🔊 TTS Settings
chapter 52
“Hmm?”
Both of them answered simultaneously as they looked at Grace.
Their clear, almost transparent silver eyes sparkled brightly when they saw Grace. Slightly flustered, Grace spoke.
“Um, this might be a bit of a forward question…”
“No, it’s fine. Just ask freely.”
“No, really.”
Before Grace could finish her sentence, the two of them replied at the same time again.
Startled, they glanced at each other and awkwardly cleared their throats, averting their gaze.
“Ah. Then I’ll be straightforward. What I wanted to say is that Mr. Leto calls Mr. Riveanu ‘Young Master.’ I thought it might be more comfortable to call him something less formal.”
“Oh, that.”
Riveanu had actually been bothered by that since before.
After all, even if only half-blooded, Leto carried a lineage connected to the dukedom. Although the Duke did not officially recognize him, Leto was someone who could inherit the ‘Foret’ name at any time.
If anything went wrong with Shinoben, the Duke would probably seek Leto before seeking him.
“So, what should I call him then? Something more honorific?”
When Leto was asked about a proper form of address, he looked puzzled and asked back.
“What are you talking about?”
“Huh? Isn’t that right?”
“Of course not. But… what should I call him then?”
Riveanu let out a nervous laugh, seemingly unsure of what to actually say, despite previously dismissing the idea as ridiculous.
“Really don’t know?”
Ahin looked at the two fools with a face that clearly said, “Do you two even know?” before turning her gaze to Riveanu and Leto.
“You know?”
“Yes. Nobles rarely use extremely formal titles among themselves. If they’re close, they either call each other by name or sometimes ‘older brother.’”
“…Older brother?”
Riveanu muttered it unknowingly, and the moment he did, Leto’s eyes shook as if an earthquake had hit.
For a brief moment, silence fell between the two.
The word ‘older brother’ reminded Riveanu of Shinoben, and he hesitated, recalling mostly unpleasant memories.
As a child, Shinoben had often followed him around, but after his skin condition worsened, he avoided him entirely. Even worse, being cunning, he had begun to distance himself from their parents, teasing and bullying Riveanu relentlessly.
Riveanu still vividly remembered the mocking expression when he was confined to the annex.
“How dare a bastard like him…”
However, Leto immediately began to belittle himself, mumbling as if it were absurd. Riveanu reflexively said,
“Do it.”
“Huh?”
“Call me ‘older brother.’”
“…Huh?”
Leto’s wide, startled eyes were fully fixed on Riveanu.
Though it was an impulsive suggestion, Riveanu thought it didn’t matter if Leto called him ‘older brother.’
Bastard or not.
If strangers can become close enough to call each other ‘older brother’ and ‘younger brother,’ what’s the problem?
“It’s fine.”
Even when they first met, Riveanu assumed Leto had probably smelled unpleasant, yet he never brought it up or acted differently.
He knew better than anyone how difficult it must have been for a child to react so maturely. Even Sophien couldn’t hide his distaste for Riveanu, so this made Leto seem remarkably good-natured.
For that reason, Riveanu had never disliked Leto from the beginning.
He really seemed like a good kid.
Riveanu would imagine the day he succeeded and went to the capital, waiting and working hard—both to spoil Grace and to fulfill his promises.
Now that he had said it, he realized it would be nice if Leto was part of his goal.
“I can just be your older brother. If you don’t want it, fine.”
“No! No! I don’t mind!”
Afraid Leto might refuse, he exclaimed as soon as the words left Riveanu’s mouth.
“Then try it.”
It was a simple instruction, but Leto seemed nervous, swallowing hard before carefully saying,
“…Older brother…”
“Yes.”
Riveanu smiled slightly in response, and Leto cautiously said it once more.
“Older brother.”
“Yes.”
Just by changing the form of address, they seemed closer than before.
Even though they were aware of each other, a slightly awkward air lingered between them, and Grace began formulating a project to help them become closer.
Although Leto had said ‘older brother,’ he hadn’t called Riveanu that even once since then. He didn’t address him as ‘Young Master’ either, and he avoided creating situations where he had to call him at all.
“They’ll need more time together to become closer,” Essi said.
If either one made a move, it would be easier, but since they were both shy, it wasn’t simple.
“But how can we make them spend time together alone?”
“If we separate Young Master Riveanu from you, won’t he say something?”
That was the problem.
Riveanu couldn’t stand being without Grace.
Though he managed well when collaborating to deal with Sophien, after the last walk, he behaved as if he needed Grace by his side constantly.
“I don’t think it’ll work…”
“Honestly, the Young Master is too extreme.”
“…Is that so?”
At least during the morning and afternoon sword practice, Grace could focus on her work, but the moment training ended, Riveanu went straight to find her.
Even if her tasks weren’t finished, he waited until she completed them, saying he would stay with her.
He acted almost like a child with separation anxiety, yet Grace didn’t mind.
“What if he follows you around like this even when he’s fully grown?”
Essi asked, surprised.
“Will he? He’s probably just lonely for affection.”
“…I don’t think so.”
“He was abandoned from such a young age, after all.”
“…That’s true, but… honestly, he’s grown now. They’re the same age.”
Grace didn’t feel the need to correct his behavior.
She thought that the more he followed her and liked her now, the more it would benefit her once he became an adult.
The more someone likes you, the better, right? That’s what she thought.
Grace didn’t consider it obsession. She simply didn’t know the proper limits, having never received affection before.
Moreover, Riveanu wasn’t making unreasonable demands and acted within a range she could control.
“And isn’t this normal for a personal maid?”
“Yes, personal maids usually do this, but which noble enjoys having a maid follow them around everywhere? I’ve never seen it.”
“Hmm, I guess that’s true.”
Grace dismissed it lightly, and since she didn’t mind, Essi didn’t push the matter further. Riveanu was unusually mild compared to other nobles.
Even Shinoben from the same Foret family ignored and mistreated his maid, as the other maids often complained.
Since Grace was the only one Riveanu had, his attachment was somewhat understandable, and it would gradually ease as he grew.
Still, they couldn’t figure out the best way to have them apart for now.
“Most excuses probably won’t work, so it’s better to keep them together,” Grace concluded.
“True. Let’s just let them do something together. Leaving them alone could backfire.”
“Agreed.”
“Since Leto is still young, why not let them play together? Riveanu also hasn’t had much chance to play outside due to being sick when young.”
“Oh, good idea.”
At that age, sharing meals and playing together was the best way to build bonds.
Thus, Grace and Essi grabbed sheets of paper and went to find them.
“Riveanu, Leto.”
“Yes.”
“How about playing outside?”
“Outside? Doing what?”
“Playing ‘ddakji’?”
“What’s that?”
Riveanu and Leto tilted their heads in confusion at the unfamiliar name.
Grace herself had little knowledge of children’s games, having spent her childhood working, but Essi knew quite a few.
They had asked Ahin, but he didn’t know any, claiming he was raised properly and had no experience with children’s games.
“You each fold your paper into shapes, and the first to flip the other’s piece wins,” she explained.
Even with the explanation, neither Riveanu nor Leto seemed particularly interested, just staring blankly.
Noble children usually joined sword clubs or gatherings organized by adults for socialization. Ladies hosted tea parties. ‘Ddakji’ was a game from the commoner’s culture, so it was unfamiliar.
Noble games were too static, and Leto was still wary of handling swords, so it wasn’t ideal.
Thus, a simple game from Essi’s neighborhood was suitable.
“But why do we have to do this?”
“…Huh?”
