Childcare Diaries - Chapter 31 – Part 1

Brielle was at the age of insisting that he would marry his mother. Knowing that, Kentrail quietly laughed at the little boy’s words and soothed his nephew.

“The nanny is going out today, so that’s why you’re doing this? She’s just going out for a while. She’ll be back soon.”

He hurriedly shook his head. Moments later, he poured out a few drops of thick tears as if it was something that was very sad.

“Marie went on a blind date.”

“…What?”

Kentrail’s expression, who had been smiling so far, swiftly changed. At first, he wondered if he heard it wrong.

‘Doesn’t it sound too ridiculous to say a blind date…?’

But when he pondered about it more, somehow, her expression seemed excited when she came to ask his permission to go out. He dismissed it as that was how she was always like. Knowing fully he didn’t deserve to feel this way, though for some reason, a feeling of betrayal flooded in.

“Butler!”

“Yes, Master.”

“Come and call Ellie.”

At the words of the Count, the butler went to the room in search of Ellie. The master’s face has hardened, and it seemed to be because of something the butler had been thinking about recently.

‘Does the Master really like the nanny?’

He recalled that the nanny’s status was a fallen noble. However, he was against the thought as he shouldn’t be thinking that way. He just wanted the Master to get through the situation. But now, the urgent situation was to catch the nanny who went on a blind date.

The butler called Ellie, but as he thought, it was only the child’s illusion, so there was no specific information to indicate that it was a blind date.

Kentrail, unaware of this, paced around the room inferring the location. Of course, there wasn’t a place that came to mind as he had never done anything like that himself.

In his heated mind, he wanted to release the knights right away, but not only should he not mobilize them for this kind of reason, he couldn’t just leave the county empty right now.

“Sigh…”

At the sound of his sigh, Ellie, sitting on the front sofa, picked up the cookie the butler brought her.

‘If my feelings are correct…’

Her eyes twinkled at that moment.

*** 

Marie, unaware of the commotion at the County, decided to part ways with Erin after having dinner.

Today, all of Brielle’s classes were canceled and the maid decided to take care of other matters, so she had some time to spare.

Coincidentally, Erin and her had met Eujes by chance at the restaurant. He was sitting at the table alone, perhaps without a party.

“Teacher!”

“Oh, nanny.”

Eujes finally met her, whom he hadn’t met in a while even after he went to find Brielle. His face was covered with joy.

“Do you know each other?” Erin asked, pointing to Eujes, who called Marie the nanny. She noticed a subtle difference in temperature between Marie and his reaction, as she peered at him unsurprisingly.

Erin had never met him before because she had quit before the young master started his class in earnest.

“He was the young master’s tutor.”

“Oh, I see.”

After Marie told Eujes that Erin was also the young master’s nanny, a consensus was formed between the three of them.

Erin was excited about this interesting relationship. After her marriage to her husband, the fresh feelings had long since disappeared, and she was delighted by this spectacle.

“If you don’t have a party, come eat with us,” Erin said, shining her eyes.

Marie would have told her that if Brielle had heard it, he would feel betrayed, though the young master was not with them right now.

“Then… may I join you?”

In the beginning, he came in because he was too hungry on the way home from work, but Eujes, who was embarrassed because he was alone, welcomed the offer happily. On top of that, it meant he could spend a little bit more time with the nanny.

“Are you all right with that, nanny?”

Though he was worried that Marie might not like the idea, Eujes assured her.

“Of course.”

For some reason, the back of her head was feeling quite uncomfortable, still, Marie sat in the chair at the table where Eujes had been sitting, saying that she wanted to do this.

Stories blossomed, as if it wasn’t the first meeting of the three of them when gathered like this. There was something in common, so the topic of the story was overflowing.

Marie didn’t even realize that someone was looking for her anxiously as she was just excited at that moment.

*** 

“I found it.”

At the Count’s office, Taylor reported.

“Where?”

“It was at a restaurant near the market.”

In the end, Kentrail reached an inner agreement. He ordered only one person, Taylor, to find the nanny. Fortunately, he found her in an hour, befitting a competent knight.

“Yes… It’s a restaurant. Who was she with?”

“She’s having a meal with a man…”

Erin was with them, but this misunderstanding occurred because Taylor arrived when she was in the bathroom.

Kentrail waited, soothing his heart, thinking it wouldn’t be, but Ellie was right.

“Yes, you can go out.”

“Yes.”

It was funny. He couldn’t believe the man who couldn’t even properly grasp his own feelings is now jealous. His reflection in the window was so unsightly.

Taking it all in, Kentrail shut his eyes gently after hearing Taylor closing the door.

He wanted to be cautious about this feeling that had seeped in without knowing. Emotions he had never experienced before bloomed and disappeared in his heart several times a day.

The young boy grew up without knowing what love was in a rapidly changing situation, and he had to become an adult so suddenly. Maybe that was the reason why it wasn’t easy to define these feelings he had been experiencing?

The emotions and reality written in many books were all so different. One said the world would be colored pink, but it wasn’t.

Even more so, this feeling sometimes reveals a dark side. So, Kentrail had to conceal it more tightly.

When she smiled, the tails of his mouth followed hers and rose up. However, at the same time, greed arose. When that smile whispered deep inside his mind saying that he wished that smile would only go to him, he would quickly turn his head away from that smile.

Wherever Marie went, his attention was focused on her. If he had not seen her since morning, he unconsciously turned his head and looked for her even if Brielle was still by his side.

Sitting at the table, he never forgot to see what her favorite foods were and where the forks went for the food that she disliked. Kentrail would then swiftly turn his head to the sensation as his ears were slightly warm when the small pieces of food entered her mouth.

He even thought of what to do next when he found her walking through the gardens with Brielle, afraid that someone would peek inside. So, there were many times when he pulled the curtains constantly to check on them.

