Home/The villainess's personal maid is very good at her job/ch 33

Episode 33

"He needs to recover before the birthday banquet."

"Indeed. I just realized there's only two weeks left until the birthday banquet."

Ludwig was already bustling with preparations for the youngest prince's birthday.

Since it was the Grand Duke's only late-born child, the scale of the banquet was considerable.

'……He'll recover by the birthday banquet, won't he?'

If he attended that grand banquet looking pale and frail, all sorts of rumors might follow.

And there was no group more fond of gossip and rumors than the nobility.

"I should probably pay him a visit."

---

That night.

After parting ways with Janet, Theo returned to Kendrick's villa.

"How's the little one doing?"

"It seems he's neither improved nor worsened. He still has stomach pain."

"I see."

At Kendrick's reply, Owen's eyes narrowed.

"But what's with you?"

"What do you mean."

"I'm wondering why you're suddenly interested in another sibling."

At Owen's question, Kendrick didn't answer.

He merely glanced silently at the dirt-stained letter on his desk.

"I…… I too, hero……"

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

"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……!"

He'd witnessed unnecessary scenes.

The little child who said he wanted to be like him, and Julietta shouting for him never to become that.

And Miss Janet, standing dumbly between them.

Having watched the three of them push the letter through the fence together, that frail little one had been weighing on his mind.

Owen, who had been looking at the letter alongside Kendrick, tilted his head and asked.

"Are you planning to attend the birthday banquet as well?"

"I don't know. I'll think about it."

"That means……"

At Kendrick's ambiguous reply, Owen's eyes lit up.

It was rare for someone who always had dark circles under his eyes to open them so wide.

"Are you finally ending your seclusion?"

"I just said I'd think about it."

"My, the Guild Master will be thrilled!"

"Enough."

"So that's why you decided to enter the Academy too? I thought you were just following Miss Janet around like a lovesick puppy because she was going."

"……"

"I mean, think about it. When the Guild Master urged you every year to go to the Academy, you always said no sooo reluctantly. But the moment Miss Janet says she's going, you jump at the chance—isn't that suspicious?"

"That's because Julietta is going back to the Academy—"

"I must share this wonderful news with the Guild Master!"

"If you do, I'll clear out your underground lab that very day."

At Kendrick's sincere threat, Owen belatedly regained his composure.

"Understood. I'll keep my mouth shut for the time being."

The phrase 'for the time being' was deeply grating, but Kendrick nodded for now.

---

The next day, Janet reported Geron's condition to Julietta.

"The little one is bedridden?"

"Yes. He's unwell and apparently can't eat much either."

"That frail kid is going to get even skinnier."

Tsk. Clicking her tongue, Julietta's brow was etched with worry.

Glancing toward Geron's villa, she muttered gruffly.

"A bedridden little one. Maybe I'll go see what a mess he looks like."

"You're going to visit him?"

"I said see, visit."

Correcting herself quickly, Julietta rose gracefully.

"Lead the way, Janet."

The two headed straight for Geron's villa.

"Is it alright to visit without notice?"

"Why would I need to give notice to visit my own blood relative's villa?"

At Julietta's confident reply, Janet simply nodded.

'They wouldn't kick out a direct relative coming to visit, after all.'

Just as the two were passing in front of Kendrick's villa—

Stop. Julietta suddenly halted and stared intently at Kendrick's black villa.

"My Lady?"

At Janet's call, Julietta tilted her head.

"Honestly, it's so frustrating I can't stand it."

"What do you—"

Before Janet could finish asking, Julietta, arms crossed, walked toward Kendrick's villa.

"My Lady?"

Startled, Janet's eyes went wide.

Could she really be about to suddenly visit Lord Kendrick?

—Just as she hesitated at that thought—

Julietta abruptly turned and headed toward the villa's fence.

The very spot where the three of them—Geron, Janet, and Julietta—had pushed the letter through a few days ago.

'Ah, she's going to check on the letter.'

Quickly catching Julietta's intention, Janet trotted over to her mistress's side.

Bending down, Julietta peered through the fence.

"How is it? Is it still there?"

"No. It looks like it's gone."

Julietta's eyes moved busily. No matter how she looked, she couldn't see anything resembling a letter.

……That's strange. That can't be.

'Did he really take it?'

Kendrick Ludwig did?

To be honest, she'd expected it to still be there. How could Kendrick, shut away in his room, have picked it up?

'No. Maybe an aide saw it as trash and disposed of it.'

That actually seemed more plausible. How could someone who isolated himself from the world care about an invitation from a child?

Of course, of course.

"……So what if he took it? He wasn't going to attend the birthday party anyway."

Tsk.

Clicking her tongue, Julietta straightened up and glared at the rusted fence with dissatisfied eyes.

---

"I'm sorry, but visits are currently not permitted. You cannot see his lordship now, so please return."

At Joanna's bowing words, Julietta's eyebrows twitched.

No matter how polite the tone, it was a clear dismissal.

"Not permitted?"

Her face clearly showed she was barely holding back her anger. Clenching her teeth, Julietta tilted her head and spoke.

"I'm his sister—why wouldn't I be permitted? Even if we had different mothers, the blood is the same. He's a Ludwig, and I'm a Ludwig. What sibling needs permission to see their own brother?"

"Lord Geron needs absolute rest right now. Moreover—"

Joanna's sharp gaze pierced Janet.

"This handmaiden's condition has worsened considerably since meeting her. It would be best not to keep potentially dangerous people near the patient."

At the excessively blatant hostility, Janet was somewhat surprised.

She'd known Joanna bore animosity toward her, but she never expected her to speak so openly in front of her Ladyship.

After all, an insult to the handmaiden could also be interpreted as an insult to the mistress.

Sure enough—

"Are you trying to say my handmaiden is the reason the little one is sick?"

Julietta's voice rose, her brow furrowed.

At the suddenly elevated voice, the servants' attention focused on them. Their gazes toward Janet and Julietta also held hostility, as if they shared Joanna's sentiments.

After briefly surveying the atmosphere, Janet bowed her head and whispered.

"My Lady. Please calm down."

"Do I look like I can calm down right now? She dares to insult my handmaiden right in front of me?"

At Julietta's words, Janet smiled faintly.

She was deeply grateful to her Ladyship for taking her side.

But—

"Lord Geron is just beyond that door. What if he gets scared by the loud voices?"

At Janet's words, Julietta flinched and glanced toward the door.

Tsk.

"What a troublesome little one. Always causing trouble."

Even as she grumbled, her voice was considerably lowered.

Having soothed Julietta's temper, Janet looked around with a cold face.

Her icy gaze slowly swept over the servants.

As if committing to memory every face of those who had been glaring at Julietta.

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