Chapter 35
Loo no longer seemed interested in love stories and asked only ordinary questions, as usual. After finally finding a fruit shop and buying some apples, we headed toward the butcher when I bumped into someone.
“Ah!”
A small boy, maybe about seven, was standing in front of me. Like Loo, he had black hair. He looked up at me, his dark navy eyes filled with surprise.
Before the boy could react, another boy, who seemed to be his friend, shouted from afar.
“What are you doing! Come quickly!”
“I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
“No, it’s fine. Your friend is calling you, so go.”
The boy kept bowing and handing over the apples, then ran toward his friend. He apologized so much even for such a small bump. The polite country boy demeanor warmed my heart.
“He was smiling when he turned away.”
Huh? I looked at Loo, and he was pointing at my waist.
…Oh, no.
I frantically checked my pocket. My money pouch, which I had put there earlier, was gone.
“…….”
“He stole it.”
I looked blankly toward the direction the boy had gone. He was already gone.
“You could’ve just told me…”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
Fun… and you take my money?
I glared at Loo, but he just smiled shamelessly.
“What about our shopping now?”
“Well, go back and tell the truth.”
I had overslept and now even this errand had gone wrong. I buried my face in my hand. Then, a sudden thought came to me, and I quickly looked up.
“Do you have any money, young master?”
“…Are you really extorting me now?”
“I’ll pay you back later.”
Loo gave me an incredulous look, then nodded. Phew, that’s a relief.
“Isn’t that kid amazing? How did he steal it so fast?”
He looked so young, yet already learning tricks. He’s going to be a great one. I admired the boy who had taken my pouch.
After using Loo’s money to finish the shopping safely, we returned to the mansion. When we entered the living room, the duchess was sitting at the tea table with a maid.
“Oh my.”
The duchess looked surprised to see us. She smiled brightly and lightly tapped the maid’s shoulder across from her.
“I told you, Sophia. I knew there was something going on between the two of them.”
The duchess looked very happy. Why was she acting like that? Meanwhile, I felt Loo release my hand urgently.
…Ah. I had been holding his hand the whole way without noticing. Even in the mansion, I’d still been holding it.
Loo started giving explanations for me.
“No, it’s not like that.”
“Not like what?”
“Ah, never mind. It’s not.”
He seemed flustered and didn’t add anything else. I didn’t feel like defending myself, so I left Loo and went to the kitchen to sort the groceries.
“What do you mean, ‘not like that’?”
“Nothing. Employer and employee, that’s all.”
Ignoring Jenna’s sly smile and teasing question, I organized the groceries in the cupboard. The duchess’s maids were the same here as in her other mansion.
Why does everyone else make such a fuss when the people involved think nothing of it?
“You might think Loo and I are just like children, but I’ve known him since he was little. I have no feelings.”
“How many years difference between you two?”
“Two years.”
Jenna gave me a surprised look. Two years isn’t a big difference! Feeling annoyed, I took a bite of one of the apples I had just bought.
“Come on, Lily. You really don’t care about young master Loo?”
“No.”
“Not even a little?”
“If I were going to date Loo, I’d rather go under the sea and have a wedding with the Dragon King.”
At my firm answer, Jenna finally lost interest and returned to cooking. Why are maids so obsessed with gossip?
I chewed my apple and quietly looked elsewhere. At the same time, my eyes met someone’s.
“…If you have a wedding, invite me.”
Loo, leaning at the kitchen entrance, smiled and said this to me.
Oh, you heard that?
I gave an embarrassed smile.
“When I become queen, I’ll give you a title under the sea, young master.”
“An honor, Your Majesty.”
Loo mocked my words and turned to go upstairs.
Even if he gives me a title, I’m not accepting it, hmph.
I chewed my apple in annoyance.
The sound of pages turning reached my ears. Birds outside, sunlight spilling in, and familiar household noises—these mornings in the countryside were becoming familiar. I slowly opened my eyes.
By the bed, Loo was sitting in a chair reading. I smiled faintly the moment I saw him.
