HTPTMOTMM Chapter 29

As I expected, Dian's fever only began to show signs of subsiding after two full days had passed.

Inevitably, all of Dian's schedules had to be canceled during that time. Getting his body properly rested was the top priority.

"I heard the child in Room 7 is sick again."

My mind was already troubled enough, but Olivia, the caretaker from Room 5 whom I encountered in the hallway, made a comment that grated on my ears.

"Really, how can someone be so weak? I don't know how many times a month he gets sick and injured like this. And the tears—so many tears, sniffling pathetically every time. He's making an effort now because he's in front of his caretaker, but before, it was truly unbearable to watch. That's why no one was willing to become his caretaker."

As always, she held Sergio's hand in one and waved the fan she carried instead of a cane with the other, sneering as she spoke.

"Well, I feel sorry for you too. When you passed all the tests and were selected as a caretaker, Room 7 was the only one left in the mansion, so honestly, weren't you disappointed? Especially since you're truly from an elite background, your expectations must have been even higher. Well, anyway, not every child in the mansion can become a ■■■, so don't lament too much about not being paired with an outstanding child like our Sergio."

At first, I tried to just ignore Olivia and walk past her, but I ended up turning my head toward her.

Wait, this woman is really pushing it, isn't she?

"That's a pretty funny thing to say. Why are you blaming the child for your own lack of confidence?"

"What did you say? What's that supposed to mean?"

"The reason Dian hasn't had a caretaker until now isn't because our child is lacking."

I didn't hide my surge of emotion as I shot back at Olivia.

"Don't blame our child for what you gave up on without even trying because you lacked courage and confidence."

"What, what did you say?"

"If you're also a caretaker, don't make the children compete based on adult circumstances. They're all good kids, and they're all children worthy of love."

I turned away, leaving the flustered Olivia behind me. For some reason, it seemed like Sergio, who had been standing beside Olivia, let out a weary "Sigh."

I walked down the stairs with my face completely scrunched up.

How dare she say such terrible things about our precious cat? What a terrible person.

At least it was fortunate that Dian wasn't nearby? If our sunfish cat had heard those words, how deeply wounded would his heart have been? Ugh, my heart feels like it's being torn apart too.

Splash!

Just as I was having those thoughts and stepped outside the building, I suddenly felt a presence above my head, and then water came pouring down.

"What the hell is this now..."

I looked up irritably and made eye contact with a maid who was at the window.

"Oh! Oh my! I had no idea you'd be passing by right below at this moment! I was cleaning and made a mistake!"

The maid's face, as she made excuses with a trembling voice, was filled with tension and fear.

She quickly disappeared into the window as if fleeing. Behind her, a thin red ribbon lingered like an afterimage.

I let out a hollow laugh and raised my hand to wipe the water that had dripped down to my chin.

Should I be grateful that it wasn't dirty mop water, at least?

From my perspective, it seemed like that maid had deliberately spilled water on me rather than by accident.

At least she seemed to have used clean water without any dirty substances, perhaps out of minimal conscience... Though of course, it probably wasn't a matter of conscience so much as fear—she was likely scared of me and being cautious because of it.

Though I wasn't in the best mood, the cold water did seem to cool down my heated head somewhat.

"Wait, what was that maid's deal just now?"

Then I heard a bewildered, youthful voice from the side.

What came into my view this time were Cheswick and Minuel.

Minuel stood with his arms crossed, looking at my disheveled state as if he found it absurd.

Cheswick beside him also wore a slightly frowning expression.

"Lynn, are you alright?"

When he asked me with a worried tone, I shrugged my shoulders lightly.

"The maid was cleaning the window and accidentally spilled water."

"Are you stupid? You believe that?"

Minuel mocked me.

I just smiled without saying much. It seemed both Minuel and Cheswick had noticed that the maid who appeared at the window had deliberately splashed water.

The maid who had just tied a red ribbon around her wrist was definitely the person who had been standing behind Marianne from Room 1.

I wondered if it might be because of what happened last time.

They said the maids from Room 1 were particularly loyal to Marianne. So perhaps she was displeased with me for speaking carelessly in front of Marianne and hurting her feelings.

"Whether it was deliberate or accidental, leaving without properly apologizing after something like this doesn't seem right. I know that maid by sight—should I go up and find her now?"

After clicking his tongue once, Cheswick spoke to me in a surprisingly firm voice.

"Yeah, how insolent of a maid! We should nip this kind of thing in the bud from the start. I'm not taking the newcomer's side because I like her, but I really don't like it when servants overstep their bounds and act however they please."

Minuel chimed in agreement.

"It's fine. I just got a little wet, that's all."

"What? You're just going to let this slide? What kind of frustrating talk is that?"

Minuel reacted to my words as if he had a sweet potato allergy, making a disgusted face and shuddering.

But thinking about how the maid had trembled and fled after causing trouble, I didn't feel angry.

"Lynn is quite generous. Other caretakers would have already caused an uproar over this."

Cheswick looked at me with his head tilted to the side, then naturally reached toward Minuel beside him and pulled something from his pocket. It turned out to be a handkerchief with delicate floral embroidery.

Cheswick approached me and gently dabbed the water from my face with Minuel's handkerchief. The way he did it was so natural and effortless that anyone watching might think the handkerchief belonged to Cheswick rather than Minuel.

Minuel was still more worked up than I was and didn't seem to notice that Cheswick had taken his handkerchief.

"Um, I can do it myself."

"Just stay still for a moment."

I felt awkward having someone wipe my face like this and tried to dodge Cheswick's touch, but he stepped closer and continued moving his hands.

