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There was a small misunderstanding, but we quickly cleared it up.

And I volunteered to take care of her illness.

Compared to the day before when she was burning with fever, it was much easier now.

Wendy only had a slight fever left, so with enough rest, she would recover on her own.

But it seemed best not to take my eyes off her until she fully recovered.

Honestly, as a Count, I didn’t need to personally take care of Wendy.

But perhaps it was because of the long bond we had built. Or maybe I was just tired from my relentless schedule.

I canceled all my plans and stayed by Wendy’s side all day.

When I was in the present world, I absolutely despised children.

Well, it wasn’t so much that I disliked them, but more that I didn’t know how to interact with them, so I avoided them.

Children, who would scream, cry, and throw tantrums at the drop of a hat, were what I thought of as immature beings.

In that sense, Wendy completely shattered my perception.

Wendy, having gone through hardships from a young age, was mentally more mature than her peers.

Plus, she was quiet and well-behaved. If all children in the world were like Wendy, surely no one would dislike kids.

Of course, comparing a real child to Wendy was a bit unfair.

There was not only an age gap between us but also a wall of status.

It was only natural that Wendy felt extremely apologetic while being cared for. But even considering that, Wendy was a mature child.

I was worried if being with me might make her uncomfortable, but Wendy seemed very happy that I stayed with her all day.

No, she couldn’t hide her joy. Sometimes, when our eyes met, she would give a shy smile, or when I fed her soup, her bashful reactions were quite endearing.

“I think I’d be happy even if I were sick every day…”

“Don’t say such troublesome things.”

And that night, Wendy fell asleep in my arms. She was shivering so pitifully that I gladly shared my body warmth with her.

I looked at Wendy’s sleeping face.

Despite my so-called “death flag,” she slept with an innocent, angelic face.

That face reminded me of the sight I saw during the festival not long ago.

“I… really like you, Count.”

That day, Wendy, no longer a child but a beautiful young lady, said to me.

“I like you so much… I can’t sleep because I’m always thinking about you. Really.”

I had always thought of her as a younger sister or a cute daughter.

But when Wendy, in her adult form, confessed her feelings, the impact was no joke. And I realized the romantic affection she held.

I reached out and gently stroked Wendy’s cheek.

I had too much on my shoulders to accept this lovely girl’s feelings.

Curses, fate, and the impending invasion…

Thinking about these things inevitably made me feel gloomy.

There are still peaceful days like today, spending time with the characters of this world… but these days will soon disappear.

“Ugh… Count…”

I flinched, thinking she might have woken up, but thankfully, Wendy was just talking in her sleep.

As I tried to straighten the blanket, Wendy clung tightly to me.

Maybe she wanted to act spoiled even in her sleep.

I gently hugged Wendy. Then she nuzzled her face against my chest.

“Hehe… I… I like you… really…”

“……”

I looked at the pure smile on Wendy’s sleeping face and thought.

About the great fate surrounding this world and the real world.

And about my own identity in between.

Perhaps one day, I’ll be able to explain these things to her.

Will Wendy still smile at me the same way then?

*

Thanks to my care, Wendy recovered in just one day.

We both decided to skip school until today, so I told Wendy to rest at the villa with her family, but she stubbornly refused.

“Oh, just for today, let me serve you, Count…!”

“…Do as you please.”

“Yes, yes!”

I’m not sure if she wanted to repay me for taking care of her all day or if she was trying to fill in for Helga, who was hospitalized…

But seeing Wendy’s big eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse any longer.

Well, I don’t have any plans to go outside the mansion today anyway…

The place Wendy and I headed to was Albert’s secret workshop, secretly built underground by the lakeside on the mansion grounds.

But Albert wasn’t underground; he was sitting by the lakeside with the maids.

“Oh, you’re here, Count.”

Albert, who had been engraving magic formulas on the maids’ backs with the lake behind him, took off his magnifying glasses.

And then…

“Young Master…!”

The four maids smiled brightly and bowed their heads when they saw me.

The atmosphere was much brighter than before.

It seemed they had adapted to life here… well, considering they had worked at the mansion about ten years ago, it was only natural they’d adjust quickly.

“Huh…? Who are they…?”

Wendy tilted her head as she looked at them.

Ah, I hadn’t introduced them to Wendy yet.

“Wendy, let me introduce you. These are the ones who served me in the past. Muiry.”

“Yes.”

Muiry, the eldest, bowed to Wendy. Her motherly smile was a bonus.

“Muiry has been working since I was born. Wendy, you could say she’s your senior. And Cynthia.”

“Yes.”

Cynthia, the cool-looking maid with glasses, bowed to Wendy.

“Cynthia was my teacher when I was young. I learned noble etiquette, dignity, and even basic swordsmanship from her. Next is Rika.”

“Yes!”

Rika, a woman with a healthy physique, stepped forward energetically.

“Rika was the maid in charge of cooking at the mansion. She made various dishes for me when I was young.”

“Apple pie is my specialty. Oh, thinking about it, Young Master also loved apple pie when you were little, so I used to secretly bring you-.”

“Lastly, Bess. Come here.”

“Ah, yes!”

