3. Rohtas’s Proposal

The fact that I spent most days wearing a maid uniform and joining the servants’ ranks to clean and do laundry—not to mention eating staff meals in their dining room—was finally out of the bag to Mr. Fisalis.

And yet, not only did he not order me to stop—he even said the equivalent of, “Well, why not?” and gave me the official go-ahead!

With that episode behind us, I spent each day hard at work alongside the servants, an extra touch of pep in my step. Such was the relaxed daily life I enjoyed as a duchess. It was probably quite different from the life everyone else had envisioned for me, but who was I to care about that?

* * *

Just as I thought things had finally settled down between me, my husband, and the mansion as a whole, there was a certain big...incident? Event?

Wouldn’t you know it, the very glue holding our estate together—uh, I mean, Rohtas—got married!

For my part, I hadn’t even realized he’d had a girlfriend. It was once again as I was cleaning that I happened to learn the truth.

I was surreptitiously going about my work that day, you see...

* * *

Upon receiving a summons from the king instructing them to “show up to an evening party every now and then,” Father and Mother Fisalis had traveled up to Rohze from their home in Pied de la Montjuc, and as per tradition, the couple was currently staying in our cottage.

“Now that my in-laws are here, I’d better be extra careful.”

“You have an interesting idea of what constitutes ‘being careful.’”

“Oh, it’ll be fine!”

Ignoring that barb from Stellaria, I went about my chores as discreetly as possible.

Neither of my in-laws were home at the moment, as they’d both been summoned to the royal palace first thing in the morning. Since they weren’t around anyway, I would’ve hated to waste the day keeping up my “prim and proper lady” act. I’d changed into my maid uniform, joined up with the servants, and was currently having the time of my life cleaning.

“No window wiping for you today. It’d be too easy to spot you from outside.”

“Okie-dokie!”

When it came time to clean the windows in the room next to the entryway, one of the maids asked that I desist. No one could see inside the mansion when the curtains were drawn, but whenever we did the window cleaning, everything was on full display. The fact that we had a clear view to the outside meant that the reverse held true too. Besides, that was exactly where Mr. Fisalis had caught me red-handed.

I opted to be a good little girl and polish the furniture instead.

Wow, the chairs and tables are all a beautiful, lustrous chestnut! That’s antique quality for you.

Mesmerized, I polished the various furnishings one by one, leaving a chest positioned near the window for last—and that was when I spotted someone walking back to the manor.

It was Rohtas.

He had the day off, so I assumed he must have gone out somewhere. That clearly hadn’t been a solo excursion, however—there was a lady walking right alongside him!

“It’s Rohtas! And that woman with him is...Amaryllis, I think? Mother Fisalis’s personal maid.”

Heedless of how easy I was to spot from the outside, I pressed myself up against the window. I stared holes into the man outside, wondering if perhaps it was some other servant who just bore a striking resemblance to Rohtas—but no, that was definitely him.

“Did they happen to bump into one another when he went out for a stroll? Or was it a date? Oh, a date would be so much more romantic!” I squealed, practically bursting with excitement. But meanwhile...

“Oh, it’s Amaryllis.”

“They were probably on a date.”

“I’m not surprised; it’s perfect weather for an outing.”

The other maids just gave me the brush off! Seriously, guys?! Rohtas found love, of all people! This is big news!

“Whaaat?! How can none of you care about this?!” I protested. “We just caught Rohtas in the middle of a date!”

“I mean, it’s hardly anything out of the ordinary.”

“It’s a bit late to be surprised.”

“Quite.”

My objections were summarily shrugged off.

“Huh?!”

It’s a bit late?! It’s hardly anything out of the ordinary?! What are they talking about?!

“Come now, if we don’t finish up the cleaning soon, the old duke and duchess might just walk in on us!”

Here my confusion was only growing with each answer they gave, and yet they barely even acknowledged my distress!

Oh, right, the cleaning! Gotta finish before Mother and Father Fisalis get back.

As for the date? You better believe I’m going to get the f-u-l-l story from the man himself later on!

* * *

“Oh, Rooohtas! Wherever did you go today?”

