Chapter 26
“I’m curious. Tell me, what do you think of me?”
“…Viscount Lexion.”
“Tell me. Who am I?”
“…”
“Or perhaps, maid, you could tell me.”
Sereniel had spent a lifetime with Kina.
She had been a nanny when she was young, and even after becoming Calian’s wife, she had accompanied her to the villa.
… But I don’t remember ever seeing Kina make such a bored expression throughout her lifetime.
“T-t-t-that’s…”
With her mind half gone, Kina stuttered so badly it was almost unbearable to listen to.
“That’s?”
“I-I-I…”
“You.”
“…Viscount.”
Sereniel let out a short sigh. She looked at Lexion and then apologized as if feeling sorry.
“I’m sorry. Let me apologize in her place.”
“…”
“I’ve been with this maid for a long time. It’s just a careless slip of the tongue out of concern for me, so please forgive her. I beg of you.”
Lexion stared blankly at Sereniel for a moment, then opened the door of the carriage without saying anything.
Of course, Kina was still frozen.
“…”
Lexion’s black eyes reflected Kina’s bewildered face. As his gaze turned towards me, Kina seemed to belatedly regain her senses. She trembled, her hands shaking, and struggled to speak.
“I-I’m sorry… Viscount. W-what I just, just said…”
“Maid.”
“I really… didn’t mean anything…”
“It seems like you thought I was going to attack you.”
Well, it wasn’t exactly an unfamiliar reaction. To be honest, it was quite familiar. Lexion had always lived receiving such looks.
“It’s not a bad thing to be suspicious. It helps you avoid traps.”
“Yes, y-yes… yes?”
With a dumbfounded expression, Kina repeated.
“When you serve one person for a long time, you start to resemble them strangely.”
Sereniel didn’t say anything. She just glanced away slightly.
… But even so, she seemed to vaguely understand. While Kina was terrified, Lexion wouldn’t harm her in any way.
Just knowing that seemed a bit…
Surprising and amusing to herself, perhaps.
And not long after, a large hand was extended in front of Sereniel’s face.
“Hold on.”
“…”
“Since the carriage is high.”
“Th-thank you.”
Sereniel replied quietly.
“But it’s okay. I can get down by myself.”
As Sereniel got up from her seat, she cautiously set her foot on the ground.
However, Lexion’s concern was not unfounded. She staggered heavily.
Of course, that staggering didn’t last long. Very quickly, Lexion, who had grasped her waist firmly.
“Just as I said. The carriage is high.”
With a firm grip on Sereniel, Lexion murmured, and the flustered Sereniel inadvertently pushed Lexion’s chest reflexively.
“It feels like I’ve been hit by a piece of paper.”
Lexion chuckled.
“This carriage is much larger and higher than usual. It needs to be this way so you won’t crumple up like paper.”
…Ah.
So that’s why it smelled like new leather.
Sereniel thought to herself.
“…”
And Kina, who was watching them,…
Now had a bewildered expression.
What did I just see?
What did I just hear?
…Am I dreaming right now?
“Maid.”
“I-I’m, I’m K-Kina.”
“I’m waiting for you to catch me? Seeing you sitting there so blankly.”
“N-no, no. That’s not it. I wouldn’t do that.”
Too scared to even catch her, Kina waved her hands widely and then got off the carriage.
And just like Sereniel did a moment ago, she staggered…
Before finally collapsing to the ground.
“Kina! Are you alright?”
“I’m f-fine. Don’t worry, my lady.”
“…Sigh.”
As if unable to stop himself, Lexion sighed and then spoke as he stared at them.
“I should take back what I said earlier.”
“…”
“It wasn’t just a slight resemblance, it was a striking one.”
…Unable to come up with any response, Sereniel just quietly supported Kina.
“Let’s go.”
And Lexion spoke again.
“There’s something I need to show you.”
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
It was the second visit to the Rosevester mansion.
