Chapter 179
Upon arriving at the office, I placed the coat I had under my arm onto the sofa.
Then, Wendy peeked her head out from the tightly wrapped coat.
“Count… I-I’m sorry…”
Ignoring her head for a moment, her hand, which had also slipped out, wriggled.
It was almost like a cute caterpillar, and I almost smiled but held back.
Now was the time to scold her.
I spoke as calmly as possible.
“Finish what you were saying earlier.”
“Huh…?”
“Why did you come to the office? Did you want to go to the festival with me?”
“Ah… nooo…”
“No?”
“…Yes.”
Wendy bowed her head deeply, lacking confidence.
It was such an obvious lie.
“Wendy. Look me in the eye and speak.”
“…!”
Wendy hesitated, then raised her head, and our eyes met.
Her teary eyes, on the verge of crying, reflected my face.
“Was I mistaken? Didn’t you want to say you wanted to go to the festival with me?”
“Well…”
“And why did you take my shirt?”
“…!”
“Speak.”
“Sniff… Well, it’s…”
Wendy seemed like she wanted to say something.
Her eyes were filled with a desperate plea.
It seemed like the words she held in her heart were about to come out but were swallowed back.
“…I’m sorryyy. Sniff…”
Wendy’s tears fell drop by drop.
Unexpectedly, she was stubborn.
I didn’t know the reason, but she seemed determined to keep denying it.
If that’s the case, then there’s nothing I can do.
I spoke in a stern voice.
“I’m disappointed in you.”
“Huh, huh?!”
“Wendy, I don’t care what you did. If you did it, there must have been a good reason. But lying to me, your master, changes things.”
“Sniff…”
“Now I see I might have misjudged you. To think I chose a girl who lies like this as my exclusive maid.”
“That’s… that’s not it…”
“If it’s not, then I’ll ask you one last time. Wendy. Why did you come to my office?”
Wendy’s large eyes trembled.
I spoke to those frightened eyes.
“…It’s okay if your answer is clumsy. It’s okay if it’s immature.”
Because I believed that even if she deceived me, it was never for her own selfish gain.
“But… don’t lie to me.”
“Sniff…”
Perhaps because my true feelings got through.
Wendy, who had been sniffling, finally spilled her heart.
“A-actually, I wanted to go… to the festival with you next week… That’s why I came to the office during lunch today… But the door wasn’t locked, so I came in and overheard that you were going with the princess…”
“I see…”
“But since you already have plans with the princess… I thought I’d quietly leave… I’m sorry for hiding it…”
“Is that all you were hiding?”
“Huh…?”
I pointed to my shirt with my hand.
“Why did you take the shirt?”
“Th-that’s…! It’s not that…!”
“…What did I just say?”
“…!”
Wendy, about to deny again, saw my stern face and finally confessed.
“I… I smelled it! Sniff…! Your scent was so, so nice… I’m sorry! I lied because I was embarrassed…!”
“Hmm.”
“P-please forgive me! Count…”
Thinking about it, Wendy had often been held in my arms like a baby.
I guessed that Wendy, being the eldest daughter of a poor farming family, had matured early. With the family struggling to make ends meet and her position as the eldest, she probably couldn’t act spoiled with anyone.
I quietly looked at Wendy’s face.
Having started social life early, her appearance did seem more mature than her peers.
But to me, she was still just a child who could act spoiled without it being strange.
So, I fully understood why Wendy took my shirt.
Perhaps my clothes carried a scent she could trust and rely on.
Like a mother’s scent… or rather, a father’s scent. Anyway, thinking like that made it awkward to scold her or let it slide.
Lost in thought for a moment, I slowly opened my mouth.
“…You’re really a crybaby and a scaredy-cat.”
“I-I’m sorry… for being a crybaby and a coward…”
“You stutter and always lack confidence.”
“I’m sorry for stuttering. I’m sorry for lacking confidence…”
“And on top of that, I didn’t expect you to be a bad girl who even touches her master’s clothes.”
“Gasp…?! I-I’m sorry for being a bad girl…! I won’t do it again!”
“But it’s better than a lying girl.”
“…Huh?”
I didn’t say anything more and just patted Wendy’s head.
Then Wendy quietly asked.
“Count… are you not mad…?”
“I’m not.”
“Then you won’t scold me?”
“Do you want me to scold you?”
“N-no?! Ah! That’s…! It’s my fault and I’m scared but… if it’s you, Count, it’s okay to scold me…”
Wendy bowed her head heavily, as if ready to accept any punishment.
But I had no intention of punishing her after she confessed.
“Since you were honest, that’s enough. You’re not cunning, so lies would easily be exposed. Instead of clumsy lies, be honest.”
“I’ll keep that in mind…”
“And as you know, I have prior plans with the princess for the festival.”
“Ah… It’s, it’s okay! Don’t worry about it! It’s a pity, but I was too late. Let’s go next time. I-I’ll just go to the festival with my friends this time! Hehe…”
Wendy said to me with a forced smile.
