After finishing wiping the window, I wrung out the mop in the bucket of water. The water was already dirty. I lifted the bucket's handle to fetch fresh, clean water.
As I walked down the corridor, I met Johnny. The moment I saw his face, I frowned. He looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes, like someone who hadn't slept for days.
"Johnny, you look tired."
"Really?"
Johnny touched his face.
"Yeah. Did something happen?"
"It's just that things have been tough."
He forced a smile. He must be going through a lot of emotional stress.
"How's Alicia?"
"Not bad. These days, when I talk to her, she even answers!"
Johnny beamed. His tired face suddenly lit up.
Before I came to the earl's family, Alicia would only smile when Johnny spoke to her, never responding. From a distance, it might have looked like a kind smile, but Alicia didn't want to talk to him. She thought that if she responded, it might give him false hope.
I was taken off Joel's care, and Alicia took over, giving Johnny a 'chance.'
Recently, Alicia found out that Johnny had been harboring a secret crush on her. I told her. She was shocked when she heard it. Since then, her attitude toward Johnny has improved, and she has started to respond to him more subtly.
"Ah, hello. Alicia."
"Yeah. Hello."
I had seen them talking once. Her voice was calm, but she gave him a slight, playful smile. Johnny looked at her with such intensity that anyone might have mistaken them for a newly formed couple. I was speechless, not just because of the situation but because of the clear power dynamic.
Well, there's no point in knowing the hidden details. Sometimes, secrets are better left as secrets.
"Take this opportunity to get closer to Alicia."
"W-What do you mean? How can I?"
Why is he so surprised? Anyone might think I suggested he confess his love.
"Just talk to her more. How long are you going to suffer in silence? Opportunities are meant to be seized. If you miss this, when will you get another chance to be alone with her? Right?"
"That's true, but..."
"This might be your last chance."
"Last chance...?"
Johnny muttered, looking dazed. I raised my fists, and Johnny nodded, steeling his resolve.
"Try your best."
I gave him a casual encouragement and parted ways with Johnny.
As I walked down the corridor again, I had just turned a corner when I saw a man and a woman standing in the middle of the corridor. They were looking up anxiously, stomping their feet. Their urgent voices chimed together.
"Please! Come down!"
"It's dangerous!"
"Yes, it's dangerous!"
"Yes, it's dangerous, so you must come down!"
Curious about what was happening, my gaze shifted upward. Suddenly, something flew past me and hit the wall. Startled, I looked to the side and saw it crash to the ground, rolling to a stop at my feet.
A horse? I picked it up and saw it was a wooden horse figurine. Where did it come from?
Looking ahead again, I saw the situation more clearly. Opposite the two people was a large wooden horse statue, and someone was sitting on top of it.
As the person on top moved, the statue wobbled. The man panicked and quickly grabbed the statue, his face pale. The woman was screaming, on the verge of tears. Only the feet dangling from under the saddle moved playfully.
But those feet were... really small.
"Kya-ha-ha!"
A clear laugh echoed. I approached slowly. The small feet kicked the wooden horse's body and hopped on the saddle. I caught a glimpse of blonde hair before it disappeared.
"Please come down! Okay?"
"My heart is sinking! Please!"
"Ugh! Ugh! Ha-ha!"
Trying to understand the situation, I saw the small feet tilt to the side. Realizing this, I threw the bucket and ran over. A small body shot out from the left. The man, noticing too late, extended his arms, but I had already caught the small body and slid to the ground.
A sharp scream echoed.
"Aaah! Young Master!"
"Oh! Are you alright?"
The two people rushed over. I was still lying on the ground, groaning in pain. It hurt so much that tears welled up in my eyes. As I groaned, I felt something stir in my stomach, pushing me up.
I finally sat up and looked at who I had caught. A child was clinging to me, a boy who looked about four years old. He had short blonde hair and violet eyes, staring at me blankly.
Who is he?
"Young Master, are you okay?"
"Are you hurt?"
The two people checked the child's condition. I realized they were servants.
But Young Master? Confused by this unfamiliar presence, I noticed the child was still looking at me.
Then the child tilted his head. His plump, red lips moved.
"Who are you?"
That's what I wanted to ask. Who are you?
"Young Master, let's get down. It's impolite to sit on a woman's body, even if she's a servant."
The man gestured, and the woman helped the child off my stomach. I could finally sit up straight. A cough escaped me. My chest and stomach felt numb, probably from the impact of protecting the child when I fell.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
The man extended his hand. I took it and stood up, straightening my wrinkled clothes and coughing again. My head and back ached, and the pain from the fall was just starting to hit me.
The man, noticing my discomfort, said, "You should get checked out, just in case."
"I'm fine. But you should check on him first. I caught him, but he might have been affected by the impact."
The child's clear eyes were still fixed on me. He then tugged at the woman's skirt, calling her a nanny.
"Who are you?"
