CH 3.39

Flitta who had overcome her fear came into the employer’s lodging alone because she wanted to see Rosé badly, whom she had not seen throughout the day. People looked at her unkindly.

Maybe the nanny is the leader of those.

“Princess.”

“… Huh?”

Flitta held Rosé’s hand and climbed the stairs when she heard a voice calling for me and raised her head. The light green eyes of the child under the moonlight were just clear. She really hated saying these things to a kid like that.

“From now on, you can’t come here carelessly like you did. Especially at night, no matter what happens, you must never do that. Do you understand?”

Nonetheless, she had to ask the child again. She didn’t want to believe that she was like any other people who looked at her maliciously, and carelessly spitting useless words at her.

And most of all, she didn’t want to let Flitta walk alone in this darkness.

“Is that a promise?”

“Yes… but, what if I want to see Rosé?”

When Rosé raised her pinky finger, Flitta’s expression relaxed as if she were relieved.

At that time, the bottom of the stairs became lighter and someone’s footsteps could be heard.

“Oh, head maid!”

Rosé, who checked the face of the person coming up from under the stairs, hurriedly stood up.

“Hey, the person there… Princess?

The head maid raised the lamp high to check their faces, and soon hurried up the stairs in surprise. The change was felt even greater because it was head maid who usually did not change much.

“Why are you here when you should be sleeping at this hour? Rosé, what happened?”

The head maid looked at Rosé with a scolding gaze. Rosé sloowly lowered her head.

“I’m sorry, head maid. I am….”

“I went to see Rosé!”

The moment when Rosé was about so blurt that she was all to blame, Flitta stood in front of her and spoke. She felt that the heart of the child was afraid of what was going to happen if she was the one that was scolded.

“No, head maid. Actually, I haven’t seen the princess today, so I just want to see her…”

“No! I secretly came out on my own because I wanted to see Rosé. Rosé is here with me to take me back to my room.”

The head maid looked at the sight of Flitta and Rosé insisting that it was their fault, with a strange expression. Then, as she let out a small sigh, the two of them tucked their necks in at the same time.

“Let’s go to the bedroom for now, Princess. I’m worried that someone will see me doing this on the stairs.”

The head maid looked at the resemblance between them and opened her mouth with a softer tone. Flitta looked at the head maid and Rosé alternately, then nodded her head.

“Then I will take the lead. It’s dark, so be careful on the stairs.”

“Yes.”

The head maid climbed the stairs ahead of them with the lantern on her hand which made the stairs brighter and easier to climb.

‘I didn’t think of lanterns.’

Rosé realized her mistake and blushed. She was only concerned with taking the child to bed, not thinking that she had to pack carry a lantern.

The moment she blushed again in her embarrassment, Flitta grabbed Rosé’s hand and dragged her, and she whispered,

“Rosé, are you sick again?”

“Yes?”

“Your hands got hotter.”

“Ah… It’s not like that. I am alright.”

Her fever didn’t increase but she was still feeling a bit dizzy and this was just her reaction from embarrassment.

“It’s not. A real fever…”

Flitta mumbled, trying to retort, but then shut her mouth. Before she knew it, they have arrived in front of Flitta’s room. Rosé also stopped whispering with Flitta and turned her head away.

The head maid opened the bedroom door and stepped aside. Flitta glanced at the head maid, and she hurried into the bedroom. She followed her into the room where Rosé and the head maid were.

On the bed that Flitta had escaped alone, the duvet was halfway down to the floor. Rosé went straight to the bed and tidied up the disheveled duvet and made her child’s bed again.

“Princess.”

“Yes!”

As soon as Flitta was called, the child climbed onto the bed. The head maid watched the scene for a while, then gave her a shriek and opened her mouth.

“This is news that should be announced tomorrow, but….”

“Yes?”

Flitta quietly blinked under the blanket that Rosé covered her with, and then suddenly heard the maid’s words and showed interest. The head maid smiled at the  princess.

“Her Highness and the Duchess are leaving tomorrow.”

“…?”

Rosé, who was standing by Flitta’s bed, opened her eyes wide and looked at the head maid.

