Yes, he was still an heir and working hard to earn his title, as any eldest son is expected to do. But the timing of their union was truly the worst: the old marquis fell ill soon after, and Lord Wallace was spending each day preparing to assume his father’s role should the worst occur. As for Lady Katrina, she was a newly married sixteen-year-old who’d yet to receive a flower or any romantic gift from her husband! And suddenly she had to learn to run an entire household. It was too much even for someone as talented as she!
The old marquis’s lady wife had passed several years before, so when Lady Katrina married into the family, she was immediately tasked with the duties of the marchioness. And though we could all see that Lord Wallace was madly in love with her, he was wholly unable to express his feelings. He could barely look her in the eye.
In the end, both of them were so focused on their respective responsibilities that their marriage never bloomed. Of course, Ethan, who grew up serving Lord Wallace, did not believe that to be the case, and we sometimes—only sometimes—argued about it.
“Do you want to get married, Tabitha?” asked Lady Katrina once, shortly after the birth of her first son, Lord Stuart.
“Huh?” I wasn’t vehemently against the idea. Serving as a nursemaid is one of the ways a lady’s attendant can improve her social rank, and when I first came to Drewett, the steward actually asked if I wanted to pursue such a position. But to become a nursemaid, one has to be a mother, and I’d need a husband for that. That was what I told the steward, and I said the same to Lady Katrina.
“You’re aware there’s talk of you becoming my children’s nursemaid, right?”
“Yes, I guess.”
“I’m not forcing you into it. You don’t have to marry just to become a nursemaid. You’re allowed to choose your own husband, yes?”
Noblewomen are brought up to believe that marriage is a duty performed for the sake of their families in exchange for the privilege and benefits of status and luxury. On the other hand, girls like me may not be able to afford a dowry but are free to determine our own fate.
“Please choose, because you have the choice,” Lady Katrina said, the romance novels left behind in her family home not forgotten.
Yes, I would seize the opportunity and become a nursemaid. From that moment on, I resolved, I would serve at Lady Katrina’s side for as long as I could.