TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 27
The Young Lady reaching out her hand toward me.
“Show me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your hand.”
The Young Lady looked at her right hand, which she had hidden behind her back, and spoke.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Pretending not to know and whistling, the Young Lady threw her beloved toy, the Yellow Rubber Duck, at me.
-Quack.
The Rubber Duck falls heroically in battle.
I picked up the Duck Doll that had fallen to the floor and threw it back at the Young Lady.
“Quack!”
This time, a heroic sound of defeat came from the Young Lady.
The Young Lady glared sharply at me.
She held out her hand toward me, wiggling her fingers. Did she expect me to give her my hand like a dog?
I also crossed my arms, expressing my refusal to comply. Inspecting another’s body without permission? In the Land of Eastern Etiquette… well, maybe not.
Anyway.
This time, I couldn’t indulge the Young Lady.
“Give me your hand.”
“No.”
“Give it.”
“No.”
It was like a back-and-forth match of persistence, akin to Bori-Bori-Ssal.
The Young Lady reached out to grab my hand, while I kept just enough distance to escape her grasp, teasing her in a way that resembled playing Bori-Bori-Ssal.
As you know, offense is more advantageous than defense in Bori-Bori-Ssal. As a master of the game in my previous life, making clumsy children cry with forehead flicks, avoiding the sluggish grasp of the Young Lady was easier than making those children shed tears.
The Young Lady pouted and glared at me.
She seemed to dislike my teasing.
“Why are you hiding it?”
“The chocolate is in the refrigerator.”
“Oh…! I see.”
The Young Lady, delighted by the hidden treasure trove, began to nod vigorously when she realized I was trying to change the topic.
“No! Not the chocolate, your arm. I definitely saw it!”
She definitely saw it?
I thought she wouldn’t notice.
She’s usually so slow, yet at moments like this, her observational skills were sharper than those of a Sword Master.
Although I quickly hid my hand behind my back, the Young Lady seemed to have caught a glimpse of the scar on my arm in that fleeting moment.
One fortunate thing is that the Young Lady hadn’t seen it clearly.
She seemed to have only caught the faint silhouette visible through the soaked shirt, as her gaze remained fixed on my wrist.
I thought I might be able to brush this off naturally.
After all, ignorance is bliss for both the Young Lady and me. Isn’t it better to let things be?
I was trying to think of an excuse to give the Young Lady, but her piercing, intimidating gaze made it difficult to come up with one.
‘I need to come up with a good excuse.’
A sloppy excuse would only make it easier for her to catch on.
But why was she so curious about this?
I awkwardly glanced at my hidden right hand behind my back again.
The faintly visible Black Silhouette through the wet fabric was intriguing, but it wasn’t something worth risking my life over.
It wasn’t a symbol of the Heretics.
It wasn’t a mark indicating I was a fan of Yuria.
And it wasn’t a seal containing the secrets of my Household.
It was just a grotesque scar that would make others go “Ugh…” upon seeing it.
Especially. A scar I didn’t want the Young Lady to see.
It was unsightly to look at.
And I didn’t want to show it.
Of course, I had always thought it would be discovered someday.
After all, I couldn’t spend my entire life wearing Long Sleeves.
I had planned to reveal it slowly once the scar faded over time, perhaps saying I got injured while working. I didn’t expect to be caught like this.
Still, there was one relief.
I had already thought of an excuse.
While cleaning the Estate, I had occasionally considered what I’d say if it were discovered, and the excuse remained in my mind.
No matter how the Young Lady misunderstood, I could respond plausibly.
If she thought it was dirty.
-It’s because I didn’t wash it.
If she asked why there was such a big mark on my arm.
-I have a giant birthmark on my forearm.
If she thought it was scary.
-Tsk. A Black Flame Dragon resides in my right hand…
Having these excuses ready, I wasn’t afraid. Although my heart was racing wildly, I believed I could handle this naturally.
The Young Lady was reaching out her hand toward me.
I was awkwardly hiding my hand.
Our awkward gazes met.
After about a minute of silence.
The Young Lady, unable to endure the wait, spoke first.
