Anais peeked into the terrace where Max had gone. She carefully checked each door, searching for him. It was then she spotted the young lord Pierre entering the party hall alone.
‘Why is he alone?’
Where were the Duke and Duchess of Armand, who had left with him? The young lord was wandering around the hall by himself. Contrary to her worry that he might have been severely reprimanded, he seemed quite alright.
In fact, he looked more than just alright; he was beaming with a bright smile. His cheeks were even redder than before, and he was fervently searching for someone.
Anais could bet that the person he was looking for was Max Barbiere.
With a mischievous grin and a confident stride, there was no sign of him having been scolded. As Anais observed Pierre, the young lord’s gaze suddenly locked onto her.
“……!”
Pierre’s face lit up with a smile as if he had found what he was looking for. He quickly made his way toward Anais.
The image of his earlier taunting eyes and the impish tongue that had provoked Max flashed in her mind. The smirk Max had shown when he had headed toward the Duchess!
It was as if a second round of a battle was about to begin.
“You pig! Why are you alone? Where’s that fool?”
“……”
Pierre’s attitude remained unchanged despite Anais’s attempts to reason with him.
No home is without its troubles, it’s said… Who would have guessed that even the prestigious Armand family, which values etiquette so highly, would be struggling with their child?
Anais forced a smile.
“Young lord, where are the Duchess and Duke…”
“Don’t smile, you fool! You’ll look even uglier if you do. Answer the question!”
“……”
Anais gave an empty smile towards the void. This child was beyond her capacity to handle.
“You’re still smiling, so you must be an idiot?”
She nearly lost her temper, but managed to keep her composure.
‘I am the Queen Mother’s assistant. I am here in her place. I must maintain my decorum until I leave the Duke’s residence.’
She repeated this mantra to herself, determined to not lose her composure.
At that moment, the terrace door behind her opened. The person who met her gaze through the crack in the door was…
‘Prince Max?!’
The thought of not letting the two of them meet hit Anais hard.
And then—
“Lady Brienne—”
Bang!
Anais instinctively kicked the door shut.
“Prince Pierre, this way…!”
Anais grabbed Pierre’s hand and led him away without waiting for any further discussion. The only fortunate thing was that he obediently followed her.
They reached the rose garden, arriving as if they were fleeing in the night. The moonlit garden was a stark contrast to its appearance before sunset.
Although they had run without direction to avoid Max, the fresh night air brought a sense of relief.
“……Hey, pig.”
Pierre shook off Anais’s hand, having been held too tightly. Realizing her mistake, Anais quickly let go.
“Sorry, young lord. Are you okay?”
“Why did you bring me here? You’re so dumb.”
“I just thought it might be stuffy inside. You’ve been in the carriage for a long time. Uh… you might get motion sickness or something?”
Anais couldn’t bring herself to admit she was trying to avoid the prince Pierre was searching for, so she mumbled the first excuse that came to mind.
“What, you’re saying you were worried about me?”
“Isn’t that how it turned out?”
Technically, it was indeed worry. Anais nodded vaguely as Pierre scowled and said:
“Fool! Who asked you to worry about me?”
With that, he dashed ahead, leading the way.
‘I don’t know when the Duchess and Duke will return, but let’s stay here until the atmosphere calms down.’
Pierre and Anais strolled slowly through the rose garden. Anais had been worried about causing a fuss if Pierre wanted to return, but surprisingly, he seemed interested in the garden, which was a relief.
Was it because it had been a long time since he visited? Pierre busily explored every corner of the garden. They quickly ventured deep into the garden, reaching a secluded area that Anais had never visited even during the day.
“Young lord, maybe we should head back now…”
“……”
“We’ve come too far; let’s go back.”
Pierre ignored her completely, continuing to walk without responding. It seemed he was fine with going wherever he wanted, but not so much about leaving.
Anais had no choice but to follow him.
The garden had some gas lamps lit here and there, but it was darker farther in compared to the entrance. There was even a pond with an unknown depth.
A villa this large, complete with a pond—
Anais couldn’t help but marvel at the grandeur of the Armand family.
‘I wonder if I could have a villa like this after successfully completing the commission.’
As Anais was lost in trivial thoughts, Pierre tugged at the hem of her skirt. The boy was crouched in front of the pond, pointing at something on the ground as if to show her. Anais joined him, squatting beside him.
“Oh, it’s a really interesting-looking bug.”
“You don’t know this? It’s called a stag beetle.”
“There’s another one here!”
“Fool! That’s a rhinoceros beetle!”
Anais squeezed her eyes shut.
‘I am the aide to the Queen Mother. I am here in her stead…’
She reassured herself silently as she managed to stay calm.
“Wow, how do you know so much? Young lord, you’re really impressive.”
Flattery was always the best approach in these situations. Anais had learned this trick from Ellie, the daughter of the governess who had lived with the Count’s family for years.
“I’m impressive?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“I couldn’t even tell the difference between a rhinoceros beetle and a stag beetle.”
Anais smiled warmly. Pierre, who had been fidgeting with his lips, suddenly flushed red and bowed his head.
“Don’t call me an idiot… I said don’t laugh…”
“There must be even more amazing insects in the Armand estates, right?”
“I haven’t seen any there.”
Pierre answered nonchalantly, lifting the beetles he had gathered in his hands.
“Mom and Dad don’t like me going outside. I can only go out when I’m with them.”
Anais was caught off guard by Pierre’s unexpected answer. It explained why he seemed so unfamiliar with the garden—he probably hadn’t spent much time outside. The realization left her feeling both shocked and sympathetic.
As Anais was trying to choose her words, Pierre suddenly got excited.
“Do you know who would win if a stag beetle and a rhinoceros beetle fought?”
“Huh? I don’t…”
“Shall we find out?”
“No!”
Anais sprang to her feet, exasperated. What on earth am I going to do with this little imp?
At that moment, a voice from behind startled her.
“Seems like you’re enjoying yourself.”
Anais nearly fainted when she turned around to find Max standing right behind her, who had somehow appeared out of nowhere.
He looked at her with a mixture of disdain and disbelief.
“Did you see a ghost or something?”
“Wh-what are you doing here?”
Max sighed deeply and brushed his hair back.
“To think you’re here, spending time with that kid while you locked me on the terrace…”
“Your Highness, it’s not like that…”
He pressed his long fingers against his eyes, trying to calm himself.
“I’ve had enough. I’m leaving now. Hmph. Hiding away like this, so troublesome.”
“Wait, did you come all this way just to say that?”
The fact that Max had come all the way here to report this felt oddly validating, as if she was being recognized. Anais felt a rush of unexpected emotions.
