Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Defense
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It could have been dismissed as the sincere advice of a kind adult, but the peculiar emotion in Anton's voice and gaze felt slightly off.
Lucillea debated whether to get angry or just laugh it off.
His manner of speaking was far too polite to confront him directly, yet letting it go felt unsettling, as if she'd been slapped with a smile.
Just as she was wondering what to say in rebuttal, a voice spoke.
“So this is a head butler who can't tell the difference between concern and overstepping his bounds.”
A cold voice cut through the air of the hallway.
Startled, Lucillea peeked out and looked past Anton.
It was Serdian.
*‘Huh?! What’s he doing here?!’*
Lucillea’s eyes widened in surprise.
How long had he been there?
Leaning against a hallway pillar with an indifferent expression, Serdian was staring silently at Anton.
A fleeting look of bewilderment crossed Anton’s face, but he quickly composed himself and offered a perfect smile.
Anton bowed his head to Serdian in greeting.
“Greetings, Young Lord.”
Raising his head, Anton continued as if it were nothing serious.
“Overstepping my bounds? Why would you use such a frightful word? I was merely speaking out of an abundance of caution, worried that Lady Lucillea might face difficulties in her future.”
Without acknowledging his greeting, Serdian slowly approached. His red eyes seemed to pierce through Anton’s gentle facade.
“An abundance of caution, you say.”
Serdian repeated his words, his voice laced with scorn.
“I wasn’t aware that a mere pawn questioning the value of a piece its master placed on the chessboard was called ‘an abundance of caution.’”
“…”
The smile vanished from Anton’s face. The word ‘pawn’ was a clear insult.
Ignoring Anton’s hardened expression, Serdian continued in a voice as cold as ice.
“Only the master decides the value of a piece. The head butler should simply be faithful to his role of keeping the chessboard clean for the master's pieces. Your remark just now was a clear foul that disrupted the game.”
“…”
Wow, he doesn't pull any punches.
Lucillea found herself seeing Serdian in a new light.
Why he was the heir to the Grand Ducal family, and why he was the male lead of this novel.
It was a moment that made her truly feel the weight of it all.
And.
*‘Serdian is amazing, but that head butler, Anton, is no joke either…’*
Despite the young lord’s sharp words, his expression didn’t falter, and he maintained his smile.
He looked so much like a loyal subordinate humbly accepting the young lord’s counsel.
Anton bowed his head once more and said politely.
“I apologize if my remarks displeased you, Young Lord. I failed to be more considerate in that regard.”
“The apology isn’t for me. It’s for her.”
As if to say, *Do I have to spell that out for you?*, Serdian walked past Anton and then past Lucillea.
As Lucillea stared at Serdian’s back, her mouth agape in awe, he turned his head and looked at her.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”
Lucillea raised an eyebrow and replied.
“Huh? Oh! Right! I’m coming! Let’s go together!”
As if she’d been waiting for the signal, Lucillea scurried after Serdian.
Left alone, Anton slowly turned his head.
As he gazed at the end of the hallway where the two children had disappeared, his eyes, no longer gentle, flickered with a cold, deep shadow.
***
“What brings you to the West Wing? Huh?”
“…”
“Did you come to see me? You did, right? That’s it, isn’t it?”
“…”
“Why aren’t you answering? Are you shy?”
Huh? Huh?
The girl trotting behind him chattered nonstop. Serdian tried his best to ignore her voice and quickened his pace.
After causing that scene in the dining hall a few days ago, she hadn’t come to see him even once.
For the first day or two, it was peaceful.
Without the sound of the noisy parrot or the voice that constantly spoke to him, the world was quiet.
It was his usual quiet and perfect routine of reading and training.
But something was strange. Before a day had passed, that quiet routine became not just boring, but lonely.
The turning pages of his book felt unusually heavy, and the sound of his swinging sword echoed emptily.
Had his life always been this quiet?
It was then that Serdian realized for the first time. That little girl had created a small but distinct ripple in his daily life.
Then, he suddenly grew curious.
