| Chapter 34

Laurel interlaced her fingers and leaned forward slightly in her seat.

“Maya won’t be of much use. She’s stupid. There’s a limit to what she can do.”

Thoughts flow quietly along the silence. When I didn’t open my mouth, Laurel’s eyebrows twitched slightly. She spoke with a light smile, in a tone that seemed to feign composure.

“Did you know? A few years ago, a maid died in this mansion. She fell down the stairs and broke her neck.”

This is the first time I’ve heard this story. Noticing the change in my eyes, Laurel’s smile deepened.

“According to rumors, she was an old maid who had the trust of the late baron. She didn’t get along with Nina at all. They managed the mansion divided into east and west wings, but they clashed frequently.”

Laurel’s shadow stretches long as she slowly stands up. She approached me step by step, whispering.

“Nina definitely has a weakness. There was talk that the maid found out about it, and that’s why she died.”

The thought crossed my mind that her death might be related to why Nina moved rooms. Hiding my thoughts, I looked up at Laurel, who had come close without me noticing. She glanced at the bandage Maya had clumsily wrapped and smiled ominously.

“Can you handle it? Nina is scarier than you think. Dealing with a child like you would be nothing to her. You might be pushed down the stairs when no one’s looking.”

How foolish.

If Nina really killed that maid, there would be no difference between me and Laurel to her. If anything, Laurel, who’s not protected by her status, is in more danger. If I die, it would be quite troublesome, but if Laurel dies, they’d just need to dispose of the body.

From my conversation with Laurel, I could tell how much she thought of me as a child. If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be bad to play along for a while and see how things unfold.

I shrank my shoulders slightly as if frightened and lowered my gaze. Laurel’s eyes followed me. I fidgeted with my fingers and spoke softly.

“I didn’t know someone had died.”

“There are all kinds of people in this world. Remember this: the one who takes the hand of the better person is the one who survives, little one.”

Speaking softly as if soothing a child, Laurel sat down next to me. I pretended to ponder for a moment, then bit my lip and asked.

“What do you want to do?”

“I want to drive Nina out and take her place. It would be much better than a job like a private tutor where you never know when you might be fired. This is not just any house, it’s the Bickman barony after all.”

Quite a practical goal. Thinking about what I saw in Nina’s room, it certainly seemed like her pockets would be much fuller compared to a private tutor.

“If I become the head maid, you can feel at ease too. Because I’m on your side.”

I had to swallow a sigh at Laurel’s words as she wrapped an arm around my shoulder and whispered sweetly. I almost laughed.

Ahem, I cleared my throat and slowly nodded, raising my eyes. Then I looked at her and said.

“Find out if there are any merchants Nina is particularly close with.”

“Merchants?”

“If there’s a weak point to exploit with Nina, it’s probably money. She manages everything used in this mansion. Just the cost of groceries bought every month must be enormous. Also….”

I muttered in a low voice, as if letting it slip.

“Some say they’ve seen Nina secretly meeting one of the merchants in the storage room.”

It was a lie, but Laurel had no way to verify it. She rolled her eyes with an intrigued expression.

“Alright. That’s certainly something Maya couldn’t do. Now we’re in the same boat…”

As Laurel was speaking, suddenly a bell rang, and we both turned our heads. A servant was shouting loudly.

“The master has returned!”

“What?”

Startled, I left the room with Laurel. The servants were already bustling about.

Lights were being lit in every corridor, and the servants in charge of the bathroom were busy boiling water. There was an atmosphere as if the long-sleeping mansion was waking up.

I ran to the entrance, not particularly because I remembered Kirhin’s request. I wanted to confirm his safety and whether Damian was with him. On the way, I could already tell he was safe from the cheerful expressions of the servants.

“No, no. Forget about that, bring me something really sweet, Nina. You can bring a whole jar of honey. I’ll take a bath right after eating. First, a towel to wipe my hands… Oh my, Lucy!”

Kirhin, who was lying on the long sofa in the reception room waving his hands, spotted me and sat up abruptly. I approached hesitantly, visually confirming his unfamiliar appearance.

