The Grand Duke's Maid Writes a Consultation Log Today - Chapter 25
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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 025
Elysia’s gaze, which had been fixed on the paper, shifted.
Sheila was facing her without a single change in her expression.
“May I ask why you think that way?”
Even at Elysia’s question, Sheila did not move an inch.
Her locked gaze and the slight tilt of her head instead made it seem as though she were asking if it wasn’t completely obvious.
When Elysia did not ask further or give a reaction, Sheila, unable to watch any longer, showed her the paper.
[You’ve seen it too, so you should know.]
Seen it and should know?
Elysia stared blankly at her handwriting and recalled.
Her very first meeting with Sheila.
The attitude Yulias had shown back then.
Rather than hatred or anger toward Yulias, it looked as though she didn’t possess even a shred of expectation for him.
The emotional rift ran deeper than Elysia had imagined.
It would be wonderful if she could know for certain where things had started twisting, but at least that wasn’t the case right now.
“Lady Sheila. First, what do you think about writing a reply? Since the visit is scheduled for tomorrow, I think it would be best to hurry.”
Elysia shifted the topic as naturally as possible.
However, Sheila’s reaction was unexpectedly indifferent.
[Write it yourself.]
“Pardon? Still, I think it would be better if you took a look at it, My Lady.”
Sheila wrote with an expression that showed she had no interest whatsoever.
[You already know they’re going to reject it anyway.]
A corner of Elysia’s heart felt a pang.
It was because the expression of Yulias, who had firmly said that a rejection was unacceptable, came to mind.
Meanwhile, Sheila, who had slipped out of the room, stopped in her tracks and looked back.
Elysia’s steps, as she tried to follow behind, came to a halt.
Sheila gestured toward the end of the hallway, but deciding that wasn’t enough, she finished writing the rest of the words to show her.
[Joshua is in my room.]
[Send the reply immediately after you write it in the room.]
[I will be in the Library.]
Sheila walked away before Elysia’s answer could even return.
Sheila’s figure entering the Library was faintly visible at the end of the hallway.
Standing blankly, Elysia let her shoulders droop as if the tension had suddenly drained out of her.
* * *
When she entered the room, Joshua, who had been reading a book on the bed, raised his head.
“Where’s Sheila?”
“She went to the Library.”
“Really?”
Joshua’s gaze fixed on the book once again.
Is he not going to follow her?
Did they perhaps have a fight?
The one who receives the most trust from Sheila should be Joshua.
Elysia, who sat down after gathering the letter paper and a pen, glanced at Joshua several times.
“Joshua, you didn’t happen to have a fight with Lady Sheila, did you?”
“Our relationship is really good, though?”
Joshua was kicking his legs back and forth while lying on his stomach.
Indeed, if their relationship weren’t good, there was no way he could just plop down on the Lady’s bed like that.
Moreover, Joshua had said that he had heard Sheila’s voice before.
Elysia continued her conversation with Joshua even while writing the letter.
“It looks nice to see you getting so close with Lady Sheila lately. Since when did you two become close?”
“Since when? Hmm…”
[We express our deepest gratitude to the Imperial Family for not minding such a long journey and paying us a visit.]
Writing it like this should be fine.
First of all, even if the content was a bit messy, it would pass through Yulias’s eyes at least once.
[To ensure that your precious footsteps are not in vain, we send this reply. If you would kindly visit us again after all preparations are made in the future, we would like to host you more grandly at that time…]
“You know when I first came here? While I was waiting for you, Sis, I touched Sheila’s things.”
“Huh?!”
“I didn’t just touch them blindly, but I asked if I could look around the room, and she said yes.”
Elysia, who had stopped replying, turned her head.
Joshua was looking at the book as if it were nothing.
“While I was looking at the bookshelf, there was a book with a really pretty cover. It looked like a book she used when she went to the Academy. I opened it thinking it was a fairy tale book, but I couldn’t understand the contents.”
Did he see a textbook?
Joshua found it difficult to read tightly packed textbooks, even if he could read simple fairy tale books.
It wasn’t that he was completely illiterate, but if it was Sheila’s book, it was something used at the Academy.