“Oh? Were you cleaning the room by the entryway again, Madam?”

“Sure was!”

“You ought to know from experience that you run a great risk of being seen from the outside there. The former duke and duchess didn’t spot you, I hope?”

“Nope! I was being super careful!”

“That’s reassuring, at least. And you didn’t climb to any hard-to-reach places?”

“Of course not!”

“I appreciate all your hard work today.”

“It was my pleasure! Wait... Huh?”

“Is something the matter, Madam?”

Hmmm? What were we talking about, again?

I’d come to Rohtas planning to ask him about his date, but before I knew it, I was giving him a report on the daily housework instead... Ahhhh! He completely dodged the question! Looks I’m still far too green to take on Rohtas and win!

Determining that a change in target was in order, I tried going after Amaryllis next.

Amaryllis wasn’t someone I’d call a knockout beauty, per se; more accurately described as “cute” than “gorgeous,” she had a gentle sort of aura about her. She was a comforting presence, you might say. I could easily see how Rohtas, who always seemed to be busy with something, would be drawn to a warm, charming lady like her. Yeah, this checked out for sure.

“So? How long have you been seeing Rohtas?” I asked, cutting right to the chase.

Seeing as the two of us had barely interacted before, she’d been left to wonder what on earth she could have done to warrant me pulling her aside—only for the first question out of my mouth to be about her beau. Although she was initially taken aback by this bizarre development, it slowly dawned on her what exactly I was asking. She blushed and replied, “Um... It’s been six or seven years now, I believe. We began our relationship not long before my master left to go live in his territory.”

“It’s been that long?! Wow, and the two of you have been apart for so much of your time together... That’s so sad.”

“Perhaps, yes...but we’ve grown used to it by now.” She smiled with something like resignation.

A long-distance relationship, huh? Just missing him is one thing, but doesn’t she ever worry about him cheating on her? Or... Nah, this is Rohtas we’re talking about here; I couldn’t imagine him ever being unfaithful. Heck, I’d be willing to bet money on that.

Hm? What about Mr. Fisalis, you ask? I wouldn’t have to worry about him either...I think. Though it didn’t end up lasting too long, we have gone through that once before. With all those letters he was writing me, I doubt he’d even have time to find himself another girl.

“But if you’ve been together so long, how come you’ve never gotten married? I’m sure you’ve had plenty of good opportunities.”

Like when Father and Mother Fisalis first went back to their territory, for example, I was about to add, but Amaryllis spoke before I could. “The timing never quite worked out for us. Just as we’d gotten settled in our relationship, the former duke and duchess decided to retire. And after that, Rohtas always had his hands full with work...” She forced a smile after that last part, as though it was awkward for her to mention.

That was totally Mr. Fisalis’s fault, wasn’t it?!

Amaryllis had done her best not to name names, but Father Fisalis’s retirement coincided with him handing the headship of the family over to my husband. That also happened to be when Mr. Fisalis was at his most incompetent. Back then, he’d spent all his time cooing over his girlfriend in the cottage, blowing off whatever tasks he was supposed to do around the estate and leaving everything in his butler’s hands. No wonder Rohtas could never catch a break.

I’m sorry. I am so, so sorry!

Who could have known the fallout of Mr. Fisalis’s negligence would be so widespread? It pained me to see it.

“Oh no, I feel just awful... I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Allow me to apologize on Cercis’s behalf. Trust me, I’ll be sure to give him a stern talking-to later! So... I know it’s not right of me to ask you this, but do you think you could find it in your heart to forgive him? Or if that’s too much, at least not hold it against him...?”

Since Mr. Fisalis wasn’t around to speak for himself, I apologized hard enough for the both of us.

The minute you get home, I’ve got a lecture waiting for you, young man!

“Oh, I would never think ill of him! It’s not the young master’s fault, I assure you,” she insisted, encouraging me to play nice with my husband. Gosh, what a sweet lady. “Of course, ever since he married you, the master and madam have gotten into the habit of visiting Rohze much more often. I’ve had a great deal more chances to see Rohtas than I used to.”

