Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: A Visit to the Pantheon Temple
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“Ah, Miss…”
So pretty… Rin looked down at the fur cloak Lara had dressed her in.
When Rin had decided to work here, her mother had always told her to be careful in her actions. Never upset the noble folks and just live quietly within her station.
Unlike her mother’s wishes, she’d caused a huge incident on her very first day here, but it seemed luck was on Rin’s side. She hadn’t been kicked out, and now she even got to serve the young miss.
Aren’s young miss seemed a little different from the nobles Rin had heard about so far. Her doll-like pretty face didn’t show much expression, which might make her seem cold at first glance, but Lara was the kindest and gentlest person Rin had ever met!
“I, I like you so much, Miss! I want to stay with you forever. I’ll work even harder!”
Rin’s eyes welled up with tears as she cried out in a resolute voice.
Lara gazed at Rin. She was always so bright and honest. Unlike Helen or the other kids, she never mocked or bullied her. She didn’t even fear Lara’s eyes.
“I like Rin too.”
Lara said awkwardly. It took a bit of courage for her to say it. Expressing true feelings was pretty hard, but that’s exactly why it was worth trying.
“Let’s stay together a long time.”
Lara had never wished for anything before. But ever since meeting Theodor, she strangely kept wanting things.
She wanted to be with Rin for a long time. If she could make a friend, she hoped Rin would be her first one.
Rin’s eyes widened in surprise at the clumsy expression from her miss, who had bottled up those feelings so tightly. Just as Lara started feeling anxious from Rin’s long pause, Rin grabbed Lara’s hand tightly, rushed into her arms, and answered energetically.
“Yes, Miss!”
Rin beamed innocently as she said it. Lara gave a faint smile back. That barely-there smile from her miss was delightful to see.
“Take care, Miss Lara.”
Marsha and Breina had come out to see Lara off.
Even though it was just a trip into the city, Marsha’s eyes were full of worry. Breina had pulled Rin aside separately and was giving her a long lecture. Marsha glanced at them and spoke to Lara once more.
“If anything happens, call for help right away. Got it?”
“Yes, Marsha.”
Just then, Claude appeared beside Marsha, whistling a tune in his stylish winter coat. Marsha shot him a suspicious look.
“The butler worries too much. With me here, what could go wrong? You can’t raise ‘Diarc’s young miss’ to be so fragile.”
“……”
Marsha swallowed the urge to say that the biggest worry in this situation was you, Claude. It made her stomach burn inside.
Claude flashed a sly grin and offered his hand to Lara.
“Shall we go, Miss? I’ll escort you today.”
Lara hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should take his hand, but in the end, she lightly grasped it. Refusing seemed impolite, after all.
Claude smiled brightly, bowed his head, and gently kissed the back of her hand.
“?”
Lara stared at him with a face that clearly had no idea what he was doing. Marsha coughed urgently in surprise.
“Ahem, ahem. Young Master Claude.”
“What is it, Butler?”
“Could you please, be a bit more, careful with your actions? If the Master saw…”
“Huh? No idea what you mean… Is there a problem? I just greeted the little miss I’m escorting today like any gentleman would. Even Theodor wouldn’t complain if he saw.”
Lara nodded inwardly at Claude’s nonsense.
‘So it was a greeting.’
But Marsha was different. She was truly grateful Theodor wasn’t here. He definitely wouldn’t have stayed quiet…
“Well, we’ll be off then. Can’t be late for the appointment. That guy Theodor has zero patience, right?”
Claude left Marsha with a cheeky wink and hurriedly took Lara and Rin away.
Marsha’s expression soured as she watched their backs. Seeing that immature Renar young master—so arrogant and sly just like the rumors—made her chest tighten.
Why on earth had Master Theodor assigned Claude as Lara’s teacher?
Anyway, she just hoped nothing went wrong.
Marsha waved away the ominous thoughts creeping in.
“Wow, so this is Aren’s city center! It’s amazing!”
Rin pressed her nose to the carriage window and exclaimed. She looked no different from how Lara had been on her first trip into the city.
