Chapter 93: The Maid and the Young Master (7)

 

“Seems like there’s too little strawberry on this cream... Please add more!”

 

“Why don’t you just take the strawberries and eat them?”

 

Hailey continued to demand more strawberry toppings, and Hans sighed as he served her more in a separate bowl. Yet, her request for more toppings seemed endless.

 

Hailey was always a handful, but today, she was even more so.

 

Hans, bustling about in the kitchen, felt dizzy watching Hailey’s frantic movements, but he refrained from reprimanding her, noticing her apparent confusion and turmoil.

 

Of course, even Hans, with his kind heart, had his limits of patience. Unable to bear Hailey’s incessant noise any longer, he finally had to stop her.

 

“These strawberries don’t look very nice! Rejected! These too, rejected! I guess I have no choice but to pick and wash new ones...”

 

“Are you questioning my taste now? They all look perfectly fine, what are you talking about! Stop this nonsense and take these back to the room!”

 

“But the strawberries are still...”

 

“What’s with these strawberries! Why do you hate going back to the room so much?! Have you wronged the lady?!”

 

Hailey clamped her mouth shut at Hans’s words.

 

While Hailey hadn’t done anything particularly wrong, her reluctance to return to the room was indeed because of Elena. The conversation she had with Elena that morning weighed on her mind, and she had avoided going back ever since.

 

As dessert time was fast approaching, she was trying to delay it by making all sorts of excuses in front of Hans. But even that had its limits.

 

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

 

The sound of the kitchen clock’s second hand was continuously grating on her nerves.

 

No matter how much she clung to the strawberries, they couldn’t stop time. Time kept moving forward, and there was no way to escape it. Despite her anxiety, the impending dessert time was drawing nearer, and though she tried to divert her gaze from the clock, she couldn’t free herself from the sound echoing in her ears.

 

Seeing Hailey with her mouth tightly shut, Hans sighed and handed her the strawberry shake he had just made.

 

“I don’t know what’s bothering you, but go sort it out quickly. Issues like these shouldn’t be left to fester.”

 

“But you said you don’t know what it is...”

 

“At your age, I know that dragging any worry for too long only makes it worse. Now, get out of the kitchen.”

 

Though there was still time left, Hailey had no choice but to leave, following Hans’ persistent urging.

 

Carrying the tray with desserts Hans had given her, she headed towards the Isilia Pavilion. Normally, she detested this long walk that strained her legs, but today, she was somewhat grateful for the extended corridor stretching out in front of her.

 

“Why did he have to give me a shake...”

 

She wanted to walk slowly, but couldn’t afford to, considering the melting ice in the strawberry shake on the tray.

 

It was obvious Hans had given it to her with that intention in mind, but she couldn’t really complain, considering his good intentions.

 

Hailey rolled the tray along, reminiscing about the morning’s events.

 

Although her heart felt more unsettled than usual, she was confident in her ability to manage her expressions. She had checked herself in the mirror several times before leaving. The Hailey reflected in the mirror bore her usual lively smile, looking like a carefree girl without a single worry.

 

The fact that Elena had seen through her, despite such careful preparation, was honestly a shock to Hailey.

 

Knowing Elena’s personality, if she had sensed Hailey was troubled, she would have tried to resolve it from day one. It was surprising and somewhat delightful that Elena had picked up on her distress, despite Hailey’s efforts to conceal it since their first day.

 

Of course, Hailey was now regretting her cold response to Elena’s unexpected words.

 

“Coming to think of it, there was no need to react that strongly.”

 

Knowing how sensitive Elena was, Hailey felt even more troubled by her own actions. Even though she had changed a lot since coming to the lord’s castle, it wasn’t enough time to change someone’s true nature.

 

As time passed, droplets of water formed on the cup holding the strawberry shake, beginning to dampen the tray.

 

As the ice in the shake began to melt, Hailey gave up dawdling and hurried through the corridor at a slightly faster pace than usual.

 

Hailey realized, just as Hans had warned, that if she took too much time, her relationship with Elena might dissolve like the strawberry shake. Perhaps it was a good idea to open up about her concerns to Elena.

 

Once she made up her mind, Hailey felt a bit more at ease and stood in front of Elena’s room.

 

Hailey and Elena had never been distant, so Hailey was curious yet worried about Elena’s expression behind the door. But having made her decision, she knew she had to face whatever lay ahead.