“Well then, I bet you’re really happy to have this chance to be together now!”

“Huh? Oh, well...yes, I suppose so.”

Amaryllis’s bashful smile had such a soft, tender vibe to it that it made me feel happy just standing beside her. Plus, the kind way she worried more about hurting my feelings than her own? Yeah, I’d been right on the mark with the whole “comforting presence” thing.

* * *

Fast-forward to a few days later.

It was time for Mother and Father Fisalis to return to their territory. Under normal circumstances I would be silently rejoicing over regaining my freedom, but it was hard to feel too good about it this time around. After all, their return home meant separating Rohtas and Amaryllis once more.

Say, could this be my chance to do them a solid? It’s about time I cleaned up Mr. Fisalis’s mess!

“Pardon me, Mother Fisalis. Would it be at all possible for you to leave Amaryllis with us?” I begged my mother-in-law, having barreled into their cottage right as everyone was bustling around packing their things.

“Amaryllis? But whatever for? Have you taken a shine to her, Vi?” Mother Fisalis returned my sudden imposition with a blank stare.

“Er, not exactly... I mean, there is that too... But no! The truth is, Rohtas and Amaryllis are in a relationship, so I’d hate to see the two of them torn apart!”

I debated how I ought to explain myself, but in the end I decided that honesty was the best policy here. Sorry for spilling your secrets, Rohtas and Amaryllis!

Still, considering how nice my parents-in-law were, I just knew they’d understand.

“What?!”

“Really?!”

This was clearly news to them, judging by the way they glanced over at Amaryllis with looks of surprise.

With all eyes now turned on her, the maid once again turned red as a beet, only managing to squeak out: “Y-Yes...”

After that, Mother and Father Fisalis went through all the same questions I’d asked earlier.

Once she’d heard the full story behind Rohtas and Amaryllis’s romance, my mother-in-law threw her arms around her servant and cried, “Why didn’t you say something sooner?! If I’d known, I never would have dragged you off to our territory!”

“Rohtas! How could you neglect to tell us something this important?!” Father Fisalis demanded, though the butler in question wasn’t around to answer.

“I’m sorry—I’m so sorry! We never would have done it had we known, but we still kept you away from your love for so long!”

“Forgive us, Amaryllis!”

Just as I would have expected from such a kindhearted pair, the former duke and duchess apologized profusely to their maid.

Looks like everything worked out!

“So... Mother, Father? Now that you know the situation, would you be willing to let Amaryllis stay with us?” As much as I hated to cut their theatrics short, I figured I ought to confirm with them.

“Of course! Are you all right with that, Amaryllis?”

“Most certainly. Thank you very much.”

“It’s a shame to lose such an efficient, thoughtful worker, but I’m sure the rest of the girls will work hard enough to make up for it.”

Mother Fisalis was fully on board. The rest of her personal attendants, who had stopped tidying up long enough to listen in on our conversation, offered us a smile and a nod as well.

“Thank you, Mother Fisalis!”

“Oh, Madam...!” I caught Amaryllis wiping tears from her eyes.

“While we’re at it, why don’t you two take this chance to get married?” Father Fisalis proposed to the maid.

“What?!”

“That’s a great idea, Father!” While Amaryllis looked shocked by the suggestion, I practically jumped on the idea. “Should we hold the ceremony in a church somewhere, you think? Or should we make it a secular affair and use our own garden?”

“That’s a wonderful idea! I love the thought of the whole manor getting together to celebrate, so garden it is!”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page! What should we do for her dress? Shall we call on Madame Fleur?”

“Yes, let’s! We’ll need a white tailcoat for Rohtas too.”

“No, black would be better!”

With Mother Fisalis getting in on the fun now, we got more and more wrapped up in our excitement, until Father Fisalis suddenly snapped back to his senses and asked, “Uh...ahem! Are you all right with that, Amaryllis?”

“I would be overjoyed...but I’m not entirely sure about Rohtas,” she replied, a tiny, uncomfortable smile on her face.

Oh, she’s got a point. We need to ask Rohtas what he thinks about all this. Silly me—I got so carried away that it nearly slipped my mind!