Rosé served the Queen all day long, but she never heard anything like that. Even during the teatime with the Duchess, nothing was aid related to that. She suddenly wondered when the decision was made but of course, it was not like she should know everything, and the head maid does.

“Really?”

It was fortunate though. Rosé was relieved to see the child delighted with the maid’s words. Again, she would not be called by the late queen to wait on her, and her child would not have to worry about being noticed by the late queen and the duchess.

Rosé nodded involuntarily and smiled, but the head maid brought another piece of news into her mouth.

“And the day after tomorrow, His Highness the Grand duke will be leaving for an inspection.”

‘… Inspection?’

Rosé’s eyes widened at the unexpected words. However, Flitta nodded her head as if she had heard something insignificant. For she was not particularly surprised as a child. It was not the first time that her father regularly inspected his estate.

However, not only Rosé but Flitta were also surprised by the maid’s story that followed.

“And the princess will be going with him in the inspection.”

“… What?”

“… Yes?”

Flitta’s pale green eyes widened. At the same time, Rosé looked at her maid with a similar expression. The head maid instructed Rosé with her calm face as if it was nothing to her.

“So, you will have to accompany the princess.”

“… M, me?”

“Yes. Also, the nanny remains in the Grand Prince’s residence, so keep in mind that your responsibility to serve the Princess has become more important.”

“…!”

Rosé’s eyes widened even more. The moment she opened her mouth to say something, Flitta came out of the blanket before hrt and she sat up and said her words.

“Rosé, then are we going to play? Dad, me, and Rosé, all together?”

“Rather than going out to play, the purpose is for the inspection…”

Even while Rosé was confused, she stammered in answering Flitta’s question. However, Flitta was so excited that she didn’t even listen to Rose’s words, and she clapped and shouted.

“Wow! It’s a family trip! right? I am going on a family trip for the first time!”

It was not like the usual timid and calm child. As if that appearance was unexpected, the head maid also opened her eyes wide. However, she straightened her expression right away and looked back at Rosé.

“… Family, travel.”

The head maid saw Rosé who was lost, unable to cope with the situation and had a dazed expression on her face. Even so, she could see her normally paled face that seemed to be flabbergasted with the news, her excitement was a bit obvious.

‘No, it was not a simple excitement…’

The head maid looked at Rosé’s reddened eyes with a puzzled look, but she soon withdrew her attention and continued her words with a request.

“Anyway, I let you know that so you can prepare in advance. Make sure to pack the necessary items carefully so that the Princess does not feel uncomfortable during the trip.”

Only then did Rosé come to her senses, rubbed her hand around her eyes, and nodded her head hastily.

“Yes, Head Maid. I will.”

“Okay. Then Princess, it’s late at night, so why don’t you go to sleep?”

The head maid bowed her head to Flitta and then turned around. But just before she opened the door and left, she remembered something, and she looked back at her again.

“Seriously! Rosé.”

“Ah, yes?”

Rosé put on her dazed expression again, then hurriedly corrected her expression at the call of the head maid and looked at her. The head maid looked her up and down, then narrowed her brows as she asked.

“I thought I head you had a fever.”

“…?”

Rosé’s eyes widened. The head maid noticed that she seemed to not comprehend her question so she explained.

“I overheard the conversation you had with the princess earlier. It was unintentional.”

“Ah…”

On the way to the bedroom, she seemed to have heard Flitta’s question as she worried about her. Rosé rubbed her cheek in embarrassment and shook her head.

“I am okay. I was just a bit tired…”

Rosé hurriedly tried to explain, and the head maid opened her mouth in a blunt tone.

“It is also a duty of people like us to take good care of ourselves.”

“…”

“You thought so lightly of being tired, but if you become ill, who will serve the Princess? If you unknowingly have a contagious disease, what if you pass it on to the Princess accidentally?”

At the words of the head maid, Rosé shut her mouth tightly as she was speechless. Her hands which were clutched, trembled slightly. Even though she knew that the head maid hadn’t noticed her condition, the words pierced her heart like a dagger.