The Life of Maria Lewellin - Chapter 42

“What are you doing here?”

“Just because you’re here.”

No, I mean, what brought you here….?

Ains sat on the bench and folded his arms.

“Why don’t you sit down?”

I sat on the bench with a slight gap from him at his subsequent invitation. Coco, who was still on alert, barked hard at him.

“Arf-! “

“Shh… It’s okay. “

I gently smoothened the soft fur on the nape of his neck. Even though he’s barking with all of his might, he still looks cute and not scary at all because of the bushy hair on his face.

[He’s my frie-…, my subordinate. You don’t have to be scared.]

I was about to say friend but I decided to call him my subordinate instead. It’s a kind of timid revenge.

If Ains heard it, I would have laughed out of nowhere, but it didn’t matter because I only said that on my mind anyway.

[Will you go get the ball?]

[Okay]

[Good boy]

Only then did Coco calmly run towards the ball that was far away on the grass.

I held him back in my arms and sat him on my lap. As I was stroking his back, I heard a voice asking me softly.

“Do you still want to go home?”

“Yes. Definitely, absolutely, very much.”

An unexpected blunt answer came out of my mind. I fully understand the situation I was in, but apart from that, I still felt uncomfortable.

…Did I say it too thoughtlessly?

I glanced sideways at him. Fortunately, Ain’s looking at me with a smile.

“Okay, go ahead.”

“….!”

Did I hear that right? Am I just hearing things?

On the one hand, I had doubts, not doubts. Why all of a sudden? You said no at first!

Ains continued, he probably read my mind through my eyes.

“I think it’ll be fine if it’s just for a few days.”

“Are you sure?”

My voice was suddenly filled with expectations.

If you say it’s a joke, I’m going to get really angry.

“But-“

Adding a short remark, Ains looked into my eyes.

“You must come back on the promised date.”

“Of course! So you’re really going to let me go, right?”

“That’s right. “

Oh yeah! A big smile came out. Did you hear that, Coco? He said we can go home. Whoo-hoo!

I was excited to pat Coco’s neck and suddenly remembered what I heard a while ago.

“However, you must come back on the promised date.”

That’s what he said with a serious look on his face. In other words, it means he meant it from the bottom of his heart.

Don’t tell me…

“Are you worried that I won’t come back? “

I thought that couldn’t be, but I asked carefully. Surprisingly, I could see the tips of his ears turning red.

(t/n: hsjshsgahhs cute.) 

“You caught me… I just thought meeting your family might change your mind and you might not come back.”

It felt strange to hear what he was saying calmly.

I’ve never really thought about that.

My dream was the same even now. Open an animal hospital to care for the sick animals and live freely.

However, I think I could also understand it when I look at Ains’ perspective. I slowly lost my chance trying to figure out what to say.

“Your Highness’ prediction was wrong,”

I could feel him look my way on my peripheral vision. I looked at Ains with a smile.

“Of course, you’re the one who suggested taking care of Glick first, but I was the one who decided in the end. Why would I break the contract when the conditions are good.”

Only then did a smile spread to Ains’ face.

“That’s right. The conditions were quite good. It was unconventional.”

“And we even wrote a contract. You don’t have to worry because I’ll come even if you tell me not to.”

“……What am I even worried about.”

I bit my lips to hold back my laughter.

You were worried that I wouldn’t come back, you’re acting silly. Now that I look at him, he also had a cute side.

“By the way, what about him?”

“What?”

“….the guy you like.”

What does he mean?

I thought of something while looking at him in confusion.

“Do you mean Boraengi?”

“…..”

Silence means yes. As soon as I realized what he meant, I burst into laughter.

“Hahahahaha!”

“Arf-!”

Coco, sitting gently on her lap, barked briefly.

“Are you surprised? Sorry, sorry.”

I couldn’t stop laughing while stroking Coco’s back to calm down. The tables have been turned now. Ains looks like the one confused now.

“Why are you laughing all of a sudden?”

It’s funny, that’s why I’m laughing. I laughed so hard that I wiped the tears around my eyes and then I looked at Ains.

“Well, as I said, Boraengie is my best friend. We’ve been living together.”

Then Ains narrowed his brows.

“You lived with him?”

“Yes, he’s calm and reliable, plus I know he likes me very much…and he looks a lot like this guy.”

I pointed at Coco with my fingers. Ains’ eyes followed my finger down and then turned back on.

“……you mean like a dog?”

“Pfft…”

I burst out laughing again. Ains’ distorted expression seems to be asking: ‘Am I right to say that he looks like a dog?’.

I gave a belated nod to the truth.

“Yes, Boraengie is my dog.”

3…2…1…

After three seconds of silence, I heard a puzzled voice asking.

“Borangie was a dog… not a person?”

I nodded with a smiley face.

“For your information, I’ve never told you that the one I like is a ‘person’. I just told you that it was a ‘him’.”

Doesn’t that make you feel better?

