TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 71
Hanna’s crying continued until dawn.
*
A sunny morning.
To prepare for sending Hanna back to the Academy this afternoon, I stood in the kitchen, preparing breakfast.
The Young Lady, sitting at the dining table with half-closed eyes, rubbed her sleepy eyes and asked me in a hoarse voice from the kitchen.
“Ricardo. I conquered the Chocolate Kingdom today.”
Finally, the Young Lady achieved her dream.
I questioned the Young Lady about the ending of the Chocolate Kingdom, curious about her political tale. Since it was the Young Lady, she must have resolved conflicts in a rational way that the citizens of the Chocolate Kingdom would accept.
“Did you become a Virtuous Monarch?”
The Young Lady nodded and said.
“Mhm. I ate it all.”
“…?”
“It was delicious.”
The Young Lady spoke with a drowsy smile.
“My dream is World Domination.”
“…Let’s give it up.”
The Young Lady threw down the fork she was holding.
It’s beneficial for one’s mental health to abandon unachievable dreams early on.
Wishing for the current royal family to last long, I placed the earthen pot I had crafted myself on the gas stove powered by magic stones.
A black earthen pot.
Though I made the earthen pot myself for the Young Lady’s hearty breakfast, she disliked it, saying it looked strange. She said it resembled a cursed kettle.
Having liked hot gukbap in my previous life, I used it with satisfaction.
Today, I planned to prepare a light menu for breakfast.
Instead of something stimulating like tteokbokki, I decided to prepare steamed egg, a dish from Korean cuisine, for Hanna, who had been through emotional turmoil.
Since it had been a while since I visited the Possessor’s house, preparing a mediocre meal would hurt the Possessor’s pride.
To uphold the Butler’s pride, I furrowed my brow and focused on cooking.
“…Ricardo.”
“Shh. I’m concentrating on cooking.”
“It’s serious.”
The Young Lady showed me an empty plate and spoke.
A Young Lady urging me for food with an empty plate.
The Young Lady spoke straightforwardly.
“Bread.”
“You should eat rice.”
“I’m hungry.”
“If you snack too much before the main meal, you won’t be able to eat properly.”
The Young Lady spoke with a serious expression.
“What’s for breakfast today…?”
Prioritizing today’s breakfast menu over future plans or the political flow, the Young Lady asked with a serious expression.
I responded to the Young Lady confidently.
“Steamed egg with rice.”
The Young Lady clenched her fork in both fists. She seemed excited about having steamed egg after a long time. I was pleased, thinking her greasy stomach, accustomed to only meat, was ready to embrace a revolution.
However, the Young Lady had an expression full of dissatisfaction, indicating she was not ready to embrace the revolution.
The Young Lady wore a dissatisfied expression and said.
“Mother Chicken will be sad, so switch it to meat.”
“The Mother Chicken’s child has already crossed the point of no return, separated into yolk and white.”
“…Ricardo.”
The Young Lady looked at the earthen pot with a gloomy expression.
“Mother Chicken is crying.”
“…”
“Ricardo, can’t you hear Mother Chicken’s ‘Cock-a-doodle-doo’ cry of sorrow? She’s crying for her lost son in the chicken coop, and it’s making me sad.”
When it came to the topic of meat, the Young Lady’s sensitivity heightened.
With a sulky expression, the Young Lady spoke to me again.
“Give the steamed egg to Mother Chicken, and make meat for breakfast today.”
“Dismissed.”
“Eeeek!! Meat! Meat! I’m telling you, Mother Chicken will come to haunt you, Ricardo.”
“Mother Chicken is destined to become tonight’s dinner, so just wait a little longer, and she can reunite with her child.”
The Young Lady displayed a question mark above her head.
“Fried Chicken?”
“Yes.”
“She went to a Good Place. Mother Chicken will be happy, too.”
The Young Lady nodded vigorously, paying her respects to the Cock-a-doodle-doo Family that became her daily sustenance.
