TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 25
On the way home carrying cotton candy.
The Young Lady on my back was still fuming, explaining the truths of life with a huff.
“See! People who pay a lot of money are bad people!”
“But he gave me a meal voucher. Is he a bad person?”
“What?”
In the past, the Young Lady had said this.
She taught me that someone who gives you delicious food is not a bad person. And if that person feels bad to you, it means either your judgment is wrong, or you are at fault yourself.
As one of the model students who learned the Young Lady’s philosophy, I voiced dissatisfaction with her teachings.
“That person gave you a meal voucher?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I did a good job?”
The Young Lady suddenly fell silent.
After a brief moment of contemplation, she nodded and acknowledged it.
“Then he’s a good person.”
“Right?”
“Even so, you shouldn’t work with that person.”
“Why not? He paid a lot and even bought delicious food. Isn’t he as good as it gets?”
“That… that’s because it’s dangerous! He didn’t even tell you what it’s about.”
“I just caught an insect. An extremely rare insect.”
“Ugh… Don’t lie!”
Honestly, I knew it too.
Jobs that let you earn 1 million gold in just a day are either endless underbelly work or subjugation requests for a named beast.
If you think about it, I did catch a named criminal, but a lucky break played a big role.
Pascal wasn’t compatible with me.
Since he appeared as an antagonist in the original work, I knew his weaknesses well and could easily exploit them.
I understand the Young Lady’s worries and her scolding, but I was enjoying this conversation because teasing her was fun.
“So, what do you think?”
The Young Lady on my back responded indifferently.
“About what? Paying off the debt?”
“No, I’m sure that must feel good. I meant something else.”
“Something else?”
“Look here.”
I raised my head and looked around.
A brightly lit street despite the dark night.
Street lamps illuminated above our heads.
Even though it was a weekday, people bustled about the streets. Street vendors clapped their hands, calling for customers.
Normally, at this time, the lights would be off and we’d either be sleeping or chatting in the bedroom.
I wondered how the Young Lady felt about this rare outing.
“How does it feel to be out after so long?”
The Young Lady, like me, looked around.
The scenery of the brightly lit street.
The excessively beautiful night view made the Young Lady’s eyes sparkle.
The Young Lady buried her face in my back.
She must have been too shy to speak honestly. Hiding her face, she spoke in a soft voice. I wanted to pinch her cheeks.
“I like it.”
“Right?”
“Yeah.”
That was a relief.
Because the Young Lady liked it.
I had been worried about what to do if the Young Lady disliked this outing.
After losing her legs.
She had grown to dislike meeting people.
Living in a massive estate without friends or family.
The Young Lady, confined to her room like a bird in a cage, fearful and refusing to go out again, was a concern that weighed on my heart.
The appearance of Ruin midway didn’t help either.
I wanted to create good memories for the Young Lady, and hearing her shy response eased my worried heart.
It felt like all the effort I had put in melted away.
“So, shall we go out again next time? Visit street vendors and eat chicken skewers?”
“…Maybe.”
We made a promise for next time.
Promising to spend even more fun and fulfilling time together next time, we returned to the estate with light steps.
***
On the way home.
Olivia had fallen asleep for a moment.
It seemed she was tired from being outside for the first time in a long while and from scolding Ricardo for his dangerous work.
Ricardo’s broad back.
It was dependable and sturdy.
When they were young, he looked like a twig and seemed like he wouldn’t grow taller than her, but now he had grown so much that she couldn’t see his face without looking up, and he was carrying her as an adult.
Olivia liked Ricardo.
Not as a romantic interest but as a person.
Ricardo was kind.
He always smiled for her.
Whenever she had a hard time, he would always come running. How could she not like him?
Olivia didn’t know how Ricardo thought of her, but she liked him as her butler.
She hoped he thought well of her.
She even looked for work in the newspaper for his sake, but he paid off all his debts, making it a meaningless effort.
Really. It was frustrating.
So today, she shed a few tears.
Not much, just a little.
Just a very small amount of tears.
She hadn’t imagined he’d pay off the debts.
He must have gone through a lot.
Olivia hugged the hardworking Ricardo tightly. When Mother hugged her like this as a child, it always felt good.
She hoped Ricardo would feel good too.
-Squeeze.
The warmth traveled through her chest.