“She’s right, Father! We forgot to ask Rohtas how he feels about this!”

“Righty-ho! Someone fetch Rohtas post-haste!”

“Yes, Master!”

My father-in-law’s word was law. As soon as he gave the command, one of the maids dashed off towards the main residence.

* * *

“...So there you have it. Since the plan is to return Amaryllis to this estate, we thought this might be the perfect opportunity for the two of you to get married.”

“I see...”

When Rohtas had first come out to the cottage at the behest of the maid, he’d seemed wary of the reason behind the summons, but as soon as Father Fisalis summed up the situation for him, the look on his face had taken a turn for the pensive. I mean, as you’d expect from our unflappable butler, it was only a very subtle change in his expression. Still, was something nagging at him?

Rohtas said nothing after his initial response, and nobody else could bring themselves to speak up either. Amaryllis seemed to be getting quite apprehensive about that demeanor of his.

Oh man, I’m not liking the vibes in the cottage living room right now. What should I do?!

While I was on the edge of my seat watching the scene play out, Rohtas’s gaze finally softened, a faint, bittersweet smile overtaking his face. “If I were to agree now, it would seem like I was only doing it at Lord Fisalis’s behest. What a dilemma.”

Huh? What does that mean? I tilted my head to one side, wondering what the issue here could be.

He went on, “I would prefer to ask in my own words, rather than simply go along with my master’s proposition.” There, he turned to Father Fisalis and asked, “Would that be all right, sir?”

Oh, so that’s what it was! He’s got a point—it’s important for him to do the talking here!

“Of course!” my father-in-law agreed with a vigorous nod.

Once he had his former master’s permission, Rohtas strode right up to Amaryllis, who was still gazing at him with trepidation in her eyes. “Amaryllis, if you are to be joining us here in Rohze, could I ask for your hand in marriage? I apologize for making you wait for so long. From here on out, I want to stay by your side and keep you safe...as the person you hold closer than anyone else.”

Going down on one knee, Rohtas took Amaryllis’s hands in his and proposed to her.

Dang... That actually sounded super cool. And I cannot believe he went for a public proposal right in front of all of us! Eeee!

The pure sincerity in his eyes as he gazed into Amaryllis’s own was enough to make everyone’s heart skip a beat. And for the record, that included Father Fisalis!

For her part, Amaryllis went red in the face, nodding her head over and over and over. “Yes... Yes...”

“Oh, I’m so happy! I think I’m tearing up a bit!”

“Goodness, me too.”

Mother Fisalis and I took each other’s hands, sharing in our joy.

“Now that the touching proposal is out of the way, it’s time to start hashing out the details of the ceremony!”

“You’re so right, Mother!”

The two of us were all ready to jump straight into wedding planning, only for Rohtas to step in and intervene. “We aren’t thinking quite that far ahead just yet.”

What are you saying, Rohtas?! A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event, you know; it’d be a waste not to have a ceremony! Well, okay... There may be a certain someone here who got to have hers twice, but I think we can all agree that the first one didn’t count.

“You have to have a ceremony! Don’t you agree, Amaryllis? C’mon, Rohtas, I bet you want to see her all dressed up as a bride too!”

“Well...”

“Perhaps so, but...”

Amaryllis and Rohtas exchanged glances, looking not altogether too displeased with this turn of events. Going by that reaction, I’d say I’m good to give them a little extra push!

“I like the idea of an informal ceremony in the garden, personally.”

“That sounds wonderful! I love it!”

“I knew you’d agree, Mother!”

“That settles it—we’re not heading back to our territory until the wedding is over! You’re welcome to use as much budget as you need, so let’s make it a ceremony to remember.”

“You’re the best, Father!”

“We need to get Madame Fleur over here ASAP!”

“We’ll leave that to you, Stellaria!”

“I’ll go let the rest of the servants know!”

“And I’ll inform Bellis that we’ll be using his garden!”

“Please do!”

My parents-in-law, their maids, and I all jumped into action, brimming with excitement. Rohtas and Amaryllis simply stood back and watched the scene unfold, awkward smiles on their faces.