The Villainess's Exclusive Maid Is Too Good at Her Job - Chapter 41

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

Chapter 41

“Leaving already?”
“I can’t think straight here, so I should go.”
“What? Has it gotten this late already? Did you miss dinner because of me? Aren’t you hungry? Want to grab a meal with me?”
“No need.”
“Ha, you’re prickly. You know, you’re practically a carbon copy of Julietta. Both of you are like sullen little kittens.”
Sullen little kittens…?
Confronted with such an unprecedented comparison, Kendrick had lost even the will to protest.
Shaking his head, Kendrick walked past him first.
“Hey, wait!”
Oscar scrambled to his feet and followed after him.
“Ken-, little brother.”
“…”
“If you ever need my help with anything, just say the word. I’ll do whatever I can, alright?”
“…”
“So…”
The voice that had been chattering incessantly grew quieter. And then.
“Let’s meet again. Please.”
The plea that followed managed to halt Kendrick’s steps.
Since childhood, Oscar had often played with the twins.
After they turned ten and Julietta began to drift away, their visits had become less frequent.
Yet Oscar still loved the twins dearly.
‘But…’
I never imagined it would come to this.
“…”
“…”
In the silence that followed, Oscar clenched and unclenched his fists.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it back then.”
I knew exactly what “back then” meant.
The Aeshlaide War.
A mere child of fifteen, pushed onto the battlefield by adults.
Though Oscar knew it was madness, there was nothing he could do.
At the time, Oscar was still a minor.
His birth mother had long since passed, and while the Empress—his mother’s relative—provided support, she was ultimately just a “relative.”
The Imperial Court could not actively intervene in the Grand Duchy House’s affairs.
Knowing I would likely die, he had sent his younger brother to that terrible place.
His own helplessness made him tremble with rage.
A crushing guilt had suffocated him. So when I returned alive, he was overjoyed.
Oscar was the first to come greet me. But.

“….”

The moment he faced Kendrick’s return, he realized it. The Kendrick from his childhood no longer existed.
In that brutal battlefield, he was as good as dead.
As if to prove this, Oscar felt a deep sense of guilt again upon seeing Kendrick shut away in the room.
But I couldn’t stay like this.
After Kendrick left for the battlefield, Oscar did his best to gain power.
I didn’t want to feel that helplessness anymore—the kind that comes from having to send out a beloved younger sibling during wartime.
Seeing Kendrick return with a broken spirit made me realize I needed to become even stronger.
All he could do was build his reputation alongside his studies.
Since I was never confident about physical work from the beginning, I poured my effort into what I could do.
Winning people’s affection came easily to me from a young age.
He began to build his own support network on his own.
He also didn’t forget to win his father’s favor from time to time.
He’s the Grand Duke who treats all his children with equal indifference, but even so, there’s always that one finger that hurts a little more when you bite it.
It was when Oscar, recalling the past, forced a smile.
“Why are you apologizing?”
“Thud,” Kendrick answered dismissively.
On his face with narrowed eyes, an expression of disbelief was evident.
“You thinking this happened because you couldn’t stop it—that’s just you being too self-conscious.”
Excessive self-consciousness…?
Oscar, who had been muttering the word blankly, soon burst into bright, cheerful laughter—”Ha ha ha!”
“Ha, haha. Is that so? Am I being too self-conscious?”
Kendrick clicked his tongue at the sight of her laughing with tears hanging from the corners of her eyes.
Oscar quickly caught up with him from behind as he turned his gaze forward and walked on.
“Still, hyung, if you need help, just say the word, Ken—I mean, bro. I’ve got some strength now.”
“That’s enough. Just make sure you handle Janet’s work properly.”
“Yeah, of course! You two look like you’re already good friends anyway, so I should take good care of my little brother’s friend.”
The moment Oscar spoke with a mushy, melting smile.
“Huh? What? Why are you staring at me like that, little brother?”
Oscar grinned broadly at Kendrick’s disgruntled gaze and asked.
Kendrick clicked his tongue once more, then looked ahead again and spoke.
“Don’t act too friendly with Janet.”
Huh?
Huh?
Oscar tilted his head way back.
My eyes sparkled as I looked up at Kendrick, who was smaller than me in childhood but had now grown a head taller than me.
What is this?
What on earth is going on?
Good heavens, what on earth.
‘…This is rather amusing, isn’t it?’
#Chapter. How to Escape Childhood

