novelraw Chapter 212: Beggar Siblings - Finger Flick
Chapter 212: Beggar Siblings - Finger Flick
212: Beggar Siblings - Finger Flick
Early morning, when the night chill hadn’t yet dissipated. A young boy arose from his bed.
Though he would love nothing more than to sleep in, the boy stretched with a groan, shaking off his laziness. He splashed water from a bucket he had prepared the previous night onto his face and wet a towel to wash his body.
Next, he tidied himself. He combed his curly hair that always tangled while he slept, checked for sleep crust in his eyes, and ensured his ears were clean.
After donning a clean blue corsage (a type of vest), the boy attached an unfamiliar purple epaulet to his left shoulder.
Both the corsage and the epaulet were gifts from the Monarch Baron family. They still looked new thanks to his diligent ironing and careful folding, which kept them neatly by his bedside.
How did it come to this?
Santian Rauno thought. By impulsively hiding in the carriage at his friend's suggestion, he had experienced all sorts of things.
Surprisingly, that friend turned out to be a princess (though it wasn’t that surprising; seeing her face, one would nod in agreement), and even more surprisingly, he was appointed as her attendant under the strict orders of the noble Jenia.
Although his relationship with his friend had been downgraded overnight to that of an attendant, he didn't feel particularly bitter. For a commoner to become an attendant was a tremendous fortune.An attendant was distinctly different from a maid or a servant who performed physical labor. It was a managerial position akin to an aide or secretary, a step before becoming a butler.
Their primary duty was to manage their master’s schedule. Typically, a butler would recommend a promising boy they had been watching, making it a significant opportunity for social mobility for commoners who had difficulty accessing quality education.
Moreover, he was serving none other than a princess. Although Lena de Yeriel was a deposed princess under unusual circumstances, attendants to royalty were traditionally the children of nobility. At the very least, they had to be well-educated bastards.
Often, second or third sons who would not inherit their family’s titles were sent to be attendants, with the hope of becoming the head attendant of the royal family. In this world, where the king and the royal family equaled the state, the head attendant, who oversaw the schedules of the royals, wielded power equivalent to a minister.
Regardless, Santian Rauno, a fortunate boy, stepped out with his stiff epaulet. His tasks for the new morning...
He had none.
As an untrained attendant, Tian didn’t know what to do. However, from his time at the Monarch Baron’s house, he had picked up a few things from the butler's scolding, so he headed to the kitchen where the maids were gathered. Hovering near one of the maids, he pretended to check the temperature of the wash water, sticking his hand in. The maid snickered.
Laugh? How dare she?
If he were a real attendant, he would not have tolerated such impudence.
The prestigious purple epaulet wasn't worn for nothing.
Attendants, who were always ahead of their masters to ensure their day ran smoothly, were granted significant discretionary power and could order maids and servants to stop their current tasks and do something else immediately. Falling out of favor with an attendant could make life miserable quickly.
But what could he do?
There was no way the sharp-eyed maids hadn’t realized he was a half-trained attendant. Having been beaten by a drunkard a few months ago, Tian was well aware of the fear of adults and couldn’t bring himself to act arrogantly, even with his epaulet.
It wasn’t in his nature anyway.
Tiaan followed the maid carrying the wash water. Knock, knock, he entered, finding Lena, who had just woken up and was tossing and turning.
Fiery-
Tian blushed and turned his head. Though she was a year older, Lena’s bare leg exposed under her nightgown was more seductive than adorable.
In her nightgown, one leg awkwardly splayed out, Lena, still half asleep, looked Tian up and down before saying, "Good morning, Tian."
For some reason, it didn't feel like Lena.
Yawning softly, Lena silently gestured to the maid for the wash water and meticulously washed her face. Thankfully, by the time Lena finished washing and looked up, she was back to her usual self.
“Tian... you're here.”
But Tian felt that Lena's soft morning greeting, syllabically pronounced, was poignant. He had never felt her more womanly.
Lena’s next actions were also different from usual. She asked the maid to apply makeup, which she never did, and sat at the dressing table, straightening her back. As the maid attended to her, she seemed lost in thought before finally speaking.
“Tian. Tell Lady Trista Wylend I’d like to have breakfast with her.”
“Oh, okay. Understood.”
Santian Rauno didn’t immediately react to Lena’s order. As he hesitated, Lena turned her head and said,
“Now.”
Only then did he start moving hurriedly.
Lady Trista Wylend was the youngest daughter of Count Wylend.
Count Geoff Wylend cherished his daughter, who was of marriageable age and seeking a suitable match, although the public speculated it would take another year due to the count’s high standards.
Since Lady Trista Wylend didn’t have a specific attendant, Santian went to find her directly.
Excuse me for disturbing you early in the morning. The princess would like to have breakfast with you. ─ Despite the lack of prior arrangement, the weight of the title "princess" solved everything. Soon after, a neat breakfast was set up in Lena’s room.
In the middle, Prince Leo de Yeriel, through a page, asked, “Why isn't my sister coming to eat?” But Lena had conveyed that she would eat separately and faced Lady Trista Wylend.
“It's the first time seeing you separately since we greeted everyone together yesterday.”
“Yes. I’m glad you invited me, Princess. Did you sleep well?”
