Chapter: 6
Ricardo scoffed inwardly.
It was such a predictable story.
The childish fairy tale of a princess and a prince marrying and living happily ever after had long since lost its charm. And yet… strangely, his heart wavered.
He could have easily ignored the maid’s nonsense.
“Will I… end up like that too?”
The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them—words that sounded childish, like something a child might say.
Could he, like the prince in a fairy tale, escape this dreadful curse?
Could he have a happy future?
“Yes, of course! I can guarantee it.”
“…Who are you?”
Ricardo snapped, trying to hide the fact that his heart had been shaken by such a childish story. Mary, however, responded with her usual cheerful smile.
“I’m your maid, my lord.”
That wasn’t what he had asked.
But her unexpected answer, somehow pleasing to hear, made the corner of Ricardo’s mouth twitch.
“I shouldn’t trust this.”
A whisper of doubt settled deep in his heart. Surely, this maid would be no different from the others.
He was tired of being hurt by people who pretended to be kind, only to reveal a different face later.
Yet… somehow, he thought this time might be different.
Mary truly was different from any other servant he had seen so far.
Unlike the others, she didn’t bow excessively, and she didn’t try to flatter him.
“Strange.”
No matter how he thought about it, Mary was not like a typical maid.
What maid would answer back to her master, or climb through a window just because he refused to eat breakfast?
She really was a strange maid.
And somehow, he didn’t dislike her for it.
“You’re a witch, aren’t you?”
To have someone shake his heart like this…
“She must be a witch.”
Ricardo knew his speculation was absurd. Witches and magic were things only found in fairy tales.
But one could never be too sure.
Mary blinked at Ricardo’s sudden accusation.
“Before you said I was an assassin, and now a witch?”
“Yes. Because I can use magic, that makes me a witch.”
“Isn’t someone like that usually called a magician, not a witch? Actually… I’m not a witch.”
“Then how can you use magic if you’re not a witch?”
“Well…”
Her bright yellow eyes, like flowers blooming in spring, dropped to the floor, shifting left and right.
Then, as if making a firm decision, Mary lowered her voice and whispered.
“Yes… it’s true. Actually, I’m a descendant of witches.”
“I knew it. So what did you do to me?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“What do you mean? Don’t play dumb. You…”
I don’t dislike you after all…
He couldn’t bring himself to say that, so Ricardo stammered.
“Me… what?”
Fortunately, Mary didn’t seem to understand what he was about to say.
Ricardo quickly changed the topic.
“Never mind. Just show me your magic already.”
Mary’s lips pouted as if in mild displeasure, then relaxed again.
“Okay. Then, please hold my hand.”
She suddenly extended her hand. Ricardo awkwardly fumbled in the air.
Seeing him hesitate, Mary grabbed his hand firmly.
Her skin felt slightly rough, probably from doing hard work, but her hand was larger and warmer than his own, and he didn’t dislike it.
“How is it? My lord, do you think I dislike holding your hand?”
Mary’s calm face, gently holding his hand, was as serene as ever.
Her eyes sparkled like stars, and her rosy cheeks were lifted in a lively smile.
If that smile were fake, there would be nothing in the world worth trusting.
“Does it really not bother you… touching me?”
His heart thumped wildly. Excitement and an unfamiliar emotion surged together.
“What… is this feeling?”
Feeling strange, Ricardo averted his gaze. If he kept staring into her brilliant, sunlit golden eyes, he felt he might go blind.
“Y-You don’t know. Since you’re a witch, you can make your expressions do whatever you want, right?”
“I don’t have that ability!”
Hearing Mary’s voice, filled with genuine indignation, made Ricardo happy.
He secretly hoped that Mary’s warmth and sunny smile weren’t products of magic.
“Then, as I said before, I’ll make a dessert you like appear, my lord.”
Mary chanted a spell: “Suri suri masu-ri.”
Then she stomped her feet with a loud haap!—the chair even shook from the noise.
“Is it done now?”
Ricardo glanced around, but there was no dessert in sight.
“What? There’s nothing here.”
“There is! Look!”
“Where?”
Just as Ricardo turned to search, something plopped onto his lap.
“Huh…?”
He was surprised to see a peach-flavored candy appear from nowhere.
Since he was holding her hand, Mary couldn’t have done anything—so where did the candy come from?
“…Was that really magic?”
“Of course! Didn’t I tell you I’m a descendant of witches?”
Mary beamed brightly and released his hand.
“From now on, I’ll use my magic to help cure your illness. But my magic is weak, so I can’t heal it all at once. Instead, I’ll put magic on your medicine every day—magic to make you healthy.”
It was something he had longed for. Even the wild idea that magic could heal illness made his heart race.
Perhaps, a real miracle could happen.
While his heart swelled with joy and anticipation, Ricardo felt a small, unusual sense of regret.
“I could hold her hand a little longer.”
Unaware of Ricardo’s thoughts, Mary continued chirping like a little bird.
“So, you have to take your medicine properly now, okay?”
Ricardo’s mind was full of thoughts on how he could hold her hand again.
“My lord, are you listening to me?”
“…Yes.”
He nodded absently, half-listening to her words.
The head maid, Lisa, hurried from the main building to the annex as soon as her work was done, anxious to hear Mary’s report.
“Can that little girl really manage…?”
Fourteen years old.
Not too young to work as a maid. Among the servants handling chores like laundry or dishwashing, there were plenty of children Mary’s age.
But Mary wasn’t doing chores—she was tasked with attending to a fussy, irritable young master.
Lisa hadn’t expected her to perform perfectly. She just hoped Mary wouldn’t run away claiming she couldn’t handle it.
Half expecting, half anxious, Lisa met Mary and was stunned by her report.
“You say my lord has taken all his medicine…?”
“Yes!”
Lisa stared at the empty medicine bottle in disbelief.
“There’s no way Ricardo would do that.”
No servant had ever successfully given him his medicine. Even a highly competent nanny, who had cared for dozens of noble children, could only give him medicine with constant threats and coaxing—always under Lisa’s supervision.
Yet this girl, who had arrived just yesterday and was new to maid work, had succeeded.
“Are you sure he took it? You saw him yourself?”
Mary’s eyes were too pure to be lying. They weren’t the eyes of someone who deceives.
“Yes, he took it all, and even had dessert afterward!”
“Well done. Now go rest in your room.”
“Ah, is there nothing else I need to do?”
“No, your job is to attend to the young master. Unless he calls for you, you may rest.”
“Understood!”
After sending Mary off, Lisa went straight to Ricardo to verify the truth.
“My lord, I heard you took all your medicine today…?”
“Yes. I did.”
Surprisingly, Mary had spoken the truth.
It was remarkable enough that Ricardo, who hated medicine, had taken it willingly. But what was even more astonishing…
“What’s she like?”
“Pardon?”
“That strange maid of yours.”
For someone as wary and shy as Ricardo to show interest in anyone other than Lianne or Lisa, and especially in a maid who had only been there two days, left Lisa astounded.
“Mary is resting in her room now. If you need her, pull the cord and she’ll come immediately.”
Lisa hadn’t realized that Ricardo’s mischievous smile appeared the moment he heard about the cord.