“Where I lived, there wasn’t anything like this bustling downtown! Just a bakery, a general store, a pawnshop, that’s it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah! The only fun place was Auntie Jina’s shop. Everywhere else was so stuffy. You grew up in Aren, right, Miss? Having a cool place like this as your hometown—makes me so jealous!”
At Rin’s question, Lara recalled Laden Orphanage.
No matter how far back she dug into her memories, all that faintly surfaced was Director Laden’s fierce, stern face or Rydets’ harsh weather.
Standing barefoot in the orphanage courtyard, shivering, or getting whipped with a broom—none of it was anything to envy.
“My hometown is…”
She’d call the place she was born and raised her hometown, but Lara didn’t even know where hers was.
If she had to say, it was probably Laden Orphanage, but having never left it once, she didn’t even know where Rydets was exactly.
The first day she’d left was the night she met Theodor.
First time in a carriage, first time talking to a stranger who wasn’t from the orphanage. It was pitch dark, but so much snow fell that the world outside the window looked entirely white.
After endless snow, Lara arrived in Aren, at Theodor’s mansion.
“My hometown isn’t Aren.”
At Lara’s answer, Rin’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Really? Then where’s your hometown, Miss?”
“I…”
As Lara mentally sorted out what to say, Claude, who’d been quietly watching them from across the seat, chimed in.
“Let’s wrap up the chat. Time to get ready to get off—we’re almost there.”
“Oh, right!”
“Rin, take good care of the Miss first. The city’s crowded.”
Claude half-stood, pulled back the curtain, and checked the street on the other side. Just as he said, there were way more people passing through the city than last time. As they ventured deeper into the center, the street’s vibe started changing.
‘What’s going on?’
The sparkling pretty decorations hanging from every shop made the streets look definitely different from before. The pedestrians—men, women, young and old—mostly carried handfuls of something.
“Saint Kucheanis’s Day is coming up. People exchange cookies or chocolate on this day.”
Lara realized from Claude’s explanation that they were all holding snacks.
“Lara, look? Raise your head—it’s starting to come into view. That’s the tallest building here. Right there, the Pantheon Temple.”
A massive structure with a dizzyingly tall spire stood where Claude pointed.
‘Pantheon Temple…’
Lara’s mouth fell open slightly at the sight. Even from afar, the Pantheon Temple was visibly stunning architecture. The temple gleamed in eye-dazzling white. But even more astonishing were the huge stained-glass windows painted in vibrant colors.
They were so brilliantly and lavishly colored, without a single gap, that Lara wondered if you could even call them windows. As she stared entranced, Claude asked.
“First time seeing the Pantheon?”
Lara nodded slightly, her gaze still fixed out the window.
“……”
She hadn’t even seen the Pantheon. An answer beyond common sense for an imperial citizen. Claude watched her back with an odd expression before speaking.
“Give me your hand, little miss. Time to get off.”
Claude extended his hand with a casual smile, and Lara finally turned her eyes from him.
With Claude’s escort, Lara carefully gathered her dress hem and stepped down from the carriage without tripping.
The coachman waited until Lara and her group had all disembarked before urging the horses onward. Claude glanced at his wristwatch.
“About two hours until the appointment… Free time until then. For you, and me.”
“…Free time?”
“Yep. Teacher’s break time. You go sightseeing with Rin. I’ll wander around too. Meet back in two hours—no worries?”
Claude flashed a bright smile and waved. Lara panicked at the sudden ‘free time’ and tried to speak, but Claude was already striding away on his long legs.
“W-Wait! Teacher Claude! You’re supposed to watch over the Miss today!”
“Aren’s safe. Theodor’s just overreacting. If you get lost, head to the Pantheon Temple~”
Rin, who’d turned her back briefly to fix her bag, ran over in shock, but Claude was already vanishing into the distance, teasing her.
Rin stared blankly after Claude as he fully disappeared into the crowd, then turned to Lara.
“What do we do now, Miss Lara…?”