The meal, which seemed like it was never going to end, was finally nearing its conclusion.
Wolfgang departed first at Benjamin’s call, which left Levi and I as the only ones left in the dining room.
“Oh my!”
Oh, and Vivi, who looks like licorice at the apothecary.
Oh Vivi, what healthy teeth you have. Wouldn’t it be great if those strong teeth wouldn’t bite my rump?
Throughout the long meal, she did not let go of the crumpled handkerchief. In the next moment she moved quickly.
She jumped up as Levi pushed his chair away from the table.
“Are you leaving? We still have dessert left.”
When I asked Levi this, Vivi, who had been breathing down my neck like a bullfighter, interrupted me.
“The Master and the Young Master hate desserts!”
“No, that’s not true. The Duke really likes it.”
Somehow I remembered Wolfgang making a rotten face, but I ignored it.
Because this situation was more important than that.
One man, flanked by two women. A fierce battle of nerves.
It’s called a love triangle romance!
In this excited atmosphere, Vivi threw the first punch.
“Oh, Young Master! I’m so glad you’re back! Oh, look…!”
With her cheeks red and her eyes closed, she held out a handkerchief with both hands.
Wow, why did this look like a scene from an old coming-of-age comic?
Vivi looked like the perfect heroine for that comic too.
What’s important in the midst of all of this was that Vivi knew quite well how she looked to others.
‘As expected, you have talent.’
It would be a shame to let her rot as a mere servant girl.
Vivi, wasn’t that the handkerchief that you kept biting?
If you looked closely, one part was stretched out with the teeth marks intact.
Vivi also realized this, so she turned the handkerchief upside down.
Then the name ‘Levi W. Bastion’ embroidered crookedly appeared.
“I embroidered it myself while thinking of you. I know it’s not good enough, but I want…”
Stride
Even before Vivi’s words were over, Levi walked past her.
As if he was walking past a stone embedded on the side of the road.
Wow, that was pretty harsh. Personally, I didn’t want him to accept Vivi’s handkerchief, but Levi was just too much sometimes.
If he didn’t like it, then he should tell her he didn’t like it. Was he the Tin Man? Was he missing his heart too?
For a moment, I thought it was a more plausible theory than him being a psychopath.
Yeah, Levi Bastion was just like the Tin Man who was missing his heart. Both in a good way, and a bad way.
At that time, Vivi was left alone with me as she buried her face in the handkerchief.
“Oh, dear.”
I put my hand on her shoulder to see if perhaps she needed comforting, and I heard a dark monologue.
“…You’re so rude, but you’re so handsome.”
Yes, she was a strong woman. Vivi didn’t need to be comforted.
I gently withdrew my hand from her shoulder, stood on my tiptoes, and started to leave.
“Stop moving.”
I got caught right away.
Reflexively, I started to laugh, and then stopped at her glare.
It wasn’t the time to laugh? Oh, okay.
As soon as I stood meekly with my hands together with an innocent look in my eyes, Vivi crossed her arms and stood in front of me.
It was still the same old coming-of-age comic, but the genre seemed to have changed from romance to school delinquent.
Maybe if the blood was splattered, it would make the flowers bloom even more.
“Even if you shake me, you won’t get even 10 won.”
“…I can tell just by looking at you.”
Vivi, who stared at me incredulously, suddenly hardened her face and said seriously.
“Hey.”
“What.”
“It’s a duel.”
“What?”
“Come to the backyard.”
While I’d blanked out for a while, the place had changed.
Vivi, filled with determination, dragged me down and headed for the rear yard.
“Let’s fight here.”
Whine~
A chilly wind blew from somewhere.
Vivi continued as my messy, curly hair slapped my cheek.
“Let’s have a clean game. The loser will step back neatly, and not cling to the young master for no reason…”
“Hey, wait a minute.”
Vivi, who was warming up with a violent sound, tilted her head as if she were wondering what it was.
I let out an annoyed sigh, then I said with a very rational expression and voice.
“Vivi, I’m really skeptical about this situation.”
“What?”
“Why do we have to fight? The choice should be entirely up to the young master. A fight for love like this, it’s not as romantic as I thought. It’s very absurd to treat the young master like a spoil of war and deprive him of his free will…”
“You’re talking too much. What’s the conclusion?”
“Help me.”
I wasn’t good at fighting. I was an ordinary tiny citizen, who was courageous b@dass, but had no power.
Moreover, wasn’t there a huge weight difference between us?
There were only four years between us, but the gap at our age was enormous.
When you said you set up a jungle gym at the playground and said this was a 6th graders seat, I was at that age where I would have to go round and round only the iron bars.
