TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 205
Watching the falling stars, the Young Lady and I were gazing at the dawn sky.
“Hehe…”
The Young Lady, wearing a Pleasant Smile as if to celebrate the commemorative day when the Seed of Hope sprouted, did not hide the corners of her lips that rose silently.
“Hehehehe…”
The Young Lady, lying on the Bed and looking at me, kept laughing. Under her gaze, which seemed to be seeking Praise, I looked back at her with a Small Smile.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Hehe… Just because.”
The Young Lady flared her nostrils, waiting for the answer she wanted. As I turned my head pretending not to know, the Young Lady stared at me intently again and exhaled through her nose before speaking.
“Hehe… Ricardo, am I admirable?”
A question uttered in a wavering Voice.
At the Young Lady’s sincere expression, I gave a Small Smile and nodded.
“Yes, you are admirable.”
“How admirable?”
“As much as the sky and the earth.”
“Hooo…! As much as the sky and the earth!”
The Young Lady chuckled softly and muttered quietly, “I already know…” Her candid expression, always honest about her feelings, never failed to make me smile.
In the Young Lady’s Room, where a Cold Breeze blew, a warm atmosphere and a surge of Emotions were rising simultaneously.
It might seem like A Trivial Thing to others, but for us, it was like an endless task that we didn’t know when we’d finish.
With no promises.
An endless task.
I don’t know what comparison to use, but it felt like receiving a hint for a question we hadn’t progressed on for two years—a Miracle, truly.
“Huhu…”
The Feeling of Elation didn’t fade easily.
The Young Lady’s shyness, as she peeked at me every time she came out of the bathroom, was trapped in a sense of pride and showed no signs of disappearing.
“Huhuhu… I’m admirable.”
Watching the Young Lady pat her own head, I gave a Small Smile and spoke.
“Aren’t you laughing too much like a villain? If someone saw, they’d think you were a government official who succeeded in smuggling.”
“That’s how big of a deal it is, so it can’t be helped.”
“That’s true.”
I liked the Young Lady’s honest response. Her straightforward words, free of embarrassment, relieved the burden on me. I enjoyed conversations with the Young Lady, who always spoke honestly no matter what I said.
Rubbing my tired eyes, I looked Outside the Window. Seeing that the sky, still cloaked in Darkness, hadn’t brightened, it seemed morning was still far away. One thing was certain—if I slept now, I’d oversleep.
To declare legally skipping breakfast, I cautiously asked the Young Lady a question that could lead to the answer I wanted.
“Yawn… Tomorrow… No, today, shall we sleep in as much as we want?”
“Hmm… Maybe.”
The Young Lady, deep in thought, blinked her Bright, Shining Eyes and furrowed her brows. Judging by her sparkling eyes, she seemed full of energy. She was sharp enough to notice my attempt to slack off, being sensitive to hourly matters.
“Lack of sleep negatively impacts skin health, you know.”
“But my skin is good.”
As if to prove her point, the Young Lady grabbed my hand and rubbed it against her cheek. I nodded at her gesture.
“That’s certainly true.”
As expected of the world’s greatest Beauty, the Young Lady had no flaws in terms of Appearance. While there were many internal aspects she needed to work on, perhaps this was the world’s way of being fair. I once again planned to legally pull a Lupin on my salary.
‘Hmm…’
I couldn’t think of a suitable method. Given my Job, if the Master wanted something, I, as the Butler, had to comply.
I had no choice but to wait for a positive response from the Young Lady.
The Young Lady, who had turned her body, stared at me cautiously before opening her mouth.
“Ricardo, are you sleepy?”
“Pardon?”
“You’ve been yawning a lot and seem tired.”
“Isn’t it because it’s dawn? Despite how I look, my Growth Plate hasn’t closed yet, you know.”
“Ricardo, your dreams are too big. You’re older than me, so stop acting like that.”
“Please stop the Elderly Assault.”
“Hehe…”
As expected, the Young Lady lacked consideration.
After rubbing my Palm against her cheek for a while, the Young Lady began fiddling with my hand using her tiny fingers. Stretching my Palm and fingers as if she found them fascinating, she stopped her actions and stared at me like a Cat about to deliver a soft punch.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…”
“Young Lady?”
Suddenly, the Young Lady opened her mouth.
-Aah… Chomp!
“Ack! Why are you biting me!”
The Young Lady, slowly opening her mouth, bit my hand and didn’t let go. With just enough Grip Strength not to hurt, I tried shaking my hand to detach her head, but she showed no intention of letting go.
“Mmm… Mmph!”
The more I shook my hand, the more the Young Lady’s head bobbed up and down. Puffing her cheeks full of air and drooling on my hand, she seemed pleased, her eyes crinkling with laughter.
By the time my hand was thoroughly soaked with drool, the satisfied Young Lady finally released my hand, smiling with a refreshed expression.
“Haa…!”
Wiping the drool from her mouth with her Sleeve, the Young Lady raised her Thumb with a “thumbs-up” gesture.
