The Grand Duke's Maid Writes a Consultation Log Today - Chapter 20

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Maid of the Grand Ducal House Writes a Counseling Log Today – Episode 20
“Yes. ……Pardon?”
“I tried to strike up a conversation several times, but it failed every single time, and even that written communication she showed back then…….”
Yulias continued speaking like a guilty sinner.
Had she ever seen him ramble like this before?
Elysia closed her lips, which had been slightly parted.
Sheila had reacted so coldly toward Yulias when he called Elysia out.
Her words to take Elysia away after finishing the meal had come as quite a shock to Yulias.
It was surprising enough that she had countered him for the first time, but there was an even greater reason.
The child, who had routinely ignored every other maid attached to her so far, had actually shown a sense of possessiveness over someone this time.
She cared more about a maid who hadn’t been by her side for long than her own biological brother.
Yulias’s head slowly dropped toward the floor.
“It’s not that I find the Princess bothersome.”
“…….”
“If I found her bothersome, I wouldn’t have kept her by my side and received reports every time something happened. I wouldn’t have cared what happened to her, and also…….”
“Grand Duke.”
As Yulias continued, his voice sounded somewhat strained.
When Elysia called out softly, he wiped a hand over his face.
“In the end, it amounts to nothing but excuses, but I never, ever…….”
“I understand completely, so you don’t have to say any more.”
His head, which had fallen toward the floor, slowly lifted.
Before he knew it, Elysia was looking right at him, a slow smile gracing her lips.
“To me, it looks like you’re deeply contemplating how you can approach the Princess, Your Grace.”
“…….”
“Am I right?”
Yulias couldn’t bring himself to answer aloud and simply nodded.
“Whew.”
Letting out a deep breath like a sigh, Elysia continued the conversation to lighten the mood.
“It’s not entirely impossible. The Princess doesn’t fully trust me yet, but she does like Joshua.”
“Your younger brother?”
“She spends most of her meal times with Joshua, and I heard she often reads books in the Library. I’ve seen it a few times myself, too…….”
“Then should I ask Joshua for a favor?”
Yulias’s expression was growing increasingly serious.
Elysia immediately waved her hands.
“No, that’s not it. Your Grace, the important thing is the fact that the Princess hasn’t closed the door to her heart to people entirely.”
“……I see.”
“Since I am also still in the process of building trust with her. If that’s the case…….”
Elysia stared at the paper in her hand, lost in deep thought.
Watching her, Yulias bit his parched lips as if he was unnecessarily nervous.
“Why don’t you practice with me separately!”
“Practice?”
Hearing the word practice, Yulias naturally thought of weapons or horses.
However, the practice Elysia proposed was something completely different.
“Yes! Originally, forming friendships and getting closer to people all requires practice. Just like a young child learns social skills from their parents.”
“I never expected to hear that I lack social skills in this manner.”
To put it bluntly, ……she wasn’t exactly wrong, was she?
Elysia let out a groaning laugh.
It would be much better to provide education tailored right to his eye level.
“Now, look here.”
Elysia held up both of her index fingers and then slowly narrowed the wide gap between them.
“You know that in any relationship, approaching slowly is important, right? Even if they aren’t family.”
“It feels like you’re educating a five-year-old.”
Without replying at all, Elysia continued her explanation while narrowing and then widening the gap between her fingers.
“But if your heart gets ahead of you and you approach suddenly, there’s no guarantee the other person will accept it.”
Watching the two fingers move apart just as they were about to meet, Yulias asked back.
“So?”
“Practice approaching slowly. This includes not just conversation, but also building trust and rapport. How about practicing this with me?”
Yulias looked at her with a lukewarm gaze.
He clearly had an expression that showed he couldn’t quite trust her words.
Refusing to be pushed back by this atmosphere, Elysia thrust forward the paper he had personally shown her.
As the paper suddenly loomed close to his face, Yulias leaned back slightly.
“The reason Your Grace asked me for a favor is because the Princess told me not to go, isn’t it?”
“…….”
His eyes rolled around silently.
“Which means, this is the first time you’ve ever seen the Princess ask anyone not to go and to stay by her side, right?”
“……Yes.”
