Home/The villainess's personal maid is very good at her job/ch 35

Episode 35

Geron, who had been lying limply on the bed, widened his eyes upon seeing Janet and Julietta.

"What. You look better than I expected, little one."

"We came to check on you. How are you feeling, Lord Geron?"

"Ah-ah……!"

Gently raising himself up, Geron's lips moved as he mumbled.

After blinking and choosing his words carefully, he cautiously spoke his first words.

"Hi……"

It was a first greeting that was very Geron-like.

Smiling softly, Janet carefully approached the child. Julietta also reluctantly followed behind her.

"Seems Geron likes you two? He's very happy. Isn't that right, Joanna?"

"……Yes. It appears so."

From behind, Oscar, who had been watching the three, let out a short laugh.

"Joanna."

"Yes, my lord."

"Too much worry is also poisonous. I have no intention of keeping poisonous people in my house. Understood?"

"……Yes. I'll keep that in mind."

Joanna answered through gritted teeth and bowed her head deeply.

'I hope she learns something from this.'

Maintaining a pleasant smile, Oscar's gaze turned toward Janet's back.

He'd heard that a handmaiden had been placed beside Julietta, but he never expected such an interesting girl to be attached.

'Julietta did need someone with that much backbone beside her.'

Though they didn't share the same mother, Oscar bore no ill will toward his half-siblings.

Not even toward the Second Prince, Zephyr, who was considered a strong rival for succession.

The one at fault was their father—what sin had the women entangled with him and their children committed?

"How's your stomach, little one? Are you taking your medicine?"

"Mm……"

"I've heard that if you have frequent illnesses as a child, you grow stronger as an adult. So don't worry too much and rest well. Understand?"

"……Really?"

"Of course. You'll definitely grow into a strong adult, my lord. Like a hero."

At the word 'hero,' Geron's face brightened.

"On our way here, I noticed that the invitation was gone."

"……?!"

At Julietta's words, the child's eyes went wide like a rabbit's, and his body trembled.

Observing this from a distance, Joanna was startled.

He's trembling—is he in pain somewhere?

As expected, letting that woman called a villainess and her handmaiden into the room had been a mistake!

"My lord……!"

"Wait."

It was Oscar who held back Joanna as she rushed forward.

Trapped in his grip, Joanna looked up at Oscar with resentful eyes.

"Even if you are Lord Oscar, this is……!"

Oscar met her wrinkled eyes and slowly shook his head.

"Calm down. Look closely, Joanna."

Look closely? At what?

Biting her lips, Joanna turned her worried gaze toward Geron.

And then—

"Ah."

A short sigh escaped her lips.

"See? Doesn't he look happy?"

Geron was smiling broadly.

Brighter than ever before.

"Children sometimes tremble when they're too excited. Haven't you heard the phrase, 'trembling with joy'?"

Or maybe not? He didn't know.

With Oscar tilting his head beside her, Joanna stared blankly at the three.

Time passed like that.

Before evening fell, Janet and Julietta rose from their seats.

"Then, rest well, little one."

Nod.

"You should answer an adult properly, not just nod. What's the matter?"

Startled by the unexpected correction, Geron gripped the blanket with both hands and answered.

"Bye-bye. Si-sister……"

"……Sister? Did that kid just call me sister?"

"Yes. He definitely called you sister."

At Janet's confirmation, Julietta's brow furrowed.

……Good heavens. Sister, she said.

In Ludwig, Julietta had always been particularly isolated.

Even though the other siblings growled at each other, they at least pretended to be on decent terms when meeting in public.

In contrast, Julietta never even had the chance to pretend.

She had abhorred participating in social events from the start. Julietta, who hated crowds—no, hated people—avoided every event she could.

In any case, the conclusion was this.

"That's the first time I've ever been called 'sister'……?"

Julietta murmured before she could stop herself, then belatedly clamped her mouth shut.

Round, golden eyes—so like her own—gazed at her with anticipation.

"Well. What kind of reaction are you expecting from me, little one?"

She was surprised to hear 'sister' for the first time, but so what?

Did he expect her to say, 'Yes, little brother'?

But what Geron wanted was simpler than that.

"Can…… can I call you…… sister……?"

Mumble, mumble.

His flushed face couldn't bear the shyness and turned downward.

Staring at him intently, Julietta let out a sound that was both a sigh and a groan—"Ha!"

It was strange.

Though the only thing they had in common was their eye color, why did she keep seeing herself in him?

Feeling suffocated, Julietta cupped one of the child's soft cheeks with her hand.

"Ooh……!"

Startled, the child looked up, his cheek squished.

"You have to speak clearly to the end, little one. Even if you call me sister, so what?"

"……"

At first, Geron seemed scared and flustered, but soon he gripped the blanket tightly and moved his small lips.

"Can I…… call you…… sister……?"

"What? Did you know you could speak such long sentences?"

Though she grumbled, her hand holding his cheek held no force.

After staring at his squishy cheek for a moment, Julietta nodded lightly.

"Do as you like."

"……!"

The child's face bloomed brightly. Smiling widely, Geron looked at Janet.

"……I said it."

In fact, a few minutes earlier—

While Julietta had been momentarily lost in thought, the two had conspired in whispers.

"Lord Geron. You're not scared of her Ladyship anymore, are you?"

"……Mm."

"That's a relief. Our Lady is kinder than you think. So I hope you'll like her too."

At the tickling whisper, Geron smiled bashfully.

Then, just as Janet had done, he cupped his hand to Janet's ear and whispered.

"Si-sister……"

"Sister? Ah, you want to call her Ladyship 'sister'?"

Nod, nod.

The child nodded shyly and added timidly.

"Is it…… okay?"

"Of course. More than okay."

And so, here they were.

Reaching out both hands, the child grasped one hand each of Janet and Julietta. Then, trembling again with joy.

---

"In any case, that little one has a funny side, doesn't he? When he looked like he was about to faint, and now he's asking if he can call me sister."

"Right? I also think Lord Geron is very adorable."

"No. Not adorable—funny."

"Yes. I'm saying I think he's adorable."

At the back-and-forth, it was Julietta who raised the white flag again.

"Let's drop it. Just drop it."

Haha. Janet smiled brightly.

Just then—

"Excuse me……!"

At the call from behind, the two stopped and turned around.

"Ha!"

Recognizing the other, Julietta's brow furrowed deeply. While she turned her head away as if she didn't want to speak, Janet stepped forward to face her instead.

"What is it, Madam Joanna?"

At Janet's cold voice, Joanna flinched.

'What's this? Why is she so deflated?'

She'd been so aggressive about kicking them out.

She hadn't even looked this intimidated when facing Oscar.

"I'm sorry to stop you on your way. However……"

However?

"I came because I wanted to apologize properly—truly, with all my heart."

With that, Joanna bowed deeply before the two.

Even Julietta, who had been grumpily looking away, looked down at Joanna's back with a "What's this?" expression.

"Truly, I think I was out of my mind with worry for Lord Geron. Even though I knew it wasn't your fault, seeing his lordship keep getting worse made me…… I think I wanted to blame someone. It was petty, shameless, and cowardly of me. I'm truly sorry. I swear before the Lord, I apologize with all my heart."

It was a more elaborate apology than expected.

She'd even said "I swear before the Lord." For an Imperial citizen who valued the divine, "I swear before the Lord" was only used when speaking honestly from the heart.

At this unexpected development, Janet and Julietta exchanged wide-eyed glances.

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