Home/The villainess's personal maid is very good at her job/ch 31

Episode 31

During the garden stroll, they encountered several servants.

Each wore a faint smile and greeted Julietta and Janet.

"Her Ladyship will be pleased if you respond to them."

"Why would they be happy if I respond?"

"I'm not sure. But trust me and give it a try."

Julietta's lips twitched, and she answered lightly, "Good work."

Contrary to her expectation that they would show no reaction, the servants who received her greeting blushed with happiness.

"I-I'll do my best!"

"Thank you, my Lady."

Finding that strange, Julietta couldn't help but furrow her brow.

"Janet."

"Yes, my Lady?"

"When I'm with you, strange things keep happening."

But Julietta's lips kept twitching as she said it.

"Since we're out, shall we stop by the library?"

The library, she said.

She couldn't even remember the last time she'd been to a library.

After a moment's hesitation, Julietta nodded.

"Fine, let's do that."

Was it because the weather was nice?

Or because the garden she'd properly looked around for the first time in a while was more pleasing than expected?

Today, she felt her heart was a little more generous than usual.

"So, which library are we going to?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure. Which one would you prefer?"

"Now that I think about it, you can't enter the West Library."

The West Library was only accessible to the Ludwig direct line.

"Let's go to the East Library."

"Yes, my Lady."

Just as they were chatting and heading toward the library—

They happened to be passing in front of Kendrick's villa.

The two encountered a very familiar sight.

In front of the dark villa.

A small bottom sticking out from between the bushes.

"……This again?"

As Julietta muttered in a fed-up tone, the wiggling bottom froze.

Hesitate, hesitate.

The small feet, unsure what to do, showed deep agitation.

"Lord Geron?"

At Janet's careful call, the startled body slowly backed away.

"……Ah."

A child with leaves stuck all over his hair looked up at the two with wide blinking eyes.

"Little one, you. Did you come alone again today?"

"……Hup."

The child neither confirmed nor denied, looking away.

But the two knew that was a silent yes.

What to do.

At that moment—

Janet spotted a white envelope peeking out of Geron's pants pocket.

That's……

"My lord."

"Mm."

"Did you come here again because of that? Because of that letter?"

That seemed to be the correct answer.

His already large eyes grew even wider.

"How strange. It feels like that little one is deliberately ignoring me. Is that just my imagination, Janet?"

"It can't be. His lordship is probably just shy."

At Janet's whisper, Julietta shrugged.

"That doesn't seem to be the case to me."

Pretending not to hear her last remark, Janet lowered herself to meet Geron's eyes.

"My lord. If you tell me what that letter is, I'll help you."

"……Really?"

"Yes. Really. I never break my promises."

With that, Janet deliberately extended her pinky finger.

The child, looking up at her like a small rabbit, shyly linked his pinky with hers.

At the soft, squishy touch of his finger, Janet smiled faintly.

"This is…… an in-invitation……"

An invitation?

"What kind of invitation?"

"……Bi-birthday……"

"Ah. Lord Geron's birthday?"

At Janet's question, the child blushed and nodded.

But the next moment—

"Ah. Is the little one's birthday coming up soon?"

"……!"

At Julietta's sudden interjection, the child jumped.

Flustered and at a loss, the child quickly ran and hid behind Janet.

"Janet. No matter how I look at it, that kid is definitely avoiding me."

"He's probably just shy around you, my Lady."

"That's strange. I have a rather nice face, you know."

Julietta said primly and flicked her hair. It was certainly a nice—no, breathtaking—face.

Hmph. Snorting, Julietta clicked her way toward Geron.

The child, who had been hiding behind Janet, trembled as he looked up.

Grinning, Julietta tilted her head slightly.

"Look at me properly, little one. I'm not that scary-looking."

At her flashing golden eyes, the child gasped.

And then—

"W-wah!"

With a cry-like whimper, he buried his face in Janet's back.

Only Janet, caught in the middle, managed an awkward smile.

---

In the end, the three sat down together in a row, with Janet in the middle.

Julietta – Janet – Geron, in that order.

"I don't know what this is supposed to be. Sitting in a row on the roadside, in front of that jerk's house no less."

"My Lady, if you're uncomfortable, you can return to the villa first—"

"Janet, you're my handmaiden. Not that little one's."

"Of course. But I'm worried about leaving the young lord alone."

"……"

"I'll just hear his situation briefly and then take him back to his villa."

Julietta narrowed her eyes and stared at Janet.

In any case, she always said things that left no room for argument.

In the past, she would have bulldozed through with sheer temper, logic be damned.

"……Fine. I'm curious too, so I'll stay. So, little one, that's an invitation to your birthday party?"

"……Mm……"

The child, looking less frightened than before, nodded timidly.

Though he was still hiding behind Janet.

"You want to give Lord Kendrick an invitation to your birthday party?"

Nod, nod.

Nodding eagerly, the child continued shyly.

"Be-because he's a hero……"

"Ah. You like Lord Kendrick because he's a hero?"

Nod, nod, nod.

Geron's nodding grew much more enthusiastic.

"I…… I too, hero……"

"You want to become a hero too, Lord Geron?"

"……!"

Nod, nod, nod, nod!

The child's nodding was now almost lively.

Because of his naturally timid and fearful disposition, the child had difficulty speaking properly.

As a result, people didn't understand his words well.

Even his nanny, who had raised him since infancy.

But Janet clearly understood his meaning, no matter how brief the words.

For the first time in his life, the child felt the emotion of "relief!"

"Hero…… cool…… strong……"

Just as the excited child was mumbling on—

"Hey, little one."

Julietta suddenly stood up and spoke gruffly.

Her golden eyes blazed with an unnamed anger. Then—

"What's so great about being a hero that you want to become one? A hero is someone who stands at the front and fights with their life on the line! They fight with their life, and if they're lucky enough to come back alive, that's what makes them a hero! So what if they come back alive? They end up as cowards hiding in their houses! What's so great about that kind of coward that you want to become one……!"

Panting with excitement, Julietta flinched and stopped.

Janet and Geron were looking up at her with blank expressions.

Why are you looking at me like that?

Like I'm some strange person.

Her stomach churned slightly.

"……Damn it!"

Cursing lightly, she stomped the ground and snatched the letter from Geron's hand.

"There's no point giving this to him—he won't come. How can someone holed up in a room come to your birthday?"

"……Wah!"

"Wait, my Lady. Please calm down—"

"What? Did I say anything wrong?!"

Bang! Julietta yelled and turned away huffily.

"I'm going ahead. Do whatever you want—take that little one back to his villa or not."

"My Lady!"

"……Mine……"

Geron muttered glumly and gripped Janet's sleeve, lowering his head.

Tears began to well up in the child's large eyes.

Oh, dear.

He'd clearly gathered his courage to come.

He must have made that invitation with such hopeful expectations.

"Don't cry, Lord Geron. Okay?"

"Hweeeh……"

"I'll ask her to return the invitation for you. So don't worry."

But the child kept dropping chicken-dropping tears.

'What to do.'

She was worried about the crying Geron, but she was also worried about Julietta, who had stormed off.

Worry and disappointment mingled, leaving her head in a tangle.

Whatever it was that Geron had said that touched Julietta's sore spot regarding Kendrick, her reason insisted that taking it out on a child like that wasn't right.

Sigh.

Her heart ached all the more because she cared for Julietta.

Just as Janet gazed sadly at Julietta's retreating back—

Stop.

The figure that had been walking briskly away stopped in its tracks.

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