Really bad at lying. But I didn’t dislike her.
Though clumsy in everything, her character was more pure and good than anyone else’s.
I couldn’t help but be weak to her.
“But in the evening.”
“Huh…?”
“…I might have time in the evening. I’ll meet the princess during the day.”
“Eh?”
It took Wendy a moment to understand my words.
Soon, her face brightened.
“Th-then…!?”
“I’ll keep the evening free for now.”
“I-I did it! I did it! I’m going to the festival with the Count…!”
Wendy, wrapped tightly in my coat, squirmed on the sofa.
It was strange, like a caterpillar twisting its body, but Wendy didn’t seem to care.
“R-really, is it okay? Count.”
“Yes. But I’ll warn you in advance, it won’t be fun going to the festival with me.”
“N-no! It’ll be fun! I’ll make sure it’s fun for you! Hehe.”
Is this how a father feels when taking his daughter to the amusement park on the weekend?
Seeing Wendy’s happy face, my heart felt something too.
“…Alright. Then I’ll look forward to it. The schedule should end by 9 at the latest, so wait for me in my office.”
“Yes, yes! I’ll wait for you, Count!”
The teary-eyed look from before was gone, and Wendy was now shining and smiling brightly.
Maybe it’s just the emotional ups and downs of a child.
I couldn’t help but keep wanting to smile like a dad, but then I noticed the picnic basket on the table.
It was the lunchbox Wendy had packed.
Opening the basket, there were neatly wrapped sandwiches.
“Did you make these yourself?”
“Ah, yes!”
“…You’ve gotten better at cutting them straight.”
“Yes…! I, I practiced!”
Her hand, peeking out, had a band-aid on it.
I guessed that Wendy’s clumsiness at work was partly due to her ‘misfortune’ trait.
Her lack of confidence probably stemmed from the many mistakes caused by her misfortune.
It’s a trash trait, not unlike Tristan’s.
Yet, Wendy didn’t give up.
She practiced diligently every day, despite falling and cutting her hands.
Her position as a clumsy maid was achieved through dozens of times more effort than others.
So, I couldn’t help but think.
How many times had Wendy hurt herself making these sandwiches…? It was pitiful.
I took a bite of the sandwich she made.
It was delicious.
Though I didn’t say it out loud, it was a taste I wouldn’t get tired of even if I ate it every day.
I had worried that her ‘misfortune’ might make the sandwich taste strange, but it was an unnecessary concern.
Wendy, watching my reaction, asked.
“H-how is it…?”
“…Not bad.”
Unfortunately, that was the most positive answer I could give.
I worried Wendy might be disappointed, but knowing my personality, she smiled happily.
“That’s a relief… Hehe…”
“Eat too.”
“Huh?”
I picked up another sandwich and handed it to Wendy.
“You haven’t had lunch yet, right?”
“Yes, yes! Then I… Count. Sorry, but could you just untie this…?”
Wendy, still wrapped tightly in my coat, said.
But I had no intention of untying her and smiled with a touch of ‘pride.’
“Don’t order me around.”
“Gasp?! S-sorry! I-I’ll do it! I’ll use magic…!”
“Dare you try to untie my coat with magic?”
“Eeeek…!”
“Open your mouth.”
“Huh?!”
I brought the sandwich to Wendy’s mouth.
“Open your mouth.”
“B-but…”
“Open your mouth quickly. The sandwich is coming.”
“Ugh… Yes…”
Finally, Wendy reluctantly opened her mouth and started eating the sandwich.
Her small mouth moved cutely.
It felt like feeding a small animal.
Feeling a bit mischievous, I spoke to Wendy in a cold voice.
“How does it feel to be served like this by your master?”
“Wha?!”
Wendy froze with the sandwich in her mouth.
She trembled, unable to move, only her eyes checking my expression.
One more joke and Wendy might have a breakdown, so I decided to stop.
“…Just kidding. You can swallow.”
“…Gulp. I-I was scared…”
“Eat slowly.”
I picked off the bread crumbs from Wendy’s mouth and put them in my own.
Then, Wendy suddenly bowed her head.
“…What’s wrong?”
“Um… it’s just…”
Wendy, like a wriggling caterpillar, sat up and whispered in my ear.
“Thinking that you ate what was on my mouth… it’s, it’s kind of embarrassing…”
I told her to be honest, but some things are just too embarrassing.
Even though it was just the two of us, she whispered in my ear.
“Nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“J-just a little…”
“If you were a good girl, you wouldn’t be embarrassed.”
“Ah… I’m sorry… for being a bad girl…”
“Stop apologizing. I was just teasing you.”
“Sniff…”
Wendy, looking a bit wronged, said to me.
“Count, you’re too mean…”
“Then I’m disappointed.”
I picked up another sandwich and said.
“To think you only realized that now.”
