CBOM 08

Chapter 8

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Ribanue gave a faint smile and said,

“It’s fine…”

“I’m glad, young master. Then, would you like to sit here for a moment?”

“What? Why…?”

“There’s something I need to bring. I’ll be right back.”

“…Just stay. Here.”

He didn’t know what she was planning, but the thought of her leaving even for a short while somehow felt unpleasant.

He just wanted her to stay by his side, and he admitted that feeling honestly.

“Alright. Then I’ll do it another time.”

“…What were you going to do?”

He was grateful that she followed his words so easily, but at the same time, curiosity naturally followed.

Grace only shrugged her shoulders.

“I’ll tell you later.”

“Why?”

“Then, shall I go now?”

“…I don’t like that.”

“Which is why—later.”

“Even if it’s an order?”

“Wow… that’s unfair…!”

Grace looked flustered, as though wronged, and Ribanue couldn’t help but let out a weak laugh.

“Oh. You laughed.”

“….”

He hadn’t even realized it himself, so when she pointed it out, his face froze instantly.

“You look good when you smile.”

But at Grace’s next words, Ribanue felt as if he might cry.

Then he suddenly thought—

Had there ever been anyone who looked him in the eyes like this and spoke to him so naturally?

“You might regret this later.”

“Hm?”

“…Being kind to me.”

Ribanue gave a meaningless warning.

“Maybe. But that’s fine.”

“What if I hurt you?”

“How would you hurt me?”

“…If I held onto you so you couldn’t go anywhere. If I told you to die right here at my side.”

His tone was serious, but Grace treated it lightly.

“That’s fine.”

“Why would that be fine?”

“If that’s what you want, young master, I don’t mind. Whatever it is.”

In Grace’s mind, it didn’t matter because she would eventually regress anyway.
But to Ribanue, it felt like permission—as though Grace truly meant it.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you if you regret it.”

“Yes, yes. Do as you please.”

A thought flickered across his mind—imagining Grace fleeing, only for him to capture her and lock her away.

Of course, this was only if Grace decided to leave his side.

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It had only been a little over two weeks since Grace began serving Ribanue.

At first, he seemed to keep up walls, but then, at some point, signs of his heart opening appeared, and Grace felt satisfied that things were going according to plan.

Perhaps because he had been so starved of affection, taking a place at his side was almost too easy.

“Young master.”

“Mm.”

If things continued this way, not only would Ribanue’s skin disease heal completely, but Grace would also be able to live comfortably.

Once he opened up, Ribanue was gentle.

He was already this gentle now—what would happen if she stayed by him a little longer?

Unlike other times, this time everything was flowing smoothly according to her plan, and Grace was in good spirits.

“The weather’s so nice today.”

“It is…”

With an innocent look, Ribanue was cautiously drawing closer to the one who stayed by his side—starting conversations himself, even making small, trivial remarks.

“Grace, there’s a flower blooming here.”

“Huh? In this weather?”

“That’s right.”

While sipping tea at a table in the clearing, Ribanue pointed toward a tree.

A small yellow flower really was blooming there.

Since discovering the clearing where the swing was made, Ribanue often took walks there after meals.

He had grown more lively than before.

Whenever he said he wanted to walk, Grace would prepare refreshments.

On the first day, she hadn’t managed to serve tea time, so she began making it up for him afterward.

Until then, Ribanue had never once had tea time, so perhaps it was very pleasant for him—he wanted to go out almost every day.

Of course, she couldn’t prepare luxurious tea foods.

Even the tea itself was hard to come by, so Grace used all the knowledge she had—drying and blending the leaves herself.

“The color’s so pretty.”

“Right? Shall we look up what kind of flower it is?”

“No. Just seeing it like this is nice.”

Ribanue smiled.

Though his smile always contorted into something awkward, Grace met his gaze without hesitation and continued the conversation.

“Young master, did you know?”

“Know what?”

“You’ve been looking really good these days.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. You look wonderful.”

“…Thanks to you, Grace.”

Fiddling shyly with the warm teacup in his hands, Ribanue spoke softly, and Grace grinned.

Because she really was in a good mood.

If only she could deal with that bastard Grino, everything would be perfect.

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As she spent her days keeping Ribanue company—

“Hey, you there.”

The head maid came looking for Grace.

Saying she had something to discuss, she called Grace aside after Grace explained to Ribanue. Then, with a puzzled look, the head maid asked,

“What exactly are you?”

Since Grace wasn’t originally the maid assigned to him, the head maid was understandably suspicious.

“Uh… I’m young master Ribanue’s assigned maid…”

“Who gave you permission?”

“Excuse me?”

“I thought I assigned Beryl as his maid.”

So the original maid’s name was Beryl.

“W-well, it just sort of happened… Beryl’s probably handling the duties I used to have.”

The head maid’s brow furrowed.

“You switched duties without informing me, the head maid?”

“Uh… I-I’m sorry?”

Grace hadn’t expected her to come in person like this.

She had assumed they just casually assigned any maid to Ribanue out of formality.

Though the maids were replaced monthly, Grace had thought it was because they kept quitting—not because the head maid herself was involved.

Thinking it odd, Grace quickly lowered her head respectfully.

“What’s your name?”

“Grace Bulet.”

“How long ago did you switch duties?”

“A little over two weeks ago.”

“Why did you switch?”

“I was in urgent need of money, and Beryl said she’d pay me if I swapped with her.”

“Ah… money…”

The head maid, who had been frowning all along, relaxed slightly at the mention of money and asked a few more questions.

“Bulet… what family is that?”

“You probably wouldn’t know even if I said. A minor baron family in the provinces.”

“I see. Do you keep in touch with your family often?”

“…No. I cut ties when I left.”

“Good. Very good.”

Grace couldn’t tell what exactly was “good,” but the head maid’s face brightened with a sudden smile, as if she had never been frowning at all.

Then she asked Beryl’s whereabouts again and left, saying they’d talk next time.

Grace tilted her head, not understanding what that had been about.

Later, when she went to find Beryl to talk, she learned that Beryl had quit.

“She quit?”

“Didn’t you know? The maids assigned to young master Ribanue never last a month.”

“But Beryl swapped duties with me.”

“I don’t know about that, but she still served him for a while…”

Even as she spoke, the maid kept her distance from Grace, careful not to come too close.

Then she spilled a rumor that had been circulating among the maids.

That after about a month, the maids serving Ribanue would develop skin disease symptoms, and so they were forced to quit.

Some even said the duke’s household paid them hush money to keep quiet.

Because of that, no one wanted to be assigned to him, but the head maid would carefully select one and send her each month.

She even checked in to make sure they were working, and then—after a month—replaced them as though nothing had happened.

No sane maid would want to continue working if there was a risk of contracting skin disease. Some even quit on the spot before being assigned. But most didn’t have that luxury.

That was why rumors spread among the maids that being assigned to Ribanue came with astronomical pay.

But unless you were desperate, risking your health when livelihood was already hard enough seemed pointless.

Yet Grace knew that Ribanue’s skin disease wasn’t contagious.

The reason the maids quit after a month had to be something else.

“Since when?”

“Hm?”

“Has it always been like this—sending a new maid every month?”

“…What?”

The maid thought about it, then shook her head.

“No. At first, no one seemed to care. But this started a few months ago…”

Even as she said it, her expression looked uneasy—as though she too felt something was off.

Why suddenly start assigning maids to Ribanue, when they hadn’t cared before?

So this was a sudden change.

And remembering the head maid’s odd behavior earlier—yes, there was definitely a secret behind it.

“…Ha.”