Episode 39

I was fired overnight.

"Life..."

I wasn't surprised.

Unlike my previous job, where I was dismissed for an absurd reason, this one provided ample warnings from the interview stage.

'You'll be physically exhausted.'

'It would be best if you didn't take it lightly.'

'If you're scared, you can quit now.'

What did I say in response to the employer's threats?

'Understood! I’m not to be taken lightly either.'

And that's how I secured my career as a tutor...!

A tutor earned double the salary of a maid, even with equivalent years of experience.

Plus, I got weekends off, and during the young masters' banquet season, there was little to do, so I earned paid leave!

Naturally, a typical tutor position doesn't open up easily. The reason I, a complete novice, could secure such a position was simple.

'Because everyone else quit halfway.'

Thanks to the twin demons.

Those two managed to force the previous tutor to quit after just 53 minutes. From the first meeting, they were extraordinary.

'Hmm, you came here for our uncle's money too, didn't you?'

'Of course. Your uncle hired me with money.'

'Everyone who comes here is the same. Fake smiles for a few bucks.'

'One cannot cry while working. Perhaps our first lesson should be on economic principles.'

Being a tutor was not as I was warned.

Not showing up for class was standard. They put pine cones under the chair cushions, left chewed gum and candy in the drawers, tripped me, and pushed me from behind. Once, they messed up all the books I had organized, so I spent the entire day tidying up the study.

Somehow, I gritted my teeth and endured...!

'Miss Posa, you seem to lack the strength to control the children.'

'...'

'These children need someone who can be firm yet gentle, strict yet warm.'

'I also want to get paid without going to work.'

I was ruthlessly dismissed for lacking affection.

Covered in the ashes the young master had set up.

'It's okay.'

Because I now have a cozy nest to go back to.

I stood in front of my house door and squeezed the moisture from my hair. The rain had suddenly poured and mixed with the ash.

"Huh?"

However, the more I rummaged through my bag, the more I felt a chilling sensation rising from my toes.

"What, where is it?"

It's gone.

The key that should have been there.

"Ah..."

I felt my last bit of strength draining away.

I simply banged my forehead against the front door. I needed to think, but my brain wasn't working.

'So annoying...'

There was a way to enter the house without a key.

But I had no desire to put that method into practice.

How long did I stand there? I heard the sound of a door unlatching beside me.

"Excuse me?"

"Yes... oh, you startled me."

I thought a figure from an ancient mural had walked out.

The vivid green eyes gazed at me intently. I instinctively waved my hand in the air.

"Ah, I'm really not a strange person. This is my house."

"..."

"I lost my key, so if you're wondering why I'm just standing here—"

"This?"

The man bent down and handed me the old key.

The feeling in my hand was unmistakably my possession.

"Right. Why was this on the floor...?"

"Sometimes, our vision narrows."

"Thank you. You saved me."

Even after handing me the key, the man's gaze did not leave me. Thanks to that, I could unabashedly take a good look at his face.

'He's very handsome.'

I thought the same when I first saw him the day he moved in.

"Did you have dinner?"

"Pardon?"

"I was asking if you've eaten."

"Ah..."

His words made me realize.

"Come to think of it, I haven't eaten all day."

"Have you been starving all day?"

His face paled with a concerned look.

The man appeared shocked as if he had heard the news of flying spaghetti and then spoke up.

"Wait a moment. Just wait a moment!"

"What?"

The man hurried inside without even closing his front door.

Thud! Thud!

"What the...?"

What kind of battle was he fighting in his own house?

Just when I was considering peeking in, the neighbor appeared again.

"Here, ha, here you go."

He was holding something in his arms.

"Please take these."

"What is this?"

"Snacks. I picked ones that are easy on an empty stomach. Do you have any allergies?"

"No, I don't."

"That's a relief."

"But can I take all this...?"

"When you move in, you usually share food with your neighbors."

Is there such a tradition?

Seeing my puzzled face, the man quickly added.

"At least where I used to live."

"But moving in... we moved in the same day."

It's been almost half a year since I moved in. The man shrugged nonchalantly.

"It's the thought that counts."

"..."

"It's not a proper meal, but it'll fill you up a bit."

"Yeah..."

"When you feel stronger, make sure to have a proper meal."

His silver eyelashes cast a long shadow.

The man waved cheerfully and went back inside. When I lowered my head, the snacks he gave me filled my view. The pudding on top had cold droplets of water on the surface.

"Something feels strange..."

Even after I opened the door with the key the man had found, laid out the snacks on the table, and swallowed the cold pudding, it didn't go away.

'Really weird.'

My heart was beating fast.

---

It's been a few years.

I hadn't forgotten that moment, which had lasted no more than ten minutes.

"Sir Ute, you might not remember, but—"

"I remember."

"Really?"

"Vanilla pudding, right? With blueberry syrup on top."

"Probably."

"I told you I have a good memory."

The man grinned widely.

"So, have you had dinner?"

"Come to think of it, I haven't eaten all day."

His cheekbones stiffened.

'He made that face before too.'

Like he was hit by falling spaghetti.

"You can go to the kitchen."

"Even if I start cooking now, it will take a while."

The doctor, who led me to an empty examination room, pulled out a bunch of snacks.

"Eat up."

"Is it okay to have these in the consultation room?"

"We work to live, after all."

"Then I will gratefully take them to my room—"

Ute unwrapped an energy bar and handed it to me.

"Right now, here, eat."

"Yes."

The sweet taste of chocolate slowly melted on my tongue. In the meantime, Ute was busily moving his hands—unwrapping snacks, opening lids, reaching for a small spoon...

"I can do it myself."

"Just focus on your nutrition."

Ute grumbled in a sulky tone as he continued unwrapping.

"Miss Sonnet, you tend to overwork yourself."

"Me?"

"Yes. You almost forgot you had an empty stomach until I asked, didn't you?"

"I guess so."

"Don't you have time to eat? You have replacement maids now."

"The madam finds me the most comfortable."

"She can't be so bad as to not give you time to eat."

He was right.

He was right, but...

'The madam is also very busy, so I don't want to be useless.'

I didn't intentionally skip my meals.

It was just, by the time I realized it, the day was over. Today, too, if Ute Velvet hadn't asked, I would have collapsed onto bed.

'Sweet.'

The pudding melted in my mouth.

It seemed as though the more I ate, the brighter Ute's expression became.

"You eat well. Eat a lot. Eat this, and that. Eat everything."

"Why..."

"Hmm?"

His clear gaze stayed on me.

'I'm going to get indigestion.'

Maybe because my stomach was empty, my whole body felt queasy.

I suppressed the mild dizziness and continued.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Good question. I just want to keep looking."

Don't get the wrong idea.

'I know he doesn't mean it like that.'

I felt like throwing up.

If I did, this confusing time would end.

'My relationship with Sir Ute would end as well.'

Not wanting to date didn't mean I was okay with leaving a bad impression.

I lowered my head and stared at the pudding.

"Why do you want to look?"

"Because it looks nice when you eat."

"Really...?"

"I can now understand why my grandmother kept feeding me during holidays..."

His last words were almost to himself, barely audible. Ute brightly smiled and handed me another snack.

---

The feel of hair wrapped around my hand was soft.

"All done, Madam."

The dress, containing my blood, sweat, and hard work, spread out brilliantly. Countess Clara Edwell stood up and curved her lips at a flawless angle.

"I will be back."

The autumn royal ball began.

---

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