CH 13

Sarah, as Claude's nanny, decided to stay at the Ambrosia mansion in the future to share his every move. So Count Millen decided to send a messenger to Ambrosia to move Sarah's luggage. That was why the Ambrosia dukedom had been bustling with untimely guests for a long time.

"Miladyyyyyy. Do you have to stay here?"

"You can just commute to workkkkkk."

"Uahhhhhh…… Don't go."

Sarah smiled awkwardly as she walked forward with a handful of Count Millen's servants gripping her arms.

"I'm not going forever, why are you being like this?"

"You won’t come back here often!"

"I haven’t even gone yet, so I don’t have to go often."

"Uahh. I don't know. I don't know."

The people of Count Millen wept and laughed at Sarah's words. The servants of Ambrosia, who were watching the rare sight, opened their mouths wide.

"Can you do that to Our Lord?"

"I can never do that."

The servants continued to watch the scene together with Claude sticking his head out. Sarah smiled and teased the people around her, and the servants whined at their Countess comfortably. Claude, who was watching the scene, had an unknown feeling.

"I don't like the servants of Count Millen."

"Honestly, when it comes to Count Millen, it's a family recognized by His Majesty the Emperor, right? It must have hurt their pride to hear that the successor of the respectable Count was only a nanny."

Claude could hear Ambrosia's servants gossiping. Hearing this, his mood subsided.

'Look at this. Who would like me? They hate it because she's my nanny.'

Claude glanced at Ambrosia's servants behind him. When Claude took one step closer, the servants moved away, and when Claude took another step, they moved further away.

They were polite to him, but they never stayed by his side. Even at a young age, Claude knew that they were struggling and fearful of him. It got worse when Claude became seriously ill a month ago. Now, as if afraid to even touch Claude, the servants trembled even at the slightest contact.

'May doesn't avoid me...…'

When Claude recalled that May was the only one who treated him well without avoiding him, he turned his head and looked for her. Claude asked Ronda, who was standing behind him.

"Ronda, where's May?"

"That child is being punished for committing a crime."

"What crime?"

"It's not something Young Master Claude will care about."

"……"

Claude choked up, but he held it in. Except for May, in this Duke family, Ronda and Veron were the only ones who treated Claude casually. Besides, they were both very dear to his father. He didn't want to be hated by his father because he bothered Ronda for no reason.

'I have to find where May is and save her.'

Claude thought so and looked back at Sarah.

"Ack!"

Then, when Sarah made eye contact with him, Claude was surprised and pulled Ronda's skirt and covered his face.

Why is she smiling at me? I don’t like it

"......Isn't that too cute?"

Sarah muttered like a sigh and unconsciously raised her hand to cover her face.

What the hell was that cute creature?

Claude's behavior, which he thought he would be hidden if he only needed to cover his face, was so cute that it took her breath away. Sarah took a moment to catch her breath and then walked towards Claude.

"Hello, Young Master Claude?"

"......"

Claude was wary of Sarah who was approaching me and drew closer to Ronda. Then Ronda looked at Sarah with a troubled look.

"I'm sorry, Countess. The Young Master is shy......"

"It's okay because it's cute."

Sarah squatted down to meet Claude's eye level. Sarah opened her mouth as she watched Claude staring at her through the hem of Ronda's skirt, not yet shying from her vigilant gaze.

"Why are you upset?"

"What?"

"You're angry."

Claude pouted his lips at Sarah's words that pierced right through him. 'How can Nanny know that', the words came up to his throat.

The servants of Ambrosia fear and avoid Claude, but he was jealous of Sarah because she seemed to be loved by her people. However, he didn't want to admit that he was caught, so Claude turned his head around.

"Does Young Master Claude know that I don't think Young Master Claude is cute just because you're like this?"

Sarah said that and hugged Claude. The child screamed and struggled.

"What! Put me down!"

"Ahaha!"

Sarah smiled coolly and ran with Claude in her arms. It was something she did impulsively because she wanted to get closer to the child a little bit before taking the role of Claude's nanny in earnest.

Seeing Sarah, who kidnapped their Young Master in an instant, the Ambrosia servants opened their mouths without doing anything. Claude bit his lips because he thought he was going to burst into laughter when he saw Sarah's expressions over her shoulder.

