My Maid is Cute Chapter 92 : Follow Your Heart (Patreon)

*Follow Your Heart*

The next morning, when Rebecca woke up, Wendy's beautiful face was right in front of her. Startled for a moment, her body gave a jolt, but she quickly remembered that she had fallen asleep with Wendy. Wendy's arms were holding Rebecca’s body tightly.

Hurriedly untangling herself from Wendy’s embrace, she sat up and checked the time. Fortunately, there was still plenty of time before work started.

"Thank goodness..."

Muttering softly, she shimmied out of the covers. After lightly patting Wendy’s head, Rebecca quietly climbed out of bed and left the room with caution, careful not to make a sound.

***

After returning to her private room and changing into her maid uniform, she entered the servants' dining hall and bumped right into Carrie.

"Oh, good morning, Rebecca. You're up early."

"Good morning."

It seemed Carrie was having breakfast as well. The two of them collected their meals in line and sat at a table together.

"Oh, right. Reed said he wants you to come to Lord Christopher's room later."

"Eh? Me?"

"I'm sure there's a lot to discuss regarding yesterday."

"Ah... right..."

Come to think of it, she had to think about how to handle the questioning. As Rebecca ate her bread with a troubled expression, Carrie stared intently at her face. Then, she muttered under her breath.

"I'm glad."

"Huh?"

"No, just... you look more energetic than I expected. What exactly happened yesterday? Are the wounds on your hands okay?"

At Carrie’s question, Rebecca was momentarily at a loss for words.

She turned her gaze to the breakfast in front of her and decided to change the subject.

"Carrie, that’s mean..."

"Eh? What is?"

"...About My Lady's secret job. You knew, didn't you?"

When she whispered so the people around them wouldn't hear, Carrie’s eyes widened.

"Oh my, did My Lady finally tell you?"

Rebecca shot a sharp glare at Carrie.

"It really is mean. You, Reed, Jeanne... it feels like I was the only one left out. You could have just told me..."

Carrie smiled wryly at those words.

"It couldn't be helped. I was sworn to secrecy, too... Only a very limited number of people were informed, you know?"

"Even so..."

"I didn't know either, at first. A few years ago, Reed started sneaking out frequently to go somewhere, and I confronted him. At first, I suspected he was cheating, and we had a massive fight about it."

"Eh? Is that so?"

"Yes. I never imagined he was going to a publishing company as My Lady's proxy... Well, eventually, Lord Christopher couldn't watch us fight anymore, so he got permission from Lady Wendy and told me. At that time, I promised absolutely never to tell anyone."

I see, Rebecca thought, taking a sip of tea.

"Jeanne seems to have been told at a relatively early stage. Since she was My Lady’s personal maid while you were away... she supported My Lady’s activities as a novelist as part of her maid duties. Gathering materials for novels on My Lady's behalf, conducting interviews. You know how her family runs a newspaper company, right? It seems she had various connections through that."

"Huh..."

It seemed Jeanne had been working quite hard in places Rebecca didn't know about.

Speaking of which, what happened to Jeanne? Was she still at the academy dormitory?

"Hey, more importantly! What happened yesterday? Tell me!"

Carrie asked with an expression that couldn't suppress her curiosity. Rebecca didn't know how to answer and let her gaze wander again.

"Umm..."

Just as she was feeling perplexed about how to explain, someone called out to her.

"Miss Rebecca."

Turning toward the voice, she saw Reed beckoning from the entrance of the dining hall.

Rebecca hurriedly picked up her finished dishes and called out to Carrie.

"I'm sorry, it looks like I'm being summoned! Let's talk later!"

Saying that, she quickly cleared her dishes and ran over to Reed. Seeing this, Carrie pouted in dissatisfaction.

***

She headed to the study where Christopher was waiting, accompanied by Reed. Upon entering the study, she immediately met the eyes of Christopher, who was sitting on the sofa. Christopher had dark circles under his eyes, looking as if he hadn't slept at all, and his face was exhausted.

"Good morning, Lord Christopher... Um, are you alright?"

"Good morning, Rebecca. It was a bit rough, but I'm fine."

