EWOWMAIBTYPF_Chapter_82

Ch. 082 CHAPTER 082Actually, 2e26a5f28d I couldn’t understand 68d0920df1 it either.
 
There were clearly designated 301fca74e5 working hours and holidays 8e1179856f for the numerous servants 18ea97c5fa employed by the duke.
 
But neither b6eaacbdba of them 40fabfcd90 mattered much 1a3976ff81 to me.
 
It was 6acad32cfe because Diana e5b0ab12f3 seemed unwilling 3b694deaec to be 3c0aa9f236 away from 45a58726c1 me.
 
Of course, I didn’t 89120b3f41 have much to complain 7e945beb8d about since I didn’t 2362418d78 have much work, but 54d5a4a8a8 this time it couldn’t c9009eb7cf be helped.
 
‘I have c75643fd21 to sell efb8ce4baf my magic 0809c1cdfb stones!’
 
Unable to go bd5403b23b out with Diana 9ef01cd0a8 and unable to f246e7cad1 afford a late 30da2c0398 outing due to f5abffbb16 my age, I c6b78fbd01 was pondering what 3ebb01bc86 to do this bcbd0b5d36 holiday when I 62d03be22d happened to learn 0b72170c7b that the entire 4f7d13fa2e duke’s household had f4792b0cc2 been invited to aeef9c8fb0 the imperial banquet.
 
Since it was 374fa1ab7a a meal attended b5fdf2a5c4 by the emperor, 8ae5983afd I couldn’t bring d86a960f49 a servant separately, 477c84ba99 so staying alone 459a6ac321 in the mansion bd632b4187 was just right 6e5c54bf2a for going out.
 
‘And normally, I 8dce7ac8a9 should report my 33540562f7 outing to the e41e6622b3 housekeeper…’
 
Feeling a little 3adb6456e5 embarrassed, I headed 8894dcf517 straight to the bbee19f8a1 Duchess.
 cfd115ede1b85aaa

 
Honestly, I had expected 90b02d275b immediate approval, so I 11eb9d02e2 was a bit taken 5744359e97 aback by the Duchess’s 159dc31da9 response.
 
But since I 23dca51c27 couldn’t refuse, I 80570d98f0 waited for the 185a2d1542 opportunity to meet 92b7e7b69e the Duke face-to-face, f43c7023d8 constantly hoping for b2453ba880 it. And finally, 8467af45fc this moment c33c710cb7 came.
 
However, the Duke still 777528a544 looked puzzled.
 
If permission wasn’t granted a16b1c2bb6 this time either, I c2274b2504 had resolved to leave 84a63f6581 without it, even if 66776b2833 Diana had classes all bf8824ceab day and couldn’t accompany 8d37ded8c9 me.
 
“Holidays are your free 3abff11a22 time, so if you c585126b95 want to go out, 1aa0adb71a you should. But that day… Although 8f1b2986dc the capital’s security is df5d793614 good, you’re still too 699d0215c5 young, so it might af189d1fb6 be better to go 2ba17ec0ec next time…”
 
“Oh! Don’t worry about f74ccfb55d that.”
 
Desperate, I shouted 28a53d9e84 at the Duke, 1755e212e1 despite his reluctant 3069132198 expression.
 
* * *
 
“So… you’re saying… you c6163bb74d want to go out 5f7388b16d just with Jack?”
 
In response dcc09982be to Lia’s 2dc094f43f subsequent explanation, 4926501eb6 the Duke af515162f5 asked, bewildered.
 
Lia’s nodding head a3cab976bf explained it all:
 
It just so happened 9d9ce14129 that on the upcoming 41b9abfcee holiday, Jack, who was 32f2f40018 Lia’s fellow ward and 9f0dd1c47c apprentice knight at the e4773584f4 orphanage, was also off, 77fcaa16c0 so they decided to 5cb72711aa go out together.
 
