The Maid and The Usurper - Chapter 35
“Here, try this.”
With a more relaxed expression, Leopold pulled out a rather clumsy-looking pie.
“It’s a pie?”
“It’s made with candied raspberries. It’s something I’ve liked since I was young. The chef used to make it for me often.”
Even if I didn’t want to, those little things made me feel the gap between us. The sight of the clumsy pie overlapped with the endless bowls of oatmeal I had to endure. Seeing him embarrassed over a pie while I once found comfort in just oatmeal—it made me feel it even more.
“Try it. It may look rough, but it tastes alright.”
Leopold took a big bite first. Despite its appearance, it was sweet and tasty. Seeing Layla’s slightly widened eyes, he thought back to how it wasn’t so bad being covered in flour.
“Oh, so that’s why you were covered in white powder that day.”
“I thought you were observant. You’re only just realizing it now?”
“I don’t keep all my attention on you, Count. I’m a busy person too.”
She answered deliberately bluntly, and though it seemed like typical youthful banter, the head maid would have probably burst out laughing.
“Right, you’re busy too.”
Leopold tried to sound casual, but a trace of disappointment slipped into his voice. Even though he knew she didn’t feel the same way, it still left a bitter taste in his mouth. Leopold absentmindedly took a sip of water.
“Didn’t your hands hurt much? Blisters can be painful when it comes into contact with water.”
Layla gestured to Leopold’s messy hands. The blisters that covered his hands were always red and swollen.
“I’m used to it, so it’s fine.”
Leopold discreetly pulled his hands back. He felt embarrassed to show them to her. In front of her, he always wanted to appear perfect. He wanted to be a sturdy, reliable wall rather than a fragile candle in the wind.
“As I’ve said many times, you should practice in moderation. It’s better than getting injured and not being able to practice at all.”
Layla’s cool hands touched him. Her hands were strangely cold. Memories surfaced of her shyly revealing that she had been cold-handed and cold-footed since birth. Body temperature and the warmth of one’s heart did not necessarily correlate. The queen’s hands were warm, but her ends were ruthless. Layla’s hands were cold, but her heart was warm.
“See, you’ve got another blister here.”
“It’s always nagging with you. Knights are supposed to repeatedly get blisters to build up calluses, you know.”
“I’ll let it slide since I don’t know much about that.”
“How’s your studying going?”
Leopold had been an excellent tutor, especially with ancient languages, and under his guidance, Layla’s skills had steadily improved. She let out a deep sigh.
“I don’t know. I’m pretty good with water magic, but… I just can’t seem to handle fire magic at all.”
As with many things in life, talent often mattered as much as effort. There were those who could master all kinds of magic, but they were the rare few, the ones deemed prodigies. Most mages tended to specialize in a few select areas they were good at.
“Why worry about that? You’re already better than anyone when it comes to water magic. You don’t have to worry about that, do you?”
Leopold tilted his head in confusion. Layla hesitated, finding it hard to express what was truly on her mind.
“It’s just better to be able to do multiple things, so I’m trying to learn ahead of time.”
Her words were a half-hearted excuse. She had been a liar since birth, but she felt like she was gradually becoming more skilled at lying.
“For when you’re done being a maid?”
Layla shook her head. She couldn’t bring herself to say the words that lingered on the tip of her tongue. The phrase “for him” wouldn’t come out. Fortunately, Leopold didn’t press her further.
“So, how do you want to live after this, Layla?”
He asked brightly, trying to suppress any feelings of gloom. Layla buried her face in her knees.
“I want to live simply in a small seaside town in Orléans.”
“Why the seaside in Orléans?”
“Because I’ve never seen the ocean. I want to see the sea, especially the warm southern waters.”
“Would you like to go to the sea with me in the summer?”