In this country, there is no separate rule when calling a person’s name. So if the name is Kyle, he should be called [Kyle], calling him [Kyle-ah] would be awkward.*

(t/n: Koreans add [ah] at the end of the names of someone they’re close to. Idk how to properly explain this in English but this whole passage is about)

“Hah, by the way,”

I heard a dejected sigh. Of course, I pretended not to know and played with Coco’s front paws.

“Did you just made fun of me?”

“Never.”

Well, it’s not like I was planning to make fun of him. It was him who misunderstood me first. I quickly got up from my seat because I thought I would laugh again when I remembered his embarrassed face.

“Shall we go back?”

“Okay.”

Ains and I walked side by side until we arrived at the palace. A long shadow fell on us.

There is a large lake at the east of the palace. Only a few people know about it because it is in a remote place, but the management was completely good as it is strictly located in the palace.

A walkway was built around the lake, and there was a stone bridge that led to a gazebo.

Two men were standing there. Whenever they threw food into the water, carp as big as their forearms gathered around.

“Are you done preparing?”

“Ugh. I really want to take a year off.”

Ains laughed silently at Gerard’s complaining. He thought he was a socialite who hated staying in one place rather than dying.

“When are you going to leave?”

“Tomorrow morning. I thought you would be busy by the time I leave, so I came to say hello in advance. What are you going to do without me?”

The face looking his way was full of mischief.

“What’s wrong with you?”

‘I’m so busy that I can’t even entertain guests properly because of heavy work.’

They didn’t really hang out that much when he was there because he was too busy, but when he heard that he was leaving, Ains became a little sad.

Gerard was one of the few people Ains could trust and open up to.

Such a person came to the Empire to attend his birthday, but he felt sorry because he thought he hadn’t been able to take care of him properly.

“Ains.”

“Yes?”

“About Maria. Can you give her a vacation?”

There was a moment of silence. Ains slowly turned to the side at Gerard’s words.

“….a vacation?”

“Uh. I heard she signed a contract with you for a year, can’t she take a few days off?”

Gerard wasn’t wrong. Recently, Glick indeed became healthy, and his fur has been visibly glossier. Just looking at that, it was clear that Maria has been taking good care of him, and he could give her a few days of reward vacation.

‘No, I already gave it to her. Maria had already asked me for a vacation yesterday since she is preparing to go to her hometown in bliss. But why is he asking me to give Maria a vacation?’

At the same time, an idea crossed his mind.

Maria and Gerard looked very close. Although Gerard already told him that he met her on the ship by chance and became friends there, he felt that they are more intimate than that.

Besides, at a banquet a few days ago, he saw a scene where the two even danced affectionately. His mood suddenly subsided strangely when he recalled that time.

Gerard, who had no idea what was going on inside Ains’ head continued talking as if he were adding fuel to the fire.

“If you give Maria a vacation, I’ll go back to the Kingdom of Brittany with her.”

‘What?! The Kingdom of Brittany?!’

He almost yelled, barely managing to hold himself back.

On the other hand, Gerard’s expression was the opposite. The hand gesture of throwing carp food was full of relaxation.

“It’ll be Daisy’s birthday soon. Daisy will surely be happy to meet a pretty sister, and Maria will also be happy because she’ll be able to take a vacation after a long time. Isn’t it?”

“……you’re taking her home?”

“Of course. I can’t put our precious guests to sleep outside. My house would be much better than a decent accommodation.”

It was all right, but it wasn’t that simple.

Gerard, who is the same age as Ains, was under pressure to marry as well. Under such circumstances, it was obvious that adults in the family would show great interest if he took a single lady home.

A sense of nervousness rose inside Ains. It’s a good thing that there was a justification for his definite refusal.

“It’s difficult to go to the Kingdom of Brittany. I also have no intention of giving her a vacation for the time being.”

He swallowed it quietly inside. He thought Gerard would follow her somehow.

“She really can’t?”

“She can’t”

“Tsk, how cold.”

Gerard was disappointed, but he didn’t bother him for approval like a child.

The fact that he was well aware of Ains’ characteristics who never reversed his position also helped.

Gerard shook his hands with ease when the fish food he was throwing ran out.

“Then keep her well until next year. Don’t renew your contract.”

When Gerard told him that half-jokingly, Ains looked at the lake secretly, avoiding answering.

No matter what happens, he has to extend the contract. This time, not for a year, but for a very long time.

“Ah, my mother asked me to say hello to you. My father and brother as well.”

“You’re talking too fast, by the way.”

“You didn’t forget.”

Following a deft reply, Gerard asked Ains to shake hands.

“Then. See you later.”

“I’ll get Daisy a gift, so give it to her for me.”

“Okay. Please take care of mine. -Then I’ll go first.”

He tapped him on the shoulder to encourage him, and then Gerard left the lake first.

After a while, Ains also climbed onto his horse. The destination was a palace where the emperor lived.

Ains is starting to become obsessed with Maria ajdbjabd is he going to turn into a yandere?

Speaking of -dere type. I think Ains is more a kuudere than a tsundere like in what’s written in the description. I guess people outside sometimes just collectively call people who can’t be honest with themselves tsundere.