“Young master…”
I murmured his name softly. Loo looked up from his book, a gentle smile on his face.
We didn’t speak, just looked at each other. I continued watching his smile and brought both hands to my face. A small groan escaped my lips.
“I said wake me up…”
“I tried.”
It was the seventh time I overslept. I buried my face in the pillow with a groan. Truly shameless—how could someone wake up in the afternoon every day?
At first, Loo had tried hard to wake me, but now he seemed to have given up and simply read his book.
Not only Loo, but Jenna and the other maids had tried to wake me, yet none succeeded. I didn’t know I was such a heavy sleeper. I wondered how Deriksha had managed to wake me before.
“I miss Deriksha…”
I said the same thing I had every day since coming to the countryside. Loo smiled.
“Me too.”
Surprised, I looked at him. He still smiled softly while turning the page.
“When we go back, I should give her a raise…”
Loo’s expression was peaceful. Seeing him try to wake me, I felt a newfound respect for Deriksha, who had handled my mornings all this time.
I had thought some distance from her would help me grow independent, but instead, I realized her importance several times a day.
I looked at Loo and asked,
“…Do you enjoy that?”
Loo held the novel he had put down the first day—the story of a common girl and a noble’s romance. He nodded at my question.
“Surprisingly good to read.”
“Miss Abel has lots of those books. You can borrow one.”
“No.”
He said no, yet his gaze stayed fixed on the book. Since Loo had been waking me and reading over several days, he was already at the ending.
Watching him focus, I grinned.
“Want me to spoil the ending?”
“Don’t.”
“They run away together at night in the end.”
Loo slammed the book shut in annoyance. The ending was near, so being spoiled must feel bad. I didn’t care; it was too fun for me.
I laughed out loud. Loo being annoyed at me was always the best part. He threw the closed book onto the bed and said:
“Get up. Your mother’s looking for you.”
“Ugh…”
I whined and stretched lazily on the bed. I didn’t dislike meeting the duchess, but getting out of bed was such a bother.
I looked at Loo, stretched my arms out toward him. He frowned at me.
“…What now?”
“Help me up.”
Loo looked shocked. I gave him a small gesture to indicate he should lift me. He rolled his eyes and left the room without a word.
Wow, completely ignoring me. I glared at the door and finally got up.
What a cruel guy.
I went to the market for dinner ingredients. After a few days in the duchess’s mansion, I had gotten used to the nearby area.
Loo still watched me with suspicion, but after reassuring him several times, I could finally go alone.
I read the shopping list I had noted and looked for the shops. While wandering, I bumped into someone running toward me.
The situation felt familiar. A small black-haired boy stood in front of me.
“Oh, I’m sorry…!”
The boy’s eyes widened when he recognized me. He seemed to realize whose face he was seeing.
I reached out and grabbed the boy’s wrist. In his hand was my money pouch.
I smiled and said to him:
“Child, are you joking?”
The boy’s face turned pale. A repeat offender? To think he’d steal my pouch again after a few days.
His blue eyes darted around. Then he looked straight at me and said, choking back tears:
“I’m sorry… I’m an orphan… I was so hungry…”
“Who asked?”
“Tch.”
The boy wiped his tearful expression and clicked his tongue. He had given up trying to get sympathy.
“Do you have proof that I stole it?”
He held my pouch in his hand and still had the nerve.
I didn’t say anything and grabbed his wrist. Conveniently, we were right next to a dessert shop, so I pulled him inside.
The boy looked flustered and didn’t even try to run.
We ordered two fresh cream cakes, and they arrived quickly. I scooped a bit onto my fork and took a bite.
The boy across from me looked sullenly at his cake.
“Do it quickly if you’re going to.”
“Do what?”
“You’re not going to buy a snack and scold me like the other adults, right?”
He tilted his head and said it with no hint of remorse.
I blinked.
“Why would I buy it? You did wrong, so you should pay.”
The boy’s eyes widened at me.
