Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are So Hot! [BL]-Chapter 242: Staffing the Dormitory

"As for the dormitory residents, there are five confirmed students," Theo continued. "There’s also one more person who might join."

"What? Theo, are you saying your residency in the dormitory hasn’t been decided yet?" Damien asked.

The five confirmed residents were himself, Leonide, Lysander, Lucian, and Lorenzo.

The possible sixth resident could only be Theo.

Was it because of his work commitments?

"Oh no, I won’t be staying in the dormitory," Theo clarified.

"Wait, what?" Damien blinked, surprised.

"I can’t live there," Theo explained. "As the heir to the Dalehaven family, I’m obligated to reside in the new dormitory our family recently constructed."

"Ah, I see. That makes sense," Damien said, realizing it was unavoidable given his position.

It was true—there was no way Theo could avoid residing in the dormitory her family had built.

"So, we’ll be living separately..." Damien thought, feeling a little—no, extremely—lonely at the idea.

"Please don’t make that face," Theo said gently. "I only need to be officially registered in the new dormitory. While at the academy, I’ll be visiting your dormitory often to hang out."

Had his feelings shown on his face?

Damien made a mental note to be more careful.

Still, hearing Theo’s reassurance eased his worries a little bit.

"So, officially, it’s five confirmed, one undecided, and one guest," Theo clarified.

"Uh, undecided?" Damien asked.

"It’s truly undecided at this point," Theo explained. "Just think of it as someone who might join. For now, assume it could be someone you haven’t met yet."

Theo’s vague explanation didn’t reveal much.

From his tone, it didn’t seem like it was someone from the estate.

"Well, I suppose I’ll find out when the time comes," Damien said.

He turned his head to his retainers. "So, what do you think?"

"Master Damien," Leonide began, speaking earnestly. "To be frank, I believe it would be difficult. The issue lies in the lack of staff. Even with a maximum of seven residents, asking Zima to handle everything alone would be impossible.

While we would like to assist, our own classes, responsibilities, and the risk of being seen by outsiders make it nearly unfeasible."

The other three nodded their heads in agreement with Leonide’s assessment.

Ah, so this was his retainers’ collective opinion.

They were impressive—far younger than Damien but so composed and clear in their reasoning.

The only obstacle they cited was the shortage of personnel.

If that could be addressed, they were confident the task was manageable.

"How many more staff members would we need, Leonide?" Damien asked.

"At least three more, Master Damien. One of them should be dedicated solely to cooking," Leonide replied without hesitation, as though he had already calculated the necessary numbers.

Three more people, Damien thought.

"Theo, remember how you mentioned that Lupusregina might join once my estate was built? Could we ask her to serve as the dorm’s cook instead? And, on that note, what happens to my estate now that I’m attending the academy?"

"In Lupusregina’s case, you’ll need to negotiate it with her by yourself," Theo replied with a smile. "In fact, you’re free to negotiate with anyone for recruitment. Feel free to manage that as you see fit."

Theo’s cheerful expression seemed oddly at odds with the idea of poaching staff.

Was it really something to smile about?

Naturally, Damien’s first thought was Sebas.

His gaze instinctively wandered toward him.

"Master Damien," Sebas said firmly, as though reading his mind, "I am not an option."

"Figured as much," Damien murmured with a sigh.

Still, he couldn’t trouble Theo’s household too much.

The fact that Leonide, Lupusregina, and others were even being considered for his dormitory was already a great kindness.

"As for your estate," Theo continued, "we’ll still build it. At this point, its primary purpose is to facilitate my interactions with my younger brother. While I can see him at the academy, the environment there can be... restrictive due to prying eyes."

Theo’s slight smirk suggested she was recalling specific incidents.

Right, Damien remembered.

Theo’s younger brother, Caius, would also be attending the academy.

They’d probably see each other more frequently than before.

Still, the estate’s construction being finalized felt a little bit overwhelming.

"Um, what if I decide to give up my barony after graduating? Wouldn’t that make the estate unnecessary?" Damien asked hesitantly.

"In that case, it’ll simply become part of my family’s holdings," Theo said matter-of-factly.

Ah, that made sense.

"Would the estate also need its own staff, then?" Damien asked.

"Yes, though since you’ll be living in the dorm, the estate will only require basic maintenance for now. Until circumstances change, my family will manage it," Theo reassured him.

"Thank you, Theo," Damien said, grateful as always.

He owed Theo so much.

Managing an estate would be complicated, especially with the unknown number of staff it might require.

"Still," Theo added thoughtfully, "I’d prefer to gradually transition the staff to being employees of your household. That would be the ideal outcome."

Damien couldn’t keep relying on Theo’s family for everything.

He had to take responsibility for his own affairs eventually.

"If I hire staff and then end up relinquishing my barony later... what happens to them?" he asked hesitantly.

"They’ll end up without jobs, of course," Theo replied bluntly.

As expected, Damien thought.

"Although, in reality, competent people will likely find new positions quickly. The issue would be with those who aren’t as skilled. However, if you’re hiring someone like that, there’s probably a compelling reason, isn’t there? I doubt you’d be able to simply ignore their plight, Damien."

That was true.

He’d likely be hiring people already in difficult situations—those who needed help the most.

Could he really choose not to help them just because he might step down as a baron later?

It was a disheartening thought, but Damien didn’t believe he could make such a cold decision.

"...It feels like I’m getting less and less likely to give up the barony," he muttered.

"That’s the nature of nobility," Theo said with a shrug. "For most, giving up their title isn’t even an option. In your case, I’m the one who foisted it on you. If it comes to that, I’ll take responsibility for the fallout."