Chapter 69

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 69

Chapter Title: The Maid and the Little Young Master (3)

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Back in the room, I laid Robert down on the bed. Contrary to his earlier fuss about wanting to go out, he quieted down right away. He buried his face in the pillow, wriggling for a moment before quickly falling asleep.

Worried he might suffocate, I gently turned his head to the side. His sleeping face looked so sulky. The dampness under his eyes suggested he'd been crying.

I wiped away the tear tracks and tucked the sheet up to his chest. After stroking his hair for a bit, I quietly slipped out of the room. Joelli was waiting for me.

"It's been a while."

"Yes. Why haven't you gone back home? Why are you still hanging around here?"

"Boredom. Let's chat."

She turned with a kind smile. Was that my cue to follow? After a moment's hesitation, I scurried after her.

"It must be tough putting up with Robert's stubbornness."

"Not at all."

"Sure it is. You even looked conflicted just now—whether to let him up there or not."

"......"

"I get it. The kid's just lonely."

It was the same thing I'd heard from the nanny. I stepped closer to Joelli and asked,

"Why does the young master want to climb up on those iron bars?"

"He's waiting."

"For who?"

Then it clicked.

Robert's mother.

"My mommy."

Ah, now I finally understood why Robert was so fixated on those bars. Even adults struggled to climb the horse stalls, but with his short legs, he flailed to get up there because it let him peer out the window. The stalls faced the mansion gate, so he could spot anyone arriving at a glance.

Robert had been waiting like that every day.

For his mom to come see him.

"Have you heard anything about Robert's mother, Anne?"

"I got the rough story from the nanny."

"Robert's mom is a very busy woman. She runs her husband's family all by herself—no time to even see her kid's face. But she's managing it well. Truly impressive and strong. Even as a child, she looked delicate on the outside but was tough and bold deep down."

"......"

"But as a mother? Not even close."

Joelli clicked her tongue. It was a harsh judgment, but not wrong. Robert was lonely enough to risk climbing those high, dangerous bars.

"Robert's heart hurts. There's this gaping hole in his chest, and no one's filling it, so he's sad. He waits patiently, says all the right things, but the person he's waiting for never shows. He can't even get mad about it, so he lashes out at nothing. People get cranky when they're hurting, don't they?"

"Yes, I know."

Physical pain or emotional, it all hurts the same—makes you irritable. You end up whining because you just want someone to notice your suffering.

"I know all too well. How crushing the loneliness can be, how you ache for someone—just anyone—to stay by your side."

I knew people like that all too well.

That man who lost his sight and shut himself away, battling his pain in isolation.

Suddenly, old memories surged back, threatening to overwhelm me. No. I shoved them down on instinct. Sorrow clawed at me. Clutching my stinging chest, I shook my head furiously. When I finally looked up, I realized I'd stopped walking. And Joelli was staring at me.

The playfulness faded from her lovely face. Her gaze sharpened. The easygoing vibe turned rigid in an instant. Had I said something wrong? Flustered, I glanced at her uncertainly—then she smiled again.

"Still, he's a good kid."

She patted my shoulder. She forced the smile, but I couldn't bring myself to agree. Not to me, he wasn't. Instead of shaking my head, I stayed quiet, and Joelli narrowed her eyes mischievously, like she'd seen right through me.

"Think of it as cute stubbornness and cut him some slack."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Hehe."

It was the same advice from the nanny, but this time it really sank in.

"I've heard a lot about you from the nanny."

"Like what?"

"Hmm, that you're diligent."

Nanny...! Picturing her gentle smile, I felt touched. So she'd been putting in good words for me in secret. Any resentment over her being away right now vanished.

"And that you're pretty good with Robert. Said every time he throws a spoon, you bring him dozens more?"

Nanny....... My rosy image of her shattered. The warm fuzzies fizzled out.

"Hehe. She said you seem like a fun person."

"Yes......"

"I think so too."

I shot her a questioning look, but Joelli just smiled. Then she waved me off, telling me to head out. Watching her walk away, I tilted my head. Had she come just to tell me to take good care of Robert?

After that day, Robert stopped throwing tantrums about the bars. If anything, he sulked in his room, moping around. He barely answered when spoken to and wouldn't even try doing anything. The bubbly energy that had bordered on overwhelming turned obedient almost like a lie.

Days of this had me worried. If the nanny were here, we could've figured something out, but for some reason, she was out and hadn't returned. Left alone, I faced a whole new kind of awkwardness. Robert was so depressed that his stubborn phase almost seemed preferable.

Should I try cheering him up? Staring at his tiny back, which looked smaller than ever, I racked my brain. Nothing came to mind. In the end, after agonizing, I played my ace.

"Young master, want to go for a walk?"

"A walk?"

Robert looked up, gloomy-faced. I nodded, remembering how he'd begged to go outside a few days back. Nothing far—just circling nearby should be okay.

Interest sparked in Robert too; the gloom lifted, his eyes twinkling.

"Yeah! Walk!"

