Chapter 72
“Excuse me.”
At that moment, a stranger stepped into the shop.
A woman who looked to be in her early thirties.
‘She’s flashy.’
Clothes and accessories that screamed expensive, no matter who looked.
Even the fan in her hand looked like an extremely luxurious item.
“Oh my, there are quite a lot of customers here?”
Covering her mouth with the fan, her brows furrowed slightly as she looked around, as if displeased by the sight of mercenaries filling the shop.
“You must be Miss Yulia’s older sister?”
“And you are?”
“Oh my, how rude of me to not introduce myself. I’m Angsera Lukia.”
“……”
“…I said I’m Angsera Lukia?”
…Okay? And who exactly is that?
As she sharply folded her fan and introduced herself, everyone around, including Ceres, looked at her with puzzled expressions.
At their reaction, her brow subtly twitched again.
“I’m the wife of Count Lukia.”
Ah, so she’s a countess.
But why did she come here?
Ceres turned her gaze back to Yulia.
Today, since the butler Colin had a lot to do, another maid had been tasked with bringing the child from the academy. But that maid was nowhere to be seen.
“Well… I was going to come with Lucy but…”
“I sent that maid back.”
Just as Yulia was about to explain, noticing Ceres’ puzzled expression, Countess Lukia cut in and interrupted the child.
“Sent her back?”
Ceres’ brow creased slightly.
Who gave you the right to dismiss our maid?
“Well, I didn’t feel comfortable having her ride in my carriage.”
“What do you mean you didn’t feel comfortable?”
“I’m a bit sensitive. I can’t stand it when my carriage gets dirty.”
…So what, our maid would’ve dirtied your carriage or something?
Ceres’ lip curved slightly into a cold smile.
“How amusing.”
“Pardon?”
“So, what brings you here today?”
“Oh, it’s nothing serious. I came because of the upcoming school showcase.”
She vaguely remembered something like that. A performance hosted by the academy for parents in about two weeks?
‘I heard there are various events depending on the grade.’
So?
“In the class that our child and Miss Yulia belong to, they’re putting on a play. I came to discuss something about that.”
“Discuss?”
“Yes, Yulia has been chosen to play the lead role in the play.”
Ceres’ previously indifferent expression softened slightly.
Her eyes warmed as she looked at Yulia.
“You’re the lead?”
“Yeah! The class voted, and I got chosen.”
Ceres patted the child’s head affectionately, clearly proud.
But their sisterly warmth was quickly shattered by the Countess’s next words.
“That’s why I came—to ask if the role could be changed.”
“Changed?”
“I think it would be better if my daughter played the lead role, so I came to ask for your understanding.”
Countess Lukia kept a gentle smile on her lips as she continued.
“When I spoke to the teacher, they told me to discuss it directly with Miss Yulia’s guardian. But Yulia doesn’t have parents, does she?”
“……”
“That’s why I came here. To meet her older sister.”
Slightly bowing her head, she briefly looked at Yulia with feigned pity.
“I truly hate to say this, but… It’s difficult for a child to handle such an important role without active parental support.”
A smile returned to her lips.
“The role is too burdensome for Yulia. So please let my child take the part.”
“……”
“I’m sure someone with common sense would understand what I’m saying. You’re busy running a business. Can you really give the child the attention she needs?”
Countess Lukia clicked her tongue lightly while scanning the surroundings.
“Such poor conditions… No wonder people say a child without parents shows it. Oh, don’t misunderstand me, my lady. I’m only saying this because I feel bad.”
Her words didn’t stop there.
She kept going on and on, as if having no parents was some deep flaw, constantly emphasizing that fact.
“I’ll speak with the teacher again to explain—”
“Ear.”
“Pardon?”
“Could you lend me your ear for a moment?”
“My ear?”
At Ceres’ sudden words, the woman tilted her head in confusion.
“Gasp!”