Sunlight fell across Cheswick's head, creating sparkling light. The wind blew, slightly sweeping aside the golden-brown hair that had been covering his eyes.

Without realizing it, I found myself staring intently at the face before me, when suddenly Cheswick seemed to sense my gaze and turned his eyes toward me.

The moment our eyes met up close, I felt startled as if I'd been caught doing something secretive and looked away first.

"Ahem! Ah, it's hot. The sunlight is particularly strong today. The moisture should dry quickly too."

Cheswick's lips curved into a slanted smile as he lowered his hand.

"Lynn, come to think of it, you said a guest was coming today, right? Are you on your way to meet them now? You won't have time to change clothes... Should I lend you my jacket to wear over that?"

"It's not see-through, so it's fine. And if you give me your jacket, what will you do, Cheswick?"

"I can just go straight to my room, you know."

But perhaps it was my imagination—the air around us seemed to have become a bit softer and fluffier than before.

Minuel, who had been listening to my conversation with Cheswick, suddenly burst out irritably.

"What are you two doing in front of me right now? Stop your flirting this instant!"

Ah, the yellow cat is hissing again.

"Minuel. There's a spider on your foot."

"Waaaaah! Ahhh! Where, where!"

At Cheswick's casually thrown comment, Minuel went nearly berserk and jumped up.

Right on cue, a flower pot fell from above with a thud and shattered. Coincidentally, it was exactly where Minuel had been standing.

If he had moved even one second later, he definitely would have been hit directly in the head by the pot. I was startled too, and Minuel was horrified looking at the broken pot.

"What the hell! Why did something like that suddenly fall from above!"

I immediately looked up to where the pot had fallen, but there was already no one there. Had it fallen because of the wind? For that to be the case, the timing was quite coincidental.

I reflexively looked at Cheswick. He was turning his head toward Minuel, so I couldn't see his face clearly.

But Cheswick's voice that followed seemed genuinely surprised by the situation.

"That was a close call, Minuel. It was lucky that you moved just when it fell."

"Lucky my ass...! Cheswick, do something! Go chase after them right now! If someone did this, whether it was an accident or not, I won't let it slide!"

"Understood. Well then, Lynn, we'll go ahead."

Cheswick picked up the fuming Minuel and tucked him under his arm before heading into the building.

I watched the backs of those two people with a somewhat dazed expression. Thinking about what had just happened gave me a rather strange feeling.

Hadn't I escaped from a dangerous accident by coincidence thanks to Cheswick last time too?

Dong. Dong.

But just then, the bell chimed 5 o'clock—a full hour later than the originally scheduled time—so I had to stop thinking and leave.

"That's the carriage, right?"

"Yes, they said they absolutely won't come out until you come to greet them personally..."

The Redford estate's servants stood awkwardly in front of the carriage, then looked relieved when they saw me.

I tilted my head as I looked at the carriage sitting squarely in the clearing.

The person riding inside was the guest who had come to see me.

Today was the 15th. It was the scheduled day for the envoy from Stella mentioned in the letter to visit me.

But one hour ago, the guest who had arrived at Redford estate with precise punctuality, not a minute off, showed no intention of getting out of the carriage.

After hearing what the servant came to tell me, I was dumbfounded.

They want me to come personally to greet them? Are they my boss or something?

'Ah... could they actually be my boss?'

The letter from Stella only contained the visitor's name, but seeing this attitude, I thought there was a high possibility this person held a higher position than me in the organization.

Geez, but so what? Do I have to live being harassed by bosses even in a game?

So I just ignored it.

Thirty minutes passed, then an hour. During that time, the guest in the carriage truly didn't move an inch and just waited for me to come.

I could feel their determination not to take a single step until I arrived, visible through the carriage window.

At that point, I started getting curious too.

What kind of person could be so pretentious? Could they be the chairman of Stella or something?

"Knock knock knock. Hello there. This is Lynn Dorchester, whom you've been waiting and waiting for so eagerly."

So I stood in front of the carriage, grabbed my skirt hem, and gave an exaggerated theatrical bow toward the person inside. Then I struck a deliberately conspicuous, servile pose as if I were a footman.

"Ah, should I also open the door for you and personally take your hand to escort you? Just say the word if you'd like, Chairman."

Slam!

And finally, the carriage door opened.

"Lynn Dorchester. Have you forgotten the hierarchy after just ten days away from our organization? Chairman? What's with that bizarre title?"

Oh my? But what's this? I thought some old codger would be inside, but something quite to my taste popped out.

What emerged from the carriage was a handsome man with flowing golden hair down to his waist and blue eyes. Dressed in priest-like clothing that gave off an ascetic feeling, seeing this pure-looking man made my twisted mood seem to smooth out.

"Moreover, you surely knew I was visiting, so why weren't you out here to greet me? And making me wait a whole hour, 2 minutes, and 48 seconds..."

Ah, but despite his looks, his personality seems rather petty... Why is he keeping track of the waiting time down to the second like some small-minded person?

"Raphael Cardigo?"

"...Lynn Dorchester. Did you just call my name with that mouth of yours?"

The man's voice was unexpectedly melodious. It was a quiet, peaceful, holy-sounding voice with a serene resonance that suited this man with his archangel-like appearance matching his name.

"Ha, fine. First, guide me somewhere private."

The man named Raphael seemed accustomed to giving orders to others. Judging by the nobility emanating from even a single eyebrow hair, I wondered if he was a natural-born golden spoon.

"Yes, yes. Let's go to the reception room."

"Reception room? Are you telling me to go into a place like that?"

But for some reason, Raphael looked up at the mansion before us with frowning eyes.