“CONGRATULATIONS, MILADY!!!”
The sky was a lovely clear blue, perfectly signifying a new beginning. Sara was bawling her eyes out at the freshly married Jeanette, who stood in front of her with a bright smile.
“Thank you, Sara! But wow, that’s so many tears! Here, have my handkerchief!” she offered, and then wiped Sara’s cheeks gently.
“THANK YOUUU!!!” Sara choked out. With tears and snot dripping from her face, her puffy eyes once again zeroed in on the other girl.
Yes, her beloved mistress, Jeanette. Ever since Jeanette had saved her from that hellish orphanage, Sara’s whole world had revolved around her. This sun, who had continued to shine brilliantly no matter how much her stepmother had tormented her, had finally become Claus’s sun today. In Sara’s eyes, the new couple standing together was like seeing two creator deities side by side. She couldn’t look at them without crying.
“Waaah... I-I’ve been waiting for this day for so long! I have no regrets left! I’d be happy to pass on to the next world at any moment now!”
“Y-You cannot!” Jeanette protested quickly. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Sara! Don’t go anywhere!”
“Milady...!” Sara cried. She looks so cute when she’s panicking!
Sara couldn’t hold back a giggle. Claus, who stood next to Jeanette, chuckled as well while gazing fondly at his new wife. Sara must’ve been making the same expression he was.
“Also...” Jeanette went on, a little bashfully. “Since we moved into House Guivarch, I’d almost forgotten just how much we used to hang out. But while Lord Claus was living in the palace, you and I spent a lot of time together, just the two of us, and it reminded me of the good old days!”
“That’s true.”
Before Jeanette left House Roussel, she and Sara were always together. Sara stayed with Jeanette around the house and accompanied her outside too. Sometimes she acted as Jeanette’s assistant, while other times they went shopping together in the town. But since they moved into the Guivarch estate, the girls’ time together had decreased dramatically. Naturally, that was because Claus was there.
I do feel a bit lonely...but that doesn’t mean I should get in the way of milady and Lord Claus!
Jeanette’s happiness was Sara’s happiness. Not to mention, she genuinely enjoyed seeing the two of them being an adorable couple together.
“And...I had so much fun spending time with you again, Sara,” Jeanette admitted shyly. How radiant was her smile!
“Oof!!!” Sara and Claus groaned in unison.
Sara pressed her hand to her chest as though something had shot through her heart. Her expression was crumpled in anguish. Claus was doing the same.
“So cute...” he murmured.
“Are you okay, Sara?! Are you in pain?!” Jeanette asked.
“N-No, no! It’s just that you’re too dazzling, milady... The street slang for this is ‘finding something precious’... In other words, I’m totally fine and healthy. If anything, I feel like my lifespan was just extended, so please don’t worry.”
“Oh, really? Well, I’m glad you’re okay!”
“Sorry to interrupt, but Duke and Duchess Pablo are heading this way,” Claus pointed out.
Jeanette quickly turned to look.
“Ah, sorry, Sara! We’d better go and say hello to them!”
“Not a problem! Please do.”
Sara was a mere servant, so for her to have been invited to the wedding in the first place was a source of infinite joy. And to think that Jeanette had even spoken to her on this day!
Ahh, my mistress is truly a wonderful person...!
Jeanette was kind, adorable, spirited, cheerful, smart, generous, open-minded, loving, funny, and charming. It was impossible to take one’s eyes off her, and everyone adored her. Indeed, she was a mistress Sara could be proud of.
I will follow you for the rest of my life, milady!
Spurred on by her feelings, Sara pressed her hands together as though in prayer. Suddenly, she heard someone’s laughter nearby.
“I see you’re passionate as ever, Jeanette’s maid.”
At the sound of that deep voice, Sara’s eyes flashed.
“And what’s so wrong with that?! I won’t take any criticism over it, not even from you, Lord Kyuriakris!”
“I’m not criticizing you. I just thought you looked like you were having fun, as always.”
“Hmm...” Sara narrowed her eyes, gazing at Kyuriakris warily.
