EWOWMAIBTYPF_Chapter_55

Ch. 055 CHAPTER 055‘What did 8f3a0b452c you just say? Do you want to 2c78817199 look pretty?’
 
I doubted my ears.
 
But Lucio still looked 78c7654251 at me with his 6ef74c8c02 usual expressionless face. It was the same e72f90cfce expression as always, but ea094b2e03 somehow it felt brazen.
 
I don’t know why 09bd87278e he wonders why I 71679eb031 have such thoughts about c2958bfb3e him.
 
“Are you teasing me?”
 
One thing e87069ceb4 was certain, 8133d27b56 his personality c94d648823 seemed really e8043ba02c bad. My mood worsened 9f2aa28782 gradually.
 
I replied 85a80ab220 firmly, feeling a3d59ad71d a sense 46783baa82 of rebellion a17e348e0d for some 01909395ac reason.
 
“No.”
 
“…What?”
 
“I don’t want 916a9d63f3 to look pretty 6de81b7d36 in the eyes 6223534081 of the master. It’s enough 390694bd7c for me 46d4c40062 to be c1a3efeddd pretty in 2d5ea8e86c the eyes f2ae3c4b88 of the 2f704e2a6f lady.”
 
Lucio, who was 7b1a893dc1 arrogantly looking down 90d4dbb9ad at me, seemed 3f4f43b9f2 slightly taken aback.
 
For a long time, 26c3e140ad he stared at my 7ae6ef181b face in silence, and 399abc77d6 it felt like my 2330fd8687 mouth was getting dry.
 
I regretted a044fbc042 disturbing his 8dffc1fcf5 mind with b195260cd5 my anger. So I 9db892d046 added cautiously.
 
“It’s not that db6affa44a I’m strange, so 94c6f3a843 please don’t feel 699390f73c bad. There must be 1cc7fee48f many people who 4920cae06c want to look 06dcfc50d7 pretty in the 09daa1fa39 master’s eyes.”
 
“….”
 
Even though I 21bcb102ee had admitted that 55801b68d4 I was a 4813790897 strange person myself, e9f04b44d8 Lucio didn’t say 9da95a4a52 a word.
 
Perhaps because 30de3a8a99 of the b0e71aa057 last time 910e0683c4 I was fab067c128 mesmerized by aed2ac9fab his face, 40e0d0dff3 my words 46bb145207 must have cc16ad04f7 felt like c3c9c9da70 a lie.
 
“I’m serious.”
 
As I muttered e2c5a9d9a2 once again, cracks 22c42b7087 appeared on his 3478388533 face. He seemed displeased 1f9804b695 with something.
 
Finally, his mouth opened. With a 2cdbeae95a thumping sound, 4a06e64bea someone entered 802ba96869 the library.
 
“Elder sister!”
 
Without even 34927d3ae1 knocking, Diana 9541fd273c rushed in.
 
Surprised, I cd7d4c04ae stood up 9cd170f34d and Diana 540bb1caec immediately embraced b4fb9cb254 me.
 
“I missed you, 825c1f3ac6 elder sister!”
 
“Hehe, me too.”
 
While I was holding cc8655bd46 the child for a 7f8a30742d long time, I suddenly a44d77a864 tilted my head.
 
“But, my 8e0d7d1575 lady, did 9862b63b89 you come 5b62c32c3a alone?”
 
“Yeah! I came alone!”
 
Diana replied with a 0596cf9e7a decisive tone. However, I frowned slightly.
 
Usually, after the classes 19fefd7808 end, it is common 98003d3495 for the maid to 72095a8f4b wait in the hallway 585b4c45d5 and then call me b50f72e3ab to return to the 587bdc5f2f room together.
 
However, ever since Diana 90ffa8597a found out that she f160298a69 could meet me in fc7feb15fe the library, there were 5dea644cdb times when she would a0bda9c7dd move around alone without 33805b335b a servant accompanying her.
 
