Edited

45.

“Antoinette knows how to hide her presence strangely well. So, I embarrassingly didn’t notice her leaving the room.”

Norma, saying so, seemed to be both worried and subtly proud.

“Well then, what if the child leaves the room again today? It was fortunate yesterday that she came to my room.”

I looked at Antoinette, who had nestled on Norma’s thigh, with a somewhat serious tone. Antoinette, meeting my gaze, blinked innocently and buried her face in Norma’s leg.

“…Are you worried about Antoinette?”

Norma asked as if it were obvious, wearing a strange expression.

“Yes. She’s so small like this. Wouldn’t it be a big problem if she got lost?”

The nature of McFoy is very vast. Moreover, Antoinette is cherished by that Norma ‘Diazi’. If any problem were to arise, it would be a headache.

“Well then…”

Norma slowly raised his luck, and his lips followed suit.

Norma Diazi, with the same face as usual, had actually not been in a good mood since the unexpected appearance of the intruder.

He hadn’t been able to meet Aisa since the arrival of the guy called Kano from Romdak was so severe. He couldn’t even catch a glimpse of her back since he arrived. He couldn’t be so helpless just because he wanted to meet someone he liked.

Still, he thought he could see her at dinner, but she had to deal with something urgent and didn’t show up at the dinner table yesterday. To describe the emotions Norma Diazi felt at that moment, it was like an exaggerated second taste of life.

Instead of Aisa, her chief assistant expressed regret and sent valuable things. But the feeling of disappointment from not seeing her couldn’t be appeased by mere gifts.

‘I didn’t know I was such a selfish and greedy person. Feeling like this about busy Lady Aisa… I didn’t know.’

Realizing his feelings of love, at first, just being near her was enough. But now that he was close, he wanted to see her every day, look at her face, talk to her, and touch her. It was hard to restrain his hands from moving on their own.

Norma, who came to McFoy saying that he was okay with the fact that she had an engagement partner.

‘Philip Mofoc’s letter.’

But when he found out that Aisa’s fiancé had sent her a letter, he was shocked. Although he didn’t eavesdrop, her assistant whispered that it was a letter from Philip Mofoc, her fiancé.

Norma experienced a heartache just from knowing that her fiancé had sent her a letter.

Her expression when she received the letter wasn’t good. However, he couldn’t ask her about it based on what he overheard. He wasn’t someone who could ask her such things yet.

Norma realized every second that falling in love in McFoy was a very scary thing.

After the hope of seeing her at dinner was shattered, Norma returned to his room feeling down.

Lost in his empty feelings, he didn’t even pay attention to Antoinette. He didn’t even realize when Antoinette disappeared at some point.

He panicked when he heard that she was found in the Lord’s bedroom. He worried that Lady Aisa might be angry at Antoinette’s behavior, but she…

“Is Antoinette really a troublemaker?”

Norma didn’t miss the chance Antoinette created. Speaking with a bright smile and a confident tone, he said,

“I think Antoinette wants to sleep next to the Lord.”

“Next to me?”

Norma quickly nodded and began speaking again.

“Isn’t Diazi staying in McFoy for two more nights?”

The golden sparkle under his soft, slanted eyes seemed to shine brighter than ever.

“Yes.”

“For the remaining two nights. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble for the Lord, could I ask for Antoinette’s company?”

With a smile, Norma added,

“…”

It was a really unexpected request. But there was nothing against it. Rather than saying yes immediately, I had to put more effort into controlling my expression than ever before.

“Of course, I’ll come to pick her up in the morning. The Lord is busy.”

Seeing that I didn’t respond, Norma added as if there was nothing to worry about. Of course, it wasn’t a concern because I could just ask the servants to do it.

I just didn’t want to be caught in the act of the Lord cuddling with the baby panther’s cuteness.

“Antoinette doesn’t cuddle with just anyone.”

Norma smiled softly, as if he had read my thoughts.

“Well, alright.”

I accepted the request reluctantly, as if there was no other choice. Then Norma said with pride that it was an honor.

I’ve always felt that Norma passionately responds to everything, so it was rewarding to do something for him. Feeling a bit proud seeing him smile brightly and happily, I maintained a proud attitude.

Then Norma uttered some meaningful words.

“I thought I could meet you often when I come to McFoy.”

“What do you mean?”

His voice sounded somewhat pitiful, so I asked with a bit of trepidation.

“You, my Lord.”

Norma blinked as if asking what kind of obvious question that was.

“…Don’t we see each other often? We saw each other at dinner yesterday.”

“But you ultimately couldn’t make it.”

“Ah… Something urgent came up at the top, so I was distracted.”

Yesterday, as I was heading to the dinner table, the subordinates of Kano rushed to me, saying that something serious had happened. So, I had to return to the study.

Norma mentioned a few other times he tried to meet me, but unfortunately, we couldn’t meet due to conflicting schedules.