 

Hailey opened the door and called out to Elena.

 

“Lady! It’s dessert time!!”

 

Her voice was deliberately loud, her facial expression perfectly managed.

 

Hailey planned to start with dessert and then gradually share her worries. She was confident in guiding the conversation and had plans to ease any awkwardness. However, all her plans shattered the moment she stepped into Elena’s room.

 

The first thing Hailey did upon entering was to check Elena’s expression. She was curious about Elena’s current state and knew she had to understand it to decide how to proceed with the conversation.

 

But what greeted Hailey in the room was the darkness, with the light blocked out by blackout curtains. The only light in the room was the purple glow in Elena’s eyes as she sat in a chair, watching Hailey.

 

Unable to see Elena’s face hidden in the dark, with only the purple glow staring back at her, even Hailey found herself involuntarily stiffening.

 

“Welcome, Hailey.”

 

A soft voice, completely out of sync with the room’s atmosphere, was heard, yet it was far from reassuring. As soon as Elena finished speaking, the door slammed shut, heightening the sense of fear.

 

“Uhm... Lady? Are you angry right now?”

 

“Angry? Why would I be? I have no reason to be angry with Hailey.”

 

“Then what’s all this about?! I... I can’t move all of a sudden! Be honest, Elena! You’re upset because I didn’t share my worries this morning, right? That’s it, isn’t it?”

 

“No, that’s not it!”

 

But soon, as Hailey’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, she was able to make out Elena’s face.

 

Elena stood facing Hailey, her pout so evident that anyone could tell she was upset. Despite the tension that had filled Hailey moments before, Elena’s almost comically sulky expression quickly dispelled it, though the situation remained awkward.

 

What could have caused Elena to become so upset all of a sudden, Hailey wondered, since it wasn’t this bad in the morning?

 

Regardless, understanding that now wasn’t the time to delve into details, Hailey was about to speak when Elena beat her to it.

 

“I’ve been foolish. If only I had paid a little more attention, I could have noticed it. How did I fail to see it for so long?”

 

“What are you talking about all of a sudden...eh?!”

 

Hailey tried to respond to Elena’s self-reproach, but just like her immobile body, her words faded away as Elena glanced at her.

 

“I’m sorry, Hailey. I’m about to start a very important procedure, so it’s best to keep noise to a minimum. Could you bring me the medicines I mentioned, Damian?”

 

“Ah, yes.”

 

Damian, who had been observing from a corner of the room, walked over at Elena’s request.

 

Despite knowing they weren’t on the same side, Hailey couldn’t help but send a pleading look his way, only to receive a sympathetic shake of the head in response.

 

In Damian’s hand were two medicine bottles, both appearing precious at first glance. One emitted a red glow and the other blue. Initially, Hailey thought it was the bottles’ color, but seeing the liquid sway inside, she realized it was the inherent color of the medicines themselves.

 

At Elena’s gesture, the bottles opened, and the contrasting elixirs rose into the air. The liquids, thin as threads, started intertwining into a single strand, weaving an indescribable, ethereal pattern that seemed otherworldly.

 

Hailey, with only a superficial knowledge of magic, couldn’t understand the complexity of the spell Elena was casting. However, the intricate patterns woven in the air indicated the spell’s high level of difficulty.

 

Suddenly, the two liquid forms merged into a single pill. Elena presented it to Hailey, continuing her words.

 

“You might feel a bit sleepy after taking this. I’m sorry, Hailey. I should have noticed sooner.”

 

‘What does she mean, sorry?!‘’

 

Hailey wanted to ask Elena right then, but her lips only twitched without producing any sound.

 

As soon as the pill entered her mouth, a wave of lethargy washed over her, loosening her body just as Elena had said. Was this the reason for her impending sleepiness? A refreshing sensation slowly spread from within, constantly nudging at her consciousness.

 

Her eyelids were fully closed now. Though she couldn’t see ahead, the release of the binding force on her body and the nearby scent of lavender made it clear that Elena had caught her.

 

“I’m so sorry...truly sorry, Hailey...”

 

Elena’s apology, whispered so softly that only Hailey could hear, reached her ears.

 

Hailey wanted to say something in response, but her body was already dominated by a pleasant drowsiness, unresponsive to her will. The only movement she could muster was in her neck, barely managing to turn her head towards Elena as her final act of resistance.

 

‘What is all this about?!’