Also, pretty kids shouldn’t fist-fight. If they got a wound on their face, it would be a huge national loss.
Thus, I would ask for surrender proudly.
“Surrender while we’re talking nicely. Otherwise, you’ll be begging for my help.”
“No, what is this…”
From Vivi’s point of view, it was ambiguous whether this was a surrender or a threat, but I was really giving her one last chance.
When I shrugged and crossed my arms, a blue fire burned in Vivi’s angry eyes.
“You think everything is a joke, don’t you? Well, you’re in trouble today.”
Vivi came at me with great strides. She was determined to make a child cry with her greater strength.
Sorry, but the person who would be crying was you, not me.
I shook my head, then I brought my fingers to my lips.
Whistle!
At that moment, I heard the sound of crunching and rustling leaves as if in reply from the mountain air bordering the rear garden.
“Arf!”
Blue wolves ran out, and blocked her.
It didn’t take long for all twelve of them to assemble, with General January in the lead.
Vivi, who was suddenly confronted with a pack of wolves, fell on her butt in surprise.
“Wh-What…!”
“Say hello. They’re my friends.”
I don’t have strength, but my friends, who would fight for me, were different.
After they heard my whistle for help, the wolves ran forward while they bared their teeth towards Vivi.
“Growl!”
January, who was taking the lead, took one step forward at a time and slowly moved towards her.
Vivi, whose legs were weak, couldn’t even run away. She could only groan, and eventually she burst into tears.
“Ahhh! Save me…!”
“Wow.”
I clicked my tongue and called January’s name. He immediately became gentle, as if he’d never made that fierce expression.
The wolf looked up at me, as if he was asking if he did a good job. I sighed deeply, and patted the wolf.
My heart had been weakened by Vivi, who was sitting on the ground crying.
‘Did I go overboard out of habit? I guess she was still just a kid.’
At that moment, the thought ‘Vivi is old enough to know better’, and the thought of ‘What does this girl think she knows?’ were crossed out.
Once I sent the wolves back, I caught Vivi’s arm and helped her stand. Then her dirty butt was wiped off.
She’d put her whole heart into it. It may have been a little severe, but she brought this disaster on herself.
Up on my tiptoes, I wiped Vivi’s tears and runny nose with my apron, then I said as if to soothe or rebuke her.
“Really, what are you doing? It breaks my heart.”
“Huh?”
“More than that, it doesn’t mean anything even if we fight for 100 days like this. In the end, the choice is made by the young master.”
Vivi, who was blowing her nose on my apron, barely squeezed out her muffled voice.
Her tear-stained face was full of resentment.
“What now. Are you trying to put me in my place?”
“Why the sudden acceleration…”
“I know already! I know that even if I do this there’s no hope!”
I didn’t know why the genre suddenly changed.
We come back to reality from the comic, where we had gone back and forth between romance and action.
Vivi, who was always so full of energy, drooped limply.
“I know a maid can’t be a romantic interest for the Young Master of the Bastion Household.”
“…Sister Vivi.”
I looked at her pitifully, and whispered.
“If you know, then back off.”
“Excuse me.”
Vivi was getting angry that I was joking, even in this situation.
I wasn’t kidding. I really meant it.
I slipped off my dirty apron, and said.
“But you lost, and I won.”
“What are you talking about…”
“Whether I’m a maid or a slave, I will definitely marry the young master.”
When I clenched both of my fists, and emphasized the word marriage, Vivi faltered.
I rode on that momentum, and declared brilliantly.
“You lost your determination. Now you need to step back neatly as you promised!”
“You…”
A hard-eyed Vivi murmured.
“Are you really crazy?”
I only smiled at the familiar treatment as she gazed at me with an amazed expression.
I’d be very grateful if you could avoid looking at me like that because it’s dirty.
“Do you really think that you can be the wife of the future duke?”
“Isn’t it more realistic than marrying the crown prince?”
I was so talented that I could go up to the crown princess position.
Compared to that, becoming the duchess must have less resistance.
“You know, there’s a situation that can’t be helped, so it would be a waste for you to be that man’s woman.”
You should just enjoy your life to the fullest while you control everyone’s heart.
Vivi looked at me calmly and said, ‘Oh, my’ then she laughed.
Her face was so exhausted that she had lost all her venom.
“Oh, you laughed.”
“So loud.”
“If you cry and laugh, your butt will be on fire.”
Vivi shook her head lightly. Rather than fighting, she seemed to have lost all of her strength to respond.
I thought this was the time, so I ran to her and crossed my arms first.