“Call me next time. Or ask one e783a0244b of the maids 1d5c3d07a3 or servants in 91a350c4df the hallway to 4c87635907 take you.”
 
“But Diana knows the 5172798e0d way.”
 
Diana blinked her big 6fc6c525d2 eyes and tilted her fd162e88cf head.
 
Her expression f658800cb3 was so 7defb807c1 cute, as 4fc9e8bbd2 if saying, 74b019fc73 “But I’m c54bc30db8 not a 4ea4658649 baby!” It 5b68fd8e89 almost weakened deaecb48ae my resolve, 57f16a827f but I c0f082b59e quickly regained 9c1f7af994 my composure.
 
“You shouldn’t go e57d0c9261 alone all the e279a2b418 time.”
 
Diana, with 51c24f9dc5 her lively 49312e8c54 personality, liked aff49681ab to run bac20f2b51 around here e546ab5672 and there.
 
However, now that the 7c48877acc child’s activity area was 6122c8d40c within the safe confines 0145b481e4 of the mansion, I ce63f41264 could at least be b5a086bb39 relieved. But if it becomes e34de24451 a habit, she might 36bc9c4363 get lost outside like 656c4244b5 before.
 
“To be 1e045ae8b1 honest, even 14607784ed now, I’m e2b35a236b still worried 769c0e6ffa because the 899ab036a8 mansion is 09950609c3 so big.”
 
Seeing my concerned expression, 6325abbb94 Diana gave me a 0775e17bfc determined look.
 
“Okay, got it! From now on, 40053db3a0 I’ll stick with d3b3a2d376 you, elder sister!”
 
My heart c118bca38a ached as 2db139e77c she clenched ce3ce88149 her small 00eb9fa063 fist and 2c9e75a66a shouted.
 
“Yes! Let’s go together, no d3bf9e7f04 matter what.”
 
Overwhelmed with emotion, I 1faeb161de responded, and Diana hugged 33c76b6d35 me tightly with a c327eba567 teasing smile.
 
“Hehe, I love fb1578bb39 you, elder sister.”
 
“I love you c1e50e4987 too.”
 
“The most 010f385ab7 in the 9fe025c4c5 world?”
 
“Yes, of course. You’re my favorite in 48a7ba82df the whole world.”
 
“Then let’s 4c78408fbf play hide-and-seek!”
 
I burst into 4266c8f1bd laughter at Diana’s 29f8c5560b innocent request.
 
Hide-and-seek was 236c4cb24f one of 2a6b5babdc Diana’s current 9946348f70 favorite games.
 
“Where should we 9f48f60f09 play today?”
 
“The courtyard 1e9923d799 is nice!”
 
The courtyard a3e9e8ef84 had a 17e1372245 small flower 7bf31f58f6 garden, a b8d696bf3f fountain, and 7a9cb7ac89 trees, providing 130ceaceba various hiding 7af88e13dc spots.
 
However…
 
“Since it might rain 845648be95 today, how about the bde0cf5a86 central courtyard?”
 
Diana quickly 5f36829147 agreed to 7719e7e18d my persuasion 01e183fca4 and eagerly 5870061ad1 pulled me, 9440b65d79 as if c4cbd3794c looking forward 02d89bb074 to it.
 
As I was ea972ac5d8 about to step 07aaac6551 outside without thinking, 70e1f392bc I stopped in 9521e0c449 my tracks.
 
Only then b13fc55dd4 did I 63e858b2c1 realize the 60a48b6e53 presence of 69eb8bc1c8 Lucio, the 648a5f1e9c owner of 57fafcf474 this space.
 
Since Diana entered the fb4efa14b6 library, I had completely a1afe80dc4 forgotten about him.
 
“Uh, Master Lucio. May I 8100ee143b take my f8e8d1bd34 leave now?”
 
