Chapter 28
It was a day I arrived at work later than usual. As I dawdled toward Odin’s room, a familiar sight made me stop.
By the window in the hallway that led to the garden, Lu and Deriksha were sitting at a tea table outdoors, smiling and chatting face-to-face.
They’ve really gotten close. I had expected their relationship to improve from the updates Deriksha occasionally shared, but I hadn’t imagined it would get this close.
Feeling warm inside, I opened the window and spoke to them.
“What are you talking about?”
I asked cheerfully, trying to match the friendly mood. But as soon as I appeared, the two of them immediately went silent.
Huh? The sudden chill made me stare at them, confused.
“…Did I do something wrong again?”
Surely Lu had already gotten over his anger. I gave him a worried look, and he waved his hand casually, as if it didn’t matter—though he still kept his lips tightly shut.
“Aren’t you going to work?”
Deriksha said bluntly. What now? Her tone made it feel like she wanted to kick me out. I pouted.
“Why? Can’t I join you?”
“Later.”
“When later? Play with me too!”
Deriksha smiled brightly, got up, and even closed the window entirely.
What? I didn’t do anything wrong today!
Lu glanced at me and laughed. I didn’t know why he was laughing, but as the one deprived of Deriksha’s attention, it felt like a personal betrayal.
First Odin, now Lu—Deriksha’s affection was being split. Feeling resentful, I glared at them, but Lu and Deriksha ignored me and resumed their cheerful conversation.
Pouting completely, I left to go somewhere other than Odin’s room. I marched angrily, flung open the door, and shouted.
“Miss! I’m not doing this anymore!”
Able, startled by my sudden entrance, widened his eyes. He put down the teacup he had been holding.
“What now?”
“Deriksha’s gotten close to Lu and won’t play with me!”
Able stared at me in disbelief. Nearly a month had passed, but instead of me giving Odin love advice, it was only Lu and Deriksha who had grown closer.
I collapsed onto Able’s bed.
“…Are you giving any love advice at all?”
“I’ve never been in a relationship before! What advice could I give? I quit!”
I pouted, burying my face in the pillow. Able sighed deeply and closed his book.
“Yeah… I was already thinking of telling you to stop. Seeing that Odin realized you were a princess, there was no reason for you to give up on Deriksha because of your status.”
I didn’t know how those two facts were connected, but if it meant I could finally end this, it was fine. I sat up and looked at Able with a bright expression.
“Then… can I bring Deriksha here?”
“No. Odin’s issue with Deriksha is settled, but Lu still needs her. Wait a little longer.”
Able smiled mysteriously. I flopped back onto the bed, pouting again.
In a day or two, maybe it wouldn’t matter—but Deriksha and Lu had been visibly avoiding me for several days.
Whenever I tried to join them in the hallway while they laughed and talked, they would close their mouths and evade me. It became a daily routine.
If they wanted to exclude me, they could’ve done it quietly—but openly avoiding me only made me angrier.
Thinking I might go crazy from frustration, I finally decided to confront them directly and headed to Lu’s room. I took a deep breath and grabbed the doorknob.
“…?”
The door wasn’t fully closed. As soon as I touched it, it creaked open slightly. I quickly withdrew my hand and peeked through the gap. Voices came from inside.
“Ah, and then Lily again…”
Why was my name mentioned in their conversation?
I hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, but hearing my name made me instinctively listen.
Peeking through the crack, I saw Lu and Deriksha sitting opposite each other at the tea table. The mood was serious, but Deriksha was smiling.
She frowned in front of me but smiled behind my back.
I continued watching Deriksha. She spoke warmly and comfortably.
“Every morning, Lily stubs her toes on her bed.”
What? She said it with a smile?
I was the only one shocked—Lu nodded seriously at her words. I let out a small laugh and then flung the door open.
“Please take care of my toes!”
They both looked surprised.
“Were you eavesdropping?”
“Yes. Any complaints?”
I spoke irritably to Lu, who frowned. No, I should be the annoyed one. So all this time, they had been sharing my weaknesses behind my back?
“Don’t ignore my stubbed toes! It really hurts!”
“Lily, we weren’t ignoring you. We were just exchanging information about you,” Deriksha tried to calm me, but it only made me more frustrated.
“So you shared info about me without me knowing…?”
“We talked about you with good intentions, Lily. But it was wrong to discuss you behind your back. I apologize.”
“Yes! That’s the problem!”
I slammed the table. Both of them looked at me.
“I know myself best, so why are you two playing without me? I’ll share info myself—let me join!”
They stared at me in shock at my bold self-revealing demand.
Of course, I was immediately kicked out.
Honestly, I know how to find people to talk to too!
I stomped angrily toward Odin’s room.
“Master, let’s play too!”
