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chapter 28
“Don’t tell me—it’s like with Essie, and you got badly hurt or sick or something…?”
“No! Nothing like that!”
Grace blurted out in a fluster.
“…Not like that? Really?”
“Yes. Really not. It’s nothing like that. You can even ask Essie—we met him together.”
“You met him together.”
“Yes.”
“…Then why is that boy acting like that?”
“I don’t know. Honestly, we only saw each other twice…”
That was truly all there was, so Grace had nothing else to say.
“Twice? Not even once, but twice? And you still didn’t tell me?”
The weather was good, the mood was good—yet suddenly this felt like a bolt from the blue.
‘I should have been more careful.’
She never imagined Leto would act like this.
But really, why did he suddenly show up like that…
Either way, it was also a maid’s duty to soothe her master’s displeasure. Especially when the reason for his sour mood was herself.
It seemed Livanu disliked that his trusted maid was keeping secrets from him.
With what had happened to Essie, maybe he even had a bit of trauma about it.
“The truth is…”
So Grace explained everything from that day without leaving anything out.
“Abuse?”
“Yes… so I wanted to find some evidence…”
“Why? Because you were worried about that child?”
“Well, of course it’s worrying if a little kid is being abused. But honestly, I was suspicious of Sophien. From the very beginning.”
“…Sophien? That maid who manages this villa?”
“Yes…”
“Why were you suspicious of her?”
“Because she’s the one in charge here. She manages the servants. It doesn’t make sense that she wouldn’t know anything. And more than that, I had a bad feeling that Sophien might’ve been planted by the Duke to watch over you. I couldn’t let that harm you. So I thought, if I found signs of abuse, I could handle it quietly.”
“So, basically—it was for my sake?”
“Well, what other reason would I have?”
Livanu’s stiff expression softened slightly.
“So, about that… couldn’t you help me just a little?”
“…Whether it’s for my sake or not, you already planned to do it. Why are you even asking?”
“Are you sulking? From now on, I swear, I’ll tell you absolutely everything—really.”
“Who’s sulking… I’m not sulking…”
He muttered in denial, but his pouting lips gave him away completely.
“But it really is for my sake, right?”
“I told you, yes.”
“…Not just because you feel sorry for him?”
“No. You’re the only one I care about. Even if we deal with Sophien, I’ll only be thinking of you.”
Grace worked hard to soothe Livanu.
But still—why had Leto suddenly hugged her and run off like that?
The more she thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.
Yet, Livanu wasn’t about to let go of the thought.
“That boy.”
“Yes?”
“…Maybe he likes you.”
Even while Grace was clinging to him, Livanu still seemed to be thinking about Leto.
He looked quite serious, but Grace couldn’t help herself and burst out with a laugh.
“Why are you laughing.”
“Because that’s nonsense.”
“…Maybe he just wanted your attention.”
Why else would he suddenly approach a maid he barely knew and try to win her over?
“Young master.”
“What.”
“Leto is seven years old.”
“And? Even if he’s seven, he could still be drawn to you—you’re kind and good at what you do.”
“Oh… you mean in that sense…”
Suddenly Grace felt like trash.
When he said “like,” she automatically thought of romantic interest.
She didn’t know much about that herself, but it was the kind of gossip maids always chatted about—so it slipped into her mind without her realizing.
“Hm? What do you mean, ‘in that sense’?”
Ah—so that wasn’t it.
Innocent, genuine fifteen-year-old Livanu blinked at her in confusion. Grace could only laugh awkwardly and look away.
“I’m sorry…”
She muttered an apology, and Livanu looked puzzled—before pointing something else out.
“Anyway, don’t call him by his name so familiarly.”
“Then what should I call him?”
“Him.”
“Come on, how could a maid say something like that?”
“I’ll take responsibility. Just do it.”
“But he’s really too much.”
“What’s too much? You always call me ‘young master’ properly.”
Livanu pouted again.
He usually had this oddly mature, melancholy air about him—but today, he seemed exactly like the fifteen-year-old boy he was.
