CH 58

“Lari.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Can you bring Anessa and Lira?”

“Ah, yes. I will bring them right away.”

At Charelize’s command, Lari went straight to bring Anessa and Lira.

“I see you, little Duchess.”

“May the blessing come upon you.”

When they came inside, they greeted Charelize reflexively. They had a puzzled lok on their face at the sudden situation.

“You seem to have adapted to Duchy faster than I thought. I heard that you’re good at what you do.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“I’m still lacking a lot, but everyone has been treating me well.”

“Actually, I called you because I had a favor to ask of you.”

Since there was a lot of work to catch up, Charelize immediately got to the point after asking how they were doing.

“Favor…?”

“Please feel free to tell us, Your Highness.”

“You must know that Lillian and I are going as envoys to the wedding of the First Princess of Peschte Empire.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“By any chance…”

“That’s right. Many things overlapped, and I hope one of you will assist me for the time being because one of my exclusive maids will take a leave for a time being.”

At Charelize’s suggestion, Anessa put on a surprised look while Lira calmly nodded. Actually, it was a job that should had been done by her exclusive maid, but because of the circumstances, it couldn’t happen. It was rare opportunity for them.

“If Your Highness leaves it to me, I will do it faithfully.”

“I will try not to burden you.”

Of course, Anessa and Lira agreed. From that day on, they immediately joined Hailey to take care of Charelize.

“Your Highness, at the wedding of Royal Princess Casilla, it looked like Queen Lilze will also attend.”

At Anessa’s words, Charelize narrowed her brows. Although she didn’t do it personally, she did convey her apologies through Count Luwen to Queen Lilze. She heard the queen was very disappointed because she couldn’t interpret the ancient characters.

“Thank you for letting me know, Anessa.”

“It’s nothing, Your Highness. I’m glad I could help you.”

Anessa, the niece of Count Luwen, really resembled the scribe and was quick to grasp the situation. She was also very meticulous when it came to handling things. Charelize hadn’t been working with her for a long time. However, Anessa was such a great talent that she wanted to keep by her side.

It was the same for the younger sister of Baron Karmen, Lira. She seemed to be influenced by her older brother, who graduated from the Department of Foreign Relations at Rosielt Academy. Lira was good at dealing with people. She wasn’t afraid to speak a foreign language.

“This is a letter to Princess Elsana, could you take a look at it?”

“There’s nothing strange overall, but I think Your Highness just needs to change this word in the second line.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It has the same meaning, but it’s interpreted differently when it is used in everyday life and when it’s expressed in writing…”

It was to the extent that Charelize would ask her opinion to correct the sentences.

She hired them because they were short-handed, but she wanted to keep them beside her all the time. When she told the butler she was sorry and gave him the permission to hire new servants again, the butler quickly left with a bright face.

* * *

“Anessa!”

“…”

“The dust behind…”

“…It’s okay. Don’t touch me.”

Lari, who went to work first and found Anessa in the Charelize office, approached and greeted her. She reached out to remove the dust from the side of Anessa’s shoulder. Surprised by the sudden call, Anessa slapped Lari’s hand away with a dark face. Lari blushed in an instant with a slightly bitter feeling, but she was the one who tried to touch her first without permission.

“I-I’m sorry. I will be careful next time.”

Lari lowered her head in embarrassment and apologized. The atmosphere was getting awkward, so she was just fiddling with the papers for no reason.

“Do you know how to read?”

“…Pardon?”

Anessa, who saw it, laughed.

“Then what if important documents are mixed up…”

Lari couldn’t say anything, just biting her lips as Anessa continued her words with a mockery tone.

“Lari.”

“…Sister Hailey.”

“Where is Your Highness?”

At that moment, Hailey came in and called Lari. She didn’t say anything, as if she hadn’t heard what Anessa was saying.

“I look forward to your kind cooperation today as well, Hailey.”

“…Ah, yes.”

Anessa greeted Hailey as if nothing had happened.

“Lari, what’s wrong with your hands?”

Charelize, who came in not long after, asked why the back of Lari’s hand was red.

“I-It’s nothing, Your Highness.”

“?”

When asked by Charelize, Anessa bit her lips.

“The weather is cold. I guess that’s why.”

“…You may catch a cold, so dress warmly.”

Lari quickly shook her head in response. Seeing that, Charelize sighed briefly and didn’t ask any more.

When Lira arrived on time, they were doing their jobs without saying anything.

“It’s still too early for lunch… Lari, can you make me some cookies?”

During that time, Lari didn’t even go near the desk. While everyone was busy working, Charelize was worried as Lari couldn’t do anything. She wasn’t that hungry, so she deliberately gave Lari something to do.

“Yes, Your Highness. I will be right back.” Lari smiled brightly and left the office.

“It’s nice to see her like that.”

Lari’s smile also made Charelize feel better.

“Your Highness.”

“What’s going on?”

“About Lari… How long have you known her?”

She’s like a younger sister to me. Why?”

“I-It’s nothing. Me too… she reminds me…of my youngest sister.”

Anessa closed her mouth at the end of the question.

Charelize saw that Hailey’s eyes had been on Anessa for quite some time. Tilting her head slightly, she seemed to be thinking about something.

