Chapter 59
*What’s a Love Letter Without the Love?*
Lupin was sulking. He didn’t want to admit it, but it was true.
He didn’t understand why he was sulking. He didn’t want to understand, and even if he did, he didn’t want to tell Estella. She would laugh and tease him relentlessly if he told her he was sulking.
‘I’m fine. I’m fine. I don’t care.’
He muttered to himself, flinging open the door to his room and collapsing onto the sofa. He lay there motionless, hands folded over his stomach, eyes closed, repeating the mantra, ‘I’m fine. I don’t care.’
Estella, the cause of his inner turmoil, appeared soon after.
“Young Master! Is something wrong? Why did you come back to your room so suddenly?”
Lupin glanced at her. Her small arms were overflowing with documents.
“I’m a little late because I was collecting these. We have to wait a week for the next wyvern. There’s a mountain of paperwork. We have to submit proof of stay to the Imperial Palace, identification papers to the Elder Council here, and I also have to withdraw money from the bank. I’ve already inquired with the nearby guild about the exchange rate.”
Thump! She placed the documents on the table and sat on the opposite sofa, organizing them efficiently. She was a truly capable maid when it came to work, but she had a fatal flaw.
She was clueless. Lupin’s previous maid, Anna, had also been notoriously clueless. He was considering two possibilities: either Estella was actually Anna, or he was destined to only meet clueless maids. It had to be one of the two.
“You seem busy.”
Lupin asked, his tone laced with annoyance. He hoped Estella would pick up on his mood and respond cautiously. But of course, she didn’t.
“Yes! I’m very busy.”
She replied matter-of-factly.
“I’ll handle the simple paperwork, so you go take a bath! I’ll apply oil to your hair afterward. The head servant here gave me some toiletries. It was difficult to communicate without a translator, though. Young Master, you don’t speak the language used in Dragon’s Waist, do you? We should hire a translator. I’ll prepare a budget proposal, so please approve it after your bath.”
Lupin jumped up and exclaimed,
“It must be nice to be so capable!”
His voice dripped with sarcasm, but Estella, focused on her work, missed it completely.
“Oh my, thank you.”
Lupin fumed internally.
She had been chatting intimately with a strange man and wasn’t even embarrassed. It was infuriating.
Estella couldn’t be left unsupervised. This was his mistake again, Lupin blamed himself. It was his fault for leaving her alone. He knew she was naive…
Wait, Estella was also at fault. She had confessed her feelings for him, and now she was holding hands with another man and talking about marriage. If he had left her alone any longer, they might have even kissed. The thought made Lupin’s blood boil.
She had declared herself his doll, and yet she was so easily swayed by another man. That wicked doll.
He glared at Estella as he headed for the bathroom. Her efficient handling of the paperwork was even more irritating. If she were incompetent at her job, he could at least call her an idiot. But she was just clueless…
“You’re my doll, right?”
“What a strange question. Whose doll would I be if not yours? I’m yours unless you sell me. And even if you do, I’ll come back to you like a boomerang, so don’t even think about it.”
“Easy for you to say.”
She seemed interested only in him, judging by her words. He decided to ask her directly.
“What do you think of Lund Nova, the strategist here? Do you like him? The one who made that absurd marriage proposal.”
“Ah, he seems like a nice person.”
Her nonchalant reply made Lupin’s nose burn with annoyance.
“Is that all? He even proposed to you.”
“Well, I’ve received three proposals so far.”
Lupin’s heart sank, then he felt a surge of annoyance. Why were so many people interested in his doll?
“Lund is the best option among them. He has a clear reason for wanting to marry, and his offer is decent. But you said it yourself, Young Master. You should marry someone you love.”
Estella stopped organizing the documents and looked at him.
“You’re right. I should refuse. I was tempted by the higher status, but I don’t love him.”
Lupin felt slightly relieved.
“I only love you. Aren’t I a good girl?”
And his annoyance subsided a little more.
Hiding his improved mood, Lupin went into the bathroom. Estella stared at his back, shrugged, and then returned to her work.
