Chapter 18
I thought.
“It’s finally here.”
For the past six days, I had forced myself to go to bed before ten each night.
I had tried my utmost to avoid facing the demon directly.
Luckily, traveling all day in the carriage in a twelve-year-old body meant that by ten o’clock, I would be completely exhausted, making it fairly easy to dodge the demon.
But today was different.
“Why are we arriving at the villa so late…?”
The current time was nine o’clock.
I stared anxiously at the large clock standing in the middle of the villa’s garden while hurrying to carry my luggage and catch up with Ian.
Perhaps the household staff had already heard that the youngest son of the Duke would be visiting, for the villa was brightly lit.
Most likely, the servants were inside, waiting for Ian.
“Master Ian, Master Ian! You must be tired!”
And I had the responsibility of preventing a meeting between the servants and Ian’s demon.
“Quickly go inside and rest! I’ll serve you!”
Ian, who had been walking lazily ahead, slowed his pace.
His displeased gaze fell on me immediately afterward.
“In a strange hurry, aren’t you?”
Well, you should know the reason better than anyone…
“Ah, no. I’m just worried because even I am exhausted, so I imagined how much Master Ian must have suffered.”
That always made his expression soften.
Lately, handling Ian Brighton had become noticeably easier.
I knew it was an unholy thing to think, but in truth, it was easier than before.
“I didn’t know he would enjoy giving for someone else so much.”
I reconsidered Ian’s humanity.
Of course, from all his actions so far, no one could call Ian Brighton a normal child.
But perhaps, deep inside him, there remained a yearning for affection.
I lifted my head and looked at his back.
The boy’s blond hair gleamed in the light spilling from the villa.
At the villa’s entrance, the servants stood in line, waiting.
The villa’s steward stood at the center, bowing respectfully to Ian.
“We heard that you would be visiting, Master Ian. Welcome to the villa.”
Ian didn’t even glance at the old steward.
He simply passed by without acknowledgment.
Then, suddenly, he stopped and pointed—not at me.
“He is my personal servant.”
All the servants’ eyes turned toward me.
I hurriedly bowed to them.
“Convey everything to me through the personal servant. Don’t come to me directly.”
“Yes…?”
“Just in case, I’m saying this.”
Stepping across the threshold of the wide-open villa doors, Ian turned to the gathered servants and smiled smoothly.
It was clearly a veiled threat.
“I recommend you give up any thoughts of dealing with him carelessly. For your own safety.”
Who would believe a twelve-year-old could say something like that?
I sighed deeply, watching Ian walk into the villa with luggage under both arms.
“I’m sorry. Master Ian must have gone through a lot before arriving here… Traveling for a week straight left him completely exhausted and irritable.”
It was exhausting being a loyal subordinate to a villain.
The old steward chuckled at my excuse.
“Don’t worry. The Duke knows all about Master Ian. And he knows what kind of child you are and the rules you must follow to serve him.”
“I-Is that so? In that case…”
I couldn’t help but glance at the clock.
The steward quickly noticed my concern and adjusted his pince-nez.
“Master Ian rarely comes to this villa. So in terms of attending to him, you probably know better than any of us.”
“Ah… yes…”
“You are sissi, right? Master Ian’s only personal servant, and the one with the longest tenure.”
“Yes! I’m sissi. Please just call me sissi.”
Longest tenure, huh? I had only worked for a little over a month and a half.
How quickly must Ian’s previous personal servants have changed?
“You have much to learn. Would it be alright if we ask you what to do at night?”
I muttered inwardly.
“My goodness… Even the steward of this villa is such a good person.”
I couldn’t imagine a better job. I definitely didn’t want to lose it.
I explained carefully to the steward the risks of being near Ian after ten o’clock.
He agreed far faster than I expected and instructed the servants to avoid approaching Ian’s room.
And also advised that they stay inside until breakfast the next morning.
Feeling slightly relieved, I hurried after Ian to his room.
The second largest room on the villa’s second floor.
The room next to the master bedroom used by the Duke and Duchess now belonged to Ian.
It gave me a strange feeling.
At the Duke’s mansion, Ian’s room was at the very end of the hallway.
Its location clearly aimed to isolate him from others.
Perhaps coming to the villa was better for Ian.
…Or perhaps not. Who could tell what was going on in his mind?
“Unlike the mansion, which had the Duchess’ gaze as a safeguard, here Ian will be far freer…”
The Duke rarely allowed Ian to go out, even excluding him from common excursions.
But here…
“Will ‘freer’ Ian be safer than at the mansion, or more dangerous?”
I swallowed hard and knocked on his door.
“Master Ian, it’s sissi. I’ve brought your luggage. May I come in to organize it?”
After a moment, Ian’s calm voice replied.
“Come in.”
I opened the door slowly. The room, perhaps even more luxurious and spacious than at the mansion, greeted me.
A canopy bed with white drapes. A spotless table. A two-person sofa. The room reflected how well the villa was maintained.
Ian was already changed and lying on the bed, watching me.
“You dare to say you’re going to organize your things while being wary of me at night? Ten o’clock is almost here. Are you sure?”
Yet he smiled, a mischievous tilt to his lips.
“It looks like you’re planning a little prank,” I thought.
“Is it alright? You said you’d watch over me.”
A baseless claim—I only intended to finish quickly and vanish to my own room before ten.
But Ian didn’t complain.
“The luggage is sorted. Leave that to someone else. Come here.”
“But didn’t you say you disliked other servants approaching?”
“I said that when I’m not around. I’m not going to stay locked in this room forever.”
So he already intended to roam freely around the villa.
‘Ah, I’ve heard children should run around in nature to develop a healthy mind.’
Indeed, Ian had been less rigid after our previous outing to the market.
Comparing him now to a month ago, he seemed like a completely different boy.
I steeled myself and approached him.
The apron I wore was immediately grabbed.
Ian looked at the week-worn white fabric and muttered with a bored expression:
“Is this all the clothing you have?”
If a servant dares to comment on another servant’s attire…
“Yes.”
Even if this were literally all I owned…
Ian looked slightly stunned.
“All of it?”
“Yes! I had a dress from the Grington family when I came here, but it was so worn and tattered that it had to be discarded.”
Ian Brighton’s frown deepened instantly.
“Those Gringtons…”
He muttered to himself, but time was pressing. The wall clock’s hands approached ten o’clock.
“Ah, Master Ian, then I…”
“Stay.”
“Eh?”
Ten o’clock? I should be leaving!
The rule: Do not be alone with Ian after ten. Absolute.
I blinked in disbelief.
Yet Ian ignored me and simply held my hand, speaking calmly.
“I said I’d watch over you.”
I stared dumbfounded at Ian Brighton. His smile—so smooth, the youthful edge gone, his eyes dazzlingly beautiful.
“So stay here, sissi. I want you here.”
