Andy dashed out of the room, causing a commotion
Her last expression was truly a masterpiece.
She won’t be bothered by the young lady for a while.
Of course, I’ll go after her, but not right away.
“..Alice, what are you thinking?”
“It’s nothing.”
I stroked the young lady’s head.
It felt as soft as cotton.
It feels like petting a real cat.
“Young lady, I brought the gift as promised. Aren’t you curious?”
“Gift..?!”
The young lady’s eyes sparkled as she stood up.
Was she embarrassed?
The young lady soon glanced at me with a flushed face.
“Open sesame.”
Unfolding extravagantly, a scroll revealed.
Something small popped out from within.
“Ta-da! It’s a gift.”
The soft sensation in my hand.
There was a doll in my hand.
A white teddy bear doll that resembled the young lady’s skin tone.
I purchased it while traveling around the empire before.
The young lady looked at the bear doll in her hand.
Her eyes seemed distant.
Not long after that.
Gradually, a blush appeared on the young lady’s face.
She tightly hugged the bear doll with her hand.
She seemed to want to say something else.
With her head bowed deeply, she mumbled.
“T-Thank you.”
The young lady struggled to speak.
It was a difficult-to-hear small voice.
But it sounded so clear in my ears.
‘Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness..!’
Isn’t the young lady just too adorable, seriously?
Holding the doll made her cuteness even more pronounced.
I stifled a laugh.
Her hidden smile must be huge.
Even now, laughter kept bubbling up.
My eyes were not mistaken.
Among all in this world, the young lady was the most adorable.
I’m not just saying that.
She’s really cute, like really.
It feels like my heart is about to burst.
But it’s still too early to die.
There’s still one more gift left for the young lady.
I peeked at the clock.
Before I knew it, evening was approaching.
“Miss, haven’t you eaten yet?”
“Mm.”
Seems like I’ll be leaving the Grand Duchess empty-handed for now.
It’s really tough going hungry during the brief absence.
Thinking about it again, Andy was really annoying.
“I’ll prepare dinner for you and help you bath.”
The Miss hesitated for a moment.
But eventually nodded slightly.
She must be reluctant to show her back.
But that ends today too.
I gently grasped the elixir in my pocket.
Hoping the novel’s plot won’t deviate.
The sunset outside the window was fading.
Now that the Miss has finished dinner.
The surroundings were filled with a warm humidity.
“Would you like some water, Miss?”
“Mm… Yes…”
The Miss’s drowsy voice.
It sounded like a cat purring.
I carefully groomed the Miss’s hair.
Now her hair has improved a lot.
At first, it was difficult to comb, you know.
Not just the hair.
The Miss’s skin also became much smoother.
The fragrance of flowers wafted from her body.
As I adorned her, making her more beautiful one by one, was there any child who would feel as rewarded? It was so regrettable that the Grand Duke couldn’t enjoy this happiness.
“Miss, I’ll help you wash now.”
“….”
A slightly subdued voice.
The Miss slowly got out of the bathtub.
She sat neatly on the bathtub chair.
The large scar caught my eye again.
The pain engraved on her pure white back.
Seeing it made my heart ache.
I struggled to suppress the rising emotions.
With a smile, I offered her something different from soap.
“Today, I’ll apply something else instead of soap.”
“Huh..? What is it..?”
“It’s good for your skin. Don’t worry.”
The Miss hesitated for a moment.
But soon looked at me and nodded.
I took out the elixir from my pocket and opened the lid.
A pungent scent that tickles the nose.
I took some and applied it to the Miss’s back.
“Ugh…”
“It’s cold, isn’t it? Just bear with it a little longer.”
She carefully spread the medicine as much as possible, making sure it reached every scar on her back.
She wondered how extensive the scars were.
She ended up using all the elixir for one application.
The transformation happened immediately.
The lady’s skin began to twist slightly.
The scars stiffened and peeled away, revealing new flesh underneath.
“Ow…! It’s… it’s hot!”
The lady grimaced in pain.
Her body was trembling violently.
I held her tightly.
“Just hold on a little longer, miss.”
“Ouch…!”
She bit her lip in agony.
Regardless of whether my clothes got wet, I held her tightly.
