Chapter 74

Chapter 74

“Ellie, I want to see Marie.”

Brielle, who was forcibly dragged by her, uttered with tears in his eyes. However, Ellie shook her head with a determined attitude.

“No, not now.”

“Why? The butler said Marie was up.”

“My sister is awake, but…”

She thought hard about how she could stop Brielle. If he went now, he would only be in trouble because he would be caught between the two of them.

“Young Master.”

“Yes”

“Now is probably not the time to be doing that.”

Brielle had a serious expression and became anxious because of the way Ellie was looking at him.

“…Why? Tell me quickly.”

Impatient, he urged her by waving his arm up to her but Ellie’s mouth did not open.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“Yes.”

“What is that?”

Finally, Ellie spoke up.

“Did you finish your homework?”

“Homework?”

“Yes, the Count told you to do it before he left. As far as I know, there are a lot of them left, though… wouldn’t he come and check it out soon?”

“No…!”

After shouting that, Brielle ran to the study room. When he first started, he was so motivated, but now the homework had been pushed back. Brielle, not wanting to disappoint his uncle, sat down and worked hard.

For a moment, Ellie thought happily that Brielle was able to escape from the Count and her sister’s love fight, and Ellie remembered her own homework.

‘I can’t let the Young Master finish his homework and leave me alone.’

The child had to run to the study room to do homework that was pushed back, too.

***

The officer was restless.

It was obviously the atmosphere of the mansion that had been released when the Count returned and the nanny woke up. However, by the time he reported on his work, things got worse.

“How long will it take this time?”

All he had to complain to was the butler.

“Well, won’t it be a week?”

“A week?”

The officer jumped. There was still a lot of work to do, and everything waiting until then would be paralyzed.

“If it’s that urgent, why don’t you just go in and get the approval?”

The butler’s advice didn’t help much. He asked with one last hope, “Is it the same whether I get it tomorrow or today?”

“Yes, it’s better to get it done quickly.”

His hopes vanished in an instant. In the end, the officer was forced to knock on the office where Kentrail was located.

“Come in.”

It was a voice he had not heard in a long time, but somehow, it was not pleasant.

“Count.”

Kentrail instructed the officer who approached him to sit down, pointing to the sofa.

“Yes.”

Although the officer would rather stand and report quickly, he became depressed when he was invited to sit down.

“Here is the business report from the Count’s absence.”

The officer spread the various business reports on the table. He thought it was well organized. Kentrail’s expressionless expression as he watched it change in one place. He ignored the order placed by the Palace and picked up the report first.

It was a donation project that Marie had proposed. It did not end as a one-time, but continued until now.

Kentrail, who opened it, thought of Marie and his expression softened slightly.

‘She feels better than I thought.

Seeing this, the secretary was puzzled but was relieved immediately.

‘If he feels good, then I’m good.’

He decided he had to get out of there quickly before Kentrail felt bad again.

“The business is growing.”

“Yes, some of the nobles who knew the count was running it, have donated the items from their merchants.”

“It would be even better if there was another representative instead of me.”

He had so many duties that it was difficult for him to manage everything.

“I’ll have to find a suitable person.”

“Yes, so shall we proceed with this matter?”

“Yes.”

Kentrail put the report down and started looking at something else.

***

Marie was in trouble.

‘Isn’t it better to meet the person who stabbed me in person…? Then, I would be able to know about the organization that the real Marie is in.’

It seemed that she was the only one who could provoke her to open her mouth. But now, seeing Kentrail so angry with her, it would have been impossible.

‘…I did that for everyone’s sake.’

Even though she felt dissatisfied, she was sorry that he ran non-stop from afar because of her injury.

‘Come to think of it, I couldn’t ask about the experiences at the Young Master’s mother’s house.’

Thinking that, she was worried that he might not have finished his job properly.

Knock, knock—

Then, a knock echoed in Marie’s room, where she was alone.

“Yes.”

The person who opened the door was none other than Taylor.

“Sir Taylor.”

“Nanny.”

“I can’t sit down. I’m sorry.”

Marie, embarrassed to lie down and greet him, opened her mouth.

“It’s okay. Since you’re a patient, you should, of course, lie down.”

He said he had brought some flowers and decorated them in a vase on the table. It seemed to have been plucked from the mansion’s garden.

“You’ll feel much better.”