“At first, I asked if she doodled because she didn’t want to study. She said no. So when I asked more, she said the kids who hate her did it.”
“…And then?”
“They hate her because she has no parents and only relies on the family name. Isn’t that strange?”
“You’re right, it is strange.”
The name Joshua spoke of wasn’t just anything simple.
It was definitely about the Demint Family.
“Sheila said she has no parents and only relies on her name. That’s why the Grand Duke must hate her too.”
“…”
Without answering, Elysia pulled the pen away before the ink could smudge on the stationery.
“So I told her that I don’t have a mom and dad either, and I have a name, but my sister doesn’t hate me.”
“What did she say to that?”
“She said she envies it.”
That she envied it.
Did she say that directly too?
Although she couldn’t know since when he had been having spoken conversations with Sheila instead of written communication.
Somehow, she had a premonition that Sheila must have said those exact words himself.
Joshua, closing the book, adjusted his posture and sat up.
“So, guess what I said?”
When he invited curiosity with his two sparkling eyes, Elysia smiled without realizing it.
“What did you say?”
“I said I envy Mr. Hilmaiten. No, I even said he’s cool! He’s cooler than the Grand Duke!”
“Really?”
“Yeah! I said I want to become super cool and smart just like that mister. So after that, you know when you weren’t around for a bit, Sis? When I was looking for you, Sheila personally took me to Mr. Hilmaiten.”
Was that why the light in his eyes changed whenever he saw Hilmaiten after that?
“That was the first time we held hands. Holding hands and taking me there, and after that, showing me the Library, and reading books to me…”
What Joshua said next was mostly about the good moments he spent with Sheila.
To Joshua’s continuous chattering, Elysia kept her smile and listened intently.
Listening to the story out of habit, it was only after a long time had passed that Elysia snapped out of it and picked up the pen.
“Right, the reply!”
Elysia hurriedly finished up the reply.
Since they couldn’t reject it outright, it was better to guide it so that tomorrow’s visit would be politely turned down for now.
Joshua, who was watching that sight, hesitated before calling out to Elysia.
“Sis. You know…”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Never mind.”
Joshua, shaking his head, reopened the book with an awkward gesture.
Even so, his gaze kept glancing over, which meant he was definitely reading her countenance.
It was also a characteristic of Joshua, who wasn’t very good at lying.
“Joshua, if you have something you want to say, you can say it.”
“It’s nothing much. I’m really just asking because I’m curious.”
“What is it?”
“Um, but Sheila shouldn’t know that I told you, Sis.”
Whether it was a secret between just the two of them, Joshua hesitated with a conflicted look.
“I’ll keep it a secret from the Lady.”
Even when Elysia coaxed him gently and softly, he didn’t confide easily as if it were a major dilemma.
But Elysia knew that the more he did that, the more right it was to wait calmly without rushing him.
To avoid giving him pressure, she folded the letter paper she had finally finished writing and put it into the envelope next to her.
After a moment, Joshua asked abruptly.
“What would you do, Sis, if I were sick?”
“Huh? First… we’d have to treat you, right? Are you sick somewhere by any chance?”
He didn’t look hurt or sick anywhere.
Was there another reason he was asking this?
“Did the Lady say she is sick somewhere, by any chance?”
At Elysia’s question, Joshua’s shoulders flinched.
She could tell without even hearing an answer.
Belatedly, Joshua shook his head.
“No. It’s not like that.”
“Then?”
“She said someone is coming tomorrow. That, Sheila said she doesn’t want to meet them.”
It seemed he had shared a conversation to some extent with Joshua.
Joshua, still hesitating, continued with words that were hard to understand.
“She said she won’t leave her room. But if she ends up meeting them, she’ll hate it so much. Still, if she keeps holding it in and holding it in… she said it hurts terribly. She said she hates that more.”
“It hurts if she keeps holding it in?”
What does that mean?
Elysia looked at him with an uncomprehending expression.
But Joshua was quickly adding more words.
“You absolutely have to keep what you heard from me a secret. Got it? And if Sheila is sick, I really hope you can help her, Sis.”
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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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