Ethelric didn't care if you were a commoner and only worked as an architect for the duke. He always found your work to be the best of the best, no doubt in his or others' minds and words could ever say otherwise and adored you. However, hearing you had to move away to the countryside due to it being tough to make ends meet, he immediately sent you to his office to meet you one last time, or that's what you thought

"I don't care if you're ready to leave, stay. Stay or else."