Seeing him perk up and nod eagerly, I half-wondered if I'd been played. But no taking it back now.

Instead, I got permission first. No nanny, but the mansion had another of Robert's guardians, thankfully.

"Fine. Go on."

Joelli waved lazily, bored expression on her face. She was nearly naked again today. Before the sheet draped precariously over her shoulder could slip off, she flopped onto the bed. Curled up beside her was the tanned man from last night.

With permission granted, I relaxed and gripped Robert's hand tight as we headed outside. Thrilled to be out, he grinned nonstop.

"Young master, you have to hold my hand tight. Let go, and we head straight back."

"Okay, dummy."

Even his mouth was full of pep now. Can't he drop the dummy bit for once?

Hand in hand with Robert, we walked slowly. We circled the mansion once, then again the same path, ending up at the gate a third time. By the third lap, the smile faded from his face.

"I wanna go there!"

He halted abruptly, pointing into the woods. I shook my head firmly.

"No."

"Wanna go! Wanna go!"

"Absolutely not."

"Gonna go!"

"Back to the room, then?"

If push came to shove, I could hoist him over my shoulder. I spread my arms, and Robert—who'd been through this once—clamped his mouth shut. But he pouted his lips and scrunched his round eyes in blatant complaint. Ignoring it, I circled the mansion again.

But that initial thrill never returned to his face. Grimacing gave way to a full pout as he looked up at me. His fingertip jabbed toward the woods again.

"Can't we go there?"

"No."

He went quiet after my firm refusal. I thought he might cry—then suddenly, he hugged my waist tight.

"Anne."

What did he just say? Eyes wide, I stared down at Robert. Had I heard that right?

"Anne, Anne."

"......!"

Robert called my name again.

Oh my god. I froze in shock. The syllables tumbled clearly from his mouth. He peeked his head up at me. Violet eyes, misty with tears, sparkled with desperate longing. That sparkle poked at my skin like needles.

"Let's go. Huh? Huh?"

Robert nuzzled my belly, wriggling his body in the cutest tantrum. It was genuinely cute. No throwing things or raging. I could almost see floppy rabbit ears drooping from his blond hair. He was pulling out all the stops with that adorable face to win me over.

"Anne, let's gooo—"

"Ugh."

And I was weak to this kind of thing. Outbursts were easier to handle.

Robert rose on tiptoe. The sparkle loomed closer. I shielded my eyes, but it was useless.

"Huh? Huh? Huhhh?"

"Ugh, ugh."

The relentless cuteness poking my skin shattered my resolve.

I lost. No withstanding that calculated charm. I had zero immunity to cute. Was this why the nanny always gave in? If so, I got it now.

"Yay! Yay!"

Robert beamed wide, glancing around the woods. I clutched his little hand and let out a secret sigh. This could mean big trouble if we got caught. My heart hammered with anxiety—I couldn't even properly scan our surroundings.

"Dummy, over there!"

Robert flipped attitudes in a flash. Like calling my name had been a trick, he was back to "dummy." Sly little thing.

"Go!"

"Yes, yes. Nice and slow."

I glanced behind us before stepping forward. Just a short way from the mansion, I figured. But Robert kept pushing to go deeper.

"Further! Further!"

"No. Any further and the nanny will scold me."

"Boo."

He puffed out his cheeks, but no meant no. I gauged the distance to the mansion again.

Turning to Robert, those same misty eyes pleaded up at me. Another sparkle barrage—but I looked away.

"No."

Silence from him. A peek showed slumped shoulders and obvious disappointment. Clutching my chest, I wavered. Give in? Hold firm?

'He's still so young. And he's just... you know, right?'

The nanny's voice echoed—her kind smile, firm tone. You know? You know? No, I didn't. Save me, nanny! I'm weak to this stuff!

"O-okay, then just a tiny bit more. Like ten steps?"

"Yes!"

Robert lit up like he'd been waiting. The wilted look vanished instantly. Ah, tricked again.

We ended up going well past ten steps. Robert scanned the woods nonstop, and this time I took in the surroundings more leisurely. But something about the forest scenery felt oddly familiar. The thick canopy blotting the sky, the dense underbrush—nothing special, yet an eerie sense of déjà vu.

Like I'd been here before.

No way.

I shook off the stray thought, took two more steps past the ten, then stopped. Robert pouted again, but I shook my head firmly this time. I withstood the skin-pricking sparkle. We'd already come pretty far from the mansion.

"Time to go back."

Cuteness failing, he dug in stubborn again. I dragged him along. He resisted, so I ended up pulling him along the ground. After struggling for a while, Robert suddenly shook off my hand.

"I'm going!"

"Young master!"

I chased after him as he bolted deeper into the woods. Short legs and all, the kid ran hard. But he was still just a child—catching up wasn't hard.

The moment I grabbed his little body, Robert thrashed wildly, throwing off my balance. To the side was a steep downhill slope. Our bodies tilted that way. On instinct, I clutched him tight to my chest.