But what good was all this? If she wasn’t feeling the same as him, then everything was just a mess.

Kentrail now knows exactly the emotions that were erupting inside. He didn’t want to lose her. He didn’t want to miss her. Nonetheless, in the current situation, is it right for him to confide in her about his feelings…?

It was as if he was standing in the middle of a storm, and she was too precious to make him feel greedy.

In the end, he had been staring, waiting for her return in the carriage with relief and a sad gaze for a long time.

*** 

“Marie!”

“Young master.”

Marie hugged Brielle, who was welcoming her. He was waiting at the entrance as if knowing she would come. She said worryingly, “Aren’t you cold? You’re not inside.”

“Marie, did you really have a blind date?”

“What…?”

She asked back with a puzzled expression at Brielle’s absurd question.

‘Where the hell did he hear this nonsense?’ But, what came to mind right after was anxiety that he might have misunderstood.

“Young Master, where did you hear that?”

“That’s what Ellie said.”

Marie slowly recalled what she had said to the child before she went out.

“No.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I went to see Erin.”

Then, Brielle’s face brightened in an instant. He answered happily.

“I see.”

Marie wanted to ask.

‘Did the Count hear that? Did he look misunderstood?’

Nevertheless, she wondered what all the use it would be and silently stroked Brielle’s head instead of making excuses.

“Next time, the young master can go out to see Erin together.”

“Hehe, good~”

She thought that it would be good if the mastermind was caught quickly and the young master could go out and play freely. All the while putting together in her head what she was going to say to the Count.

*** 

‘Kuang!’ Barry gave a dutch rub on Ellie’s head. It was an act because he was worried about her sister talking nonsense.

“Because it’s real.”

Siege, who had come to play with, eventually left for his house. And so, Barry was busy finding out what had happened in the mansion in the meantime. Everyone tried not to tell him exactly what, though in the end, couldn’t help but tell him everything when asked why his little brother was banned from going out.

So, Barry was trying to figure out the overall situation by putting the pieces together.

Multiple emotions came to him. He was heartbroken when he heard that his eldest sister, Marie, almost got injured and was proud of Ellie’s decisive role in catching the knight. However, Barry was still worried that she might have been caught up in something dangerous.

However, Ellie was the smartest kid. She used to say silly things from time to time as she does now, but she was still a much better little sibling than himself. Ellie probably knew what happened in the mansion even if no one told her.

He was convinced by that thought.

“The Count likes older sister…?”

But, above everything, he couldn’t believe these words.

Ellie’s punches flew towards her brother, who didn’t believe her words. He was old enough to not feel the pain of it, but Barry lied down, pretending to be hurt.

“You must have been surprised with everything.”

After the exchanges, she frantically asked her brother how he was feeling. Ellie knew what her brother meant when he answered so bluntly.

“No, it was a little creepy, but it’s okay since I just came here.”

Barry, patted his sister’s head as she lay down next to him, reassured his sister.

“Yes. He’s in jail, so it’ll be safe now.”

To comfort Ellie, everyone only informed her that the knight had been caught. Though words that were coming out of her mouth after seemed that she, as expected, knew everything.

“The one who was behind it hasn’t been caught, though, haven’t they?”

“You knew it, too?”

“Huh.”

In the beginning, Ellie was more sensitive to the atmosphere than anyone else. She seemed to be noticing it all, even if the county appeared to be flowing as if nothing had happened, but not everything had returned to its original place.

“If you’re scared, do you want your brother not to go back to the academy and protect you?”

“No, thanks.”

As she said so, Ellie smacked her brother’s arm.

“I know how to protect myself.”

She lifted her arms, showing her muscles. Nonetheless, she looked too weak in Barry’s eyes, who would always see her as his younger sister.

*** 

It’s been a week since Marie went out. Meanwhile, Kentrail and her had been having an awkward time.

Even knowing that he didn’t have the right for it, he avoided her eyes to ask if she really was on her blind date. On the other hand, Marie also wondered if he might have misunderstood that she was on a blind date, though Kentrail might not be curious enough to ask.

She wanted to make excuses for what happened that day to him, but she was also worried that she might be holding back a busy person by just talking useless nonsense.

As a result, they talked less and less.

There were many times when their eyes met, though immediately, they both turned their heads as if it was natural. Even Brielle knew that the two of them had a fight and had asked several times.

Ellie was the most uncomfortable person to be caught in the middle.

On the day when Marie was misunderstood that she had gone on a blind date, she heard a story from her sister who had returned from outside that she had gone to see Erin, but the Count didn’t seem to have heard that story yet.

And so, realizing that she was the only one who could release this mood, Ellie went to work.

“Young master.”

“Yes, why?”

“My sister found a really delicious cookie shop. She said it had a sweet butter cookie with chocolate chips as well.”

Brielle, who was playing with his toy, glanced at Ellie. After succeeded in attracting the attention of the young master, she smiled and continued, “Sister said she ate it on the day she went to see aunt Erin. She was going to buy ours as well, but it looks like they ran out and she couldn’t.”

It was halfway true. It was the cookie shop her sister found on her way to the mansion by herself, but Marie didn’t say it was a very delicious cookie, anyway, it didn’t matter.

“Really? It sounds delicious.”

“What if you ask the Count? I was wondering if he could buy it on his way out?”

“Good idea. But, what’s the name of the store?”

“That’s a good idea… I don’t remember. Maybe ask the Count if he can go and ask sister to buy it?”

“Yes!”

Excited to eat the sweet cookie, Brielle ran straight to Kentrail’s office.

“Kek! You have to say that she saw it the day she met Aunt Erin!” Ellie shouted into the back of Brielle’s head.

Satisfied, her work finished.