I grew closer to Winter.
Winter muttered with a slightly more relaxed voice.
“There were plenty of opportunities to bring you here by force. I even considered executing it yesterday.”
“……”
“But Kiverin said it would be useless.”
It was a long sigh.
“I understand now. Monsters can only be healed by the same kind of monsters.”
What?
I blinked in confusion.
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“I, I don’t either.”
I quickly said.
It was fortunate that Winter didn’t look back at me as he gazed out into the garden.
If he had, he might have found my dilated pupils suspicious.
I don’t know anything either.
Really! It’s just a coincidence!
Young master is not a monster. He’s still getting along well with me.
―S-so, Cheria, you’re strange too. Maybe Cheria… is like me? Getting along well with me because she’s a mon… monster?
―Yes, well, that could be possible.
Seriously, it was just a coincidence! Destroying innocence is a bad thing! So!
Cold sweat dripped down.
I also had no idea why Kiverin said such things.
Winter unknowingly tightened his grip on the emblem of the temple as I started to drift away. It snapped with a crack.
Wow, Mother is strong….
I heard that objects imbued with divine power are difficult to destroy, even scraps of paper…
Thanks to that, the sting in my chest disappeared.
Winter also smiled with a relieved expression.
“Well, collecting monsters might be better than trying to please those temple folks.”
“I-Is that so?”
“Whether it’s sealing techniques or whatever if the things on Kiverin’s body disappear, the empire will dry up the seeds of those temple folks. Then you won’t have to worry about being scolded for attacking a saint.”
“……”
Dreadful.
My chest hurt in an entirely different way from just now.
At the same time, I remembered when Mera hugged me.
Were there beings in this world who cared for me this much?
Mera was an angel.
And Winter wasn’t just a common villain from a novel.
He was a real aristocrat and the last descendant of a fallen royal family.
Also, he was incredibly strong.
She didn’t fear giving recognition.
Even though she must have had a hard life being targeted for being born a monster because of the fallen royal family, even though she didn’t know what would happen in the future, just like me.
…She must not die.
It would be a tremendous loss to this world if our mother died!
“I thought you’d be pleased, but your expression doesn’t look good. Is your fever rising again?”
Winter’s hand touched my forehead.
Thanks to the cheap bracelet on his wrist, which seemed to match its owner well, it shone like an heirloom of the royal family.
With determination, I grabbed Winter firmly.
“Mother, thank you for bringing me here.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ll do my best for the aristocrat too!”
Winter’s eyes widened for a moment before he chuckled softly.
“It’s unexpected. You must have realized from yesterday’s experiences, that people from aristocratic families don’t receive good treatment. They’re objects of fear.”
It seemed like the gray-haired knight reported what happened during our outing.
I held onto Winter’s hand tightly and asked, “So, what kind of reaction did you expect?”
“Hmm… I thought they might ask to send you to another family.”
I pursed my lips.
“I like it here.”
“….”
“Mother likes it here!”
Winter’s platinum blonde hair fluttered in the wind.
It felt like confessing without even realizing it as if the Milky Way had unfolded before me.
“You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen, just like Mother.”
Winter seemed to smile at my words, not displeased.
“You sound just like Rick.”
If Menelik were here, wouldn’t he blush?
Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Menelik today. I have to give him his present.
” Cheria, survive well even in the aristocratic territory and keep me entertained like now.”
“Yes!”
I replied energetically.
And the next morning, I regretted it.
* * *
On the day I left for the aristocratic territory, the townhouse bustled from dawn.
I ate an earlier breakfast than usual and soaked up the last rays of sunlight in the garden.
Feeling like a plant undergoing photosynthesis, suddenly a booming voice echoed.
“Young master! Your face is half gone!”
Wha-what a surprise!
As I jolted up, Yelena, who had been dozing off next to me, also groggily opened her eyes.
The owner of the voice was a large man.
