~Chapter 11~
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing…”
Aveline was still lost in the feeling of her dream and was walking blankly down the hallway when she bumped into Ares.
“Ah, what is it now!”
Ares had a stubborn look, like he would not step aside easily.
Aveline knew that once Ares made up his mind, it was hard to stop him, so she felt awkward. Then, someone called out to her from the end of the hallway.
“Oh, young lady.”
“Emma?”
Emma was holding a tray and walked over, looking at both of them carefully.
“Oh? You are…”
“Eek.”
When Ares spoke to her, Emma’s shoulders shrank.
“What, do you two know each other?”
It was strange, because Ares usually did not care about anyone but himself.
“Yesterday, this maid was running around looking confused, so I even went to the servants’ hallway.”
“What?”
“She kept saying she didn’t know anything when I asked if you were over there, so it seemed strange.”
So yesterday, Emma misunderstood Aveline and Theron’s conversation, and when she ran off, she met Ares in the first floor hallway. Ares thought Emma’s reaction was odd and ran straight to the servants’ hallway, broke the window, and climbed in.
That’s why Emma was scared when she saw Ares.
Aveline realized the situation and turned to Emma.
“Emma, let’s go to my room.”
“Huh? Yes, yes!”
Emma, still shocked, turned around with Aveline, while Ares complained loudly behind them.
“Hey! Why are you leaving me here?”
“Sorry, see you later!”
Aveline ignored the noise from behind and quickly went into her room with Emma.
“Emma.”
“Yes!”
Emma answered nervously when Aveline called her.
‘As I thought.’
It was clear Emma still misunderstood what happened yesterday.
‘I have to clear this up soon.’
Yesterday’s talk was not what Emma thought at all!
Just as Aveline was about to explain, Emma quickly pushed the tray at her.
“P-Please take this, young lady! It’s stew made with healthy ingredients!”
“Huh?”
“And I really haven’t told anyone! Please believe me!”
“That’s not what I—”
“I promise, I’ll never tell anyone! I’ll always take care of you with all my heart!”
“Uh, oh? Thanks…?”
Ah. This wasn’t what she meant to say.
Aveline was overwhelmed by Emma’s energy and ended up saying thank you by accident.
“If there’s anything you want to eat, just tell me anytime! I’ll make anything for you!”
“Oh, okay…”
“Then I’ll leave now!”
“Wait—”
But before Aveline could stop her, Emma dashed out of the room. Left alone with the stew, Aveline felt lost.
“She’s really fast.”
Aveline looked at the stew on the table.
Even though it was a misunderstanding, she felt grateful to Emma for making food for her.
‘Emma always looks out for me.’
That’s right. Since Emma put her effort into this, I should eat it first.
After that, I must clear up Emma’s misunderstanding.
“…It’s delicious.”
Just as Emma said, as soon as Aveline swallowed the stew, she felt warm inside.
“How did she make this while avoiding the head chef?”
The more she thought about it, the more touched she felt. While she was scraping the bowl clean, Yoni came in.
“Young lady, where did you get stew?”
“Emma gave it to me.”
Yoni peeked at the stew.
“Why does it look like a health stew?”
“Pffft!”
“Ah! Don’t spit it out!”
Yoni quickly wiped Aveline’s mouth.
‘I really need to fix Emma’s misunderstanding soon.’
Aveline was scared Yoni might also misunderstand, so she held her spoon tight and made up her mind.
Yoni opened the curtains, and sunlight came into the room.
“Ugh.”
The sudden light made Aveline cover her face with both hands.
“You need sunlight, young lady. You always stay in a dark room. Emma must have worried about you, that’s why she made health food.”
Yoni guessed wrong, but she took Aveline’s bowl and kept talking.
“Ugh, ugh.”
Aveline blocked her ears and walked to the bed, but Yoni raised her voice behind her.
“Don’t lie down right after eating! And don’t close the curtains again! Someone might think you’re a vampire!”
Aveline stopped and looked confused at the word “vampire.”
Yoni quickly led her to a sunny sofa.
“It’s from a popular novel. A really handsome man seduces women and drinks their blood. He gets weak in the sunlight.”
“That’s a vampire?”
“Yes! Vicky and Noen read it and talked about it so much, I know the story even without reading it.”
Yoni brushed Aveline’s fluffy pink hair while she sat on the sofa.
“Is that a new novel?”
“I think so?”
After Yoni finished, Aveline quietly spoke.
“Yoni.”
“Yes?”
“Hehe.”
Aveline smiled suspiciously, and Yoni shook her head.
“Oh no! You’ll get caught by the Count!”
Aveline grabbed Yoni’s hands and looked at her with pleading eyes.
All the books Aveline read until now were brought by Yoni.
Before, Yoni would get books from outside and give them to Aveline, but now the Count’s house checks everyone’s belongings.
The Count still didn’t trust Duke Ribes, and thought he might hide his jewel in the mansion and accuse the family.
The butler also guessed Aveline liked reading, so if they were caught now, all the books would be taken away.
“Vicky and Noen have read it, right? That means the book came into the house. Let’s borrow it.”
Aveline whispered, hoping to read the new novel.
“It’s not here. They went to a rental shop and read it on their day off.”
“Rental shop…”
Aveline’s happy face fell.
She hadn’t gone outside for a long time, and her last outing didn’t end well.
“…Maybe I should ask Ares for help.”
“For what?”
Suddenly, Ares came in. Yoni was surprised and hurried out.
Now only Aveline and Ares were left. Ares walked up to her.
“What do you want help with?”
Ares still seemed grumpy about being left in the hallway earlier.
“Well, ahem. Let me hear it.”
But his curiosity won, and he asked.
Aveline thought for a moment and slowly asked,
“Do you know what a vampire is?”
“What?”
“Just answer me. Do you know or not?”
“No. But is it something scary?”
Aveline acted serious, and Ares became tense too.
Ares had always been scared of ghosts and scary stories.
“Listen carefully.”
“Huh? Uh…”
“There’s a new thing out. It lures people and drinks their blood.”
“What!?”
“Shh.”
Aveline secretly smiled, seeing her brother get scared.
Then, in a gloomy voice, she whispered to Ares,
“Especially, it picks good-looking people like you.”
“Huh. Then what should I do?”
Ares covered his cheeks in fear.
“So, I need a book to know what to do if a vampire shows up.”
“A book?”
“Yes. If I read it, I can protect you if a vampire comes.”
Aveline decided to push her luck one more time.
“So, will you help your big sister get that book?”
