# 61
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‘One of two: the butler or the head maid, and among them, I was particularly suspicious of the head maid…’
Meanwhile, I carefully looked at the head maid, but since her movement lines didn't overlap and her movements were careful, I couldn't find anything suspicious.
Then something happened like yesterday.
But Lucio punishes her.
I couldn't tell if he had discovered some suspicious effects or was simply taking responsibility for negligent management.
“But I think it worked for now.”
I don't know how long the probationary period is, but I felt like I could get a closer look at the workers' movements during that period.
However, I was a little worried that the Duchess's duties and palace management would become difficult at the moment.
Doubts aside, she was a woman who was certain of being on the duchess's throne.
Although it wasn't enough, it was time that I decided I had to help in some small way.
Suddenly I felt a noise outside.
When I raised my ears, I heard the sound of words being spoken
Without realizing it, my facial expression softened.
“They are Allen and Diana.”
The two people who insisted on entering the room, as if they heard that I was awake, and the voice of the butler who was embarrassed and said that I needed to calm down, made one side of my heart swell without me realizing it.
Not long after, there was a knock at the door and the butler, who was sweating, entered.
He announced the news of Aline and Diana's visit, and the Duchess looked at me as if to ask if it would be okay to let her in.
My answer is already decided.
* * *
“Noona, are you in a lot of pain?”
Diana looked at me with moist eyes.
I smiled bitterly, remembering how sad I had felt last night when I thought I might never see that child again.
'What should I do because I'm already afraid of breaking up like this?'
In fact, when I left the ar gang and when I closed my eyes for the last time, I had no problem saying goodbye to the people I was with.
So, in my own way, I thought of myf as a strong breakup person.
'I thought I could get rid of myf and disappear at any time without any regrets.'
I don't know why I feel this way now.
“It doesn't hurt anymore, it's okay, miss.”
When I saw Diana scowling and crying while waiting for a response, I quickly opened my mouth.
Then the Duchess looked at me.
I said with a shy smile.
“I'm fine now.”
Thanks to the medicine and healing magic, the pain in my body subsided a lot, and I felt much better.
'It's a bit embarrassing that I cried like a baby.'
However, I was relieved that no one was bothering me anymore.
Of course, the remaining employees might still hate me, but at least they wouldn't harass me directly.
“Noona, don’t get sick.”
"Yes."
“If Nona is sick, then Diana is sick too.”
Seeing Diana's heart pounding from the pain in her chest made me feel as if the tears that had barely stopped were going to fall again.
But my tears disappeared when I saw the clumsy boy next to me.
“...Young sir.”
"cheerful !"
For a long time, he radiated his presence as if he wanted me to talk to him, but when I actually started talking to him, Allen suddenly turned his head.
It was a time when the Duke and Duchess looked at him in confusion.
Allen suddenly stared at me and tapped me with his foot, as if getting angry openly was easier than showing his anger.
"You! Me! I told you clearly! If it's difficult! If you need help! Say so at any time!"
“…I didn’t know that something like yesterday would happen. It was really good. Even then, while in the library, I rarely met other servants.”
“Yes! Still...”
The Duke's face turned cold as he looked at Allen, whose face turned red.
“Allen, did you already know what kind of situation Leia was in? Lucio too? So you took Leia to the library...”
“Excuse me! It's all in the past now, I don't even want to think about it.”
I spoke urgently when I saw that the face of the Duchess, and not just the Duke, was stained with anger and guilt for not knowing this beforehand.
The Duke seemed to have conveyed my wish not to raise the issue any further, and kept his mouth shut.
I felt like I needed to change the subject quickly, but there was nothing to talk about.
It was a moment of embarrassment as she looked at the tearful faces of Diana, the scowling Aline, and the silent Duke and Duchess.
Knock knock -
“Excuse me, lunch is ready...just.”
The old man, who seemed to sense the uncomfortable atmosphere, spoke in a low voice.
She was moved by the sight of the older man shrinking under his gaze.
Moreover, to express my gratitude for the timely improvement in my mood, I quickly opened my mouth and covered it with my hand, pretending to yawn.
