Home/The villainess's personal maid is very good at her job/ch 47

Episode 47

"Lord Kendrick?"

Kendrick was considerably flustered by the situation.

'How did she recognize me?'

Spotting Janet lingering near the maze forest had been pure coincidence.

He had been catching his breath in a secluded spot when Janet, looking somewhat urgent, appeared.

Having also witnessed a suspicious figure following her, he couldn't just leave.

'I never expected it to be Count Verdin's grandson.'

The moment he realized the man's identity, Kendrick had to restrain himself from jumping out immediately.

But—

When the man grabbed Janet's wrist and acted coercively, he couldn't hold back.

Just as he was about to move, what stopped him was——

'……She's quite good at self-defense, isn't she?'

Janet's impressive self-defense made Kendrick pause.

Well, in the end, he'd revealed himself anyway.

Yes, that much was fine.

He could just say he'd happened to witness the situation and stepped in. But then—

"You're the Third Prince, aren't you?"

He never expected to be recognized so easily.

'Geron?'

Perhaps the youngest had described his appearance. After all, the only person he'd met in this attire was the youngest.

'That little one. He promised to keep it a secret.'

Recalling the child looking up at him with sparkling eyes, a laugh escaped him.

Then again, for a child, keeping a secret was as hard as not reaching for a treat right in front of them.

The smile quickly faded from his face.

Kendrick fixed his lips in a cold line and stared at Janet from behind his mask.

"You must have the wrong person."

"You mean you're not Lord Kendrick?"

"Yes. I'm not."

At the firm answer, Janet blinked.

A look of bewilderment appeared above her slightly tilted head.

But then—

"Understood. If you say so, then you must not be."

Janet readily accepted and bowed her head.

"Thank you for your help just now."

"……."

Kendrick nodded instead of answering.

If she heard his voice and realized he and Theo were the same person, it would be troublesome.

Janet was rather perceptive, after all.

'I'd better leave quickly.'

Just as he thought that and turned around, the fallen man came into his view.

The stone he'd thrown had struck his temple precisely—he'd be unconscious for a while.

'Still, I don't like leaving things unsettled.'

The thought of leaving Janet and that man behind bothered him.

Pretending not to care about Janet, Kendrick pulled off the man's necktie.

He bound his wrists and ankles together tightly.

Even if he woke up, he wouldn't be able to attack easily.

"Then, I'll be going."

"Wait, just a moment."

As he tried to leave after finishing the cleanup, Janet hurriedly stopped him.

"……."

"I know this is terribly rude, but could I ask for your help one more time?"

Stop.

Help—what kind of help?

Even as he thought he should leave, he couldn't easily ignore Janet's request.

"……."

Unable to do otherwise, Kendrick silently gazed at her. An unspoken answer meaning "go ahead."

Hoo. Letting out a small breath, Janet carefully began.

"I am Lady Julietta's handmaiden. And the Lady I serve has run into trouble."

"Trouble? What kind?"

"She was moving in a hurry and……"

Janet covered her mouth as if she couldn't continue.

"I do hope she's safe."

Her trembling breath made her face look pale.

"Where is she now?"

"The central garden. Near the central garden, I think—"

Before she could finish, Kendrick moved swiftly.

Watching him disappear like the wind, Janet lowered the hand that had been covering her mouth.

Hmph. To be that easily agitated.

"……Thank goodness."

It seemed the Third Prince still cared about Julietta.

Worry was proof of affection. Without affection, there would be no worry.

'If he thought about it even a little, he'd realize it was a lie.'

Why would she be in this secluded maze forest if Julietta were in trouble?

'His mind must have gone blank at the words "her Ladyship is in trouble."'

He was thinking that much while pretending not to be himself.

It was a bit unfair to lie, but since he'd lied first, they were even.

But there was something Janet didn't know.

That Kendrick had been fooled not just because his mind went blank at the mention of Julietta—but also because of the strong trust he had in Janet.

So when Kendrick faced a perfectly fine Julietta, he felt a small sense of betrayal deep inside.

Oh dear.

He never imagined Janet would lie to him.

---

The place where Julietta was sitting was the most secluded bench in the central garden.

She didn't have the energy to mingle with the crowd.

Perhaps from running around trying to find Kendrick, her heels throbbed.

'Janet must be hurting too.'

After confirming no one was around, Julietta removed her mask and shoes.

Since when had she been such a dignified person?

Drawing her knees up and burying her face, she quietly waited for Janet.

But—

"……Kendrick?"

What arrived before her was not Janet, but Kendrick.

Exactly as Joanna had described.

Catching his breath, Kendrick stood before her. Though he wore a mask, she could recognize him.

"……."

"……."

Of the two silently gazing at each other, it was Kendrick who spoke first.

"Are you alright?"

"……Sniff."

The moment she heard that familiar yet unfamiliar voice, tears streamed down Julietta's face.

After three years—no, six years—the first words of their conversation were "Are you alright?"

From childhood to now, Kendrick had always worried about her first.

Even knowing that, she'd hated him.

She'd blamed all the jealousy and inferiority burning in her heart on Kendrick.

"I'm, I'm sorry. Sniff, I, I'm so sorry."

Burying her face in her hands, Julietta repeated the word "sorry" over and over.

Last night, she'd definitely practiced how to apologize properly.

Just in case they really met, she'd practiced her apology in front of the mirror instead of trying to sleep.

But now, all that practice had been in vain.

"I, I, I was, I was wrong."

At Julietta, sobbing like a child, Kendrick let out a dry laugh and patted her back.

"Calm down, Julietta. Stop crying."

"Hweeeh. Be-because of me, you, you……"

Listening to her unfinished words, Kendrick's eyes also began to sting.

Sniff.

It was a long time before Julietta stopped crying.

"Here. A handkerchief."

"……I have one too. My own handkerchief."

Even as she said that, Julietta snatched Kendrick's handkerchief and pressed it to her tears.

"……."

"……."

With the crying that had filled the silence gone, quiet once again settled between them.

"Ahem, ahem."

This time, it was Julietta who gathered the courage to break the silence.

"Ha-have you been well……?"

"Yeah. I've been fine. What about you?"

"……I've been fine too. Why wouldn't I be?"

What a greeting for people living within arm's reach.

"Kendrick."

"Yeah."

"Back then, when we were young."

Fidgeting with the damp handkerchief, Julietta carefully began.

"What I said back then—none of it was true. Really, it was just childish venting."

"Yeah. I knew."

"……I'm sorry I said such terrible things. I was wrong. I truly regret it. So—"

It wasn't a grand apology, but each word was sincere.

"So please forgive me just this once. I won't ever treat you badly again."

Her voice was unusually stiff with tension.

Kendrick quietly looked down at Julietta's swollen face, then slowly raised his head to look at the sky.

"The weather is nice."

His lips, visible beneath the mask, curved into a refreshing arc.

"A perfect day to reconcile with a sister."

"Ha, that's ridiculous."

Letting out a hollow laugh, tears streamed from the corners of Julietta's eyes.

Wiping them hastily, Julietta said primly.

"Janet and you—you both say the same thing."

"Miss Janet—no, Janet?"

"Janet is my handmaiden—she's a really good person. She's the one who gave me the courage to apologize to you."

Smiling warmly, Julietta looked up at Kendrick.

"You must have already met her. Didn't she send you here?"

"A woman with dark blue eyes and dark blue hair?"

"That's right. So you did meet her after all?"

She'd thought as much.

So Janet had sent Kendrick to her.

"She went to find you, saying the same thing you said. That today was perfect weather for a conversation."

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