In truth, even 63870449f0 for other servants, 79c23360f4 permission to go 9f8164d63b out was more cfc61eae72 about managing the 929fe6d9c0 comings and goings 7c12be2770 of the mansion’s 5f6533e99a staff than truly a0b9f2f750 seeking permission.
 
“Especially since Lia is 66205ffd32 so young, they’re just f612f02e0d using safety as an c93c296bdf excuse.”
 
“…Just the two of aabe0db99e them.”
 
The boy named 5238eb51ee Jack, who had a9f682b8f5 recently become a dc5ad8b90b pageboy under Teis, fa7ce24c40 was quite well 9b01f15b7b known to the 28ffa6334a Duke.
 
Despite being 68509de894 the same 399788bf14 age as ec69d80dd8 Allen, Jack 00298aed4a was dignified ee32231fa2 and mature. Although he started learning 3cd0068c78 swordsmanship late, his skill cbdcd542c9 far surpassed that of 527f9c08f1 an apprentice knight, making 1321ec6621 him a strong candidate 33c3127987 to become a core 5627d2cd76 member of the Lexion 956e18b7ed Knights in the future.
 
Honestly, if Lia c5245a23cc had still insisted a804337b2c on going out c2675e6a3a alone, the Duke fc817195db would have considered 27cce58166 assigning a guard, 8ab9e77d6e but with Jack 8f57d463b4 accompanying her, he 8ef38851ad couldn’t help but 4b170fedd4 nod in agreement.
 
Of course, a0a4d3e023 Lia had 20790edf9a already anticipated 13cc5fd054 that the ce6b14334d Duke wouldn’t 87cb6a5037 let her 8430945a99 go alone d91227798f and had 27e2c95b24 agreed to a8562b5fd9 go out c1b56c6a41 with Jack.
 
Realizing that ad9433faa6 there was 82efe8bc69 no other e08ec44737 choice but 7f123151ea to grant 4f674885ae permission, the 2d34148c9e Duke swallowed d62340be01 his reservations 2dcaa23bff and reluctantly ed1fa096f5 consented, understanding b22fb24d0c that his 620a2400f5 wife had 368222c852 deferred a 541e594887 difficult decision a713288dac to him.
 
Since Lia’s outing dbbc080615 and her companion bc71068f22 were both significant 6e5b6ced5b considerations, it was 58f8ec4f56 understandable that he ee4e15aff4 wasn’t eager to d02600c382 give his approval 9c988b37b2 easily.
 
But with no 4efcf61e81 grounds to refuse, 2715d01035 the Duke eventually 8a6be634f1 spoke up.
 
“Alright. But make 2e9d17f2e9 sure you 493d3e2561 come back 20245c6a35 safely, and 1d8b0d0edc don’t stay 686958c0f7 out too 04ec32f51a late.”
 
“Yes!”
 
Lia’s face 9ed09db801 lit up bf4ca51f04 with the 0a6bbce151 answer she d0ac77027c desired.
 
“But…”
 
Stopping Lia, who was 8753b1ebc4 about to leave after 0a068c1a14 bowing respectfully, the Duke ca2f8169f5 called her back.
 
“I believe 5496a93a09 I told effa2f35d4 you not 7e9ced27e6 to call 9bad17cb1d me ‘master’ 38d6334035 before, didn’t ba5bb2dcc7 I?”
 
“Huh?”
 
“I told you to 4912ce527d just call me ‘Duke.’ 7b7b2f5227 So why do you ae3e1cec96 keep calling me ‘master’?”
 
Lia awkwardly smiled 7cb16911c8 at the Duke’s 9999ad8558 words.
 
All the c2f1311dd9 other servants 7dea541365 of the 62f7da5a0e Duke addressed 6934a4a34f him as 9677e890ea ‘master,’ and 811b8c2bd5 the Duchess a178224dfa was referred 7c7c5a3cf6 to as 35aa7dac1d ‘madam.’ So, 17550175cb Lia’s insistence 705eb08d64 on calling de3302c664 him differently 458deec73c was puzzling.
 