“I couldn’t eat dessert because of you, so let’s go back and eat together.”
Vivi stared at me in disbelief, but she didn’t push me away.
And that’s how we became friends…
But the ending of the youth comic wasn’t right now.
“Don’t look at me.”
“What!”
“…You look like a mutt.”
I don’t think it’s too far away.
***
I was sitting on Wolfgang’s lap as usual, and I spoke with a serious expression.
“…Father-in-law candidate.”
“Yes, daughter-in-law candidate.”
“Did you train him to be an assassin?”
“Well, I did raise him.”
“Ugh.”
I heard the brutal truth.
No, what I meant was.
“It’s so hard to see your son.”
“That’s true.”
Wolfgang didn’t take his eyes off of the documents, and responded half-heartedly.
I crossed my arms at his casual behavior, and pestered him.
“Isn’t that too much?”
“What?”
“Aren’t you worried about your child being cooped up in his room for days on end?”
That’s right. It has already been a week since Levi came back to the mansion for his honey-sweet spring break.
Except for the historic first day, he was perfectly hiding, just like an assassin.
Even his meals were brought to his room for him to eat, so I never had a chance to look at his handsome face.
I even tried to ambush him in the hallway by waiting for him all day long, hoping that we would meet by chance, but to no avail.
‘Oh, man. We have to meet first before I can make a move.’
That said, I couldn’t just break into his room with the courage I used to rush into Wolfgang’s.
That was because the servants stopped me, saying that I would really die.
Wolfgang, who finally released the documents from his hand, gently grabbed my chin and shook it.
“I’d have been rather worried if he’d been walking around the mansion.”
“What?”
“He’s always quieter when he stays in his room.”
Oh, my. What’s up with that?
My lips quivered, and Wolfgang’s long fingers immediately poked my cheek.
Was it because I’d been eating well at every meal. Little by little, baby fat started to build on my shabby body.
I wondered if it was strange, but lately Wolfgang has been poking at my face in his spare time for some reason.
“Why? Did you lose to an enemy within the mansion?”
“Something like that.”
“What happened…”
The moment I asked without much thought, Benjamin flapped. It was an urgent reaction, like right before diarrhea burst out.
As I looked at him suspiciously, he waved his arms energetically while making the letter ‘X’. Then I heard a strange voice answer from above my head.
“Kathryn died.”
The meal, which seemed like it was never going to end, was finally nearing its conclusion.
Wolfgang departed first at Benjamin’s call, which left Levi and I as the only ones left in the dining room.
“Oh my!”
Oh, and Vivi, who looks like licorice at the apothecary.
Oh Vivi, what healthy teeth you have. Wouldn’t it be great if those strong teeth wouldn’t bite my rump?
Throughout the long meal, she did not let go of the crumpled handkerchief. In the next moment she moved quickly.
She jumped up as Levi pushed his chair away from the table.
“Are you leaving? We still have dessert left.”
When I asked Levi this, Vivi, who had been breathing down my neck like a bullfighter, interrupted me.
“The Master and the Young Master hate desserts!”
“No, that’s not true. The Duke really likes it.”
Somehow I remembered Wolfgang making a rotten face, but I ignored it.
Because this situation was more important than that.
One man, flanked by two women. A fierce battle of nerves.
It’s called a love triangle romance!
In this excited atmosphere, Vivi threw the first punch.
“Oh, Young Master! I’m so glad you’re back! Oh, look…!”
With her cheeks red and her eyes closed, she held out a handkerchief with both hands.
Wow, why did this look like a scene from an old coming-of-age comic?
Vivi looked like the perfect heroine for that comic too.
What’s important in the midst of all of this was that Vivi knew quite well how she looked to others.
‘As expected, you have talent.’
It would be a shame to let her rot as a mere servant girl.
Vivi, wasn’t that the handkerchief that you kept biting?
If you looked closely, one part was stretched out with the teeth marks intact.
Vivi also realized this, so she turned the handkerchief upside down.
Then the name ‘Levi W. Bastion’ embroidered crookedly appeared.
“I embroidered it myself while thinking of you. I know it’s not good enough, but I want…”
Stride
Even before Vivi’s words were over, Levi walked past her.
As if he was walking past a stone embedded on the side of the road.
Wow, that was pretty harsh. Personally, I didn’t want him to accept Vivi’s handkerchief, but Levi was just too much sometimes.
If he didn’t like it, then he should tell her he didn’t like it. Was he the Tin Man? Was he missing his heart too?
For a moment, I thought it was a more plausible theory than him being a psychopath.
Yeah, Levi Bastion was just like the Tin Man who was missing his heart. Both in a good way, and a bad way.
