TMLAM 29

Chapter 29

The Male Lead’s Devoted Maid Is Too Competent

“…What did you say? You failed to deliver the gift?”

Lucas, who had been enjoying a rare pleasant day, cast a cold gaze at Joseph Bender in response to the disappointing report.

“There was nothing I could do. Miss Blante said she wouldn’t accept it.”

But Joseph Bender spoke in an irritated tone, completely oblivious to Lucas’s mood.

“She wouldn’t accept it? Why?”

Lucas raised his voice, then quickly reined it in as if grabbing hold of it.

He had learned enough to know that authority stood out more when one didn’t raise their voice.

He only acted differently in front of Elisha because that was the version of him she was used to.

…No, to be honest, it was because it was comfortable.

Even without him restraining himself, Elisha always looked at him with affectionate eyes.

That blind devotion was meant to belong to him alone.

And yet—she hadn’t accepted the gift.

Already irritated, Lucas now found that Joseph Bender couldn’t even deliver a simple present, nor give a proper report.

I should’ve listened to Elisha.

A useless man like this should have been left to rot in the Bender barony.

Unaware of Lucas’s inner turmoil, Joseph Bender continued.

“She says she’s finally acting within her means. Honestly, it’s ridiculous—”

“…What did you say?”

“Well, no matter how you look at it, she’s just a marquis’s daughter. Compared to Your Highness, she’s nothing. Who does she think she is, refusing a royal gift—!”

Clang—!

He had brought Lucas’s anger upon himself.

“What did you just say about Elisha?”

Lucas Medelique’s golden eyes flashed with displeasure.

“W-Why are you reacting like this, Your Highness?”

Joseph Bender looked at Lucas in confusion.

“Isn’t this what you always said? That Miss Blante doesn’t know her place and loiters around Your Highness—”

Yes, Lucas had said that himself.

But he couldn’t suppress his irritation.

I’m the only one who gets to talk about her like that.

As if he had forgotten laughing along just a week ago while others mocked Elisha in high society, Lucas openly displayed his displeasure.

“Who do you think you are, talking about Elisha like that?”

“Y-Your Highness…?”

“If a marquis’s daughter is nothing, then what are you—a mere baron’s son?”

Joseph Bender blinked, stunned by the unexpected fury.

Lucas had always enjoyed it when others echoed his irritation toward Elisha.

So why now?

“I-I am Your Highness’s loyal attendant—”

“Can you call yourself loyal when you can’t even deliver a gift properly?”

“I-I—”

The pressure radiating from Lucas made Joseph’s legs tremble.

For some reason, the scene of the monster subjugation he had accompanied just once flashed before his eyes.

Hero Luca Delric, cutting down monsters in a single strike with overwhelming sword energy amid fierce winds—it felt as though that hunter now stood before him.

I—I need to confess my mistake. Otherwise…

Luca often lashed out like this, but after an hour or two, he would always calm down and soothe those around him.

Joseph desperately tried to steady his pounding heart.

He had to say something—anything. Otherwise, it felt like he would be completely cast aside by Lucas.

“A-Actually… it was for Your Highness’s sake!”

“…For my sake?”

Lucas’s golden eyes stared as if daring him to spout nonsense.

Swallowing humiliation, Joseph opened his mouth.

“It just so happened that merchants sent by the Blante Young Marquis and Prince Joshua were there.”

He had blurted it out desperately, grasping for survival.

But for some reason, the sharp edge of Lucas’s presence dissipated.

“…The Blante Young Marquis sent merchants to Elisha?”

“Yes, truly! The man who claimed to be the Blante household’s butler even boasted that over twenty dresses needed to be custom-fitted!”

Bang—!

Lucas slammed the table.

Everything had been going so well—or so he thought.

Joseph Bender anxiously read the room.

Confusion, sorrow, resentment, and betrayal swirled across Lucas’s face.

“…Get out.”

“Pardon?”

Joseph wanted to linger a little longer, to burn the face of the prince he revered into his memory.

If he stayed close at a moment like this, he could become even more trusted than Elisha Blante once had been.

“If there’s something worrying you, please tell me. I can think of a solution—”

He spoke while hoping Lucas would recall his clever mind.

But—

“Do you intend to make me say it twice? Get out, Joseph Bender.”

The voice that answered him was colder than ice.

Joseph felt his breath seize as he fled the room in haste.

Click.

The door closed timidly behind him.

“Ha… Elisha.”

Crash—clatter!

Unable to contain his rage, Lucas swept everything off the table.

Among the scattered items was a box containing a dress he had carefully chosen himself.

Black ink splattered across the overturned fabric.