Bess, the youngest of the four, approached with small steps and bowed her head.

Perhaps because Bess had a crush on Tristan in the past, she kept avoiding my gaze.

I’m not sure if she still holds those feelings… but I’m not so heartless as to disregard this girl’s feelings.

“Bess… was my childhood friend.”

“……”

“You could say she was my playmate during my childhood.”

Bess remained silent, her head bowed. But she seemed a bit choked up, placing her hand on her chest.

However, Bess wasn’t the only one who was emotional.

“You… really did it….”

Wendy looked up at me with teary eyes.

“Count… you really did it! Sob….”

Wendy was overwhelmed with emotion.

The last time she saw them, they were asleep in the treasure vault, so seeing them alive again must have stirred up her emotions.

“But Young Master… who is this child…?”

“This is Wendy. She’s my current exclusive maid.”

I introduced Wendy in response to Muiry’s question.

“She looks very young. How old is she?”

“Sniff… I, I’m 12 years old….”

“Oh my…!”

Not just Muiry, but the other maids were also surprised by Wendy’s age.

“That’s surprising. For someone as strict as the Young Master to take her as an exclusive maid, she must be truly exceptional….”

“Sob… N, no! I make a lot of mistakes and am clumsy… Sob….”

“…Stop crying and speak.”

“Yes… Sob….”

“Here, blow your nose. There.”

“Th, thank you… I was just so moved….”

Muiry approached Wendy and helped her blow her nose with a handkerchief. Having taken care of Tristan since he was born, she was very skilled at handling children.

The four maids began to comfort Wendy and chat about various things. Perhaps feeling grateful for Wendy’s concern and tears, they quickly became friends.

And just as Wendy’s tears stopped…

“Huh? Count… over there….”

“What is it?”

“Master… Lady Blanshe is coming….”

Wendy pointed, and sure enough, Blanshe was approaching.

What could be the matter?

As I approached, Blanshe bowed gracefully.

“I apologize for the sudden visit.”

“What brings you here?”

“I heard that you haven’t been feeling well these past few days. So, our lady asked me to deliver some medicine….”

So it was a visit to check on my health.

It wasn’t me who was sick, but Wendy, but since I skipped school, Bella must have been worried.

“Young Master. Do we have a guest?”

Muiry and the maids appeared, having noticed Blanshe.

But Blanshe froze on the spot when she saw their faces.

“Count…? Are they…? Could it be…?”

“They are the ones who served me long ago.”

“What… what are you doing now?”

“?”

Blanshe’s reaction was strange.

I could even feel a chill coming from her body.

It was a clear sign that she was angry.

“Count! Are you… are you planning to use them after all!”

Ah…!

Only after hearing her words did I realize.

Blanshe, who was once an assassin of the Ruelberta family, naturally knew the “Annihilation Maids.”

Moreover, since I had been secretly working on reviving them in the secret workshop, I could easily imagine how it would look to Blanshe.

No, I didn’t even need to imagine.

Blanshe was right in front of me, visibly furious.

“Blanshe. These are not what you think-.”

“Don’t make excuses! They are dead! Do you know what you’ve done now?! You’ve disrespected and insulted the dead!”

The basket Blanshe was holding fell to the ground.

“I thought… you were different from Milliam… different from that man…!”

Blanshe’s anger reached its peak.

It seemed she had no intention of listening to me. Well, I had touched on the trauma of her time as an experimental subject of the Ruelberta family.

‘There’s no helping it….’

I steadied my breathing and prepared to face Blanshe’s rampage.

It had been a long time since I last faced her like this, back when we fought on the department store rooftop.

Back then, I didn’t have many cards to play, but now was different.

“I was a fool to believe that you would understand ‘those’ kinds of people.”

A cold chill blew from behind Blanshe. True to her title as the “Frost Beast,” she wielded the power to freeze everything.

She spoke in a cold voice.

“I will free them from your grasp.”

“…!”

At an unbelievable speed, Blanshe closed the distance and thrust a frost-covered fist.

At that moment.

-!!

“…Kuh!?”

What stood between Blanshe and me was a group of shadows.

“I thought you were a guest, but it seems not.”

Cynthia had blocked Blanshe’s punch.

Her hand was frozen solid from the sudden chill, but she didn’t seem to care.

And it wasn’t just Cynthia.

“Uh… so does that mean she’s an unwelcome guest?”

“You…!”

Rika stepped forward as if to protect me from Blanshe.

Despite facing Blanshe’s murderous intent and freezing cold, the maids seemed unfazed.

They were, after all, murder dolls that couldn’t feel pain.

“You are being controlled by the Count right now!”

“Controlled, you say?”

“Yes!”

Muiry tilted her head, then suddenly seemed to remember something.

“Do we… know each other?”

“?! Do you remember?!”

In response to Blanshe’s question, Muiry exchanged glances with the other maids.

Then she slowly shook her head.

“No… I’m sorry, but we don’t remember who you are. I’m not sure what our relationship was, but if you intend to harm the Young Master any further….”

“We… we will!”

Bess took over Muiry’s words.

“We will do everything in our power to stop you!”

 

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