As Long As You Are Happy

say anything…”

“Well, that’s because you never asked.”

While Delphia rushed towards Leo and tried to grab him by his collar, Irina remained in her seat and furrowed her brows.

‘Are there no servants here?’

On top of the condition of the room she slept in, the fact that the chef also had to personally buy the ingredients he was going to use made her doubt that they had other help. 

There had been someone in charge of the cooking in Ben’s inn.

Didn’t that man always complain that he barely had enough time to cook so not only did he not buy his own ingredients, but he also ordered everyone else to do his bidding? 

‘Though he never ordered me to do anything.’

Because being able to leave the slums and go downtown had been a privilege for her. 

Ben even used to accuse Irina of being blinded by money and that she would steal the money like a thief if she had been given any.
That was why he had prevented Irina from being involved in any errand that needed money. 

Back then, she had been so upset at Ben that she would make excuses to go. 

‘Thinking about it again, maybe I was planning on running away with that small lump of coins.’

Smiling bitterly to herself for a moment, Irina asked.

“Dame Delphia, is there anyone else around?’

Although Irina had only known of life in the slums and was very much ignorant of the rest of the world, she knew that there should be many, many people working in aristocratic estates. 

But here in the Winfried Townhouse, Irina had only met three people so far, much less those who worked here. 

Delphia, Leo and the Duke of Winfried. 

“I don’t think I’ve met a single person who actually works here yet.”

“That’s a fantastic question!”

As though she had finished venting all her anger on Leo, Delphia’s eyes shone. 

She leaned towards Irina and began to lament. 

“You want to know something! No one wants to come work in the townhouse! As you may already know, miss, it has already been a really, re–ally long time since the Duke of Winfried had arrived in the capital.”

“Has it?”

“Yes! The war started in the east, didn’t it? It was a war that only began because Luberg was eyeing our eastern granaries.”

Tearing into her bread, Delphia continued. 

“But the Winfried Duchy is right in the east.
It was because of our location that the duchy was thrown into the battlefield.”

“That is also why the previous duke and the duke before him could not visit the capital often because of the war.”

Leo interjected as he tore his white bread apart. 

“I heard that he had only visited the capital once or twice.”

“That’s right! Because he faced some financial issues funding the war, the late duke had even ordered for upkeep of the townhouse to be kept to the minimum.”

‘Ah, that’s why I haven’t seen people.’

Irina nodded. 

But don’t people who work in aristocratic mansions get paid a lot of money? That was why most of the children living in the slums dreamed of working in aristocratic mansions. 

‘So that’s the reason why.’

The chef who had gone to buy ingredients himself, the lack of people in this spacious mansion and the fact that Delphia, a knight, was the one taking care of her. 

So, that was the reason why.

‘Wait!’

A candle lit up in Irina’s head. 

‘If they just need help cleaning, I can help, can’t I?”

She had planned on meeting the duke today to ask what she could do to help anyway.
She never expected such a perfect opportunity to fall on her lap. 

‘I’m confident that ’ll be good at cleaning.’

Ever since she was young, she had been working in the inn every day.
Even Ben, who was greatly displeased with Irina, never chastised her cleaning. 

‘Both the duke and Dame Delphia.
They don’t look like bad people, do they?’

That was why she had to show them her worth so that she could stay here longer. 

Great, she had something to do now. 

She found a good reason for them to let her stay. 

Irina’s eyes began to sparkle.
However, Delphia, who continued to lament as she ate her stew, did not notice that sparkle. 

“Yes, that’s right! It is thanks to him that we are here but there’s not a single person left here! The estate is a mess.”

Delphia sounded frustrated as she explained that they were the ones who cleaned the townhouse. 

“We tried to hire servants but it took too long because we had to keep looking for them from scratch, urghhh.
Fortunately, we have a chef because he accompanied us to the capital but we still don’t have enough hands in this estate!”

“Stuff it.”

Leo pushed the last piece of his bread into his mouth before getting up.

“Huh, are you leaving?”

“I have places to be, well then.”

“Oi, you know.”

Delphia pulled the hem of Leo’s clothes just when he was about to leave without turning back.
Leo’s body reeled as he fumbled.
He looked pissed but Delphia did not seem to care. 

On the contrary, she only pulled his clothes harder and pointed at something.

“What’s that?”

Following her gaze to see what she was pointing at, Irina turned to spot a dish that had been covered by silver cloche. 

With a spoon hanging from her mouth, Delphia’s eyes sparkled. 

“Can I give Irina that?”

“You can’t.”

Thud, Leo lightly flicked Delphia’s head before continuing. 

“That’s his grace’s food.”

“Ah.
So, I can’t give that to her.”

Just as she was about to give up quickly, Delphia glanced at her sides before pulling Leo closer again as though she could not get over her dismay. 

“But why is it still here? Why hasn’t it been sent up to his room?”

“Leighton had already tried to bring him food.
That’s a new plate.”

Weirdly enough, he stopped walking away.
However, Delphia groaned as though that was enough for her to understand what was going on.

“You’ve crossed the line.”

“He shouldn’t be skipping his meals so often… He didn’t have dinner last night, did he?”

“I don’t think he did.”

“The chances that his grace would come down to eat…”

“There are none.”

“Then, what else can we do?”

Urgh, Delphia winced painfully before her eyes glinted mischievously. 

“Then, it’s simple! The loser has to go!”

“That’s not simple at all.”

“I’ll go.”

A voice interrupted Delphia and Leo’s conversation.
Both of their heads turned to face its owner.

“I can send it to him.”