It felt as though absurd people were slowly, little by little, encroaching upon Elisha—who was meant to belong to him alone.

“…Are you really going to keep letting your eyes wander?”

She had always looked only at him.

And now, just because he hadn’t paid her much attention for a few months, she was acting so brazenly?

“You shouldn’t be close to the Young Marquis.”

You shouldn’t dare secure the cooperation of the Young Marquis when even I couldn’t.

Elisha only needed to stay quietly by his side, gazing at him prettily.

Her pretty talents, her worries—everything should be directed at him alone.

“If you’re not flattering the Young Marquis just to bring me a gift when you return.”

You shouldn’t do that. Never.

If you were going to act so independently, you should have left it to me from the start.

Still, I’ll indulge you, Elisha. I will.

Right now, this is just you sulking over a small disappointment.

You don’t realize that you love me—

That your feelings run too deep to erase easily.

“That gentle girl will never abandon me.”

He had carefully used the swamp of her miserable childhood to slowly drag her into it as well.

Elisha Blante—who had no place among her own family.

There was no way the position he had painstakingly shaped for her would collapse overnight.

He had deliberately exaggerated how frightening Cesare Blante was, twisting every word Cesare spoke, making sure Elisha believed that only he was kind.

To a girl who longed for family, he whispered lies until they felt like truth.

‘The Young Marquis is a scary person. Right, Elisha?’
‘…’
‘He’s always so cold to you, isn’t he? Other than me, no one ever smiles at you kindly. That’s true, isn’t it?’

Lucas licked his dry lips.

At some point, they had cracked. A bitter taste spread across his tongue.

“Elisha, I’m the only one who can grant your wishes.”

Because his wishes were Elisha’s wishes.

So he would wait generously.

After all, this was just a cute attempt by everyone to claim his heart.

He smiled darkly as he looked at the ruined dress.

“I’ll give you the seat right beside me.”

Lucas had no intention of letting his increasingly valuable, beloved childhood friend escape.

* *

“Is something wrong, miss?”

The attending maid asked as she saw me shiver and fidget with my ear mid-bath.

“Hm? No, my ear suddenly got itchy, and I got goosebumps.”

“Are you cold? Shall I add hotter water?”

“No, the temperature’s perfect.”

Despite my words, the maid still carefully poured warm water over my shoulders.

“You should be careful not to catch a cold. This is the time of year when it’s easy to fall ill.”

“That’s true. Um… maybe I just overdid it today?”

“Because of shopping?”

At my words, the maids tilted their heads, eyes wide in confusion.

Their synchronized reaction made me snort with laughter, and though they didn’t understand why, they smiled brightly anyway.

It seemed they were happy just because I was.

Yeah… this place really feels like home now.

Before, I couldn’t tell whether it was my home or Lucas’s.

The maids used to open their mouths only to talk about Lucas, and despite serving me for years, their skills never improved.

Whenever Lucas was angry, it was always my job to calm him down and turn Hero Luca Delric back to normal.

So this—this felt nice.

Being able to smile at something small like this.

“I didn’t just overdo it—I was worked to the bone!”

I spoke in an exaggerated tone, deliberately sounding excited.

I was a little flustered, but the maids attending me looked delighted.

“My brother told them to make a ridiculous number of dresses, didn’t he? I spent all day choosing designs, taking measurements, and trying on the ones they brought.”

I thought he’d only said it to tease Joseph Bender, but Gerald had gone as far as firmly instructing even the maids.

That it absolutely had to be more than twenty dresses.

The tailor and jeweler had attacked the task with such fierce determination that I couldn’t stop them.

When I let out an exaggerated sigh, the maid hurriedly massaged my shoulders and arms.

“We were happy, though. Just thinking about you wearing beautiful dresses made us excited.”

“Really! With your rose-colored hair and smooth skin, miss, new dresses will suit you perfectly.”

“The dresses you already had were lovely, of course, but they didn’t fully show how charming you are. We were so regretful about that.”

I had expected praise—but not this much. My cheeks flushed.

And before I knew it—

“I-I’m sorry. I’ve just been staying at home all this time…”

I ended up apologizing.

I felt like I had wronged these girls who possessed the precious talent of finding fulfillment in their work.

But the maids quickly shook their heads.

“No, no! Of course you’d be tired—you’re not used to it yet.”

“But still… we really hope you’ll get used to things like this from now on.”

I blinked at their words, then slowly submerged my mouth into the bath.

Blub, blub.

Bubbles rose to the surface.

The familiar affection melted into their tone stirred something unfamiliar inside me.

It still felt like something I didn’t deserve—and yet…

So, Elisha, please accept it.

Thinking that maybe all I had to do was reach out and hold it.