“Oh, brother?”

“Hahaha. Why, because of this beard? It’s all fake.”

Unlike when he left the mansion, Kirhin was wearing rags that looked like they had been worn by farmers for a long time, and half of his face was covered with a bushy beard. Only after he grabbed one side of the beard and pulled it off did I recognize the face I knew, and I let out a sigh.

“You said it would take a week at most. I was worried.”

“Everyone else just finds it amusing, but it seems you’re the only one who worried about me. I’m touched. Come here, you should check on your brother’s well-being.”

Although he was putting on a nonchalant expression, Kirhin’s complexion was somewhat pale. His smooth face, now without the beard, had also become quite gaunt. He certainly didn’t look like someone who had enjoyed a comfortable journey.

I glared at him as he spread his arms wide towards me, then took the wet towel brought by a servant. Sitting at his feet and wiping his hands, a somewhat awkward expression passed over Kirhin’s face.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Hu-hurt? There was nothing to get hurt from. I’m just a bit tired.”

“What’s with that beard? And those clothes? Were you in disguise?”

Kirhin flinched as I wiped the dirt from his face with a clean part of the towel, having just comfortably entrusted his face to my touch. A sheepish smile spread across his lips.

“Wherever I go, women’s gazes follow me, and it was quite burdensome, so I tried this. But it wasn’t very effective. I guess a handsome man is handsome even with a beard.”

Kirhin winked one eye, but it wasn’t very convincing.

I knew well how much attention he paid to his appearance. Kirhin was someone who wore a flashy scarf even when visiting me in prison.

As we were talking, Nina brought a dessert made of almond powder, butter, and cheese, along with a plate of honey. However, Kirhin didn’t make any move to use his hands, instead opening his mouth.

“I’d like Lucy to feed me. That’s what having a little sister is for, right?”

“Please maintain your dignity, Master. Such behavior is only allowed for young children…”

Nina, who was speaking in a stern tone while clearing her throat, stopped mid-sentence. It was because my hand was already picking up the dessert and feeding it to Kirhin.

I blinked calmly at her as she raised her eyebrows.

“If Brother doesn’t have the strength to lift his arms, that’s a different story, isn’t it?”

“…It seems my sister is a genius after all, Nina. I didn’t realize it, but my arms have been hurting quite a bit since earlier.”

Mumbling with his mouth full, Kirhin flashed a smile that somehow seemed triumphant. Nina shot a brief glare at the back of my head before retreating.

Kirhin, who had many requests like “dip it in honey” and “give me two at once,” quickly polished off the dessert and patted his stomach.

“Phew, now I feel like I can live. I can’t remember the last time I had a proper dessert. Well, I wasn’t in a situation to worry about such things.”

He muttered thoughtlessly, then awkwardly closed his mouth while glancing at me. I quietly looked at Kirhin and asked.

“Is Lord Damian safe as well?”

It seemed to be an unexpected question. Kirhin couldn’t hide his inner thoughts, and I read anxiety in his blue eyes. It felt like someone had poured ice-cold water down my spine.

“Did something happen to him?”

My voice, which came out urgently, trembled slightly. Thinking it was too late to lie, Kirhin let out a long sigh and rested his chin on his hand crookedly.

“What exactly do you know, Lucy? What kind of relationship do you have with him?”

“We don’t have any relationship.”

“Really? Then why is the perfume bottle I gave you hanging from his waist?”

This time, I failed to defend myself. I hadn’t thought that Damian would be wearing it on his waist. And even less that Kirhin would have seen it.

Kirhin’s eyes, narrowed to thin slits, shone triumphantly. I let out a faint sigh and answered.

“It’s collateral. He said he’d bring me Cayonbe’s epic poem next time he comes.”

“Cayonbe… You mean that book he took from our house?”

“It’s an expensive book, so he wanted collateral of equal value. I had no choice but to give him the most precious thing I had.”

At my words, Kirhin laughed and stroked his sharp chin.

“He’s not the type to do such childish things.”