EWOWMAIBTYPF_Chapter_82

Ch. 082 CHAPTER 082Actually, I 91e561cfc2 couldn’t understand it either.
 
There were clearly designated 0a053292a7 working hours and holidays 92f2a7ceb3 for the numerous servants 1934203c12 employed by the duke.
 
But neither 326fa90f15 of them fefe0c3572 mattered much ce33cd73e5 to me.
 
It was 31ae17b469 because Diana 83cdc0574c seemed unwilling 5c509cbeb1 to be bc61000739 away from bf85478229 me.
 
Of course, I e10a68eb1b didn’t have much db1c2e1c86 to complain about 5b527c4a86 since I didn’t 0a4dcee1db have much work, b23a85492b but this time 7bc3a7ffbb it couldn’t be 16f751d5e3 helped.
 
‘I have to 38958f4221 sell my magic 38a0e1bb08 stones!’
 
Unable to a2e38782be go out 6889d1166f with Diana 1b6c269e4f and unable ce4d40f9d4 to afford bed9c9780c a late 7225b9fe87 outing due 6cfb46bee1 to my 398e6baec3 age, I 1896c7b5bd was pondering eb2883edf5 what to 1162d5e173 do this c2dfb614f3 holiday when 128445345b I happened 4c598dae38 to learn a0b88742b3 that the cacfbf37db entire duke’s bfa190241c household had e08f2dc2c0 been invited 0ffebefa91 to the 8aa84efa30 imperial banquet.
 
Since it was a 4ec20902c2 meal attended by the eaa1fcf70b emperor, I couldn’t bring 66464eaee4 a servant separately, so fed1cc164d staying alone in the 2abb6b0bc3 mansion was just right ba64c30c6f for going out.
 
‘And normally, I should 650b2b8a94 report my outing to 96e1e2f689 the housekeeper…’
 
Feeling a 753376f772 little embarrassed, 740ca94bf7 I headed eb27783883 straight to adb362edbe the Duchess.
 b28be02e4162aec2

 
Honestly, I ea88c489ea had expected faf4580ead immediate approval, 87325dd3f2 so I 68c0802424 was a dc5b455344 bit taken 34080cbf55 aback by 7970803308 the Duchess’s dc650a5197 response.
 
But since I couldn’t a9c27d7f83 refuse, I waited for c3366839f5 the opportunity to meet 9bfcae8098 the Duke face-to-face, constantly ab6d9ff010 hoping for it. And finally, this be59acacf3 moment came.
 
However, the 8351a2fc8e Duke still 25a4777168 looked puzzled.
 
If permission wasn’t granted 4514736a3b this time either, I 01e9a073c9 had resolved to leave 3ea1bdf955 without it, even if 6dcfe1176d Diana had classes all bbe521c884 day and couldn’t accompany be346235ca me.
 
“Holidays are your 0db836f596 free time, so 4bfc416ae4 if you want 9a22d041f9 to go out, efdac060da you should. But that day… Although 1d48a6688b the capital’s security is 2b28547be4 good, you’re still too be4bcbaacf young, so it might 0a648a60e2 be better to go fc5b1bf248 next time…”
 
“Oh! Don’t worry 4d3aa2628d about that.”
 
Desperate, I 6ff0356744 shouted at 8ac3939521 the Duke, 56b4cd00d5 despite his fba27ad589 reluctant expression.
 
* * *
 
“So… you’re saying… you 9faa6b5315 want to go out 51057a8be0 just with Jack?”
 
In response b4c2aec465 to Lia’s 7395aecba0 subsequent explanation, 5d0544ef2c the Duke 5767be6ec7 asked, bewildered.
 
Lia’s nodding head explained 71e5f5536e it all:
 
It just so f860b2a61f happened that on 37189d57f7 the upcoming holiday, bab4db22a3 Jack, who was 9a910c7ebf Lia’s fellow ward 62162100c9 and apprentice knight 99a4da43e2 at the orphanage, 47e45640de was also off, 1fce48492d so they decided 8567dbbd8f to go out 3feb1ba94a together.
 