Ever since the day she had beaten his servants with her broom, he seemed to have memorized her name. And whenever she pretended to turn into a wall so that she could watch Jeanette and Claus being lovey-dovey together, Kyuriakris had started talking to her more and more often. She would rather he not interrupt her observations, but she couldn’t exactly say that to the first prince of Pakira.
“I must say, you’ve been surprisingly docile this whole time, Lord Kyuriakris. I was sure you’d show up to the ceremony only to disrupt it.”
“I suppose...” he said calmly. Too calmly, in fact. He lacked his usual vigor.
Sara tilted her head. She wanted to test out a hypothesis, so she decided to purposely provoke him.
“Did you finally realize how wonderful milady and Lord Claus are together?”
“Yep.” Instead of getting riled up, the prince just flatly acknowledged her words.
Does... Does he have a fever? Sara wondered. She couldn’t help it—Kyuriakris was completely different from his usual self. It was as if he had finally let go of all of his negative emotions. Or maybe he’s just so depressed that he doesn’t even have the energy to compete anymore? After all, Jeanette and Claus had finally gotten married. It was a beautiful grand finale straight from a fairy tale, so the possibility of Kyuriakris feeling depressed was quite high. If that’s true, it might’ve been cruel of me to try and provoke him...
“Um...” Sara began reluctantly, feeling awkward. “Don’t be so upset, okay? Those two... No matter who shows up, no matter how powerful or beautiful they may be, milady and Lord Claus won’t be torn apart. They’re a special couple. It might hurt your feelings, but unfortunately there’s nothing you can do about it, Lord Kyuriakris. You have to be pragmatic...”
Huh? Am I even consoling him properly? I feel like I’m just adding salt to the wound!
Sara quickly tried to supplement her words.
“It may not be my place to say this, but you’re a powerful man and very handsome too, so I’m sure you’ll still have plenty of lovely women to choose from. So please cheer up...!”
Feeling she was finally able to get her sentiment across, Sara let out a sigh. That should do the job! she thought, looking at the prince expectantly. But he was staring at her with eyes as wide as saucers.
“To think you’re consoling me, of all people...” he muttered.
“Huh? Did I say something weird?!”
Kyuriakris chuckled at her panic.
“No. I’m just a bit surprised, is all,” he clarified, smiling.
“I see...”
He must’ve sensed in her tone of voice that she was unconvinced. He went on.
“Since you tried to comfort me, I’d like to inform you: I’m not depressed because of Jeanette. I’ve known since I met her that she belonged to Claus.”
“Then why did you go after her so stubbornly?” Sara glared at him.
Kyuriakris laughed again.
“Because I loved her.”
Loved. He had said it in the past tense. Sara gave him another wary look.
“In the beginning, I genuinely wanted her,” Kyuriakris confessed. “I knew she was my friend’s beloved, but I couldn’t give up without even trying. But in the end, it was just the pointless struggle of a man who had fallen in love for the first time.”
“Milady is a rare and wonderful woman, it’s true. I can understand why you fell for her.” Sara nodded vigorously. “But if you were able to see that, I guarantee that it means you have a discerning eye! I’m sure that whoever you fall in love with next will be an incredible person as well!”
The prince chuckled at her encouragement.
“Right. If you guarantee it, then I’m sure it’ll come true,” he replied, his dark, narrowed eyes gazing at her softly.
For just a moment, those eyes made Sara’s heart skip a beat, so she quickly cleared her throat.
I completely forgot because I was so busy protecting milady, but this man has spectacularly good looks! That was dangerous!
Sara shook off her wicked thoughts, and then smiled.
“Yes! So please move on! And please don’t even think of going after milady for a second time!”
“I won’t go after her. I don’t want you chasing me around with a broom.” Kyuriakris smirked.
“I-It’s not like I’m always like that!” Sara protested, feeling a little embarrassed.
“Oh yeah?”
“But if anyone goes after milady, I’ll show no mercy.”
“See? You are!”
They both laughed. Then, they quietly watched together as a white cloud drifted across the blue sky.