The Black-haired Noblewoman, Who Disguised Herself, Seems To Have Been Doted On While Serving As The Caretaker For The Duke Who Dislikes Women - Episode 34

When she was gone and it was just the two of us, he finally gently pulled away from me. I slowly looked up at him.

“I’m sorry. It must have been scary for you.”

It’s not really something that my husband should be apologizing for. Rather…

“The one who should be apologizing is me, my dear husband. I am truly sorry. Because of me, you got hurt, and it has caused trouble for those around us as well.”

“What are you talking about?”

In front of my husband, who had a puzzled expression, I said, feeling down.

“Since you can’t move your right arm, it must be affecting your work, and this incident as well… I think the young lady from the Bracey Marquis family was displeased because you couldn’t reply to her letter. If we were to set things right, it would be my fault…”

“No, that’s not it. Her letters were so persistent that I just got fed up with them. I only forgot about it while putting it off. It’s not your fault.”

I don’t know if it’s true, but my husband said that as if he were protecting me. I feel even more guilty.

As I was looking down, my husband took my hand and started walking towards the table.

“Huh? …Master?”

“The tea you made for me is still untouched. Why don’t you take a little break? It must have already cooled down. I’ll have some too.”

Indeed, there were two cups of tea left as they were. As he sat down on the sofa, he pointed to the sofa across from him.

“Sit down.”

“Well, but…”

“Hey, that tart seems to be a souvenir from the neighboring country. Why don’t you open it and try it?”

In the place where the young lady was sitting, there is a solitary high-end-looking confectionery box with delicate patterns. …Is this for me, the maid, to open and eat…? Seeing the master smile, he is probably trying to cheer me up.

“Surely… there’s no way I could ever be so honored…”

“Really? Then I’ll open it.”

The husband said that, then extended his left arm and picked up the box of sweets.

“It’s difficult with one hand. As expected, you’ll have to open it.”

“Hehe. Understood.”

In the end, I ended up opening the box. I bent down, reached out, and gently opened the lid, revealing six tarts lavishly decorated with a variety of colorful fruits inside.

“Well…!”

“It’s good to choose what you like.”

“Are you really sure about this?”

“Ah. They probably won’t come back to get it anyway. If we leave it here, it will just rot. Sit down.”

Since I was urged twice, I quietly sat down across from my husband, feeling quite embarrassed.

“Well then, I will have this strawberry tart…”

“Ah”

I suddenly realized, stood up once to bring the prepared plate and fork from the kitchen, placed them on the table, and sat back down. However, despite my recommendation, my husband didn’t reach for the tart. Seeing him sip the cold tea made me feel sorry, so I spoke up.

“I-I will reinsert it.”

“This is fine.”

When I answered curtly, my husband took another sip of his tea. It felt a bit awkward, but since it was his kind gesture… I placed a strawberry tart on my plate and took a bite.

“It’s delicious! Really!”

“Hmm… I see. That’s good.”

What could possibly be so funny? My husband, seeing me moved by the exquisite tart, is covering his mouth with his hand and chuckling softly. It’s the first time I’ve seen such a smile since I came here, and despite myself, my heart raced. A full smile directed at me from a god-like handsome man. The impact is incredible.

No way. What should I do? My heart is racing……

Are there little maidens living in my heart? It feels like they are squealing with delight at their master’s smile. With each intense heartbeat, my cheeks gradually warmed up.

At that moment.

“I’m back~. … Huh? Michelle, what are you doing? … Oh! What’s that! You’re eating something by yourself!”

Curtis, who entered the office without any warning, quickly spotted the tart in front of me.

“Thank you for your hard work. You should eat too.”

“Eh! Is that okay!? Yay! Then I’ll gratefully accept. Michelle, move over a bit.”

Mr. Curtis put down the few bags he was holding, sat down next to me without hesitation, and began to take out and eat the tart from the box with his hands.

“Oh, Mr. Curtis. Have you washed your hands? I’ll bring you a fork…”

“Huh? No, it’s fine, really. …Delicious! Lord Lloyd, this is amazing!”

“If only you could learn even a tenth of Michelle’s humility and manners.”

On the face of my husband, who muttered that in disbelief, there was no longer the radiant smile from earlier. He was the same as always, a bit grumpy but gentle.

While listening to Mr. Curtis’s stories about his outings, the three of us enjoyed a brief tea time.