Chapter 11 …
Maxim could hardly believe the situation unfolding before his eyes.
“…Aunt?”
Elena’s eyes widened at those words as well.
“A–Aunt?”
“Oh my.”
The only one who remained composed was Hazel. She calmly looked back and forth between Elena and Maxim. Having just returned from work, Maxim struggled to make sense of the situation.
Why were people who were supposed to be in Rebunto here of all places? He glanced at Elena. She had been pacing nervously earlier, as if crossing the Kress Bridge would bring about catastrophe.
She slipped through.
Either way, it seemed like Hazel was the only one who could straighten this out. She gestured toward Madam Greta, the housekeeper who managed the estate. The perceptive Greta promptly approached Hazel.
“Leana, you’ve had some candy. What do we need to do now?”
“Brush my teeth?”
“That’s right. And since we’ll be having dinner soon, what else should you do?”
“Um… I came in from outside, so I should wash my hands.”
“Exactly, that’s the right answer. Madam Greta, this is Leana. Leana, this is Madam Greta—she manages the estate.”
“Hello! I’m Leana.”
Leana bowed deeply. Even Madam Greta’s strict face softened at the sight of the pale, soft little girl. Picking up on Hazel’s intentions, she gently took Leana’s hand.
“There’s a bathroom upstairs. How about we fill the tub with warm water and lots of bubbles?”
“Really? Bubbles?”
“Of course!”
Leana, as if she’d entered a land of dreams and wonder, happily ran upstairs. Elena stared blankly at the scene. What on earth was happening?
Maxim… Aunt?
Then that meant Hazel was Maxim’s aunt, and Maxim’s father was her brother. Hazel was a princess, which meant—
Elena desperately tried to force her brain to work, recalling the royal family tree. Her eyes blinked rapidly.
Her mouth slowly fell open as she stared at Maxim in shock. That meant… that meant…!
“Your Highness the Prince…! Gasp!!”
Elena slapped her hands over her mouth. Then, fumbling through her childhood memories, she hurriedly pulled out the proper etiquette for greeting royalty.
“Elena of House Joseph greets His Highness the Prince.”
“Oh my, look at this girl. Maxim, look at her—how mature she is compared to children these days.”
Maxim narrowed his eyes. Judging by Hazel’s tone, she had known Elena for quite some time. The warmth in her voice made it clear she already had a favorable impression of Elena.
“Aunt, why are you here? If you came to Andres, shouldn’t you have gone straight to the palace?”
Maxim spoke stiffly, a sense of dread creeping in. He didn’t even have the luxury of responding to Elena’s greeting. Hazel beamed as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to help Elena? You know she’s looking for a position as a governess. So I thought I’d stay here and look into it while I’m at it. Of course, Elena and Leana too.”
“Aunt!”
He wanted to ask who on earth had authorized this, but one look at Elena—pale and fidgeting with anxiety—kept the words stuck in his throat. Maxim bit down on his lip.
If the coachman who had urged him to give Elena a ride the other day could see this, he would be deeply moved. Elena, meanwhile, was sweating bullets behind Hazel.
She was mentally retracing all her actions. Had she done anything wrong? Had she been rude to Maxim? No—Maxim?
This mouth of mine!
Elena smacked her lips with her palm. How could she have called His Highness “Maxim”!
And that wasn’t all. Thinking back, she realized she had even talked back to him cheekily at times. She stared at Maxim with a face on the verge of tears. Why hadn’t he told her beforehand?
No—that was her own fault. She should have known better than to let her guard down in her landmine of a life.
“Well, are we going to stand around like this forever? These old legs are starting to ache. Let’s sit and talk.”
The energetic Hazel saying such a thing didn’t sound convincing at all. Still, they couldn’t just stand around like this.
“Come in, Maxim.”
She spoke as if she were the lady of the house. Maxim could only grit his teeth.
“You still haven’t told her that this boy is my nephew? I assumed you had, Maxim.”
“…I just didn’t have any reason to.”
He hadn’t expected things to get this tangled. Maxim swallowed the rest of his words. His throat felt tight as he downed yet another glass of water. Hazel gently patted Elena’s hand.
“You should have told her. Imagine how startled the young lady must have been.”
“I was startled too. I didn’t expect Aunt to barge into the estate with Elena in tow.”
“I didn’t expect things to turn out this way either. But it’s a good thing, so just cooperate. You wanted to help Elena, didn’t you?”
Maxim rubbed his temples. He had indeed wanted to help her. Elena reminded him of himself—trapped in a suffocating situation, unable to break free.
He had only wanted to give her a single opening to breathe. That was the greatest kindness and generosity he could offer. Had he known it would lead to this, he would never have meddled.
He shot a glare at Hazel, the mastermind behind this entire mess.
“I suppose so, but…”
“Then be a man and take responsibility. You’re a knight now, aren’t you? If your father found out you were going back on your word, he’d be mortified.”
Maxim dragged his hand down his face. Hazel gave Elena’s hand a light tap.
“Elena, go rest and recover from your travels. I have more to discuss with Maxim.”
“Yes, Madam!”
Thank you for letting me escape! Elena almost said that out loud. Her face brightened as she scampered off like a deer, and Maxim couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh.
Who’s the one who wants to run away here…
“Aunt, why don’t you be honest now? What are you plotting?”
“What plotting? I told you, I just want to help Elena.”
Hazel elegantly sipped her tea. She might be a princess, but she was as sly as a serpent. Maxim ground his teeth.
“Where did you even find that fortune-teller?”
“Why?”
“So I can make sure they never work again.”
“Oh, you. Don’t be so fierce. We were so desperate we resorted to seeing a fortune-teller. Your mother was worried too, you know.”
“We? Ah, so Mother’s an accomplice.”
“Ahem.”
No wonder they’d so enthusiastically pushed him to go to Rebunto. A family representative? Since when did they have one?
“She’s not the one.”
“How do you know? Life is unpredictable. Don’t be so quick to decide.”
Maxim ran his tongue along his teeth. He was craving a cigarette badly. But protesting here wouldn’t make Hazel pack up and leave with Elena and Leana.
He tapped the table with his long fingers.
Still, he couldn’t just throw Elena out—he was the one who’d offered to help in the first place.
“Anyway, we’ll be staying here for a while, so just keep that in mind.”
“Do you actually intend to help her find a governess position?”
“Of course! But first, she needs proper clothes, hair and skin care… She should probably take dance lessons again, and piano too… Her translation skills are perfect, but she’s a bit rusty in other areas. I’ll also give her some lessons in social etiquette.”
Ah.
She wasn’t planning to help Elena find a governess job—she was planning to make her into a governess. Hazel smiled sweetly. Maxim clicked his tongue in disbelief.
“Don’t tell me you’re worried about the money. Where else are you going to spend it? A person should know how to be generous. If you’re really that stingy, I’ll pay for it myself.”
“Yes. Please do that.”
“Huh?”
Hazel’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected that response. Maxim, regaining his composure, leaned back on the sofa.
“You said they’re your guests, Aunt. So you can take responsibility. All those things you mentioned—pay for them yourself.”
This time, Hazel was the one left speechless.