How much time passed like that?
Her trembling gradually subsided.
Tears still lingered in her eyes.
But her gaze returned to normal.
“…I feel weird.”
Her voice sounded puzzled.
I released her.
With a trembling heart, I looked at her back.
…..Ah.
What a relief.
Her pure white back.
There were no more large scars.
Only pristine, snow-white skin remained.
I breathed a deep sigh of relief.
Was I acting strange?
She looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Why, Alice?”
Her innocent face showed nothing.
I struggled to contain my excitement.
I took a deep breath inwardly.
I turned her towards the mirror.
“Would you like to see your back, miss?”
“Huh?”
She looked at me with confusion.
Then, with her innocent face, she turned her head to look at her back.
“Why the back?”
Looking at the mirror behind her, she tilted her head in confusion.
But soon she noticed the change.
Her eyes widened gradually.
“Uh..?”
With an expression of disbelief, she stares at herself in the mirror.
The lady’s eyes tremble as if there’s an earthquake.
She touches her back with small hands.
“Uh…? Uh, uh..?”
Is she thinking it’s a dream?
Or is it something unbelievable?
The lady gropes her back several times.
She even pinches herself strongly in the end.
“Phew… There’s… no scar…”
The lady’s voice trembles like a cedar tree, and she turns to look at me again with her blue eyes. I her desperate gaze seeking explanation, I smile and extend my hands.
“Ta-da. It’s the second gift.”
The lady stares at me blankly for a while.
Her eyes become reddened.
Tears start to gather in her blue eyes.
I simply continue to smile.
The lady bows her head deeply.
Then she gazes at the ground for a while.
And when the lady raises her head again,
Beautiful sparkling blue eyes are revealed.
It’s the first time seeing such eyes on her.
They were like eyes containing stars.
During the brief moment of being stunned by the beautiful eyes,
The lady looks at me with flushed cheeks.
“I love you, Alice.”
“Huh.”
It wasn’t the lady who usually hesitated and timidly spoke, but a clear voice without a hint of wavering. It felt disconcerting to see such a resolute face on the lady I’ve never seen before.
The lady rushes to me. Reflexively, I open my arms to embrace her as she jumps into them, feeling her warmth through her maid’s uniform.
With a bewildered heart, I stroke her head. For a while, the lady holds onto me, repeating the same words.
“I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.”
I blinked blankly at the lady’s straightforward words.
When was the last time I heard someone say “I love you”? Was it when my mother left with another man, leaving behind words of farewell? Or was it when my father left his last message before closing his eyes? I can’t even remember, the word “love” was so unfamiliar to me. It was such a strange and intense word that I couldn’t even properly respond.
“I love you, Alice. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.”
The lady says as she buries her face into my body.
An affectionate and clear sentiment is conveyed.
“I love you, Alice.”
When the lady looked at me, I felt like my heart stopped beating. I had never seen eyes shine so beautifully, not even from Lucy.
“I really, truly love you, Alice.”
Love.
I don’t know what love is. After losing my parents at a young age, I lived with the sole determination to open a café. There were no true friends with whom I shared my journey or lovers whispering affection.
I lived a dry life, working part-time and spending the rest of my time reading novels. As much as I lived my dull life, I certainly didn’t know what love was.
However.
A heart pounding as if it would burst.
An uncontrollable joy.
And lips that can’t stay still.
Maybe this is love.
But I couldn’t say it hastily, unable to easily utter the word ‘love’ for some reason.
But my feelings for the lady are clear. I don’t know when this happened exactly.
Whenever the lady is happy, I am also happy, and when she is in pain, I feel sad. I want her to be happy, and I want to rid her life of any unhappiness.
It’s the same feeling as a mother looking at her daughter. Even though I didn’t give birth to the lady and it hasn’t been a year since I met her… This feeling is undoubtedly genuine.
Thinking of her as an irreplaceable family and daughter. It’s like raising her beautifully and becoming friends who exchange greetings when she becomes independent in the distant future.
Even though there’s only a six-year age gap to call her a daughter…
Well, anyway.
I will definitely make sure she grows up happy.
“I cherish you a lot too, Miss.”
