Chapter 165: Information Leak (1/2)

“It’s the day right after our important discussion, and yet this happened. I am truly sorry.” [Reinhart]

My day started with an apology from Reinhart-san.

We had gathered here to have our meal, but on top of the four people that I was with last night, there was also a group of maids, wearing maid uniforms that had no fabric around the shoulders (sleeveless), accompanying us. Actually, it would be more apt to call them a group of girls. There were 5 girls, who looked to be around the age of middle school students, lined up along the front wall, looking like they were about to cry.

On either end of the group of young maids was the head maid, Arone-san, and Lilian-san. They sandwiched the girls in between them while wearing a stern expression on their faces, looking just like a pair of gaolers en route to bring a group of death row convicts to the gallows.

“Sorry, can we go over this again?” [Ryouma]

As for why things ended up like this, well…

“These girls stole the production method of the ‘secret medicine’ that Ryouma-sama made and used it without permission.” [Arone]

The girls shook with a jolt and their already paled countenance grew even paler. The girl to the rightmost looked like she was about to break down crying.

“By secret medicine, are you referring to the sugar scrub made using the mixture of mumitou and vegetable oil?” [Ryouma]

“Yes.” [Arone]

The reason we’re in this situation is because of the sugar scrub that I spoke about yesterday.

Hmm, but isn’t this partially my fault for talking about it?

As the story goes, apparently, during break time, these girls heard about the method for concocting the sugar scrub from the other maids who had overheard me. The ingredients were easily obtainable, so they tried making it themselves. At that point, that was all it was for them.

But the problem is that the sugar scrub has been recognized as a ‘secret medicine with beautifying effect’.

Unfortunately, in the mechanism of gossiping, the contents of the message changed just as it does in the telephone game, and the part about the ‘secret medicine’ was omitted while the simple idea that ‘mixing mumitou with vegetable oil and rubbing it on the skin will beautify it’ remained.

These girls are maids put in charge of the laundry. Their job is literally just to wash the laundry of the servants. That’s why a closer look would show that despite their young age, there are cracks and fissures all over their hands.

…It’s not all too surprising that girls their age would try something they heard about given the condition of their hands and the availability of the ingredients.

Unfortunately, they caught the attention of a senpai servant and the story blew up into them ‘stealing the production methods of the secret medicine’.

That being said, as servants of the duke’s family, part of their contract states that they should not leak or use without permission information learned while working at the residence. This includes information from the members of the family and the guests. In other words, a duty to a principle of faith and trust.

I am a guest and the secret medicine is a product I brought in. Even if they didn’t know about it, they still breached a stipulation they agreed to. The other servants they heard the sugar scrub from are also being investigated.

“Their actions are no different from wounding the family name and slinging mud on the face of the master. Appropriate punishment must be handed out.” [Arone]

If word were to get out that the servants here liked to leak information, who would ever wish to talk about important business secrets here?

Their actions threaten the trust between the master of the residence and the guests, so it’s not enough just to remind them.

It doesn’t matter at all that I casually spoke about it.

At the very least, that seems to be the case from the way the head maid, Arone-san, is talking.

I don’t know what this ‘appropriate punishment’ is, but looking at the face of the girls lined up, I can more or less imagine that it’s nothing good. They’ll either be fired from their jobs or worse, they’ll be lucky to just be fired.

I don’t know the exact details, but at this rate, things won’t sit right with me.

“Reinhart-san, I understand the situation, but I’m the one who spoke about the sugar scrub in front of the servants… I know that that probably doesn’t really matter, but as the victim, can I ask a couple of questions?” [Ryouma]

“But of course.” [Reinhart]

“Very well. First, will it be possible to make my own demands?” [Ryouma]

“As the employer, I must show some good faith. It would depend on the content of the demands, but you may speak freely.” [Reinhart]

“The thing is that regardless what punishment they receive, it won’t benefit me in any way.” [Ryouma]

Whether they’re fired or are punished with something worse, I won’t benefit in any way.

“We will be compensating you as well, though.” [reinhart]

“I don’t wish for compensation from Your Grace. After all, it was them who caused me damage, so it is only right that they be the ones to pay me back.

Moreover, I presently haven’t considered the sugar scrub – the product they allegedly stole – to have any value as a product. Of course, I do think of it as seed that could eventually bloom into one.” [Ryouma]