Meanwhile, the mercenaries, who had grown increasingly flushed with anger from her shameless comments, sharply inhaled.
Ceres leaned in close to the woman’s ear.
At the same time, she tightly covered Yulia’s ears with both hands.
“Hey, do you like spewing bullsh*t so seriously? What the hell are you doing here flapping your damn mouth like this? If you don’t shut that up, I’ll shove a beer mug right in your damn—”
“O-oh… Oh my, oh my goodness… Oh…!”
Countess Lukia’s face flushed as she stood frozen with her mouth agape.
The mercenaries nodded as if in full sympathy, already able to imagine what Ceres must have whispered.
‘Wait, why the hell is she cursing into someone’s ear?!’
‘She can’t exactly shout it out loud in front of the kid.’
Whenever Yulia was around and someone messed up, this was what Ceres always did.
‘Lend me your ear.’
They had shuddered more than once from the quiet yet vividly rich curses that followed.
“G-goodness! So uncultured!”
Countess Lukia staggered backward in shock, her face red as if it were the first time in her life hearing such language.
“Even if you’re just a noble in name, how can a baron’s daughter speak in such a vulgar tone?”
“Isn’t it better than acting vulgar and stupid like you?”
“W-what did you say?”
“If I started acting vulgar and stupid too…”
Swoosh.
“…you’d really be in trouble. Think you can handle that?”
“…!”
As Ceres casually took a step closer, Countess Lukia instinctively flinched.
The icy chill in Ceres’ eyes that briefly met hers sent goosebumps all over her body.
“I—I can’t associate with someone like this! I’ll be leaving now!”
“I wasn’t done talking.”
“…?”
“Clean your ears sometime. Looked like they were full of wax.”
“Eeek!”
Clenching her fists in rage, Countess Lukia turned beet red and fled as if running for her life.
SLAM!
“Jay, check if the door’s broken. I’m billing her for repairs.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
With Countess Lukia storming out and slamming the door behind her, Ceres turned to look at Yulia, who stood quietly by her side.
“You’re amazing, Yulia. Playing the lead and all.”
“Yeah… But, maybe I shouldn’t do it?”
“Why? You don’t want to?”
“It’s not that… I just think it’d be okay if Christine played it instead.”
Ceres gently lifted the downcast child into her arms.
After a bit of comforting, Yulia looked up, her eyes filled with tears.
“I don’t have anyone coming to the performance.”
“What do you mean you don’t?”
“Huh? But you’ve been really busy lately. You always come home late too.”
“I won’t be busy that day.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I definitely won’t be.”
Ceres’ gaze shifted toward Kainel, who was standing nearby.
Just try bringing up work that day. Debt or not, we are done if you even mention it.
“……”
Kainel, who had been silently watching her, now turned his eyes toward Yulia.
So that little thing is… her sister.
The way she treated Yulia was clearly different from how she treated others. There was a distinct affection there.
“Oh? Who’s that?”
Noticing him for the first time, Yulia’s big eyes grew even wider.
“He’s someone here to collect a debt.”
“So he’s a bad guy?”
“…Well, not exactly a bad guy.”
He is annoying these days, but I wouldn’t go so far as to call him a villain.
“Yulia.”
“Yeah?”
Yulia, who had been staring curiously at Kainel’s snow-white hair, finally looked up at Ceres.
“If someone you don’t know asks you to go with them, never follow them.”
“But Christine’s mom isn’t a stranger.”
“She is now.”
“Hmmm… okay.”
Ceres lightly patted Yulia’s head as the child gave a big nod.
Then she handed the tray of food freshly brought from the kitchen to Kainel.
“Table 6.”
“Oh! Mister, you’re the new employee!”
“Gasp!”
No, no, that’s not it!
At Yulia’s cheerful declaration, the mercenaries’ eyes went wild with panic.
“……”
Kainel stared at Yulia for a moment, then silently picked up the tray and headed toward Table 6.
—
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