It was a cold-heartedness befitting the Empire’s greatest Villainess.
After a short moment, a scream was heard from upstairs.
-Kyaaa!! She must be crazy!!!
Hanna, who had just woken up.
The sound of her violently kicking the blanket could be heard coming down the stairs.
-Crazy… crazy… How could she hug him there… Ahhh! Crazy woman…!
The Young Lady lifted her head and asked.
“Ricardo, she’s calling me a crazy woman.”
“…She’s not.”
“No, she is. She’s calling me crazy.”
“I think she’s referring to herself as crazy.”
“Really…?”
To comfort the Young Lady’s disheartened expression, I placed a piece of bread on her plate.
The Young Lady, touched, bit into the bread.
“Nom.”
The Young Lady’s wounded heart was healed with just a piece of bread.
-Thud, thud, thud.
The faint sound of footsteps came from the stairs. Today’s breakfast’s protagonist, Hanna, full of shame.
Hanna cautiously appeared in the dining room with her head bowed low.
“Ah… Did you sleep well?”
With bread in her mouth, the Young Lady looked at Hanna and said.
“Crybaby.”
Flustered…!
Hanna’s ears turned bright red.
“…Please don’t tease me.”
“Crybaby. You cried buckets.”
“…”
“You even took my chocolate.”
The Young Lady still held a grudge over the chocolate taken from her last night.
Hanna, blushing, sat down. She didn’t forget to give me a slight bow of greeting as I cooked in the kitchen.
Like a chef, I gestured dramatically while sprinkling salt on the steamed egg, then turned around and greeted Hanna.
“Good morning.”
“Yes… Good morning…. Um, Butler, last night…”
“Yes, I slept well.”
The Young Lady inserted herself into our awkward conversation and said.
“Ricardo didn’t sleep a wink last night.”
“…”
“He kept pacing in and out, saying he was worried… Hey! Don’t cover my mouth!”
“I am embarrassed.”
“Eeeek!!!”
Hanna couldn’t lift her head in shame.
-I really tried my best, so why does no one acknowledge me… Sob… I worked so hard…
-Am I not acknowledging you?
-…When Butler keeps doing that, I… I start to misunderstand…. Sob…
-Don’t cry. The Young Lady doesn’t like it when you cry.
-…Ricardo is mine…
-Sob…
I thought it would be difficult to face someone after crying so desperately in their arms. Perhaps pretending nothing happened and meeting face-to-face would be even more awkward.
Understanding Hanna’s embarrassment, I gave an awkward smile and placed the steaming Egg Risotto on the dining table without saying much.
I wanted to ask what had made her so sad.
I wanted to ask why she had cried, but I kept the question to myself, hoping she would enjoy the meal I had prepared with care.
“This is Egg Risotto. I hope it suits your taste.”
Hanna, her ears reddened, cautiously scooped a small portion of the steamed egg with her spoon. Swallowing her saliva at the sight of the golden, jiggly egg, she brought it to her lips.
Though she winced at the heat and frowned momentarily, she slowly adapted to the unfamiliar dish, her eyes widening in surprise.
“It’s delicious.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Really…”
Hanna lowered her head as she stared at the spoon.
“It’s really delicious…”
Overwhelmed, Hanna bowed her head deeply.
A sensitive soul, Hanna.
Just as I was about to discreetly step away, the Young Lady, who had been watching Hanna intently, interrupted her emotions.
“Crybaby.”
“I’m not crying!”
“Liar.”
“…You’re a crybaby too, Young Lady.”
“I am The Iron-blooded Lady who knows no tears.”
The Young Lady spoke primly.
But as soon as her gaze fell on my unbandaged right arm, her eyes began to glisten with tears.
“Ugh…”
“Young Lady, why are you about to cry?”
“…I’m just sad.”
A Young Lady full of sensitivity.