‘I should talk to him more after he’s done bathing.’
Lupin planned to address Estella’s lack of awareness. Of course, she would probably fuss over him and offer to help him as soon as he came out of the bathroom. He would firmly put her in her place then.
After his bath, he deliberately left his body slightly damp as he put on his bathrobe, giving Estella an opportunity to fuss over him. But then…
“Ah, I haven’t properly greeted the Count.”
That clueless strategist Lund was in the room, sitting next to Estella and chatting with her.
Lupin strode towards Estella. Realizing his state, she stopped what she was doing and rushed into the bathroom.
“I’ll get you a towel!”
After Estella disappeared, the two men looked at each other. Lupin’s expression was filled with displeasure, while Lund’s was amiable. Sensing Lupin’s mood, Lund spoke first.
“Did I come at a bad time?”
“You noticed.”
“I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable in this foreign land, so please don’t be too harsh on me.”
Despite his gentle and friendly demeanor, Lund seemed incredibly sly to Lupin. He particularly disliked his frail and delicate appearance. Estella would probably fuss over someone so weak.
“Why did you come to a room with only a maid and no master?”
“This is a common room. I had a translator waiting in case you needed assistance with local inquiries. I also arranged a wyvern for your transportation. I was just informing you of the arrangements I made for your convenience.”
Just then, Estella returned with an armful of towels. She dumped them on Lupin’s head.
“What if you catch a cold! There’s a saying about being like a drowned rat, but even rats aren’t this wet these days. Honestly, you’re so worrisome.”
Her touch, despite her seemingly affectionate gestures, was rough. She ruffled his hair and tightened his bathrobe around him. Lupin felt a strange sense of relief, despite still being annoyed by Lund.
Actually, he was more suspicious of the neatly wrapped boxes behind Lund than his sly smile. Boxes? Did we need boxes? Especially such beautifully wrapped ones?
As Lupin stared at the boxes, Lund smiled and picked one up.
“I believe it’s time to show you this.”
He carefully opened the box. Inside was an ornate necklace, clearly designed for a woman.
“Oh my, it’s beautiful!”
“I prepared it for Lady Estella. Will you marry me?”
Lund proposed again, and Lupin answered,
“No. I’m not giving her away. Not now, not ever. She’s staying with me.”
“Don’t I have a say in this?”
Estella protested weakly, but Lupin just shrugged.
“You like being by my side anyway.”
It was a confident statement, and Estella quickly nodded.
“That’s true! I’m happy to rust by your side! Just oil my joints occasionally!”
Lund, listening to their exchange, smiled gently and gestured towards the remaining boxes.
“These are gifts, regardless of the marriage proposal. I just hope my courtship wasn’t in vain. You two must be tired from your journey, so I’ll take my leave. Lady Estella? Would you grant me the honor of kissing your hand before I leave?”
Lupin answered again,
“No.”
“You seem very fond of Lady Estella.”
With those words, Lund left.
Lupin and Estella, now alone, felt a strange tension.
Estella prepared tea for Lupin and sat down to continue working on the documents, the boxes piled up behind her.
Lupin, trying to hide his annoyance, asked,
“Aren’t you curious about your gifts?”
He was the one who was curious. It was absurd. Didn’t he know how wealthy the Zepetto family was? Even their servants used only the finest goods. So those boxes probably contained things Estella wouldn’t even like.
Estella didn’t seem interested in the gifts. She was more focused on her work.
“I’m a capable maid, so these reports are more important right now. You have to approve them all later. I should finish them quickly, shouldn’t I?”
“You’re capable?”
“Am I not? It’s hard to find someone as dedicated as me. And as a doll, I can work even more than a human.”
“Chatting with a strange man is also part of your dedicated work ethic, I see.”
Lupin sulked, and Estella blinked and nodded.
“Of course!”
Lupin suppressed a sigh and closed his eyes. Estella, watching him, narrowed her eyes and put down the documents.
“Young Master, are you jealous?”