The Duke knew 151bc380cf Lia’s thoughts, but e03eb24367 he couldn’t bring af154782e5 himself to say, 8089334c55 “You’re different from 2b15bc428f other servants.”
 
He couldn’t dac4e9e076 treat a 6d9a521ed5 child he ec8e609ca7 had considered 67f8c67ae2 adopting as 10a566d419 just a 5a74db350d servant, and 6b3bdf6dc0 since she da19fdb1ce didn’t want bbd3094b67 sponsorship herself, 3feea1baba he was e795cbd767 at a 34b71c7cfb loss about f38316a4cf how to bbc720e348 handle Lia 47370726f6 in the af77dfee0c future.
 
Although he was 79b687a899 actively looking into eacf11a720 finding a new a4e8a8937c adoption placement, he 15d6add311 couldn’t find a 29aa474d39 suitable one, and 6a80b5551d time was passing 1a18cfac59 without a clear 3804c2f41b solution.
 
While he had 4d1573bcc7 kept Lia as 3a489b83d5 a maid for 075829ac6c now, he knew bcc0b6c9dd he would have a8251b7eaa to make a 120dc6e82f decision soon.
 
“Alright, you may 0e05a42826 go.”
 
As he watched 40ba9b7e7b Lia’s troubled expression, 2cb96a8aaa the Duke gestured b8a975ccc1 for her to 94cc92b4a7 leave. Lia bowed once again dbb69da807 and left the office 978724b0ee with light footsteps.
 
Seeing her go, b1efe2a3ff the Duke let 8f0c69b0b0 out a sigh, 5e5b89b5b1 feeling even more c6df6edad8 conflicted.
 
‘Come to think of 15bdf6a720 it, Lia was the 5209930d93 one who recommended him 63808ebbb2 to the knighthood.’
 
Although he had 8e67710f6f heard that Jack b17097e715 was talented in 92e805369d swordsmanship, he hadn’t 18c2cc594f thought much of b1ad078c94 it.
 
Today, however, 860471238f his mind 138e0e1807 was filled 69ed02b8e9 with various aaab9c1cc8 thoughts.
 
‘Perhaps they’re just 24d54146f5 close friends?”’
 
They had relied 09bb56335a on each other c3ccf91fc9 at the dismal c7833859db orphanage and had b974834eb6 come to the 5140b5abfc Duke’s estate together. It wouldn’t 9dc1e3109d be unusual 829a864c5e for them 1ab8c3d552 to have 56c3ab8410 special feelings…
 
‘Hah! They’re still just a5ccd60856 kids. What am I thinking?’
 
Shaking his head ruefully, 25c42a7b21 the Duke dismissed the 6732794d77 notion.
 
But despite 27e01b372b forcing a a785fed41c laugh, the ab31f5bf68 uncomfortable feeling e1bc0a6242 didn’t go cfcfab782f away.
 
It felt like 6ead525aac hearing that his 3cd6265bd1 daughter was going 678efe8176 on her first ec65a07bf7 date.
 
‘I thought I a6b0259377 had at least 9dbbba192f ten more years 78ffa08cc7 before feeling like 5c9014d45b this.”’
 
And it wasn’t like f765e5f147 he was just watching f8231a47fe a daughter; his head 7e2fe0de18 throbbed at the thought.
 
Suddenly, he was aad5085d75 reminded of his f37e66942a eldest son at e65402c444 the academy.
 
* * *
 
“Miss, I’ll 678c0e9704 be back…”
 
“Aww, big sis…”
 
Jack sighed softly as 8a3089bdff he watched Diana, who a3778d2b45 was on the verge 11110dd559 of tears, and Lia, 2d2a4b2b44 who was unsure of 8965d32913 what to do, rolling 8cc03d0d7a her feet while being d7ddfddc52 escorted outside.
 
