Chapter 10. Not as friends, but as lovers (4)
Dinner was literally a cushion of thorns for Ludwig.
All of a sudden, his parents had to go back to their home as of yesterday, so he had to deal with the barrage of questions from the Bayern couple without anyone to lean on.
At least Stefan seemed to be self-respecting whether he understood his difficulties, but Julia, who was seated next to him, asked a lot of difficult questions.
Ludwig had to go through a lot of things that were quite premature, such as when he wanted to get married and how many children he wanted to have.
‘I don’t know if I ate through my nose or through my mouth.’
Obviously, it was only the precious food that Yulia had been treating the attendants with, but he had to finish the meal without feeling any taste.
Then, back in the room, Paula brought tea to him, who was lying alone on the bed, saying that it would be good for mental and physical stability and digestion.
“Oh, leave it there. I will drink it later.”
“You’d better drink it while it’s warm.”
“I think it’s going to be a bit difficult now.”
“… … .”
Paula, who still seems to have a hard time accepting something, asks for it to be left on the table, but Paula shows a stubborn attitude as if she will return after seeing him drink.
Eventually he half-raised himself, picked up his teacup, and took a sip of the pale brown tea.
“You are also very stubborn in strange places.”
“Please regard it as the noble attitude of a servant who serves his master.”
“If you can’t speak.”
Still, Ludwig smiled and said thanks because he was grateful for one thought.
The tea water was not too hot and was just warm enough to calm the body, so I emptied the teacup cleanly as if drinking bottled water.
Looking at him like that, Paula, who was wriggling with her hands together, opened her mouth belatedly.
“Brother, I have something to tell you.”
“What?”
“I am thinking of taking a short vacation soon. Could you please give me your permission?”
“I didn’t go even if I said I would, so what kind of wind blew?”
Paula had never taken a vacation since Ludwig’s side.
Although he took a nominal vacation because he couldn’t win against his annoyance, even then, he had never actually spent a proper vacation while guarding the mansion and doing overdue chores.
But this time, for some reason, I asked for a vacation with my mouth. Ludwig had no choice but to be surprised.
Meanwhile, Paula, who took his reaction as an intention to refuse, replied with a calm expression.
“Is it too much?”
“Can it be? I was going to take this opportunity to ask my father. Even if you don’t want to go, I’ll force you to go.”
Paula shows her own rebellion against Ludwig within the line she has set for herself, but tends to listen to the orders of the head of the house, Karl.
That’s why Ludwig was devising a plan to ask her father to take a break for a while to prevent a situation like the last time from happening.
In the yard like this, it was also useless.
“Go. But when are you going?”
“We are looking at it in three months. I’m going to go around various regions together to coincide with Ms. Grita’s vacation… … .”
“Good.”
It seems that he became very close with Grita. I saw them chatting often, but to the point of meeting the vacation schedule.
Anyway, I thought that she was sincere enough to be willing to take over the vacation schedule after three months.
“Can you tell me one more time then? Just in case I might forget.”
“All right. Would you like another cup of tea?”
“it’s okay. Well done, Paula.”
“Yes, then please rest in peace.”
Paula bowed her head in greeting and immediately left the room.
When I carefully opened the door to make as little noise as possible, there was an unexpected guest standing on the other side.
It was none other than Emilia.
“Paula, sorry for the late hour. Is Ludwig in by any chance?”
She came to visit wearing a more simple outfit than usual.
Even though they were lovers, it was too late to break into the man’s room, so Paula thought about giving advice, but decided to stop.
“Yes, I will guide you right away.”
“Oh, no. I’ll have to take care of other things, so don’t worry about me and go.”
“… Then I will gratefully accept your consideration.”
After bowing her head to say hello, Paula slowly disappeared along the corridor.
Emilia, who had been watching her from behind, looked around a few times as if she were a night guest before entering the room cautiously.
“Emilia, what are you doing here at such a late hour?”
“I want to apologize for what happened earlier. Because my parents are exceptional, they only caused trouble… … .”
Was it for that reason?
It seemed to be of no use to say no because she was watching the whole situation from the sidelines.
Ludwig takes her inside with a wry smile and guides her to her seat.
“What a hardship. Rather, I am just grateful that you think positively.”
“Thank you for thinking that way. I also want to see Ludwig’s parents as soon as possible.”
Now he is in a position to meet the Ipretz couple as a lover, not as his friend.