 

Even in the last moments before her consciousness faded, Hailey’s mind was filled with doubts about this baffling situation.

 

***

 

“I wonder if it’s been resolved?”

 

The dawn broke, the sun yet to rise.

 

Alphonse, like every other day, got out of bed and prepared to leave. Although he had already confessed to Damian about his secret dawn training sessions, he had no intention of skipping them. It had become part of his routine to wake his sleeping body by moving around.

 

After speaking to Damian about Hailey, Alphonse hadn’t seen her anywhere that day. Usually, she was always by Elena’s side and easy to find, but that day, there was no sign of Hailey anywhere in the lord’s castle.

 

The servants said she was in her quarters, which briefly alleviated Alphonse’s worry, but his concern wasn’t just about her whereabouts.

 

“Did I act too impulsively?”

 

When Hailey explained about her core to Alphonse, it seemed casual, but it was a secret she hadn’t shared with others.

 

Alphonse worried that his impulsive decision to tell Damian might have upset Hailey. He wasn’t overly concerned about the issue of her core; Damian’s expression suggested there might be a solution. The real problem was whether this would make Hailey dislike him.

 

Of course, Alphonse didn’t regret his actions. His top priority was improving Hailey’s core, a worry he had considered several times before revealing the secret to Damian.

 

He finished getting ready and headed outside.

 

He didn’t expect to find Hailey at the training grounds.

 

It seemed likely that she was absent due to issues related to her core, especially since Damian had acted immediately after learning the secret.

 

As he absentmindedly played with his hair, Alphonse looked up at the sky. The clouds had cleared, revealing a brightly shining moon.

 

Tonight, the moonlight was exceptionally bright, negating the need to enhance his vision artificially. Alphonse walked along the path, illuminated just enough by the moonlight. The problem wasn’t entirely solved, but the quiet atmosphere seemed to help clear his cluttered mind a bit.

 

At the training grounds, the usual lamp light was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Just as I thought...”

 

It was strange how the heart works. He knew he wouldn’t find anyone there, yet the absence brought a tinge of disappointment. Even though they had only spent the previous day talking and spending time together, it felt like Hailey had always been there on the mornings he had come out.

 

Leaving his regret behind, Alphonse continued his steps towards the darkened training grounds.

 

As clouds once again veiled the moon, Alphonse had to enhance his vision to see ahead.

 

“Huh?”

 

Something caught his eye at the training grounds, which should have been enveloped in darkness with the moonlight gone.

 

Was it hidden by the moonlight before?

 

A faint line of light was being drawn above the grounds. It didn’t take long for Alphonse to realize that the light was an aura clinging to a sword. Recognizing the familiar swordplay illuminated by a moon-like aura, Alphonse hurried towards the grounds.

 

In the center of the grounds, radiating a dim afterglow, stood Hailey, as always.

 

Having no reason nor desire to hide his presence, Alphonse made no effort to conceal himself.

 

Hearing the sound of his robust footsteps, Hailey, who had been performing a sword dance, turned towards Alphonse. The way she locked eyes with him precisely in the darkness, where she would be invisible without her aura, filled Alphonse with an overwhelming feeling.

 

“Alphonse!!”

 

Hailey called out his name with a bright smile, causing a brief flush of heat in Alphonse’s head. But it was a fleeting moment. Being quick-witted, Alphonse was soon filled with curiosity about why she was calling him by his first name instead of his usual title.

 

“You called me by my naaame!!”

 

“Yaaaah!!”

 

As the distance between them closed, Hailey playfully stretched Alphonse’s cheek.

 

There could only be one reason for this. Obviously, it was a retribution for spilling the secret.

 

With his cheek grasped in Hailey’s hand, Alphonse looked up at her face.

 

Despite sensing playfulness in her voice, he felt he needed to see her face to truly be at ease. As he lifted his gaze to meet Hailey’s, Alphonse stopped yelling and stared blankly at her face.

 

Her face, lit by the moonlight that had emerged from the clouds unknowingly, was undeniably radiant with a genuine smile.

 

The purity of her unfeigned smile made Alphonse forget the pain in his cheeks, his own lips involuntarily curling into a smile.

 

“Are you smiling at this?!”

 

“Yaaaah! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!!”

 

The pain he felt afterward was different, but the joy filling his heart remained undiminished.

--- END OF CHAPTER ---

 

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