“Ricardo.”
“Yes.”
“Actually, I already know everything.”
She said she knew everything.
I swallowed dryly.
How long had she known?
I hadn’t given any clues.
I had even worn shirts that didn’t show through easily, despite how hot they were, even when lightly damp. How did the Young Lady figure it out?
Countless thoughts raced through my mind. I hadn’t considered the possibility of being discovered.
If I had been caught.
The atmosphere in this Estate wouldn’t be pleasant.
Tension filled the bathroom.
With cold eyes, the Young Lady spoke to me.
“You know, Ricardo, humans are creatures that can make mistakes.”
“…Yes.”
“They also have secrets they can’t share.”
“That’s true.”
“Yes, sometimes, like me, they might hit someone or even make someone bald if provoked.”
“Isn’t that a bit too much?”
The Young Lady’s eyes opened sharply.
“Listen to me.”
At this moment, she truly felt like the Youngest Daughter of the Desmond Family. Although the content of our conversation belonged in a Cathedral confession, the pressure and aura she exuded felt like facing the Head of the Family.
The Young Lady continued.
“I also have secrets I’m hiding.”
“You, Young Lady?”
“Yes.”
The Young Lady rummaged around her chest.
“Actually, today I stole some chocolate.”
“?”
The Young Lady showed the melted, gooey chocolate and smiled.
“As many as three.”
The Young Lady laughed wickedly.
I sincerely wanted to flick her forehead.
-Under the bed.
-Between the pillow covers.
-Inside the hair.
Watching the Young Lady continuously divulge the locations of her Emergency Food Supply, I had a hunch.
The Young Lady was barking up the wrong tree.
I was foolish to be nervous.
Since long ago, the Young Lady has always been someone far removed from keen observation. While everyone else says “Jajangmyeon,” she alone shouts “Jjamppong.”
I was a fool to think the Young Lady had caught on.
My previously tense mind began working actively again.
Lying in the bathtub like a Slime, the Young Lady slowly opened her mouth.
“Ricardo, you got a Tattoo, didn’t you?”
As expected, the Young Lady was barking up the wrong tree.
Seeing her consistent behavior, I felt reassured.
“…”
“You did get a Tattoo. Are you hiding it because you know I dislike tattoos?”
“So, it’s been found out after all?”
At my awkward smile, the Young Lady smiled brightly, thinking her deduction was correct.
The Young Lady seemed pleased as her curiosity was resolved.
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
To avoid suspicion and make her think “Ah, so that’s what it is,” I started acting like a Divine Healer.
“Was it that obvious?”
“Yeah, pretending not to know was tough.”
“I tried my best to hide it, but as expected, I couldn’t fool the Young Lady’s eyes.”
“Of course. Who do you think I am?”
The Young Lady thumped her chest.
I was grateful she fell for it so perfectly.
Since it had come to this, I decided to completely deceive the Young Lady.
Once a Lie is mistaken for Truth, it’s not particularly difficult to turn it into reality.
The secret behind this Scar was something only I knew, and as long as I stayed quiet, it wouldn’t be a problem.
Fabricating it wouldn’t cause any issues at all.
I smoothly let out the Lie I had thought of in my head.
“I secretly got a Tattoo a while back, Young Lady.”
“See? I was right.”
“I apologize for hiding it. It’s a rather strange Tattoo to show to others.”
“Hmm… Really? Since when?”
The Young Lady asked a sharp question.
“About… a year ago?”
“What?! You got it that long ago?! You wretched Butler! And you kept it hidden all this time!”
Feeling a Sense of Betrayal, the Young Lady threw the Rubber Duck.
-Quack.
This time too, I dodged it.
“That attack just now was pretty fierce.”
When I gave her a thumbs-up, the Young Lady let out an “Eeeek” and vented her anger.
The Young Lady huffed and puffed as she spoke.
“Next time, I’ll make sure to hit you.”
“Apologies. Avoiding clumsy attacks has become a habit.”
“Eeeek!”
It was about time to leave the bathroom.
With the Young Lady having been soaking in the bathtub for three hours, she no longer looked like a human being.
