Chapter 28
“Yes! I’ll hold onto you! Don’t worry!”
The young master opened his eyes.
“That’s… not what I meant.”
A grumpy expression followed his sigh-like words.
“What came over me just now.”
He pressed his hands against my cheeks and then stood up, kissing my forehead as he did.
“I’m going to sleep.”
I stared blankly at his retreating figure as he headed for the bedroom.
Huh? Did he just kiss me?
I was dumbfounded. It was a level of affection I had never received, even as Anna. Wasn’t this something you did only with someone you loved?
Or not?
Well, it was just my forehead. It probably didn’t mean much, but…
“My nonexistent heart is fluttering!”
Didn’t it mean he finally liked me?
“Young Master!”
I rushed towards him and jumped onto his back. Startled, he stumbled.
“Estella! What are you doing?”
“You like me now, don’t you? Don’t you? At first, you were so angry you wanted to smash me. But you’ve changed your mind, haven’t you?”
“Wait, get down!”
I wasn’t a fool. I saw an opportunity and took it. I cautiously observed his expression, and he didn’t seem like he was about to throw me off. I wrapped my legs around his waist, clinging to him. He had no choice but to hold onto my legs to support me.
“I told you to get down, why are you climbing higher…”
“But I’m pretty, right? You made me. Well, even I have to admit I’m pretty. My skin is flawless and fair, my eyes are like the sparkling violet night sky, and my hair is long and beautiful. I look good no matter how you style it.”
“Isn’t that a bit much for self-praise?”
“Not at all. It’s not nearly enough.”
Still clinging to him, I swayed from side to side. I was so happy that I tried to dance. As the young master knew, I didn’t have a dancing function.
“You’re heavy, heavy! Get down.”
“You have to let go of my legs for me to get down.”
“Then you’ll fall. Don’t, no, this is…”
He held me, looking flustered. Was this also because I was pretty?
“So you’ve finally recognized Estella’s beauty. Well, it happens. You’re so beautiful yourself that you’re a bit harsh when judging others. But I, Estella, have finally been recognized by you!”
“Calm down!”
“Yes!”
I stopped moving and looked at him. He caught his breath and met my gaze. My reflection was captured in his bright blue eyes.
Just like he had done to me earlier, I raised my hands and cupped his cheeks. He readily accepted my touch. He didn’t shake his head, protest, or scold me.
That’s what I liked about him. He seemed unapproachable, but he was always ready to take my hand if I reached out. His soft inner self, hidden beneath his cold exterior, was his charm.
“So you finally admit it? That I’m beautiful.”
“It’s not something I need to admit.”
“Hurry up.”
“Fine, you’re beautiful. I already said you were beautiful earlier.”
Although he said it reluctantly, I could sense his sincerity. He adjusted his hold on me and then gently pressed his lips against my chin. Well, how could he resist kissing such a pretty chin? If I could detach and reattach my own mouth, I would have kissed my own chin. I would suggest it to him during my next repair.
Receiving his kiss again made me feel a bit wistful. Why hadn’t he done this when I was Anna? I considered us to be very close childhood friends.
Wasn’t a kiss on the forehead something you could do even if you weren’t lovers? I wasn’t sure if I should be happy that I received a kiss now that I was Estella, or if I should feel disgruntled that it took this long. Feeling a bit wronged, I asked sullenly,
“Why didn’t you ever kiss Anna?”
He seemed surprised, his eyes widening. Was it because he hadn’t liked me enough to kiss me? My voice dropped, dejected.
“You and Anna were very close, weren’t you? But you never even kissed her hand, let alone her forehead. Well, I just happen to know that…”
“You’re Anna, aren’t you? Where did all your insistence go?”
“I don’t know. You keep messing with my feelings, so I don’t know what to think anymore. Or rather, my doll feelings. Anyway, the important thing is that I know. You never kissed Anna on the forehead, so why me? Not that I’m complaining now.”
He chuckled.
“You sound like you’re complaining.”
“I’m not the type to dwell on the past.”
“Right, I’ll believe you.”
