# 25
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Five of the Duke's younger brothers.
Matthias would sometimes talk about his brothers.
This was not intentional, but he was saying it unconsciously while caring for the child.
For example, when a child does not eat his food well.
“The third one refused food every summer, and feeding him was a war. And here I am reliving that.”
Or when the child grabs Matthias' little finger with his little hands.
"Such power. Maybe you want to become a knight like our youngest."
Matthias talked about the youngest of his brothers the most.
Maybe because the age difference between them was so big, he found him cute and adorable.
Through his indirect speech, Elinor imagines that the youngest of the Hilliard brothers is a sweet and mischievous little boy.
But the younger brother I actually met...
'He's almost as tall as me.'
It was much longer than I imagined.
Although his face still had childish features, his body did not.
He was muscular enough to be considered an adult.
For Elinor, who was expecting a boy of thirteen or fourteen, this was shocking.
“Just a moment.”
The person's eyes suddenly lit up.
Then he pointed his finger as if to summon her, with an arrogant attitude as if he were calling a dog.
Elinor approached quietly without speaking, and he looked her up and down.
"You."
“Yes, sir.”
“Are you really a maid from the laundry department?”
Why is he suddenly asking this?
Did he find out that I'm not a washermaid?
She felt nervous at the unexpected question, but quickly regained her calm.
‘The Hilliard Family is the second most powerful family after the Imperial Family.’
Because of its large size, there were hundreds of servants and knights subordinate to it.
It stands to reason that the likelihood of a noble knowing the faces of the scullery maids is slim.
Elinor smiled and said:
“Yes, that's true.”
“Then why are you dressed like that?”
"What?"
“You're not wearing a maid's uniform.”
This was an unexpected signal.
Elinor quickly made up an excuse.
“I changed my clothes after work hours.”
“But you said you fell asleep while organizing the storeroom?”
“This...”
"And the clothes you're wearing now are from a designer my sister likes. I know they're expensive."
Elinor's mouth went dry.
She never cared about the clothes she wore.
It was just clothes I took from the closet.
“I knew from the beginning that Matthias was the one who prepared these clothes.”
But she didn't expect it to be from a brand that the Hilliard family loves.
to withdraw.
When Elinor didn't answer, the person raised his sword again.
“You are not a maid, but a thief.”
“No, I'm not.”
Elinor waved her hands quickly.
“These are really my clothes.”
"Don't lie. The maids' salary isn't even enough to buy a hat from that brand. And you've been hiding late, haven't you? You came to steal something, right?"
She was in trouble.
The person was convinced she was a thief.
How do you get out of this crisis?
Elinor rolled her eyes.
Suddenly, she saw papers scattered on the floor of the training yard.
'Tedian Hilliard.'
The papers bearing his name were school papers.
The papers were printed with problems similar to those Elinor had studied while at the academy.
Was he crying because of these papers?
Now that she thought about it, he said that he would be scolded if he didn't finish his homework.
‘If I am caught as a thief, the Duke may let me out, but the surveillance will increase.’
Her place of residence may change. Then escape will become a distant dream.
'I must get through this crisis calmly and without fuss.'
Elinor swallowed.
She wasn't sure, but she had no other choice, so she decided to take the risk.
“Err…! Actually, these are not my clothes. I wore clothes that should have been washed in secret.”
Elinor bowed down and confessed her false sin. She was planning to continue pretending to be a washerwoman.
Tidian raised his eyebrows wearily.
“Ha, as I expected...”
“But I didn’t intend to steal. I only wanted to wear the dress once and return it, but it was so beautiful that I wanted to walk around in it. I was wandering here and there, and when I saw you, I was surprised and hid.”
“You will be punished for theft.”
Tidian growled as he lowered his sword.
“How dare you steal Master’s clothes? And you also lie. I can’t tolerate this.”
“Please, forgive me just once.”
Elinor knelt on the ground.
“I will put the clothes back in place. I will wash them carefully so that they do not cause any inconvenience.”
“It is too late for amnesty.”
“Can't I help you with your homework?”
Tidian's eyebrows moved like worms.
“Are you trying to make a deal with me now?”
“That's not what I meant. I'm just ing you to have mercy on me.”
“It seems that you took a look at my homework, but these papers are not something you can touch. Not matters like how to fold laundry well. You are a washermaid who wouldn’t understand even if you read them...”
“It's a matter of extracting conditions that can increase the production of force, isn't it?”
Elinor suddenly interrupted Tidian's words.
Her answer was correct, and his eyes widened slightly.
"This is something that students in the upper years of the academy study. Wasn't it difficult?"
“How do you know this?”
“Not all maids are uneducated. I work as a maid now, but I received a good education.”
She had joined the academy as the first in the class and maintained first place for seven years until she graduated as the first in the class.
Now, she was posing as a washerwoman to hide her identity with her nephew.
“I'll solve the problems for you. They might think you copied if you just give the answers, so I'll write down the solution process as well.”
“You...”
“On the other hand, forgive me just once. I will never make that mistake again. I will never covet other people’s things.”
Tidian stared at Elinor.
Elinor was worried that he would refuse.
After moments of silence.
“Okay, do your homework first.”
Tidian accepted Elinor's offer.
Elinor smiled happily.
“Thank you, sir!”
“And explain it to me too. You might write something wrong and claim to have completed it. If I don’t understand, the deal will be off.”
"Don't worry. I'll explain in a way that even an infant can understand."
Elinor's red eyes sparkled with confidence.
* * *
The matter that troubled Tidian was not difficult for Elinor.
How could Elinor, who had been known as a genius throughout her studies, not solve such a problem?
‘But, how to say… the matter is kind of messy.’
As if it was formulated to make him mistaken.
For example, if there is an assumption “Matthias looks like my mother-in-law,”
It would be like saying: “Matthias - the first of the Hilliards and the main villain - is a bipedal primate, 26 years old, who has not yet achieved the social consensus that humanity created for the preservation of the species (or what is called marriage), but he is as demanding as if he had grandchildren who begot grandchildren.”