Chapter 60
The young master had been sulking. Why?
I thought about what I might have done wrong. I couldn’t think of anything specific. Wait, had he noticed the small tear I accidentally made in his embroidery while trying to remove a loose thread from his coat? It was an expensive coat, but he wasn’t the type to complain about such things…
He didn’t give me a straight answer when I asked him directly. Then there was only one possibility left.
“Young Master, are you jealous?”
He must be sulking because I wasn’t spending enough time with him!
“What? Jealous of whom? Why would I be?”
He lay down on the sofa dramatically, as if dumbfounded.
“I don’t get jealous.”
“Don’t lie down with wet hair.”
He sat up.
“Do I look jealous?”
His reaction confirmed my suspicions.
I had a mountain of paperwork to finish for the Imperial Palace and the local government… but I had to appease him first. A maid’s priority was her master, not paperwork!
He sat with his arms crossed, one leg over the other, staring into space. He looked like a brooding statue, but to me, he resembled a child throwing a tantrum over food. He had been a picky eater as a child, giving everyone a hard time.
“Young Master, are you sulking because I wasn’t playing with you?”
“…”
“I was busy. Look, all this is for you.”
I gestured towards the scattered documents on the table. He wrinkled his nose and grumbled.
“Forget it. You don’t even know why I’m upset.”
“Are you thirsty? Should I bring you a drink?”
“No.”
“What would you like for dinner? You must be hungry after the battle.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Are you a child?”
He didn’t give me a straight answer when I asked why he was sulking. Then something happened that triggered his bad mood even further. He noticed the change in my heart.
“…Your magic seems to be working properly.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your heart.”
His expression was now clearly angry.
“Did you two have a nice, cozy chat? Did you let him touch your magic without my permission?”
“Uh, are you talking about Lund? I don’t know about cozy, but he did fix my heart. He said it’s working properly now!”
“Who said you could let someone else touch your heart? Did I give you permission?”
“You have my entire body, so please overlook the heart.”
“Don’t make excuses.”
“It would be awkward if I didn’t. I hate awkwardness.”
I won in the end. He picked up the documents with a resigned sigh. I explained them to him and made him sign. After working for a while, he seemed to get bored and looked at the boxes piled up behind me.
“I’m curious about what’s inside. Estella, bring them here. Let’s open them.”
I was also tired of working, so I agreed. I carried the boxes and placed them in front of him. We sat close together and opened them one by one. Honestly, I didn’t care what was inside. I was happy just being near him.
“This is a necklace!”
“Ooh, a ring too? Return this one and that one.”
“A pretty dress!”
“It doesn’t suit you. I’ll get you a different color. Return it.”
“Wow! This is interesting!”
“Isn’t it just junk?”
“Ah, this isn’t a gift, it’s kitchenware. Oh, and there’s a magic stone. The color is so vibrant! Didn’t you say the more vibrant the color, the better the quality?”
“…”
“Young Master, you can keep this one. Don’t be too greedy.”
“Okay…”
Then I found a letter in one of the boxes.
“Oh? This is a letter.”
The young master was faster than me. He snatched the letter and stood up.
“I’ll read this.”
“Why! Let’s read it together! I’m curious too.”
“No. The master should always read letters first.”
“Where did you learn that rule! You always make me open your packages!”
“Just do as I say.”
I stood up, trying to snatch the letter from him. I reached for it, but he raised his arm, keeping it out of my reach.
“I want to know what it says! Let’s read it together!”
“I’m reading it alone.”
“It’s addressed to me!”
“You’re mine, so everything that’s yours is mine.”
“That’s true, but! That’s true, but!”
I grabbed his shoulders, climbed onto him, and reached for the letter. He seemed startled, then grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and pulled me off, his strength surprising for his usually lazy self.
“Why! That’s not fair!”
“Capable maids are busy. Go do your work. I have something to check.”
“Greedy! What if it’s a treasure map! Are you planning to keep the treasure all to yourself? You’re already rich, and yet you want more?!”
“If it’s a treasure map, I’ll tell you. We’ll go find it together.”
“Hmm. Fine.”
I stopped clinging to him. Being too clingy wasn’t attractive.