"significant".
“Leah, are you asleep?”
"Yes . … ".
I nodded slowly.
In fact, the pain lessened, but my physical condition was not good.
I felt a little dizzy, as if I was taking some medication.
“Can you be alone?”
“Sure, don't worry, just eat quickly.”
“Mmm...”
The Duchess seemed reluctant to leave me alone, but nodded as she watched me gradually relax.
He grabbed the hands of Allen and Diana, who were still angry and seemed to have a lot to say.
Diana looked at me with teary eyes, patted my blanket briefly, and said, “Noona, I will be back after eating!” She whispered.
Everyone left and silence came.
Once again, the events of last night seemed like a dream, and she fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
“Allen, when did you find out about Leah’s work?”
As soon as he walked out into the hallway, the Duke asked with a stern expression.
Allen hesitated a little, then began to open his mouth.
“It's… not long ago, that was from the day Leah started working in the library.”
In fact, Allen carefully admitted that the maids had first sent Leia to clean the main library when she was put in charge of managing the library.
I thought I knew enough to find out what happened from Lucio's report.
The Duke realized that he was still arrogant.
On the other hand, I knew my eldest son's cruel personality better than me, so I thought it would be a good idea to tell Lucio about Leia's story in advance.
"my brother !"
At that time, Allen found Lucio at the end of the hall.
Lucio had just climbed the stairs and entered the hallway.
“What's going on here?”
This place was far from his room, let alone the library where he usually stayed.
That was when the Duke stared at Lucio with a strange expression.
“Are you really going to have tea today?”
asked the Duchess next to me, her face flushed.
Lucio nodded slowly.
“He also, yesterday, suddenly came to see me for tea.”
The Duke laughed when he saw the Duchess, who could not hide her joy, but took a step back for no reason.
He always had a hard time with his eldest son and being polite to him, but it was nice to see him finally acting more at ease.
“Boy, do you live without knowing what time it is? I heard that lunch is ready, but are you talking about tea time now?”
“Tea time is after lunch first, I’m with you too, I have something to say at this moment, then let’s go.”
The Duke, who was in a good mood following his wife, grabbed Lucio's shoulder and turned him around.
Even though the Leah incident is still fresh in my mind, I was still very happy to see my petulant son trying to get close to his mother.
It's not just his current actions, but also the way he stepped out of character and was generous to Leah and handled this incident so cleanly.
Lucio was always a proud son and trustworthy successor and never let him down.
Plus, the mischievous but affectionate Allen and the beautiful younger daughter Diana.
The Duke, who once again felt his family's happiness, slowly raised the corners of his mouth and smiled.
* * *
Lucio is unwittingly caught by the Duke and heads to the dining room surrounded by his family.
It was a meal he hadn't planned in the first place, but when he saw his father who looked unusually happy and his mother radiating happiness all over her body, he didn't think it was such a bad thing.
‘Besides, the tea time excuse is still valid.’
Lucio, who was thinking casually, suddenly made a strange expression.
Lucio's request to have tea with his mother was so unexpected that the Duke asked her if the sun would rise in the west tomorrow.
But the reason he did it was...
〈Can you please be a little nicer to the lady?〉
I remembered the face of a child who was making direct eye contact, even though her face was filled with fear.
At that time, why did I calmly answer that I would do it without realizing it?
As if that wasn't enough, as soon as I finished work, I went to visit my mother.
Doesn't he seem affected by every word the little girl says?
Lucio laughed a little inwardly and shook his head.
He never followed the little girl's words.
But through the child, I recognized my mother’s heart, which I had never known before.
Of course, it's not that I didn't know at all.
Because he was quick-witted, he was vaguely aware that his mother found him difficult and distant.
But for Lucio, the bright smile of his mother, who gave him chocolate when he was little, is still alive.
Of course, even when I was young, I wasn't very friendly because of my outspoken personality, so it's hard to express it now...
However, if he was worried enough to reveal his true feelings to the young maid, he thought he should have done the right thing as a child.
'So I was not affected by a single word from that child.'
After organizing his position again, he suddenly looked at the table and frowned.