Chapter 169: Lano’s Story
Soone knocked on the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Three tis, neither too hard nor too soft.
The mont the knock sounded, Cosette’s mind was yanked back from very far away.
She opened her eyes and realized she was still clutching a coat.
It was dark blue, carrying that cool, clean scent that belonged to Ryan. Just a mont ago, she had buried her face in it, her nose pressed against the collar, breathing in deeply as though she wanted to draw that scent into her lungs, into her blood, into her very bones.
She did not know how long she had been like that.
The knocking ca again.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Cosette shuddered all over and let go as if she had been burned. The coat slipped from her arms, and she hurriedly caught it, her heart pounding so hard it felt ready to burst out of her chest.
What do I do, what do I do, what do I do—
Her frantic gaze swept around the room before settling on the bed. She rushed over, yanked up the pillow, stuffed the coat underneath it as deeply as she could, then pressed the pillow down hard on top of it.
Was it hidden properly? Was any part of it showing? Could anyone tell what it was?
She turned and looked—
The pillow bulged a little, but it did not look suspicious.
She drew in a deep breath and slapped her own cheeks.
Twice, then twice more. Her face had already been burning red, and now the slaps made it even redder, like a ripe apple.
She stood there with both hands pressed to her burning cheeks, waiting for her heartbeat to slow. One, two, three. Still too fast. Again. Four, five, six.
The knock ca once more from outside.
“I-I’m coming!”
Her voice shook slightly.
Cosette cast one last glance at the bed. The pillow looked fine. Nothing could be seen. She straightened the collar of her maid uniform, smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt, drew in a deep breath, and walked to the door.
Her hand rested on the doorknob, but she paused for one more second.
Her heart was still racing. Her face was still burning.
Then she opened the door.
Standing outside was a pink-haired girl in a maid uniform just like hers. Her pink hair was pale, like cherry blossoms, like the rosy light of dawn. Her eyes were curved in a cheerful smile as she looked at Cosette.
“Hey there, little Cosette!”
Lano raised a hand and waved to her.
“I ca to play with you!”
Cosette froze for a mont, then at last a smile appeared on her face.
“Lano…”
“What? Not happy to see ?” Lano tilted her head at her.
“I am.” Cosette stepped back and pulled the door wider. “Please co in.”
Lano walked in, carrying a few books in her arms. She looked around the tiny room—the bed was perfectly made, the books on the desk were lined up in neat order, the windows were polished spotless, and the floor was so clean it looked like it could reflect a person’s face.
“Wow,” she said with a sigh of admiration. “It looks like your master has been gone for quite a while.”
Cosette’s eyes dimd for a mont.
“...Yes.” She lowered her head, her voice soft.
Lano looked at her, a faint gleam flickering in the depths of her eyes.
She walked over to the desk and looked down at the open copy of Introduction to Basic Magic Theory.
“Oh? You’re studying magic on your own?”
Cosette’s face reddened, the flush spreading from her cheeks to her ears and all the way down her neck.
“Mm... yes.” Her voice grew even smaller. “But... my talent isn’t very good. I’ve studied for so long, and I still haven’t learned it. So... I’ve just been reading by myself. Master told to read more and learn more, but I still haven’t done very well...”
Lano smiled. It was a sweet, gentle smile, but there was sothing subtle in the curve of her lips.
“Really?” she asked. “Then is it possible... that you just haven’t been in the right state of mind lately, so nothing goes in?”
Cosette froze.
She lifted her head and looked at Lano. Those amber eyes were fixed on her, holding sothing she could not quite understand.
“...Maybe,” she said softly.
Lano patted her on the shoulder.
“Then why don’t we relax a little?” She shook the books in her hands. “I actually ca here with a mission this ti, you know.”
Cosette looked up. “A mission?”
“Mm-hm.” Lano blinked. “Before Young Master Velt left, he specifically asked to co and spend more ti with you.”
Cosette’s eyes lit up at once. It was as though a lamp had suddenly been lit inside those hazel eyes.
“Master... asked you to?”
“He did.”
Lano looked at the little maid before her, whose eyes had suddenly begun to shine, and could not help smiling again.
“Since you can’t focus on those magic books,” Lano said, setting the books down on the desk, “then let’s read sothing else instead.”
Cosette lowered her eyes to the books.
There were two of them.
On the covers were a sword and a rose, along with a girl in a magnificent dress and a young man in knightly clothes. The two of them stood side by side, gazing toward the distant sunset.
“This is...” Cosette read the title aloud. “Sword and Rose?”
“Yep!” Lano nodded. “Girls outside the academy absolutely love this one. Plenty of the female students at school are reading it too. It’s about a viscount’s son who, through his own hard work, wins the favor of a duke’s daughter, and in the end, the two of them get together.”
Cosette looked at the cover without speaking.
“Let’s read it together.” Lano pulled her down to sit. “We’re not doing anything else anyway.”
Cosette nodded.
The two of them sat side by side on the bed and opened the book.
The story was about a viscount’s son nad Aaron.
His family had fallen into decline. His father had died early, his mother was frail and ill, and all that remained to their na was an old manor and a few servants. But Aaron himself worked very hard. He practiced swordsmanship every day and studied every day, hoping to restore his house.
He had a personal maid nad Leah.
They had grown up together, and she had always served at his side.
Leah loved him.
She had loved him since she was very young.
But Leah never said a word.
She knew her place—a maid, a servant, soone unworthy of him.
Later, Aaron entered a noble academy.
There, he was bullied and mocked. One day, a group of people blocked him in the corridor and prepared to beat him.
At that mont, a girl stepped forward.
She was the duke’s daughter, Elena.
She was as beautiful as a rose, and her smile was as bright as sunlight. She drove those people away, then helped Aaron to his feet and asked whether he was hurt.
Aaron fell in love with her at first sight.
From that day onward, he began to court her. He wrote her letters, gave her flowers, and fought desperately to stand out during the academy’s martial tournant, all so she might spare him one more glance.
Leah saw all of it.
She helped Aaron prepare those letters. She helped him choose those flowers. She nded the clothes torn during the tournant.
She watched him smile because of another girl, ache because of another girl, and desperately struggle to beco stronger because of another girl.
She said nothing.
She simply did those things in silence, stood behind him in silence, and watched in silence as he walked farther and farther away.
In the end, Aaron succeeded.
He married Elena, beca the duke’s son-in-law, and began living a happy life.
And Leah remained his maid.
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