* * *
The next morning, as the energetic crowing of a rooster echoed through the air, Ed woke up with a start.
As he prepared to head out, he reached for the paper on his desk.
“Huh?”
He searched the desk thoroughly, but the paper he had written on last night was nowhere to be found.
After a fruitless search, he gave up, worried about losing precious time.
Jaynon might leave if he didn’t hurry.
Fortunately, Jaynon was still in his room, sipping tea.
Ed quickly sat across from him and opened his notebook.
“So, Jaynon, I was thinking we could plan Young Master Ronen’s birthday party like this. I doubt he even knows his real birthday. When he was at the Count’s estate, it was probably celebrated on a different date.”
Hearing Ed’s plan, Jaynon—initially yawning—became fired up.
“Exactly! It’s his first real birthday since returning. We have to make it unforgettable. The Count’s family couldn’t have celebrated it properly, so this is even more important.”
Taken aback by Jaynon’s intensity, Ed flipped a page and continued discussing ideas.
“Alright, I’ll follow your lead. You already got approval from His Grace, right? So, where should we start?”
Remembering the missing paper, Ed quickly tore out the last page of his notebook and wrote a fresh list for Jaynon.
With each word, Jaynon nodded fervently, clapping his hands in excitement when Ed finished.
“You clearly know Ronen better than anyone. If I were planning this, it would’ve been boringly traditional. Shall we begin preparations today?”
When Ed nodded, Jaynon leapt to his feet, donned his coat, and hurried out.
“I’ll instruct the staff immediately. Ed, take care of the young master and don’t overdo it.”
“Got it. Thanks.”
Left alone, Ed tidied up his notes and prepared to head to the Duke’s office.
As he stood, a sudden dizziness made him stagger.
Gripping the chair for support, he frowned.
“I’ve been eating and sleeping well lately. What’s this about?”
The spell soon passed, and Ed dismissed it as nothing serious, hurrying to tackle his busy schedule.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
As soon as Ed knocked on the door of the Grand Duke’s office, a commanding voice echoed from within.
Taking a deep breath, Ed stepped inside.
“Your Grace, there’s something we need to prepare right away regarding what we discussed yesterday.”
“What is it, Ed?”
Ed took another small breath as the Grand Duke’s voice reached his ears, steadying himself before speaking.
“I hope you can make some time over the next week, Your Grace.”
“I’d like to say it’s possible right now since I’m the one who brought it up, but… as you know, there’s a mountain of work to handle. A week might be a bit difficult,” the Grand Duke said, a hint of reluctance in his tone.
Ed noticed the hesitation in the Grand Duke’s expression.
After a brief pause, he carefully placed a set of documents he had prepared in advance on the desk.
“Your Grace, could you please take a look at these documents?”
“And what are these?”
“These are… a restructuring plan I drafted after consulting with the chief butler and a few others about improvements to our current workflow.”
The Grand Duke picked up the documents and began to peruse them methodically, page by page.
Watching intently, Ed unconsciously moistened his dry lips.
“I started thinking about this when I saw how much work you handle by yourself, Your Grace. I couldn’t help but wonder—was the administrative burden of the Northern Fortress always this centralized? So, I asked the chief butler.”
Ed paused as the Grand Duke looked up briefly, prompting him to continue.
“He told me that, before the previous Duke’s passing, you weren’t handling all the tasks yourself. That’s when I…”
Ed leaned in closer and pointed to a section of the document.
“I researched in the library, reviewing records on Northern administration and past work logs. Using that as a reference, I’ve outlined a structure that delegates smaller tasks to the department heads while preserving the system from before.”
Ed’s explanation became more animated as he pulled out a pen, marking various parts of the document and detailing his proposal.
Eventually, finding it difficult to convey his points from across the desk, he walked around and stood beside the Grand Duke, illustrating his ideas with fervor.
The Grand Duke watched Ed’s passionate presentation with amusement, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.