Though honestly, finding such a gentle fifteen-year-old master was rarer than plucking a star from the sky.
These days, most fifteen-year-olds were unruly and deep in a rebellious phase Grace could never understand.
When she was fifteen herself…
As an experiment, she’d lived a completely obedient life.
Her childhood was far too different to compare.
That thought made her a little gloomy—then she remembered her “second life,” her first time being fifteen after she had regressed.
Back then, she had worked as a maid at the Harrington Viscount’s household, introduced by her parents, slaving away under a tyrant of a young master.
She had no time for adolescence.
The rest of her life after that wasn’t much different.
Her life felt rather pitiful when she thought about it.
“Grace, what are you thinking about so hard?”
“…Just that you’re kind of cute, young master.”
Yes, Livanu was unlike any other fifteen-year-old she had ever known.
“W-what. Don’t think I’ll just let it slide if you say that.”
“Then what should I do?”
“…You have to call me differently. I’m not the same as that boy—I’m the young master who has all of your affection.”
“…Excuse me?”
To declare so boldly that he monopolized her affection—Livanu saying something like that so casually was shocking.
“You really have changed, young master…”
Grace muttered in amazement, and Livanu blushed deeply, unable to say a word.
He really was adorable.
It was hard to believe this boy would one day grow into a villain.
“Don’t tease me… Can’t you…?”
“You mean… an affectionate nickname?”
Grace thought it improper for a maid to give her master a nickname, but seeing his pleading look, she wanted to indulge him.
If he had whined and thrown a tantrum, she would’ve refused flat-out. But looking so flustered and shy, how could she say no?
“All right. But only when Leto is around, okay?”
“Really? What will you call me?”
His face lit up at once, eyes sparkling.
“Um… since your name is Livanu, maybe I’ll shorten it to ‘Liv’… How’s that?”
It wasn’t creative, but Livanu seemed delighted.
“I like it. Can I give you one too?”
“For me?”
“Yeah. Do you already have a nickname?”
Of course she didn’t.
When Grace shook her head, Livanu smiled with relief and quickly suggested:
“Then how about… ‘Is’ for Grace?”
That day, Livanu insisted several times that Grace call him by his new nickname, and in turn, he called her by hers. Grace answered him each time.
With Livanu’s permission secured, Grace went to find Leto.
Naturally, she went secretly, when Sophien wasn’t around.
It wasn’t as though she’d been ordered to report back.
“Hello, Master Leto.”
The boy who was supposedly completely broken was sitting and reading a book—one that looked fairly difficult, too.
“You…”
Startled by Grace’s sudden visit, Leto’s eyes darted around nervously.
“You shouldn’t be here. Leave at once.”
“Hm? Why?”
“…If Sophien finds out, she’ll be angry.”
“Lady Sophien already gave me permission to come.”
“She gave you permission… to come see me?”
“Of course. I wasn’t alone, either—I came with another maid named Essie. She said Essie could visit too, but today I came alone to see how things were.”
“…Why?”
At his counter-question, Grace’s eyes gleamed.
“What do you mean, why? Am I not allowed to?”
When she asked back, Leto shut his mouth tight like a clam.
“The first time we met, I couldn’t stop worrying, so I went to Lady Sophien. Remember I greeted you then, too?”
“…Ah. So that’s why.”
“Yes. She said, if it was all right, I should keep you company.”
“Sophien said that?”
“Yes. So I had been planning to visit, but then you showed up first that day and startled me. Why did you do that?”
“…”
Leto closed his mouth again, unwilling to answer.
“But… it’s all right if I visit, isn’t it?”
“…You’d really keep coming? Why?”
“Hm? Because I want to.”
“…Because you want to.”
“Yes. I want to get along with you. If there’s anything I can help with, I’d like to help. So if anything troubles you, please tell me.”
He looked at her like he couldn’t comprehend why she would say such a thing.
“But may I ask you just one thing?”
“…Yes.”
“Why were you curled up like that before? You looked hurt, and scared. I couldn’t stop worrying about it.”
Grace asked as gently as she could, but no answer came back.
