TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 169
The Young Lady was trembling in my arms, breathing heavily for quite a while.
I didn’t know what had scared her so much, but she clung to me, not letting go until her ragged breaths calmed down.
“Ricardo…”
“Yes.”
“Ricardooo….”
Her hands wandered.
“Ughhh…”
I didn’t know where to place my hands on the Young Lady who was nestled against me.
I hesitated, unsure whether to pat her back for comfort or wrap my arms around her waist.
Just patting her back felt insufficient, but wrapping my arms around her waist and holding her made my heart race too much.
I thought of myself as a Butler who excelled at everything, but in moments like this, I realized I still had a long way to go.
“It’s all right.”
The hands that had been wandering aimlessly found their way and firmly embraced the Young Lady’s back.
With a small smile, I murmured words of comfort, “It’s all right,” while gently patting her back.
“Everything will be fine.”
I didn’t know what had happened, but I held the Young Lady close, offering reassurance that everything would be fine.
“No matter what it is….”
Because I would be by her side.
“I will always be by your side.”
There was no need to worry.
*
It was the late hours of dawn.
Olivia lay wide awake, clutching the edge of her blanket and blinking her eyes.
-Blink, blink.
She wasn’t sleepy.
The drowsiness that had vanished because of the sudden appearance of the Blue Window showed no signs of returning. Olivia, whose favorite pastime was sleeping, widened her eyes and tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
“I can’t sleep…”
Even when she turned toward the window, she couldn’t sleep. When she turned the other way toward the door, the uneasy feeling persisted, and she clung tightly to the edge of the blanket.
The one fortunate thing was that she wasn’t alone in the room.
If she had been alone, she would have been scared of seeing a ghost. Thankfully, Ricardo had stayed in the room, waiting until Olivia fell asleep.
Olivia looked at Ricardo, who was dozing off with his legs crossed, and wore an apologetic expression.
“…”
She had told him he could leave, but Ricardo, insisting on staying until she fell asleep, was now sitting in a chair and dozing off.
-You can go.
-I don’t want to.
-Why?
-Because it’s boring, and I can’t sleep.
-I’m not bored, so go to your room and sleep.
-It feels like you’re trying to see a ghost without me. I can’t allow you to have fun without me.
-I won’t. Besides, I hate ghosts because they’re scary.
He was such a worrisome Butler.
And quite peculiar in many ways.
Though he played a lot of pranks, there probably wasn’t anyone else who cared for her this much.
Olivia knew that Ricardo’s grumbling words stemmed from his concern for her.
Even a fool could figure that much out.
Olivia gave an apologetic smile and stared intently at Ricardo. Not feeling cold, Ricardo had no blanket over him and was dozing in the chair with his arms crossed.
“Ricardo, are you asleep…?”
“…”
“I guess you are.”
With trembling hands, Olivia pulled off the blanket covering her. Then, as she moved toward Ricardo to drape the blanket over his shoulders, she shifted her body.
So as not to wake the sleeping Ricardo. Quietly, and hoping her uncomfortable legs wouldn’t make any noise, she grabbed the bed sheet and crawled toward Ricardo.
She reached out her hand to cover him with the blanket.
“Ricardo, you’ll catch a cold.”
“…”
“Take the blanket.”
Her arms were too short.
Hm….
Olivia, determined to cover Ricardo, stretched her arm holding the blanket once again. Feeling the weight of the cotton blanket, which seemed heavier because it was a winter blanket, Olivia sensed something unusual.
What had started as a warm gesture turned into a workout, and Olivia frowned as she began exerting more effort.
“Eeeek…!”
What had she been doing while others were growing up? Olivia bit her lip and made an almost explosive expression, frustrated that her frail arms couldn’t reach Ricardo’s shoulders.
“Eeeeeeek!”
Trying not to wake Ricardo while covering him, Olivia let out strange sounds of exertion.
“Heeeeeek!”
Her eyes widened.
Olivia tried lifting the blanket again.
It felt strangely heavier than usual, making Olivia tilt her head with a Question Mark on the Head.
As if someone was holding it down.
Even though she was a Beauty who didn’t exercise, it made no sense that she couldn’t lift a blanket. Olivia stared at the immovable blanket, deep in thought, and then her eyes began to tremble as she noticed a black silhouette moving on the bed.
“What is this…?”
A massive creature slowly moving in the direction of her feet. The more the black creature moved, the more the blanket was dragged along.
With a trembling heart, Olivia muttered softly.
“A ghost…?”
Olivia suddenly remembered why she had called Ricardo.
She had momentarily forgotten because of the sudden appearance of the Blue Window, but now the memory came back, and Olivia, with trembling eyes, stared at the dark space in front of the bed.
-Wriggle.
Olivia swallowed hard and clutched the edge of the blanket tightly. No matter how scary the ghost was, she couldn’t let it take her blanket, so she held on.
“It’s mine…”
Wriggle…
“Eek…!”
Realizing it was a creature she couldn’t handle, Olivia decided to give up cleanly. She had tried to resist with strength, but it felt like she would fall off the bed.