"I don't know. I've never seen you before."
The woman's gaze also fell on me, and she looked apologetic.
I waved my hand, indicating I was fine, but then realized it was empty. I quickly looked around. I saw the bucket I had thrown lying on the ground, surrounded by dirty water.
"Ugh."
By the time I got there, the water was already spilled. I picked up the bucket and mopped the wet floor. I sighed.
"Oh, what a mess. Let me help you."
The woman looked at the spilled water.
"I'm fine. I spilled it, so I'll clean it up."
I crouched down and started mopping the floor, wringing out the water into the bucket. The woman, determined to help, used her skirt to wipe the floor. I tried to stop her, but the quick-witted man offered to fetch more mops and ran down the corridor.
Finally, I gave in to the woman's insistence and continued mopping. Suddenly, a small foot stomped on the mop's end. I looked up to see the child glaring at me with a pout.
"You're ugly."
What?
I froze, unsure of what just happened. The child pointed at me with a small hand.
"You're ugly! Ugly! You're so ugly!"
"Y-Young Master."
The woman looked awkward, glancing at the child. I was trying to process what I had just heard. But the child continued.
"Who are you?"
"Y-Young Master, why are you saying that? Please stop."
"Who are you!"
He pressed the mop harder, splashing dirty water onto my hands.
I was too shocked to respond. I couldn't believe what this little brat was saying. Did I hear him right?
The woman tried to calm him, but it was useless. He shouted, demanding to know who I was, refusing to back down until he got an answer. He then stuck out his pouting lips.
"It's an order!"
"Y-Young Master!"
I understood one thing: this kid is prickly, arrogant, and a real pain!
Once I grasped his personality, I calmed down. Yes, that's it. Getting flustered and upset is for the inexperienced. I'm well-versed in dealing with difficult people, especially those who are even pricklier, more arrogant, and more of a pain than this kid.
"Y-Young Master, please stop and move your foot..."
"Y-Young Master."
I spoke calmly. The child's eyes sparkled as if he had been waiting for this. The nanny looked at me, flustered.
"Though my status is humble, I know how to show respect. If you want to know who I am, it's only polite to introduce yourself first."
I explained each word clearly, hoping the child would understand. The nanny, who understood, was at a loss.
"Orders must be followed!"
The child didn't fully understand my words but seemed annoyed. He was good at forming sentences but had poor pronunciation, making him sound cute rather than authoritative.
"I'm sorry, but I have no answer to that order. Please retract it, and your foot too!"
I shook the mop, trying to get him to move his foot. He didn't budge, so I tried to carefully pull the mop out from under his foot. Suddenly, he pushed my shoulder hard.
I fell on my butt, and a loud thud echoed. When I looked up, the child was lying on the ground, having lost his balance when the mop was pulled out. The woman quickly picked him up, but his face and the front of his clothes were soaked.
The child's face turned into a pout, and his big eyes filled with tears. The woman, at a loss, pressed her skirt against his wet face.
I, I just wanted you to move your foot. I got up, flustered. The man who had gone to fetch a new mop hadn't returned yet, and I felt I shouldn't stay here any longer.
"I, I don't think this small mop is enough to clean up all this water. I'll go get a bigger one. Please wait here."
I mumbled and turned to leave. A loud cry erupted behind me.
"Uuuuuaaah!"
Of course, I didn't look back.
Actually, I was running away.
He looked like a young master from a wealthy family, and I was worried he might get me in trouble for making him cry. I hesitated to go to the kitchen to get a new mop. When I returned, fortunately, the child and the woman were gone.
I continued mopping the dirty water, feeling uneasy. Should I apologize for making a child cry? But I didn't know who he was, and I didn't want to cause trouble by finding out. It wasn't a pleasant encounter.
After mopping up all the dirty water, I rubbed my aching back and went to refill the bucket with fresh water. I soon forgot about the incident.
However, it didn't take long to meet that annoying brat again. While cleaning my area as usual, I was called by Audrey and went to Joel's room.
"This is my nephew. He's staying here for a while."
Next to Joel, a familiar small figure stood. The short blonde hair and mischievous expression were unforgettable. His violet eyes sparkled as he looked at me. I remained silent.
"This child has been talking about you. He said he wants to meet you."
I'm doomed. I wanted to run out of the room, but I forced myself to stay. If things got too bad, I would run.
"Who are you?"
"Robert, you should greet her first."
"Hello. Who are you?"
The child clearly remembered who I was and seemed to understand the situation perfectly.
"...My name is Anne."
Hearing my introduction, Robert smiled happily. Of course, it wasn't a pure smile.
"From now on, Anne will help the nanny take care of Robert."
"Me, really?"
"Yes."
"Me?"
"Yes, Anne."
Joel smiled. Robert smiled even more. The nanny, standing behind them, forced a smile, looking sympathetic. Alicia, who had been serving Joel, glanced at me with a displeased expression.