Christopher laughed weakly. He invited Rebecca to sit on the sofa, then opened his mouth with a grave expression.

"About yesterday..."

"Yes."

Rebecca straightened her back, placed her hands on her knees, and responded firmly.

"I thought I should explain properly about those two."

By "those two," he likely meant Estelle and the young man who was her accomplice. Christopher chose his words carefully as he continued.

"The ones who kidnapped Wendy were the daughter of the Lambert family, Lady Estelle Lambert, and her fiancé, the heir to the Barony of Armand. It seems the two regained consciousness after being taken away by the guards, but... Lady Estelle Lambert is in a state of stupor... She just stares blankly and doesn't speak at all, no matter what she's asked. Because of that, the interrogation is apparently proving difficult."

Hearing that, Rebecca didn't say anything, but she was filled with complex emotions. Perhaps Estelle’s condition was her fault. However, she felt almost no guilt. She was the one who hurt Wendy, so she was in the wrong.

"However, the accomplice, Brooks Armand, responded properly to the questioning. Apparently, he claimed that he planned and executed the entire crime himself. He said Lady Estelle Lambert just happened to be there and did nothing."

"Huh?"

When Rebecca cried out involuntarily and widened her eyes, Christopher kept his grim expression and looked down.

"He probably wanted to protect his fiancé no matter what... Naturally, that story is impossible. It's obvious he's covering for Lady Estelle. When the guards pointed out the contradictions, he clammed up and stopped speaking entirely."

"Eh? That's..."

Rebecca started to stand up, but Christopher stopped her with a hand.

"By dawn, he finally started to testify little by little. It seems he was moving in the shadows doing various things under Lady Estelle's instructions, like repeatedly harassing Wendy at the academy and sending dangerous items to our house."

By "dangerous items," he probably meant that handkerchief. Rebecca thought so but didn't say it aloud, listening quietly to Christopher.

"There is no doubt that he was the one who executed this kidnapping, but Lady Estelle was likely the one who ordered it. He hasn't confessed clearly yet, but... Lady Estelle appeared to be in possession of a knife, and Armand is gradually talking about how Lady Estelle threatened Wendy. Thanks to that, the Lambert family and the Armand family are apparently in a huge uproar right now."

Then, Christopher closed his eyes, put a hand to his temple, and let out a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, he looked straight at Rebecca.

"Rebecca, I have a proposal..."

"Yes?"

Rebecca tilted her head. Christopher spoke slowly and cautiously.

"Most likely, the guards will call for you today to ask about yesterday's incident. But... honestly, I'm debating how to explain it."

It was natural for Christopher to say that. They couldn't exactly explain that a maid's friend suddenly appeared, located Wendy, and then they rushed there to save her, leading to a magical rampage.

"Miss Rieserago told me to keep quiet about her... so I think I have to handle the cover-up myself. So, regarding that..."

Christopher made a surprising proposal with an awkward look on his face.

He suggested claiming that only Christopher and Reed rushed to the scene yesterday and that Rebecca was not there.

Rebecca’s eyes widened at the unexpectedly bold script.

"Eh... Will... will that be okay?"

When Rebecca asked in confusion, Christopher answered with a furrowed brow.

"...Well, probably... I think we can fudge it... If we say I located Wendy’s whereabouts through some method and rushed to the scene..."

"I feel like that would be incredibly suspicious..."

When Rebecca muttered that instinctively, Reed, who was standing by, spoke up.

"If we coordinate with Lady Wendy beforehand, I believe we can manage. The guards might not be convinced, but either way, the two culprits have been captured, so let's push the story through by force if necessary and get through it."

"Yeah. I intend to fabricate the story with all my might and ride it out. Depending on the situation, I'll use my authority. It’s fine, it will work out."

Hearing Reed and Christopher's words, Rebecca interjected.

"Um, but the two culprits saw us. Won't they tell the guards...?"

It would be bad if Estelle and Brooks told the guards that Rebecca and Rieserago were at the scene. No, there was a possibility they had already told them. When she pointed this out, Christopher gave a slight bitter smile and shook his head.