“Thanks to you, I slept well. I’m even more grateful to hear you’re pleased. The truth is, I don’t have any friends... I was delighted to meet someone around my age in such lonely times.”
“Oh my, I would be very honored if you would consider me as such.”
The two noble ladies exchanged bright laughter. Standing nearby, Santian felt innocently hurt.
Lena and Trista began to open up, exchanging compliments.
During their conversation,
“The scent is lovely. What are you wearing?”, “Oh no, I enjoy taking bubble baths in the morning.”, “Ah, that’s why your skin is so smooth. I envy you. I’ve never had a bubble bath before.”, “Really, Princess? Oh... I see.”
As the princess revealed her deprivation, Lady Trista’s words became more cautious. Lena nonchalantly replied, fueling her curiosity.
“I didn't have the luxury. Traveling around as we could, washing in streams...”
“My goodness, that's incredible. But... um... that time when you were on the run? Wasn’t it hard?”
Lena smiled softly. She pricked the naive lady who was beginning to be swayed.
“It was tough. But who you’re with is more important. I received a lot of care from my brother...
Are you sure he’s a good person?”
“Huh? Oh, uh...”
“I think we’ve eaten enough. Please clear these away. You know, about your escort...”
“W-wait a minute!”
Trista Wylend's Eyes Widen
Trista Wylend’s eyes widened, trembling as she stood with both hands shaking. The pure young lady in her light green dress was relieved that the maids had left to clear the dishes, but she cast nervous glances at Santian Rauno, who was still in the room.
“Tian. Please step outside for a moment.”
Tian stepped outside. “I know a good way to confirm...” Lena’s sweet voice was the last thing he heard before the door closed.
*
“Um... Lena, you’re acting strange today.”
Santian Rauno cautiously approached Lena around noon that day. She had acted unusually by asking a knight to show her the training grounds.
“Is it this way?” Lena asked, without hesitation, holding onto the knight’s arm. Tian, standing just behind her, saw it clearly.
Lena lightly scratched the knight’s thick forearm with her finger.
“What are you doing?”
“Why are you asking?”
In the empty hallway, Lena turned to face him. As she had in the morning, she scanned Tian up and down and then coldly scolded him.
“You’re just like that bastard.”
“W-what do you mean?”
Lena didn’t respond. She reached out, gently stroked his chin, and then looked down at him.
“If you understand, get lost. I don’t want to see your face. And from now on, don’t call me by my name. Don’t even speak informally to me.”
Leaving her friend frozen in place, Lena turned and regretted it. Why am I acting like this? But ever since morning, she had found every man around her displeasing. They seemed simple-minded, laughable, and insignificant.
Not that her self-esteem had increased. Feeling as if her mind was scraping the bottom, Lena wanted to crash and break somewhere. What held her back was her noble bloodline, the awareness that she was a princess.
I miss my brother. I could do anything for him. No, I hate him too. I’m not a filthy girl...
Feeling dizzy, Lena headed outside for some fresh air. Stumbling into the snow-covered garden, she saw none other than her brother, Leo.
[Achievement: First Encounter with Lena - Lena holds a high regard for Rev.]
“Brother...”
“Huh? Lena, what’s wrong?”
What a funny brother.
Despite not knowing each other well, he acted overly familiar, and even now, running towards her in concern, he looked just like a real brother.
“Yes. I’m sick.”
“W-where? Why? Did you eat something bad again? We need to go to church... no, where’s the cardinal?”
Rev picked her up in his arms, ready to dash off, but Lena wrapped her arms around his neck to stop him.
“Wait. I have something to say.”
“Say it later, for now let’s...”
“A kiss will make me feel better.”
Lena pulled Leo’s neck closer. As she desperately clung to him and was about to kiss,
“Ouch!”
She got a hard flick on her forehead.
Forgetting about the kiss and everything else, Lena grabbed her forehead, groaning in pain.
As the pain subsided, anger welled up in Lena, and she shouted,
“Brother! I’m a princess! How dare you... ack!”
Leo’s tightly drawn middle finger was right in front of her. She struggled away, ran off, and threw herself into her brother’s arms at the sound of her own scream.
“Brother! Rev hit me!”
“What?”
“Look, right here.”
Lena showed her reddened forehead, tattling, but her brother’s expression was unimpressed.
“You must have done something to deserve it. Rev, what happened?”
“Don’t ask. It makes me angry.”
“What did you do?”
“Aren’t you concerned about your sister getting hurt?”
“...She pretended to be in pain.”
“A girl can pretend to be in pain. What kind of man reacts like... ouch!”
“You were wrong!”
Getting another flick in the same spot, Lena couldn’t hold back her frustration and shouted,
“I hate you all!”
She ran to her room and shut herself in.
I hate those nasty brothers. I won’t see them again. I’ll stay here, not eat, and waste away until I die!
─ Despite her resolve, she fell asleep in her warm bed and forgot her determination. When she woke up in the evening, she was back to her usual innocent self.
However, due to Lena’s actions in the morning, Count Wylend’s house was in an uproar.
Lady Trista Wylend had accused her bodyguard of being a vile scoundrel. She told her father that he had tried to seduce her to run away, and the guard was thrown into prison.
Leo and Rev were bewildered by the whole situation. It soon came to light that Lena had helped Lady Trista, but only the darkened Tian knew the full truth.