"I don't know why you're suddenly asking for a tour of the house but since I'm less busy I'll show you around."
Ruby leads the way as she shows me around the large house. Apart from wanting to know how large and beautiful the house is, I want to meet the workers here and see how I can get them to respect me.
We stop by different large rooms in the house including the guest rooms, and tea room, we even have a library.
Finally, we arrive at the kitchen. The women there are making different desserts as it seems Countess Della has visitors. The house is never empty as different people come to kiss up to the Countess or Letitia.
Two days ago I had Ruby write the names of the people that work in the mansion and how they behave.
The workers stare at me and Ruby like we're some pests disturbing their work. I walk up to the lady with the nastiest look on her face and knock on the table in front of her.
"Can I get tea and some snacks prepared, I'll come get it later."
The lady stops kneading the dough in front of her and faces me with a disgusting look.
"Can't you see I'm busy? If you want tea so much why don't you make it yourself, my lady!"
I scoff and move closer to her.
"Who do you think you're to talk to me like that?"
The woman who looks to be in her 40s move back a little surprised at me talking back.
"You're paid to work here but you dare talk like that to someone who pays your salary."
The woman tries to talk but I stop her before she could.
"You could have politely told me you were busy and I'd ask someone else to do it but you ask me to do it myself."
"I thought rank and order is something taken seriously during this time period but I guess not judging by your behavior."
The woman now has an anxious look on her face as she steps back a little.
"You're fired. You've been working here for 7 years so I thought you'd be able to control the new workers better. "
"Judging by how you behave, you don't deserve to work here. Not as the head cook at least."
Ruby and the other people looking are surprised by my words. Ruby tries to stop me but I didn't let her.
"Who are you to fire me!"
The lady says with anger now visible on her face.
"The owner of this house! I'll come back tomorrow morning to check this place. It wouldn't be a pretty sight if I still meet you here."
I move away from the woman before turning to Ruby.
"Where's our next destination?"
"Your private garden, my lady."
Ruby replies with a small smile on her face.
"Have them send some tea and snacks to the garden. I'm expecting it'll arrive in no more than 10 minutes."
I walk out of the now silent room, after walking quite far from the kitchen, I stop to take a deep breath.
"That woman looks so scary"
Ruby chuckles and pats my back.
"You should have done this years ago, the head cook is always acting like you don't exist and she even delivers your food late or give you small rations. "
I and Ruby chuckle at each other like we just made a big accomplishment. We make our way toward my private garden.
I open a glass door with all types of flowers drawn on it. The combination of blue, yellow and green is stunning.
Taking a step into the garden, the only thing I can do is open my mouth wide in astonishment. The indoor garden is filled with vines neatly spread on the wall, and different types of green plants are spread out on the floor. You can tell they are well taken care of as their colors are vibrant. There's a circular table with chairs surrounding it, which I assume it's for when guests come over.
I see another small glass door at the end of the room. The door leads to an even more beautiful view. It's a small outdoor garden filled with different types of flowers and a small water fountain in the middle.
"It's really beautiful."
After taking in the beautiful view, my mind suddenly goes to the lotus I'd received from those two boys. I start looking through the garden if there are any lotus but there are none. I might not recognize other flowers but I know Lotus well because I had a neighbor who planted some in her front yard.
I know it's weird to look for those two boys here but I asked Ruby about them but there're no little boys here.
Ruby and I finally go back into the indoor garden. We meet a girl around my age serving refreshments on the table in the middle of the garden.
Her stomach suddenly rumbles earning a chuckle from me.
"Would you like to join us for some tea?"
She immediately rejects, frantically waving her hands as a no.
"Look at what you brought me, normally I can finish it by myself but I'm not hungry so you should join me to finish it."
She smiles a little and sits on the chair opposite me, Ruby and I also take a sit.
Even though the girl who delivered the snacks, whose name is Mary was a little hesitant to talk to me at first, she and Ruby are now laughing over a small joke I made.
After about an hour of talking Mary stands up to go back to her post.
"I know I'm not in the post to say this but what you did earlier with the head cook was really cool."
"And, it's really nice to see you being cheerful lady Vivian."
Mary bows a little and leaves the garden before I could reply.
~~~~
Ruby is pacing around the room looking very worried.
"What's wrong with you? You don't look so good.."
Ruby stops moving and holds my hand.
"Whatever the Countess says at dinner, don't take it to heart. Don't infuriate her in any way ok?"
I sigh now knowing why she's worried. Countess Della suddenly wants to have dinner together even though she never has dinner with me when the Count is not home.
She's probably going to scream at me about the woman I fired but who cares. I'll take care of the problem when it comes.
"Don't worry, I'll do as you say. Now, can you tell me what year we're in and the name of our country and the city we live in?"
Ruby sighs with frustration.
"That's not important now!"
"I know you won't stop asking if I don't tell you so I'll tell you."
"We're in the year 1732, our country's name is Ebleon and we are in the city called Maple Meadow"
Compared to 1732 in my reality, they are a little advanced here and their English is more modern. I won't have a hard time if the author has put some modern things in this world.
"You should get going to the dining hall now"
Ruby says double checking my clothes again. After coming back from the garden, I'd change into a burgundy circle skirt, with a long sleeve burgundy top with buttons on the back. The cloth is plain but it looks good on me.
What can I say, everything looks on me or should I say, Vivian. I let my hair down from the small bun it was in then make my way to the dining hall.
There's a long table that could take up to 15 people and a chair at the end of the table.
The Countess comes into the room with Letitia. She sits on the chair in the middle while Letitia and I sit opposite each other beside the Countess.
"How are you fairing nowadays?"
The Countess asks before taking a spoon of her potato soap.
"I'm doing just fine as I've always been."
I reply cutting my beef in small pieces.
"I thought you might be ill in the head for you to fire the head cook."
I drop my fork and knife and face her.
"I thought Mother of all people would know that a servant being disrespectful is nothing to be taken lightly."
"Father pays them to work for us and respect us. Mother being a Countess and defending someone with such behavior is unexpected.
"I'd say I'm quite disappointed."
I know I've hit a very big nerve as she slams her fist on the table.
"You pest! Leeching of me is not enough for you, now you're trying to act like you own the place!!"
I take a sip of water as she screamed before replying to her.
"Acting like I own the place? That's too much for me to do. I'm just using my rights as the daughter of this house."
"I thought I could take care of the matter without Father not being aware."
"Don't you agree, sister?"