"As I mentioned earlier, Lady Estelle isn't in a state to testify properly, so I think that’s fine. Brooks Armand remembers you, but... that should also be fine."

"Eh? That’s not fine, is it!? If he told the guards about me—"

When Rebecca said this in agitation, Christopher awkwardly averted his eyes from her for some reason.

"Ah, well, this is very hard to say, but... Brooks Armand’s memory of yesterday seems to be quite confused. Because of that, well... he’s giving strange testimony..."

"Strange testimony?"

"Yeah, um... according to what I heard, he’s testifying something like this... 'A terrifying being appeared, attacked Lady Estelle, and attacked me too. It was such a ghastly, dangerous, and evil form... that was, yes, a demon... it must have been a Demon Lord!!' ...is what he said."

"..."

"The guards seem to think he’s mentally deranged. So, I don't think it will be discovered that you were at the scene."

Hearing that story, Rebecca’s face twitched, but she managed to bow to Christopher.

"I apologize for causing you trouble. And thank you, Lord Christopher."

"No, I should be the one thanking you."

Christopher stood up and bowed deeply to Rebecca.

"You saved Wendy again. Thank you, Rebecca."

Rebecca hurriedly stood up and waved her hands frantically.

"No, um, thank you for handling everything! It really helped!"

When Rebecca said that, Christopher raised his head and smiled.

"I will never forget this debt. Truly, thank you."

Then Christopher gently patted Rebecca's head and muttered softly.

"Rebecca, Wendy really does need you."

Those words made her chest feel tight.

At that moment, the sound of a knock echoed on the door.

"Who is it?"

When Christopher called out, a voice was heard from outside.

"...It's me."

It was Wendy’s voice. Christopher and Reed looked at each other in shock for a moment. Immediately, Reed went to the door and opened it.

"Excuse me."

Wendy said as she entered. She looked a little pale, but the swelling on the cheek that was struck yesterday seemed to have gone down. Rebecca was relieved to see that. Wendy immediately rushed over to Rebecca.

"Good morning, Becca! Did you sleep well yesterday?"

"G-Good morning... My Lady..."

Wendy gently held Rebecca's hesitant hands.

"Are you feeling unwell? How are the injuries on your hands? Do they hurt? Let's have the doctor look at them again later. Oh, I know! If it hurts, tell the head maid and have her give you the day off work. Then we’ll have more time to spend together. Listen, Becca, let's go to the library together. There's a new book you might like. And then, I want to take a walk in the garden with just the two of us. Beautiful flowers are blooming, aren't they? Let's go see them together. And after that, let's have tea and cake together—"

"M-My Lady..."

Rebecca looked at Wendy in bewilderment as she spoke in a rapid-fire manner. It was Christopher who stopped her.

"Wendy."

When he called her name, Wendy's face instantly transformed into an expression as cold as ice.

"...I understand your joy at having your suspension suddenly extended, but first, let's settle yesterday's turmoil quickly. You know this too, right? We have to speak to the guards. Let's have a meeting for that."

"Yes."

At Christopher's words, Wendy replied briefly, then turned back to Rebecca. Returning to a meltingly sweet smile, she stroked Rebecca's cheek.

"Becca. I'll finish this as quickly as possible, so let's spend time together after that."

"Y-Yes!"

Rebecca replied, then bowed to Christopher and Wendy. She then hurriedly left the study.

***

After that, it seemed Christopher and Wendy managed to get through the guard's questioning after a meticulous meeting. It didn't seem to be discovered that Rebecca and Rieserago were at the scene, and hearing that, Rebecca finally felt relieved from the bottom of her heart.

"How did you explain the wrecked scene?"

That afternoon, when Rebecca was called to Wendy's room and asked the question, Wendy answered while picking at a cake.

"Ah... apparently, the explanation was that Brother rushed in and, in a fit of rage, went on a rampage and destroyed the place."

"D-Did the guards accept that?"

"I don't think they did... but since Brother stubbornly insisted on it, they seemed to stop pursuing it further. It saved us."

Hearing that, Rebecca also stroked her chest in relief.

