‘One of two people: the butler or the head maid. Among them, I was especially suspicious of the head maid…’
In the meantime, I carefully looked at the head maid, but because her movement lines did not overlap and her movements were careful, I could hardly find anything suspicious. Then something like yesterday happened. But then Lucio punishes her. I couldn’t tell if he had discovered traces of something suspicious, or if he was really simply taking responsibility for negligent management.
‘But it all worked out well.’
I didn’t know how long the probation period was, but I felt like I could take a closer look at the workers’ movements during that time. However, I was a little worried that the Duchess’ duties and management of the mansion would become difficult right now. Leaving aside any doubts, she was a woman who was definitely at the throne of the Duchess. Although it was not enough, it was a time when I decided that I should help in some small way. Suddenly it felt noisy outside. As I pricked up my ears, I could hear the sound of words being spoken. Without realizing it, my expression softened.
‘It’s Allen and Diana.’
The two people who insisted on coming into the room, who must have heard that I was awake, and the voice of the butler who said that I needed to calm down, made my heart swell without realizing it. Not long after, there was a knock on the door and a sweaty butler came in. He announced the news of Allen and Diana’s visit, and the Duchess looked at me as if asking if it would be okay to let her in. My answer was already decided.
* * *
“Sister, are you in a lot of pain?”
Diana looked up at me with her moist eyes. I smiled bitterly, remembering how sad she felt last night at the thought that she might never see this child again.
‘What should I do because I’m already afraid of breaking up like this?’
In fact, both when I left the gang and when I closed my eyes for the last time, I was quite okay with saying goodbye to the people I was with. So, in my own way, I have thought of myself as a person who is strong at breaking up.
‘I thought I could just shake myself off and disappear at any time without any regrets.’
I didn’t know why I felt this way now.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s okay, lady.”
Seeing Diana pouting and crying while waiting for an answer, I quickly opened my mouth. Then the Duchess looked at me. I said with a sheepish smile.
“I’m really okay now.”
Thanks to the medicine and recovery magic, the pain in my body subsided a lot, and I felt much better.
‘It’s a bit embarrassing that I cried like a child.’
Still, I was relieved that there were no more people to harass me. Of course, the remaining employees might still hate me, but at least they won’t harass me outright.
“Sister, don’t be sick.”
“Yes.”
“When my sister gets sick, she thinks Dana gets sick too.”
The sight of Diana pounding her heart, saying her chest was in pain, made me feel like the tears that had barely stopped would fall again. But my tears came to my eyes the moment I saw the clumsy boy next to her.
“…Hey, master.”
“Yay!”
For a long time, she radiated her presence as if she wanted her to talk to her, and when she actually started talking, Allen suddenly turned his head towards her. It was a time when the Duke and Duchess looked at him in confusion. Allen suddenly glared at me and stamped her foot, as if it was easier to be angry openly than to show that she was angry.
“You! I! I told you clearly! If it’s hard! If you need help! Say it anytime!”
“…I didn’t know something like yesterday would happen. It was really good until then. While I was at the library, I hardly ever encountered other users.”
“Ha! But still…!”
The Duke’s face turned cold as he saw Allen’s face turning red.
“Allen, did you already know what kind of situation Lia was in? Lucio too? So she took Lia to her library…”
“Excuse me! It’s all in the past now. I don’t even want to think about it.”
When I saw that not only the Duke but also the Duchess’s face was stained with guilt and anger for not knowing in advance, I spoke urgently. The Duke seemed to have conveyed my wish not to bring up this issue any further, and kept his mouth shut. I felt like I needed to quickly change the topic, but there was nothing to talk about. It was a moment of embarrassment as I looked at the faces of a tearful Diana, a pouting Allen, and the silent duke and duchess.
Knock, knock.
“Master, lunch is ready… only.”
The old man, who seemed to sense the uncomfortable atmosphere, spoke in a hushed voice. I was moved by the sight of the older man shrinking under his gaze. Moreover, to express my gratitude for brightening the mood at the right time, I quickly opened her mouth and covered it with my hand, pretending to yawn.
“Haam.”
“Lia, are you sleepy?”
