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“Educating a butler is my duty and responsibility as chief butler. Even if the young lady steps forward, I cannot overlook this matter!”

The atmosphere froze further, becoming icy cold. The servants stamped their feet anxiously, not daring to intervene when the chief butler shouted at the young lady—a situation that couldn’t even happen in jest.

“……”

But what was more surprising was Agate’s reaction.

She showed no sign of disturbance despite Adollo—who had spent his life coddling and pampering her—scolding her harshly.

Though Agate’s face was sorrowful, the glimmer in her eyes stared directly at Adollo without the slightest wavering. Her intention to never back down, no matter what, was conveyed more powerfully than any words could express.

After staring into those eyes for a long time, Adollo finally surrendered and lowered his arm. He couldn’t ignore that silent plea.

“…I got carried away. I almost committed rudeness in front of the young lady. But I cannot let him escape responsibility.”

Though Adollo had calmed down considerably, the fire in his eyes toward Sion still burned fiercely. He clearly found it extremely distasteful that Sion was standing there with his upper body exposed.

“Uuuh… uuh.”

Yet despite Adollo cooling his head, Agate refused to step aside. She shook her head stubbornly and pounded her chest as if frustrated.

“Uuh… uuuuh!”

Even after leaving her isolation, Agate deliberately chose not to speak. Whether she couldn’t speak or wouldn’t speak remained unknown, but she didn’t seem to find it uncomfortable.

But at this moment, she found her inability to speak unbearable.

“Miss……”

Adollo couldn’t continue and stepped back. He seemed quite shocked at witnessing this side of Agate that had never been seen before. The other servants felt the same.

Agate stared at Adollo imploringly, as if believing he would read her mind if she looked at him desperately enough.

Adollo wanted to respond to that earnestness but couldn’t grasp her intentions. He too felt the burning frustration.

Eventually, Sion intervened in that unbridgeable gap.

“I’ll accept punishment later for failing to properly attend to the young lady. First, it seems urgent to take her to the bathroom. Her body temperature appears to be dropping again.”

Only now did Adollo’s attention turn to Agate as Sion’s words finally registered. She was shivering like a rain-soaked puppy.

Horrified at missing something as crucial as the young lady’s physical condition, Adollo directed the servants. He had become the most unforgivable person to himself.

“Take the young lady to the bathroom immediately and prepare a change of clothes! Call for Dr. Barten right away!”

The mansion staff welcomed the sudden busyness. As the ice-thin atmosphere shattered, sighs of relief burst out everywhere, and everyone dispersed to their respective tasks.

Kanna and Molly supported Agate and took her to the bathroom.

“…I’ll postpone dealing with you for now.”

Adollo left to contact the doctor after making a threatening remark to Sion, still not hiding his hostility. Judging by the wild look in his eyes earlier, this time dismissal seemed certain.

He shouldn’t have made that deal with the lady from the beginning.

For a moment, he was tempted to pack his things and flee, but he decided against it. He too was physically exhausted—too tired to leave Ponten immediately.

* * *

Agate, brought to the bathroom with the maids’ help, was soon able to soak in warm water thanks to their quick hands. As she immersed herself in the steaming water, her frozen body and mind seemed to gradually return to normal.

“Miss, is the water temperature comfortable?”

When Agate gave a small nod, Kanna and Molly nodded along with her.

“I’ll go prepare clothes for you to change into. Kanna, you help the young lady with her bath.”

“Of course.”

As Molly left to prepare clothes, Kanna readied the bath supplies. She decided to fetch more hot water, which seemed necessary.

“Miss, I’ll wash your body first and then draw more water.”

Kanna soaked a clean cloth in water, then lifted Agate’s arm and placed it on the edge of the tub. She was about to cover the slender arm with the cloth.

Swoosh

“Oh my!”

When the bathroom curtain—which should never be opened and had no reason to be—was pulled aside, Kanna was startled first.

“B-But…Butler?!”

Too shocked to react, Kanna dropped the cloth she was holding and froze in place. Without a doubt, Daniel the butler entering the bathroom while the young lady was bathing was a more unbelievable sight than the young lady falling into the lake.

Somehow, he had changed into a neat new tailcoat and even tidied his previously wet hair.

