RTGD 38

Chapter 38

“Why am I like this, seriously…”

Litrisha pressed her chest firmly, biting her lip.

It had been quite a while since she’d parted from Killian, but her heart was still fluttering uncontrollably.

Killian’s face lingered in front of her eyes like an afterimage that wouldn’t fade.

She pressed harder against her chest.

It was clear that something in her had changed after the rain.

Just getting a little closer to him had made her this confused.

It was the kind of feeling you’d expect when someone was falling for someone…

As her thoughts wandered in that direction, Litrisha violently shook her head.

“Ha, ha. Seriously, me and my thoughts.”

Living a life where death could come at any moment, what room was there to fall for anyone?

Scoffing at her ridiculous thoughts, Litrisha smoothed her hair, which had gotten messy from her brisk walk.

That’s when she noticed a shadow emerging from the room where Allen was resting.

“Who’s there?”

At first, she thought it was Mark or Pell. But the person stepping out of the room was an unexpected figure.

“L-Lady. Oh dear, my manners. I should call you Lady Litrisha, right?”

The woman standing by the door awkwardly kept her masked face turned away.

Her pale gray dress, wrapped tightly around her body like armor, blended with the shadows in the hallway to create a soft, warm impression.

But Marcia, the woman, was clearly feeling intimidated, constantly tugging down her skirt and sleeves to hide the burn scars on her ankles and wrists.

Apparently, she wasn’t the only one inside the room.

With a familiar squeak-clack, squeak-clack—sounds Litrisha had heard before—Gorten stepped into view behind her.

“Ah… Lady Litrisha. You’re here.”

Using the door as a shield, Gorten bowed respectfully, trying his best to hide his legs.

“This is the first time we’ve met formally. I am Gorten, the chief steward of this estate. This here is Marcia, the head maid.”

When Gorten nudged Marcia in the side, she too gave a bow to Litrisha. But the moment she raised her head, she quickly turned it away again.

“Hello, Gorten. And Marcia. But… what were you two doing in there?”

Responding to their greetings, Litrisha approached the room.

With each step she took, Marcia and Gorten flinched noticeably.

In the end, she had to stop at an awkward distance, not quite reaching the door.

“You seemed busy, Lady Litrisha, so we were watching over the child for a bit. He seemed precious to you…”

Gorten rubbed his crooked mustache nervously as he trailed off.

His faded eyes met Marcia’s in mid-air, silently exchanging thoughts.

“I told you we shouldn’t come out!”

“Well, we’ve already been seen. What’s the point in hiding anymore?”

Just as Marcia had reasoned, there was little point in staying hidden now that their appearance had been revealed.

Still, now that they were facing Litrisha directly, neither of them knew what to do.

Though she hadn’t seemed shocked when she first saw them, it had been a chaotic situation.

Now, in broad daylight, in a calm setting—would she frown in disgust at their appearance?

They were so anxious they didn’t know how to respond.

“I see. Thank you. I’ve felt bad for not being able to care for Allen myself. Thanks to you two, he must not have felt lonely.”

Litrisha’s warm words shocked the two of them.

“I thought you two didn’t like me, but I guess I was wrong.”

“There’s no way!”

“Of course not!”

Their loud exclamations echoed down the hallway, making Litrisha blink in surprise.

“…Whoa, that startled me.”

Her heart thumped for a completely different reason this time.

Trying to calm her overworked heart, Litrisha watched as Marcia and Gorten awkwardly cleared their throats.

“Th-There’s no way we dislike you, Lady Litrisha. We just…”

“I thought you avoided me on purpose.”

“Well…”

They exchanged glances and shuffled their feet.

Marcia turned fully toward Litrisha, while Gorten stepped fully into the hallway.

Their unfiltered appearances now fully exposed, the eyes of the two elderly retainers trembled with unease.

No matter how old one gets, revealing one’s pain never becomes easy.

“Well, as you can see… it’s because we look like this. We were afraid you’d find us grotesque.”

Marcia clutched her gray dress tightly. The smell of the ointment she’d applied to her body seemed more pungent today, making her self-conscious.

Gorten felt the same. His trousers were an inch shorter than usual, making his prosthetic leg more visible. He regretted not wearing the longest pair he had.

But Litrisha’s voice, when it came, was calm—no different from earlier.

“I’m relieved to hear that. I’ve honestly felt guilty. Like I was an unwelcome guest.”

She walked up to them, stopping just short of their noses, and peered into the room.

“That’s… all?”

Her reaction, so nonchalant, left Marcia and Gorten speechless.

They forgot their hesitation and turned fully toward her.

“Is there something else I should say?”

“Um, don’t you find us… hideous or uncomfortable to look at?”

“No. Not at all.”

“You don’t have to pretend for our sake. If our appearance troubles you, we can make ourselves scarce…”

Gorten faltered, not knowing how to continue. Litrisha wasn’t looking away. She was facing them squarely.

Her transparent, light pink eyes held no special emotion.

No disgust. No pity. Just plain, ordinary eyes.

The same kind she used when looking at Mark or Pell.

That simple eye contact made Gorten’s nose sting. He couldn’t say anything more.

It wasn’t a lie. Litrisha really didn’t mind the way they looked.

There was no need to ask further—he could feel it.

Marcia, too, must’ve sensed it. The scarred eye behind her half-mask wavered.

*

“Thanks to you both, Allen seems to be doing a lot better.”

Having entered the room at some point, Litrisha now looked across at Marcia and Gorten.

“We didn’t really do much…”

Marcia’s face twitched bashfully at the compliment.

The head maid and chief steward now seemed somewhat used to looking directly at Litrisha.

As she gently stroked Allen’s sleeping head, Gorten cleared his throat.

“We’re sorry, Lady Litrisha. We assumed you’d dislike us and acted accordingly.”

“I-If you’d still allow it, we’d like to serve you sincerely. Absolutely!”

Not to be outdone, Marcia raised a clenched fist into the air.

“Thank you. But there’s no need to serve me so sincerely.”

“Huh? Are you upset with us for our earlier rudeness?”

“No, that’s not it. Just… treat me casually. Like a guest who’s only staying for a short while.”

“Uh… how could we…?”

Expecting no reward or recognition, Litrisha’s words made Marcia’s bulbous nose twitch.

“By the way, were you two the ones who left the baskets in front of my room these past few days?”

But before Marcia could respond, Litrisha followed up with a piercing question.

“H-How did you know?”

“How? Oh—I bet it was that Sir Davis fellow! Looks like someone can’t keep his mouth shut!”

Marcia placed her hands on her hips in frustration.

She was clearly remembering running into Mark in the hallway.

In truth, Litrisha had only brought it up on a hunch. But judging by their reactions, it was obvious they were the basket’s mysterious benefactors.

“Well, since it’s out now, let’s be clear.”

“Marcia, please. Show some decorum in front of Lady Litrisha.”

“We’re too old for decorum. Hmph.”

Marcia, now much more relaxed, clenched her dress tightly in both hands.

“Lady Litrisha, between the strawberry scones and the lemon sherbet inside— which did you like more?”

It seemed to be today’s delivery menu. The only problem was, Litrisha had been so distracted by Peter’s visit, she hadn’t even opened the basket.

If she told them the truth, they’d probably be disappointed. So, wringing out the towel for Allen’s forehead, she dodged the question.

“I do prefer lemon.”

“Ah—how could it be…!”

“See, Gorten? What did I say? I told you—lemon beats strawberry!”