Yulias admitted in a small voice, conceding defeat.
He must have seen a glimmer of hope in the paper he had happened to pick up.
Perhaps, the hope that repairing the relationship would be possible through Elysia.
Elysia inwardly muttered, ‘I’ll have to do something about that stubbornness of his first,’ before changing the subject.
“You and Joshua might look like we have a tight bond, but we actually bicker quite a bit.”
“I’d have to see you bicker to know…… Ah, do you mean that time he cried because he didn’t want to go home?”
“Cases like that are actually better. There were times when we were in a cold war with each other for days without speaking a word.”
“How did you repair your relationship after that?”
At Yulias’s question, Elysia answered without a moment’s hesitation, as if asking why he would even query something so obvious.
“I apologized.”
“…….”
“I would state what I felt hurt about, and as we exchanged apologies, we’d go back to normal.”
Elysia tightly clenched both index fingers that had been twitching.
She held both hands firmly together as if they were locked with a key.
Watching those two hands, Yulias’s gaze wavered strangely.
Apologizing, and stating what one felt hurt about.
Had there ever been a time like that?
Never once.
Elysia placed her released hands on top of her knees.
“To get to that point, you need trust that the other person doesn’t hate you or find you bothersome. And Your Grace needs to practice building that trust.”
As if he understood to some extent, Yulias nodded his head.
Only then did Elysia let out a soft sigh of relief.
“Then, what should I start with?”
“Is there anything you usually do together with the Princess? It seems you eat your meals separately, and you don’t seem to go on walks together either…….”
The more Elysia pondered, the more she realized that the paths of the two never crossed at all.
Yulias averted his eyes slightly and affirmed.
“As you said, there is nothing we do together.”
“Then, how about having a meal together first?”
“Is that necessary?”
“……Your Grace. To get closer in the first place, you need to share some overlapping time.”
Yulias let out a small groan before finally nodding his head in agreement.
“And. What else?”
“Invite her to have a meal together first.”
“If it goes as I expect, I doubt I’ll even get an answer.”
“I will deliver the message for you. How about lunch tomorrow?”
“You want me to eat with her starting tomorrow morning?”
“Of course.”
He seemed to hesitate, but in the end, having no choice, he had to nod his head once more.
Elysia beamed and spoke confidently.
“Just trust me. I am building trust with the Princess in my own way, after all.”
Seeing him try so hard to get closer to his sister made her want to help just a little bit more.
Furthermore, if Sheila could rely on him, wouldn’t they be able to become as close as she and Joshua were?
Elysia passionately demonstrated examples of how to converse after a meal.
However…….

* * *
[Not eating.]
Sheila, who showed her the scribbled paper, glared at her.
“But, because a separate cart wasn’t prepared for us to dine together. No, a problem arose with that cart, so bringing food to your room, Princess, is a bit……”
Trying to pull off an obvious lie made her words stumble and ramble.
Elysia tried to persuade her in a fluster, but instead, an anticipated answer that had been prepared in advance returned.
[I’m going to starve.]
An unyielding determination could be glimpsed from the handwriting shown to her.
“Princess……”
Elysia hastily called out, but it was no use.
Sheila slammed the door shut loudly, ensuring it would be heard.
-Bang!
Startled, she took a step backward.
It was a dangerous situation where her hand could have easily been caught in the door and injured.
“……Princess.”
After knocking cautiously, she focused on the sound inside the room.
-Click.
As a result, the sound of the door being locked shut echoed.
Elysia managed to maintain a forced smile, but inside, she felt like crying.
She had expected it wouldn’t be easy.
But she hadn’t expected to be turned away so brutally at the door.
Yulias was probably already waiting in the Small Banquet Hall by now.
‘How about having a cozy meal in the Small Banquet Hall?’
All her efforts in persuading Yulias had turned to dust.
Letting out a silent sigh, Elysia recalled the words she had heard from him last night.
‘The Princess stopped talking after entering the Academy. When she returned after her first vacation, we were able to converse one last time, but.’
The face of Yulias, who had been unable to continue his words, flickered in her mind.
Elysia gently placed her hand on the door and muttered.
“……What on earth happened there?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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