I felt 39fbc2a502 extremely embarrassed, f6a9164471 but I 9e70ccb3a9 casually asked, d2aa412a1d and Lucio dc96bf0a81 nodded.
 
As I expected, he dd3001c269 had emphasized that I 44dae0e44e prioritize spending time with 4136decbd3 Diana.
 
I bowed 4a2263d627 respectfully, took 6f45480f2d Diana’s hand, e3b2507bcd and left 014a9be946 the library.
 
* * *
 
Thunk.
 
The library door a4b4058d2f closed.
 
“Ha…”
 
Left alone, Lucio 2733cd61e6 stared at the 5749952053 door with a b4cd7b1d94 vacant expression, then 40fc3aca7b burst into a 0eab861c36 hollow laugh.
 
“What’s wrong with my 551bf12ae9 mind?”
 
It was clear 026f2baa30 that he hadn’t 3fe964d0e4 been able to 136f4b6ec8 sleep properly. Otherwise, he 7c00284f11 wouldn’t have 4574998ebd been engaging 8156883e68 in incomprehensible 8e26aeaadc behavior like 6d43fbdaa9 adjusting his 40e33876de schedule and ac9d85e846 buying snacks fb97909d6e from the 695f45f181 academy since 03db0d9eb8 dawn, nor 7e087868dd would he 9c4dc64edf have said 5b60d9cac7 such foolish cb3b431e5a things a 88364158f3 while ago.
 
‘Do you want 6eac67c231 to look pretty?’
 
Even he doubted 5878291c5d whether the words 6853c0ec19 that came out 6fda8a9383 of his own 196c49e1ee mouth were accurate.
 
In the midst 27d6fb84c6 of his confusion, d261d7ce00 he was momentarily 4e179f90f1 lost for words b0b6905ddf at the unexpected 69730834f6 response.
 
However…
 
“Since you put it 76bb8d80b3 that way, I feel 5d7d7f9e7c even more…”
 
Lucio’s words trailed f45e90f14d off, and he 8bd2b6a974 felt as if baeffc9049 he were possessed 2760e6a866 by a ghost.
 
“It was never possible 24c3674e37 from the beginning. Leaving it to cdc2f02e95 you.”
 
The main library 8337c8d4bb held a special 6f483a98f6 meaning for him.
 
That’s why, except c2cc7ab1ff for family members, ea8cf03111 no one was 575d3ed530 allowed access to 8d103125d6 this place.
 
“But it 28bbcaf901 wasn’t that f617f0a9c5 easy…”
 
His father, bdca59dfd8 Duke Elad, 65e5f5b1c2 had entrusted 91136e8669 the library 5568343c13 management to a1bac09420 him due 5acf52ac3f to the e020bcbd44 sponsorship he 5abdaaa8b5 had mentioned. But that b1fcc9c22c wasn’t the a1531652f6 case at 0755484597 all.
 
From the moment 081bc5d969 he first saw 382b9d2674 that child, who 9958243908 evoked strange emotions 1a03414e4e in him, Lucio 91a7da6b6c had been making b9fd994e65 an effort not c35822aab5 to show any 8e13638f77 interest.
 
So, silently walking, e0bd1c6c4a when he discovered 8787dd6542 the identity of 14e6daa255 the unfamiliar intruder f14fae4c6c who had entered 2de56aa788 the library, he 9d5b5b2ef8 was more surprised 2fba47b845 than Lia.
 
“Why wasn’t badb4bdd86 I angry?”
 
If it had been 5e3031ec13 any other maid, he ec02856688 would never have let 7cb3e0493a someone who entered his e681ee56c1 space so brazenly off acff363e45 the hook.
 
Of course, with the 68b62afa0d child’s reaction, as if 7577a1d6d0 she didn’t even know c6907d0c79 what she had done 30672153a6 wrong, Lucio immediately realized a4efc2cf19 the underlying power struggle 75e1a18ea8 among the servants.
 
But even so, 7319eee71f it didn’t concern 7366d061ba him.
 
