The Peaceful Life Of A Maid Who Hides Her Power And Enjoys It - Chapter 136

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 136

Just before my two arms could touch his body, a hand that stretched out first pulled me in.

Lu hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe. He left deep kisses on my forehead like stamping seals, then gently pressed his lips to my eyelids and below my cheekbones.

Then at some point, something chillingly soft touched my upper lip.

I was so startled that I pulled my body back.

What, what was that? Did it just touch me?

I looked up at Lu with wide eyes, but his expression was surprisingly calm, making me wonder if I had reacted too sensitively.

‘What was that really?’

Did I imagine it? My head was foggy from receiving too many expressions of affection in such a brief moment.

Hmm. If I could feel that sensation one more time, I think I could be certain…

“Hello, Daisy. Nothing beats touching you directly, right?”

Hmm. It certainly seems that way…

Lu, who naturally wrapped his arm around my shoulder, extended his other hand.

“Hand.”

Does he want it? I gave him my hand for now.

“Head.”

Head? How do I give that? I lifted my head instead of my hand. Soon a large palm came up and gently stroked my face and head.

“Good job.”

At the praise filled with laughter, both joy and displeasure rose simultaneously.

“Am I a dog?”

“I don’t hug dogs like this.”

Then he pulled my waist and lightly lifted me up.

Maybe because I’ve experienced this several times, it wasn’t very surprising anymore. As I was about to naturally wrap my arms around his shoulders, I suddenly remembered the servant I had forgotten about.

“W-wait a minute. Put me down. This doesn’t preserve my dignity as a baroness.”

“Dignity? Who’s watching that you need to maintain such things?”

What? Both maids and servants are all people! With that thought, I tried to push his shoulder, but I saw that the eyes of both the servant guiding Lu and the servant guiding me were hazy and unfocused.

‘…Are they under a mental spell?’

Lu, this lawless rogue who doesn’t consider time and place.

Before I could say anything, Lu turned in the opposite direction and continued walking slowly. It was the direction leading out of the manor.

I half-gave up and wrapped both arms around his neck. When his thread-like thin and soft silver hair touched my cheek, I remembered the moment when I rode on his back as a wolf through the rain.

It’s strange.

Even in Astrosia, a land farther than the Imperial Palace, I had never felt the kind of emptiness I had felt just moments before.

“What are you thinking so deeply about with that little head of yours?”

Emptiness.

‘Now I understand.’

That emptiness I felt was loneliness.

Yes, I was sometimes achingly lonely.

“Miss Daisy.”

“…I wasn’t thinking about anything else. I was thinking about Lu. You really looked like a prince just now.”

You appeared from the light.

I knew it was an extremely embarrassing expression, but no matter how much I racked my brain, there was no more appropriate word.

Lu shook his shoulders slightly and laughed.

“A prince? I could substitute for that much, but I won’t give up the princess.”

“I wouldn’t take that even if you offered.”

“Of course. Look how I’m serving our Miss Daisy. If you coveted being a princess, wouldn’t you be an unmanageable greedy person?”

I wrinkled my nose and lifted my face to look at Lu.

Lu in the form of Count Sereniye seemed like part of this Imperial Palace. Beautiful, noble, dignified… Not that his original appearance isn’t like that, but that side has more of a swampland darkness atmosphere than chandeliers.

“But are you going to keep using that way of speaking?”

Lu, who only rolled his eyes to check my face, answered with his cheek pressed against my chin.

“Hmm? I don’t know what you mean. That aside, I understand that you like me very much, but now that you’ve become the proper head of a family, you must maintain your dignity. Behave with propriety.”

He was telling me to speak formally instead of casually.

“I’m trying to maintain dignity, but Count won’t put me down.”

“Consider it an honor. You’re the only living being in this world that I carry around like this.”

The warmth transmitted through his thin skin is unbelievably warm. Just the fact that his body temperature and voice remain by my side brings such peace to my heart.

I hope Lu feels this way because of me too. The relief of not being alone and fulfillment instead of emptiness…

“Are you going to have an audience with His Imperial Majesty?”

“This body is a precious guest announcing the diplomatic relations between the Astrosia Kingdom and the Pen Rota Empire.”

“Will you also participate in the hunting competition?”

“That’s the plan. But I wonder if a handsome man like me, who’s only good-looking but physically and mentally weak, can produce decent hunting results.”

“It’ll be difficult, right? You have to form a team of two people.”

