The Maid and The Usurper - Chapter 41
“Are you not hot?”
Layla turned to Leopold and wiped the sweat from his forehead with her sleeve.
“I’m sweating a lot.”
“I’m fine, really. Stop it, Layla. Your clothes will get dirty from my sweat.”
“I should have brought a handkerchief. I didn’t expect it to be this hot.”
“Well, it’s been a while since I had a good sweat. It’s not a bad thing, right?”
She liked the way one lip curled up into a crooked grin, full of confidence. It made her heart flutter.
“Count, look. It’s beautiful.”
Leopold straightened up from his bent position. Nothing about the scenery had changed from before, except for the person standing next to him. Layla, flushed red under the hot summer sun, looked as if she might melt away in the heat.
“Remember that hat I bought you in the spring? The one with the wide brim?”
The maids also had their breaks and would often take the weekends off, usually dressing up as best they could to go into town. Leopold had bought Layla pretty clothes, hoping to see her dressed up, but she never wore them.
The only dress she wore was a simple white linen one. Sometimes, he wondered if she didn’t like the dresses he had gifted her, and at other times, he felt sad thinking that she might not wear it simply because it was a gift from him. While those memories sparkled brightly for him, he occasionally thought that for Layla, they might just be one of those things she wanted to forget.
“You should wear that. It’s hot in the summer and the wide brim will keep the sun off your face.”
Swallowing countless questions she was too afraid to ask, Layla redirected the conversation with different words.
“But it’s a gift from you, Count.”
Layla squeezed her eyes shut halfway. She felt it was okay to say this much.
“I’d feel bad if it got damaged. It’s so pretty, so I save it for special occasions.”
“I’ll buy you another one if it gets ruined.”
Leopold’s lips curved into a smile. Even if her feelings weren’t the same as his, at least it meant she wasn’t uncomfortable around him.
“That would be such a waste! Don’t say such ridiculous things.”
“You don’t need to worry. Thanks to you, I’ve become quite wealthy.”
Silver hair strands wrapped around Leopold’s fingertips. He particularly enjoyed playing with her hair. At first, it was annoying, but at some point, his absence of playing with her hair made her feel incomplete. She was terrified by how everything became familiar. She knew best that the moment would not last forever, and she was dreaming of something unattainable.
“So, whenever you need anything, just tell me. I’ll get it for you.”
Her heart ached at the words, knowing they were likely said without much thought. She despised how her heart fluttered with excitement. It was pathetic to wonder what he saw when he looked at her with those clear, blue eyes, as clear and bright as the autumn sky. Comparing herself to the countless noblewomen who visited him only made her feel more miserable.
They had flawless skin, bright, healthy smiles—everything she lacked. Her hands were rough like tree bark, and her eyes, dulled by hardship, could never shine as theirs did. The more she compared herself to them, the more despondent she became, unable to stop the self-torment over what she could never have or be.
“You must be hot. Your face is red.”
A large hand stroked her cheek. She forced a smile and tilted her head back slightly.
“It’s okay. Where I come from, I can handle this much sun.”
“There’s nothing tolerable about it. You’re just putting up with it.”
“What do you think I am? You know I’m very clever. I’m the only maid who would dare to make the Count row.”
Leopold smirked at Layla’s cheerful words. Her words were true. A cheeky maid who never took no for an answer, a sassy maid who was so good at smiling at others but not at him.
“Yeah, you’re amazing. That’s why you don’t smile for me.”
For a moment, he wanted to bite his tongue. An intimate inner thought he didn’t want to reveal had slipped out. Layla looked at him with round eyes, as if she didn’t understand.
“Me?”
