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The schedule of festivities in honor of His Highness Prince Mikhail had come to an end.

Summer vacation was also nearing its close, and Ekaterina and Aleksei had to return to the magic academy in the imperial capital. Thus, they were to head to the capital accompanying Mikhail on his return journey.

.

Today was already the day of departure. Before the main entrance of Jurnova Castle stood two splendid carriages bearing the ducal crest, waiting to carry their noble guests and the ducal siblings.
Servants and guard knights lined up in formation to see off their honored guest and their lord and lady.

“Thank you, everyone. It was splendid hospitality.”

As usual, Mikhail spoke flawlessly, and those seeing them off bowed their heads in unison. There were so many that it looked like a wave rolling across the ground.

“I entrust the estate to you. I have full confidence that there will be no issue.”

At Aleksei’s words, Raisa—standing closest to her master among the assembled servants—bowed deeply.

“You honor me. Your Grace, my lady, I shall devote my whole body and soul to fulfilling the great duty entrusted to me.”

In truth, the elderly butler Novaras had finally retired. Raisa had been appointed as his successor. It was the birth of a female butler, rare in the four-hundred-year history of Jurnova.

.

Although Novaras retired, it was not of his own accord. He had shown signs of persisting, saying he wished this send-off to be his final act of service. While silent retorts of “How many times is this your last?” arose from various quarters, Aleksei had cleanly cut him off with, “Thank you for your service until now.”

In the era when their father Aleksandr was duke, a different housekeeper—not Raisa—had been sent into Jurnova Castle and had played a leading role in large-scale embezzlement.
Novaras had not participated, but he had shut his eyes and ears with all his might and had never once tried to stop it.
Nor had he shown any intention of supporting Aleksei, who, separated from his father and grandmother in the imperial capital, governed the territory from Jurnova Castle. Since he had never imagined Aleksandr would die young, the weathercock had not turned toward Aleksei.

Though there were no clear charges sufficient for dismissal, he had incurred Aleksei’s displeasure over many years. By anyone’s reckoning, he was of an age appropriate for retirement; recommending it was only natural.

The weathercock phoenix had finally fallen.
Even so, in such circumstances he had clung on brazenly. People whispered that with such vitality, he would likely live a long time yet—or perhaps never die at all.

Be that as it may, when she heard that Novaras would be urged to retire, it was Ekaterina who recommended Raisa as his successor.
When she said so, Aleksei looked surprised, but immediately agreed. It was not from indulging his sister, but because, as head of the house, he judged it the most appropriate personnel decision himself.

There had been precedents in the House of Jurnova of women serving as butler. Most were emergency cases, such as when a butler died suddenly and the housekeeper temporarily assumed the post concurrently.
Nevertheless, those precedents and the present situation revealed something. In the Empire, a housekeeper’s duties generally center on supervising female servants. However, in the Jurnova household, the housekeeper sometimes bore such extensive responsibilities that it was possible to concurrently undertake the duties of the butler, the overall supervisor.

Raisa had already been taking over a considerable portion of Novaras’s duties. Moreover, she was a talent discovered by his grandfather Sergei. She had no entanglements with other branch families, deep ties with the knight order that swore absolute loyalty to Aleksei, and was a person in whom they could place complete trust.

“There will be opposition to a female butler, but if at first we appoint her temporarily in accordance with precedent, concurrently as housekeeper, and formally install her once the time is right, it should suppress matters to a degree. Will that suffice?”
“Oh, Onii-sama! I am grateful for your consideration. That would surely make the work easier for Raisa as well.”
“Even concurrently, Raisa will likely no longer have the capacity to handle the housekeeper’s duties. We must find someone to succeed her there.”
“In that case… I have someone in mind.”

Ekaterina spoke with a smile.

“She is a lady who is Novaras’s great-granddaughter, but she appears to be very reliable. As a blood relative she has long supported Novaras and has been involved in household affairs. She is on good terms with Raisa, and is close with Lady Margarita, daughter of Count Novak. And she is already married and no longer belongs to the Novaras household. If we immediately appoint someone from the Novaras family who has incurred your displeasure, Brother, the household may take it lightly. Yet the Novaras family is long-established; if you are too severe, the balance of power among the retainers may become overly unstable. A woman who is a blood relative, yet married into another house—would that not be an interesting balance?”

Aleksei had laughed aloud.

“The appointment of the housekeeper falls under the mistress of the house. Do as you see fit. Those who fear me will think that the Novaras family survived by a thread thanks to your intercession—my Ekaterina, this beautiful head of yours seems also to be a spring from which wisdom flows.”

Then he sighed softly.

“Now that I consider it, she is the optimal candidate. To have excluded Raisa from consideration due to her gender… Grandfather would have appointed her without hesitation. Your thinking truly is inherited from him.”

At those words, Ekaterina looked up at her brother with a sincere expression.

“What I can do is only to think of such things. It is because you have firmly taken Jurnova in hand, Onii-sama, that they can be carried out. There is no successor to Grandfather but you. I understand that well.”

Aleksei took Ekaterina’s hand and kissed her fingertips.

“Ekaterina, my sister…your words are always so humble and pure. Your voice washes my heart clean like a clear stream.”

It goes without saying that Ekaterina once again admired the high performance of Aleksei’s siscon filter.

.

“I am glad you will guard things in my brother’s absence, Raisa. Surely Grandfather is pleased as well.”
“Such kind words…”

Raisa, who usually gave a thoroughly professional impression, faltered for a moment when Ekaterina mentioned her grandfather Sergei.
A small girl who had come from a cold rural village as a menial servant forever ago had climbed to one of the highest positions among those serving the ducal house. Guided by the heir Sergei, to whom she had fearlessly spoken to.

But she quickly composed her expression, sharply raised a hand, and signaled the gatekeeper.

Slowly, the gates of Jurnova Castle opened.

From beyond them rose a great cheer.
The people of the northern capital, the subjects of Jurnova, had gathered in crowds, wishing to catch one last glimpse of their noble figures before they returned to the imperial capital.

“I pray for your safe journey.”

As Raisa spoke, those seeing them off once more bowed their heads in unison.
At that signal, Mikhail and Flora, and Aleksei and Ekaterina, each boarded their respective carriages.

“Departure!”

As Commander of the Knights Rosen raised his voice and the knightly musicians sounded their horns, the party set out on their journey toward the imperial capital.