‘Kano.’

The hour Norma came to find me was when Kano had a tight schedule. And I had never heard Norma saying he came to find me.

‘He’s been fooling around without earning his keep.’

“I apologize for not properly welcoming such an esteemed guest. Unfortunately, I don’t have the hands to receive guests. If you have anything urgent to tell me, you can speak to my assistant.”

“…Thank you for your consideration, my Lord.”

Norma responded with a delay, peculiarly. I sensed he had something more to say, so I waited for him quietly.

‘Let’s make up for helping each other, after all, he’s my benefactor.’

Soon, Norma opened his mouth with determination.

“Would you join me for tea at this hour for the remaining two days?”

“Uh…”

It was an unexpected request again. But I’m a very busy person, you know?

“If I’m truly an esteemed guest of the Lord, would you spare that time for me?”

Norma occasionally spoke meaningfully, so it took me some time to realize the meaning.

“Didn’t you say I was your benefactor?”

While I hesitated, Norma whispered again. He had a slightly sad expression now.

“That’s… let’s consider it as a favor.”

Feeling like the worst kind of woman, I muttered an excuse. Norma didn’t say anything, but his golden eyes seemed to ask, ‘So, you won’t do it?’

Yeah. Norma Diazi is right. I didn’t properly entertain the guest. It wouldn’t sit right to let it end like this.

“Alright, I understand.”

Norma’s expression turned sorrowful, as if asking when he had been sad.

“Instead, I can’t stay for long like a typical tea time. Let’s have breakfast together when you take Antoinette. Please inform Mr. Milan as well.”

“My father doesn’t have breakfast.”

Before I could finish my sentence, Norma firmly stated. He said it with a friendly smile. I was momentarily taken aback by his quick refusal.

“My father usually skips breakfast. Since Mr. Milan starts his day late, you and I can have breakfast together. I’m perfectly fine with that.”

Norma gently placed his hand on his chest as he spoke.

“Well… let’s do that.”

I replied hastily. I felt belatedly that I had messed up again.

Erika looked at the back of the Lord with cloudy eyes. She had never seen her master have breakfast in his nature.

Norma wore a very satisfied expression as he stroked Antoinette. Having secured the morning appointment, he could finally relax and look around.

“Hmm?”

Things came into view one by one, and eventually, the scattered papers on the side table caught his eye.

“But…”

Norma spoke as if entranced.

“Yes? What is it now?”

“These… portraits, what are they?”

Norma still asked while looking at the side table.

‘Damn it, Erika.’

On the side table were portraits and resumes of the Lord’s prospective spouses that Erika had picked out. I turned my head to glare at Erika, and she shrugged, as if to say, “So what?”

“They’re portraits of… candidates for spouses.”

Norma murmured absentmindedly. Feeling embarrassed by his innocent comment, I clenched my fists tightly.

‘Ha… maybe I shouldn’t get married after all.’

* * *

Antoinette’s effect was remarkable.

Did I really need someone else’s body temperature or breathing sound? I had been plagued by nightmares every day recently, so I was pleasantly surprised by the long-awaited good night’s sleep. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders for the first time in a while.

“You, little one. You’re really effective.”

Still buried in bed, I praised Antoinette by patting her buttocks as if praising her.

“You’re really cute. Did you really want to stay with me since you didn’t go anywhere?”

Antoinette made a pleased purring sound.

“I wish you could live here. Your breathing is better than sleeping pills.”

I murmured to Antoinette as if I were still half asleep.

As promised, Norma came to take Antoinette. Naturally, I walked with him to have breakfast together.

Sitting face to face with him at the table, we exchanged occasional small talk while having breakfast. I remembered that according to Diazi’s strict rules, small talk during meals was not allowed, but we did it anyway.

“It’s strange.”

Just like a few days ago when I had an unusual tea time, this quiet breakfast felt very unfamiliar to me. Except for the instinctive aversion to the peaceful and leisurely atmosphere, it really felt like I was dreaming. It was such an unusual morning for me that I felt dazed.

When we finished the meal and I got up first, Norma, who got up with me, whispered in my ear, “Have a good day, Lady Aisa.” It was very surreal.

Norma had already done something strange and then blushed his ears belatedly. I felt my face flush at Norma’s behavior, which reminded me of our time together during the Katam.

“It’s strange. It’s strange.”

I went straight to my study. Glenn followed me with a worried look. Only when I sat in my seat, did my mind clear a little.

“Why am I indulging in leisure? Unless it’s the eve of a storm, I shouldn’t have any leisure.”

I muttered self-deprecatingly with an inexplicable sense of anxiety.

Erika frowned subtly at Aisa’s words. The Lord’s jokes were not funny. Moreover, his jokes often turned into seeds of trouble.

The prologue to an unlucky day had begun.