“Are you saying that Miss Daisy’s team being in 4th place is because of your teammate?”

Ahem.

“…I’m going to turn it around soon.”

“Is that so? I’ll cheer you on. I’ve read the newspapers well, not just about the scores, so keep that in mind.”

Newspaper, is it you again? How did your light headline surpass the Emperor and reach Lu’s ears…

I can feel Lu’s gaze lingering on my face. He’s definitely waiting for something.

As I was organizing my thoughts about where to start explaining this, Lu, whose patience had run out, spoke first.

“You committed many sins while I was away, Baroness Weatherwax.”

“I’m… innocent. I didn’t even hold hands once.”

“You’re stating the obvious. Didn’t you also have someone you promised marriage to in front of His Majesty the King of Astrosia? You mustn’t forget that the sin of insulting a king is great.”

Suddenly, I remembered the hastily made marriage vow I had shared in Astrosia to outwit the Marquis Manure.

‘But that was just acting, wasn’t it?’

Could he be serious? Or is it just a simple joke?

When I realized I was confused, irritation suddenly welled up.

‘You always speak so lightly that it’s confusing. What exactly is sincere?’

Honestly, there’s nothing particularly romantic about marriage or proposals.

Even on battlefields where corpses formed mountains, there were lovers who bloomed love. Their most earnest wish wasn’t expensive wedding rings or fancy weddings, but each other’s safety. Even if one arm was cut off by demons, as long as their lives remained intact, that was enough.

Is it because I witnessed such scenes to the point of boredom?

I was feeling sufficiently grateful just for the fact that Lu doesn’t leave my side.

Nevertheless, I can’t help feeling uncomfortable sometimes. How should I put it.

‘Should I say that his special treatment of me sometimes feels like duty?’

It was even more so because all his words and actions could be replaced with a sense of duty without seeming strange. In a moment of anger, I shouted in his ear.

“A married man with a wife and children… talking about the sin of insulting a king? If you want to keep a young, pretty, and capable woman like me by your side, you have to accept this level of risk!”

It was a complaint I voiced with all my heart, but the response was disappointingly bland.

“Ah. Of course.”

Lu replied with a face that said I was stating something obvious.

“Naturally, if a princess wants to win a prince, she must cut through enemies with a sword and overcome difficulties. This Count Sereniye also loves difficulties very much. The exhilaration felt each time I overcome them excites me greatly. It’s an emotion I had forgotten for a long time.”

He put me down on the ground. Next was the staircase leading down to the first floor, so we had to part ways here for a while.

I looked up at Lu with a feeling of sudden anxiety that made my previous anger seem meaningless.

‘How exactly are you going to overcome them?’

At the same time, I recalled the voice from just a few days ago talking about killing Raphael.

…Even if the source of affection is a sense of duty, wouldn’t that be fine?

“It’s not quite a difficulty, Lu. You seem to be misunderstanding something, but I’m leaving it alone because it’s all a necessary process in its own way…”

“Is that my concern? Then shall we go again, servant? The Emperor must be waiting for this body with great anticipation.”

Whoosh, Lu turned his back and returned the way he came, leading the servant who creaked unsteadily like a doll.

“Oh right. Baroness Weatherwax.”

And not long after, he stopped walking and looked back at me.

“This castle has a very unpleasant energy flowing through it. Since you never know what might happen, please be careful.”

It was advice the usual him wouldn’t give, and so it stuck deeper in my mind.

‘Unpleasant energy.’

What could it mean?

I stared at Lu’s retreating figure as it grew distant, then slowly descended the stairs.

When I arrived at the hunting headquarters, the white clouds that had been puffed up like cotton candy had already drifted far away.

Soon after, our aide who ranks 4th in skill but 1st in heart, Liwein, approached me.

“Weatherwax Baroness.”

“Good morning, Sir Liwein.”

Liwein stood with his usual stoic expression but uncharacteristically hesitated for quite a while.

Does he have something to ask of me? I waited quietly without speaking first, half-ready to tease him, but unfortunately Liwein quickly got to the point.

“My mother… was worried about your hunt today and sent a handkerchief she embroidered herself.”

What, was he embarrassed about giving me a handkerchief gift?

“How thoughtful of her to send such a precious gift. Please tell her I’m grateful.”

“Yes.”

I unfolded the handkerchief and wiped my neck while Liwein watched.

As I glanced at the handkerchief, naturally, Andert’s handwriting was written on it.

『Be constantly vigilant of your surroundings in preparation for any emergency』

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