# 49
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* * *
“Let's stop here for today.”
"actually?"
asked Jack, who placed his wooden sword at Allen's words.
When Allen finished his morning sword training and started fighting, he often missed his lunch break.
Allen, seeing Jack's expression, smiled and answered.
“My brother is here, seeing his face is harder than seeing my father… Ah! Now that we’ve arrived in the capital, do you think we’ll be able to see each other more often?”
Allen, who had been scratching his head, blinked and clapped his hands.
“Then I can ask him to watch the fight too, actually my brother… No, since we’re talking, let’s go now, I’m sure he’s in the library.”
Allen, who had been extremely excited since the topic of his older brother had been brought up, moved into the main building, dragging a confused Jack with him.
Along the way, he started bragging about how amazing and smart his brother was and how there was nothing he couldn't do.
If you listen to his words, he was a perfect person like no other in the world.
Jack remembers how Diana once said that his brothers were beautiful, and he thought that these siblings had a great friendship.
Of course, when I saw Albin's face, I thought what he said was not a lie.
Jack ignored Allen's words and looked around to see if he could see Leah busy walking around with cleaning supplies on her way to the main building.
then.
“The head maid?”
“...Young Master.”
Allen tilted his head as he watched the preoccupied Helen walk up the stairs, as if she had lost her usual composure.
Her face turned pale.
"Where are you going so fast? What's going on here?"
“No… I’m on my way to the old young master for a moment.”
“Really? That’s good, I was going to my brother’s too.”
Allen took the lead, saying we could go together.
Naturally, the destination was the library where Lucio lived.
“Brother, this is Allen! Hello.”
Without being asked to enter, Allen opened the door wide.
“Leah?”
My eyes widened at a face I never thought I would see here.
“Don't worry about it, just eat.”
At that time, Lucio, who was sitting leisurely and holding a cup of tea, spoke up.
I looked cloy, and saw a refreshing salmon salad, orange juice, and sandwiches laid out on the table.
Leah sat down on the couch across from Lucio, looked at Allen with an uncomfortable look on her face, then put the sandwich she was holding in her mouth and started chewing on it.
asked Allen, who looked at this in confusion.
“Brother, what are you doing now? Leah, why are you here?”
Leah couldn't answer because the food was in her mouth.
However, the embarrassment on my face at not knowing the reason was clearly visible.
* * *
A while ago.
Leah thought she would definitely be punished.
However, as soon as Lucio rang the bell, he spoke to the maid as if he had been waiting.
〈Warm tea and... …prepare a snack. 〉
Then, as if that was all he wanted to say, he picked up a pen and started scribbling something.
The maid looked embarrassed.
Due to Lucio's usually cold and strict temperament, he would never leave alone anyone who arbitrarily invaded his private space without permission.
The maid, who thought that he would immediately take the child out and punish her severely, stood hesitating in front of the door.
〈If you don't get out, what are you going to do standing there?〉
In the end, when Lucio looked at her again with cold eyes, she ran away.
Leah noticed this and tried to follow up.
However, Lucio spoke in a stern voice.
〈Hello, didn't you say you came here to work? But are you just going to go?〉
〈Okay, shall we finish cleaning then?〉
〈No, I have other things.〉
Leah reserved her answer.
But what Lucio did was nothing special.
He tore off the paper he had been writing on for a while and handed it to Leah. At first glance, it looked like the title of a book.
Leah, who was quick-witted, quickly nodded and began looking inside the huge library.
Meanwhile, two maids came to prepare the food.
There were more maids than before, so it seemed that other maids were also at the door.
Leah pretended not to care, carefully climbed the stairs, took out the books Lucio had asked for, and began to place them one by one next to him.
The maids who were putting out the food pursed their lips because things had turned out differently than they had planned.
However, since Lucio remained motionless, no one could vote and he had no choice but to retreat.
And when Leah finally got all the books back.
〈Good job, now eat this.〉
Lucio said, taking the teapot and pouring it into his cup.
The food cart had a strong mint smell, as if it was trying to wake me up.
When he, who had elegant fingers holding the teacup, took a sip of tea and put it aside, Leah hesitated and spoke carefully.
〈I'm not hungry, because I had breakfast late. 〉
It wasn't a lie. Thanks to Diana, who slept a lot in the morning, she always had breakfast late.
