episode_0142

“Ugh…”

The young master was trying to reduce the burden of work, but the burden of people was increasing accordingly. He sighed more often lately, clutching the back of his neck.

I agree that what the employee named Walter showed a few days ago was concerning enough, but I didn’t quite understand why the young master was so worried.

In my view, the young master’s actions seemed more dangerous.

I can recall several instances right away.

When making the maid outfit, he suddenly grabbed my waist.

When he earnestly asked me to wear stockings.

Designing clothes that were embarrassing to show to others and showing them to women without hesitation.

When designing clothes for Her Highness Princess Victoria, he tore Her Highness’s dress without permission.

Risking his life to recommend embarrassing clothes to Countess Tigris…

If any of those situations hadn’t turned out well, he could have been put on trial for harassing a woman.

Compared to the young master’s actions, Walter’s behavior is like a light teenage rebellion.

Yet, he’s reacting like this…

Is the young master not looking in the mirror?

I clearly show him the mirror every morning when I help him groom, but it’s strange.

“Keueung…”

I briefly considered whether I should tell him these facts, but quickly gave up.

If I told the young master this, he would definitely tremble his eyes, look dejected like a guilty puppy, and ask me if what he did made me feel bad, and I would inevitably say ‘No’ in a trembling voice while looking at him.

Since I didn’t feel bad about what I actually experienced, I would rather feel a faint joy in the young master needing me with ardent eyes.

Of course, I would try to stop the young master because of social norms, but in the end, I can’t beat him.

When I see the young master’s gloomy face, my heart naturally weakens.

When I hear the young master’s gentle voice, my heart naturally loosens.

When the young master feels tired, I think of ways to solve it.

If there is something the young master desperately wants, I try to fulfill it.

My actions may seem strange.

It may seem like too much and too heavy loyalty.

That’s right.

It is excessive and heavy loyalty.

Because I owe the young master too much.

And because I have already become someone who cannot escape the young master.

I have no choice but to act for the young master.

In a way, the reason why I don’t understand the young master’s concern about Walter’s behavior may be because I empathize with Walter’s thoughts.

I am already charmed by the young master, so even knowing that I will not reach him, I can only blankly move towards him.

It’s practically an obsession.

Of course.

This relationship will eventually come to an end.

I am an ordinary maid, and the young master is a person who will spread his wings and fly to high places.

“……”

While reminding myself of that fact, I put on a bitter smile and glanced at the letter that flew in front of me.

[From Elizabeth, to Miss Emily.]

First, the names of the sender and recipient catch my eye.

Although I have been in the same space as Her Highness the Princess for a long time, there is almost no contact between Her Highness and me compared to that time.

We only have short conversations when Her Highness occasionally has questions.

Rather, because there are awkward commonalities, we deliberately keep our distance even though we spend a long time together.

That’s why I was so afraid of this letter.

It’s an awkward relationship even to send letters.

The content of this letter was to have a conversation, just the two of us, without the young master.

“……”

My fist clenches.

For what reason does Her Highness want to talk to me?

And what kind of conversation does she want?

I can vaguely guess the reason and content in my head, but I shook my head and blew away useless thoughts.

Either way, this is a fight that must be faced.

“Young Master.”

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

“Can I use a day off tomorrow?”

“Vacation…?”

Wrinkles form on the young master’s forehead, and sharpness settles in his eyes.

“…Is something wrong?”

And while making eye contact with worried eyes, he asked a question about my condition, not a question about vacation.

Really, he usually says ‘Rest comfortably’ without any particular questions, but at times like this, he feels strangeness like a ghost and throws questions.

If I told the truth, it would only increase the young master’s suspicion.

I shook my head, feigning composure.

“I have personal business, I’ll take a day off if there’s no other problem.”

“Personal business…”

The young master’s expression becomes complicated.

It is visible that he is conflicted between chasing and respecting.

“Okay, take care of your business and get some rest.”

Fortunately, the young master chose respect.

“Thank you.”

I smiled gently and bowed slightly.

The young master looked at me with uneasy eyes.

I didn’t feel comfortable because I seemed to have added another worry to the young master, who already had a lot of worries, but I pretended not to know as much as possible and avoided his gaze.

_

After getting a day off for just one day, I spent the same day as usual, and as soon as the morning sun rose, I busily finished preparing and moved to the place where Her Highness the Princess told me to come.

The place is none other than the atelier.

There are not many places where Her Highness the Princess and I, a commoner, can freely come and go at the same time, so it is an inevitable choice.

So, I arrived an hour earlier than the appointed time and was waiting for Her Highness the Princess. About 20 minutes later, a large carriage with three horses slowly approached the atelier.

– Hihing!

And when the carriage reached right in front of the atelier.

The horse pulling the carriage cried out loudly and raised its front feet slightly, then stopped and stopped the carriage.

– Clunk!

When the carriage completely stopped and even the slightest shaking disappeared, the door of the carriage swung open, and the figure of a person sitting proudly inside appeared in sight.

“Emily, you came early?”

“Yes… I couldn’t possibly make Her Highness the Princess wait.”

“Still, didn’t you come too early?”

“I haven’t been waiting that long.”

“… Well, then that’s a relief.”

Her Highness didn’t seem to believe my words, but I didn’t particularly lie.

Waiting 20 minutes is very common for a servant.

“Then get in the carriage, let’s talk slowly in the carriage.”

“I understand, excuse me for a moment.”

I bowed deeply, expressed my gratitude, and carefully got into the carriage.

“……”

The carriage that the young master rides is also quite expensive, but the carriage used by the royal family was so luxurious that it made it look cheap.

Not to mention the wood that forms the frame and walls of the carriage, all the elements that catch the eye, such as the interior decoration and the padding used for the chairs, were expensive at a glance.

Even the width of the carriage was large enough for eight people to enter, so there was even a table in the center of the carriage.

“……”

I was working in the house of a powerful subject, and I was impressed by the appearance of the carriage, so I carefully sat in an empty seat, admiring it in my heart. Sera, the princess’s maid, carefully placed a teacup filled with tea in front of me.

“Thank you.”

“Tell me if you need more.”

“Yes.”

I didn’t have the slightest intention of asking for more, but I just smiled and nodded.

As Sera gave me tea and sat down.

Silence instantly enveloped the carriage.

I was waiting for Her Highness the Princess to start talking.

And Her Highness the Princess was staring at me searchingly, with her arms crossed, so the conversation did not continue at all.

The tension spreads throughout my body in a very heavy atmosphere.

“Thank you for responding to my sudden rude call, Emily.”

“Ah, no, I didn’t have any special plans this weekend, so I wasn’t that busy. More than that, could you tell me why you called me?”

“The reason I suddenly called you is that I wanted to talk about William, there are many things I want to hear from you in many ways.”

“Young master… are you talking about…?”

“Yes.”

I expected to talk about the young master, but I was embarrassed because I didn’t expect to move on to that story right away without light small talk.

“I don’t know if I can properly tell you about the young master.”

“It’s okay, they’re not that difficult questions, they’re just simple questions that you just need to answer honestly, very honestly.”

“Yes…”

Her Highness the Princess, who emphasized the word ‘honestly’, moistened her lips slightly with tea, and then, with a meaningful smile on her face, opened her mouth while staring straight into my eyes.

“Emily, do you like William?”

“……”

A short but heavy question that seems to squeeze the breath.

I felt the blood draining from my head and felt like everything was going dark.