The butler who stayed by her side without change for 13 years had a broad and warm back.
“Hey, Young Lady.”
“Yes?”
Riding the wave of sleepiness, Ricardo’s trembling voice softly resonated in her ears. The low voice added to her drowsiness, but Olivia did her best to stay awake.
She already felt sorry for being carried on his back; falling asleep would make her feel even worse.
“How have you been these days?”
“Just the same.”
“I see.”
Silence lingered in the street.
The sound of Ricardo’s footsteps echoed like a lullaby. This quietness wasn’t bad at all.
Sleepiness encroached on her even more.
‘I shouldn’t fall asleep.’
Olivia pressed herself closer to Ricardo’s body.
Ricardo flinched.
I didn’t know why.
Was he cold?
No, it should be warm.
It was still early autumn.
Early autumn where even the autumn leaves hadn’t turned yet.
Why was he like this?
Olivia was worried about Ricardo, who was trembling in weather that wasn’t cold.
“Are you cold?”
“No.”
“Then, why are you shaking like this?”
“That’s…”
Ricardo sighed.
His ears were burning red.
“It’s because the Young Lady is clinging too much.”
“Why? Is my body cold?”
“No. It’s because you’re too close… It’s nice, actually. No, no. What am I even saying…”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, you look sleepy, so please go ahead and rest. I won’t leave you behind, so don’t worry.”
As expected of the Competent Butler who knew the Divine Healer’s condition well. He would bring what she wanted to eat and say what she wanted to hear without her even asking, but today, Olivia decided not to follow the Butler’s advice.
Because it had been far too long since they had gone out together.
“I’m not going to sleep.”
Olivia coldly refused.
The stars were abundant in the sky.
The closer they got to the estate, the fewer people there were, and it felt pleasant.
Olivia looked at Ricardo.
As always, Ricardo was wearing a Black Suit, walking toward the estate while hiding his reddened face.
Did he never get tired of that suit?
Wearing the same clothes all the time.
But, come to think of it, something seemed strange.
A question arose in Olivia’s mind. Why did Ricardo only wear long sleeves?
A year ago. Since That Day.
Ricardo’s wardrobe had stopped at white shirts and Black Suits.
At first, she thought he stuck to black suits because something bad had happened.
Later, she assumed it was because he didn’t have money and wore the Butler Suit.
But, you know.
Even last summer.
Even this summer.
Why does he only wear those clothes?
In the past, he used to wear short sleeves.
For the past year, the Ricardo she had seen only wore long sleeves.
It was strange.
Olivia, who hated being curious, decided to ask Ricardo directly. Why was he wearing long sleeves, and wasn’t he hot?
“Ricardo, aren’t you hot?”
“No. Today’s weather is cool, so I’m fine.”
“Really? If you’re hot, wear short sleeves.”
For a moment, Ricardo fell silent.
Olivia’s curiosity grew as Ricardo awkwardly smiled without saying anything.
Did something happen while I wasn’t around?
Was it an embarrassing tattoo?
Or maybe a gold bracelet? Olivia wasn’t sure, but her hunch told her that Ricardo was hiding something under his clothes.
Hmm….
Olivia brought her face closer to Ricardo’s neck.
She thought she might see something through the collar of his shirt. Pretending to sleep, she opened her half-closed eyes and looked at the nape of his neck.
It was a perverted thing to do, but Olivia couldn’t hold back her curiosity.
As Ricardo walked, his shirt loosened, creating a small gap.
And as the gap in his clothes revealed a part of Ricardo’s body—
“Being a pervert is a bad thing.”
Ricardo’s stern voice came as he tightened his clothes. Olivia’s face burned. She thought her acting had been perfect, but she had been caught immediately.
Especially since she had been caught trying to peek at the Butler’s body. Olivia couldn’t raise her head.
With a “whatever happens, happens” attitude, Olivia said,
“I didn’t see anything!”
“Lies. I felt your lecherous gaze.”
“It wasn’t lecherous!”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t look at me like that!”
Ricardo fastened his clothes.
As if not allowing even the smallest gap. Ricardo’s overly cautious appearance annoyed Olivia.
“I’m not looking!”
“Looking itself is strange.”
Olivia made a resolution to herself.
She vowed that someday, she would definitely see it.
Olivia made this determination in her heart.