After that, it was usual for Diana to go straight to morning classes and for Leah to go assign her the day's tasks.
However, when I summoned the courage to speak out, the response was not very positive.
When Leah saw Lucio’s forehead wrinkled slightly, she couldn’t help but say: “Haha, but it looks so delicious that I want to eat it.”
I had no choice but to pick up the sandwich.
Why would these Duke family members try to torture people with food every time they saw them, I screamed in my heart.
At that moment, he heard Allen's voice outside, and the current situation.
Instead of Leah, who couldn't even tell such a long story and swallowed her bread, Lucio answered Allen.
“Whatever, let's have tea.”
"What about Leia? Why are you here?"
“I heard you came here to clean up.”
"cleaning?"
Allen, who had been blinking, jumped up belatedly.
“You came here to clean?!”
As much as he loved his older brother Lucio very much, Allen, who knew his cold personality well, was a little afraid.
Every time he came to the capital with his father, his older brother would always stay here, and he would not allow any employee to roam the area without his permission.
Those who broke this were punished even more harshly and harshly than their father, and the servants were eliminated, so even the maids who were eager to be loved by their older brother would be worried.
“Why did you do that! This is like my brother’s personal study.”
Given the current situation, it was clear that Leia was not in danger, but Allen shouted nervously.
Since he was his younger brother, he could ignore the sudden attack, but he thought it was impossible for Lucio to be so lenient with Leia, who had nothing to do with him.
In response to Allen's question, Leah swallowed what was in her mouth and spoke with a sad face.
“I didn't know because it was always empty.”
Then Allen was speechless.
This place is used only by direct descendants of the duchy.
My father left early in the morning and returned late at night, and was always in the office when he stayed at the palace. My mother is also busier than ever after coming to DC.
He is obsessed with swordsmanship, and Diana is still at an age where she only reads fairy tales, so it is unlikely that anyone will come to this library.
It was a place where the lights were always turned off until Lucio came, so it was understandable that Leah would misunderstand him.
'But why didn't anyone warn me?'
It was a time when even he, who was boring, thought it was strange.
Helen who was standing behind Allen took a step forward and stood up.
“I am sorry, young master. The maid under my supervision made a mistake...”
“I don’t care if it was a mistake or not, but make sure you deal with it, if this happens again...”
“I will never allow something like this to happen again. I apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
Helen folded her waist in half and lowered her head.
Lucio still had a cold look in his eyes, but he didn't say anything more.
Helen straightened her back, thinking it was a sign of confidence.
Then she turned her attention to Leah.
That was when I was about to say that I will take the baby out now.
“I will be entrusting this child with the management of this library from now on, so please know.”
". … Yes?"
After hearing Lucio's words, Helen's expression suddenly became strange.
Like I heard something I shouldn't have heard.
But Lucio did not answer her question.
Instead.
“That's why I'll come here tomorrow as well, don't do anything else, just go straight ahead.”
I said this to Leah, who was eating bread while looking at me.
“Even when I return to the academy, it will continue like this.”
“You just do what I tell you.”
Lucio rested his chin as if waiting for an answer from Leia, who blinked in surprise.
"my lord ."
At that time, Helen called Lucio in a hoarse voice.
“Why did you entrust this child to run this place?... May I ask why?”
Allen was curious too, so he pretended he wasn't and pricked his ears.
Lucio, who was lazily looking at Leia, turned his head.
“Helen.”
“…yes, sir.”
“Do I have to explain everything I say?”
“No, I'm sorry.”
“Then leave now.”
Lucio looked at Helen as she turned around and saw Allen and Jack standing awkwardly next to her.
“So, Allen, what happened to you suddenly?”
“Ah...I just wanted to ask my brother to watch us fight.”
“I'm busy now, afternoon.”
Lucio, who cut it off in one piece, picked up the book again.
But Allen couldn't leave easily. Allen asked, forgetting that he had to introduce Jack to his side.
“Yes, but brother, what are you trying to make Leah do?”
“...this and that.”
“Then what are these prepared foods now?”
To be precise, the question was why on earth was Leah eating here.
Lucio, who had been answering carelessly without taking his eyes off his book, looked up and muttered.
“Compensation, yes...because it's the best.”