"While they are organizing your luggage, Young Master Claude, please play with me."

"Why me?"

"Because I want to play with Young Master Claude!"

"......Nanny is really weird."

Why do you want to play with me? Everyone hates me.

Claude thought so and wrapped his arms around Sarah's neck. At Claude's tacit acceptance, Sarah hummed as if she was in a good mood.

"What shall we play?"

Claude answered Sarah's question in a blunt voice.

"I don’t know!"

"Don't do that, please tell me. What do you usually do, Young Master Claude?"

"......"

Claude groaned slightly and buried his head in Sarah's shoulder. Even if he wanted to tell her, he didn’t have anything to tell her. He had no friends and no one to play with.

Children around Claude's age would burst into tears when he was by their side and wouldn't approach him. The slightly older aristocratic children noticed that Claude didn’t receive their father's attention and cleverly harassed him. So he didn't even know what it was like to have fun.

"I don't play. You don’t like playing with me."

"Oh my? Why do you think so?"

"I just know. Everyone hates me."

A faint cry was felt from Claude, who was murmuring in a voice that was not like a child. Sarah, who had seen Claude's childhood in 'Flower of Darkness', knew why the child thought so. That was why her heart ached when she thought of how hurt the child must have been before he even said that to himself.

"That's not true. In fact, everyone will like Young Master Claude!"

"No!"

"That's true!"

"No!"

"It's true, right?"

"Sto......"

Claude jumped out of Sarah's arms, stamping his feet loudly to say that he was upset. Claude, who landed stably on the floor, glared at Sarah and soon turned around. Sarah followed closely behind Claude, who was running forward with his small legs, and smiled.

"Let's go together, Young Master Claude!"

"No! Nanny doesn't know anything!"

"Why don't I know? I know everything."

"Lie!"

"I'm not lying. I'm a great magician, so I know everything."

Claude, who was walking ahead, stopped at Sarah's words. Claude looked back slightly and asked.

"Does the great magician really know everything?"

Sarah swallowed a laugh at Claude's cute look as he pricked his ears and asked. Then she placed her hands on her waist, shrugged her shoulders, and answered in a confident voice.

"Of course! I don't lie."

"......"

"Young Master Claude is a lovely person. So everyone will love Young Master Claude."

"But, but…... Father hates me, too."

Claude lowered his head gloomily, saying that no one would like him when his father hated him. Sarah's gentle hand fell on Claude's head.

"As a great magician, I assure you, the Duke loves Young Master Claude."

"......"

"He is just afraid."

At Sarah's words, Claude raised his head. It was a soft and warm touch. A touch that was difficult to receive once in a lifetime. Teary eyes carefully looked up at Sarah.

"Father is strong. There is nothing he would be afraid of."

"It's not the same as being strong. People get scared when they have something too precious."

"......"

"They are afraid they’ll lose it."

Claude didn't quite understand what Sarah was talking about. It was too profound for a young child to understand. However, he wanted to believe Sarah's words that his father valued him. Claude unknowingly wiped his tears with his sleeves. Then he spoke bluntly in a voice of kindness.

"I'll trust you once!"

The child giggled and gently grabbed the hem of Sarah's skirt with his thumb and forefinger. It meant permission.

"Ah…..."

Then Sarah collapsed with a small moan, covering her face with both hands.

"Nanny? What's wrong?"

Claude gently shook Sarah, who had collapsed in surprise. Sarah trembled weakly at Claude’s tiny touch and spoke as if she was sick.

"My heart hurts because Young Master Claude is so cute…..."

"What? Are you teasing me?"

Claude trembled with anger and turned away. The child's earlobes were all red. Sarah quickly followed Claude, who was walking vigorously.

"I apologize. Are you really mad?"

At her voice apologizing in a cautious voice, the child glanced back and stopped. Then he scratched his blushing cheeks, which were as red as his earlobes, and said in a small voice.

"You told me to play with you? Hurry up and follow me."

"What should we play, Young Master Claude?"

"Nanny decides that!"

The child's voice was clear, and a bright smile could be seen on Sarah's face. Even if he was hurt and intimidated, Claude, who was ready to open his heart to someone, was lovely.

'You have to do well, you have to grow well.'

Sarah thought so and followed Claude.