Chapter 10
Just as Rowena was wondering if she had made the Duke angry, the carriage stopped.
They had arrived at the ducal estate.
Seymour got out first, then lifted Rowena up with one arm.
Her view suddenly shot upward, and her eyes went wide.
Wow!
It feels like I’m on a swing!
A really high one!
Every time Seymour took a long stride, her view shifted dramatically.
His steps were so large that distances her short legs would have needed to scurry across disappeared in a single step.
This feels amazing!
She wanted to kick her legs in excitement.
But if she did, she might kick Seymour.
And what if he threw her?
Stay still.
What if he decides I’m troublesome and never carries me again?
Still… if he’s carrying me, maybe he doesn’t hate me.
Hehe!
The gloomy mood she’d almost fallen into instantly soared.
Maybe next time I can ask him to carry me again.
Though this might be the first and last time…
Still—
That was one more reason to win Seymour over.
While Rowena secretly burned with determination, the mansion doors opened and a young butler hurried out.
“Welcome back, Your Grace. But the child beside you is…?”
“A child my mother-in-law entrusted to me. She told me to keep her.”
Conveniently leaving out the part where he had been told to raise her, Seymour delivered a carefully edited version of the truth.
Even with that unfriendly explanation, the young butler, Hugo, understood quickly.
He was already used to his insensitive master.
“I understand. Then I’ll escort her inside. Miss, this way.”
“…!”
As Hugo held out his arms for her, Rowena, who had been clinging tightly to Seymour, went wide-eyed like a startled rabbit.
I have to get down already?
I barely got to ride!
What if the Duke never carries me again?
Forget it!
Rowena suddenly wrapped both arms around Seymour’s neck.
“……!”
Every adult there froze.
The most horrified was Hugo Lyle, the young butler.
W-what do I do?
His master, Seymour—
Had a terrible personality.
As his servant, Hugo was softening the description.
In truth…
Very terrible.
Practically a mad dog.
Only one person had ever been able to handle Seymour.
Madam.
Rose Hayworth.
Seymour’s wife, like a rose grown from the warmest sunlight.
After she died, the Seymour who had at least behaved like a human being had completely fallen apart.
For nearly a year, Hugo’s daily routine had started with cleaning up Seymour’s empty liquor bottles and ended hearing about whatever chaos Seymour had caused.
And now—
A child?
What was the Grand Lady thinking…?!
Thinking Seymour might throw the child off him at any second, Hugo shut his eyes, then opened them.
He had to fix this.
Quickly reaching out, he said,
“Y-Your Grace. I think the young lady is frightened. I’ll take her, so—”
“Take your filthy hands off.”
But the one pushed away was not the child.
Smack.
Seymour slapped Hugo’s hand aside.
His shadowed eyes flashed coldly.
“How dare you touch a child without even wearing gloves. Are you out of your mind?”
***
From graduating butler school to following his father as butler of House Somerset—
Never once had Hugo imagined such a dumbfounded sound would leave his own mouth.
At least not until now.
“E-excuse me?”
“Do I have to repeat myself twice?”
“She is a child entrusted by the Grand Lady. If you handle her carelessly and she catches some illness, will you take responsibility?”
“T-that…”
Hugo stammered.
Seymour clicked his tongue in irritation.
“I’ll carry the child inside myself. Tell Airi to look after her.”
“If I leave her with an idiot like you, Somerset’s dignity will collapse in less than a day.”
“M-my apologies.”
Hugo bowed deeply.
Only then did Seymour withdraw his glare and continue walking.
At last Rowena cautiously opened one eye.
I don’t have to get down?
She hadn’t understood half of what happened.
But she understood one thing.
She had permission to keep clinging a little longer.
Yay!
For an adult, crossing the hallway took no time at all.
Though maybe Seymour just seemed that fast because he was so tall.
He had only taken a few strides—
And Rowena had already arrived at a sitting room with a soft sofa.
Only then did Seymour put her down.
“Someone will come care for you. Wait here quietly.”
“Can’t I go with you, Duke?”
“Hugo, bring tea and desserts.”
“I’ll stay quietly here!”
I’m very good at being quiet.
As if determined to prove the highest form of quietness, Rowena hopped onto the sofa.
Watching her change her attitude in an instant, Seymour let out an incredulous “Hah,” and left.
Soon Hugo returned pushing a tray.
It held all kinds of desserts—
And a steaming cup.
That smell…
“Hot chocolate!”
And not cheap cocoa powder mixed into milk—
Real, rich hot chocolate.
The kind she had only drooled over in newspaper advertisements.
How often had the orphanage children sighed over those flyers?
“Would it be bad if I asked for hot chocolate as a birthday present?”
“But we get cake on birthdays. Even if it only has a little cream on top.”
“I want cake…”
At their age, sweets were everything.
Sure, they got desserts sometimes through donations or tea invitations—
But it was never enough.
The children at Townsend would cut out pictures of food from advertisements and pin them to the wall, swallowing hard as they stared.
Rowena was no different.
Watching her practically scrape the bottom of the cup, Hugo smiled warmly.
“I hope it suits your taste.”
“It’s really, really delicious!”
The things she ate at Hayworth had been wonderful too.
But hot chocolate—
This was a new kind of revelation.
And a whole cup was all hers!
Just the hot chocolate alone made coming to Somerset worth it.
After emptying the cup, Rowena licked chocolate from her lips and thought—
People who give me delicious things are people who like me.
And the Duke gave me hot chocolate.
Then…
Maybe the Duke likes me after all?
Though sometimes you could tell someone liked you even without food.
Like—
“Hello, young miss. I’m Airi.”
Exactly like this!
Rowena put down her cup and looked up with bright eyes.
A woman with her hair neatly rolled under stood before her.
The moment Airi met Rowena’s eyes, she beamed—
Like a child finding a fountain in midsummer.
As though she couldn’t contain her delight.
“It seems you enjoyed the hot chocolate very much, miss.”
“It was very, very delicious. How did you know?”
“Hehe, anyone looking at you could tell.”
Airi held out a handkerchief and wiped Rowena’s cheek.
A smear of thick chocolate came off.
“……!”
Rowena’s cheeks turned red—
Not with chocolate this time.
With embarrassment.
