CH 3.27

“Who is, Ah! Your, Your Highness…”

Because of the light behind his back, she couldn’t see him at all at first. However, realizing that it was Haven standing in front of the door, she was shocked.

“What’s the matter, ah, you’re here to see the Princess…”

Was it because she met him at an unexpected time and place? She was flustered and easily stuttered, unable to fully construct her words.

“Is Flitta asleep?”

Haven looked at her blankly and she managed to answer him with a nod.

“Yes.”

That was all. He looked down on Rosé, who stood like she was the gatekeeper and it made the corners of his mouth raise. He thought that if the Nanny was here instead, she would have made a fuss of waking Flitta quickly.

But, surprisingly, this maid didn’t. It seemed that her priority was Flitta over him; the Father of the child she is taking care of. It appeared that her priority to keep his daughter sleeping soundly was more important.

Recalling, he remembered the image of her who amazingly opened the door without making the slightest sound.

… If he were to exaggerate a bit, she would seem to be a former assassin.

“Pfft- haha.”

He let out a laugh at his absurd thoughts. Then Rosé opened her eyes wide and looked up at him again. His eyes and hers locked gazes who were looking at him, wide-eyed, like a rabbit.

Her look was delicate, and she looks like she will fall just by touching it.

‘What kind of woman is this….’

Even if it was just a delusion that stretched out recklessly, it was amazing. Haven shook his head and then opened his mouth again. No, more on like, he tried opening his mouth, but the woman in front of him blocked him by saying,

“Your Highness, can you please return for today? I think you’ll wake up the princess at this rate.”

Rosé whispered softly as she turned to the bedroom door as if she was genuinely concerned. Even though she looked infinitely weak, she was quite bold when he saw her like this.

“… I will.”

But why? The boldness was not an unpleasant feeling. Haven looked at Rosé, then nodded and turned away. Then, behind him, he heard a sigh of relief. He took a couple of steps and looked behind him, again. Their eyes met immediately as if Rosé was looking at his back.

“Are you going to stay there?”

“Oh, no. It’s not…”

Haven told Rosé, who was speechless, to follow him with his chin. And as he started walking down the hall again, he was reluctant at first and then heard the footstep following him from behind.

Their footsteps broke the silence. Except for the two of them, Haven and Rosé, only the light in the hallway lit up the darkness and revealed their existence.

Since Flitta was still young, she went to bed early, and the servants weren’t allowed access to the floor where the princess’ bedroom was until late in the evening.

Haven’s footsteps, which were walking down the empty hallway, stopped. Rosé quietly walked behind him, then stopped and looked up at him. The terrace connected to the corridor caught her eye.

“… ?”

“Come in.”

Haven, who spoke in a commanding tone to the bewildered Rosé, entered the terrace. She blinked her eyes, but belatedly understood what he was saying, and grabbed the hem of her skirt with her hands.

“I am…”

It was not midnight, but it was late evening, too.  It was difficult to be with Haven alone, since their relationship is only master and maid.

“It’s okay, come in. I have something to ask about Flitta, that’s why.”

Perhaps, he noticed her concern so he spoke his subject. She hesitated for a moment and slowly made her way to the terrace. When he said that he has something to ask regarding Flitta, she couldn’t seem to reject him. Well, she was not in the position to be saying ‘No’, either.

“Speak, Your Highness.”

Instead of going deep into the terrace, Rosé stood near the entrance and opened her mouth. Haven smiled at her as he sat in the chair on the side of the terrace. But he didn’t bother to force her to come.

Seeing that, Rosé’s tension eased a little. At that moment, Haven looked towards the garden and opened his mouth.

“Do you have a family?”

“… Yes?”

It was a random question. None of the questions she expected to be going out of his mouth. He have a question about me? Moreover, it was about her ‘family’.

(TN: But her Family is you though, Haven. I’m not crying, you are huhu)

Rosé choked involuntarily and grabbed the front skirt of her uniform. Her fingertips were so cold that they seemed to freeze. However, the man who actually asked the question just looked at the garden leisurely.

“… Of course, I have, Your Highness.”