“Yes…”
I nodded slowly. In reality, the pain was relieved, but my physical condition was not that good. I felt a little dizzy, as if I was on some medication.
“Can you be alone?”
“Sure. Don’t worry, just eat quickly.”
“Umm…”
The Duchess seemed reluctant to leave me alone, but she nodded as she watched me gradually relax her eyes. And she held the hands of Allen and Diana, who were still fuming and seemed to have a lot to say. Diana looked at me with her teary eyes, patted my blanket briefly, and said, “Sister, I’ll come back after eating!” she whispered. Everyone left and silence came. Once again, the events of last night felt like a dream, and I fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
“Allen, when did you find out about Lia’s work?”
As soon as he came out into the hallway, the Duke asked with his stern face: Allen hesitated a little and then began to release his mouth from hers.
“That is… Not long ago. It was from the day Lia started working at the library.”
In fact, Allen carefully confessed that she was first put in charge of library management when the maids sent Lia to clean the main library. She thought she knew enough to know what had happened through Lucio’s report. The Duke still realized that she had been arrogant. On the other hand, she knew her eldest son’s cold-hearted and sharp personality better than me, so she thought it was a good idea to tell Lucio about Lia’s story in advance.
“Brother!”
That’s when Allen spotted Lucio at the end of her hallway. Lucio had just climbed the stairs and entered the hallway.
“What’s going on here?”
This place was far from his room, let alone the library where he usually stayed. That was when the Duke stared at Lucio with a strange expression.
“Are you really going to have tea time today?”
The Duchess next to me asked with a flushed face. Lucio nodded his head slowly.
“He too. Yesterday, he suddenly came to see me for tea time.”
The Duke chuckled as he saw the Duchess, who couldn’t hide her joy, but took a step back for no reason. He always had a hard time with his eldest son and acted politely to him, but it was cute to see him finally behaving a little more comfortably.
“Boy, are you living without knowing the time? I heard the meal is ready, but what kind of tea is it?”
“…”
“Tea time is after lunch first. I’m with you too. I have something to say at the moment. Then let’s go.”
The Duke, who was in a good mood after his wife, took Lucio by the shoulder and turned him around. Although Lia’s story still lingered heavily in the back of her mind, it was still very gratifying to see her blunt son trying to get closer to his mother. It’s not just his current actions, but also the way he went out of character and was generous to Lia and handled this incident cleanly. Lucio was always a proud son and a trustworthy successor who never let him down. In addition, the mischievous but affectionate Allen and her lovely youngest daughter Diana. The Duke, who once again felt the happiness of his family, raised the corners of his mouth and smiled.
* * *
Lucio was unintentionally captured by the Duke and headed to the dining room, surrounded by his family. It was a meal that he had not planned on in the first place, but seeing his father who looked unusually happy and his mother radiating happiness with her whole body, he didn’t think it was a bad thing.
‘Besides, the excuse of tea time is still valid.’
Lucio, who was thinking casually, suddenly made a strange expression. Lucio’s request to his mother for tea was so unexpected that the duke asked if the sun would rise in the west tomorrow. But he said he did it because…
<Could you please be a little nicer to your wife?>
I remembered the face of a child who had straight eye contact, even though his face was full of fear. At that time, why did he calmly answer that he would do it without realizing it? As if that wasn’t enough, as soon as he finished his work, he went to visit his mother. Didn’t it seem as if he is being swayed by every word the child says? Lucio laughed a little inwardly and shook his head. He never said he did what the child said. However, he only learned about his mother’s heart that he had never known through the child. Of course he didn’t know anything. Because he was quick-witted, he vaguely knew that her mother found him difficult and distant. But for Lucio, the bright smile of his mother who gave him chocolate when he was young was still vivid. Of course, even when I was young, I was not very friendly due to my blunt personality, so it was even more difficult to express it now… Still, if he was worried enough to reveal his true feelings to the young maid, he just felt that he had to do his duty as a child.
‘So I was never moved by a single word from that child.’
After organizing his position once again, he suddenly looked down at the table and frowned.
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Translator Note:
I’m back!! I hope you like it ^^
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
Next post will be released on November, 4.
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