The Way To Protect The Female Lead’S Older Brother [EN]: Chapter 224

Side Story 3. Emily’s Daily Life

Emily’s day begins at 5 AM.

As always, the first thing she does upon waking is open the large window that dominates one wall of her room.

While the crisp morning air circulates, Emily makes her bed and tidies the room.

Afterward, she quickly washes up in the still-empty servants’ bath and gets dressed.

Then, Emily immediately leaves her room.

The hallways are quiet, with no one passing by, as the other servants are still asleep. The main building is the same.

Only the faint sounds of the mansion’s guards, finishing their night duty and changing shifts, can be heard in the distance.

The place Emily heads straight for is Roxana’s office.

Cleaning it herself is a task Emily performs every morning before breakfast.

It’s a new addition to her routine since returning to Agriche this summer.

Her touch is delicate as she meticulously dusts every speck from the bookshelves and window frames, carefully wiping each piece of furniture in the room.

It’s essential to check the room’s temperature, humidity, and lighting, as well as the cushioning of the chair Roxana sits in.

These chores could be entrusted to other servants, but Emily doesn’t allow it.

Actively ensuring Roxana’s comfortable work environment is Emily’s pleasure, one she doesn’t want to concede to anyone else.

After finishing all the work and returning to the servants’ quarters, she notices people moving busily, unlike before.

“Emily, you’re up early again! You’re so diligent,” one of the servants heading towards the dining hall says, approaching her with a yawn.

It’s Giletta, one of the new servants who joined at the beginning of the month.

Emily, true to her taciturn [reserved and uncommunicative] nature, simply nods in response to Giletta’s greeting.

However, Giletta, who is highly sociable, doesn’t mind Emily’s bleak attitude and clings to her affably.

“Still, it must be fun for Emily to work. I wanted to be assigned under Head Roxana too; I’m jealous.”

“Oh, Giletta also wanted to be Lady Roxana’s attendant as her first choice?” some other servants nearby chime in, having overheard Giletta’s words.

“Me too, me too! But the competition is too high, so I’ve almost given up.”

“That’s right. Once you’re chosen for that position, you’re not easily replaced.”

Many of the people working in Agriche now were newly recruited from outside this year.

This is because quite a few people voluntarily left Agriche when Lant, the previous head, died in the winter, or were dismissed during the subsequent restructuring of the mansion.

And among the new servants, many volunteered to serve Roxana, one of the two heads of Agriche.

That’s only natural.

A beautiful and kind master like Roxana is more than enough to be the object of envy for her subordinates.

However, Roxana is especially careful in choosing the servants to place under her. So, once someone is assigned to her, they are rarely replaced.

“Rima, who came in last month, you know… One of Lady Roxana’s attendants happened to be getting married and leaving, so she was lucky enough to be chosen and is acting all high and mighty.”

“I hate her so much every time I see her. The other day, she was bragging about how Lady Roxana praised her for her skillful hands…….”

“Hmph, she’s just showing off. She thinks she’s something special just because she got praised once. Besides, no matter how hard Rima tries, Emily is the closest to Head Roxana anyway, right?”

Even while eating in the dining hall, they don’t stop chattering like sparrows.

A servant named Rima, whom they are envying, is sitting at the next table.

She must have heard them gossiping about her, as she snorts as if to show off and wears a sly smile on her face.

The servants who see that tremble with anger.

Emily silently moves her hands amidst them.

It’s been common for Emily’s surroundings to be crowded like this when servants gather together.

This is because everyone is interested in the master Emily serves.

However, it’s Emily’s first time seeing the atmosphere in the dining hall so lively, so she feels a bit unfamiliar.

Still, then and now, the servants’ jealousy is never directed at Emily.

Emily has been working by Roxana’s side for the longest time, and she isn’t the type to show off her position and act superior to others.

So, an atmosphere of tacit [understood or implied without being stated] acceptance has formed among the servants, and they acknowledge Emily.

“I heard it too! Emily has been serving Head Roxana for the longest time, right? How many years has she worked?”

Giletta asks Emily, her eyes shining with curiosity.

She seems to have many questions, especially since she hasn’t been in Agriche for long.

The answer comes from another servant, not Emily.

“I think she started serving Lady Roxana when she was about eleven or twelve years old? She came to Agriche even longer ago than that.”

“Wow, really? Then it’s been almost 10 years?”

“I heard it from the kitchen.”

Eyes filled with anticipation glance at Emily.

They are hoping to hear something interesting related to Roxana from her mouth.

Finally, Emily’s mouth, which had only been used for eating, opens for another purpose.

“I’m done eating, so I’ll get up first.”

“Already?!”

She had been quietly eating alone while everyone else was talking, so she couldn’t help but be faster.

After finishing her meal, Emily leaves the disappointed people behind and returns to her room first.

Afterward, she grooms herself much more meticulously than when she first left the room. Naturally, it takes twice as long as before.

Only after neatly arranging even a single strand of hair that sticks out to the side do Emily’s steps move to the building where Roxana’s bedroom is located.

It’s now 7 AM.

