Chapter 92
It felt like it had been so long since I’d seen Vivi, and she was as adorable as ever. So adorable it was a problem.
Until now, Vivi had always shown me a appearance as pretty and delicate as a high-quality porcelain doll. It was only natural, given that many members of the Castraine Ducal family found joy in adorning Vivi.
But today was different.
Her hair, which was always neatly styled and secured with ribbons or pins, was let down in loose curls. The clothes she wore were also soft, almost like sleepwear. She looked as if she had just gotten out of bed without any adornment, and most of all, the rims of her eyes were red. As if she had burst into tears the moment she heard the news…
Vivi’s blue eyes met my trembling ones. I reflexively shouted.
“Uh, your sister was wrong!”
<Sniff, huuu, Unnie, every time… you tell me to be careful, but you’re the one who just… keeps getting into danger…>
Vivi sniffled, roughly rubbing her eyes. I grew as anxious as a mother bird sending her fledgling out of the nest for the first time. What happened to the former assassin maid who would die for Vivi? Rubbing her eyes so roughly like that could hurt her! I should at least give her a handkerchief! She usually can’t live without Vivi, so why did she send her away to talk to me? I looked around as if to say, ‘What am I supposed to do with her?’
Debbie looked at me and smiled sweetly.
“Lady Vivi is so cute, and Her Highness Princess Titania is so beautiful, this is wonderful! I wish I could record this! The Ducal house must have preservation magic stones, right? Could I get a special retainer discount?”
Pass.
“Ah, right, Vivi, you see it too, right? I told you her words and actions don’t match!”
Liciancious’s eyes sparkled as he spoke.
…This guy is adding fuel to the fire!
“Her Ladyship speaks the truth. Though I am but a mere maid and my opinion may not hold much weight, if it is the words of the noble Lady of the Castraine family, Her Highness the Princess would surely listen.”
Babara was still upset with me!
I grabbed the emoji sword beside me. Then, I rolled up the sleeve of the arm holding the sword and thrust my bare arm out. In a pose like bodybuilders showing off their arm muscles. My movement was slightly awkward as I almost dropped the sword, but I tried not to show it and spoke to Vivi.
“V-Vivi. Look at this? Your sister is perfectly fine! Yeah! So fine I feel like I could fly~! It doesn’t hurt at all! The High Priest Illian you sent is the best!”
High Priest Illian, who was right next to me, smiled an inscrutable smile and downed a cup full of tea in one shot. Huruhuruk At the loud slurping sound, I forced myself to keep my gaze fixed only on Vivi.
<…….>
Vivi’s eyes were still glistening with tears, looking at me reproachfully with her lake-like pupils. Her lips were pouted as if she were sulking. I broke out in a cold sweat.
-Contractor~! You’ve lost so much weight, your arm is thinner than before! Unless you’re trying to show off your diet, you should probably stop that! ( 乂˙-˙)
The emoji sword in my hand betrayed my appearance. What I need right now isn’t a confirmation kill, you brat! You’re the type who, when parents say, ‘Aigoo, when we get old, we should just die~’, would reply, ‘According to your health check-up results, you’re very healthy, the doctor said you’ll live at least 20 more years.’
‘Are you really on my side?! And how do you know modern terms like ‘diet’?!’
-Hehehehe, I’m a sword made for you, Contractor! (*´□)ゞ I studied hard about this and that! (･◡´･)ゝ
I struck a pose I don’t normally do to appease Vivi, but honestly, even I knew it was a stretch. Even to my own eyes… Far from looking cool, my scrawny forearm looked like it might drop the sword at any moment, so I quietly put the emoji sword down.
Vivi, her eyes still looking like lakes filled with tears, asked.
<High Priest, is it really, truly true that Titania unnie is, like, so lively and perfectly fine that she could fly? Is she so fine that she can brag in front of me, holding a sword like a toothpick like that?>
“Aigoo. I’ve fixed Her Highness the Princess twice now. My goodness, even soldiers on the front lines of a battlefield wouldn’t nearly die twice in such a short period. Hahaha!”
I shot the High Priest a look that meant, ‘No, but isn’t it true that thanks to your treatment, I’m perfectly fine, able to eat, chat, and do all this?’ The High Priest grinned.
“My bonus depends on Lady Vivi, hahaha!”
“…….”
This overly honest capitalist of a High Priest. As I was grinding my teeth internally, Vivi spoke in an infinitely sorrowful voice.
