Chapter 37
*You Can’t Learn Romance from Books*
It was Miss Baba who appeared so suddenly. She was holding several books in her arms, which floated in midair even after she lowered her hands to cover her face in a flustered gesture. Her usual indifferent expression combined with her hand covering her mouth looked awkward.
“Master! It’s not like that!”
“How could you! You promised your love only to me!”
Castor’s face turned bright red. I sensed danger. I wanted to run, but Miss Baba was blocking the door.
“Estella!”
She rushed towards me, grabbed both my hands, pressed them against her cheeks, and blinked pathetically. Her expression was blank, like someone wiping condensation off a window.
“You proposed to me! And now you’re trying to take another lover? Are you saying that as a doll, you have superhuman stamina and can go on endless dates without getting tired? Oh, how cruel. I trusted you.”
“Excuse me.”
I pulled my hands away from her grasp. Leaving the dumbfounded Castor behind, I picked up the books that were still floating in midair. As soon as I touched them, they regained their weight. I carried the heavy stack of books to the desk and said politely, as a proper maid of the Count’s household,
“I asked if you were interested in marrying the young master. Not me. If you really want me, just marry Count Lupin. I belong to him, and what belongs to him belongs to his wife. If you become the Countess, I’ll belong to you too.”
No one could argue with my logic. I crossed my arms and said confidently,
“Of course, I can’t just give away the position of the young master’s bride. We need Head Butler Godora’s approval, a formal meeting between the families, and discussions about the dowry. Besides, there are countless other competitors!”
Since we were on the subject, I decided to reveal my grand plan, which I had been keeping secret.
“If I, Estella, become human, you’ll have to consider me a competitor as well. Me too! Me too!”
I overcame my hesitation and shouted,
“Because I want to marry the young master! Are you confident you can win against me? If you want me, you’ll have to defeat me!”
I placed my hands on my hips and declared confidently. Maintaining a confident attitude gave you an advantage! It was a tactic I learned from a childhood bully. He had challenged the young master, only to be soundly beaten by me, and then he had to share all his bully secrets with me. I had been training since my human childhood.
“That sounds exciting.”
Miss Baba, who had maintained an indifferent expression, smiled faintly.
“If I were to have you, would you give me your body and soul?”
Her eyes suddenly flashed like flames, a momentary glimpse of hellfire before returning to their normal color. It was unsettling, but perhaps witches changed their eye color like accessories.
“Well, the body and soul are a package deal, so I suppose they come together…”
“Can you swear it?”
“Swear?”
“If you’re serious, promise me by the tongue of the snake and the tongue of the wood.”
“Is that some kind of adult joke? I’m too innocent to understand, and I prefer to stay that way…”
I huddled closer to the desk. The snake mark on Miss Baba’s tongue flickered as she smiled. It wasn’t an ordinary tattoo.
“Oh. That’s so cool.”
Castor stepped in front of me protectively, as if shielding me from my mixed feelings of curiosity and fear.
“Master, stop joking.”
“Yes. It’s best to stop with the unfunny jokes.”
It was the young master who interrupted us. He was standing at the door, holding several books and a stack of papers. His slightly damp hair, which he seemed to have roughly combed with his hand, was neatly styled yet retained a natural wave.
“Young Master!”
I was always happy to see him, but especially now. I thought I was about to be devoured by Miss Baba! Manners and decorum be damned, I rushed towards him.
“What took you so long?!”
He pushed me away with one hand. I obediently stepped back. What if I clung to him and broke his delicate joints? I was a good maid, so I decided to restrain myself.
“You were discussing some absurd things without my consent.”
He looked down at me. I took the books and papers from his arms and shrugged.
“Is that a new development? You’re not going to get angry anyway.”
I grinned at him, and he pushed my lips with his bent index finger.
“I’ll seal those cute lips if you keep being impertinent.”
“Such a romantic threat! What are you going to seal them with?”
“Wax.”
“You were serious!”
I stopped talking back and placed the books and papers on the desk. He sat down, ignoring everyone else, and began reading immediately.
