Succession of Duty (1)

On that same sunny afternoon, while the pier occupied Nicolaus, Mikael found himself standing right in front of Madam Isabel's office. It was conveniently stationed right next to the library, as preferred by Madam Isabel.

He clutched the key in his hand, and despite it looking like a simple piece of metal, it felt surprisingly heavy.

Mikael took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves, and then he carefully inserted the key into the doorknob and gave it a twist. The lock obediently gave way, and he gently pushed the door open, stepping inside the office.

His heart skipped a beat as his eyes wandered through the room. It was a spacious area, not as grand as the master rooms, but definitely on the bigger side. 

A large window, draped in thin cream curtains allowed golden sunlight to pour in and gently illuminate the room, giving it a warm and inviting ambiance.

The guest area was set up to be welcoming, with a comfortable couch and a coffee table, ready for any visitors who might drop by. 

Over at the far end, there stood a working desk where the lady of the house dealt with her affairs. Surrounding this workspace were bookshelves lined the walls crammed full of records. 

But it was not just the furniture that gave this room its unique character. Nestled in the corners were plants, giving life into the space. 

Although Madam Isabel was said to have not used this room in quite some time, the plants seemed to be thriving, thanks to the person who cared for them.

Mikael took a moment to admire the office. As he entered, his fingers gently brushed against the soft couch while he made his way to the working desk of the office.

It was a moment filled with mixed feelings for him. He had always believed he'd be sitting in his father's office one day, but that dream didn't quite pan out.

Now, due to circumstances that led him to become the Marchioness, he doubted he would ever have an office of his own again.

While he was lost in his thoughts, the silence of the room was suddenly interrupted by a soft voice. "Quite a sight, isn't it? There are so many plants here."

Startled, Mikael spun around, and there stood Miss Celia. She had been there the whole time, but Mikael had been so engrossed in taking in the office that he had utterly forgotten her presence.

Miss Celia walked with him into the room, her eyes drawn to the lush plants. "These plants really liven up this room, don't they, Marchioness?" she remarked. 

Gently, she extended her hand and lovingly caressed the leaves of one of the plants. "Does it look pretty obvious that Madam Isabel has a thing for her greenery?" she mused.

Clearly, there were plants everywhere within the room. Other than the corners of the office, they were on the coffee table, nestled on shelves, and also adorned the desk.

Mikael, almost without realizing it, mumbled under his breath, "There are even plants in porcelain vases out in the hallway…"

"Oh yeah." Miss Celia could not help but let out a chuckle. "To tell you the truth, the late Master wasn't exactly thrilled about it, but he let Madam Isabel have her way with her greens."

Mikael chimed in, "But… they do add a nice touch to everything."

A warm smile spread across Miss Celia's face as she nodded in agreement. They shared a brief moment of quiet, just appreciating.

After a short while, his eyes roamed over the office once more, and as he noticed the desk, he could not help but wonder. Turning to Miss Celia, he asked inquisitively, "Miss Celia, shouldn't there be more paperwork here? Where is all of it?"

He fully expected the desk to be buried beneath an avalanche of documents. However, to his surprise, there were only a few papers scattered about.

Just as he voiced his curiosity, Miss Celia walked over to the desk. Her composed demeanor seemed to waver a bit as she answered, "Uh, er, Secretary Cade is on the way to bring the documents, my lady."

And right on cue, there came a knock at the door with Secretary Cade coming in. He was smoothly wheeling in a silver trolley stacked high with piles of documents. Right behind him was Beth, pushing another trolley, equally laden with an overwhelming quantity of paperwork.

Mikael's eyes bulged from their sockets as he took in the sight of the paperwork that now dominated the room. "Th, This is… quite a lot," he stammered, the enormity of the task ahead suddenly hitting him.

Miss Celia and Secretary Cade exchanged sheepish glances, both fully aware of the massive pile of workload that lay ahead. Letters and documents began flooding the office, each one demanding their immediate attention.

Secretary Cade cleared his throat, his tone tinged with sympathy, as he replied, "Indeed, my lady. We have got quite a backlog of letters and urgent matters on our hands. Sorting through all of this is going to take us some time."

Mikael slowly approached the chair behind the desk. His fingers traced the patterns etched into the top rail, and his other hand rested on the surface of the desk itself. The weight of his new responsibilities bore down on him, and he needed a moment to let it all sink in.

Taking a deep breath, his eyes darting back and forth between the two hefty trolleys that were stacked high with an absolute mountain of papers. The amount of work waiting for him was nothing short of overwhelming.

At least the documents from Mister Remus regarding his family business hadn't arrived yet, which was a bit of a relief. He knew that when they did come, they would only add more weight to his plate.

Before him, the three people who had been waiting stood in a somewhat awkward silence. Miss Celia was making an effort to force a smile, though it came out clearly strained. Meanwhile, Secretary Cade seemed to be avoiding direct eye contact, his gaze nervously darting around the room.

Miss Celia stepped forward. "My lady," she began, "please, never feel the need to hesitate when you require assistance."

Her words wrapped in a comforting tone as she went on, "We are here not only to oversee the estate's operations but also to lend a hand and ensure your new responsibilities are as manageable as can be."

Mikael met Miss Celia's gaze, and her words brought a comforting warmth to him. It felt like a weight off his shoulders, hearing her offer of support.

With a nod, he responded, "Alright. For now, let's start by organizing the documents into categories. Once we have done that, we can sort them again based on their importance."