Thank goodness. She had to report to Rieserago later. Well, knowing that dragon, she was probably playing around with plays and operas right about now without a care in the world.

—Wait, come to think of it, I haven't heard the word "Brother" from My Lady's lips in a long time...

While Rebecca was pondering this, Wendy stabbed a piece of cake with her fork and held it out to Rebecca.

"Here, say aahn."

Told to do so, her mouth opened wide instinctively. The piece of cake was immediately placed inside, so she chewed and swallowed. As her eyes sparkled at the deliciousness of the cake, seeing her reaction, Wendy floated a sweet smile on her face.

"Is it delicious?"

"Yes!"

Rebecca replied energetically, but suddenly returning to her senses, she hurriedly stood up from the sofa.

"M-My Lady! I'll return to work now!"

She had been asking about the interrogation while bringing tea and sweets to Wendy, but before she knew it, she had sat down on the sofa and eaten cake herself. Hearing Rebecca's words, Wendy pouted.

"Ehh~, I want to talk a little more."

"No, I have an inventory check of the supply room to do now."

"You have injured hands, so take the day off. I'll tell the head maid myself."

"I can't possibly—"

At that moment, someone knocked on the door of Wendy's room.

"Yes?"

When Wendy answered, a voice came from outside.

"My Lady, you have a guest."

Wendy stood up with a displeasure look and approached the door. Opening it, she spoke in hushed tones with the maid who seemed to be waiting outside. Then, she turned her face toward Rebecca.

"Becca, I'm sorry. It seems a guest has arrived, so I'll go see them."

"Ah, yes!"

When Rebecca nodded vigorously, Wendy left the room, still looking grumpy. Rebecca sighed and cleared away the tea cups and plates. As she stepped out into the hallway holding the dishes, she ran into Carrie walking down the hall.

"Ah, Rebecca, heading to the kitchen?"

"Yes. But after I clear this, I'm going to check the supply room."

"Your hands are injured, right? You should just take the day off."

Since she was told the same thing as Wendy, Rebecca smiled wryly.

"But there's almost no pain, so I'm fine."

"Really? If that's the case, then fine, but..."

Carrie looked worried, but then continued as if remembering something.

"Come to think of it, regarding that thing... you haven't prepared at all, have you?"

"Huh? Preparation?"

Seeing Rebecca look blank, Carrie made an exasperated face.

"You know. Lord Christopher mentioned it too, didn't he? It's almost—"

At the words Carrie continued with, Rebecca’s face went serious.

"...I forgot."

"I knew it."

Seeing Carrie hold her forehead and sigh, Rebecca hurriedly continued.

"No, um, but there's still plenty of time! It'll be fine!"

"...Well, do your best. If I have time, I'll help."

Rebecca nodded with a wry smile.

***

***

Upon receiving the notice of a visitor, Wendy headed to the drawing room. The ones who greeted Wendy in the drawing room were a grim-faced Christopher and...

"Colin..."

...Her friend, Nicholas Lambert. Nicholas was paler than she had ever seen him, and clearly haggard.

Urged by Christopher, Wendy sat down opposite Nicholas. Nicholas immediately bowed deeply.

"I am terribly sorry."

Confused by his posture, Wendy couldn't say anything. In response, Nicholas continued his apology in a small voice.

"...For the immense terror my sister inflicted upon you, Lady Caldwell, and for her violent actions that caused you injury, I apologize deeply. truly, I am sorry."

Nicholas's shoulders were trembling as he bowed. Seeing this, Wendy slowly opened her mouth.

"Please leave me alone with Lord Lambert."

At those words, Christopher's face visibly clouded over.

"Wendy—"

Interrupting him, Wendy locked eyes firmly with Christopher.

"Brother, please."

Seeing her eyes, Christopher’s eyes widened. Then, hesitating but reluctant, he stood up and left the drawing room.

Once they were alone, Wendy immediately spoke to Nicholas.

"Raise your head."

Nicholas slowly raised his head as told. Wendy noticed for the first time that his eyes were bloodshot as if he had been crying heavily.

"...What is your sister's condition now?"

When Wendy asked that, Nicholas held his head and answered in a small voice.