“Ricardo, you don’t taste good!”
“What does that mean!”
“It’s an insult.”
“…?”
“I thought your red Hair would taste sweet, but it’s salty.”
“Isn’t it strange for a person to taste sweet?”
“Hehe… That’s true.”
As expected, a Commoner’s dull mind couldn’t fully grasp the Young Lady’s thoughts.
The Young Lady, wearing a Pleasant Smile, began wiping the drool off my hand with her clothes. In the past, she would have left it to me to clean up, but realizing her newfound consideration for the Butler moved me deeply.
The Young Lady carefully touched the teeth marks on my Palm and fell silent.
“…Ricardo.”
Touching the Calloused Skin, she swallowed her breath.
“…”
Looking at the faint Scar on my finger, she exhaled softly.
After a long silence, gently caressing my finger, the Young Lady cautiously opened her mouth in a quiet Voice, careful not to wake the birds at night.
“…Does it still hurt?”
“Pardon?”
“Your hand. Does it still hurt?”
“If you’re asking whether it hurts because the Young Lady bit it…”
The Young Lady, unbuttoning the Cuff Button of her Sleeve, spoke in a quiet Voice.
“Not that… This.”
Before the Young Lady’s eyes, the scars that once made her cry began to come into view.
Perhaps due to the recent use of the Hand of Rehabilitation, the black marks scattered across my forearm didn’t make for a pleasant sight. They would fade with Time, but it would take about a day for them to disappear completely.
The Young Lady, gazing at the scars with wistful eyes, spoke to me with a Voice full of concern.
“It still hurts a lot, doesn’t it?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, I answered honestly. It didn’t hurt anymore.
“No, it doesn’t.”
“You’re lying. They still look so painful….”
As the Young Lady pouted her lips in frustration, I patted her head and smiled.
“No, truly, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“With the Young Lady’s devoted care, how could it possibly still hurt? If it did, that would be strange.”
Petting the Young Lady’s head as she gazed sadly at the wounds, I replied in a calm Voice.
“If anything, it doesn’t hurt so much that I feel like exaggerating the pain.”
Though the scars might be unsightly to show others, having such a Beauty worry over me made it more than worthwhile.
Hearing my response, the Young Lady pouted her lips again and replied in a sulky Voice, calling me a Fool.
“Ricardo doesn’t take care of his body enough.”
“Where else would you find someone who takes care of their body as much as I do? I even secretly make herbal tonics and drink them.”
“Those taste bad, so I’m fine not drinking them.”
“I was trying to get the Young Lady to drink them too, but I failed.”
“Hehe… Because I don’t like things that taste bad.”
The Young Lady, with a Small Smile, didn’t seem to have any intention of letting go of my hand.
I couldn’t tell what Emotions she was feeling, but I thought it might be due to guilt. Somehow, the Young Lady knew the reason behind these Scars. Although her concern was somewhat burdensome, it also left me with a Fluffy feeling that I enjoyed.
I hadn’t done it expecting a Hero’s Treatment.
Feeling embarrassed, I silently accepted the Young Lady’s cautious touch, unsure of how to respond to her concern.
The Young Lady repeated the words she had said to me before.
“Don’t get hurt.”
“…”
“If Ricardo gets hurt, I hurt too.”
“…”
“Do you know how much it hurt me last time when you said you were in pain…?”
“I’m sorry.”
The Young Lady held my hand tightly and bowed her head. Perhaps embarrassed by her words, she didn’t lift her head, and seeing her like that gave me a warm feeling.
“If it hurts, you have to say it does.”
Extending her Pinky Finger, the Young Lady demanded I sign a contract. Normally, I wouldn’t easily sign such a Fraudulent Contract, but with a Small Smile, I sealed the deal.
“Understood.”
“No lying like last time.”
“I’ll try.”
“Eeeek…”
“…Promise.”
She wasn’t someone to be taken lightly.
Yawning as I looked at Dawn’s Sun rising, I spoke.
“Then, Young Lady, may I sleep in today?”
“Ugh…”
“And skip breakfast too.”
“Ughhh…”
“It’s because the Butler is unwell.”
Buttoning the Cuff Button of my Sleeve, I gave a Small Smile.
“You promised.”
At the mention of a Promise, the Young Lady, who had been hesitating at the suggestion of skipping breakfast, nodded with a gloomy expression.
“Okay. I’ll allow it.”
As expected, the Young Lady is a kind person.
Rising carefully from the Chair to return to my room, I spoke.
“How about we go on a trip this Thursday?”
At the mention of Travel, the Young Lady, who had been sulking with her head lowered, slowly lifted her head and looked at me.
“A trip?”
“Yes.”
“To where…?”
She seemed excited about going on a trip after so long. I hoped she wouldn’t set her expectations too high.
With a Small Smile, I spoke to the Young Lady.
“Let’s just go anywhere. We can decide slowly once we’re up.”
It seemed the excited Young Lady wouldn’t be getting any sleep.