He had come here to read the books in the magic library, after all. Simply by arriving here, Miss Baba’s unique identity had been proven.
“Estella.”
He called out to me without looking up from his book. I gestured for Miss Baba and Castor, who were still standing, to step back, then bowed respectfully to the young master.
I knew my duty. I wasn’t joking, my main job was being a maid.
“I’ll find Knight Commander Edna’s seal to verify Miss Baba’s identity and then deliver the zombie cores. If the verification fails, I’ll explore other methods and report back to you. I’ll bring you tea within thirty minutes so you can refresh yourself while reading. I’ll ask the guests to leave so you can read in peace, but I’ll return in three hours for a report.”
“…”
His silence meant consent. I led the guests out of the room.
“You’re… surprising.”
Castor said awkwardly, scratching his head, as we stood outside the door.
“Shh.”
We couldn’t disturb the young master’s reading. Someone as intelligent as him needed books, silence, and a considerate environment. Even my clear voice could be a distraction.
I led them further away from the room.
I stopped only after we had left the floor entirely. Miss Baba looked at me with a gentle smile.
“Can I speak now?”
“Sure. He won’t be disturbed from this distance. Miss Baba, Knight Commander Edna wanted to deliver the zombie cores to her friend.”
A maid’s conduct reflected her master. I had to act appropriately when dealing with matters concerning the Count.
“I can’t hand over the cores unless you verify your identity.”
“Such a small thing, acting so high and mighty in front of the Master.”
Castor scoffed. I looked at him, rolling my eyes just like the young master did. I even lifted my chin a bit higher.
“The Zepetto family has royal blood. I’m Count Zepetto’s creation, his secretary, and his representative. Act accordingly.”
I felt a surge of pride after saying such arrogant words. Castor looked at Miss Baba pleadingly. Their eyes were almost at the same level, like friends of the same age. It meant she was very tall.
The tall, statue-like witch leaned down towards me.
“Cute.”
“Huh?”
“I want you, but it would be troublesome. I’ve seen many things in my crystal ball. There are many humans who covet you.”
“Who covets me?”
Miss Baba rolled her eyes and muttered,
“It wouldn’t be fun if I told you.”
“I think it would be very fun.”
“I’ll tell you about the most important person. He desires you intensely. He loves you, pities you, and misses you, but he can’t feel it. He’s desperate.”
It was a riddle, but the answer seemed obvious. There weren’t many people who would miss me. I had no memories of my family, who I was separated from before I turned ten, and I wasn’t close to any of the other maids.
The only person who had become my friend, the person closest to me, was Count Lupin Zepetto!
Oh, so he was secretly interested in me! I stood on tiptoe excitedly.
“Who is it?”
“The human closest to you.”
I couldn’t stop smiling. No one was closer to me than the young master. Physically, that was literally true. The only ones currently in the magic library were a witch of unknown species, a person who emerged from a dragon’s waist, a doll, and a few goblins(?).
It had to be the young master. I asked confidently,
“It’s the Young Master, isn’t it?”
“No.”
Her answer was straightforward.
“There’s no one else in the world who would desire me so intensely! Even Head Butler Godora never needed my help that desperately!”
I protested. Castor placed his hand on my shoulder reassuringly.
“Well, with a personality like that…”
“What do you mean? Don’t look at me with pity! This is a misunderstanding!”
Miss Baba shrugged, refusing to explain further.
“I won’t tell you the details. It’s bothersome. I don’t want to get involved in human squabbles.”
She crossed her arms and turned away coldly.
“Castor, take Estella to my study. Edna’s letter should be on the desk.”
“Don’t go!”
My cry was lost as she walked away.
“Don’t be too disappointed. After we find the letter, let’s go to the fifth floor of the library. There are many helpful resources there, like ‘100 Ways to Guarantee Success in Love.’”
Castor suddenly started to pity me. Feeling slightly frustrated, I nodded. Whoever that person was, too bad for them. I only had eyes for the young master!
“I’ll find a way to win the young master’s favor, no matter what.”
I would make full use of this magic library.