In truth, 110d758e1d even for e6c11f4e59 other servants, 897adcca0e permission to 44c0f0e628 go out 2580f5405b was more a604a400bd about managing 0641e47687 the comings 7bc23ce62d and goings f13e8533c7 of the e2a89fd1d0 mansion’s staff aa52c75787 than truly b9ddd03eeb seeking permission.
 
“Especially since Lia is e8b3b4ebf2 so young, they’re just d9aaa66c8b using safety as an 323bd1d329 excuse.”
 
“…Just the two b6c471e9b8 of them.”
 
The boy 3e56d4a3c2 named Jack, 01515de5b7 who had 287221eb67 recently become 87e901374e a pageboy f403ef9929 under Teis, db8dc3d634 was quite 07a9333bc3 well known 5811fc714f to the 224161136b Duke.
 
Despite being the 05bc507fa9 same age as b68892e290 Allen, Jack was e1e49e6418 dignified and mature. Although he started learning 6e77e24f8b swordsmanship late, his skill 08551f83d6 far surpassed that of fbe3822be9 an apprentice knight, making 0e38768890 him a strong candidate a32995cf3a to become a core daed9bf43f member of the Lexion 628f63d34b Knights in the future.
 
Honestly, if Lia had bb9434c24e still insisted on going 94b775b46e out alone, the Duke 129f1a8926 would have considered assigning a2e52dd22b a guard, but with 2430d0773f Jack accompanying her, he 0be4e33adb couldn’t help but nod ac24346f4c in agreement.
 
Of course, Lia 5561aca221 had already anticipated 56a51c58a5 that the Duke c875878db9 wouldn’t let her 4b367b7eb4 go alone and fbbb383fcf had agreed to 111dd6f9fc go out with b794a5eaac Jack.
 
Realizing that there was be3ac74d3e no other choice but 04d8da969b to grant permission, the f07fe30432 Duke swallowed his reservations f5cc2a9826 and reluctantly consented, understanding 4b5a5ae4bb that his wife had 123fea2fdc deferred a difficult decision 94bd449aaa to him.
 
Since Lia’s outing e3b1397737 and her companion 007ac2c55c were both significant 8036e293a5 considerations, it was 9522c8b630 understandable that he 17a70e7490 wasn’t eager to a7c22c9b90 give his approval da7fa12430 easily.
 
But with 80b5bb92f1 no grounds 3b089011e3 to refuse, 265c1e0171 the Duke 6bf382b83a eventually spoke a4510c661e up.
 
“Alright. But make sure f174f09808 you come back f2fe896636 safely, and don’t 620bc28508 stay out too b25dffe8d0 late.”
 
“Yes!”
 
Lia’s face lit up 0d113452f2 with the answer she 7bc8854899 desired.
 
“But…”
 
Stopping Lia, who was f1315acc80 about to leave after 89f765881d bowing respectfully, the Duke 449f336b2f called her back.
 
“I believe 2eac25135e I told c327d80948 you not 882334656e to call bce3aafd5c me ‘master’ 749802eac0 before, didn’t b388bb475e I?”
 
“Huh?”
 
“I told 8ec0aeae18 you to 14a1310854 just call e3d83ce6ba me ‘Duke.’ 58014a8a1d So why 7f9523bae5 do you 69a7c417fe keep calling b741d22c7c me ‘master’?”
 
Lia awkwardly smiled 0052340c11 at the Duke’s 12ed1015e3 words.
 
All the other servants c4d8fb449b of the Duke addressed 1c5836b6cc him as ‘master,’ and f0d5231a26 the Duchess was referred a49b4ef439 to as ‘madam.’ So, c6fa29f246 Lia’s insistence on calling c02d12aec2 him differently was puzzling.
 