“Thanks to you, Maidservant, Jeron’s condition has improved considerably. His stomach no longer troubles him, and he’s stopped complaining of discomfort.”
“I’m relieved to have been of help.”
In the days since I’d last seen him, Jeron’s face had regained a faint flush of color.
When he’d been bedridden and languishing, he’d looked like a living corpse.
Jeron’s eyes rolled about shyly as he spoke.
“Thank you, Jan…et. And you too, Sister.”
At the remarkably clear words flowing from his lips, Julietta—who had been pinching the child’s cheeks—blinked in surprise.
“What’s this? Little one, you can speak properly now?”
“I… practiced…!”
Though his stammering hadn’t entirely vanished, it was a tremendous improvement compared to before.
“Joanna taught me calmly… and waited… for me.”
At Jeron’s words, tears welled in Joanna’s eyes.
She swallowed hard, clearly fighting back her emotions, and lifted the corners of her mouth in a gentle smile.
“That’s the result of your diligent practice, Young Master.”
“He, hehe.”
The child laughed with rosy cheeks, his demeanor appearing at ease.
It was a distinctly different atmosphere from the constant wariness he’d displayed before.
Joanna leaned slightly toward me and whispered softly.
“As you advised, I made an effort not to show my anxiety. I didn’t want my unease to spread to the Young Master.”
“You’ve worked hard, Governess.”
“I’m truly grateful. I’m so fortunate to have met you.”
“Please, don’t mention it. By the way, the birthday celebration is nearly upon us now, isn’t it?”
There were perhaps four days remaining.
Thinking of it that way, it felt imminent indeed.
“Yes. I confess I’m somewhat worried about it.”
“Worried? What could possibly be wrong with the little one’s birthday party?”
“Oh, nothing is actually wrong.”
Joanna hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice.
“It’s just that the Young Master hasn’t fully recovered yet. I’m concerned that people might notice his condition.”
“True enough. Our little one does look rather frail.”
At the words from above, Jeron’s eyebrows drooped.
“…My Lady.”
“Ahem.”
At my cautionary call, Julietta let out a stifled cough.
“What. I find the frail little one endearing enough.”
Stretch, stretch.
Julietta, as if making an excuse, pulled the child’s cheeks like taffy.
“Mmph.”
When Jeron protested softly, Julietta laughed and pressed his cheeks firmly.
Joanna’s shoulders trembled slightly as she watched.
“…Ahem, ahem.”
Hearing the awkward cough, Janet whispered her question.
“You’re holding back something you want to say, aren’t you?”
“Well, that’s just the kind of playful teasing siblings do.”
The Joanna from before would have made a fuss, demanding what on earth she was doing.
She wouldn’t have understood that it made the child anxious.
As Janet watched the scene with satisfaction, a pleasant thought regarding the birthday celebration struck her.
“Joanna. What if we held the birthday ball as a masquerade instead?”
“A masquerade?”
“Yes. With masks, we could conceal the young master’s complexion.”
Janet paused mid-sentence, realizing something.
“Come to think of it, there are only four days left until the birthday ball. Suddenly changing the theme would be difficult.”
The invitations had been sent out more than a month ago.
Many nobles were already in the Capital preparing to attend the ball.
It wouldn’t be easy to suddenly ask everyone to bring masks.
However.
“What are you saying, Janet? That poses no problem whatsoever.”
“Pardon?”
“That’s right. Maidservant. Time is no obstacle at all.”
“…Pardon?”
Unlike Janet, who repeated “Pardon?” like a parrot, Joanna and Julietta remained composed.
“This is Ludwig, after all. And the young master is Jeron Ludwig.”
“There is nothing impossible in Ludwig, Janet.”

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