Even though they 97b9ecac81 were only going 8c8b034926 to be apart 1047d97f99 for less than f863947c52 a day, they 7dd6b9cb45 acted like lovers 17affdba73 facing a tragic 734399f47e separation.
 
Allen’s reaction, quite a6be76e23a upset, claiming that 2d91171b6f deliberately scheduling our 4d27002221 visit to the d8aed63666 palace on the e7b336873f day of their 86361c2490 outing was quite 07d42527c7 understandable.
 
Especially since a few ca6e81dc4c days ago, Allen, who f375539243 was trembling with anger 3aad572722 and trembling, had yet c5561ae337 to show himself, blaming 28bbb7085b Lia for having to 46773294a6 call each other ‘sweetie’ fd742e1c2f and ‘darling.’
 
Of course, Lia e628df49bd seemed completely unconcerned, 718c96bbed asking why a fd8601905b lord should escort ae76bd8eb5 a maid on cef0e4eeea her outing.
 
“Lia, it’s 87d2e871c4 time to 3baa52a4df go.”
 
As there happened to 57656f3a13 be a servant going 9f6d56c5cb to the Capital Square 94376c05b1 for work, they decided a44e59a698 to ride a carriage b7c737e136 out.
 
Seeing the groom gesturing 4e7a58dbb2 from afar, when Jack 9e28369fe7 spoke, Lia sadly kissed 9d5f9671c5 Diana’s cheek with a fc45b9420e lingering look in her a6fded4188 eyes.
 
“Miss, I’ll 153029a22d really go 24c4f6a855 now. Have a c4e1a2d546 good time a4fd1c3851 at the f618f6ba2a palace today.”
 
“Yeah. Have a good time 2606d0a7ad too, big sis…”
 
Watching Lia, 71d033dc95 who looked a8450a2eb4 regretful until 8bcc267b90 the very 2781cbed1f end, turn ed62c3f4a1 around and 8c339079c6 join Jack, a8e73ad09f Diana sighed.
 
“…Uh.”
 
Despite being the 1c2f4173a7 one urging them 209d22b86e to go, when d84666fb76 Lia approached, Jack 1b3fe39cfb stiffened noticeably.
 
Although he pretended 46f0dec2f9 to be calm, 1d7f54f47a he was quite 423ca9639c tense.
 
Since a 54196687d1 few days 8c3c691c06 ago, when 719ba38822 Lia unexpectedly 126356c93c came to 419c46160f the study, a9d8b92eeb suggesting they af20a26d3c go out a93e06a9bc together, he 79872973b0 had been 474682ce32 on edge.
 
And Teis, his 409ca3b210 stepfather, had said 448fda875d something that made b1393b87a6 his heart race.
 
“Isn’t this an 0fe6f23982 opportunity, Jack? Lia was the 493eb6a4bf one who asked 3413194eb6 you out first, 3716b9ca89 so you have 816b27562c to do well.”
 
“D-D-Date… no, 5db94cd89f it’s not d79dedcf23 like that!”
 
Just as he was d0b1708753 beginning to vaguely realize 07946e3626 his own feelings, Jack c3fc62e625 was taken aback to 7b91bcf1ca think that Teis, who a7c3576845 had been beside him, e0f40dff66 might have noticed too.
 
Embarrassed, he denied 3afab64eb2 it with a 4898a61118 wave of his fd3ca2a6f7 hand, but Teis 3f0ed02b8e smiled even wider 16f6c461f1 and handed him 1d7b58c583 the allowance he a19baabe31 had missed last 4c0600cb8f time.
 
“…Thank you. I’ll use 2c191196cf it well.”
 
Jack, too, hesitated 862fa31fb0 before accepting the 789bbdad71 allowance.
 