Oblivious, Ed was too engrossed in his role to notice, his sole focus on persuading the Grand Duke.
‘I must succeed in this presentation. For the sake of more time between His Grace and Ronen, I’ll show the power of a modern system!’
By the time Ed’s fiery presentation concluded, the morning sun was shining brightly through the window.
“With this plan in place, Your Grace wouldn’t need to personally review and approve every document except for the most significant events,” Ed concluded.
The Grand Duke, unable to suppress his satisfaction, crossed his arms and feigned deep thought to hide his smile.
“Hmm… Actually, Ed, this idea has been brought up before. But do you know why it was never implemented?”
Hearing this, Ed’s confidence faltered. He shrank slightly, hesitant as he ventured a guess.
“Was it… because there wasn’t anyone suitable to lead the departments?”
“No, we have competent people for that—though some mid-level managers’ skills are still shaky. For example, law enforcement could go to Irtel, internal affairs to the butler, administration and finances to Jaynon, and diplomacy to Tens.”
“Then… is it because it’s too different from the current system?”
“Not quite. Unlike the palace, we’re not constantly embroiled in petty political squabbles.”
The Grand Duke finally put Ed out of his misery.
“What we lacked was someone to serve as the link connecting all the departments. And that’s why—”
As the Grand Duke elaborated, Ed realized his plan had been too focused on the workers’ perspective.
Taking a seat in the chair the Grand Duke offered, Ed began revising the document with newfound insight.
Their meeting stretched into the evening, the interruptions limited to meals brought directly to the office when the Grand Duke didn’t appear in the dining hall.
“So… this plan can’t be implemented immediately, then?” Ed asked, his eyes sparkling with determination despite his exhaustion.
The Grand Duke shook his head, a smile playing on his lips.
“No, as I said, the only missing piece is someone to coordinate the departments. Once that’s resolved, we can begin right away.”
“Does that mean… you already have someone in mind?”
The Grand Duke said nothing, only fixing his gaze on Ed.
The realization dawned on Ed, who pointed to himself hesitantly, his voice trembling.
“S-surely you don’t mean… me?”
“Congratulations, Ed. You’ve officially become my one and only butler.”
Thud.
Ed slid down the door of his room, collapsing onto the carpet.
He sat there for some time until the door suddenly opened behind him, smacking the back of his head.
“Ow!”
“Whoa, Ed! Why are you trying to break the door with your head? Do you know how much the castle maintenance budget costs every year? And now I’m in charge of finances, so every penny counts.”
Rubbing his head, Ed blinked at Jaynon’s words, his eyes widening in realization.
“F-finances? Then don’t tell me—”
“Yep, thanks to you. His Grace already gathered the department heads and outlined the new system and its key points.”
“…”
“And magic never ceases to amaze me. Not only did he duplicate the documents, but he transferred all the details directly into our heads. Fascinating, isn’t it?”
Jaynon pulled Ed to his feet and shook his hand enthusiastically.
“Thanks, Ed. If this system takes root, His Grace’s workload will be much lighter. Everyone, from the butler to the others, wanted to thank you, but they thought it’d be overwhelming to visit all at once, so I’m here on their behalf. Oh, and to congratulate you.”
“Congratulate me?”
“Yep! His Grace made it clear—you’re his only direct subordinate now. Better stay on his good side.”
The realization hit Ed like a thunderbolt. Groaning, he clutched his head and doubled over.
Patting Ed on the shoulder, Jaynon recalled the words of encouragement he had received when he first became one of the Grand Duke’s key aides.
“His Grace also said to tell you he’s looking forward to working with you. And he promised to make time for the next week, starting tomorrow.”
“…”
“So get some rest, Ed. No matter how hard you pray, morning always comes in the Northern Fortress.”
That night, Ed understood the truth of Jaynon’s parting words all too well.
No matter how much he agonized, dawn came, and his new responsibilities remained unchanged.
* * *
Какой миленький Джей