He grabbed Kiverin, who was heading my way, and busily examined his condition.
Who is he? A knight?
Yelena next to me clicked her tongue.
“Poor Rose, she might faint from crying like that.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Young master heard the news that Lady Rose emerged from the snake pit and rushed over without even sleeping. The lady who seemed to have suffered greatly for a while, alone, without any escort…”
What in the world is she saying?
Where is this woman who seemed to have suffered greatly for a while?
I rubbed my eyes.
The gallows were still there.
What’s going on here?
Am I the one who’s weird, or is it Yelena?
“Yelena, are we seeing the same people?”
Unable to hide my confusion, Yelena explained in detail.
“The young blonde woman in front of the young master is Lady Rose. After miraculously recovering from a serious condition, she now works for the aristocrat and young master.”
Blonde and young, but a woman?!
At that moment, a man named Lord Rose turned his head and stared at me.
Thanks to that, I could see the brown eyes of the man turning rapidly pink.
My instincts warned me not to draw attention to that man under any circumstances.
“Uh, I see. You cherish young master.”
I bit my tongue and hastily agreed.
Only then did the man shift his gaze away.
What, what’s going on?
I swallowed nervously.
There was no such character in “The Villain Dislikes Anything But Money.”
A wizard? Or someone from the temple?
…I have no idea.
The security in the aristocratic territory wouldn’t be so lax as to let such people in without precautions.
Yelena continued her explanation.
“Yes. Lord Rose sincerely likes young master. Because of malicious rumors about the young master, no one applied for the nanny position until Lord Rose appeared. It would have been really difficult without Lord Rose.”
I blinked again.
Hmm… it’s touching, but I wonder if there might be another agenda, Yelena.
An upright person wouldn’t come in hiding their identity.
“Shall we go and greet them? Lady Rose will take care of Miss Cheria too.”
“I-I’m fine with just Yelena!”
Enough of this mysterious Lord Rose!
“Oh, come on, even though Lord Rose looks so weak that he can’t even lift a twig, how strong could he be? It seems like he was lying about being in so much pain.”
Look weak? He looks like he could wrestle a tiger with one hand!
Why can’t others see those muscles?
My rebellion was futile.
Before I knew it, I was being dragged right up to Lord Rose’s nose.
“It’s been a while, Lord Rose. Thank you for coming back.”
“Yelena.”
Lord Rose stood up.
While he might seem like a woman who cherishes Kiverin and has fought bravely against illness to others, to me, he was just threatening.
“This is my other home.”
…So that harsh voice sounded sweet to Yelena’s ears?
Yelena’s smile confirmed my suspicion.
“Miss Cheria, this is Lord Rose.”
Yelena’s eyes looking at Lord Rose were filled with trust.
―We need a proper nanny like Lord Rose.
Even Winter had said the same thing before.
Trying to describe Lord Rose as a blond-haired gallows with eyes that change colors at will wouldn’t be believed by anyone.
“….Hello. I’m Cheria Mayall.”
Seizing the opportunity to greet, I stole a glance at Lord Rose’s face.
As if to say ‘When did that happen’, Lord Rose’s eyes returned to their ordinary brown color.
His gaze softened.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Cheria. I’ve heard about you.”
Seems like she was harboring a mocking expression.
Yelena’s eyes probably show nothing but kindness.
“I’ll entrust Miss Cheria to you during the journey to the aristocratic territory.”
“Of course.”
Is Lord Rose snickering now, Yelena?!
Why does he only look like this to me?!
….
I broke into a cold sweat.
Can I behave normally…?
As I turned to ice, the conversation turned to the upcoming schedule.
Just as whispers about teleporting to the aristocratic territory reached my ears, a shadow fell over me and something was placed on my head with a soft thud.
“Here, a gift.”
As usual, his low, leisurely voice made me involuntarily lift my head.
“My lord?”
I hadn’t seen him all day yesterday. Did he return in the morning?
