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Chapter 22
Julietta’s index finger pointed toward Kendrick’s gloomy-looking annex.
“So. Why were you spying on that place, kid? What kind of treasure do you think you’ll find in that haunted-looking house?”
“……”
Struck exactly at the mark, the child could only blink in silence without answering.
At that moment—
A white envelope slipped out of the pocket of Zeron’s trousers and dropped to the ground.
“Young master. Here—”
“Eek!”
As Janette reached out to pick it up, the child moved faster and snatched it back.
“Ugh……”
He stared at the dirt smeared on the white envelope with a troubled expression, then carefully folded it again and shoved it back into his pocket.
Janette observed him closely.
‘Did he come here because of that?’
Was he planning to leave that letter at Kendrick’s house?
However, her thoughts could not continue further.
A pair of round golden eyes lifted toward her with a betrayed look.
“You said… it wasn’t scary……”
Oh dear.
“It isn’t scary.”
“……L-lies……”
The child’s lips jutted out.
Though they were half-siblings, his expression now looked very similar to Julietta’s.
“You really have no filter when speaking to my maid, do you, kid?”
“Princess.”
“What? Did I say something wrong?”
At Janette’s attempt to intervene, Julietta turned her head with a huff.
Yes. Now they looked exactly alike. Anyone would think they were siblings.
Just as a faint smile formed on Janette’s lips—
“Lord Zeron! Lord Zeron, where are you?!”
From afar, a voice calling for the child echoed.
The boy, who had been sulking, immediately lifted his head and stood up.
He stomped his feet anxiously for a moment, then suddenly turned and ran.
And immediately—
He tripped.
“Ah!”
With a loud thud, he fell forward and let out a small cry. Startled, Janette quickly rushed over and helped him up.
“Are you alright?”
“……Ugh……”
Instead of answering, the child began to cry silently, tears falling like beads.
Janette gently patted his back and brushed the dirt off his scraped knees.
“Fortunately, it didn’t break the skin.”
“It… it hurts……”
“It always hurts when you fall.”
Her calm but firm tone made the child blink.
“You’re kind of mean sometimes.”
“Me?”
“Yes. You.”
Julietta clicked her tongue and handed Janette a handkerchief.
“Use it. Or don’t.”
Her clumsy tone made Janette let out a light laugh.
She really wasn’t scary after all.
Just as Janette finished wiping the dirt off his knees—
“Y-young master!”
A sharp scream rang out as someone rushed over and shoved Janette aside.
Oh dear.
Fortunately, Janette didn’t lose her balance.
She only dropped Julietta’s handkerchief.
However—
“You…!”
Instead of apologizing, the woman hugged Zeron tightly and glared at Janette.
And then her gaze shifted past Janette—toward Julietta.
“What do you think you’re doing, Princess?!”
“What do I think I’m doing?”
Janette herself wanted to ask that.
Did she really think Julietta had done something?
Suppressing a sigh, Janette stepped between them.
“I was just helping because the young master fell—”
“He fell?!”
The woman screamed and quickly checked the boy’s body, her eyes widening when she saw his reddened knee.
“Oh heavens! That precious knee!”
What a powerful voice.
She sounds quite energetic for her age.
‘Is she his nanny?’
Most likely.
Raising him in place of his absent mother.
‘But she’s a bit… intense.’
In the nanny’s arms, Zeron only blinked nervously, unsure what to do.
His fingers clutched his collar tightly, trembling.
‘Is this why the child is so timid?’
Children raised under overly anxious adults often grow up insecure.
And when anxiety builds up, they either become extremely timid—
“Ridiculous. You make it sound like we pushed him.”
—or overly defensive, like a hunting dog.
“!”
At Julietta’s sarcastic tone, the nanny shot her a furious glare.
But soon—
“Ugh…!”
“Oh dear, yes! Young master! I’m here! Don’t be scared, I’m here!”
At the child’s whimper, the nanny quickly scooped him up.
Holding him tightly as if shielding him, she shot another sharp glare at them.
“Please be more careful next time.”
“Careful? Are you accusing us—!”
As Julietta flared up, Janette shook her head slightly.
Julietta clicked her tongue a few times in protest, then turned away with an angry huff.
But her irritation was obvious. She looked genuinely wronged.
Of course—
“Lady Joanna.”
Janette, too, was angry.
The reason she had stopped Julietta was only because she didn’t want her to suffer more in this situation.
‘If she gets angry openly now, this will become Princess Julietta’s fault.’
Rumors could spread that she deliberately hurt her younger half-brother.
It might be an exaggeration—but part of a maid’s job was to anticipate even exaggerated outcomes.
Straightening her posture, Janette looked Joanna in the eye.
“Please apologize to the Princess.”
At her firm tone, Joanna raised her eyebrows.
“Why should I apologize?”
“Isn’t it a nanny’s duty to ensure the young master’s safety?”
“Are you lecturing me right now?”
“No. I’m speaking as the Princess’s maid.”
Janette shook her head and continued clearly.
“As it is your duty to prevent the young master from wandering alone, it is my duty to respond to injustice done to my master.”
Her tone was polite.
But her eyes were sharp.
“If you fail to protect the young master, you shouldn’t be blaming others, should you?”
“……!”
“My lady and I only found Lord Zeron alone and tried to protect him. During that, he was startled by your voice and fell—we were treating his injury.”
“And how am I supposed to believe that—!”
“If you don’t believe it, ask the young master yourself.”
Joanna bit her lip tightly.
Her uneasy gaze turned to the child’s small head.
“…Is what that maid said true, young master?”
The boy nodded hesitantly.
“Mm…”
He pointed at the handkerchief on the ground.
“…She wiped it for me…”
At his barely audible voice, Joanna gasped.
After staring at him for a moment, she slowly nodded.
“…I see. So that’s what happened.”
Janette seized the moment.
“Do you understand the misunderstanding now?”
Julietta, who had been quietly watching, slipped behind Janette’s back.
Ahem.
She lifted her chin and sent a silent look.
‘Apologize already! You were wrong!’
Her eyes shouted the demand.
Joanna looked at the child in her arms, then let out a long sigh.
And then—
“I apologize for the misunderstanding. I was careless.”
She bowed her head without resistance.
Her expression carried no anger or shame—only sincerity.
“I was startled because the young master went missing. Please forgive my rudeness.”
Julietta stared blankly at her.
‘What? That was easy?’
She had expected more resistance… or a fight at least.
So the misunderstanding was resolved peacefully.
Without her forcing anything.
“…Princess?”
“Ah. Yes.”
At Janette’s voice, Julietta snapped back to reality.
Crossing her arms elegantly, she tilted her head slightly.
“I’ll let it slide this time. But be more careful next time.”