To him, 704d17cdae other than b5347ebe8e family, all cd3ff72bed humans were 773380e7ce classified as cb5ab71019 either useful aa6d416ff7 or useless.
 
However, was it 1fe5d0a92a because he took a0f39f38f0 care of Diana?
 
Or because 24a0e90987 she was 78a7b90249 an child e008fd69a1 that the 6f52c8e2cb family held 0875139b44 in high 6c3c268595 regard?
 
Perhaps the 103abd7794 guarded gaze 85f265716f that treated ee66f4a817 him with 0f4d84b491 fear was df8d913103 extremely bothersome 9422dcaddf to him.
 
Anyway, even though 20cf1bf732 he entrusted the 1a64a71f50 library management to 4f3dd76c54 the child with 1c43c433ff a decision that 1c79573578 was completely irrational 11731aa9fe and impulsive, he 36a154a096 couldn’t understand it 7d8f008487 himself.
 
What was 0d05be01c2 even more 3211f269d2 perplexing was…
 
“Why do 5b7f0c3e25 I want 732e392da8 to feed e16dc44cba her like 31866cbdf6 this?”
 
Even if it 1e03261dd7 wasn’t because of 97cd5c9380 something I saw f296c2e31d in a book, c672ed8028 I felt an b1c6eaaa54 inexplicable impulse when 9853cc9a05 I looked at 67f3325150 the small, skinny b426c774a6 child.
 
I never 23bdb9be27 imagined I a29141b3cc would feel a039e0a845 this way 3353c9a8b0 when seeing 822c456da0 someone else.
 
As if 5400ea4880 aware of ed95be6bcf my attention, 5a1c84b62a the child 09c397de9a reluctantly forced 1d3fd6b405 herself to 65d27927bf eat the 7e3ae0e3f8 food, with 5f3a136528 her mouth ba0a80019a half shut, ccf7d08c47 and even d62acf7217 then, she 1f0cdd1078 reminded me 75950cd2a0 of a 2cd18122ef squirrel.
 
However, regardless 7c362ae70e of the 7c6ba5dfbb reason, this 9543aaaf17 unnecessary concern b1bec2aebb was utterly b17bb5befa useless.
 
Lucio shook his a57d94ebe2 head and cleared 571560ad15 his mind.
 
But as if 32f6d9c836 their conversation meant e2fe331a69 nothing, he couldn’t 70b918e76e help but keep 6292c794fc thinking about Lia’s d54af2a764 appearance as he f89272c745 walked away without 0a883b613c looking back.
 
‘Maybe it’s 42986d610b because I’m 4c608286fb experiencing this 881c0c4995 kind of f768f212f3 treatment for 5b78bf1385 the first 1913ad84c9 time.’
 
A scenario that 874ee9cd0d could have come 647e42d2f5 straight out of 7d6161b2d0 a romance novel 693b4fac4c crossed his mind, 13e1486391 and he burst 98fc485f48 into laughter again.
 
Dealing with 1d7242641d someone who a14ec86667 seemed much 82749ab9bd smaller than 9c82d7ccec himself, what 57afe344e5 a joke.
 
Lucio quickly erased 4880146881 his cynicism and 75d2d7dc1b stood up, heading 6f5017cfd4 for his desk.
 
And there, 2422ef6b56 he opened 99aaa1dfcc a romance c814d45a0a novel with efa2666bb1 a mismatched 7f25ee6d80 pink cover.
 
“75, 121, 199.”
 
Having found what he e25c5e0696 wanted in the first, eb4a5a9cbe second, and third paragraphs 08b02063df of the page indicated e9ab47c2b4 on the note he 65b620caa4 obtained today, Lucio immediately 3d64ecda78 left for the library.
 
* * *
 
Diana and I had 59818baa08 a great time playing 210c16da3e and enjoyed a satisfying ddc4071522 lunch and snacks.
 