"...Yesterday, after being taken away by the guards, I heard she was in a stupor and unresponsive. But when I received the news and rushed there... then... the moment my sister saw my face, she screamed and cried as if she had lost her mind."

Recalling the scene, Nicholas clenched his fist tightly. His sister, Estelle, had screamed and thrashed like a madwoman.

'Nicholas...! Nicholas...! Ah, no, no, no, no! I have to build a wall, a wall! I will protect you! I won't fail this time! Mother, I'm sorry... it's my fault...'

Surprised and bewildered by her state, the guards restrained Estelle. Nicholas could only stare blankly at his sister.

'I don't want to lose you, never again!! I'll eliminate everything... more perfectly... I have to build a wall... I absolutely don't want to lose only Nicholas!!'

And, even while being restrained by the guards, Estelle continued to speak desperately toward Nicholas.

'So... please. Don't go anywhere... don't leave me aloooone...'

Nicholas couldn't answer those words.

"..."

Hearing about Estelle's condition, Wendy looked down with a difficult expression. Nicholas continued speaking while looking at Wendy.

"I'm truly sorry for coming here so suddenly. Right now, the Lambert house is in chaos. I think there will be a formal apology from my father even today. Probably from the Armand family as well. But I absolutely wanted to apologize to you directly."

"...I must apologize as well."

When Wendy whispered that, Nicholas opened his eyes wide in surprise.

"I was the one who suggested pretending to be lovers. Because your existence was convenient for me... But I shouldn't have involved you in my circumstances. I'm sure that led to the cause of your sister's actions..."

Wendy slowly bowed her head.

"I am truly sorry."

"That's wrong!"

Surprised by Wendy's action, Nicholas raised his voice loudly.

"It was the same for me. There is no need for you to apologize. Besides, my sister hurt you with violence without confirming anything! No matter the reason, it is never forgivable!"

Wendy slowly raised her head. Nicholas's eyes were slightly teary.

"...It was just as you said."

"..."

"I should have talked to my sister. I should have faced her properly and talked..."

Seeing Nicholas like that, Wendy moved. She tried to touch his trembling hand but stopped abruptly just before, hesitated, and eventually pulled back without touching him. Instead, she spoke.

"But, surely, you can start over."

"..."

Nicholas didn't answer, but Wendy continued nonetheless.

"You can start over, Colin. I cannot fully understand your suffering. But I know this much. Your feelings for your sister, your love, will never disappear. Isn't that right?"

Nicholas looked up with a start. Wendy looked straight at him.

"Don't give up, Colin. Please, stand up. And go to your sister one more time. I'm sure she is waiting for you."

A tear quietly rolled down from Nicholas's eye. It fell onto his hand with a drop.

"Do you... think so...?"

"Yes. I want... both you and your sister to live true to your hearts."

Hearing those words, Nicholas slowly covered his face with his hands.

"...My sister is delirious... her mind is on the verge of breaking. She probably won't return to normal for a while. I don't know if she ever will... So, we're going to a hospital. I mentioned it before, but there seems to be a doctor who specializes in treating wounds of the heart. I'll have him examine my sister. And me, too."

"Yeah."

"Graduation is near, but I won't go to school anymore. I'll stay by my sister's side. I'll accompany her and support her forever. Just as you said, I'll face her and talk to her once more. Surely, that father of mine will be angry at my actions, blame me, and oppose me. But I absolutely won't lose. The Marquis Lambert title doesn't matter. I will move forward. This time, I won't make a mistake. I've decided to live for my sister, and for myself."

Nicholas lowered his hands. His eyes were moist, but she could tell a strong will resided within them. Seeing those eyes, Wendy smiled gently.

"See, you are a strong person after all."

Nicholas widened his eyes slightly in surprise. Then, closing his eyes again, he bowed deeply.

"I am truly sorry. And, thank you for everything, Wendy."

—Ah, it's over, isn't it? Our secret contract.

Whispering that in her heart, Wendy spoke softly to the man who had been her pretend lover.

"Thank you, too. Goodbye, Colin."

Then, thinking that she wanted to see Becca, she stood up and left the room.