“You may leave the office now. Well done, everyone,” said Charelize, taking off her glasses as the sun went down.

“Then, I will see you tomorrow, Your Highness.”

“Take care, Anessa.”

The next day, Lari handed Anessa pre-made, nicely wrapped cookies and a small piece of paper. Maybe it was because Charelize thought Lari as her younger sister, so Anessa couldn’t bear to refuse her.

“I will… eat it,” said Anessa, erasing the slightest displeasure on her face.

“I’ll make it for you again.”

Fortunately, Lari was very happy to hear that.

“I left something in the carriage, so go ahead first. I will be there soon.”

“I will tell Your Highness.”

“Thank you for doing so.”

As Lari disappeared from her sight, Anessa dropped the cookies in her hand to the ground.

The writing of the paper Lari  gave with the cookies.

[Hello, Anessa!

I made it not too sweet, so the taste should be fine. I apologize again for what I did last time. I will be careful. We will be working together for quite some time, and I want to get along with Anessa.]

There was a sentence saying that she wanted to be close with Anessa.

“I don’t know if she’s ignorant or stupid…”

The moment she stepped on it with her feet and laughed in vainly.

“…Anessa?”

“…”

Waking up earlier than usual, she met with Hailey and made eye contact with her.

“What you’re stepping on…”

“I-it’s not Hailey’s business.”

Surprised, Anessa picked up the fallen cookies, threw it to the trash can, and went in first.

“Anessa, Your Highness is…”

“…Lari.”

“Sister Hailey? What are you doing here?”

Lari, who came back to tell Charelize’s words, called Anessa. She didn’t go that long, but Aness wasn’t there, only Hailey was there.

“This…”

Lari wondered and looked where Hailey’s gaze was. All the cookies she carefully made were turned into powder, and the string she carefully wrapped became dirty.

“…Your Highness eats it too…. I even washed my hands ten times before making them…”

“…Lari.”

“I used the best ingredients… I’ve learned how to tie a ribbon all night… a-and write a letter…”

Lari, who immediately took out what was in the trash can, eventually burst into tears.

Lari, who took it straight out of the trash can, ended up in tears.

“Just like the last time… I have to tell Your Highness about this.”

Hailey recalled the moment when she deliberately pretended not to know that Anessa asked Lari if she knew how to read.

“Don’t do that.”

“Even after all this?”

“She might not like sweets… so…”

“Lari, you already know the answer. No matter how much someone hates sweets, they won’t step on something given as a gift.”

“…”

“This is a matter that Your Highness should know too.”

“Thanks to Anessa’s help… Your Highness’ work becomes lesser. However, I…”

“By the way, are you still taking your medicine? Last night—”

“Don’t act like you know what you saw at first glance.” Lari, who was always smiling, cut Hailey’s words sharply.

“I made a mistake in what I just said. But…”

“I don’t want to be abandoned again… If Your Highness is busy, I don’t want to make things difficult for her.”

“Your Highness is the one who will—”

Just before, Hailey saw Charelize looking from the window. They didn’t come in for a while, so Charelize wondered what was going on outside.

“What’s going on?”

At the end, there was Lari who said she didn’t want to tell it, and Hailey who sighed.

Charelize didn’t know the conversation before, so she didn’t know what was going on. However, it seemed right that the atmosphere was different from usual.

“Lari looked tired, so I was telling her to go to bed early at night, Your Highness.”

“…You should go to bed early if you want to grow taller, Lari.”

“I haven’t been able to sleep lately… I was thinking of drinking tea that helps me sleep well starting today.”

Everyone was lying, but no one pretended to know.

* * *

Since that day, Hailey has been bothered by Lari, who pretended to sleep every time she came out after taking a bath.

“Don’t act like you know what you saw at first glance.”

“I don’t want to be abandoned again… If Your Highness is busy, I don’t want to make things difficult for her.”

She kept thinking about what Lari said back then. It was frustrating that Lari wouldn’t talk about it.

Lari sometimes wakes up at night from seizures. She didn’t know if it was because of the wounds on her back and shoulders, or if it was because she was having nightmares. Lari told her not to tell Charelize about it, so Hailey gave her painkillers without letting Charelize know. However, it seemed that Lari wasn’t taking her medicine properly even though she was complaining of being in pain these days.

Last time, when Hailey went to the Eralpier Academy.

“Do you have any idea who is named Lauren?”

Charelize had asked about someone named Lauren in the carriage. Hailey had definitely seen Lari mutter that name before.

“…I don’t know. Did anything happen?”

Hailey didn’t know anything in detail, so she replied like that. It was indeed the first time she lied to Charelize in a long time.

“Lari, are you sleeping?”

“…”

Hailey sighed when she saw Lari turned her back again today, so she left the room to go for a walk. Then, at the end of the hallway, she ran into Charelize, holding a candle.

“Your Highness? It’s late, haven’t you slept yet?”

“I think of something I need to do urgently, and I have something to ask you.”

“Yes?”

“It looked like she cried a little.”

“…”

“Do you know what happened?”

Charelize, feeling sad over Lari, who was struggling to hold back her tears, asked Hailey about what had happened that day.