<Unnie… are you now… not even going to be honest with Vivi…?>
A single tear rolled down her cheek, soft and plump like a squirrel holding a nut. I stammered and hurriedly answered.
“Th-that could never be!”
<Is it because Vivi is far away…? Because I’m a child…? Because you think I can’t help with Unnie’s affairs…?>
Seeing Vivi’s shoulders slump, I desperately tried to explain.
“As if Vivi could ever not be helpful! Where in the world would you find another capable young lady like our Vivi!”
It wasn’t an empty compliment! Others might not know, but I do! Vivi is an incredibly capable female lead for a childcare story! But I couldn’t exactly show her my insides, and Vivi just blinked her eyelids and asked weakly.
<Really…?>
“Really, really, really!”
I nodded my head frantically three times. Thanks to the High Priest’s diligent healing, my stomach skin didn’t even pull from this violent motion and I was fine.
<Unnie is really, truly not in danger and is healthy? Vivi doesn’t need to worry?>
“Of course! Look! Liciancious is right here!”
Like a parent trying to placate a crying child by offering every toy available, I randomly pointed at Liciancious next to me. Liciancious stared at me intently for a moment with his bright red eyes, then turned his gaze to Vivi.
“Vivi, look at this excuse-maker. I don’t know what nerve she has to act perfectly fine in front of you every time. This time, I almost got my own hands burned trying to save her and couldn’t, so my brother had to come.”
Liciancious complained, holding up his now perfectly fine palm in front of Vivi’s eyes. Seeing the red eyes glancing at me, I shouted. With genuine anger.
“Hey!”
“Did I say anything wrong! Why are you angry!”
“Can you imagine how worried Vivi must have been all alone, so far away! Don’t you have any consideration!”
“Uh, yeah. I don’t! I burned it all up along with my brain cells running after you, you mad dog!”
Vivi’s eyes shone cunningly as she watched us shouting at each other. I wondered whether to pull Liciancious’s cheek or kick him in the shin, but then thought that doing so in front of the Castraine siblings, who get along so well, wouldn’t look good, so I lowered my twitching hand.
<Mmm, Unnie.>
Seeing Vivi stop her sniffles and break into a radiant smile, I grinned. Ah, her expression softened. She’s feeling a bit better… right? I cautiously watched Vivi’s expression.
Thinking about it, I felt sorry for Vivi. How worried she must have been? Vivi is capable, very sharp. It’s not like some major problem would arise just because two of her brothers were absent. Still, this family is still deeply immersed in their affection for each other; isn’t their time to share feelings already short? And because of me, she sent two brothers to this dangerous place… Such thoughts prickled my heart. That’s when it happened.
<If Unnie is really that not in danger and healthy, then there should be no problem at all if Vivi goes there too!>
Vivi dropped a bomb with a smiling face. My smiling face cracked like ice, cring. I practically screamed.
“You can’t, baby!”
<Why is Vivi a baby!>
Vivi let out a roar that sounded genuinely angry. Ah, no, don’t you often say, ‘Vivi is Papa’s forever baby~’, Vivi?! I grabbed my head in distress and spoke.
“W-well then, our cute… little one with royal blue sapphire eyes!”
<An unnie who isn’t honest doesn’t have the right to call Vivi a cutie.>
“Lady Vivi!”
<Hmph, for a person of precious imperial lineage to call a lowly bloodline who was belatedly adopted into the Ducal house ‘Lady’. Please watch your words.>
I can’t call Vivi, Vivi… I can’t call a cutie, a cutie… No matter how clearly Vivi seemed genuinely upset, I couldn’t easily give an answer here. As I agonized, a savior arrived.
“What is the matter?”
Raymond, who had opened the door and entered, looked puzzled at the situation. I swear, I’ve never been this genuinely happy to see Raymond. Pushing aside all the complicated thoughts that had been engraved in my heart until just yesterday, no, until this very dawn, I made my green eyes sparkle as I looked at Raymond. Raymond’s eyes widened. As if genuinely surprised. He stopped in his tracks and stared at me without even breathing. I grabbed his arm and pulled him.
“You’ve come at the perfect time, Sir Raymond!”
“……Yes, Your Highness.”
Raymond’s reply was unusually slow.
Raymond’s gaze subtly drifted towards my hand holding his arm. It was an unusually heavy gaze.
