WCMP 05

chapter 05

Amon watched Rielli’s back as she left the room until it disappeared beyond the doorway.

Left alone, he raised his hand and gently touched the place where her hand had been.

Today really was a strange day.

The idea that this moment might all be a sweet dream gained more and more weight in his mind.

A fleeting fantasy that he would wake from someday, returning to reality once he fell asleep and opened his eyes again.

But Amon didn’t want to wake from this illusion.

“If I don’t fall asleep, I won’t wake from the dream.”

If it wasn’t a dream, nothing would make him happier. And if it was, then he could at least enjoy this happiness a little longer.

I sank into the warm bathwater and stared up at the ceiling.

Now that I thought about it, since becoming Rielli, I had never once had breakfast with anyone else.

Until now, I had usually skipped going to the dining room because it was troublesome and just ate something simple in my room alone in the morning…

“I guess I should start having breakfast properly from now on.”

So I wouldn’t keep Amon waiting. And…

“No matter how I think about it, I really should change the maids.”

Amy and Karen. They were the two maids who had originally served Rielli most closely, so I had already been considering it since I first ended up in this body.

But what made my decision firm was…

Even after I, their master, casually let slip a dismissive comment about Amon, they immediately went along with it.

“Are they like that because they’re noble-born even though they’re maids?”

Their change in attitude was extreme.

Unlike common maids, “maids” here were elite personnel composed only of nobles—mostly lower-ranked noble families. Amy and Karen were among them.

Karen had immediately agreed when I treated Amon as if he didn’t exist, and Amy had laughed along in the same tone.

Of course, I was the one most at fault for speaking carelessly.

In my panic, I had said something I should never have said in front of a child, and they had followed it up with mocking remarks as if they had been waiting for it.

Compared to how gently they had smiled and acted so kind around me just days ago, it felt like a strange betrayal.

Honestly, it was a bit shocking.

The idea that such people were constantly around me felt uncomfortable.

Replacing Amy and Karen with new maids would probably be more comfortable in many ways.

“Ah, crap…”

I had gotten lost in thought while bathing. I needed to hurry and go downstairs.

“Good morning. Did you sleep well last night, sister?”

“Good morning, Amon. Did you sleep well?”

As I rushed into the dining room, Amon—who had already arrived—stood up and greeted me.

I had asked the head maid to prepare a list of all the maids working in the estate and came straight down afterward, but this little kid was far more diligent than I was. I should reflect on myself.

“Yes. Thanks to you looking after me, I was able to rest comfortably.”

As I sat across from him, I saw him smile softly at me, and honestly… it was cute, damn it.

I almost grinned without thinking, so I bit the inside of my cheek to stop my lips from curling up.

I definitely hadn’t liked kids before and had no interest in them, but now that I thought of him as my little brother, my eyes kept drifting toward him.

Right. I had found out that Amon was nine years old.

“Nine years old…”

When I heard that, I had been more shocked than I expected.

How malnourished did he have to be for a nine-year-old to look like he wasn’t even seven? It was heartbreaking in a new way.

But then again, this small child who looked so much younger than his peers would, in the original story, grow up to become tall and imposing…

“If I feed him well from now on, he’ll grow even more, right?”

Well… whether he was seven or nine, to me he was still just a very young child.

I had spent a long time thinking the night before after leaving Amon’s room.

How I should treat this suddenly acquired little brother, what he might need.

Since his only father was useless, I felt that I, as his guardian, had to make sure he lacked nothing.

“But I’ve never actually taken care of children before…”

I was even worried about whether I could treat him kindly at all.

I really was simple. Not long after thinking that, Amon already looked adorable to me again.

Lost in thought, I had ended up silent for too long without meaning to.

Realizing this, I quickly spoke in a bright tone.

“Did you say this is your first time having breakfast? Let’s start by eating small amounts regularly, and once you get used to it, we’ll increase the portion. Breakfast is important, so it’s better to eat well.”

“Yes, I will try, sister.”

At his serious reply, my expression turned strange.

…Did eating really require “trying”?

“No, I didn’t mean you have to force yourself. Just eat comfortably.”