Odin, busy scribbling something on a desk piled with paperwork, looked at me in surprise.
“Suddenly?”
“Lu and Deriksha were playing together, so let’s play too.”
“…Sorry, Lily. I have too much to handle right now.”
Odin gave an apologetic smile. Looking at the stack of paperwork, he clearly had a lot to do as the next head of the family.
I sighed heavily and collapsed on the sofa. Odin glanced at me and then spoke softly.
“…Should I call Chris too?”
“What? Might as well make him clean the ballroom instead.”
I answered, frowning. I had endured so much playing along with Chris when I was his exclusive maid—why should I do it unpaid now?
Silence filled the room. I slumped on the sofa, and Odin let out a short sigh.
“I just remembered, I had something to say to Lu too. Want to come?”
“Yes.”
I jumped up and flung the door open, leaving it wide so Odin could exit comfortably, smiling brightly.
Odin chuckled at me.
“It feels like taking a puppy for a walk.”
Was he mocking me indirectly? Maybe. But since he was technically letting me “walk” Lu, I stayed quiet.
We reached Lu’s room quickly. But unlike before, the door was firmly shut. Odin knocked twice.
“…?”
I looked at him in surprise. Odin noticed and blinked.
“…Why?”
“You knock before entering Lu’s room?”
In half a year of being a maid, I had never seen Odin knock before entering Lu’s room. He smiled.
“Lu doesn’t care, but Deriksha might be startled if we just barge in.”
So it was fine when I got startled all this time?
I looked at Odin with a sharp glare. He seemed to realize something and started to explain, but the door opened faster than his words.
“Oh, Master Odin?”
Deriksha’s surprised voice came from the doorway. Odin met her with a naturally gentle smile.
How can someone hide their excitement this poorly?
“Is something up?”
Deriksha greeted him warmly as well. I clearly wasn’t even acknowledged.
I walked past the two, who were catching up, and entered the room. Lu rested his elbow on the tea table, propping his chin on his hand, and glared at me with a bored expression.
“Did you gossip about me enough?”
“I quit.”
Lu answered simply. I pulled out the chair across from him and sat.
“Deriksha is good at her work, right?”
“Yes.”
As expected. I smiled proudly. Lu glanced at me and asked:
“Odin is nice, right?”
Unexpected praise? And his tone mirrored exactly how I had asked him a question earlier. I nodded in response.
“What’s so nice about him?”
Lu scowled. Why even ask? I felt foolish for thinking he was complimenting Odin.
“So how long are you going to keep doing this?”
“You said Deriksha is good at her work, so keep her around.”
“She’s skilled, but not very fun.”
What? Lu openly criticized Deriksha in front of me. I glared at him, ready to grab him by the collar.
“Did you just insult Deriksha?”
“No.”
Lu opened his mouth to explain.
“It’s fun being with Deriksha too…”
But he stopped mid-sentence, pressed his lips together, ruffled his hair, and spoke in a small voice.
“…Still, I like being with you more.”
His face was slightly red. I stared in shock and then burst out laughing. Rarely embarrassed, Lu couldn’t hide his shyness, and I couldn’t stop laughing.
I glanced toward the door—Deriksha and Odin were still standing there, talking as if they had endless things to say. Their eyes were filled with affection.
All my unnecessary worries were for nothing. The time I spent keeping them apart seemed wasted—their bond was solid.
Their connection wasn’t something a mere social status could break.
“It’s really better for the right people to be together.”
I smiled gently at Lu. He smiled back.
“I don’t like her?”
Lu’s expression remained reluctant.
‘So he really doesn’t?’
Deriksha realized she had misunderstood. She smiled awkwardly.
“I thought the reason Master Lu started commuting was because of Lily.”
“It was, though.”
“Excuse me?”
Deriksha’s eyes went wide. Lu looked at her as if wondering what the problem was.
‘Wait… could it be?’
A thought suddenly hit Deriksha’s head. Carefully, she asked Lu step by step.
“Why do you commute because of Lily?”
“…Because what she does is fun.”
“…Have you ever wanted to return to the mansion from the academy because you were thinking of Lily?”
At the unexpected question, Lu frowned, then quickly relaxed his expression.
“…Yeah.”
He nodded slowly. Thinking back, Lu had done this quite often. He looked at Deriksha with wide eyes. She tried to suppress a smile, but it was full on her face.
“I even think about her before going to sleep.”
Lu nodded again.
“Being with her is the most enjoyable.”
Deriksha listed the feelings she had experienced too.
Lu stopped nodding. He just stared blankly, mouth slightly open.
“…Ah.”
Seeing him finally realize his feelings, Deriksha couldn’t help but laugh.
Lu buried his face in one hand. Behind the hand, his face was fully flushed.
