“Miss, please wear this!”
Flustered, I hurriedly took off my cardigan and held it out to Cecilia.
Cecilia stared blankly down at my worn cardigan.
“...Why are you giving this to me?”
“The person who cried in the backyard today. Let’s say it was me, not you, Miss.”
As I said that, I pressed the cardigan into Cecilia’s hands.
“Look! My skirt is purple too, right? If you’re wearing my clothes, nobody will think it was you who was crying.”
Whew, somehow I’d felt like wearing a purple skirt today.
Thank goodness, seriously.
Meanwhile, Cecilia’s expression became extremely strange.
‘What? Why? What?’
Do you have a better solution?
I shamelessly met Cecilia’s gaze.
“And I’m blonde with green eyes too, right? If you wear my clothes, from a distance people probably won’t be able to tell whether it’s me or you.”
“But you’re not even someone from the annex.”
“They’ll just think I went there on an errand. If anyone asks, I’ll say I had business in the annex.”
“But you weren’t crying either…”
“Well, I can just cry starting now!”
I rubbed my eyes with all my strength.
Then I tried as hard as possible to think of something sad.
‘Sad thoughts, sad thoughts…’
Mom’s medical bills.
Transportation costs for hospital visits.
And even living expenses during treatment.
‘Ha… this is hopeless.’
The tip of my nose began to sting, and tears welled up in my eyes.
I quickly looked at Cecilia.
“How about it? Don’t you think people would believe it if they saw me like this?”
“That’s enough. You don’t have to go that far…”
Cecilia now looked visibly flustered.
But I stubbornly pushed forward.
“No, please wear it!”
If someone else finds out you were crying, you’ll think I spread the rumor!
“Even aside from that, it’s pretty cold out. The sun’s about to set too… it’d be terrible if you caught a cold.”
“......”
At those words, her turquoise eyes flickered with complicated emotions.
Fidgeting absently with the edge of the cardigan, Cecilia suddenly asked me,
“Why are you going this far for me?”
Because I don’t want the heroine to hold a grudge against me…
But of course, I couldn’t say that outright.
So I answered vaguely instead.
“When one person helps another, there doesn’t have to be some grand reason behind it, right?”
“......”
For a moment, Cecilia froze.
“Of course, you’re someone noble, Miss, while I’m just an ordinary commoner.”
Shrugging lightly, I quickly draped the cardigan over Cecilia’s shoulders.
“If you cried this much, then your heart must really have been hurting.”
“That’s…”
“I think even you deserve moments where you can cry comfortably sometimes.”
Hmm, was that a decent enough answer for siding with the heroine?
I cautiously studied Cecilia’s expression.
Her face looked… complicated.
I couldn’t tell whether she was pleased or upset.
Maybe this was the perfect time to run away.
“Then, may I leave now? I should probably get back to cleaning soon.”
I carefully added.
Cecilia suddenly stared at me intently.
“You. Are you a maid of the Trancier barony?”
Why is she asking that all of a sudden?
Suppressing my confusion, I obediently bowed my head.
“Yes, that’s correct, Miss.”
“I see. Fine, you may go.”
After nodding once, Cecilia abruptly turned and walked off beyond the backyard.
Left alone, I let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
‘Seriously, I thought I was going to die.’
Still, I’d just met the heroine of this world.
Considering that, getting through it this smoothly was practically a miracle.
‘But… isn’t this a little strange?’
I subtly frowned.
I’d heard the entire Lucerte family went to enjoy the hot springs together, hadn’t I?
So why was Cecilia left alone?
By the time the sun was beginning to set,
I was on my way home, hugging a heavy basket tightly to my chest and smiling brightly.
Ah, wondering what was inside the basket?
The kitchen had extra ingredients today, so they shared some with us.
‘All in all, today wasn’t too bad.’
Sure, I’d nearly had a heart attack when I ran into the heroine of the original story!
But I think I managed to get away without making her dislike me.
‘From now on, I need to be extra careful never to run into her again.’
Firmly resolved, I energetically opened the front door.
“Mom, I’m home—”
At the same moment, the basket slipped from my arms.
“Cough, cough—cough cough!!”
Mom was bent over, wracked by violent coughing.
The harsh sound scraping out of her throat didn’t sound normal at all.
“Mom!!”
Terrified out of my mind, I rushed over to her.
“Cough! …Ahh, you’re home, sweetheart?”
Mom forced a smile onto her pale face.
But only for a moment.
“How was your da—cough!”
Another fit of violent coughing burst out.
Quickly supporting her, I asked tearfully,
“W-What’s wrong? Since when has your cough been this bad?!”
“No, ahem, it’s just a cold.”
Mom finally calmed down and looked at me with a flushed face.
Then she smiled at me as though nothing were wrong.
“Don’t worry. It’s nothing serious.”
…There’s no way this is just a cold when she’s suffering this much.
Biting my lower lip tightly, my gaze suddenly landed on the cup sitting on the table.
Those dried leaves inside the cup…
‘They’re medicinal herbs for suppressing coughing.’
So all this time she’d only been gathering herbs and brewing them herself as a temporary remedy?
Without saying a single word to me about being sick?
“Mom, have you seen a doctor?”
“A doctor? Do you even know how expensive examination fees are?”
Mom answered casually.
I immediately raised my voice in protest.
“How can the examination fee matter right now? If you’re sick, you need to see a doctor first—!”
“That’s enough, enough. I’ll get better if I rest a little. More importantly, what’s that? Why do you have a basket?”
Waving her hands dismissively, Mom quickly changed the subject.
“......”
Instead of answering, I glared at her unhappily.
Mom responded with a sly grin.
“So? Aren’t you going to tell your mother what’s inside?”
“…I got some potatoes and meat today. They said there were leftover ingredients.”
Eventually, I replied in a sulky voice.
Mom warmly continued chatting with me.
“Really? Then how about braised potatoes and meat for dinner tonight? I’ll make it for you.”
“No. I’ll cook today. Someone who’s sick shouldn’t—”
“Oh my, look at this child? I’m not so old that I’d make my hardworking daughter cook after coming home from work.”
Mom playfully scolded me.
At that moment, emotion suddenly welled up inside me.
Just moments ago, she’d been suffering so badly from coughing.
Yet I could feel how desperately she was pretending to be fine so I wouldn’t worry…
‘No matter what, I’m going to cure Mom.’
With a determined expression, I clenched my fists.
But only for a moment.
‘…So, how exactly am I supposed to earn the money for the examination fees?’
A maid’s salary wasn’t even remotely enough.
I swallowed back the sigh threatening to escape my throat.
The next day.
The moment I arrived at work, I was hit with shocking news like a bolt from the blue.
“You were called Milena, correct?”
Madam Tilda, who had been staring at me with an unreadable expression, suddenly spoke.
“Starting today, you’ll report to the guest annex.”
“…Pardon? Why the guest annex…?”
“Lady Cecilia of House Lucerte requested that you be assigned as her personal maid.”
…What?!