“Truly. The boredom seems to disappear even when I just turn my head.”

Looking at the flowers, she smiled. Marie was frustrated because she couldn’t even see the window, but when she saw flowers like this, she felt much better.

“In return for the bookmark before.”

She was grateful that he still remembered it.

“It’s Sir who saved me, isn’t it?”

“I didn’t save you. I’m rather sorry it’s too late.”

Taylor sat down next to Marie, giving her a really ashamed look.

“No. If you hadn’t run to me then, I wouldn’t have been really dead.”

“I should have run a little earlier…”

He apologized again.

Seeing that, Marie lifted her arm, barely moving, to hold him back. If he had come earlier, he would have been in trouble even though she might have avoided being stabbed.

“Maybe… Can I meet the culprit?”

She asked him quietly.

“You mean talking directly…? The Master will be against it.”

“It’s something I needed to ask you.”

Taylor looked confused. It was because it wasn’t an easy decision.

“I’ll ask the Master.”

At his answer, she had no choice but to nod her head because she didn’t want to bother him any more.

“By the way, did the Count finish going to the Grandfather’s estate and come back?”

“As far as I know.”

“That’s fortunate.”

Marie let out a sigh of relief for her, and if he had been unable to finish his work because of her, she would feel like a nuisance.

“Well, there are some who came up a little suspiciously.”

“Really?”

“He didn’t do a proper follow-up, and he came here saying that you would send someone down from the Capital.”

“Then…”

Marie’s expression changed in an instant. She looked worried, even though it was all right.

“Still, he settled on all the important things, so it’ll be fine.”

“Yes…”

Even though he said that Kentrail had worked out all the important things, Marie’s heart was still uncomfortable.

“So—”

Taylor hesitated if the backstory was needed. She waited quietly for him to speak.

“…How about making peace with the Master?”

“Yes?”

She didn’t know that even Taylor knew that the two of them had an argument. Marie’s face turned red.

“Rather than saying it was a fight…”

It seemed more ridiculous to excuse each other because there was only a disagreement as they were worried about each other.

‘Worried about each other…’

Then, as she thought about it, Marie’s face clouded.

“Na…nanny…”

Taylor looked at her face and called for her.

“Are you hurt?”

At his question, she shook her head. Eventually, Taylor left her and ran out to the one person who would wipe the nanny’s face.

***

Kentrail glared at Taylor, who had rushed in. It was because his concentration was disturbed by the wind as he came in.

“What’s going on?”

“Because the nanny was crying so sadly…”

As soon as he had heard that, his ears were pricked up since the word nanny came out. So, when heard she was crying, he ran with all his might.

“Marie.”

He forgot to knock and opened the door and entered. When he got to the bed, she was really crying.

“Why is that? Where does it hurt?”

He asked with a worried face and a voice mixed with regret.

“Count…”

“Yes.”

He leaned his head towards her and wiped the water with her hand. Marie gazed at him and opened her mouth.

“Kentrail.”

His hand stopped.

“What are you saying now…”

He questioned in disbelief.

“I forgot. This should be the first thing I say when I wake up. Kentrail.”

“….”

His eyes widened as if he was startled.

Marie raised her hands and pulled him close to her face before continuing, “The most regretful thing while wandering around in my dreams was that I never called your name. I didn’t know it would remain so in my heart.

“Wait…just a minute.”

He struggled to interrupt her speech and catch her breath. But, it was of no use while seeing her face.

“Me, too… I…I had something to tell you.”

His and her eyes met as they wanted to say the same thing to each other.

“As I was talking to Sir Taylor, I remembered we were worried about each other and quarreling. Neither of us was wrong. Then, I remembered that there was something I really wanted to say.”

“I kept regretting after arguing with you. As long as you wake up, I can do anything for you, and I thought I had something I really wanted to say and only talked about scolding you… Will you let me say this first?”

He asked her.

“…Will you mind if I express my feelings in a slightly not-better situation?”

He was asking if it would be okay to express one’s feelings blindly without a ring or flowers.

“Count, didn’t you realize it like I did? It’s the perfect timing with the two of us.”

“….”

As he moved closer to her, Marie stared into his eyes and forgot how to breathe.

“I love you.”

And, the moment he finally uttered those words.

“I love you.”

The same words came out of her mouth, and their lips touched.

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