Chapter 11 - A Day at Sardinson Castle

A day at Sardinson Castle begins with the servants bustling about.

There are only three masters in the castle, but many more people live within its walls. The number of servants exceeds a hundred, and they must complete all preparations before their masters awaken. This means their work begins before dawn.

Today, Qin and Penny do not have to follow the steward's assignments to manage the castle. They are now Wei Wei's maids, and their entire day will be arranged by her.

Last night, they were not on night watch duty, so they had the rare chance to sleep soundly. However, compared to Penny, Qin, despite following Wei Wei's orders to rest, remained uneasy. So, early in the morning, she woke Penny and the two of them carried washing supplies and hot water upstairs.

"Qin, isn't this too early? Miss Wei Wei is probably still asleep."

Penny, holding a kettle filled with hot water, followed Qin but was skeptical about being summoned so early. Everyone knew that nobles, unless they had pressing matters, never woke up this early. Unlike the busy servants, they often slept until around ten. In the entire castle, only the Earl rose early due to his never-ending official duties—everyone else likely wouldn't be seen until noon.

Right now, the sun had only just begun to rise over the hills. Even the Earl was probably still asleep.

Qin carried a wooden basin filled with clean cotton cloth and soap. Her face and hands were freshly washed—yesterday's interaction with Wei Wei made it clear that their beautiful guest was very particular about cleanliness. Wanting to make a good impression, Qin had dragged Penny to wash their hands and faces with cold water at dawn.

Penny had complained a little. Although spring had arrived, Sardinson's spring was far from warm. Especially before sunrise, the icy well water left their hands numb with cold.

Hot water wasn't something they were allowed to use for themselves.

"We were supposed to be keeping watch last night."

Qin glanced back at Penny. Truthfully, the two of them were not particularly close—she simply happened to be assigned as Wei Wei's maid alongside Penny. Because of this, she had to keep an eye on the somewhat careless girl. She didn't want to be dragged down by her.

"Even though Miss Wei Wei allowed us to rest if we're not around when she wakes up, the steward won't even need her to say anything—he'll kick us out of the castle himself."

It was obvious to everyone that the Earl had fallen for their guest at first sight. Though it was too soon to say anything definitive, Qin believed that as long as this guest was indeed a noblewoman of high status—even if she came from a foreign land—she had a good chance of becoming the future Countess of Williams.

And judging from Wei Wei's demeanor, no one would doubt that she was of noble birth.

Qin, sharp-minded as she was, saw this as an opportunity. Right now, Miss Wei Wei had no other personal attendants. If she served her well and gained her trust, she might one day become the castle's head maid—just like Madam Nancy, the mistress's maid.

Even if Wei Wei did not end up as the next Countess, serving by her side would still increase Qin's chances of being noticed by her masters and earning their trust.

Of course, Qin's ambitions were limited to securing a better position and salary. As for those filthy schemes of seducing the master—she would never stoop to that.

Hearing that they might be expelled, Penny shivered involuntarily.

The work in the castle was hard, but compared to life outside, it was far better. Here, she had enough to eat, warm clothes to wear, and even received a decent monthly wage. Having nearly been sold into slavery by her parents, Penny had no desire to leave.

She dared not protest further and quietly followed Qin up the stairs.

The castle was dark. The masters could afford torches and candles, but the servants had to feel their way through the darkness. Fortunately, they were used to it.

As they turned up the spiraling staircase, they suddenly saw a firelight ahead.

Qin's heart tightened. Who else would be coming down from the upper floors at this hour? That side of the castle was occupied only by the Earl's family and their new guest.

The firelight drew closer, and soon, Qin saw Wei Wei descending the stairs, holding a candle.

Encountering someone in the hallway, Wei Wei was not surprised. This place was too quiet—her keen ears had picked up their footsteps before they even approached.

She greeted them first. "Good morning, you two."

"Miss Wei Wei, good morning." The two maids hurriedly curtsied, flustered. "We apologize for not arriving sooner."

Allowing a guest to rise without attendants was a serious mistake. If the steward found out, they would likely be stripped of their positions as personal maids and relegated to menial labor.

"It's fine. I just woke up earlier than expected."

Truthfully, Wei Wei hadn't wanted to wake up so early, but in the medieval era, there wasn't much to do at night besides sleeping. And after discovering a rat in her room last night, she hadn't slept well at all. Unable to fall back asleep, she simply got up.

The flickering firelight illuminated the girls' anxious expressions. Wei Wei changed the subject. "I was looking for you. Is that hot water for me?"

"Yes, Miss."

Wei Wei led them back to her room, washed her face with the hot water, and rinsed her mouth. Unfortunately, there was no toothbrush or toothpaste, so brushing her teeth was out of the question for now.

She had noticed that both maids had rather poor teeth—yellowed and visibly worn. If she didn't want to end up the same way, she needed to find an alternative for oral hygiene.

There were no facial care products available either. Constantly washing her face with soap might eventually make her skin rough—another problem she needed to address.

As she pondered these concerns absentmindedly, Qin carefully brushed her hair. The morning light gradually brightened, illuminating the bedroom. Qin glanced at Wei Wei's face and hesitated before saying, "You don't look well-rested."

Wei Wei smiled, a little embarrassed. "I'm not used to some of the… small creatures in the castle. They kept me awake."

Small creatures in the castle?

Penny was puzzled, but Qin immediately understood. "You mean the rats?"

"Yes." Wei Wei saw no point in hiding it—she might as well tell them.

She wanted the rats gone.

Even if the rest of the castle was infested, she refused to tolerate them in her room—at least not while she was staying here.

Qin nodded in understanding. "I'll inform the steward and have someone deal with them for you."

If a guest didn't want to see rats, it was their duty to ensure she didn't. Besides, most women disliked rats.

As she tidied up, Penny hesitated before suggesting softly, "Miss, would you like to keep a cat?"

"A cat?" Wei Wei looked up.

Seeing no disapproval, Penny continued, "I heard from the shepherds that they saw wild cats near the edge of the woods. They even heard kittens crying. If you'd like, I can ask them about it."

In medieval Europe, people were wary of cats—especially black ones. They feared their glowing eyes in the dark and often associated them with demons. However, at this point in history, cats had not yet been linked to witches, so they were merely disliked rather than actively persecuted.

Wei Wei had never owned a pet before, but she did like furry animals—especially when there were rats around.

"Please ask for me, then."

Hearing her approval, Penny beamed and continued her work, looking happier than before.

Before working at the castle, she had once seen a litter of kittens—frail and barely surviving. She had wanted to care for them, but back then, she had barely been able to feed herself. In the end, she could only watch them starve. Now, the thought of Wei Wei taking in a kitten filled her with a sense of satisfaction.

Qin sighed at the obvious delight on both their faces. She didn't mention that the castle's previous owner had hated cats, which was why there had never been any here.

But Felix didn't seem to mind them, so perhaps it would be fine?

After Qin finished styling Wei Wei's hair, Wei Wei instructed them to take her to the kitchen.

She had promised to cook for Felix. Having reviewed the recipes last night, she felt prepared. Since she had woken early, she might as well get started—she still didn't know what ingredients were available.

Hearing this, Qin hesitated. "At this hour, the kitchen is busy preparing food for the servants. It might be chaotic."

Wei Wei, however, focused on another detail. "Wait… so you two haven't had breakfast yet?"

The maids exchanged glances before nodding. "No, but we brought food."

They pulled out their rations—dry, coarse black bread.

Seeing the unappetizing, rock-hard bread, Wei Wei suddenly lost her appetite.