CH 62

Translated by Tam

“…Is that wise?”

Richard didn’t seem to like my choice of mixing the fruits into his food.

No, so does he want me to die on the spot?

“What do you want me to do when it’s the choice? Are you going to die, or am I going to die? Of course, you should die.”

“It hurts me for you to say that.”

“Be strong. I have never been raised so weakly.”

“….”

“Anyway, that’s not what’s important right now, so just get hurt. From my point of view, it is beneficial to get paid without poisoning you.”

Richard looked unhappy as I explained.

Then what the hell am I supposed to do? Without losing because of the unfairness, I glared at Richard, and then he lowered his tail. (Lowered his tail is an idiom with a meaning is like step back or retreat from the opponent’s momentum.)

“It must have been dangerous.”

“It’s too late to say that now. Go away.”

Richards had pitiful eyes like an abandoned dog when I shook off his hand coldly.

It looks fake.

“But maid, you’re still on my side, right?” 

“We were supposed to run away together.”

“That’s a relief.”

Only then did Richard loosen his brows with a relieved look.

He came to hold my hand as if he needed to find stability.

It makes me confused when I see this kind of thing.

It’s like the real thing, not acting or pretending.

******

Just when Richard finished eating, Argen called me.

Normally, I would have been nervous, but I could guess why he called me this time.

Maybe it’s because of something related to herbs.

And my prediction was not wrong.

Argen lay on the bed at an angle and looked at me with trembling eyes.

“…Rosie, are you going to apply it by yourself?”

“If you don’t like it, I’ll just leave it alone.”

“Nevermind, just do it.” 

“Then excuse me.”

I approached him and carefully grabbed his collar, and lowered it.

As Argen twisted his head to the opposite side, his pure white neckline was clearly visible.

On the exposed bare skin, faint patterns that could be seen were placed there as if they would disappear.

If he has a seizure, the pattern will become clearer.

I applied herbs to his neck. Argen’s shoulders trembled at the cold sensation.

“Are you okay?”

“…Just continue.” 

I put the herbs evenly on his neck and collarbone. I mostly put it on Argen’s painful spots.

After applying almost all of it to the area where the pattern was drawn, I took off my hand.

“Is it done?”

“Yes, I’m done.”

“Does it really work?”

Argen looks like he can’t believe it. 

However, seeing that he gave me permission to apply medicinal herbs with his character and never let someone touch him, it seemed like he wanted to hold on to even the slightest hope.

“Whenever he had a seizure, it seemed to be effective in calming it down. The person who had this pattern in my hometown said that.”

“Is it possible that some kind of herbal medicine would be helpful—.”

Argen laughed and closed his eyes.

“By the way, Rosie, where is your hometown?”

“You won’t know even if you hear it.”

“It’s amazing that people from your hometown know something I didn’t know even by asking around.”

After applying the herb, it seems that there are questions and various doubts.

Well, that’s what I expected.

“I come from a village on the edge of the Empire. And it was ignorance that people in my hometown didn’t know about this.”

Argen frowned as if it was an unexpected answer.

His face seems to want to ask how ignorant that is.

“There’s no way the villagers know the patterns they’ve never seen before, and they don’t have the money to call a doctor. So, they got caught putting herbs on their skin that were good for them.”

I must have laughed bitterly while saying that.

Argen’s expression when he saw my face became mysterious. 

Suddenly, I felt like I was vaguely reminded of the old days.

When I was young, I often had a headache. But I was alone in the house, and there was no one to take care of.

I often saw my mother take medicine whenever she was sick as a child.

At the time, I believed that all the medicine would cure my pain.

So I took out any medicine from the medicine box and ate it. Then later, when I took medicine, I realized I wasn’t sick and took it again.

My mom freaked out when she found out.

Because I took any medicine, she was very worried if there was anything wrong with my body.

‘Why did this memory come to mind?’

I couldn’t even remember anything about it.

Now that I’m older, the childish idea is scary, but it was a great memory at the time.

‘I want to go back….’

I didn’t even realize that’s what I was thinking.

But when Argen called, those vague memories disappeared quickly.

“Come again tomorrow, Rosie.”

“…I understand.” 

After a while, Argen fell asleep peacefully.

Come to think of it, he grew up lonely, too.

I didn’t feel sorry for him. It was just an impression. 

I went back to my room and started ‘preparation’ according to my plan.

When the plan was complete, I organized the materials to show to Richard.

It was when I tried to finish it and put the data in the drawer. I found a rusty pendant in the corner. 

“What is this?”

I tried to open the inside, but strangely, the pendant was firmly closed and didn’t open.

Is it broken?

I would throw it away because it was useless, but I decided to leave it as it was Rose’s. 

Then I kept the data in the drawer.

Because the plan is about to begin.

******

“…So the pink-haired maid’s name is Rosie?”

“Yes. She’s the exclusive maid of the monster that the Marquis has locked up.”

The investigation into the pink-haired maid, ordered by Dylan, came quickly. 

Based on what he found out from this investigation, the servant told Dylan about Rosie. Dylan’s expression when he heard it became darkened.

This is because he was thinking about a woman who broke a promise she made to him two years ago and ran away.

It’s like Rose doing the maid’s job in this mansion.

How is the name similar? 

‘…It couldn’t be.’

There was no way she could do chores with that kind of temper.

Besides, shouldn’t the servants live diligently?

It really doesn’t suit a lazy woman like Rose.

The woman would always sit in her chair with dignity.

‘The names are similar, and the hair color is the same—’

Is that why Yurtha cares about her?

It was an act that was perfectly suited to that disgusting bastard.

“I have to meet the maid named Rosie.”

Dylan’s red eyes shone.

******

[Why isn’t it working yet?]

I found a note hidden under my door in the middle of the night.

They cut the front and back content, but I could tell who sent it. It was the devil worshiper.

[Three days from now, come to the warehouse west of this time.]

I crumpled up the note I had read and put it in my mouth.

“Ugh.”

I swallowed the note and frowned. It’s not really tasty. What the paper tastes is like—well, just like that.

Nevertheless, there was no better destruction of evidence than this.

‘Why isn’t it working? It’s because I didn’t feed Richard the fruit.’

What am I supposed to do with this—.

There was actually a way to come to mind. I had been thinking about it even before I received this note.

I have to deceive not only the devil worshipers but Argen as well.

There was some doubt about whether Richard would follow.

Let’s just tell him first.

The next day, I went to give Richard breakfast and explained the situation.

“So you’re asking me to act like I’m crazy?”

“Yes, that’s right. I think it would be better for you to pretend you were sick in many ways. That way, the Marquis won’t be suspicious either—”

“All right. It’s not hard.”

I guess I shouldn’t have worried.

We’re talking about the note the devil worshipers left for me, so I told him to pretend to be sick in case Argen was suspicious.

I deliberately avoided any topic related to devil worshipers, as it would make Richard’s mood more bloody.

“Pretending to be crazy….”

After pretending to think for a moment, Richard pulled my waist.

“…What are you doing?”

“You told me to pretend to be crazy, maid.”

How can this try to be crazy? Instead, it looked like he was just trying to satisfy his own needs.

“I’ll bite you well, so it doesn’t hurt.”

Richard said softly as he brushed my pink hair behind my ears.