Andy dashed out of the room, causing a commotion
Her last expression was truly a masterpiece.
She won’t be bothered by the young lady for a while.
Of course, I’ll go after her, but not right away.
“..Alice, what are you thinking?”
“It’s nothing.”
I stroked the young lady’s head.
It felt as soft as cotton.
It feels like petting a real cat.
“Young lady, I brought the gift as promised. Aren’t you curious?”
“Gift..?!”
The young lady’s eyes sparkled as she stood up.
Was she embarrassed?
The young lady soon glanced at me with a flushed face.
“Open sesame.”
Unfolding extravagantly, a scroll revealed.
Something small popped out from within.
“Ta-da! It’s a gift.”
The soft sensation in my hand.
There was a doll in my hand.
A white teddy bear doll that resembled the young lady’s skin tone.
I purchased it while traveling around the empire before.
The young lady looked at the bear doll in her hand.
Her eyes seemed distant.
Not long after that.
Gradually, a blush appeared on the young lady’s face.
She tightly hugged the bear doll with her hand.
She seemed to want to say something else.
With her head bowed deeply, she mumbled.
“T-Thank you.”
The young lady struggled to speak.
It was a difficult-to-hear small voice.
But it sounded so clear in my ears.
‘Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness..!’
Isn’t the young lady just too adorable, seriously?
Holding the doll made her cuteness even more pronounced.
I stifled a laugh.
Her hidden smile must be huge.
Even now, laughter kept bubbling up.
My eyes were not mistaken.
Among all in this world, the young lady was the most adorable.
I’m not just saying that.
She’s really cute, like really.
It feels like my heart is about to burst.
But it’s still too early to die.
There’s still one more gift left for the young lady.
I peeked at the clock.
Before I knew it, evening was approaching.
“Miss, haven’t you eaten yet?”
“Mm.”
Seems like I’ll be leaving the Grand Duchess empty-handed for now.
It’s really tough going hungry during the brief absence.
Thinking about it again, Andy was really annoying.
“I’ll prepare dinner for you and help you bath.”
The Miss hesitated for a moment.
But eventually nodded slightly.
She must be reluctant to show her back.
But that ends today too.
I gently grasped the elixir in my pocket.
Hoping the novel’s plot won’t deviate.
The sunset outside the window was fading.
Now that the Miss has finished dinner.
The surroundings were filled with a warm humidity.
“Would you like some water, Miss?”
“Mm… Yes…”
The Miss’s drowsy voice.
It sounded like a cat purring.
I carefully groomed the Miss’s hair.
Now her hair has improved a lot.
At first, it was difficult to comb, you know.
Not just the hair.
The Miss’s skin also became much smoother.
The fragrance of flowers wafted from her body.
As I adorned her, making her more beautiful one by one, was there any child who would feel as rewarded? It was so regrettable that the Grand Duke couldn’t enjoy this happiness.
“Miss, I’ll help you wash now.”
“….”
A slightly subdued voice.
The Miss slowly got out of the bathtub.
She sat neatly on the bathtub chair.
The large scar caught my eye again.
The pain engraved on her pure white back.
Seeing it made my heart ache.
I struggled to suppress the rising emotions.
With a smile, I offered her something different from soap.
“Today, I’ll apply something else instead of soap.”
“Huh..? What is it..?”
“It’s good for your skin. Don’t worry.”
The Miss hesitated for a moment.
But soon looked at me and nodded.
I took out the elixir from my pocket and opened the lid.
A pungent scent that tickles the nose.
I took some and applied it to the Miss’s back.
“Ugh…”
“It’s cold, isn’t it? Just bear with it a little longer.”
She carefully spread the medicine as much as possible, making sure it reached every scar on her back.
She wondered how extensive the scars were.
She ended up using all the elixir for one application.
The transformation happened immediately.
The lady’s skin began to twist slightly.
The scars stiffened and peeled away, revealing new flesh underneath.
“Ow…! It’s… it’s hot!”
The lady grimaced in pain.
Her body was trembling violently.
I held her tightly.
“Just hold on a little longer, miss.”
“Ouch…!”
She bit her lip in agony.
Regardless of whether my clothes got wet, I held her tightly.