“Ricardo…”
So Olivia called Ricardo with a trembling voice. Her voice, small and whimpering from fear, called out to Ricardo, but he remained asleep.
-Wriggle…
It moved slowly.
Onto the bed, slowly.
With trembling eyes, Olivia started a staring contest with the Black Object in front of her, calming her pounding heart and preparing to wake Ricardo at any moment, her fist clenched tightly.
The Black Object began to slowly reveal itself on the bed.
As its massive body moved, the creature gradually revealed itself atop the bed, and Olivia swallowed hard, clenching her fist.
-A bear?
Seeing the familiar creature placing its front paws on the bed and wiggling its rear, Olivia shouted in an annoyed voice.
“Eeeek, Bear Cub!”
-A bear?!
Olivia was irritated.
She had been terrified, thinking it was a ghost, only to find out it was Gomtangi chewing on the blanket.
With an annoyed voice, Olivia threw a pillow at Gomtangi, who happily began chewing on the pillow.
“…Huh?”
Olivia had lost her pillow in an instant.
Feeling dejected, Olivia stared blankly at the shredded pillow with a gloomy expression.
And then.
“Puhaha… Puhaha! What is this!”
The Butler’s laughter-filled voice slowly reached my ears.
“Ahaha… My stomach hurts.”
Ricardo, with clear, alert eyes, was looking at me. His gaze, neither sleepy nor tired, was fixed on me as he rested his chin on his hand and spoke with a smile.
“Were you that scared of Gomtangi?”
“Eeeek! Stop teasing me!”
“Puhahaha! Gomtangi Ghost…!”
With her lips pouting, Olivia spoke to Ricardo.
“Why didn’t you sleep?”
“Just because.”
“Why?”
“How could I sleep with the most beautiful person in the world right in front of me? I only pretended to be asleep.”
“Well, I am pretty.”
“I know. You even seem kindhearted, trying to cover me with a blanket.”
“That’s right. I am kind.”
Olivia looked at Ricardo with a pleasant smile. Then, as she adjusted her hair blowing near the window, she spoke to Ricardo.
“You really didn’t sleep?”
“Yes.”
“Why not?”
“I told you, I stayed up to watch.”
Indeed, Ricardo is strange.
He stayed awake just to watch.
He gives up delicious things to others.
Even when she whines, he doesn’t show displeasure and accepts it. Ricardo is truly peculiar.
Olivia smiled bashfully as she looked at Ricardo. Seeing Olivia suddenly smile, Ricardo furrowed his brows and asked, ‘Is this flirting?’
“Why are you smiling like that?”
“Just because. You’re ugly, Ricardo.”
“I think my face is relatively handsome, though.”
“Ricardo, your pride is enormous.”
“It’s not pride; I’m genuinely handsome.”
Looking at Ricardo’s smiling face, she felt a little less scared.
The Devotee as well.
And the story the Blue Window would reveal.
Olivia, smiling at the sleep that wouldn’t come easily, moved a little closer to Ricardo. No, perhaps it was more accurate to say she moved away slightly to make space for Ricardo to lie down.
Though her crawling on unmoving legs looked a bit awkward, Ricardo didn’t mock her for such a ridiculous sight.
Olivia patted the empty spot beside her on the bed and said.
“Ricardo, lie down.”
“Huh?”
“Lie down. I don’t have a pillow.”
“Ah…”
Ricardo suddenly ran his hand over his face.
It was too dark to see Ricardo’s face clearly, but Olivia could tell he was embarrassed.
Because Ricardo was shy.
“Lie down!”
Olivia urged Ricardo, telling him to lie down. She wanted Ricardo, who was suffering because of her, to rest, and at the same time, she wanted to alleviate her fear of ghosts.
Above all else.
-Would you like to view it?
Since having Ricardo by her side would make her less scared, Olivia made a special concession to give him the spot next to her.
Ricardo let out a deep sigh and slowly climbed onto the bed, lying down.
“It’s been a while since we’ve lain down together.”
“It has.”
“You used to complain about the smell of sweat before, though.”
“It doesn’t smell now.”
With a ‘click,’ the light of the stand lamp turned on. Ricardo opened a fairy tale book with a small smile.
“Ta-da.”
“Oh…!”
“It’s a hot new release.”
Leaning against Ricardo’s shoulder, Olivia spoke with a serious expression.
“I can’t understand a word of it.”
“…”
“Is it an ancient language?”
“…”
Ricardo disliked Olivia.
*
Thus, the darkness passed.
Leaning against Ricardo’s shoulder, Olivia slowly closed her eyes.
Now, she had to face it.
Ricardo would be sleepy, too.
She couldn’t avoid it forever.
Olivia slowly closed her eyes and spoke in her heart.
‘I’ll view it.’
And then.
-Blame me, Young Lady.
She could see Ricardo’s blood-soaked figure. Unlike now, his hair was long and tied back, his weary eyes open.
-No…! It wasn’t your fault! So… so…!
She was standing there, crying.
Ricardo had a bitter smile on his face.
And, as always.
He was smiling as he looked at her.
-So. Become a hero.