chapter 2
2 – Guest
“Huh? What are you guys?”
“Hello Mister!”
The next morning, Chloe courageously bowed her head to the gatekeeper, and I also bowed my head proudly.
he came up with the idea that if he was going to go anyway no matter how much he told her not to go, he would rather agree and go with her… Chloe must be 11 years old, how could her brain work so well?
“Hey… They said you could show me this…”
“Don’t come, this is where you guys– Eup…!!”
“…?”
The gatekeepers looked at the pass that Chloe had given them, saying that it was obvious that I would go alone if I had it.
No, is it correct to say that it is frightened rather than a discipline? Anyway, seeing the legs and backs of the people on duty straighten out all at once is a pretty fun scene to watch.
“Hey, there…”
Seeing other people take this attitude towards her for the first time, Chloe is now literally behaving appropriately for her age, as opposed to being grown-up just a moment ago.
Chloe gets frightened and hesitates when the soldiers, who had been behaving with humanity, suddenly show a cold reaction like tools.
“Don’t worry, Chloe. We’ll just have to wait.”
“Oh, oh- yes, yes… Young boy.”
I reassured Chloe as I watched some soldiers run inside. Judging from those soldiers, it seems like they’ve already talked about it beforehand.
“…Come in.”
“Yes.”
As expected, soon after, an old man dressed in a servant’s uniform came out to greet us.
Looking at the two soldiers standing behind you holding swords to escort you, you seem to be in a pretty high position.
However, it’s a little bit like that because I can feel a little bit of reluctance from our expressions, tone of voice, and actions, but you don’t even think about hiding it at all.
It was so stark that even Chloe, who clung to my back, noticed the hostility, and was a little scared.
…………
“Are you okay?”
“Ugh, ugh…”
It is very strange to come to such a clean and luxurious place after living in an ordinary house for 12 years.
I am like this, let alone Chloe. Chloe, who has never experienced a previous life, is overly intimidated by the luxurious drawing room.
“…Thank you.”
The expressionless lady-in-waiting offered a glass of grape juice to each of Chloe and I, who were sitting in her chair, without making eye contact with her.
I can’t even talk to you when it’s so cold. No, are you maintaining this attitude to induce it in the first place? Well, all nobles would hate talkative ladies-in-waiting.
“Drink this at least.”
“Yes…”
Chloe is holding the grape juice I handed her down her throat as if it would be a waste, holding it in her mouth and smiling slightly.
Chloe, who had been a little uneasy until just now, regained her original self a little bit. Also sweet is the best for kids.
“Then why did you say you would follow me…”
“Ugh…But…”
“Anyway, when this is over—”
The sound of the door opening interrupted my speech. No, to be precise, when I heard that sound, I cut off my words.
‘…Hmm.’
Three maids, each holding a different tool, came in and stood on the wall or held the doorknob and lowered their heads, and a middle-aged man appeared from behind them. He is wearing clothes that give off a luxurious feeling even though there are no common patterns or decorations.
That man’s eyes are slightly blue, and he has a characteristic beard growing around his mouth. He doesn’t even resemble the face I saw under the hood yesterday, he’s just the same person.
“…Hello.”
“hahahaha, nice to meet you. Claude, are we dating?”
“Yes.”
Yesterday I was reluctant to approach him because he was exuding a gloomy atmosphere from his whole body, but today he emits an atmosphere that would be annoying if we were involved. The bottom line is that you shouldn’t be close to anyone.
Still, it’s a little plus that he doesn’t have strict etiquette because he’s considerate of the two of us, and his face is full of smiles.
“Hmm, you seem to have noticed already. Where should we start talking… Yes, Marie and I—”
“There…”
“Huh?”
“The others…”
“It’s okay, I know everything anyway.”
Even though there are maids in the room, when I tried to talk about my bloodline, I hurriedly stopped them, but the man in front of me, no, the duke, didn’t think it was a big deal. It’s an attitude of asking what to do with something like that.
…Are you pissed off?
You know everything? Then why did you kick her mother out? Why did you let me live alone? I can still hear the voice of my mother who loved and praised you–
“Uh, uh uh…”
“Hmm…”
Chloe realized that I was angry in an instant, her face was stained with embarrassment, and she was holding on to the hem of my clothes.