Last time, they went straight to the reception room, and Sereniel didn’t have the emotional capacity to properly explore the mansion. But today was different. Sereniel followed behind Lexion with Kina, taking in the grand mansion that seemed unparalleled in elegance.
Such a spacious mansion…
Why aren’t there more servants visible?
Of course, when they stepped into the mansion, Sereniel did see a few servants. But they were no more than five at best.
Moreover, the Rosevester mansion was on a much grander scale compared to even the Helcar mansion, let alone the Verdellet Viscount’s.
So it was even more puzzling.
“There’s no one in the Rosevester mansion.”
As if preempting Sereniel’s question, Lexion broke the uncomfortable silence as he walked ahead.
“They’re either dead or they ran away.”
“…Pardon?”
“It’s not a trivial matter. As the son of a concubine who became the lord, it’s only natural that I knew their future.”
…To speak so uncomfortably, and to speak so nonchalantly. That, too, was a skill.
“The ones left in the mansion are the maids who served my mother.”
Lexion was someone who repaid exactly what he received. Whatever it was.
The same was true for those who had shown kindness and affection to his mother.
“But it turned out to be a good choice. With fewer people, it’s harder to guess who might leak information.”
“…”
“Of course, it’s also difficult to manage. That burden falls on the maids as well.”
According to Lexion, there were only a handful of servants left in the mansion.
…So, was this man spending his time alone in this elegantly desolate mansion every day?
Sereniel thought to herself.
Meanwhile, Lexion suddenly stopped in his tracks.
They passed through the reception room and arrived at their destination, which, to put it simply, seemed to be a guest room. A room for guests to stay.
…But what could there be to show in a place like this?
“I don’t know if you remember, but I had people planted in various places. Not just in the Helcar mansion, but in other noble houses as well.”
Sereniel looked at Lexion with a puzzled expression.
“The Verdellet Viscount was included as well.”
“…Viscount Lexion?”
“So, I took it back.”
Lexion smirked and said, “So, I abducted him.”
By the time Sereniel’s emerald eyes shook roughly, they had opened the closed door with all their might.
And then…
Unknowingly, she burst into tears.
“Sereniel, miss…”
It was because of Vain, who was getting up from the bed.
“Vain!”
Sereniel rushed to him in desperation and looked at him.
Vain had nowhere on his body that wasn’t injured.
His face was so swollen that it was unrecognizable. His arms and legs were wrapped in bandages, and the slightly emaciated body emitted a pungent smell of medicine mixed with the smell of blood.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
Sereniel said, bowing deeply.
“Because I left you… Because I couldn’t save you…”
“What are you talking about, miss.”
Whether he understood her feelings or not, Vain pointed and spoke in a gentle voice.
“The Viscount told me. He said you asked him to find me.”
“…”
“If it weren’t for you, I would have died.”
So please don’t cry, miss.
It was a strange situation. The one who seemed on the verge of collapse was Vain, yet he had no respite as he tried to comfort Sereniel.
Kina, who had approached unknowingly, was the same. She wiped away tears a few times with rough hands and then gently patted Sereniel’s shoulder.
“…”
Eventually, Vain’s gaze reached Lexion, who was standing far away, watching them.
The incident happened just a few hours ago. Vain also knew nothing.
He only knew that Lexion saved him and that Sereniel asked for it.
“Thank you very much, Viscount Lexion.”
Vain bowed as politely as possible with his broken body, and only then did Lexion finally speak.
“You don’t have to thank me. It was a mutual benefit.”
“But…”
“I needed a butler.”
“…Excuse me?”
Vain had a completely bewildered expression at Lexion’s words.
“I already knew you were a capable butler. But what I liked best was something else.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you mean…”
“Since you’ve been a butler for a long time, you can also help my wife to become attached to the mansion.”
“W-wife?”
What did you say?
Lexion laughed to himself as he looked at Sereniel, enjoying the situation.
“And that’s not all.”
And Lexion spoke as if he was enjoying this situation.
Wife❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