Time passed, and the afternoon when Hanna would leave the estate arrived.
Standing at the front gate, Hanna looked at me, the Young Lady, and—
-Grooowl…!
Gomtangi.
Hanna, with trembling eyes, stared at Gomtangi. Whispering in a Small Voice as if she had seen something that shouldn’t be in the estate, she murmured where Gomtangi couldn’t hear her.
“Is it a pet?”
“Yes. I picked it up from the Hamel Mountain Range.”
“Hamel Mountain Range? What kind of puppy comes from the mountains… Could it be… is that a bear?”
To Hanna’s question, I answered firmly.
“It’s a puppy.”
“No matter how I look at it, it seems like a bear.”
“It’s a puppy.”
Gomtangi, seemingly fond of Hanna, rubbed its fluffy head against her leg.
As Gomtangi’s soft head brushed her calf, Hanna wore a curious expression.
She flinched, her shoulders trembling with fear, yet her face also showed a desire to touch its fluffy fur.
Relieved to see Hanna’s complexion looking more relaxed than yesterday, I carefully handed her a Paper Bag I had hidden behind my back.
“I made some cookies.”
Hanna stood rooted in place.
Surprised by the unexpected Gift, she stood still, staring at the Paper Bag in her hands.
Seeing her hesitate, I teased her lightly.
“Your hands will get tired.”
“I didn’t give you anything…”
Shaking One’s Head, I responded.
“You can give me something later.”
Repay me when you succeed.
Nothing in this world is free.
Thinking of Hanna’s future as a successful swordsman and benefactor, I smiled a Gentle Smile.
“I believe in Miss Hanna.”
Hanna, her face flushed, carefully accepted the Paper Bag. Clutching the handle tightly as if she would never let it go, she looked at me with teary eyes and said.
“I will definitely repay you later. I’ll succeed so much that you won’t be able to refuse my gratitude.”
‘I feel like the meaning was conveyed differently somehow…’
The Young Lady, sitting in her chair, waved her hand slightly as she bid Hanna farewell.
“Goodbye, Crybaby.”
“I’m not a Crybaby.”
Just as I turned to head back to the estate, Hanna called out to me in a loud voice.
“Butler!”
Hanna ran toward me.
Thinking she might have forgotten something, I stood still. But Hanna didn’t stop running.
‘What’s going on?’
Closing her eyes tightly, Hanna stopped in front of me, clenched her fists, and stood on tiptoe.
“Did you leave something… Oh?”
‘Smooch.’ Cold lips touched my cheek. A soft sensation. Was this Heaven?
Startled, I stood there dumbfounded.
Touching the spot where her lips had been, I stood frozen. Hanna, seeing my reaction, gave a mischievous smile.
“That… was just a goodbye gesture, so don’t misunderstand.”
My face burned hot.
“Yes…”
The Young Lady tightly gripped her chocolate.
“Eeeek!!! Get out!”
The Young Lady was furious.
***
After Hanna left, darkness fell on the silent estate.
The Young Lady, with a serious expression, looked at me lying beneath her thigh.
Her nostrils flared.
Her brow furrowed in concentration.
I looked at the Young Lady and asked.
“What are you doing?”
The Young Lady replied with a serious expression.
“Disinfecting.”
The Young Lady was rubbing a handkerchief on the cheek where Hanna’s lips had been.
My cheek, red and flushed.
It wasn’t from being rubbed with a handkerchief. My body isn’t that weak.
The shadow cast by the Young Lady’s chest had turned my face red.
It was a magnificent sight.
Far more splendid than the autumn leaves I had seen in Hamel.
The Young Lady spoke with a sulky expression.
“No Kissing Allowed.”
“Is there such a thing?”
“It exists starting today.”
The Young Lady seemed to have a strong sense of possessiveness.
“Ricardo is mine…!”
I responded to the Young Lady with a smile.
“I understand.”
I liked this kind of Young Lady.