Chapter 51
“Why do I always have to learn the hard way?”
It seemed that I had been so excited all this time that I couldn’t hold back my words, saying things I shouldn’t have.
If I were forgiven this time, I was confident I could truly do better.
Terrence seemed to read Yubelline’s mind and said exactly what she wanted to hear most:
“Let’s send a letter. If you take good care of her from now on, Jer will return to how he was before.”
A lovable friend who was foolishly devoted only to us.
[To Titiania]
I’m glad to hear you’re doing well.
I’m also doing fine, so don’t worry too much. But I miss you terribly.
Judging by the message through Sir Veilt, are you perhaps the new maid at the Duke’s estate?
Things there seem dangerous, so how about coming to me instead? I’ll take responsibility for what comes after.
Especially watch out for Sir Veilt; he’s a man with sly intentions. The Duke seems to have come to his senses now, but he used to act recklessly without thinking. I thought you should know.
Even if the Duke or Sir Veilt happen to see this letter, don’t worry about me.
They both owe a great debt to my stepmother, so they’ll overlook this kind of thing.
A suddenly appearing stepmother… isn’t that intriguing?
There’s so much I want to say when we meet. Let’s meet soon.
P.S. I sent a gift, so make sure to wear it at least once.
Folding the letter neatly, I tilted my head.
“Has Hana’s father remarried?”
I didn’t know who this person was, but why would he throw himself into such a situation?
Who is this stepmother, that both Boss and Sir Veilt owe her such a great debt?
“Boss, you know who Hana’s stepmother is, right?”
Boss, who had been peeking over my shoulder at the letter, shook his head.
“If I tell you first, I won’t be left alone.”
I decided not to press him since I had to leave him be.
“I’m curious, but I’ll ask Hana directly when I see her. By the way, where is Hana’s gift?”
“I think you mean those outside.”
Boss had now drawn back all the curtains in the rooms. Thanks to that, I didn’t need my glasses anymore. Boss still wore his from time to time, but mostly kept them on.
Following Boss’s gesture to the balcony, I saw about four carriages come inside. By Sir Veilt’s orders, boxes were being moved in one after another.
“Surely… Hana can’t have money to buy gifts like this.”
“Let’s go see first.”
As I held Boss’s hand, divine energy shimmered around it like smoke.
According to the wizard and Joshua, the previously blocked path of divine energy had slightly opened, with purity even higher than a saint’s, which they found remarkable.
Because of that, I had unknowingly purified Boss’s curse, something even a saint couldn’t do.
Joshua noted it felt strangely familiar but said there wasn’t enough energy to determine exactly what it was.
Fortunately, the temple didn’t seem to notice my divine energy.
In fact, it was leaking out uncontrollably, so I couldn’t go near the temple for the time being.
As we stepped out to the front, Sir Veilt was the first to greet us.
“You’re just in time.”
He gestured to the servants to show them my room.
“These are gifts sent by Hana.”
I gaped at the endless procession of items.
“All of these…?”
“Yes.”
There were luxurious dresses and jewelry in abundance.
“But Hana is poor…”
How could she possibly send all of this?
“Boss, the person who became Hana’s stepmother… is she someone I should worry about?”
“Not at all. Accept it with peace of mind.”
Although I would gratefully accept Hana’s gifts, I worried:
“Will I ever have a chance to wear these…?”
The dresses and jewelry were clearly high-end.
Has her house gone bankrupt?
She had sent all this with me in mind, so I couldn’t return it or simply store it away. Hana insisted I wear them.
“Since Hana’s heart is in it, can I wear them at home sometimes?”
“You can wear them now. Wear them every day off and stay by my side. Even at work. Leave the trivial tasks to others.”
Boss, please breathe while speaking.
“Thank you. I will.”
I had to wear them somehow; it would make Hana happy.
I couldn’t see her, but knowing this made me feel at ease.
Sir Veilt handed a bundle of letters to Boss.
“Oh, and Boss, here’s some letters.”
Curious, I tried to see the sender, but there was none, so I asked Sir Veilt:
“Who are these from?”
“From the saint and the crown prince.”
“The rest?”
“Also from the saint and the crown prince.”
So the saint and the crown prince had sent so many letters to Boss…?
“How many letters did they send in one day?”
“The saint felt something and urgently sent more.”
Boss said nonchalantly, observing them:
“I didn’t know they were the type to write letters so often.”
Both Veilt and I simultaneously grimaced.
Zervant bit his lips, holding back laughter.
He found her efforts to peek at the letter without being noticed, tilting her small head, utterly charming.
“Cute.”
These days, that was all he could think whenever he saw her.
Everything she did was adorable and lovable.
“How can she be like that?”
Is she even human?
Apparently not. Definitely not.
That’s why she blessed him.
She was undoubtedly a noble being.
He thought about her constantly—during research, before sleep, while sleeping, after waking, while eating, even breathing.
Just thinking about her made his heart feel overwhelmed. He was too happy to figure out anything else.
“Come over and look together.”
“Shall I?”
She immediately brought a nearby chair, but he grabbed her wrist and sat her on his thigh.
As Titiania tried to stand in surprise, he blocked her and rested his chin on her shoulder.
“Joshua said to make contact more intensely than before.”
“That may be, but…”
Titiania whispered to him.
“Isn’t this too intense?”
“Don’t you want me to lift the curse?”
“No!”
She shook her head vigorously. He opened the letters to read together, but his eyes didn’t focus on a single word.
Her white neck, contrasting with black hair, and her fresh scent made him dizzy.
“Smells nice.”
He buried his nose in her neck. Her shoulders twitched, but he inhaled deeper.
“Do you smell it?”
“No.”
Simply because he liked it. The scent was adorable.
Unaware of what he was thinking, he closed his eyes, feeling her skin and inhaling her scent.
“Hehe!”
She occasionally let out frustrated groans at passages she didn’t like, which he found endearing.
“Can I send a letter of luck? I want to make them feel awkward. Seeing that they write so many letters, can I help them fulfill their dream?”
Seeing her get angrier than he would made him smile.
He wanted to let them do as they wished, but they couldn’t go outside yet, so it was uncertain how they’d act.
They would probably try to deal with Titiania somehow.
They’d likely blame her for everything happening now.
“I guess they realized I’m the cause of Boss’s brightness. Look at this passage—they wrote the same thing.”
Only then did he read the passages she pointed out. The first was from the crown prince, the next from Yubelline.
[Zer, since the new maid arrived, you’ve changed a lot. That maid doesn’t seem to have a good influence on you, so how about letting her go? If you want, I can find a new maid for you.]
[Even if you were angry at me, I don’t think you would have spoken so harshly. At that time, you protected that maid, but the maid trying to drive a wedge between us won’t be of any help staying by your side.]
Seeing both letters convey almost the same message, Zervant snorted.
“Ridiculous.”
“Right? Absurd.”
And yet, who is really having a bad influence here?
