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chapter 42
“…Hic.”
Even Livanu looked startled — clearly, he hadn’t expected Reto to cry.
It was the muffled, stifled sobbing of someone who hadn’t cried out loud in a very long time.
From behind, Eshi fidgeted with pity, eventually offering a handkerchief.
Reto didn’t take it — just stared blankly — then finally burst out with a choked, miserable sound.
“Hhkk…!”
Livanu, who had been silently watching the tears run endlessly down her cheeks, slowly rose to his feet.
“S-sorry. I’ll stop crying now.”
Thinking he might leave, Reto hurriedly wiped her tears, panicked.
But instead of walking away, Livanu stepped closer to her.
“Uh…”
Reto froze mid-sob, eyes darting anxiously.
Livanu stood before her.
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. You must be annoyed because I cried too much — or angry maybe… I won’t cry anymore. Hic, really.”
She kept apologizing as if she were a criminal, her tone trembling with guilt that made no sense.
Livanu reached out a hand.
Flinch.
Reto instinctively tensed, but his hand only brushed her cheek.
“It’s okay. Don’t apologize.”
“…Ah.”
“I told you, you did nothing wrong. I’m not angry, I’m not annoyed. If you want to cry more, then cry.”
When she glanced up, Livanu’s eyes held no hint of irritation or disdain.
At that, Reto bit her lip hard.
She wanted to hold back, but seeing Livanu comfort her made it impossible.
“Khuhh…”
Not only Livanu — even Eshi and Grace smiled gently, as if to say it was fine.
“Kk…”
That warm atmosphere finally broke the dam. The muffled sobs turned into an openly sorrowful cry.
“Bwaaah!”
She’d been shedding tears silently until then, but now she closed her eyes tight and cried out loud for the first time.
Grace, who hardly needed sleep anyway, had been secretly visiting Sophien every night lately.
At first Sophien had screamed and lashed out, but now she’d grown much meeker.
“Please… please let me live. Please.”
All she did now was beg for her life through tears.
From what Grace observed, the new maids assigned to Sophien were particularly ruthless.
The wounds on her body were increasing, and she was getting thinner by the day — clearly not eating well.
“Do you want to live?” Grace asked.
“Yes, yes! I’ll do anything you say!” Sophien nodded frantically, sobbing.
At that, an idea flashed across Grace’s mind.
She had no intention of letting Sophien live peacefully anyway — but this might let her get rid of her without staining her own hands.
“Then. Write a letter to the duke.”
“To… to the duke? What kind of letter?”
“Say you’re taking Reto to the capital. And casually mention Young Master Livanu, too.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll do it! Anything, if you’ll just let me out!”
Sophien would agree to anything — clearly desperate to escape.
Grace brought her paper and a pen, and Sophien wrote whatever Grace dictated.
“You’re very obedient.”
“…Yes. I’ll be good from now on.”
Sophien seemed completely broken.
“Good. Keep it that way.”
She no longer begged or demanded anything — just watched Grace like a frightened pet waiting for approval.
Grace rather liked that.
Taking the finished letter, she rose.
“I can’t trust you enough to let you out yet. But I’ll have your maid replaced.”
“Th-thank you! Thank you!”
Sophien cried, pressing her forehead to the floor.
The next day, Grace calmly sent that letter to the duke.
After the meal, Reto’s emotional state seemed to stabilize little by little.
She was even starting to try expressing the feelings she’d been suppressing.
“G-good… afternoon…”
“Yeah.”
To Livanu’s surprise, she seemed to like him quite a lot.
Maybe the shared meal had left a strong impression — Reto’s cheeks always flushed pink the moment she saw him.
“C-could I… take a walk with you?”
“Sure.”
It was progress — she even asked permission first now.
When he agreed, her expression brightened noticeably.
But somehow the walk turned into a silent one.
“…”
“…”
Neither of them were talkative.
Reto, especially, had no idea what to say. She used to only talk endlessly about Sophien, and now she just rolled her eyes nervously.
“D-do you have anything you… like?”
After much thought, she repeated a question Grace had once asked.
“Something I like? Grace.”
“Grace? You mean the maid?”
“Yeah. I like Grace the most.”
“…I-I like Grace too.”
“What? You do?”
Reto only wanted to find a shared interest, but Livanu’s expression darkened.
“Yes… is something wrong?”
“…Grace is too popular.”
“Sorry?”
Listening to this exchange, Grace began to feel uneasy.
What on earth was he about to say?
“Maybe because she’s pretty?”
“…?”
Reto tilted her head, puzzled.
Grace’s face, however, grew warm.
“Or maybe because she’s kind?”
“She does seem kind.”
“Right? She’s pretty and kind — that’s why everyone likes her. Even I do.”
She wanted to shout, Please stop saying embarrassing things like that! — but Eshi beat her to it.
“Master, that’s not all, remember?”
“What?”
“Grace isn’t just pretty and kind. She’s also cute and lovable! And she’s strong, hardworking, perfect in every way — how could anyone not like her?”
Eshi was clearly the ultimate fan.
“Well, Grace is flawless just by existing.”
Livanu agreed without hesitation, and Eshi sighed dramatically.
“Ah, and now even Lady Reto has fallen for Grace’s charms! As if she isn’t popular enough already!”
Then Reto muttered softly,
“…I do like Grace, but… not as much as Eshi does.”
“That’s a shame,” Eshi said. “But I’m sure soon Lady Reto will fall completely under Grace’s spell too.”
“It’s only a matter of time,” she added confidently.
“Eshi, stop advertising me.”
“Ah— sorry! Instinctive, I swear.”
Advertising?! Grace wanted to sink into the ground from embarrassment.
Before the nonsense got worse, she cut in.
“Ugh, seriously, what are you all doing? You’re making it impossible for anyone to listen without cringing…”
“But it’s true.”
“Right, right.”
“Enough already! Lady Reto clearly doesn’t feel that way.”
“Really?”
Hearing that, Livanu actually looked pleased.
For some reason, he and Eshi always bickered like enemies — except in moments like this, when they were strangely in sync.
How had it come to this…
“You all seem to like Grace a lot,” Reto said.
“Well, of course. She’s amazing.”
“I see… B-but I think you’re amazing too, Lord Livanu.”
Her cheeks were glowing red as she said it.
Being near Livanu always turned her face apple-red, but this time she looked like a burning ember.
“Huh?”
The unexpected words caught Livanu off guard.
“Y-you’re also a good person… and cool… and… yeah.”
“You think I’m cool?”
Livanu frowned as if it were absurd.
He had never once taken off his robe in front of her.
Even so, the faint odor he carried couldn’t be completely hidden.
Though he trained his core diligently, there hadn’t been any visible change.
Granted, he was much better than when he’d first come to the estate — but Reto wouldn’t know that.
That she could still approach him so openly was strange. He figured she was only doing it out of gratitude for his help.
But cool?
Even Grace was taken aback — maybe the child was just too young to have prejudice.
“You… know who I am?”
Livanu’s tone suddenly sharpened.
The light mood vanished, the air turning cold.
“Eh?”
Startled by the sudden change, Reto shrank, terrified that she’d said something wrong.
“S-sorry…”
She didn’t even know what she’d done wrong — she just apologized instinctively.
Panicked, trembling, afraid he might walk away.
“I-I’m sorry, I just—”
Seeing her blindly apologize, Livanu caught himself, taking a sharp breath.
“…Ha.”
“I-I was wrong…”
And with that, even his anger deflated.
Looking at the frightened child, he suddenly felt foolish —
what was he doing, snapping at someone who didn’t even understand?
