Chapter 32: Rather, This is Normal
Right now, it seems the previous tenant has just moved out, and I’m checking the condition of the house. I think they’ve done a viewing before, but maybe this time it’s for a thorough inspection and price negotiation?
“Can I take a look too? This house is brand new and empty, and I’ve never seen a regular single-family home before.” I gently stroke Az, who has settled on my shoulder, as I ask.
“Sure, go ahead. There’s no furniture or anything, though.”
And so, I ended up intruding.
I thought we’d enter through the back door in the alley, but instead, we went through the front.
“Welcome!”
“Excuse me for intruding.”
As I opened the door, I sensed a presence, and Note came out to greet me.
“I apologize, but given the current state of things, I can’t offer you any tea.”
“I’m sorry for bothering you during a busy time. Thank you for the treats.”
Led by Note, I began to tour the house. The first-floor windows, except for the ones facing the courtyard, are small and high up. It seems that until recently, they kept horses and pigs here, and because of that, the first floor isn’t really suitable for living. Is the small size of the windows related to that? Maybe due to safety concerns?
Most houses facing the main street have shops on the first floor, so it seems that bedrooms and living rooms are typically on the second floor or higher.
The layout is quite similar, though the width differs. My rented house has homes on both sides, so there’s no window on one side, but it has a courtyard with a well on the first floor, a kitchen in the back room, and two floors above, plus a storage room in the basement.
The stairs to the second floor are on the opposite side of the wall with the windows, and the first-floor fireplace takes up one of the courtyard windows. My rented house was built recently, so it had a fireplace on the first floor from the start, but since this used to be a livestock shed, I wonder if it didn’t have one initially? It must have been a hassle to run a chimney or ventilation all the way up to the third floor, so it looks like they added it later to vent smoke into the courtyard.
Also, there are plenty of shelves attached to the walls.
“It seems they used to weave here, and they likely kept materials and dyeing tools before spinning them.”
“I see.”
Now that I look closely, there’s a stain on the floor that looks like dye.
Wait, how did he figure out what I was thinking just by looking at the shelves? The butler is no joke.
“Ugh.”
Why is there a toilet in the kitchen?! And why is it just a stone seat with a hole? The smell is unbearable!!!
It might be a practical layout for draining into the sewers, but I can’t accept it. If this is the norm in this world, then I’m done trying to adapt.
“By the way, Lord Jean’s house had the toilet separated by a wall, and the sewers didn’t smell.”
The kitchen’s drainage is designed like an S-trap, with water stored in the middle to prevent odors from rising, and that drainage connects to the toilet to flow into the sewers. The toilet was originally just a hole leading directly to the sewers, but it’s been modified. They even added a lid, and for any clogs, they just need to keep a bucket nearby and pour it down every now and then…
I’m not going to use it, but I’ve made sure it’s usable in case I have friends over at that rented house.
As for the Duke’s Household, they have wooden boxes that serve as chairs, with drawers underneath. The maids are said to call for help to swap them out as needed…
While there are no slaves, it seems there’s a distinction in jobs? Apparently, maids don’t do water work or something like that. It makes sense since the maids in the Duke’s Household are often noblewomen learning etiquette.
It seems the servants’ toilet is located in the corner of the servants’ kitchen. Ash, of course, and Note hardly ever go there. And the others go outside… What a vast toilet!
“Can I take a look?”
“Huh? Oh, sure.”
Since I’m already being shown around, I can’t refuse.
“What is this…?”
“It’s a bath.”
Wooden tubs are common, and having a dedicated bathing area in a personal home is rare due to drainage issues. A porcelain bathtub is so rare that it’s practically non-existent.
“I made a promise to use it once it’s ready.”
When Ash conveyed this to Note, one of his eyebrows raised slightly.
Oh no.
Wait, is she a woman?! I’ve already had her stay for a few days, and I completely overlooked that aspect.
“Once it’s ready, the butler can join too. It’s quite rare, right?”
I assure you, there’s no ulterior motive.
“Thank you. As a servant, I should probably refrain, but honestly, I’m quite curious.”
She bowed gracefully. That was close.
Now, onto the kitchen.
“Oh. It really doesn’t smell.”
“Yeah, it’s strange.”
I peeked into the toilet and leaned in close to the sink.
Ah, this sink has two compartments for holding water side by side. Since it takes effort to draw water from the well, it seems they use one side to soak the dishes and the other to rinse them.
“I’d like to remodel this even if it means delaying the move. Which workshop did you request this from? If possible, I’d like an introduction.”
“I did.”
“Really?”
With expectation, Note looked at me, but it’s just me.
“Note, this is something Lord Jean has personally worked on.”
“What?!—Is this technique registered with the Guild or made public?”
“Nope. I’m going to do that now.”
At this rate, it seems I’ll be asked to handle the renovations for that house. Renovating is fun, but I’d rather not deal with a used toilet!
Well, it’s a good thing for the town to become more hygienic. Honestly, imagining that kitchen when entering a restaurant really kills my appetite.
And so, my collection of makeshift patents grew.