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"Why... did you talk to another woman..."
When I was groaning in pain, I looked into her eyes and almost forgot the pain for a moment. Those eyes...were the kind of eyes I sometimes see in places where people like me live. There were various kinds, but they were the kind of eyes that said,
"If it's not this, I don't care if I die"...they were dangerous.
Those were the eyes of a drug addict who went to a broker with a knife because he had no money and stabbed himself in the stomach, and those were the eyes of a gambler who squandered all his family fortune. Those were the eyes that didn't care about anything other than what he could see in the moment.
'why...'
He slowly steps back, holding his left arm. I don't understand. Why did Noel get angry when he saw me?
It is also absurd to suddenly become jealous of a servant whom you have only seen for a day.
He holds her swollen arm and tries to figure out how to please her.
"Are you my servant?"
"yes..."
"But why are you talking to other women... That's a pretty big mistake."
"Well, what's wrong? I'm sorry! This is my, this is my first time being a servant!"
Noel speaks to me, stroking my hair as if she were a kind neighbor teaching a child a lesson.
"If you lock eyes with another woman and act all dirty, how do you think I'll feel when I bring you here?"
"...I think you'll... really hate it."
"Okay. So, don't look at other women, don't make eye contact, and...don't even think about them.
Got it?"
She strokes my chin.
"If you keep talking dirty like today, what do you think will happen?"
"...I think you're going to be punished."
"Yeah. You understand quickly, Tir."
"Yes, yes! I'm sorry! I'll try to make sure it never happens again!"
I saw her satisfied smile then.
"There's too much dinner you brought. If it's okay, would you like to eat it with me?"
Right now, I wanted to go down and fix my dislocated left wrist. When the words "I'm sorry" were about to come out of my mouth.
'ah.'
I happened to see her biting her lower lip. As someone who has lived a life of intuition, I know that when I see her biting her lip... it never leads to good results.
"It is an honor...Your Majesty."
"What a good kid."
Slowly, she began to slice the steak on her table. Every time I did, my arms would start to ache uncontrollably, but I was barely holding on.
"Today...the steak was delicious. Go tell the chef that the roasting was good today."
"Yes... Youngae."
"Tir."
"yes?"
"When we're alone, call me Noel."
"Oh, no! How could I!"
I bite my lip again. It was an action that could lead to severe hardship if I got caught calling the name of my master, a servant who had only been here for one day. But I couldn't refuse her who had just snapped my fingers and twisted my wrist.
'It has to be aligned...'
If I didn't listen to her at this point, I was sure my remaining right wrist would be broken as well.
"Noel..."
"ha..."
Hmm? I could hear her short breathing next to my ear. Was her breathing...holding for a moment?
'Click!'
But the next thing I hear is the sound of a knife hitting a plate, and she looks at me with a smile, picking at a piece of finely chopped steak with her fork.
"Tir."
Her intentions were understandable. Before cutting the steak, she suggested that we eat together, and she pointed the fork toward me.
'What went into Youngae's mouth...'
At her seemingly indifferent behavior, I slowly put the still warm steak on the fork she held out into my mouth.
The flavor of high-quality beef enveloped my mouth, and the soft meat juice made me forget the terrible present for a moment.
"delicious?'
"Yes, yes! It's delicious!"
Noel smiled faintly as if he was satisfied. He grabbed Nanda's trembling wrist and looked around to see if it was time to step back.
"hmm."
She brought the fork that was handed to her mouth back to her mouth. She had taken a big bite without realizing it, intoxicated by the taste of the steak.
"No, Noel!"
"Why do you ask?"
She took the fork out of her mouth and smiled. Her smile was so beautiful that I momentarily forgot that she had broken her wrist.
"...no."
I couldn't say that you shouldn't put the dirty fork in my mouth here. Her behavior was too absurdly obvious, and there were too many ambiguous parts to point out. It wasn't like a dirty back-alley pickpocket who had only been around for a day could point out Young-ae's manners, and in fact, it wasn't a position where I could talk to her that much.
"What did you learn today?"
"Yes, yes! Today, as Count Decker's servant, uh, straighten your shoulders and chest, and walk in step with your master's stride..."
For a moment, I should say her eyes were mysterious. However, it was a very quick moment, so I couldn't tell.
"Why is that?"
"Oh, no. You must live your life walking at the pace of your master, and the first condition is that you must always carry a ticket with you so as not to offend your master."
"I see. The butler emphasized that part. Then, will you pour me a glass now?"
"yes!"
I took out the wine bottle that was on the ice bucket next to me and tried to open the cork, but...
'One hand...'