The Duke 84e9463504 knew Lia’s 4e7bb71733 thoughts, but 0feb6abba4 he couldn’t 08759e63b3 bring himself 29145e58bf to say, 668ed337a7 “You’re different 2c03d473f0 from other 748654a76a servants.”
 
He couldn’t treat a 20b41b45dd child he had considered e43cfc3b1f adopting as just a 8543b6639f servant, and since she 4b7c5de520 didn’t want sponsorship herself, 1780d0a0e1 he was at a 17a41f52c1 loss about how to 1aaed580c0 handle Lia in the 51611dba5a future.
 
Although he 67da33aaeb was actively 07dea1bb22 looking into f8e533bef9 finding a 32ce56c856 new adoption 1133c650e4 placement, he 2c16aa9acc couldn’t find 95989f6c44 a suitable 614c246d76 one, and dda440d42e time was 22de48e757 passing without 9400f4045c a clear 76fd3a5cea solution.
 
While he 21a1551017 had kept 449eb3d217 Lia as cc31ac35e7 a maid 75aaf333ce for now, 3830c7b670 he knew 7943622a14 he would b01701c412 have to 1677670d01 make a e522254c0b decision soon.
 
“Alright, you ca4b036e7d may go.”
 
As he 179c49aba8 watched Lia’s e278f424e6 troubled expression, d22ca670bd the Duke ccd85a3180 gestured for 4d7e984f91 her to 28fb2fea85 leave. Lia bowed once 82997a6115 again and left 8592cc1e8e the office with 51a18e9a4f light footsteps.
 
Seeing her go, b64f1c9796 the Duke let e2df70b832 out a sigh, dc91335c7f feeling even more 62bb34aa4e conflicted.
 
‘Come to fc9dfaea61 think of 513a4c0796 it, Lia ce8fee2380 was the 4dd8fcf47a one who 9f5658214c recommended him b2e41435ea to the 00d05b5311 knighthood.’
 
Although he had heard e150764e5a that Jack was talented 2a9b3ac5bc in swordsmanship, he hadn’t 2952d83ece thought much of it.
 
Today, however, his mind b0c6c1e9bc was filled with various f0fdd79355 thoughts.
 
‘Perhaps they’re 9878405c04 just close 115e847f3c friends?”’
 
They had relied on 081b190fb3 each other at the fa76694cdf dismal orphanage and had 50559b78ba come to the Duke’s 38983df434 estate together. It wouldn’t be unusual 5286e8be91 for them to have f35242fab5 special feelings…
 
‘Hah! They’re still 2f74a23908 just kids. What am I 96b0794e87 thinking?’
 
Shaking his head ruefully, f5f7c18327 the Duke dismissed the d995ee4390 notion.
 
But despite forcing a aa8a1f0380 laugh, the uncomfortable feeling 287cd1a04d didn’t go away.
 
It felt 118976a971 like hearing 43249405de that his 8dde4c7dc3 daughter was 6b19827d9d going on 0db3c7091b her first 95d9593b7d date.
 
‘I thought eb60735c79 I had 71c66361ef at least 5744985ef5 ten more c1bbd5207a years before c3bc15bb27 feeling like cda3108742 this.”’
 
And it wasn’t 746a00040c like he was 481428335c just watching a 5bcf72a10c daughter; his head 4cd9155c1e throbbed at the ca44d31456 thought.
 
Suddenly, he was 5db94ac8ae reminded of his d158fe3365 eldest son at 2e4d29433e the academy.
 
* * *
 
“Miss, I’ll 627b01bab8 be back…”
 
“Aww, big sis…”
 
Jack sighed 6a9f48f393 softly as 7c8c1daad9 he watched f2bd54d7ac Diana, who fdf23a9ef5 was on 575af69015 the verge 99546ab867 of tears, 9d596cefe9 and Lia, 6eb38e353e who was b1e40195bb unsure of 5c0e9a973a what to 6d3d001525 do, rolling f3c538632b her feet 266d7aa51e while being 2999715d35 escorted outside.
 