*‘Why hasn’t she come to see me?’*
She’d shown up so relentlessly when he was pushing her away.
She’d clung to him so persistently, asking to be friends.
*‘Could something have happened to her?’*
Maybe she got into another fight with someone like Tesian.
Or perhaps that strange necklace was causing trouble again.
All sorts of ominous thoughts followed one after another.
Unable to bear it any longer, he’d found himself loitering in the West Wing hallway under the pretext of ‘just passing by.’
And he had just happened to run into her. Purely by chance. He definitely hadn’t come looking for her out of worry.
“Hey.”
Having had enough, Serdian spun around.
“Yeah! What is it!”
Lucillea looked up at him, her eyes sparkling as if she’d been waiting for him to speak.
“You’re loud. Follow me quietly.”
At that, Lucillea pouted and retorted.
“This isn’t a library. What’s wrong with a little noise? If you hate it so much, then just answer my questions.”
“…”
Serdian was silent for a moment. He started walking again, as if her words weren’t even worth a response.
But Lucillea wasn’t one to give up so easily.
In truth, she was just so happy to have run into Serdian in the West Wing.
Undeterred, Lucillea fell into step beside him and started chattering again.
“So, why are you really here? To say you were just passing by is a stretch—this is the opposite direction from the East Wing. Don’t tell me you’re lost? The great heir himself?”
Without turning his head, Serdian replied, staring straight ahead.
“I had some business.”
“What kind of business?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Wow! Look at you being all mean! Can’t friends know these things?!”
“…”
At that, Serdian’s steps came to a halt. He slowly, very slowly, turned his head to look down at Lucillea.
“Friend? I don’t think that’s a word you get to use, considering you suddenly stopped coming around.”
“Huh? Ah… Well…”
Caught off guard by the unexpected attack, Lucillea was at a loss for words.
*‘I thought he’d be happy I wasn’t visiting.’*
Looks like he was secretly bothered by it, huh?
A sly grin crept onto Lucillea’s lips as she asked cunningly.
“You… that means…”
“…”
“You came looking for me, didn’t you? Right?”
“…”
He stared at Lucillea, looking dumbfounded, or perhaps utterly baffled, before finally letting out a short sigh he could no longer hold back.
Mixed into that sigh was a faint resignation, as if to say, *I can’t win against you.*
Strangely, Lucillea found his sigh endearing.
*‘This guy.’*
Lucillea scurried up to Serdian and stood beside him.
“Sorry about what happened in the dining hall.”
“For what.”
“I said some things I shouldn’t have.”
Serdian glanced at Lucillea, who had stuck to his side, and said.
“So you were aware you were out of line.”
Lucillea nodded.
“Yeah. But honestly, I don’t think I was wrong.”
“…”
“I said it because I was genuinely worried about you.”
“…”
“But I will apologize. I’m sure it wasn’t pleasant for you to hear.”
“Fine.”
Lucillea’s eyebrows shot up at his short reply.
“Huh?”
“I said I accept your apology.”
Surprised by his unexpected response, Lucillea stepped in front of Serdian, stopping him in his tracks.
Lucillea looked at Serdian with sparkling eyes and asked.
“So, are we still friends?”
Serdian’s brow furrowed slightly.
“I’m not the kind of trash who abandons a friend over something so trivial.”
“That means!”
Lucillea grabbed Serdian’s hand and asked.
“Once a friend, always a friend. Can I take it to mean that?”
“…”
“…”
A moment of silence passed. Then, Serdian slowly opened his mouth.
“As long as you don’t betray me first.”
“Who? Me?”
“Because I won’t be the one to betray you first.”
“Hey! Me too! Same here!”
*Never! The moment I betray you, my life is over!*
Hehe! Lucillea burst into a wide grin and declared confidently.
“I can’t promise, but I’ll try to be a little more careful with my words from now on!”
But Serdian, looking uninterested, started walking again and said listlessly.
“Just be your usual self.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, just act like you always do.”
“…”
Heehee, Lucillea answered cheerfully as she followed after Serdian.
“Okay! I will!”