Waking up her master, Roxana, is one of Emily’s roles.

However, as always, when Emily knocks and enters the room, Roxana is already awake.

“Good morning, Emily.”

The bright sunlight that seeps through the closed curtains makes Roxana’s golden hair, which flows down like honey, sparkle with an even sweeter color.

Roxana slowly pulls up the pajamas that had slipped off her white skin onto her shoulders.

As she smiles slightly, her languid [relaxed and unhurried] eyes slightly fold, drawing a smooth curve.

Roxana’s room always smells good.

But perhaps it’s the visual power that adds to the concentration of the scent.

The space where Roxana is, no matter where it is, is always as splendid and fragrant as a flower garden in full bloom or a banquet hall with sparkling jewels.

Even now, if the person who opened the door and came inside was a servant other than Emily, their mind would have gone blank from the overwhelming beauty before their eyes, and they would have forgotten what they were supposed to do.

“Good morning, Head Roxana.”

However, Emily attends to Roxana as usual, without any agitation.

“Were there any inconveniences during the night?”

“No.”

Emily, who has approached the bed where Roxana is sitting, kneels down in front of it.

Then, Emily picks up the indoor shoes that Roxana took off last night and puts them on her feet herself.

As always, she asks the question, and Roxana answers as she always does.

“I have prepared bathwater in the bathroom. How would you like your pre-meal tea?”

“Like yesterday.”

“Yes, then I will prepare Amanes tea, which is good for relieving fatigue. Is there anything else you would like to order?”

“Yes, that’s all. Thank you.”

Afterward, Emily brings a gown to Roxana, who gets up from her seat and crosses the carpet.

Roxana naturally puts on the gown that Emily gives her over her thin pajamas and heads to the bathroom.

After some time, Roxana returns to the room with a face that is definitely more awake than before.

“Here is today’s schedule.”

She lightly drinks a cup of tea while checking the schedule with Emily before breakfast.

“Is this all for today?”

“Yes, there were eight letters sent to Head Jeremy’s room.”

“It seems like there were no major incidents last night.”

External news that needs to be checked in the morning also goes through Roxana at this time.

Since the spring of this year, Roxana had been dispersing Agriche’s work with Jeremy as co-heads.

In particular, since finding Nix and returning in early summer, she has been busier than ever, dealing with matters inside and outside Agriche.

Roxana, who has checked the approximate schedule while drinking tea, has other servants brought into the room to help her change clothes and dress up.

Colorful clothes and jewels are added to Roxana’s figure in front of the mirror.

The carefully selected attendants look forward to this time the most every day.

Although they don’t say it, they all have excited and elated faces.

There are no clothes or accessories that don’t suit Roxana, so it’s difficult to make a final choice every morning.

But even that is enjoyable.

Serving the most beautiful mistress in the world is more enchanting and rewarding than imagined.

After deciding on the outfit, reflecting Roxana’s opinion, they put their heart and soul into styling Roxana’s hair and adding light makeup to her face, which is like a work of art.

“Thank you all for your hard work.”

When all the preparations are finished, Roxana smiles and greets the servants who have attended to her.

That is definitely the most rewarding moment for the servants.

Emily, who is standing in the back, quietly comes forward and says:

“The morning temperature today is 18 degrees Celsius, which is lower than yesterday. It’s a short distance, but it would be good to wear a shawl when you go outside.”

“Okay, then give me the one on the left.”

Roxana, who puts on the shawl that Emily gives her last, leaves the room.

Today is the day she has promised to have breakfast with Jeremy.

“The weather is exceptionally clear today. Can we assume that the rainy season is completely over now?”

“It has been almost ten days since the last rain, so I think we can assume so.”

“This summer doesn’t seem to have been as hot as last year.”

“Yes, I heard that autumn will come earlier this year than last year.”

“Really? That’s good. Emily likes autumn, doesn’t she?”

Emily is momentarily surprised that Roxana remembers something she had mentioned only once a long time ago, and she misses the opportunity to answer.

“I like autumn too. And this autumn will definitely be better than ever before.”

A quiet voice echoes from the front.

Emily gently raises her head.

The side of Roxana’s face, looking out the window in the hallway, no longer has the same chilling coldness as before.

The warmth that has melted like a soft lullaby in the middle of a spring day is unfamiliar yet reassuring.

It’s also something that hadn’t happened until last winter for Roxana and Emily to have such casual, trivial conversations.

But now, many things have definitely changed since then, even if it may not be very noticeable on the outside yet.

So, Emily can fully sympathize with Roxana’s words.

“Yes……. This autumn will definitely be warmer and more colorful than any autumn we’ve had in Agriche so far.”

Just like this summer, which was exceptionally bright and refreshing.

Afterward, Roxana and Emily walk silently together along the peaceful morning hallway that leads to the dining hall.

Even without special conversations, they are comfortable being together.

Everyone they encounter bows deeply to Roxana.

There are so many servants in Agriche’s mansion like this.

However, Emily is the only one who has been allowed to follow Roxana like this.

*I had never told anyone before….* In fact, Emily had been happy about it for a long time.