The plan to create a new room for me on the second floor proceeded smoothly, and before I knew it, the day of the renovation had arrived.

Originally, this was supposed to be the day when the craftsmen performed their annual inspection of the mansion before the rainy season. Since the mansion undergoes thorough maintenance twice a year—before the spring and autumn rainy seasons—it didn’t take much time to complete.

As a result, they were able to devote their full attention to the renovation…

The second floor of the south wing is a women-only area, but exceptions are made for craftsmen in situations like this.

In this world, there are very few women in the craftsman trade.

The few fields where female artisans are common tend to be in less physically demanding and more artistic trades, like sewing and sculpture.

Since there’s no mechanical support available, there’s not much that can be done, and society generally accepts that as the norm.

That said… in cases like this…

The craftsmen, under close watch by armed female soldiers, are taking measurements along the hallway walls.

Leading the female soldiers are, also fully armed, Teresa and Mio.

Incidentally, the craftsmen aren’t just in the hallway; some are in the attic too, with guards posted there as well.

There are ten craftsmen in total, including their foreman, and ten guards watching them—quite the security detail.

If you count Elena, who’s waiting in Seriana’s room, our side actually has more people…

Well, of course—Seriana for sure, but even if she’s not present, this area is meant for noblewomen, and having men enter it calls for strict supervision.

This kind of careful diligence probably builds the trust in this household.

I understand that, but still, it must be hard for the craftsmen to work with armed personnel looming behind them.

…Well, I’m there too, though.

I could’ve waited with Seriana in her room, but I was interested in the renovation, so I decided to watch.

“Oh? They’re stripping things off, huh…”

As I floated and watched the craftsmen, they seemed to have finished measuring and moved on to another task.

The craftsmen in the attic began removing the ceiling—or, from their perspective, the floorboards.

Meanwhile, the ones in the hallway began stripping the wall of the guest room opposite Seriana’s room.

When they peeled away the wall panels, they revealed support beams and what looked like insulation material.

“There are support pillars inside. First, we’ll remove those, then relay the floorboards.”

A guild representative, dispatched from the Commercial Guild to explain the work, was with us.

So far, I’m the only one asking him any questions.

He explained what they were doing now.

To summarize the renovation: Phase 1 involves removing the walls between the hallway and the room.

Phase 2 will remove part of the wall adjacent to Seriana’s room to add a new door.

Then, in Phase 3, they’ll erect a new wall to section off the hallway and create a large room.

I am a little concerned that I’ll have to go through Seriana’s room to reach my own, but… I’m only going to use it as a storage room anyway, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

◇

The work progressed smoothly. They ripped up the carpet from the hallway, trimmed it to size—things were moving along pretty boldly.

With Phase 1 complete, they were just about to begin Phase 2 when…

“Everyone, tea is ready.”

The servants appeared, pushing wagons laden with tea and light snacks.

The fact that they didn’t ask permission first highlights the difference in treatment compared to visiting guests…

“Oh, thank you very much… Hey, you lot! Break time. Be on your best behavior!”

The foreman didn’t seem the least bit bothered. He thanked them and called for a break.

As for the workers…

“Yes!” “Aye!” “Right!”

Their responses weren’t exactly refined.

They must have gotten used to the work; their earlier tension was no longer visible.

With me around, they might let their guard down a little too much. It might be better if I stayed away.

Watching them during their break, that’s what I started to think.

Maybe I should go to Seriana’s room.

◇

“Oh? Done with your tour already?”

When I entered Seriana’s room, she looked at me curiously.

“Yeah. I felt like I was just getting in the way if I stayed.”

With them getting more comfortable in that environment—and with me around, someone they’re used to chatting casually with—they might slip into informal speech.

That’s not a big deal outdoors, but working inside the lord’s mansion? Yeah, Teresa would probably be mad.

Seriana seemed to have anticipated that too, smiling wryly.

I shouldn’t be a burden.

Coming here was the right call.

“Well, it’s fine. So, how far along are they?”

“They’ve removed the wall on the other side. Once the break’s over, they’re going to install the door there. After that’s the hallway partition wall, but it’s already mostly finished, so I don’t think it’ll take long.”

They had a completed door ready, and the frame and posts for the hallway wall were already in place.

Now all that’s left is to attach them.

I’d done a little DIY in my past life, but never anything that serious… Still, the craftsmen here are clearly on another level.

Just as I was nodding to myself, there was a knock at the door.

When I opened it, Teresa was standing on the other side.

“Cleared out?”

“Yes. We’re about to resume work and wanted to let you know. It’ll be a bit noisy—will that be alright?”

“Hmm.”

I looked toward Seriana, who gave a small nod.

“Understood. Then I’ll take my leave.”

With that, Teresa returned to the hallway.

Mm-hmm… Looks like the work is almost finished.

I’ve already ordered a shelf for the room.

Since it’s not custom-made, it should arrive soon. Maybe I’ll start thinking about how to lay out the furniture…!

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sera ・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Blessing of Mira】【Wind’s Garment】・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Serpent’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】【Red Sword】【Monkey’s Arm】・4 cards

Seriana ・【Area Identification】・【】・39 cards

Elena ・【】・【Green Fang】【Amber Sword】・4 cards

Alec ・【Strong Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・10 cards