“Yes, sister.”

“And also… that way you speak. We’re family, so don’t call me so formally like ‘sister.’ Just call me ‘noona.’ And speak more casually too. You don’t need to be so polite. At home, you’re supposed to be comfortable.”

It felt strange hearing such a small child repeatedly say “sister” so formally. It made me feel like some kind of gangster’s big sister.

Amon, who had been listening very seriously, murmured as if tasting the word “noona.”

“…Noona. Yes, noona. I will call you that.”

“If it’s hard to switch all at once, take your time. We’ve got plenty of time, okay?”

So don’t look at me with those tearful eyes…

The one who had neglected him and made him so unnaturally obedient was the original Rielli and the Duke. Why did my conscience have to hurt over it?

“…Yes, sister. No, noona.”

Amon smiled at me with slightly reddened eyes.

Watching his face, I felt a bittersweet ache.

How lonely and difficult must his life have been until now? I couldn’t even imagine it properly, but it was just sad.

I forced a smile and lifted the corners of my mouth.

“Yeah. Let’s eat.”

“Yes, noona.”

Amon picked up the small fork and knife set in front of him.

After breakfast, we took a light walk in the garden to help digestion.

At some point, I sat down to rest and ended up dozing off on the garden bench. I woke up at the sound of unfamiliar footsteps.

It was the head maid. She handed me neatly organized documents.

“Miss, I have brought the list you requested.”

I had asked her to bring it as soon as it was ready, but it was faster than expected.

“Thanks. And what I asked this morning?”

“I have organized that as well.”

Just before I fell asleep yesterday, I had suddenly thought that Amon needed a servant assigned to him and asked the head maid to prepare a list of candidates.

And this morning before breakfast, I had also requested the full list of maids serving the duke’s household in order to appoint my new personal maid.

She worked incredibly fast.

I quickly skimmed through the list, roughly checking profiles.

Then one person immediately caught my eye.

Edgar Berg, third son of the Berg Count family, who had only been serving as a servant for half a year.

“Edgar Berg.”

A character from the original novel.

From the beginning of the story, Edgar appears as Amon’s aide.

He associates the heroine, Remiel, with the image of his late sister who died from illness.

It was nothing more than the fact that they had similar hair color, but because of that, he ends up helping her and suffering in the process…

“Given how hopelessly bleak the original story is, he only ends up contributing to Remiel’s misery.”

Later, Edgar helps Remiel escape from the ducal mansion.

But of course, the escape fails.

Afterward, he is imprisoned in an underground cell and tortured—a tragic man.

“The child has only recently joined, but he is very intelligent. Although he has not been here long, he has already completed all required training, and we judged him to be more than capable, so he was included as a candidate for the young master’s attendant.”

As I muttered Edgar Berg’s name, the head maid added an explanation.

Since Edgar appeared frequently in the original story, he was already a proven talent.

“Hm… I’d like to choose Edgar and one more. Do you have any recommendations?”

“Rick Devaro would be a good choice. He hasn’t worked at the ducal estate for long, but he came here with a letter of recommendation from the marquis family where he previously served.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. He used to serve as the second young master’s personal attendant in that household, so he should be more than competent.”

The head maid spoke smoothly, as if she had been waiting for the question.

“Then let’s go with him. Assign Edgar and Rick to Amon, and I’d like to meet these ones myself.”

I pulled out the last sheet from the back of the list and handed it to the head maid.

Her eyes widened slightly upon seeing it, as if my choice was unexpected.

“…These children are still not qualified to serve you, miss. They were included because you asked for the full list, but—”

“I know. I checked their records. I’m not assigning them anything major anyway, just simple errands. Tell them to come to my room.”

“…Understood, miss. Should I send them up immediately?”

“Yes. I’ll go up now, so send them right away.”

“Very well.”

The maids I had chosen were twin newcomers listed on the very last page.

The fact that they were twins did catch my attention, but what mattered most was how long they had worked here.

They were still very young, and had only been employed in the duke’s household for two months.

That was what I liked.

If possible, I wanted to start fresh with those who had not yet been influenced by this place, and who did not know the original Rielli.