The Grand Duke's Maid Writes a Consultation Log Today - Chapter 2
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
The Maid of the Grand Ducal House Writes a Counseling Log Today – Chapter 2
When Elysia turned seventeen, her father, who had gone out to subjugate monsters, passed away.
The first time she saw Yulias May Demint was at her father’s funeral.
“Thank you for coming, Your Grace.”
“Your husband was a swordsman who prioritized his comrades above anyone else. It is my fault for failing to protect him, so…”
He had black hair reminiscent of a crow. Though he looked like an adult at a glance, his face still carried a touch of youth.
However, one could tell just by looking at the men lined up behind him.
That man is the Grand Duke.
Elysia, who was wearing a black dress for the funeral, wore a hat to hide her red hair.
As he was conversing with her mother, his head turned, and their eyes met.
Against an outfit that appeared entirely black, his eyes caught her attention even more.
They were a deep orange, as if capturing the light of a setting sun.
Elysia, who had been staring blankly at him, startled and averted her gaze at the sudden presence pulling at her skirt.
“Sister! I’m hungry!”
“We’ll go eat after this is over. Can you both wait for me?”
It was Joshua, Elysia’s younger brother. The boy, who had just turned seven, rubbed his stomach due to hunger.
“How long do we have to wait?!”
“Hmm, why don’t we count slowly up to 100 in our heads? Very, very slowly.”
Having grown up receiving an abundance of love and affection from her parents, Elysia cherished Joshua more than anyone else.
“To speak in such a loud voice at one’s own biological father’s funeral…”
However, the eyes of others were different.
At Joshua’s booming voice, the looks people gave them were unkind.
Elysia, who was stroking her brother’s head, turned her face toward the gaze she felt belatedly.
“You two seem to get along well.”
“Your Grace, the Grand Duke.”
Before she knew it, Elysia and Yulias were close enough to face each other directly.
As Elysia belatedly tried to offer a proper greeting, he gestured as if there was no need.
Perhaps sensing the heavy atmosphere after fooling around, Joshua hid behind Elysia’s back.
“I am sorry for making a ruckus. My younger brother’s hearing isn’t very good.”
“It would have been better if I had known in advance that a breach had formed in the Fortress. Thanks to your father, the damage was minimal.”
“…My brother respects our father as well.”
“Is that so. It would be nice if that boy followed even half of this one’s example.”
He looks young, but is he already married?
From what Elysia knew, his age was exactly twenty.
A grand individual who had followed his biological father to subjugate monsters and roam battlefields since childhood, and had even graduated from the Academy early.
The information Elysia knew stopped exactly there.
“Excuse me.”
Yulias left the spot first. Only then did Joshua peek his head out and chatter away.
“That big brother! He looks! Super scary!”
Elysia gently covered Joshua’s mouth in case he might hear. However, Yulias walked away without turning back once.
* * *
Three years passed since then.
Life had to go on even after their father passed away, but their mother, who came from another region, could not avoid discriminatory treatment.
“If you are going to your maternal family’s home, we will go too.”
“Elysia.”
Her mother, who had put her brother to sleep and called Elysia aside, continued the conversation calmly.
“I want you to wait here with Joshua.”
“But Joshua will look for you, Mother. …And so will I.”
As she showed a lack of confidence, her mother held her hand tightly.
“I loved your father so much that I abandoned my hometown and came here.”
“…”
“I can endure going alone. But I’m worried that my family might mistreat you or make life miserable for you. That is what I worry about.”
Even so, wouldn’t it be better to go together?
Elysia swallowed the words she wanted to say and listened to her.
“Mother.”
“Your father was in the Grand Ducal Knights, so there was no problem making a living all this time. But my family is not like that. Not only are there many family members…”
She seemed to have something more to say, but shut her mouth.
Before her brother was born, Elysia, who had grown up with the love and affection of both parents, wanted to understand her.
“It will be two years at the latest. At that time, let’s go to my hometown and live together.”
“…”
“I will send living expenses every month. Can you just believe in me and wait a little bit?”
Elysia looked at her mother’s hands as they patted her. They were beyond dry, with cracked skin and many small scratches that weren’t there before.
Rather than working arduous jobs and not getting paid on time due to discrimination for being an outsider.
Her mother’s hometown might be better.
“Yes. I will take good care of him. I will write to you often, too.”
“I will write letters often too. I love you, Elysia.”
Leaning into her mother’s embrace, Elysia burst into the tears she had held back even when her father passed away.
After crying in her arms for a long time, they slept together in the bed for the first time in a while.
Three days later, while her brother was fast asleep, her mother left quietly.
Because if she departed during the day, Joshua would cry and throw a tantrum.
Her mother said she would take a boat departing at dawn to go to her hometown.
“It looks like it’s going to rain, will you be alright? I think it would be better to delay the departure a bit.”
“…I’ll be back.”
‘We aren’t parting forever, so why am I so sad?’
Despite having turned twenty. Elysia wanted to hold her back, saying it would be better to go together after all.
Her mother, who had packed a simple luggage bag, hugged her one last time and kissed Elysia’s forehead.
“Mother.”
As she moved further away from the house, she turned around several times to wave her hand.
Elysia waved her arm, letting her falling tears flow, fearing that if she wiped her face, her mother would catch her crying.
And not long after, the falling raindrops grew thicker and began to pour down like a rainstorm.
The night her mother left.
The news spread quickly as newspapers circulated stating that the boat that set sail at dawn had capsized, leaving most passengers dead or missing.
“Mommy!”
It took a long time for Elysia to soothe Joshua, who was crying his eyes out looking for his mother, and to convince him that they would meet again soon.
Elysia had not received her mother’s letter, but she did not believe she was dead.
She must be missing.
Rather, rather, that is better.
Believing so, Elysia firmly held back her reddening eyes.
From now on, the responsibility for her brother rested solely on Elysia.
Even though she was only twenty years old. Reality was cold.
“…It’s okay.”
She pulled up the blanket to cover Joshua, patting him as she muttered.
They were words meant for her brother, but they were also words meant for herself.
“It’s okay.”
Though she muttered it several times, tears eventually overflowed and dropped from her tightly strained eyes.
* * *
“Why don’t you visit the Grand Duke’s Residence instead?”
“If it’s the Grand Duke’s Residence…”
“I mean the Demint Grand Ducal House.”
Feeling bleak about her future life, Elysia poured out her worries to her neighbor, Mrs. Denmins.
She was a resident who had known Elysia since she was born.
Mrs. Denmins’ suggestion was as follows.
Since Elysia’s father had worked in the Knights Order for a long time, she could use that as a justification to ask to work as a maid.
However, working as a maid in a typical noble household usually required a letter of recommendation or a certain rank.
Elysia was a twenty-year-old who belonged to neither.
“Mrs. Denmins, could I trouble you to look after Joshua for just one day? I am going to visit the Grand Duke’s Residence.”
Wanting to express her gratitude for her consideration in willingly looking after him for a day, she intended to repay her separately.
But, at this time, Elysia did not know at all.
“Elysia, I need you.”
That the simple ambition of wanting to work at the Grand Duke’s Residence would become the beginning of a dream-like affair involving the Grand Duke.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————