8
Chapter 8
* * *
The Blanche mansion's backyard, where vibrant autumn flowers bloomed in full splendor.
There, a tea set that could only be described as perfect was arranged.
Limited-edition desserts from the most popular Pastry shop in the capital and a hammock strung between towering trees.
The aroma of black tea, made with the finest leaves, was so rich that it rivaled the fragrance of the flowers.
All of this was the triumph achieved by my tantrum an hour ago, when I shouted that I wanted to drink tea, so prepare a place in the garden.
I leaned back in the plush armchair and stretched languidly.
'Maybe I had a talent for throwing tantrums.'
This leisure, this comfort, this abundance.
It was so comfortable that I was worried it would become a habit.
I was leisurely sipping tea and skimming through the legal book I had brought from the study when.
"Hiccup."
"……?"
Leo, who had been sleeping in the hammock like a curled-up puppy, suddenly startled and shot upright.
Thanks to his recent haircut, his face was brightly revealed, shining radiantly.
Moreover, he must have been sleeping soundly for a while, because his hair was sticking out wildly like a crow's nest, making him incredibly cute.
I hid my melting, butter-like smile with my hand propped under my chin.
"S-sorry... I didn't mean to fall asleep, but the hammock was so cozy..."
Yes, that was exactly the intention.
It had only been 30 minutes since I had made Leo lie down in the hammock under the pretext of checking if it was securely tied.
'He must be hungry after waking up from a nap.'
I gestured with my chin to the seat opposite me.
Then Leo hurriedly got out of the hammock and sat in the chair opposite me. Kneeling.
I'm not trying to scold him.
'It's okay, sit comfortably like me.'
"With a perfect example of etiquette right in front of you, are you going to sit so vulgarly?"
"L-like this?"
Leo crossed his legs like me and raised his chin high as if looking up at the sky.
It doesn't look particularly comfortable, but I guess it's better than before, so it doesn't matter.
"Hmph, now you're finally presentable."
Because he was smaller than others his age, only Leo's face peeked out above the table.
I used a teaspoon to scoop up a generous portion of chilled lemon sherbet.
Because he was raising his chin too stiffly to imitate me, his gaze was fixed on the sky, so Leo didn't seem to notice what I was doing.
I smiled triumphantly and brought the teaspoon close to Leo's mouth.
'Come on, Leo. Say ah-'
"Open your mouth, Acorn mouse."
"Yes, understood."
Without knowing what it was, Leo squeezed his eyes shut and opened his mouth wide. As if he were swallowing poison.
I put the sherbet into the child's open mouth.
The reaction was immediate.
Leo, who had been pursing his lips with his eyes tightly closed, widened his eyes and looked at me.
He was so excited that his small, tightly closed lips parted like a baby bird's.
"Ugh! Cold, no, it's so sour!"
Then he licked his tongue.
Ugh, my heart! My heart aches at Leo's loveliness.
While Leo was distracted by the sweet and sour taste, I quickly scooped up another spoonful of sherbet and put it in his mouth.
"This is a reward for taking care of the hammock. Eat it all up right here."
"Yes, understood!"
Leo firmly grasped the spoon and moved his hand diligently.
He occasionally groaned at the sourness of the lemon and winked one eye, but he seemed to like it, as his spoon moved without rest.
It was an even more enthusiastic reaction than when he had the fondant au chocolat last time.
'Lemon flavor is his favorite... note...'
I made a note of Leo's preference in my mind and watched him with a satisfied smile.
Leo, who had put the last bite into his mouth very, very carefully, suddenly looked straight up at me with a determined expression.
Of course, he flinched and averted my gaze shortly after.
I quietly waited for Leo to open his mouth. And finally.
"Belinda, thank you for giving me this Lemon-flavored snowflakes at the end."
"……?"
Huh? The end?
"I'll prepare to leave today."
Leave? Where to? Why?
Leo lowered his head and fidgeted with his hands under my fierce gaze.
"I made too many mistakes while I was here..."
"Mistakes?"
"I couldn't even fluff the blankets properly and made a mess, and I was lazy and stayed in bed for days pretending to be sick, and I also, well, I dozed off just now. So I..."
Leo's voice began to tremble as he confessed his faults.
"I didn't take good care of Belinda. I'm... a useless servant."
His calm last words were tinged with a familiar resignation.
I stared intently at Leo's round crown of his head.
Come to think of it, Leo had been busily moving around, looking for things to do since he came here. He was noticeably dejected every time I took work away from him.
I belatedly realized the reason.
'He was trying to prove he deserved to be here.'
Just like I did when I was at my aunt's house.
At the time, I don't know how much I craved a single word of praise from my aunt. Even if I did housework until my hands were chapped, I never got a thank you in the end.
Without realizing it, I reached out to Leo's small, round head.
Swish, swish. The feeling of fine hair being crushed in my hand was ticklish.
"...B-Belinda?"
Leo's cheeks, with his hair messed up, were as red as apples.
His eyes were shaking wildly, and he was clenching his fists tightly, looking very nervous...
'He looks scared.'
I quickly hid my hand under the table. I wanted to comfort him for all his hard work.
What I wanted from Leo was simple. Just to grow up healthy without getting sick.
But for Leo, who thinks he has to prove that he is allowed to be here every moment, that might be the hardest thing to do.
I pondered for a moment before deliberately opening my mouth with a nonchalant expression.
"Well, you're so pathetic and Acorn mouse-like that you're not very useful."
At my words, Leo's body shriveled up like a deflated balloon.
I tapped the empty sherbet glass with a teaspoon to get Leo's attention.
"So for now, eat as much as your master gives you and grow bigger."
Leo blinked his big eyes repeatedly as if he didn't understand, then cautiously asked.
"Is that... what I have to do? Eat hard and grow up quickly?"
"That's how you can become a servant who is helpful to me in the future. When that time comes, I'll keep you by my side forever and use you like a dog."
At that moment, Leo's smile, which bloomed brightly under the sunlight, left me speechless. At the same time, so did my heartbeat.
His flushed cheeks had dimples that were not fully expressed in the illustrations.
There was a saying by a certain writer that dimples are the marks left by an angel who accidentally poked the cheeks of a particularly lovely child.
Leo's smile, with the angel's mistakes on both cheeks, had a richer fragrance than any flower in this garden.
"Yes, yes! I'll work hard! I'll eat hard and grow up to be a useful King chestnut!"
I couldn't manage my expression, so I quickly unfolded my fan and covered my face.
Leo smiled at me.
He showed me such a lovely smile!
Huff, huff. Heart, don't overdo it. Leo gets scared when I smile.
It was when I finally composed my expression and lowered my fan slightly.
"Lady Belinda."
The head maid, who had arrived unnoticed, quietly called me.
"The young master is urgently looking for you."
The errand she brought, barging in without a sense of timing when things were going so well, immediately made my expression sour.
Schwebel wouldn't be looking for me for anything good.
I crossed my arms and tilted my head arrogantly.
"Am I a dog that comes when I'm told and goes when I'm told? Tell the one with business to come here himself."
I waved my hand, meaning to get lost quickly and not disturb my cozy time with Leo.
But the head maid didn't back down and insisted on adding one more word.
"The notary for the will has arrived at the mansion."
I was forced to become a dog and diligently follow the head maid.