At that time, Vivi was left alone with me as she buried her face in the handkerchief.
“Oh, dear.”
I put my hand on her shoulder to see if perhaps she needed comforting, and I heard a dark monologue.
“…You’re so rude, but you’re so handsome.”
Yes, she was a strong woman. Vivi didn’t need to be comforted.
I gently withdrew my hand from her shoulder, stood on my tiptoes, and started to leave.
“Stop moving.”
I got caught right away.
Reflexively, I started to laugh, and then stopped at her glare.
It wasn’t the time to laugh? Oh, okay.
As soon as I stood meekly with my hands together with an innocent look in my eyes, Vivi crossed her arms and stood in front of me.
It was still the same old coming-of-age comic, but the genre seemed to have changed from romance to school delinquent.
Maybe if the blood was splattered, it would make the flowers bloom even more.
“Even if you shake me, you won’t get even 10 won.”
“…I can tell just by looking at you.”
Vivi, who stared at me incredulously, suddenly hardened her face and said seriously.
“Hey.”
“What.”
“It’s a duel.”
“What?”
“Come to the backyard.”
While I’d blanked out for a while, the place had changed.
Vivi, filled with determination, dragged me down and headed for the rear yard.
“Let’s fight here.”
Whine~
A chilly wind blew from somewhere.
Vivi continued as my messy, curly hair slapped my cheek.
“Let’s have a clean game. The loser will step back neatly, and not cling to the young master for no reason…”
“Hey, wait a minute.”
Vivi, who was warming up with a violent sound, tilted her head as if she were wondering what it was.
I let out an annoyed sigh, then I said with a very rational expression and voice.
“Vivi, I’m really skeptical about this situation.”
“What?”
“Why do we have to fight? The choice should be entirely up to the young master. A fight for love like this, it’s not as romantic as I thought. It’s very absurd to treat the young master like a spoil of war and deprive him of his free will…”
“You’re talking too much. What’s the conclusion?”
“Help me.”
I wasn’t good at fighting. I was an ordinary tiny citizen, who was courageous b@dass, but had no power.
Moreover, wasn’t there a huge weight difference between us?
There were only four years between us, but the gap at our age was enormous.
When you said you set up a jungle gym at the playground and said this was a 6th graders seat, I was at that age where I would have to go round and round only the iron bars.
Also, pretty kids shouldn’t fist-fight. If they got a wound on their face, it would be a huge national loss.
Thus, I would ask for surrender proudly.
“Surrender while we’re talking nicely. Otherwise, you’ll be begging for my help.”
“No, what is this…”
From Vivi’s point of view, it was ambiguous whether this was a surrender or a threat, but I was really giving her one last chance.
When I shrugged and crossed my arms, a blue fire burned in Vivi’s angry eyes.
“You think everything is a joke, don’t you? Well, you’re in trouble today.”
Vivi came at me with great strides. She was determined to make a child cry with her greater strength.
Sorry, but the person who would be crying was you, not me.
I shook my head, then I brought my fingers to my lips.
Whistle!
At that moment, I heard the sound of crunching and rustling leaves as if in reply from the mountain air bordering the rear garden.
“Arf!”
Blue wolves ran out, and blocked her.
It didn’t take long for all twelve of them to assemble, with General January in the lead.
Vivi, who was suddenly confronted with a pack of wolves, fell on her butt in surprise.
“Wh-What…!”
“Say hello. They’re my friends.”
I don’t have strength, but my friends, who would fight for me, were different.
After they heard my whistle for help, the wolves ran forward while they bared their teeth towards Vivi.
“Growl!”
January, who was taking the lead, took one step forward at a time and slowly moved towards her.
Vivi, whose legs were weak, couldn’t even run away. She could only groan, and eventually she burst into tears.
“Ahhh! Save me…!”
“Wow.”
I clicked my tongue and called January’s name. He immediately became gentle, as if he’d never made that fierce expression.
The wolf looked up at me, as if he was asking if he did a good job. I sighed deeply, and patted the wolf.
My heart had been weakened by Vivi, who was sitting on the ground crying.
‘Did I go overboard out of habit? I guess she was still just a kid.’
At that moment, the thought ‘Vivi is old enough to know better’, and the thought of ‘What does this girl think she knows?’ were crossed out.
Once I sent the wolves back, I caught Vivi’s arm and helped her stand. Then her dirty butt was wiped off.
She’d put her whole heart into it. It may have been a little severe, but she brought this disaster on herself.
Up on my tiptoes, I wiped Vivi’s tears and runny nose with my apron, then I said as if to soothe or rebuke her.