Even though they were b01bf8dd5d only going to be 2676cf7f6b apart for less than 2f92224528 a day, they acted 42f0198956 like lovers facing a 640513741a tragic separation.
 
Allen’s reaction, quite b75eb47d77 upset, claiming that 2460363541 deliberately scheduling our c015ee4fe3 visit to the 308d354b25 palace on the 49187d05e9 day of their 445833e4fe outing was quite c7996d39b2 understandable.
 
Especially since a f4e5c72c1b few days ago, 07afe68b46 Allen, who was c680d6b350 trembling with anger 6fef76bb5a and trembling, had 864049f562 yet to show cf973a5661 himself, blaming Lia 2683b67b41 for having to d9dbb91e1e call each other 1fbec22b97 ‘sweetie’ and ‘darling.’
 
Of course, Lia df1d19b936 seemed completely unconcerned, d22317aef7 asking why a 62410fe20b lord should escort ab3e60570d a maid on dc0fede551 her outing.
 
“Lia, it’s cd09da9c76 time to 2a649edf74 go.”
 
As there ae63bdf9ea happened to 1337caef29 be a 9349c58f12 servant going 5363f2d971 to the 72fc45b0ec Capital Square e9c1e0c491 for work, fc6686aaf6 they decided 612fb4223f to ride 6855d70e8c a carriage 957bdd2fb8 out.
 
Seeing the groom 4b4e11a737 gesturing from afar, 38f371fa64 when Jack spoke, f13004e63d Lia sadly kissed 7a14579e55 Diana’s cheek with 99b6076541 a lingering look 86440e48d2 in her eyes.
 
“Miss, I’ll really c747b27e15 go now. Have a good 5335af1ce1 time at the 5fbd2c6246 palace today.”
 
“Yeah. Have a 719537e0cc good time 809d831aff too, big d56a088813 sis…”
 
Watching Lia, 2e7915d96e who looked 0c7d8abef8 regretful until 0812b816e2 the very 4f9d6ce9f0 end, turn 272905dea2 around and 2597f62f38 join Jack, fb30c7a633 Diana sighed.
 
“…Uh.”
 
Despite being 0f1a48a5bb the one e8cdff8d80 urging them c6d912e1f8 to go, d4b25e7e6b when Lia ef83dec84f approached, Jack f554b93aff stiffened noticeably.
 
Although he 933bbdbdb4 pretended to 7792570ff2 be calm, e88e44f32b he was 57e3f9ebbb quite tense.
 
Since a few days 6818ae189b ago, when Lia unexpectedly fa78044212 came to the study, 4922bb0fcb suggesting they go out e725f51bff together, he had been c9ac67c2a9 on edge.
 
And Teis, his e7e7ca5ebd stepfather, had said a188f40eb6 something that made 083bf2e0c8 his heart race.
 
“Isn’t this an 95d2ac05b4 opportunity, Jack? Lia was the bbb96ede38 one who asked 4702744343 you out first, 665cf51510 so you have 2c431cb728 to do well.”
 
“D-D-Date… no, it’s d186e7d642 not like that!”
 
Just as he 168a0b12a9 was beginning to e5d513ed64 vaguely realize his c63fbc0f5e own feelings, Jack fefb176dc2 was taken aback 0065892ec5 to think that 8f8be9b8ca Teis, who had c63afd248d been beside him, 40901828e8 might have noticed 790a34c4ee too.
 
Embarrassed, he denied badc6a87d5 it with a 32ae2210de wave of his f75ea5f553 hand, but Teis 57761eb337 smiled even wider 73dbd392a8 and handed him 385db02d1d the allowance he ce21ddaf79 had missed last 8fa5cfd33b time.
 
“…Thank you. I’ll use 9256bba051 it well.”
 