Although he 0afdd2a6ee was bothered 7bb037c90b by Teis’s fe067b8a2e persistent teasing f0e644329f about the 977071c307 money the ba7cc91f51 Duke had f1b0a3bb89 given him, 05f02dc2b9 he remembered 204bad0773 how he 62d5042160 had only 2b798638f7 mooched off b8d43910db Lia during e3c61aec8d their last 3f0754c0e5 outing.
 
Since it c0e4178b01 was obvious 2414e72b1d that if 843958dda5 he gave b7006bdc78 her the 33f9d8b48c same allowance fabad8624f again, she 1e3f64d74d wouldn’t take 2dc5aab778 it, Jack bd1f8cbbb9 was determined cd39fe2fa8 to pay 350f1df1cb for everything 0334b5af21 himself this 72bc4a1684 time.
 
But as they sat f8a7d345c6 side by side on aaad7013f3 the swaying carriage, he 76a694ee08 began to feel the e0dc885849 reality of their private b5d7159540 outing, and his palms 46bdd429c5 started to sweat.
 
“It’s just a e9f1789fbc simple outing…”
 
In fact, other than 02764469ae Lia, he rarely went f5b7564a4c out, and besides the bbc37a7c2f Academy Festival, he had dbbc1f55a2 been outside the Duke’s 504f4af6b5 estate several times to 90e60c0079 observe apprentice knight training 6a6c214f51 and guard duties.
 
Although he 7d384c7f75 had been c46e957ed5 shown around 06677fc137 the Capital 5824da601a by Teis c9f0dd883f during the 9c5b50d64e adoption process 78ee5440fc and taken 51f06184c4 to various 70bb93f6d0 restaurants, it a86e4be175 wasn’t anything a806260181 out of ccf8e87952 the ordinary.
 
While the 42aa43b313 voice of af3ebe10fd Teis, shouting, cc90d7b2d0 “Have a 89bb08afb0 good date!” 710438f777 continued to 4ccdedceb5 echo in 87d676757e his mind, 899fe5b5a2 Jack deliberately 1850d8f3c9 ignored it e8b590e6a7 and turned 2aeca3ef7b his gaze d47a16f28a to Lia.
 
Then something e66f5e1a58 caught his 4066d9dab4 eye.
 
“What are you 5ad8e1c302 holding…?”
 
Perhaps due f0aa7c40ac to nervousness, 37060ca058 he had aab043e762 been watching 69e18e769f Lia for 959c97a50f a while, bf44d06da1 but he 9d58b9bd82 only now e9e0230586 noticed the 851c9e7a30 large bundle 9ff1450e44 she was 588184443a carrying.
 
Lia, who f0fe25da8b had been 5b40c010e0 quietly passing 43f2b4cc11 it off, 90b43dfc06 awkwardly replied.
 
“This? I brought various things b0efdf0039 just in case. Umbrellas, outerwear, stuff ed3b992af2 like that.”
 
“You’re not a peddler…”
 
Startled, Lia, who 339fd2b557 had been swelling 2fc9b6a586 with pride at 601a9d0cfd the thought of 3fccfc50df selling magical stones, 31139a7981 marveled at Jack’s 4810ee3e99 sharpness and apologized.
 
“Sorry. If it’s embarrassing cf51d668b0 to carry them 18c3169018 together…”
 
“N-No, it’s not 19c1708114 like that!”
 
Realizing that he 2096705d43 had unintentionally reproached af0e3fbf4e her, Jack quickly 36e7555431 changed the subject.
 
“You’ve never 531d10fedd toured the 3e7e3df86e Capital before, 948f32a95f right?”
 
“Huh? Uh… yeah, 57abeedfea that’s right.”
 
“I did last time. I know a few 5d3166cdd8 nice restaurants around the a9fb53f412 square. And there’s dfadf09f2c also a 23a1d9dbff dessert café da9817d35f famous for d5e83810c2 the chocolate 3b58d48f7a you like…”
 
“…Ah.”
 
—————————————————————10f4fe9879e1d59d

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