Normally, you need both hands to open a cork, but right now, one hand was sprained. I was rolling my eyes, not knowing what to do, when she said,
"Follow me."
The cork of the wine bottle I was holding had come off at some point.
'W-is it magic?!'
Sometimes, it is said that ladies in high positions can use magic. I felt like the rumor was true, and my heart was pounding with fear. And I was afraid that my remaining wrist would break, so I quickly poured some wine into my wine glass.
"Uh, how are you?"
Having learned a little etiquette in life, I asked, pouring a little wine into a glass.
"Tir. That's what I ask after I've savored the wine."
"Ah...ah...I'm sorry."
She started to laugh out loud. Then she handed me a glass of wine.
"Huh, huh?"
You want me to eat it again?
"Shouldn't you first check if the person is poisoned?"
It seemed right. I took the wine glass with trembling hands and brought the wine to my mouth.
"..."
I don't know what to say. There are poisons that spread all at once, and there are also poisons that are commonly used in Harlem and slowly paralyze the target when mixed with alcohol. I couldn't say for sure that you could drink it with confidence.
"Follow me."
"Oh, I understand!"
I was about to say I didn't know, but I was intoxicated by her fearful and mysterious beauty and quickly poured her a glass.
"Then go ahead. Oh, and stop by the butler."
I wanted to send my compliments to her for finally giving me the congratulatory message with a smile.
"Then I will step aside!"
I would have to come back and put away the plates and empty bowls when dinner time was over, but I wanted to go back right now and put a splint on my sprained wrist.
'bang!'
He hurriedly closes the door, forgetting the courtesy ticket to close it quietly, and goes down the stairs.
"Hmm? Didn't I explain it to you? I said that you don't run around the mansion unless it's urgent."
"Yes, butler."
The butler looked closely at my wrist, which looked uncomfortable.
"Are you hurt?"
"..."
"I will treat you."
At that time, I had to question why the butler went to treat him without saying anything. It would have been natural for the butler, who was very picky, to ask where he was injured or how he was injured, but he just took the servant and wrapped a splint and bandage without saying anything.
"Fortunately, the bone didn't appear to have been significantly dislocated when I touched it."
The butler who closes the emergency box again.
"Yes, thank you."
"It's late today, so go to church tomorrow and get treatment."
"yes?!"
The church was a place where it cost a lot of money, almost to the point of breaking one's back, to provide treatment. The miraculous power they possessed through their belief in God was very effective in treating people, and so many people who were injured flocked to the church, and it is said that it became a place where one could not receive treatment without donating a large sum of money.
"The Count's family will cover the medical expenses, so if you get hurt in the mansion, you can go get treatment anytime.
Oh, except late at night, mornings on weekends when there is a service, and lunch."
"Thank you, butler."
I nod my head at the butler's words. It's uncomfortable, but when would a lowly pickpocket get treatment at a church? I was just glad for a moment that I wouldn't have to live with a cast on for at least a few weeks.
'however...'
Even though she knew I had hurt my arm, the butler wouldn't let me go back up to her room and help clear the dishes.
'Ah... really...'
Finally, I stood in front of her room at around 9 o'clock, when dinner time was coming to an end.
'Knock! Knock!'
I wonder if I might break her other wrist too, and I think about things she might hate.
However, for the first time today, I couldn't quite guess what Noel hates or likes.
'I don't have any other interests besides the fact that I like a well-roasted steak.'
Just in case she didn't like me for not doing what I ordered her to do quickly, I quickly got treatment and went to the chef to tell him that I praised Noel's roasting. However, the chef, who I thought would be happy, was startled and said, "I-Is that so?" and avoided my gaze. I thought she was shy and let it go, but the most important thing is that she had nothing to blame.
"Come in."
I can hear her voice. I take a deep breath, pull myself together, and go inside.
"...."
"What's going on?"
She was surprisingly wearing a sheer silk slip that showed off her entire body. The sky blue slip showed the lines of her lace bra and panties, and she turned her head hurriedly and took a step back, not knowing how to react.
"Ah...ah...I'll clean up dinner...no, I came to get the plates."
"Oh, I left it on the table, so you can take it."
Avoiding eye contact, he quickly approaches the table and places the plates on a tray.
'Oh, really...'
Her underwear seemed to be dazzling before my eyes. She probably wears slips like that when she sleeps. The sight of her sitting on the bed reading a brown book with no title was so erotic to me that I thought my nose would bleed.
"Tir."
"yes?"
He avoids her gaze and answers her questions.
"Please take care of me in the future as well."
"I, I am the one who needs to be treated nicely."