“So you’ll show it to me after you’re done reading it!”
“Okay.”
He turned his back and quickly scanned the letter, then burned it with magic.
“Hey!”
“You didn’t need to see that.”
“Ah, what was it! Now I’m curious!”
One advantage of being a doll was that I didn’t need to sleep. One disadvantage was that I couldn’t sleep.
I didn’t feel tired or sleepy. At night, I would close my eyes and relax, but I wouldn’t actually fall asleep. I had secretly watched the young master sleep, but it wasn’t very entertaining after a while. And he had caught me once and pushed me away, so I couldn’t do that anymore.
As I was sitting in my room, thinking about what to do the next day, a rustling sound caught my attention. I blinked, trying to see through the darkness, but of course, I couldn’t. Even a sophisticated magic doll couldn’t see in the dark or shoot lasers from its eyes.
I listened closely, and the sound seemed to be coming from the young master’s room. The sound of a coat being taken off a hanger, the rustling of fabric, and the humming vibration of his staff activating.
This was it! He was sneaking out in the middle of the night!
Where was he going? Was he meeting a secret lover? Or was he going out for a late-night snack?
I pretended to be asleep, as if I hadn’t heard anything. Now wasn’t the time to act. If I asked him where he was going, he would just tell me to be quiet.
But I wasn’t planning to be quiet! I had to pretend I didn’t know anything to avoid hearing those words.
I heard him close the door and leave. His quiet footsteps echoed softly down the hallway before fading away. This was my chance.
I quickly lit the magic lamp, put on a cardigan (not because I was cold, but because it looked nice), and left the room. I was going to follow him. I had to see what he was up to in the middle of the night! I would help him if he needed it and keep quiet if he told me to.
I was a loyal doll, so I wouldn’t reveal his secrets. So it was okay to follow him.
Maintaining a safe distance, I followed him. He navigated the complex corridors of the fortress without hesitation. Was he sensing something with his magic? I suppressed my curiosity. I really wanted to grab him by the collar and ask him, but I couldn’t.
After walking for a while, we reached a beautiful garden. The fresh air was tainted with the acrid smell of smoke. The smell of burning zombies drifted from the battlefield in the distance. So people were still fighting, even at this hour…
Under the reddish sky, the garden looked more black than green, and the young master stopped in the middle of it.
“Did the Lady send you in her place?”
Was that Strategist Lund’s voice? I hid behind a large tree. The person approaching the young master was indeed Lund.
But he wasn’t alone.
A group of dragon knights were gathered behind him. The atmosphere was tense.
“I’ve been meaning to correct you since this afternoon.”
The young master scoffed, looking at Lund haughtily.
“She’s neither a lady nor a maid. She’s Estella. Stop hitting on my creation. It’s pathetic.”
“Ah, I see. So you intercepted my love letter.”
A love letter? A love letter!
The young master had burned a letter earlier! Was that a love letter? I gasped, covering my mouth. A love letter!
What did it say? Was it romantic? Were there any phrases I could use on the young master later? I was dying of curiosity. He would definitely scold me if I jumped out now, wouldn’t he? Ah, what should I do! I was so curious!
“It was a very… romantic letter.”
The young master said. I leaned forward, focusing intently. Yes! Tell me! Were there any memorable lines? Was the stationery pretty? Did it mention Estella’s beauty? It should have! Because I wanted to hear it!
“Instead of saying ‘I love you,’ it just told me to meet you at an ungodly hour. And it even included gossip about Irang being timid… Rather low quality for a love letter.”
Lund, unfazed by his taunt, smiled gently and shook his head.
“Oh dear. You seem to have misunderstood my intentions. Just consider my determination to propose to Lady Estella, I mean, Estella.”
“So you’re trying to steal my doll and usurp your sister’s power?”
“That’s a rather unfortunate interpretation.”
The young master channeled magic into his staff and pointed it at Lund. The magic snake bared its fangs menacingly, and the knights behind Lund assumed a fighting stance.
Oh no. I should have brought my vacuum cleaner, not a lamp!
Lund, backed by his knights, showed no fear as he faced the young master.
“Consider Estella’s heart. Is this attitude truly beneficial for you?”