Having turned into a Slime, the Young Lady gurgled, “Hoeek.”
She seemed to have completely forgotten about the Tattoo.
-Splash Splash.
The Young Lady was playing catch with the wall using the Rubber Duck.
-Quack!
“Heave-ho!”
-Quack!
“Ho-Hit-Cha!”
With each impact against the wall, the Rubber Duck let out dying sounds. I offered my condolences to the poor toy Duck that had met the wrong Master and got up from my seat.
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll bring a Towel.”
“A Towel?”
The Young Lady tilted her head and looked at me.
At the mention of a Towel, she showed extreme wariness, like a Cat raising its fur.
But I couldn’t back down.
After all, it was time to clock out.
Through simple gestures, I conveyed my intent to the Young Lady clearly.
I pointed at the Young Lady.
‘You.’
I pointed at the door.
‘Go out.’
Then I pointed at the floor.
‘Right now.’
“Eeeek!”
The Young Lady threw the Rubber Duck at me.
***
Sitting on the bed, the Young Lady entrusted me with her Hair.
The Young Lady wanted me to dry her Hair using Aura.
She was someone who wasted high-level skills on trivial tasks. If Hanna saw this scene, she’d freak out and pull Olivia away.
After all, precisely controlling Aura is one of the most challenging tasks.
Even a Sword Master can’t do it, but I wonder if the Young Lady knows how amazing I am.
With drowsy eyes, the Young Lady murmured, “Ah, so good.”
“Is it to your liking?”
“Yes.”
While I was drying her Hair.
The Young Lady spoke nonchalantly.
“Ricardo.”
“Yes?”
“Can I ask what kind of Tattoo you got?”
For once, the Young Lady posed a gentlemanly question.
Normally, she would have said, “Show me!”
Leaning against me and asking so politely, the Young Lady seemed to have grown.
“It’s difficult to show you…”
“I don’t want to see it. No, I don’t want to.”
“Is that so?”
“I dislike Tattoos.”
I felt a pang of guilt because she said she disliked it.
It hurt my heart, like watching a daughter run away from her bearded Father.
I thought deeply to myself.
What did my Scar look like again?
It was cracked like a Drought-Stricken Land.
And there were blackened burn marks here and there. What did it resemble?
Lies are more believable when they are based on truth. Since I was already lying, I decided to come up with a plausible excuse.
After thinking for about three minutes.
I came up with the closest resemblance.
“Tree Bark.”
“What kind of bark?”
“Tree.”
The Young Lady looked at me.
The Young Lady’s expression subtly changed.
Her expression was distinctly different from when she was taking a Bath.
She looked at me with a face that seemed like she was about to cry.
Why was she acting like this?
Did I comb her hair too harshly?
While I was lost in these thoughts, unable to move easily.
The Young Lady asked me in a hoarse Voice.
“Why? Why did you make it a tree?”
“Just because.”
I had only thought of what it resembled most.
I didn’t expect her to ask for a reason.
I gave a plausible answer to the Young Lady’s question.
“Well, it’s sturdy and tough. It even provides shade.”
“Is that so?”
The Young Lady nodded.
“It suits you.”
The Young Lady, who had answered me, was staring blankly at the Ceiling.
She had been gazing blankly at the Ceiling for some time now. I asked the Young Lady in a Small Voice.
“What are you looking at so intently?”
“Huh? Nothing.”
The Young Lady trailed off her words.
“Just.”
-A Quest has been triggered.
“Because Tattoos are scary.”
[Q. The Secret He Is Hiding.]
The day the Master Served for 13 Years collapsed.
Ricardo was there.
Nobody knows what happened that day.
Except for one person.
Only her Butler knows the Truth of that day.
Ricardo intends to keep the events of that day hidden for the rest of his life. The Secret of That Day, which he wanted to quietly take to his grave.
(!) Uncover the Secret of That Day.
1. Discover the Secret Ricardo is hiding. (0/1)
2. Touch the Secret Ricardo is hiding. (0/1)
Reward: Gain access to the [29th Side Story] ‘The Man’s Secret.’
Olivia already knew everything.