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Chapter: 14
The frown on Kaiden’s face slowly shifted into surprise. Without realizing it, he rose from his seat.
The child who always wore a sulky expression was smiling brightly.
It looked like a harmonious scene painted in a masterpiece.
It wasn’t a fleeting smile that appeared and vanished in an instant, but a beautiful one that lingered at the corners of his lips.
Even from far away, it felt as though cheerful laughter could be heard. The one who had drawn out that laughter was Miliana.
The most astonishing sight was the vines surging around them. Vines blooming with vivid red roses were wrapping the two of them together.
“If you don’t know how to handle a child, then you can simply learn,” she said.
“……”
For a long while, Kaiden gazed out the window, silently taking in the sight of Miliana and Heos as though lost in thought.
‘Rising in status really is nice.’
Miliana smiled with satisfaction. Since becoming his dedicated maid, she was constantly by his side, ensuring their ether didn’t clash and keeping the curse well suppressed.
The mist that had once been the visible form of the curse had been reduced to no more than dust. And that wasn’t all.
‘Total annihilation!’
She relentlessly crushed the curse with her own ether, all while keeping her hands busy.
Tap—
After finishing the meal, Miliana began addressing things that had been bothering her one by one.
She trimmed Heos’s nails—nails that no one had ever cut for him before. Just looking at the long nails, they appeared sharp enough to cause injury if one wasn’t careful.
Yet paradoxically, they were brittle from a lack of nutrients and broke easily. It meant nourishment hadn’t reached the tips, and faint white cracks ran through the pale pink surface.
Bringing him to the dining hall had been worthwhile. It was fortunate he hadn’t collapsed from malnutrition.
Though he was thin now, with just a little care, he could plump up like any other child.
Of course, what happened in the dining hall hadn’t been pleasant. Miliana cursed Kaiden internally. It was nothing like the time he’d trembled in fear, claiming he was scared.
‘What on earth is His Grace the Grand Duke doing?!’
She simmered with anger toward him.
She had clearly said that spending time with the child was important. She had even asked him to trust her. O-of course, he’d said it wasn’t her place to interfere, but if he had even an ounce of consideration, shouldn’t he show up during mealtimes?!
“Wow, it’s nice and clean now. Right?”
She smiled in satisfaction as she looked at the neatly trimmed nails, the white parts gone and only the pink remaining.
Heos touched his nails, then quietly nodded. Though she didn’t receive much of a response, Miliana beamed anyway.
Miliana stood beside him while Heos continued to fidget with his nails. She glanced at the time.
“Young master, what do you usually do around this hour?”
“Nothing… I just stay here. I have to be here.”
“I see…”
Miliana searched her memories. The young lady she had once served used to wander around freely.
She never stayed still even for a moment. She often attended tea parties and gatherings. Especially… she had quite a rough hobby. The unwanted memory made Miliana’s face pale, and she quickly erased it from her mind.
Before she knew it, Heos was sitting in a chair with a book open. Miliana stood by his side.
Even after becoming his dedicated maid, Heos’s daily life hadn’t changed. Even when she was just a regular maid by his side, he always stayed in his room, staring blankly out the window or reading books.
Most of the time, he looked utterly listless.
“Young master, is there anything you’d like to do?”
“No.”
Despite his gloomy eyes, his answer was firm.
People said he had opened his heart only to Miliana, but she had yet to see him laugh brightly even once.
She had seen him smile in relief, but even that smile disappeared quickly.
She wanted to see him laugh freely like a child his age—a carefree smile without a worry in the world.
Miliana let out a small sigh. Though he was just a child, he looked like a battered skiff that had weathered countless storms.
Bright sunlight streamed in through the window. Instead of making his snow-white skin glow, it only made him look even paler.
Seeing his dry hair and rough cheeks, Miliana thought he needed some sun.
Sunlight, closeness, and a way to pass the time—all of that could be solved with a walk. Besides, the garden of the Ethelhardt estate was exceptionally beautiful.
Having finished her calculations, Miliana spoke.
“Young master, isn’t it boring to just read books inside the room?”
“No. I like reading. It lets my imagination run free.”
“Then how about reading outside? Look by the window. The sunlight feels nice. And considering your health, you really should get some sun! Haven’t you read anything like that in your books?”
Heos flinched. He had read countless books, so he probably had come across something like that before. But…
“Breathing fresh air is good for your body, too. Reading in the garden while smelling flowers would feel wonderful!”
At that moment, one of the knights standing guard behind them spoke up to advise her.
