IBMOT Chapter 46

Chapter 46

 

Among the people of the empire who primarily used magic, Erina, who had to rely entirely on physical strength to move things, was the least efficient worker.

And yet, someone had deliberately assigned her a task that required carrying things? It was unlikely to have been done with good intentions.

The fact that they specifically sought her help when others could have easily done the job made it clear.

While Erina only just realized this, Dylan had grasped the situation instantly upon seeing her.

“Is this the right place?”

“Yes! Um, Dylan, please hand it to me now. I’ll hurry and put it away. Thank you for helping me.”

“It’s fine. I’ll place it there myself.”

Unlike usual, Dylan ignored Erina’s outstretched hand and quickened his pace.

With his long strides, he easily pulled ahead, forcing Erina to scurry after him. The difference in their leg length made it difficult for her to keep up.

At that moment, she unwittingly realized how much Dylan had been adjusting his pace for her before.

“Ah—! Master!”

One of the servants loading cargo onto a carriage at the eastern back gate immediately bent at the waist in a deep bow.

The other servants beside him also flinched in surprise and lowered their heads.

Dylan barely acknowledged their greetings as he carelessly tossed the tablecloth into the carriage, crumpling it up in the process.

The servants watching were utterly bewildered. Why had their master personally brought this over?

How had it even come to his attention?

Their gazes naturally shifted to Erina, standing behind Dylan. Their eyes silently urged her to explain the bizarre situation.

“Is the Harrison household experiencing such a severe labor shortage that they’d make my niblings’ caretaker do such tasks?”

“Ah, no, that’s not it…!”

“Or do you have an issue with the role I assigned you?”

“Absolutely not! There’s no way!”

The servants paled, frantically denying any such thing.

Dylan, still giving them a cold stare, turned to Erina.

“Miss Erina, on behalf of the Harrison household, I sincerely apologize. I personally invited you here, and it is truly regrettable that something so inappropriate has happened. If anything like this occurs again, please let me know. I will make sure you are compensated for any inconvenience.”

Dylan’s formal apology left not only Erina but also the surrounding servants utterly flustered.

What was it about this woman that rendered their master so deferential?

They were witnessing it with their own eyes, yet they still found it hard to believe.

Only Erina had a vague sense that Dylan was being deliberately overly polite toward her.

It was probably because he suspected that she, a person incapable of using magic, was being mistreated.

While she appreciated his unwavering consideration, she also felt it was a bit excessive.

Ignoring the discomfort on her face, Dylan once again addressed the servants, who still seemed frozen in place.

“Miss Erina is a guest I personally brought here. Be mindful of how you treat her.”

“Y-yes! We understand! We’ll be careful!”

They bowed repeatedly, pledging their utmost caution.

Watching them, Erina felt increasingly uneasy.

Regardless of how she had arrived here, she was still just another employee under Dylan.

Standing out too much wouldn’t do her any good.

She was already careful not to attract attention in the kitchen each morning—now she had to deal with this incident on top of that.

Just thinking about it made her heart pound anxiously.

But there was no way to stop Dylan from speaking up for her.

All she could do was resolve to tread even more carefully in the future.

Avoiding the servants’ gazes, Erina quietly whispered to Dylan.

“Dylan, you don’t have to go this far. I actually wanted to help. They didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Even if you volunteered, they should have declined. At the very least, when they realized you couldn’t use magic and had to carry things manually, they should have stepped in.”

She had no comeback for that.

Erina knew that arguing further would only result in her being completely shut down.

“A-ah! It’s almost time for the kids to wake up! I should get going!”

Erina exaggerated her words in a stiff, awkward tone, as if reading from a fairy tale book.

You don’t even have a watch. How do you suddenly know what time it is?

Dylan smirked, seeing right through her obvious escape attempt.

“You’re right. It’s about time. Let’s go.”

He escorted her back to the mansion.

Watching their retreating figures, the servants collectively sighed in relief, realizing they had narrowly avoided trouble.

At the same time, they silently vowed never to mess with Erina again.

Meanwhile, a heavy silence hung between Erina and Dylan as they walked back.

Erina couldn’t shake the thought that instead of helping, she had only caused trouble for the servants.

And Dylan?

The more he thought about how she had been treated, the angrier he became.

“Haa.”

“Haa.”

A deep sigh escaped from both of them at the same time.

Startled by the synchronized reaction, Erina’s eyes darted around before she let out an awkward laugh.

“Ah, um. Thank you for getting angry on my behalf. And for carrying the load, too.”

“Has anyone ever treated you unfairly like this before?”

“Huh? Oh, no! Not at all!”

“Hmm. I’ll trust you for now, but if anything like this happens again, please tell me immediately. I meant what I said earlier.”

At Dylan’s request, Erina nodded.

She had no intention of reporting every little incident to him, but if she didn’t agree, she had a feeling Dylan would start monitoring her around the clock.

 

***

 

“Erina! Look at this!”

Lia grabbed the hem of her dress and twirled on the spot.

Each time she spun, the bright white lace, contrasting with her red hair, shimmered like waves.

On the day of the banquet, Erina, along with Lynn, who had personally brought the outfits, admired the children dressed in their formal attire.

It wasn’t just because she cared for them—truly, the triplets looked like little angels, beautiful and adorable.

Resen with his blue hair and yellow eyes, Lia with her red hair and green eyes, and Poi with his purple hair and black eyes—no matter what they wore, they always looked good.

But today, their banquet outfits suited them so perfectly that it was impossible to look away.

The children, too, seemed delighted with the soft and smooth fabric, much more comfortable than their usual clothes, their faces beaming with happiness.

“Lia, you look so beautiful! And Resen and Poi, you both look so handsome and charming!”

“Hehe.”

Encouraged by Erina’s enthusiastic praise, Resen and Poi also spun in place, showing off their outfits.

Erina clapped along, enjoying their playful display.

Lynn, the head of the boutique, also clapped beside her, occasionally dabbing at her eyes.

“The late Duke would have loved to see this… Ah, it just makes me so emotional…”

Hearing this, Erina nodded in agreement.

These small, precious children…

Completely unaware of the bittersweet emotions the adults felt for them, the triplets simply continued to laugh cheerfully.

Erina wished she could capture this precious moment in a painting.

With the banquet preparations keeping her busy, she decided to set aside time later to draw them.

The children were growing up so quickly—each day felt more and more precious.

As Erina was watching them fondly, making up her mind, Lia suddenly tugged at her leg.

“Erina! You have to wear the same outfit as us!”

“That’s right! Erina, you’re my partner!”

Resen grabbed her hand, and Poi followed suit.

“Erina Mama, you have to dance with me.”

Finally, with Poi pulling her along, the triplets led Erina toward the fitting room.

Lynn, watching them drag her away, chuckled softly.

Before the fitting room door closed, she quickly picked up the box containing Erina’s dress and followed them inside.

“Alright, alright! I’ll help Erina get dressed beautifully! Little lady and gentlemen, please wait just a moment!”

“But I want to stay with Erina!”

“I want to see her dress, too!!”

The children whined, clutching the fitting room door.

Lynn, momentarily amused by their adorable protests, soon shook her head.

“Wouldn’t it be even better to wait and see Erina do a grand ‘Ta-da!’ reveal? I promise I’ll make her the most beautiful in the world!”

“Ahh! When you say it like that…!”

Erina looked troubled by Lynn’s confident declaration.