In fact, it should have been that way. After she was hired as the exclusive maid of Flitta. She said that when she told the head maid about herself. She lived alone in a rural village on the border. So, she can start working right away.

But she didn’t want to tell him that she had no family. She didn’t want to lie to the man once her family. She couldn’t.

“Are you married?”

“… !”

“Oh, I hope I didn’t offend you with my question. I just think you know a lot about children. I was just asking if you had children. If it’s difficult to answer, you don’t have to.”

Haven, who was looking at the garden, turned his head to look at Rosé and waved his hand. Rosé hesitated, then firmly shut her mouth, neither affirming nor denying his question.

It was the moment when Haven’s blue eyes lingered for such a moment and returned to the garden. Rosé’s mouth opened.

“… I had a child. I also had a loving husband.”

“Really? You had…”

Haven nodded his head inadvertently and narrowed his brows as she replied. She didn’t say she ‘has’ but she ‘had’.

“Pardon me.”

“No, Your Highness. It’s okay. It was already… a long time ago.”

That was a lie. She sounded like she was about to cry from her voice only. But he didn’t point that out. No matter if she was his maid or not, he doesn’t have the right to fully interrogate her to every detail, and about her personal history, at that.

He didn’t ask her to follow him with that intention…….

But for some reason, what she said bothered him. Child. And husband. … Loving husband.

Tap, tap.

Haven unknowingly tapped his fingertips on the table before stopping the tracks of his thoughts. And he cast his gaze back at her. The maid was still respectfully standing with her hands clapsed together near the entrance to the terrace.

… Have you lost both your child and your husband?

How could she have gone through that? Could it be that there was a contagious disease where they lived? Or did they have an accident or something?

He remembered the day he first saw Rosé. The woman who saved Flitta from drowning. The figure of the woman who was bluish and constantly blowing her breath to his child with her face which looked like she was about to faint any moment.

‘Could it be that desperation came from the loss of her own child?’

If he looks at it that way, her behavior at the time made some sense. Being a mother who lost her child, she may have been so desperate for another child who was in danger.

After brushing off the chatter for no reason, he changed the subject.

“… … Flitta likes you well. You seem to be good to my child.”

“You are saying too much, Your Highness. I am just doing my duty”

Rosé shook her head and replied. Despite her master’s congratulations on her, she seldom showed a hint of delight.

As if she did exactly what she said she was supposed to do.

Haven was intrigued by her calm demeanor. It was quite unusual for him, who had never taken much interest in others. Of course, the woman in front of him wouldn’t even know that anyway.

“Anyway, take good care of my daughter from now on.”

He immediately took his interest away from her. It is believed that the tumultuous innermost thoughts stemmed from the whim of the moonlight.

Because that was Haven’s behavior.

* * *

The ordinary days passed like that. In the meantime, Haven increased the time Flitta; eating together for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

It was a minor change. However, it was also a surprising change for his employees.

And only a few days later, the news reached someone who did not like such a change.

Knock, knock.

While reading a book, Haven narrowed his eyes at the knocking sound of someone rushing over.

The butler looked at his master’s expression and quickly approached the door. He muttered to himself that his butler should be scolded if he was that careless.

“… What?”

However, the butler unknowingly frowned at the unexpected news brought by the servant.

“What is it, Yanik?”

Haven’s calm voice came from behind the butler’s back. The butler hurriedly corrected his expression and hurried back to him to report the news he had just received.

“It is said that Her Majesty the Queen will arrive soon. She said that the Duchess of Ferrante is also visiting…”

(TN: And am about this b**** up)

“….”

He looked at the butler in silence. Only the slightly furrowed brow revealed his uncomfortable emotion.

“Aunt is going to visit? I thought she went down to the duke’s decree.”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I didn’t know about that.”

The butler bowed his head with an apologetic expression. It was clearly his mistake that he should always be aware of the circumstances surrounding the Grand Duke, but he failed.

“All right. We can’t always keep an eye on that old lady. There was no reason for that. Don’t blame yourself.”

Haven responded calmly to the butler and stood up.