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Chapter 103: The Butler Training Plan
🕑 Added 2024-12-21 16:05:00 +0000 UTCOn the terrace of the top tower of Neuschwanstein Castle, Josh leaned back in a deckchair, holding a puppy in his arms while three others played around his feet. Together they basked in the warm autumn sunlight.
The four puppies were Saint Bernard puppies that Josh had adopted from Randolph.
Josh had arrived at the castle during their weaning period. On the second day of his stay, he brought the puppies to the castle.
Randolph had accompanied him, but only to say goodbye. After saying goodbye, Randolph packed his bags and left for Norway, taking two adult dogs with him.
It had now been four days since Josh moved into Neuschwanstein Castle.
At first, living in such a lavish castle felt new and exciting, But after a few days, the excitement had worn off.
The main problem was the sheer size and emptiness of the castle. It felt too spacious, with far too few people around.
In the future, when the castle's construction was fully completed, Josh decided that it would be necessary to hire a larger staff.
A castle of this size would probably need at least a hundred servants and as many security guards to run smoothly.
A series of light footsteps echoed from the stairs below the tower as Josh dozed, half asleep.
The light, quick footsteps belonged to Jiaying.
Josh's deduction wasn't based on superhuman hearing, but on simple reasoning.
Such light footsteps obviously belonged to a woman, and there were only a handful of women in the castle at the moment.
After checking on Bucky's situation a few days earlier, Josh and his team woke him up. Ophelia had since escorted Bucky to Vienna and was absent from the castle.
This left only two young German maids, a cook known for her excellent roasted pork knuckles, and Jiaying.
However, of these individuals, only Jiaying could climb the 100-meter tower stairs in one go without showing any signs of fatigue.
Jiaying's ability, often referred to as immortality, was actually a manifestation of her immense life force.
Although it didn't give her any significant fighting ability, her vitality gave her extraordinary stamina and energy.
Practically speaking, Jiaying had seemingly endless stamina and rarely felt tired.
The only downside seemed to be her increased appetite.
Perhaps realizing this herself, Jiaying had begun learning household chores from the two young maids in the past few days.
Although Josh had agreed to take her in, Jiaying, who had lost her entire family, was reluctant to be a freeloader. As a simple and honest person, she didn't want to take advantage of anyone.
Although Josh probably wouldn't complain in the short term, she was worried about the future—especially when she met Josh's yet-to-be-introduced wife.
For now, Jiaying lacked any skills to speak of, so she was content to help out with simple chores.
Her endless energy allowed her to pick up new skills quickly, and she worked with impressive efficiency.
In just two days, Jiaying had taken over most of Josh's daily care from the two German maids.
Truly remarkable.
Soon, Jiaying appeared at the top of the stairs, carrying tea and snacks for Josh.
"Sir, is there anything else you need?" she asked quietly, placing the refreshments on a small table beside him.
Josh didn't answer immediately, but gave her a thoughtful look. Only when Jiaying began to fidget under his scrutiny did Josh finally speak,
"Jiaying, would you like to be my butler?"
"Butler? Can I do it?" Jiaying's initial reaction was a mixture of surprise and delight, quickly followed by doubt. She was familiar with the concept of a butler—a prestigious position in the homes of the town and county elites, responsible for managing all household staff. But could a simple village girl like her handle such a role?
"Not right now, of course. But there are schools in Europe that train butlers. I could send you to one. Over the past few days, I've observed how quickly you learn and how efficiently you work. You have the potential to become an excellent butler. I imagine you don't want to be a maid forever, do you?" Josh explained. "The decision is yours."
Josh's suggestion wasn't a spur-of-the-moment idea. After interacting with Jiaying over the past few days, he realized that she was perfectly suited for the role.
With her endless energy, ability to learn quickly, and organizational skills, she was the natural choice.
As Josh's responsibilities and assets grew, he needed someone who could manage his affairs.
Think of Stark's Jarvis or Wayne's Alfred.
Having such a butler extraordinaire would undoubtedly make Josh's life much easier.
"I'm willing! Thank you for the opportunity, sir!" Jiaying's eyes sparkled with excitement. Although she lacked worldly experience, she wasn't foolish enough to pass up such a golden opportunity.
"Good. Then get ready. I originally planned to return to the United States tomorrow, but we'll stop in Paris first," Josh said with a satisfied nod.
While English butlers were the most famous, much like French cuisine was the best in Britain, the origins of modern butler training were in France.
The French Butler Academy had a longer history than its British counterpart.
In addition, Paris had remained largely undamaged during the war, providing a much better environment than London.
There was no need to travel all the way to England.
"Thank you, sir! I'll prepare right away!" Jiaying exclaimed happily before rushing off to pack her things.
Watching her cheerful departure, Josh sipped his tea thoughtfully, It was time to return to the United States.
The main reason was that Margaret was about to give birth, and Josh didn't want to miss the arrival of his child.
It was October and Margaret was eight months pregnant. Although the phrase 'ten months of pregnancy' was common, most women gave birth around the ninth month.
If they waited until the last minute to return, they risked missing the birth altogether.
As for Europe, while the postwar situation was becoming clearer, the details of the division of Germany were far from settled.
Without a Yalta conference in this timeline to pre-negotiate the division, tensions between the Allies and Soviets in Germany were high.
Although both sides showed restraint, who could guarantee that things wouldn't escalate?
Until an agreement was reached, Josh's presence in Germany wouldn't be very useful. Better to return home to his wife and child for now.
With modern transportation, any urgent matters could be taken care of within a few days.
Another reason for leaving was that the first batch of Prisoner of war construction crews, trained under Ophelia's supervision, would be moving into the castle within two days.
For the foreseeable future, Neuschwanstein Castle would resemble a massive construction site.
Josh had no desire to eat his meals accompanied by the sound of hammers and chisels.