How much time passed like that?
Her trembling gradually subsided.
Tears still lingered in her eyes.
But her gaze returned to normal.
“…I feel weird.”
Her voice sounded puzzled.
I released her.
With a trembling heart, I looked at her back.
…..Ah.
What a relief.
Her pure white back.
There were no more large scars.
Only pristine, snow-white skin remained.
I breathed a deep sigh of relief.
Was I acting strange?
She looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Why, Alice?”
Her innocent face showed nothing.
I struggled to contain my excitement.
I took a deep breath inwardly.
I turned her towards the mirror.
“Would you like to see your back, miss?”
“Huh?”
She looked at me with confusion.
Then, with her innocent face, she turned her head to look at her back.
“Why the back?”
Looking at the mirror behind her, she tilted her head in confusion.
But soon she noticed the change.
Her eyes widened gradually.
“Uh..?”
With an expression of disbelief, she stares at herself in the mirror.
The lady’s eyes tremble as if there’s an earthquake.
She touches her back with small hands.
“Uh…? Uh, uh..?”
Is she thinking it’s a dream?
Or is it something unbelievable?
The lady gropes her back several times.
She even pinches herself strongly in the end.
“Phew… There’s… no scar…”
The lady’s voice trembles like a cedar tree, and she turns to look at me again with her blue eyes. I her desperate gaze seeking explanation, I smile and extend my hands.
“Ta-da. It’s the second gift.”
The lady stares at me blankly for a while.
Her eyes become reddened.
Tears start to gather in her blue eyes.
I simply continue to smile.
The lady bows her head deeply.
Then she gazes at the ground for a while.
And when the lady raises her head again,
Beautiful sparkling blue eyes are revealed.
It’s the first time seeing such eyes on her.
They were like eyes containing stars.
During the brief moment of being stunned by the beautiful eyes,
The lady looks at me with flushed cheeks.
“I love you, Alice.”
“Huh.”
It wasn’t the lady who usually hesitated and timidly spoke, but a clear voice without a hint of wavering. It felt disconcerting to see such a resolute face on the lady I’ve never seen before.
The lady rushes to me. Reflexively, I open my arms to embrace her as she jumps into them, feeling her warmth through her maid’s uniform.
With a bewildered heart, I stroke her head. For a while, the lady holds onto me, repeating the same words.
“I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.”
I blinked blankly at the lady’s straightforward words.
When was the last time I heard someone say “I love you”? Was it when my mother left with another man, leaving behind words of farewell? Or was it when my father left his last message before closing his eyes? I can’t even remember, the word “love” was so unfamiliar to me. It was such a strange and intense word that I couldn’t even properly respond.
“I love you, Alice. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.”
The lady says as she buries her face into my body.
An affectionate and clear sentiment is conveyed.
“I love you, Alice.”
When the lady looked at me, I felt like my heart stopped beating. I had never seen eyes shine so beautifully, not even from Lucy.
“I really, truly love you, Alice.”
Love.
I don’t know what love is. After losing my parents at a young age, I lived with the sole determination to open a café. There were no true friends with whom I shared my journey or lovers whispering affection.
I lived a dry life, working part-time and spending the rest of my time reading novels. As much as I lived my dull life, I certainly didn’t know what love was.
However.
A heart pounding as if it would burst.
An uncontrollable joy.
And lips that can’t stay still.
Maybe this is love.
But I couldn’t say it hastily, unable to easily utter the word ‘love’ for some reason.
But my feelings for the lady are clear. I don’t know when this happened exactly.
Whenever the lady is happy, I am also happy, and when she is in pain, I feel sad. I want her to be happy, and I want to rid her life of any unhappiness.
It’s the same feeling as a mother looking at her daughter. Even though I didn’t give birth to the lady and it hasn’t been a year since I met her… This feeling is undoubtedly genuine.
Thinking of her as an irreplaceable family and daughter. It’s like raising her beautifully and becoming friends who exchange greetings when she becomes independent in the distant future.
Even though there’s only a six-year age gap to call her a daughter…
Well, anyway.
I will definitely make sure she grows up happy.
“I cherish you a lot too, Miss.”
