CH 20

Thinking so, Sarah looked at May. She was catching her breath and shedding tears. It was a different tear than when she cried falsely a while ago.

"Then why were you with Claude when his cursed power was manifested?"

"......"

At Sarah's question, May bit her lips tightly. May, who had not avoided Sarah's eyes since throwing off her pretense, turned her eyes away now.

"You could be the next victim. Weren't you scared?"

May, who was only an ordinary human being, would have been afraid like other servants because Ambrosia's power was the power that took away life force. May closed her mouth without answering.

However, Sarah did not rush for an answer and looked at her leisurely. May, who knew the meaning of the gaze, tried to turn a blind eye to it, but soon sighed deeply and confessed.

"I sympathized with Young Master Claude a little for my topic."

"What do you mean sympathized?"

"Because I thought that Young Master Claude…... would be abandoned and hated by everyone like me. So I didn't hate him anymore. It felt like we got closer and he was like me."

Obviously, May was by his side even though she hated the child until the end in 'Flower of Darkness.' May's words just now must have been sincere.

"But you were staring at Claude earlier. Why? Why did you hate Claude again?"

"......The Countess appeared. To Young Master Claude."

"What does it have to do with your hatred?"

"I secretly saw Countess purifying Ambrosia's curse. I saw you throwing up blood. I'm quick to catch on. Because I've been conscious all my life."

"......"

"What happens to Countess if you purify that power next to Young Master Claude? Are you dying?"

Sarah's forehead slightly frowned at the difficult question. At that time, she didn't know May saw the scene where she was vomiting blood. It was a setback.

"It seems right. When I look at you, I can tell even if I hate it. You like Young Master Claude, right? He's so adorable that you don't know what to do? To the point where you know you're going to die and yet you're still by his side!"

It was a feeling of inferiority about the appearance of a person who was willing to risk her life for Claude, whom she thought was the same as her. May raised her hand, which began to tremble and clenched her fist.

"Why does only Young Master Claude have a person like you? Because he's a high-ranking noble? Just because he's young and cute? Or is Countess also aiming for the seat next to the Duke? So you'll be next to Young Master Claude as a nanny..…. Argh!"

Splash, once again, a water storm fell over May.

"Get a hold of yourself. You shouldn't think of Claude as the same as you."

"Ah, that's right…… I'm a humble lady from a Baron family, and Young Master Claude is a noble from the Duke of Ambrosia."

"Don't be sarcastic."

Sarah spoke as if she had become a strict teacher. It was like a way of admonishing an immature child. Then she slowly approached May. May faltered back as she watched Sarah approaching her.

"Argh!"

Then she tripped over the laundry on her feet and fell back. In an instant, her vision turned upside down. But it didn't hurt. When she couldn't feel the pain, May opened her eyes carefully, which she had closed tightly at the moment.

"......!"

May could find the azure magic surrounding her. In an instant, her expression was subtly distorted.

"Why……"

She didn't know why Sarah wrapped magic around her instead of letting her fall. At that moment, a white and fine hand reached out in front of May. May stared blankly at the hand reaching out to her.

"Grab it."

"......"

Sarah grabbed May's hand and looked at her face as she stood up. A voice was heard looking for Sarah in the distance. It seemed that Claude was ready to leave for the Imperial Palace. Sarah clicked her tongue as she saw May, who was still staring at her with a blank look.

"Don't blame your father for your fault. Are you going to insult your mother's love, who protected you to the end?"

Saying that, Sarah tingled her fingers.

"......!"

May's wet clothes and hair quickly dried in an instant.

"I can see where your character of being incredibly strong towards the weak came from. Your father should be scolded."

Saying so, Sarah turned around. May stared blankly at Sarah's back as she walked away without punishing her. She insulted her master, and later in despair, even tried to insult Sarah.

"Why am I......"

May patted her neatly trimmed hair and the hem of her clothes.

'Are you going to insult your mother's love, who protected you to the end?'

Sarah's words, which were left behind, caused a gentle ripple in May's heart.

"......"

May fell down with her hands covering her face. She felt like crying.

***

Jerome Lucreaver.

It has been 37 years since he, an experienced knight, was in charge of guarding the Imperial gates. To be in charge of guarding the gates of the Imperial family was the greatest honor in his knight's life. So today, for the first time, the word retirement came to his mind. In his 37 years of service, he had been through a lot of absurd things, but this was the first time he experienced something like this today.

"I'm sorry, but can you say it again?"

It was already the third time he asked this question.

If Jerome couldn't understand what he was saying, it was bound to result in a bad ordeal or a big problem. However, the child repeated what he had kindly said once again to make sure that the other party fully understood his feelings.

"My father left the Imperial Palace Pass and I want to give it to him."

"......So, ah…... I'm sorry. So, your father's name is……"

"Ethan Ambrosia."

"......Haa."

Only then did Jerome understand why his colleague had been crying so much that he had to leave work.

'How the Duke of Ambrosia entered the Palace without his Imperial Pass, of course, he must have fallen asleep!'

It was the feeling of wanting to catch the death of his colleague who had asked him to take a shift right away and shake it off. Jerome looked at Ethan Ambrosia's Imperial Palace Pass, which was quietly placed in his hand. It felt like sweat was dripping from his palms just by holding it.

"It's okay if I don't deliver it to him myself. So please deliver this to my father. I don't want my father to get in trouble."

Claude clearly expressed his opinion in a cheerful voice. The son's earnest heart for worrying about his father was enough to give a calm impression. But there was one problem. It was Jerome, not the High Duke, who would be in trouble when this became known.

'If it's Ethan Ambrosia, he doesn't even need an Imperial Palace Pass. Of course!'

Obviously, his colleague must have opened the gate only by looking at the seal of the Ambrosian family and the face of the Duke. Anyway, he was the only Duke of this Empire recognized by the Emperor, so his existence itself was like an Imperial Pass. In fact, this wasn't such a big deal.

However, it became a problem when the son of Duke Ethan Ambrosia, who he had only heard of rumors, brought the Imperial Palace Pass. Because it meant to inform the whole world that there was a hole in the gate management.

Since the Duke was maintaining neutrality in the issue of succession to the throne, there were many nobles who were dissatisfied with him. It was clear that those seeking Ethan Ambrosia's fault would bite him over this. Jerome was at the center of an incident that could be the starting point of the power struggle.

"Somehow, somehow…..."

Jerome began to sob as he looked back on his life that had now come to an end. He also remembered his lovely wife, who swore to spend the rest of her life with him and their rabbit-like children. If only the Young Lord of Ambrosia had come to him alone and showed him the pass, he would have been able to deliver it to the Duke without everyone knowing it, and could ask the Young Lord to keep it a secret.

"Oh my, what a pity."

But because of the woman behind Young Lord Claude Ambrosia, who was clicking her tongue and giving him a sympathetic glance. The woman who heard all these conversations left Jerome with no hope or no back.

"Fufu."

When Jerome was in despair, a clear laughter leaked out through Sarah's lips.