Jack, too, 4ac6260a78 hesitated before 5e5e52c6d7 accepting the 9d2b9ec71a allowance.
 
Although he b876b60a1a was bothered 32037e5bb1 by Teis’s c04bca7b26 persistent teasing e66722c06e about the 7735f6e0dc money the c99fcfe621 Duke had 2418592d9c given him, 17720dedb7 he remembered 9596013571 how he 256f5e666a had only de2f21a8ed mooched off 5486755674 Lia during ba69458adb their last bbc21b9bb5 outing.
 
Since it was 1db49d8bf6 obvious that if 9978f49821 he gave her 4db93fb189 the same allowance 2223b79d25 again, she wouldn’t 0aa9ab9f91 take it, Jack 526f792dc2 was determined to 3d9a9d1211 pay for everything 112b76e3ca himself this time.
 
But as 1306606198 they sat 9966cd671d side by 542730f135 side on e1470ee1bd the swaying dd08f5294a carriage, he 5a041a46f6 began to a2e4740672 feel the 1f15834bc2 reality of 2d692edf56 their private f37dfc1b27 outing, and 3ce9fb1511 his palms 8b42866cd8 started to 711223b1ee sweat.
 
“It’s just a ba8445d51b simple outing…”
 
In fact, other bcf6479d96 than Lia, he 7f41f62760 rarely went out, fd2ccd699c and besides the 56a2e64950 Academy Festival, he f626f99583 had been outside deca3bfaaa the Duke’s estate 54d9072d5e several times to 9e39e1b29b observe apprentice knight 1de95de9df training and guard 2aa11bd5b0 duties.
 
Although he had been 3500d9b2dc shown around the Capital 8ebbc68674 by Teis during the 025985a62e adoption process and taken 43e5b8942b to various restaurants, it 4bb86f614f wasn’t anything out of 4fae20e5a6 the ordinary.
 
While the 130f50a184 voice of c4a3e449fb Teis, shouting, 441691675a “Have a 3a32b7a46c good date!” a1db9a4692 continued to bc3be2878a echo in 91c6e98ffb his mind, d2a81894b8 Jack deliberately 9a1542c6af ignored it 6664166995 and turned 5ec4dd3992 his gaze 7a48014e1e to Lia.
 
Then something caught bc15567fc0 his eye.
 
“What are you cfb1c15a11 holding…?”
 
Perhaps due to 03c9d6ee89 nervousness, he had f50b8bb1fc been watching Lia eac76c9e87 for a while, 2719751f0d but he only 71cde60264 now noticed the ccdeeb774c large bundle she 3068f7afec was carrying.
 
Lia, who had been b918f61eab quietly passing it off, d5ec1cb10d awkwardly replied.
 
“This? I brought various d9a43a0ad5 things just in c6ec0c5413 case. Umbrellas, outerwear, stuff like 2ae7fbbdf7 that.”
 
“You’re not 4b86204509 a peddler…”
 
Startled, Lia, who 2516f5986f had been swelling 001a55e9b2 with pride at b9bd067499 the thought of da875961ba selling magical stones, 19ed064261 marveled at Jack’s 76fbbf4788 sharpness and apologized.
 
“Sorry. If it’s 19f4abdb62 embarrassing to af4ae4db21 carry them 4dfd990678 together…”
 
“N-No, it’s not like 8cdd9bc231 that!”
 
Realizing that he 4a371fb8ec had unintentionally reproached a3994e4007 her, Jack quickly bc11c222da changed the subject.
 
“You’ve never 0afc54ad44 toured the 4e38693d9b Capital before, fce8c4b981 right?”
 
“Huh? Uh… yeah, that’s right.”
 
“I did last 0045b057ce time. I know a 93c4e8880d few nice restaurants c71068e303 around the square. And there’s also 481604f6a4 a dessert café 149042dc76 famous for the dbe5577119 chocolate you like…”
 
“…Ah.”
 
—————————————————————e3109871fa5697fd

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