CH 14

14 The Sly One is Me

TN : 14/16

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Is he, perhaps, unwilling to become my attendant? I couldn’t help but think that when I looked at him in concern. However, for some unknown reason, Richard’s face suddenly flushed red the moment he noticed my stare.

“S-Sorry, I-I mean, my apologies, Theodore-cha– Um, I mean… -sama… I, I… I am…”

At first, it was only a little bit of stutter. However, by the end, he almost couldn’t get any words out of his mouth. It seems he was starting to get very flustered, voice dwindling rapidly when he was trying to talk to me.

I-Is he too nervous because he met me? I mean, he looks like he is about to cry. What do I do? What do I do? I inwardly flailed, wondering what was happening with this guy.

Then again, he might be bewildered when he heard that he would be working for me as my attendant. He was still but a young child after all, so it was possible that he was extremely surprised to know that he was to work as my attendant when he was still at the age of wanting to play around.

“Erm, I don’t really mind even if you don’t wish to become my attendant, you know? No one will get angry at you if you choose that. I mean, you’re still way too young for work, and not even I want to work when I’m still so young.” I said, trying to assure him that it was okay for him to choose.

The moment he heard my words, Richard’s face turned red.

E-EEH?! DID I JUST HIT THE BULLS EYES?! I thought, expression falling slightly in dejection. However, the kid’s following sentence overturned my assumption.

“A-Am I- not qualified in your eyes, Theodore… sama? A-As I thought- there’s no way… a dunce like me will… hiccup…” He broke into tears and started to blame himself, practically folding into himself.

I panicked. “Nonono, who said such a thing?! I didn’t say that! I was just wondering whether you’re actually forced to become my attendant and was actually unwill– wait, please stop crying! F-father, please say something…! W-What are you laughing for?! Father!” I cried out indignation and panic as when I turned around, looking for reinforcement from my father, I found that he was giggling at us.

Wait just a minute, stop laughing and do something about this situation please!

“No, I apologize son, but this is actually the first time I saw you so flustered like this. I can’t help myself since you’re so adorable. Oh, don’t look like that, let me enjoy this. You have only ever shown that composed expression around others, so this expression is a surprise to me. It seems that even you, my son, will get flustered as well.”

P-PAPAAA! What are you talking about when there is a boy crying right here in front of you! This isn’t the place to show your doting side, d*amn it! I thought as my hands frantically hover all over the kid, not quite touching him, but unsure of what it should do.

AAAHm please stop crying already! I’ve no problem with coaxing a baby, but this I can’t do. I mean, honestly? Like hell I can coax a boy whose age is older than me by one year!

“GEEZ, stop crying already! You’re my attendant, right?! If that’s the case, then please stop crying!”

“UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

At that moment, my scream accidentally awakened Wendy from her slumber and caused her to start to weep as well.

“Geez, look, because we are too loud, Wendy woke up and started to cry! Sorry for talking so loudly, Wendy! Your onii-sama is at fault. Lookielookie!”

“Uwu~h, sowyyy, milady Wendy~!”

“WAAAAAAAAAAAN!”

It was honestly chaotic from that moment on. With me apologizing to Wendy profusely and trying to soothe her, Richard who was apologizing to her while simultaneously crying, and Wendy herself who was bawling non-stop after we disturbed her sleep. And yet, my father and mother were only giggling when they saw us like that.

In the end, my mother’s maid, Maria, interrupted and started to coax the crying Wendy along with my father and mother while Martha took Richard to another room to calm him down. As expected of an adult… well, responsible one I meant.

◇

“My deepest apologies!” Sebas vigorously apologized by means of sliding dogeza, surprising me. [TL : Beelzebub’s reference.]

For some reason unknown to me, he insisted in taking the blame for Richard’s misbehaviour. He even claimed that it was his responsibility. However, that was not what I wanted.

“No, I’m not asking for that. I just want to know why Richard insists on blaming himself to that extent?” I asked, having requested my father to let me meet Sebas so I could ask him.

Alas, before I even asked, Sebas had literally slid on his knees when he met me. He was groveling in front of me, but this time I didn’t go soft-hearted and let the matter be. I steeled my heart and asked for the reason behind Richard’s self-blaming. Sebas acquiesced and answered what I wanted to know. Turned out, I was the very reason why he became like that.

The story went like this.

Originally, Richard was raised as my attendant as his age was the closest to mine. Furthermore, he was also Sebas’ great-grandson, making his qualification and loyalty without a doubt.

And yet, despite having begun his lessons earlier than me, I managed to easily surpass him as soon as I received the same lesson. Not only in one subject, but even in the matter of etiquette, Richard was often compared to me. It was not only one or twice that the kid was told something along the lines of: “Since Young Master can do this, as his attendant, you must also be able to do this. You need to give more effort, RIchard.”

When I heard that story, I blanched.

I meant, looked at that teaching. That kind of teaching only ever resulted in the students spiralling downwards into becoming demotivated students. It was simply a bad example of educating the young. So, it was only natural for him to be unwilling to study when they always compared the two of us like that.

If it was me, I would scrap that education policy at once.

Haah, even though I didn’t get some sort of cheat, being known as a young prodigy seems to be a cheat in and of itself. Although it’s a temporary one.

Anyway, I really wished to tell Richard to not mind me at all as I would become a normal person once I grew up. However, that was something that the current Richard would not be able to understand.

After all, comparing himself with a cheater like me would make him look more pitiful…

“Father, let me talk with Richard.”

“Uhm, let’s go meet him, then.”