I tried to open the door in a hurry, but the door wouldn't open properly because my hand was in a splint. It was difficult to open this dirty big door because I had one hand holding the tray and the other hand in a splint.
"It looks difficult."
Noel's voice felt closer. And I felt her silver hair fluttering, and her purple eyes looking at me right next to me.
"ruler."
Her smiling face. She was in her underwear, and before I knew it, she came over to me and opened the door for me to go out.
"thank you..."
It was she who hurt his wrist and made it difficult for him to open the door. The help she gave him was strange, like slapping him on the cheek and caressing him, but no one could criticize a nobleman for treating his servants according to his own temperament.
"ha..."
After returning the tray to the chef's room, I finally finished my day's work and returned to the servant's room.
"Okay, follow me. I'll show you where to wash up and where to sleep."
Following the butler's instructions, I followed him slowly.
"Here..."
"This is the room where Miss Noel's direct servant resides."
That being said, it was a room that felt like something a noble would live in, although it was smaller than Noel's room.
"If you hear a bell ringing through the pipe connecting here, you can go to Noel."
This room was located directly below Noel's room. A pipe came down from above and was placed as decoration next to the bed, and when Noel rang the bell from above, the man had to respond to the sound and immediately go up to attend to her request.
"There is a place to wash exclusively for the maids, but... basically, you will have to use the exclusive bathroom used by Miss Noel."
"yes?"
My eyes widened at the mention of using the bath. Isn't that talking about using a bath used by nobles, and isn't that talking about using the same bath that Young-ae's body was soaking in?
"The direct servants must devote most of their time to their masters. They are also the daughters of noble families who can become targets of murder, kidnapping, and crime at any time. The last line of defense for such a daughter is not the knights or guards here, but you."
"...okay."
"Therefore, you have a duty to use the bathhouse yourself and report to me immediately any unusual behavior that may cause harm to Miss Noel."
According to the butler, it was the immediate servant's duty to search through Noel's room, living space, walking path, bathroom, etc., and look for anything unusual.
'Gulp!'
I swallowed dry saliva without realizing it. The butler showed me the bathroom as if nothing had happened, and as expected, it was huge enough to live in, and I ended up taking a luxurious bath all to myself.
"hmm?"
My sense of smell isn't particularly sensitive. However, perhaps because I've been on edge since entering the Count's house, a scent I remember lingers in my nose.
"what..."
Maybe it was because of my experience as a thief, but I felt like I sensed someone's presence. I quickly got up from the bathroom and looked around.
'...Is this...a mistake...?'
It seemed that he had been mistaken by the sound of water drops falling from the ceiling and the luxury of the warm water that had not yet dried for Noel.
'Yeah, I was tired too...'
I entered the bathroom with the cast on my left arm still on, feeling uncomfortable. I stared at the cast for a moment, unable to forget that terrifying moment.
'That kind of...thing happened.'
I just thought he was nervous and let it go.
"Put your underwear and clothes in this basket and leave it outside the door. The maids will come and wash them in the morning."
The butler said that new clothes are placed in a different basket in front of you every day. He left after leaving an unknown greeting wishing you good night.
"Whoa!"
Feeling the soft sheets of the bed, I tried lying down on the bed that I had always wanted to try. I felt like I would never be able to experience soft sheets like this even at an expensive hotel.
'Are you giving me some incense?'
Looking to the side, there was a small incense burner, and soft smoke was rising from it. It was said that nobles with severe insomnia or mental instability often emit fragrant smoke called aroma, so I thought that the butler had specially lit it for me to relieve my difficult day.
'Ah...is that why...I'm already tired...'
I slowly began to close my eyes while wearing only my underwear.
Not long after.
'uh...'
I opened my eyes for a moment and thought. In front of me, Noel, wearing the see-through slip I saw earlier, was lying on top of me, our bodies against each other. She was wrapping her arms around my neck and slowly licking me or whispering something.
I... I can't hear her properly. I thought I had that dream because the outfit I saw her in the evening was so strong, and I closed my eyes again.
"Are you awake?"
The butler opened the door and came in.
"Ah, ah! Yes! Sorry! I overslept!"
"No, it could very well be so."
Because the servant came in in a hurry yesterday and also hurt his wrist, he had no choice but to wake up later than the appointed time.
"Oh, butler. Thank you for the incense yesterday."
"Incense...is that what you mean?"
"yes."
The butler nods his head as he watches me hastily getting dressed.
"I see. Let's get ready first."
"yes?"
"Shouldn't you go for treatment?"
"Oh, I understand!"
The second day. I had to find a chance to run away when I went to church.
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