“I’m sorry, but the annex garden has not yet been restored.”
The annex had collapsed, which was why they were staying in the main building. That place had originally been the annex.
Thinking Heos might be dangerous if he lost control, the knight hadn’t even considered spending time in the main garden.
“We’ll go to the main garden.”
“The main garden has many people coming and going.”
Miliana and the knight exchanged sharp glances.
‘I really don’t like this guy.’
She found the knight, who interfered at every turn, extremely irritating. Without lifting his eyes from the book, Heos spoke casually.
“It’s not good for someone dangerous like me to go outside.”
Miliana’s expression soured. Why crush the spirit of her child? She glared at the knight.
“Who says that? If the young master wants to go out, then he can go out. I don’t think you’re dangerous at all. Nothing’s happened for days now, has it? I want you to go outside, see the garden, and smile like flowers in full bloom.”
Though he tried to act indifferent, staying cooped up in the room had to be stifling. As if responding to her words, he hesitated, wiggling his fingers. Miliana gently coaxed and persuaded him to go outside.
“We need to be careful… I haven’t gone berserk lately and things have been quiet. If I stand out, it’ll make people uneasy.”
She respected his opinion, careful not to push him too hard.
“If that’s how you feel, then I’ll follow your decision. It doesn’t have to be today. But please remember this one thing.”
Ignoring the knight’s gaze, Miliana whispered softly to Heos.
“I told you, didn’t I? You lose control because you keep holding everything in. And you need to release your ether outside once in a while.”
Heos didn’t reply.
“The rose vines blooming in the garden would be truly beautiful.”
Miliana said it deliberately loud enough for everyone to hear. Everyone in the room understood what those rose vines referred to.
“…Dedicated maid!”
“Beautiful…?”
No one had ever described that ability as beautiful before.
“Yes. It’s a shame—we could have made wonderful memories in the garden.”
“Are you encouraging the young master to use his ability right now?”
The knight stepped forward in alarm, reaching for Miliana’s hand. At that moment, Heos activated his power and stretched out his hand to stop him.
His short arm couldn’t possibly reach the knight. Instead, a vine shot up from the floor and slapped the knight’s hand away with a sharp crack.
The knight’s face twisted. Heos was slightly startled himself, having used his power in a moment of anger, but he quickly composed his expression.
“You handle it well!”
“Ha…?”
Ignoring the knight’s incredulous mutter, Miliana beamed at the sight of Heos controlling his power so freely.
In truth, she had been worried that he might not be able to control his ability properly since she rarely saw him use it.
‘That would’ve been even more troublesome.’
Perhaps because he admired his father, among the two qualities of ether, he was better at using the transcendent type—power that manifested directly outward.
“If it’s just for a little while… I’ll go.”
“Young master!”
Miliana clapped her hands in delight, praising his decision.
“I’ll stop by the kitchen and ask them to prepare some sandwiches.”
“I ate a lot this morning.”
“I know. But you’re still very thin. You need to snack often and gain weight quickly. You’ll look much better that way.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course!”
The knight stared at the two of them talking as if his very existence were being ignored.
“You can eat them when you’re hungry. It’s good to prepare in advance. Eating outside will feel different, too.”
“…Okay. I get it.”
Fearing Heos might change his mind, Miliana quickly left the room, heading for the kitchen.
The knight, who had strongly opposed the idea of going to the garden, followed her. He suddenly grabbed her wrist harshly, not considering her delicate frame at all.
“What on earth are you thinking? I’ve been listening quietly, but taking the young master to the garden… Are you out of your mind?”
His irritated voice scolded her as though he’d never seen someone so foolish.
“Just because the young master’s condition improved thanks to you, are you getting overconfident? Have you forgotten that the annex collapsed? Many people pass through the main garden. And it’s right in front of the main building. Do you realize the damage to the estate if he goes berserk there?”
His grip tightened as if ordering her to go retract her words immediately. Miliana let out a pained groan and shoved his hand away.
“Please let go!”
The knight released her with a heavy sigh.
“So go back right now and—”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t intend to take back my words. The young master has already made his decision. It doesn’t seem like something for us to argue over, does it?”
The knight’s piercing gaze was enough to make anyone shrink back, but Miliana stood firm.
“Of course people shouldn’t get hurt. I know that. But you saw it too. The young master can control his power skillfully. And I was entrusted by His Grace the Grand Duke to take good care of him. I have a duty to consider his health. This is the young master’s own command! Now then, I’ll be going!”