“Miss Kanna, I’ll take over attending to the young lady’s bath. I have urgent matters to discuss with her.”

Sion, indifferent to whether Kanna closed her mouth or not, picked up the fallen cloth and tried to take her place in a monotone voice.

“W-What? Butler, what are you… Please leave immediately, the young lady is…!”

Looking back at Agate, Kanna squeezed her eyes shut in dismay. She should have added bubble bath to the water. Yet strangely, Agate’s unconcerned attitude confused Kanna even more.

She even began to wonder if she was the strange one for not keeping her composure when both the butler and the young lady were so calm.

“It’s fine. As long as you keep quiet. Nothing concerning will happen, I assure you, Miss Kanna.”

Sion, who had no time to wait for Kanna’s fuss to subside, gently pushed her shoulder. She yielded to his strength and was pushed outside the curtain.

“Promise me. This is our secret.”

Creating a picture-perfect smile for once, Sion raised his index finger and lightly touched it to Kanna’s lips. When Sion’s bare finger—usually covered by white gloves—touched her, Kanna moved as she was pushed.

She looked at the young lady, partially hidden behind Sion. Agate remained remarkably composed. This incomprehensible scene stimulated Kanna’s rich imagination.

‘Could they possibly be lovers?’

It was the kind of idea that might come from the mind of an innocent young girl who often fell asleep imagining romantic fantasies. Indeed, Sion and Agate spent most of their time together due to their positions.

The difference in status wasn’t an issue in a young girl’s imaginative world. Sion’s face substituted for any justification. Kanna firmly believed that with his looks, he could sway even the young lady, who was as stiff as a brick.

‘So that’s why the butler jumped into the lake without a moment’s hesitation earlier!’

Kanna, who had briefly admired Sion, set aside her bitterness and gave up her feelings. Though she had known there was no hope, actually seeing it with her own eyes wasn’t entirely pleasant.

But she also cared deeply for the young lady, so she could support their relationship. The noticeable improvement in the young lady’s depression must surely be due to her secret romance with Sion.

Indeed, with such a man as her lover, who would need a panacea?

‘If it means bringing back the warm, gentle young lady from before, I can certainly play Cupid for them!’

Her mixed feelings quickly transformed into the thrill of being the only one to know about their secret romance. Kanna became excited as if an extremely interesting event had emerged in her somewhat dull mansion life. The transformation from bewilderment to exhilaration happened in an instant.

“Yes, I’ll definitely keep the secret!”

Kanna put her finger to her lips and winked one eye.

When Kanna readily understood the situation and cooperated without question, it was Sion who was taken aback. Kanna left the bathroom without asking anything further, creating time for just the two of them.

Well, what did it matter? Things had gone as he wanted, and that was that.

After closing the curtain again, Sion’s eyes pierced into Agate like a hawk’s. He stared at her silently for a while. She looked back at him with the same dry eyes as that day.

Her body reflected in the clear water was different from before, no longer skeletal, but her oily hair parted on the water’s surface remained the same.

Seeing her carefully braided hair now undone, he felt regret. He had thought it suited her quite well.

Rather than choosing the soap placed on the tub, he opted for a jug-shaped vessel containing still-warm steaming water. The vessel was half-covered with a lid, making it easy to control the water flow.

Then Sion slowly poured the water from the vessel over Agate’s head. Her hair, dried with the lake water, began to be washed away by the clean, warm stream.

The bathroom quickly filled with steam, as if caught in a hot downpour. Agate seemed willing to accept this baptism, hugging her knees and hiding her face within them, only her eyes peeking out.

“Does it feel refreshing? Getting what you wanted? I’m quite disappointed if this was all you wanted from the beginning.”

Perhaps what she had chosen to accept wasn’t the water baptism but Sion’s sharp scolding.

The water continued to pour.

Until it washed her body clean. From the byproducts of that abyss that would become an unpleasant memory.

Shaaaaa

Agate half-buried her face between her knees and chose to do nothing. Whether due to her mutism or simply wanting to keep her mouth shut, there was no way to know.

The only answer heard was the hot water sound filling the bathroom, and Agate was getting soaked in the hot water.