“Really, what are you doing? It breaks my heart.”
“Huh?”
“More than that, it doesn’t mean anything even if we fight for 100 days like this. In the end, the choice is made by the young master.”
Vivi, who was blowing her nose on my apron, barely squeezed out her muffled voice.
Her tear-stained face was full of resentment.
“What now. Are you trying to put me in my place?”
“Why the sudden acceleration…”
“I know already! I know that even if I do this there’s no hope!”
I didn’t know why the genre suddenly changed.
We come back to reality from the comic, where we had gone back and forth between romance and action.
Vivi, who was always so full of energy, drooped limply.
“I know a maid can’t be a romantic interest for the Young Master of the Bastion Household.”
“…Sister Vivi.”
I looked at her pitifully, and whispered.
“If you know, then back off.”
“Excuse me.”
Vivi was getting angry that I was joking, even in this situation.
I wasn’t kidding. I really meant it.
I slipped off my dirty apron, and said.
“But you lost, and I won.”
“What are you talking about…”
“Whether I’m a maid or a slave, I will definitely marry the young master.”
When I clenched both of my fists, and emphasized the word marriage, Vivi faltered.
I rode on that momentum, and declared brilliantly.
“You lost your determination. Now you need to step back neatly as you promised!”
“You…”
A hard-eyed Vivi murmured.
“Are you really crazy?”
I only smiled at the familiar treatment as she gazed at me with an amazed expression.
I’d be very grateful if you could avoid looking at me like that because it’s dirty.
“Do you really think that you can be the wife of the future duke?”
“Isn’t it more realistic than marrying the crown prince?”
I was so talented that I could go up to the crown princess position.
Compared to that, becoming the duchess must have less resistance.
“You know, there’s a situation that can’t be helped, so it would be a waste for you to be that man’s woman.”
You should just enjoy your life to the fullest while you control everyone’s heart.
Vivi looked at me calmly and said, ‘Oh, my’ then she laughed.
Her face was so exhausted that she had lost all her venom.
“Oh, you laughed.”
“So loud.”
“If you cry and laugh, your butt will be on fire.”
Vivi shook her head lightly. Rather than fighting, she seemed to have lost all of her strength to respond.
I thought this was the time, so I ran to her and crossed my arms first.
“I couldn’t eat dessert because of you, so let’s go back and eat together.”
Vivi stared at me in disbelief, but she didn’t push me away.
And that’s how we became friends…
But the ending of the youth comic wasn’t right now.
“Don’t look at me.”
“What!”
“…You look like a mutt.”
I don’t think it’s too far away.
***
I was sitting on Wolfgang’s lap as usual, and I spoke with a serious expression.
“…Father-in-law candidate.”
“Yes, daughter-in-law candidate.”
“Did you train him to be an assassin?”
“Well, I did raise him.”
“Ugh.”
I heard the brutal truth.
No, what I meant was.
“It’s so hard to see your son.”
“That’s true.”
Wolfgang didn’t take his eyes off of the documents, and responded half-heartedly.
I crossed my arms at his casual behavior, and pestered him.
“Isn’t that too much?”
“What?”
“Aren’t you worried about your child being cooped up in his room for days on end?”
That’s right. It has already been a week since Levi came back to the mansion for his honey-sweet spring break.
Except for the historic first day, he was perfectly hiding, just like an assassin.
Even his meals were brought to his room for him to eat, so I never had a chance to look at his handsome face.
I even tried to ambush him in the hallway by waiting for him all day long, hoping that we would meet by chance, but to no avail.
‘Oh, man. We have to meet first before I can make a move.’
That said, I couldn’t just break into his room with the courage I used to rush into Wolfgang’s.
That was because the servants stopped me, saying that I would really die.
Wolfgang, who finally released the documents from his hand, gently grabbed my chin and shook it.
“I’d have been rather worried if he’d been walking around the mansion.”
“What?”
“He’s always quieter when he stays in his room.”
Oh, my. What’s up with that?
My lips quivered, and Wolfgang’s long fingers immediately poked my cheek.
Was it because I’d been eating well at every meal. Little by little, baby fat started to build on my shabby body.
I wondered if it was strange, but lately Wolfgang has been poking at my face in his spare time for some reason.
“Why? Did you lose to an enemy within the mansion?”
“Something like that.”
“What happened…”
The moment I asked without much thought, Benjamin flapped. It was an urgent reaction, like right before diarrhea burst out.
As I looked at him suspiciously, he waved his arms energetically while making the letter ‘X’. Then I heard a strange voice answer from above my head.
“Kathryn died.”
