Young Master, Please Put Some Pants On! - Chapter 13
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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 13
“….”
After observing him for about two weeks, Noel showed an indifferent attitude toward everything and was surprisingly quiet. Even now, he was casually tousling his softly scattered brown hair and letting out a languid yawn.
In fact, Mellis had never had a proper conversation with Noel before, but even if not as much as Anna, she strangely felt comfortable around him. Was it because of those noticeably droopy eyes that contrasted with his sturdy build?
In any case, Mellis thought that since he had been by Garulus’s side for a long time, he must surely know about that matter as well.
“Um, Noel. May I ask you just one thing?”
“….”
When Mellis approached hesitantly, Noel slowly lowered his gaze. As he nodded slightly instead of answering, the encouraged Mellis carefully opened her mouth.
“It’s about the young master. I heard that Garulus and the Duke had a big fight a few months ago.”
“….”
Once again, his head moved up and down. Thinking she had come to the right person, she swallowed dryly and asked her next question.
“Do you happen to know the reason?”
“….”
At Noel’s light nod that followed, Mellis cheered quietly to herself. As expected, Noel, who was always attached to Garulus’s side, would know the reason. Mellis waited for his next words with a joyful smile.
“….”
“Noel?”
However, even after waiting for a while, his mouth showed no sign of opening. Only then understanding the situation, Mellis made a dumbfounded expression.
“You have no intention of telling me, do you.”
“….”
Ah, this eagle bastard. At his nod that was much bigger and more resolute than before, Mellis bit her lips deeply.
* * *
In the end, Mellis had only one method left: a direct confrontation with Kermanomon.
“Hmm….”
Mellis tightened her grip on the plate she held with both hands. On the plate was a freshly baked tart that was giving off a sweet aroma. Since it felt awkward to visit empty-handed, she had been loitering around the kitchen when she obtained incredible information from the head chef. Namely, that Kermanomon liked desserts.
Fortunately, Mellis, who was quite confident in baking, immediately made a tart on the spot. But even though she had diligently prepared a bribe, the fact remained that she was still nervous. To think she was going to request a private audience with Duke Severus herself….
“This is for Garulus. For our baby young master!”
Mellis clenched her fist while thinking of the pitiful baby monkey. Mellis Portier, a woman who does what she sets out to do. To fulfill her role and mission as a governess, this level of adversity was nothing.
In fact, last night, she had received a great shock during her conversation with Garulus.
“Anyway, Kerman won’t like me anymore now. He must hate me for sure.”
When the dejected Garulus spoke as if blaming himself, Mellis felt her heart sink as she watched him. The shocked Mellis coaxed and soothed him, saying that could never be the case and that the Duke cherished and loved Garulus very much, but it had little effect.
In the end, Mellis resolved that she needed to intervene more actively in the two brothers’ problem before the situation got even worse.
“Let’s go, let’s go!”
With an ambitious cheer, Mellis checked one last time that her ears and tail were properly attached before knocking on the office door.
“Come in.”
“Your Grace….”
Soon a low voice was heard, and Mellis pulled up the corners of her mouth as much as possible before carefully stepping inside.
After glancing over Mellis briefly, he lowered his gaze back to his desk and asked.
“What brings you here?”
“I, I have something I’d like to discuss with Your Grace. I also prepared a bribe—ah, no, snacks.”
As she quickly placed the tart on the desk, he stared intently at the tart, his brow furrowing slightly at the word “bribe.” Though it was only a brief moment, Mellis felt as if her mouth was going completely dry.
“This is the most meager bribe I’ve ever received in my life.”
Fortunately, Kermanomon let out a light snort. As the stiff atmosphere relaxed somewhat, she felt her tension ease a little.
“…Actually, I have something I’d like to ask about the young master.”
The biggest reason Mellis could fearlessly come to see him was her confidence that she wouldn’t be harshly driven away by Kermanomon, at least. He cherished Garulus greatly, and she was the person who had been closest to Garulus recently. As expected, when she mentioned Garulus’s name, Kermanomon straightened his posture, which had been directed toward the desk the entire time.
Leaning back loosely against his chair, he asked in a low voice.
“Speak.”
Where should she begin? Judging from other people’s reactions, their quarrel was surely a sensitive topic for him as well. Mellis barely swallowed her dry saliva and carefully brought up the words she had practiced since last night.
“I heard that you two had a big fight a few months ago. Could I possibly know the reason?”
However, the moment she spoke those words aloud, Mellis regretted them. Kermanomon’s face hardened incomparably colder than before. The moment their eyes met, her heart seemed to sink, but since she couldn’t take back words already spoken, she tried not to lose her composure by tensing her head.
Under crushing tension, Mellis continued with the words she had prepared in advance.
“I, I know it’s an impertinent question, but it’s also very important to me. If you could tell me…”
“I don’t think it’s something you need to meddle in.”
However, before she could finish her sentence, Kermanomon’s cold voice cut her words short.
“After all, aren’t you someone who will leave in three months?”
Kermanomon glanced at her as if he didn’t like the situation of having to say such things to her. His gaze had already returned to the desk.
“…”
At that moment, Mellis couldn’t say anything. The three-month period stated in the contract was the minimum employment period, and nowhere in the contract did it say the contract would end after three months. In other words, unless she was fired, the end of employment was entirely up to her.
‘But why…’
Is he so certain that I’ll leave? Could it be that everyone at the ducal residence has been thinking this way all along? Mellis’s mouth shut tight at the sudden wave of hurt feelings.
She had prepared several sentences to persuade him, but her mind went completely blank in an instant, leaving her no choice but to trail off.
“I just wanted to help you two reconcile…”
“With what skill could you possibly do that?”
Kermanomon, who had somehow twisted his lips into a crooked smile, let out a light laugh as if amazed.
“Fine, let’s say you even have some kind of plan.”
“…”
“But if I open up to you and nothing changes, I’ll just end up having exposed my own shame. Why should I take such a risk?”
Though momentarily hurt by his excessively sharp attitude, Mellis couldn’t refute a single word of what he said and simply kept her mouth shut.
Mellis had thought she had adapted to this place reasonably well over the past few weeks. Her feared life at the ducal residence was rolling along without major problems. However, that was a story limited only to herself.
To Kermanomon, she was still an outsider, merely a temporary guest. So his words weren’t entirely incomprehensible. Moreover, since he wasn’t an ordinary person but the Empire’s Grand Duke, Mellis could understand that exposing his shame to a stranger wouldn’t be wise, as he said.
“I understand Your Grace’s words, but I…!”
However, Mellis couldn’t continue her words.
“However, you must continue working for at least three months.”
It was true that she had initially been tempted by the contract period he had proposed. As he said, for the first few days, she had comforted herself by thinking she just needed to endure for three months.
‘Ah…’
At that moment, she recalled the emotions she had felt in her dreams every day. The setting of her dreams was always this place, but Mellis was always wandering around somewhere endlessly in an anxious and restless state. Perhaps she too had been unconsciously thinking similar thoughts.
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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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