“Perhaps…”
Why did he kiss me and not Anna! I was the one who didn’t receive the kiss, and I was the one who received it. So it wasn’t about personality.
It must be my looks!
“Is Estella more your type than Anna?”
“What?!”
His denial sounded like a cough. He stumbled as if he was about to drop me, so I quickly tightened my arms around his neck.
“So it’s true. You’re the type who cares about looks.”
“M-my type…”
“I’ll suggest that you prioritize beauty when selecting future Countess candidates. Trust me!”
He bumped his forehead against mine. Frowning, he put on a playful expression.
“Go to sleep if you’re going to talk nonsense.”
He lifted me up and then tossed me onto the sofa.
“Oof! Young Master!”
“See you tomorrow.”
I glared at him, propping myself up against the sofa headrest. He took off his bathrobe and headed straight for the bedroom. Soft shadows danced across his well-defined back muscles. It was a sight that could captivate anyone.
As expected of a battlemage.
Other mages would be so skinny you could count their ribs, but our young master, who bashed zombies with his staff, had the physique of a swordsman.
As I admired his captivating back, I sighed.
“Throwing his bathrobe on the floor… I’ll have to pick it up and put it away.”
He got zero points for consideration towards his maid.
The young master was in a bad mood from the morning. It wasn’t because he was uncomfortable with the bed or disliked the food. I fidgeted nervously, unsure of what was bothering him.
He kept saying he was fine, but I could tell by his expression that something was wrong.
Today was the historic day I would receive my new vacuum cleaner/weapon. I wished he was in a good mood too.
Fortunately, his foul mood didn’t last long. The reason for his grumpiness was revealed before we left to pick up the vacuum cleaner.
“Hello, doll!”
Miss Baba, with a cheerful smile, was waiting for us at the café terrace early in the morning. A Countess candidate with a bright smile, even in the morning.
From yesterday’s conversation, I had discovered a new fact: “Count Lupin Zepetto has a preference for cheerful faces.” The possibility of Miss Baba becoming the Countess…
“Don’t greet her.”
Despite her beautiful face, her chances seemed low.
The young master hid me behind him, preventing me from making eye contact with her. Miss Baba didn’t seem to mind. She walked around him and took my hand.
“So, have you decided? Whether you’ll become my maid or not.”
“That wasn’t the original proposal.”
The young master stepped in front of her, his expression cold and hostile. Perhaps his bad mood this morning was because he had anticipated meeting her?
“Witch, you only asked me to escort you. To get straight to the point, I accept your proposal.”
He said it through gritted teeth, as if annoyed.
“Good. Maid, I look forward to working with you.”
With those kind words, she held out her hand towards me. Was she asking me to shake it? I awkwardly raised both hands—
Poof! A large bouquet of roses suddenly appeared in my hands.
“Th-this is!”
“What do you think? Pretty, just like you.”
She said, glancing at the young master. I, the perceptive Estella, immediately grasped the situation.
It was a bribery tactic!
She was clearly trying to win me over, his closest confidante, to get to him. Miss Baba’s personality was certainly strange, and the young master didn’t seem particularly fond of her.
But this strategic approach was definitely a sign of interest! If one party showed positive interest, the relationship could change.
“I acknowledge your determination. I’ll be watching.”
With a solemn expression, I presented the bouquet of roses to Young Master Lupin. To voluntarily nominate herself as a Countess candidate… her ambition was remarkable. I had to respect that.
“What are you going to be watching?”
A magic circle appeared in his hand as he held the bouquet. Although I wasn’t a mage, I had spent enough time with him to know what spell he was about to cast. He was planning to burn the bouquet.
“Wait! You can’t! It’s such a waste!”
Instead of dismissing the magic circle, he pulled out a single rose and tucked it into my hair. The rose, haphazardly placed in my neatly tied hair, looked like a flag. As if proclaiming, “This is my territory.”
The next moment, the bouquet burst into flames and vanished. It was a shame, but I was glad at least one rose survived.
The young master looked down at me with a cold expression, then turned his gaze to Miss Baba.
“I’ll escort you. But on one condition.”
The condition he proposed was so outrageous that I had never even imagined it.