I guess it’s no wonder that they hate me. I’m only suffering the consequences of my actions. Ariel sighed, drawing her luggage closer as she began noisily rummaging through it.
“I think it should be around here... Ah, there it is!” she called out, merrily pulling out the extendable feather duster Jeanette had invented.
In fact, back when Ariel was departing for the Balladur manor, the tearful Jeanette had pushed several items into her hands while insisting, “Please take these with you! They’re all really useful!”
“When she gave these to me, I thought they’d just take up space in my luggage for no reason, but... I think I can use them here.” As she spoke to herself, Ariel tied her hair back. She then took out the next item she’d gotten from Jeanette, which was the multipurpose apron with countless pockets. Ariel put it on, then looked around the attic.
“There we go!” In the corner of the room were a number of cleaning tools, such as a broom, a dust cloth, and a wooden bucket. “This is an attic, so I thought these might be here.”
Ariel opened the window and without hesitation reached for the broom. I should start with the highest places in the room...but this place is too dirty, so I have to start with the floor.
In reality, ever since Jeanette had left and the servants ran away, Ariel had been in charge of cleaning the Roussel estate. Or, to be more accurate, since there was nobody else around to do it and Leila couldn’t stand the house being dirty, she had ordered Ariel to clean it.
At first, Ariel used to complain and say things like “Why do I have to do this?!” But with time, she found herself surprisingly absorbed in the task. She had discovered that turning dirty things clean was strangely satisfying. Before she’d even realized it, she had come to enjoy cleaning.
This room being so dirty just makes the cleaning that much more worth it!
Using the tip of the broom, Ariel scattered the baby spiders, and started vigorously sweeping the attic. As the bristles scraped against the floor, huge clouds of dust soared into the air, but she didn’t mind. If anything, it was fun to see the dense piles of dust blown away. Once she’d swept the room through once, she reached for the feather duster and started cleaning the window and its frame.
Wow, this is incredible! The extendable feather duster Jeanette gave me lets me reach high places without using a chair! Ariel thought excitedly as she dusted the top of the window frame.
And this apron’s really useful too with all its pockets. When she was done with the dusting, she put the feather duster away into a long pocket, and from a different one she took out the dust cloth, with which she began cleaning the window. Jeanette mentioned the apron’s washable too. It was made with the expectation that it’d get dirty, so the material can withstand being washed over and over. Nice work... Ariel thought, impressed.
She had never noticed it back when she lived the life of a typical noblewoman, but Jeanette’s products were extremely convenient. Many of them were immensely effective, especially when it came to cleaning.
I wonder if it’s because mother and I always forced Jeanette to do the cleaning... Ariel felt uneasy again, having realized an uncomfortable truth. But she quickly did away with those thoughts and focused on cleaning.
By the time it had gotten dark outside, the attic wasn’t exactly sparkling clean, but it did look considerably refreshed. “Phew! For now, I guess this will do,” Ariel said, dusting her hands off while surveying the room. She’d throw out the dust gathered in the corner later, but for now the attic looked a lot cleaner after being swept.
“He may be rotten, but he really is a marquis! Even though this is an attic, the furniture here is surprisingly elegant! The bed is of good quality too.” Ariel patted the bed. Atop the wooden planks was indeed a mattress made of wool, not something cheap like straw. The marquis had forced Ariel to live in the dirty attic on purpose, so there was no way he’d taken care to arrange a good mattress for her. Apparently woolen mattresses were just the norm in this manor.
A marquis really is rich... Ariel thought, still patting the bed. At that moment, she heard the sound of someone climbing up the stairs.
“I’ve brought your meal.” The young lady’s maid who’d first brought Ariel to the room had appeared, holding a tray with a severe look on her face. When she noticed the attic was clean, she jolted and her eyebrows twitched, but she said nothing as she placed the tray on the desk. Before long, she was gone again. Apparently, she didn’t care to get a response from Ariel.
Ariel’s eyes widened as she looked at the tray. Arranged atop it were a steaming soup, a salad, and soft-looking bread. Though the meal seemed plain for a marchioness, the onion-colored soup had a pleasant aroma, and the vegetables looked fresh.
“I was sure they’d give me something rotten or that I’d get no dinner at all,” Ariel murmured. Both of those were ways she and Leila had harassed Jeanette in the past. The memory caused Ariel to groan again. Ugh! Jeanette doesn’t blame me at all, and yet I feel so terrible. Is this what you call a ‘dark past?’ I feel like a certain noblewoman said that at some point!
Cringing with shame, Ariel took a seat. She took a sip of the clear soup, and it tasted just as good as it looked. The sweetness of the vegetables spread in her mouth. “Mmm... It’s delicious...!”
Although everyone at the manor was harassing her, they still gave her a good meal. “They might actually be good people... I mean, even though I’m such a wicked woman, they still gave me a woolen mattress and a tasty meal! Isn’t this great?”
As her stomach filled, Ariel felt herself becoming more optimistic. “The marquis told me not to expect any luxury. But on the flip side, doesn’t that mean I can do whatever I want, so long as it’s not extravagant?” With that realization, Ariel’s eyes shimmered. “In other words, I’m free!”