CH 66

Chapter 66: Idle Talk — Invitation to Michelia 2

However, the salvation was that Albert, who started going to the Academy in the same year, found Michelia.

“I’ve always wanted to see Michelia.”

Albert said he only liked Michelia.

“I didn’t want to get engaged to that dark woman who I didn’t know what she was thinking. But you were gone, and my family’s situation wasn’t very good, so I had no choice but to accept the proposal from the Count Elvasti family.”

Albert talked about his engagement to Linea in such a way.

And Michelia was delighted to hear that he still loves her. She can now escape her harsh and painful life. She doesn’t have to keep cleaning anymore.

But Albert shows no signs of rescuing Michelia. He evades her questions about the future.

Gradually, she hears the rumors.

It seems that Albert intends to continue surrounding Michelia as a commoner lover.

“Is this going to be my life as a mistress now…?”

For a moment, I became uneasy about it.

But even after I started going out with Albert, I continued to endure the bullying from the other servants.

I came to think that it couldn’t be helped.

Albert said to Michelia, who looked very apologetic, “It’s embarrassing to say, but the financial situation of my house was not much different from yours. If you touched the Count Elvasti family’s bane, you would always be given a hard time and kept from standing up. To not make my father and mother wander the streets, I have to listen to what they say.”

Hearing this story, Michelia remembered the time when she fell into ruin and resigned herself to the fact that it was inevitable.

And the more she resigned herself, the more her hatred for Linea, who would interfere with her happiness, grew.

“I can’t believe she became a foster child.”

On such a mundane day, a bolt from the blue struck.

Hateful Linea left the Count Elvasti family and became a foster child in another family.

Apparently, she said that the engagement with Albert was called off, but I couldn’t believe it.

Albert was still in the state of being engaged, he said.

Even Michelia doubted whether Albert, who was supposed to want to get married so much, would give up so easily.

“It would be better if Albert-sama just broke off the engagement as it is.”

Sighing, Michelia picks up a bucket filled with water.

The handle of the bucket digs into her hand, which has just begun to wrinkle. It used to be a smooth hand.

“Now I can’t even wear silk gloves.”

It seems like it will tear everywhere it catches.

Just as she sighed and imagined it again, she was suddenly spoken to from nearby.

“Would you like some help carrying it?”

It’s a male voice. She wondered who it was, and when she turned around, a fluffy-haired young man with golden hair was standing a few dozen steps away from Michelia. His light green jacket has almost no decoration, and the edges are trimmed with black thread.

He looks like a servant of some household.

“Who are you…?”

The golden-haired youth cheerfully answered.

“I apologize for not introducing myself. My name is Ralles. I was passing by on errands for the house I serve, but it looked like you were in trouble, so I couldn’t help but speak up. Do you always draw water at this time?”

“Generally. It’s on a rotation system, but I end up doing it when I’m procrastinating.”

If she smiles wryly, she will seem like a brave person who silently endures being forced to work by her comrades. Michelia answers while calculating this.

“It will be tough with your thin arms. I don’t always come here, but please let me help you.”

“I’m happy to, but why?”

Although Michelia had already guessed his intention from the conversation so far, she tried to make him say it.

Ralles answered honestly.

“I was worried because I thought you were in love with an untrustworthy person.”

Ralles looks kind of handsome with a slight smirk on his face.

“Untrustworthy…”

“Even though you have someone you love, you will never marry them…when I served a different master in the past, I was always troubled by that. When I see you, I remember that.”

Ralles’ words pierce Michelia’s heart.

“But that person was a noble and I am a commoner.”

Michelia said this as if to cut off his words.

An insurmountable wall has been built between them. Even so, just because he loves me, I should be satisfied.

But Ralles says.

“But you are originally supposed to be a noble young lady. If you were, couldn’t you arrange to be fostered by another noble family and make you a legitimate wife?”

“…”

Michelia can’t say anything.

She has thought about the same thing many times. She has also indirectly proposed this to Albert. But his response was weak.

“Even if you are in the shade, you miss that person.”

Michelia feels a strange impatience at the sound of a voice that seems to have given up.

So Michelia starts talking about something else.

“If only Linea weren’t here…”

“Linea?”

“…She was the young lady of the Count Elvasti family. She seems to have become a foster child of another family now, but she must be thinking of something mean again. Like when she ruined my birthplace.”

“You still hate that young lady.”

“Of course. She is the one who caused me to be in this unstable position.”

“I can’t believe it, but is that young lady attending this Academy?”

Michelia nods.

“It must be hard to see her every day.”

Ralles says with a sympathetic expression, clouding his face.

His sympathy feels good and Michelia keeps complaining.

“She’s the one who destroyed my home because she wanted Albert-sama. Even now, she’s still keeping Albert, who doesn’t have any feelings for her, in check. Because of her, Albert can’t choose me.”

“Your crush is being held captive by that young lady.”

“I want to help and if he were freed, maybe Albert would marry me.”

After saying that, Michelia realized that it was probably unpleasant words for Ralles, who has a crush (probably) on her.

“I’m sorry, I just talked about my feelings.”

Ralles shakes his head.

“No, I wanted to talk like this. Besides, I was thinking of a little sneaky thing.”

“Something sneaky?”

When asked, Ralles chuckled and answered Michelia.

“If I helped you with your revenge on Miss Linea, would you give me just one kiss?”

Michelia’s eyes widened.

“I would be satisfied with just one kiss as a memory of love. How about it?”

Michelia, who was asked, stood there in a daze for a while.

TL: Even after reading the raw, I’m not sure I understand the context. Half of Japanese WN have a draft-free styling concept, as if they were written on a mobile phone.