By the ti the day’s endless cycle of als, polite smiles, and forced generosity ca to a close, Lady Rose finally made her way back to her private chambers.
As soon as the heavy door shut behind her, she exhaled deeply, unfastening the decorative brooch at her collar.
Her shoulders sagged, the mask of composure slipping away into sothing closer to exhaustion.
"Well, that went better than expected.
She muttered, half to herself and half to the man who entered behind her.
Lady Rose glanced toward her butler and added briskly.
"We’ll continue this for a few more days—just until our... guests... are gone. Maintain the als, the quality, everything. No mistakes."
The butler stiffened, his face tightening ever so slightly.
"My lady... we cannot continue at this pace."
Her eyes snapped toward him, sharp and incredulous.
"What do you an ’cannot’? We must. I will not have our house appear miserly before outsiders."
"With respect, my lady, we have already used nearly a month’s worth of stored goods in a single day. The markets cannot replenish everything at such speed, and the surrounding shortages will make restocking even harder. If we keep going, the household will—"
The butler began, tone careful.
"I said continue. You forget your place. I did not ask for your opinion. I gave you an order. Do not lecture about shortages like I am so rchant counting coins."
Her voice cracked like a whip, and the butler fell silent.
The butler inclined his head, accepting the blow to his pride without protest.
"As you command, my lady."
She turned away, dismissing him with a flick of her hand.
"Good. Now go and see it done."
The butler bowed and left the room without another word, but inside, his thoughts churned.
He had served the Adam family for decades, and though his loyalty was unshakable, even loyalty had its limits.
This was no re extravagance—it was reckless self-sabotage. If Lord Adam knew how badly the estate’s resources were being drained, he would put an imdiate stop to it.
That night, in the quiet of his quarters, the butler lit a single candle and took out parchnt. His writing was neat, deliberate, every stroke carrying the weight of his concern.
He explained the situation in plain terms, detailing the pace at which their supplies were vanishing and Lady Rose’s refusal to listen.
Folding the letter, he sealed it with wax, preparing to send it through the estate’s private courier.
But as he stepped out into the dimly lit corridor, the faint shuffle of footsteps made him pause.
A shadow erged from around the corner.
Kyle.
The butler froze, every instinct screaming at him to hide the letter, but it was too late. Kyle’s sharp gaze had already fallen on the sealed envelope.
Without a word, Kyle’s hand shot out, plucking it from his grasp.
"And what is this?"
Kyle asked, voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of steel.
The butler’s throat went dry.
"It is... a private correspondence for Lord Adam."
"Private? You’re sending this in the dead of night, sneaking about like a thief, while your mistress entertains guests? That’s suspicious."
Kyle arched an eyebrow, turning the envelope in his fingers.
"It’s not what it looks like—"
"Then explain it."
Kyle’s tone was flat, almost bored, but his eyes bored into the older man with unsettling intensity.
The butler hesitated.
"I... I am loyal to my mistress. I have no ill intentions toward her or toward you. But I must act in the household’s best interest. She—"
He stopped himself, lips pressing into a thin line.
"Forgive , sir, but this matter is for Lord Adam alone."
Kyle stepped closer, his presence almost suffocating despite his even voice.
"You can either tell now... or I can read it myself."
The butler’s composure began to crack.
"It would be... improper for to speak ill of my lady—"
"I’m not asking for gossip. I’m asking why you’re sending a letter in secret. And I don’t have much patience for gas."
Kyle interrupted, his eyes narrowing.
The silence stretched for several seconds. Finally, the butler sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat.
"Very well... You deserve to know, since you are the reason for her current behaviour."
Kyle tilted his head slightly, but said nothing, waiting.
"My lady... she has been spending the household’s resources recklessly—on you and your companions. The als, the wine, the imported delicacies... all of it is being drawn from our stored supplies at an unsustainable rate. She insists on this display of generosity for the sake of her pride, but if this continues, the estate will suffer."
His voice dropped lower, almost a plea.
"I am not betraying her. I only wanted Lord Adam to return quickly and stop this before it spirals further. My loyalty is to the Adam household... but I fear for its stability."
Kyle considered him for a long mont, his expression unreadable as he weighed the man’s words and the letter still in his hand..
"Send it. I am willing to take your word this ti that you are not going to betray your mistress and us all."
Kyle decided to speak up at last.
He said simply, turning on his heel before the older man could thank him.
The butler stood frozen for a mont before quickly moving to dispatch the ssage.
The faintest breath of relief escaped him as he watched the courier vanish down the road, the letter securely tucked away. At least now Lord Adam would know the truth.
Back in his room, Kyle closed the door behind him and leaned against it for a mont, his mind already piecing together the situation.
Lady Rose’s stubbornness wasn’t just pride—it was reckless pride. Pride that made her blind to reality, even if it destroyed her own household.
He walked over to the window, watching the moonlight spill over the neglected gardens outside.
’Do I even bother helping her?’
He wondered. She had made no effort to treat him as anything more than an inconvenience.
Every action she had taken since his arrival seed rooted in proving sothing to herself, or perhaps to the world.
Kyle crossed his arms, thinking through the possible outcos.
If he stepped in now, he could rein in her spending, discreetly adjust her hospitality, and prevent her estate from bleeding dry.
But that would an getting involved in her affairs—sothing he had little interest in, especially when she’d likely treat any advice as an insult.
On the other hand... letting her continue like this would inevitably end in disaster.
The supplies would run out, the guests would notice, and the whispers about her incompetence would spread through noble circles like wildfire.
That kind of chaos had a way of spilling over, and Kyle didn’t need any unnecessary entanglents while he was here.
He sighed, shaking his head slightly.
"This woman is going to be trouble no matter what I do. I might as well see things through while I am here."
For now, he decided, he would watch. If things started sliding too far, he could step in—not for her sake, but for his own convenience.
Still, sothing told him Lady Rose wouldn’t make it easy to keep that distance for long.
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