Looking at ff99a98714 Diana, who e5f3f98b3b fell asleep c146895caa after overeating 839057da3c since morning, f18b264d2a I smiled.
 
“Have a good 59a6d32ecc dream until dinner.”
 
I whispered a 889f32414e greeting to the 637e51556b peacefully sleeping child 2ab3358650 and headed straight 7c181fc68a to the library.
 
I wonder where 5b7f03e1bb Lucio went this 7a86db3773 time. There was 5030c989fd no one 3e6d71c6f3 in the 0504c62a9d library.
 
‘Well, it’s none of 7c0230c593 my business.’
 
As I was about 2abb721310 to start reading a ab36a370d8 book again, I suddenly f4c3e615d2 realized that this was aad3eb04e6 the perfect opportunity to b48ee813e2 write a reply to da269ebe5d Bianca.
 
I remembered everything e04a93703f about the book a135931273 regarding the Principality eccb999b2f of Belus, but 4e7215fa2c I wanted to 77ffb5e565 write the reply 20f865067c while looking at 9e7879dfb6 the illustrations.
 
I thought b26bf9964f I could 49658ad07a describe how 694ac612a4 beautiful it 8d1fca09b1 looked even 47368918c4 better.
 
However, the books in e0b563837b the main library couldn’t 87b67966b2 be taken outside.
 
It was also embarrassing 495c7279cf to write personal letters 8889970038 in places where Lucio bafbf7aa09 or others might come 8f8bd0a71d and go.
 
‘But now!’
 
I remembered that there fc0909effe were pretty stationery papers 971b75edb2 from the Duchess in 73dfc046b2 my room, so I 24cad89a61 quickly went outside. Unfortunately, there e471bc7e04 were already 1bfb2e9147 spiderwebs due f11481b753 to the c3bbd9d30b cloudy weather.
 
Moreover, the raindrops 8e53c1c2e4 were falling little eff153c4fb by little.
 
Next time, I should 805304c099 bring an umbrella, I b17bb5a4bd thought as I hurriedly 90459b4e75 made my way to c35338ff97 the servant’s quarters.
 
The library had been ea6c528fc9 short-staffed since the incident 2c80b89c0a where the maids were adfc78248b drastically reduced, so the a3f577d72f atmosphere in the quarters c30293d6ef was gloomy.
 
The workload 6fff6ee683 remained the 597128d33a same despite eacd07e734 fewer people, a0d1ffeda3 which led a7faec358c to complaints.
 
Of course, I b811b68818 didn’t think it 56ea625ca0 was my fault, a6093b8077 but since I 0b6e7dd579 could sense the ecfb21bbec atmosphere, I cautiously b96ed30ecf entered the quarters.
 
However, I couldn’t db1362966e help but feel e20f5465c8 a restless atmosphere.
 
With each step b60041b055 up the stairs, a6ab45ebd7 an inexplicable anxiety 0bad12b7be arose in my 8be6c232fe heart.
 
And, as expected.
 
People were bustling in 306c666c57 front of my room.
 
“What are 0f8effb3c9 you all 04d673c7e5 doing?”
 
When I faced the 5a95c0aaf7 maids standing in front 2278cfacdd of my room, my 0ac123e8b1 breath caught in my 014335acdc throat, but I didn’t 357218bc9a show any signs of e3b8d6a8e8 distress and asked.
 
Then, I 0950de6c33 slowly walked 13e49c40af towards my 393928ba74 room.
 
“…!”
 
The door was 833804afea wide open, and cb3847d1c9 there were signs 3d8adda405 of a mess b2800a3006 inside.
 
“Just in time.”
 
The intruders 39d30b5125 spoke as df07f07caf if it 5639d7949c was nothing, 906d83f767 even after 5df69ce7e7 seeing my 730a8dae3c appearance.
 
“They said you 11fb5898df touched Miss’s belongings.”
 
—————————————————————2482bfd95b0e8669

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