The atmosphere that the duke smiled and relaxed quickly stiffened, and even the ladies-in-waiting glared at me with a slight frown.
‘Haa…’
The eyes of maids, not the eyes that treat guests.
Seeing that there is a sense of contempt along with a subtle hostility, you really know everything.
“…Well, let’s get straight to the point. Now.”
I don’t know if he thought that placating me was counterproductive or a loss of face, but the duke seemed determined to ignore my anger.
The duke, who was sitting in a chair, put his hands on the table and leaned forward, looking at me and Chloe before slowly opening his mouth.
“I am Charles, the patriarch and rightful ruler of Burgon. Claude, I will give you the honor of becoming a servant of the Burgon family.”
“…”
“Wow…”
Exceeded expectations. A servant, not a servant?
Both of them are equally treated like nobles, but the treatment is so good that the latter can’t be surpassed.
The former literally takes on all kinds of work, but the latter does high-class work, and if he is an attendant of a high-ranking noble such as a duke, no one will say anything even if he is given a lower noble title.
I promised Chloe that if I was invited to work in the castle, I would refuse…
“Do, boy…”
“…Chloe.”
Perhaps she knows very well what I’m worried about, Chloe’s face is literally dying.
Even in this oppressive atmosphere, Chloe tries to stop me by twisting his body only slightly so as not to offend the Duke.
‘Keuk, I can’t do that.’
“…!”
As agreed in advance, Chloe calms down when she shows her a gesture of stroking the bridge of her nose once, which means rejecting what the other person is saying.
I am a little attracted to the title of nobility, but when I enter a place like this where there are only b*tches who are united by the idea of the chosen people, it is clear how I will be treated. Look at those maids’ eyes. I just want to poke it with my finger.
Above all, I have the confidence to make sure Chloe and I don’t have to worry about making a living without having to act like servants.
“Is it rejected?”
“…Yes.”
What, how did you notice… Ah, that’s Chloe.
Well, it’s easy to guess that something must have happened since Chloe, who had been crying, suddenly calmed down.
“I can’t help it. Then I’ll treat you like a guest, so go have a meal.”
“…Yes.”
The tone of speech, which had been hard until recently, became softer in an instant.
Only natural psychopaths wear masks to hide their personality even from children, but this person doesn’t seem to be that kind. It seems this is nature.
Um… I don’t think it’s okay to refuse to eat and go, right?
“Don’t worry, I’ll let you guys eat separately.”
Are you saying you can’t be sick with other people?
I don’t know if it’s favor or containment… But my instinct says it’s both.
“And why does this young lady call you Bupsil? I know her as an adopted brother and sister.”
“Uh… I don’t know? I used to call him Oppa, but suddenly, a few years ago, he started calling me Master.”
I don’t know why. No matter how much I asked, he only gave a meaningless answer and kept saying things back and forth.
When Chloe, who always called her brother and clung to her, suddenly secretly kept her distance two or three years ago and called her son, she was a bit disappointed.
Now, well, Young master decided to think of it as an alias to call his older brother. This is because the emotion or tone of voice is the same without any change.
Ah, and sometimes, like just before, when emotions are intensified, he clings to me, and his old self quickly comes out, so it’s very cute. It would be nice if it was always like this.
“…Hmm. Well, I got it roughly. Prepare the meal.”
“Yes.”
The duke looked down at Chloe, who watched her, snorted her lightly, and then she nodded her head and ordered her maid next to her to bring us a meal. Get off
After hearing her order, the maid immediately bowed her head once and then left the room with her back steps.
“I’m going to ask you a few questions after you finish eating. Is that okay?”
“Yeah…”
“Yes.”
The Duke, who has only talked to me, is now talking to Chloe.
Chloe slowly nodded her head in affirmation at the duke’s question, and affirmed that I didn’t care either.
“Okay, I’m going to see you now, so the two of you have a good meal. If you change your mind, you can repeat the servant’s matter at any time. Everyone follow me.”
As if there was no need to hear an answer, the duke turned around and headed for the door of her living room, and went out through the door opened by the ladies-in-waiting behind her.
The drawing room was full of ladies-in-waiting just a moment ago, but now it’s just the two of us, Chloe and I.
This extravagance is still a little awkward, but it’s a little better with people you know.
It looks like Chloe is the same as me, so I can clearly see that her body, which had been slightly stiff, is getting relaxed and mushy.