The feeling of waiting for that time was not as expected as it was before.
Rather, I’d say there’s a lot of tension. I was already worried that I might make a mistake.
“If I tell you that I brought Emilia as my daughter-in-law, the two of you will welcome me with open arms.”
“You never know. In particular, Lady Diana seems to have special affection for Ludwig.”
“Well… I can’t bear to deny it.”
Anyone who has ever met Diana will know how much Diana loved her children.
He was always proud of his son, and he was on the side of not letting him out of his arms to the point of being overprotective.
Perhaps he gave a warning rather than a warning to his son, who was not even a daughter, saying, ‘I definitely want to see your daughter-in-law’s sales table later.’
“It will be fine. Because Mother was especially fond of Emilia.”
“It is good news to hear. I want to greet you as Ludwig’s lover.”
She smiled broadly, and the expression “flower” suited her best.
It feels like light is radiating from all directions, even though the dark sky outside is colorless.
Ludwig, recalling the painting he finished today, cursed himself for not being able to fully express her beauty.
“Oh, Ludwig. Have you heard anything from Paula?”
“You mean the story?”
“Yeah. Actually, I hear that my maid, Grita, intends to spend a vacation with Paula. I wondered if Ludwig had received a message… … .”
It must have been a plan that hadn’t been finalized yet, but to think he’d already given Emilia a word.
Ludwig lightly nodded, considering it to be proof that Grita was looking forward to a vacation with his maid.
“Ah, that’s what you mean. Anyway, I just heard about it. I was a little surprised to ask for a vacation for some reason.”
“Is it rare for Paula to take a vacation?”
“It’s because it’s a level that I’ve never received because it’s rare. I took a vacation because I couldn’t overcome my annoyance, but even then I stayed at the mansion and worked.”
“That’s amazing.”
No matter how much I love my master, it would be difficult to do that.
Having heard about the time Paula had brought him, Emilia could not help but marvel at her faithfulness.
It was a completely different mindset than some ladies-in-waiting who used to take vacations every now and then.
Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
“I want to thank Gritta later. I heard that Paula didn’t have anyone close to her, so she willingly approached the car when she was away.”
“You won’t have to do that. Having a good friend is a good thing for Grita as well.”
“Still, as the owner, it’s true that you’re grateful.”
It seemed that there would be no use in drying it anyway, so Emilia said that she would let her see Grita tomorrow.
Ludwig, who smiled and thanked him, rubbed his eyes while enduring a yawn.
It wasn’t that late, but I was pretty sleepy.
Could it be because he was captured by the Bayemurn couple a while ago and tortured instead of torture?
“Are you very tired?”
Upon discovering this, Emilia asked with a worried face, and Ludwig shook his head without expressing himself.
If she’s telling the truth, she’ll want to go right away because she doesn’t want to bother herself.
Right now, rather than having sweet sleep, I wanted to have a little more conversation with her.
“I am tired. On the contrary, my strength rises because Emilia is there.”
“Because I speak well… Do you think your eyes will close already?”
“It is probably an illusion.”
He’s a man who can’t lie.
Even if you don’t have to look at the white mass floating above his head, you can tell.
I was happy nonetheless. It was the first time I learned that you can find joy in discovering someone’s lies.
Even so, Emilia decided to tease her a little because the reality didn’t change just because she lied to herself.
She let out a cute cough and then opened her mouth with a rather stern expression on her face.
“Tell me honestly. Or are you going back right away?”
“I am tired. To the point where I want to throw myself into bed right now.”
“I knew it.”
Having heard the truth from himself, all that was left was to put him to sleep.
The problem was, I wondered if he would finely get into the bed and lie down.
He was a strangely stubborn man, so it was good in her eyes to say that he was still okay and endure.
While I was thinking about whether there was a good strategy to seduce him, something flashed in my mind.
Could this be a possibility?
Thinking that she should use it right away, Emilia grabbed his right hand as it lay on the table.
“You won’t listen even if I tell you to sleep?”
“Even if it’s Emilia’s request, I can’t back down on this.”
I knew it. It seems difficult to break his stubbornness easily.
Since she had no intention of resolving it through dialogue anyway, Emilia immediately proposed negotiations.
That, too, is a very tempting proposal for him.
“Then, what about the condition that I let you sleep?”
“Emilia… You mean?”
“Yeah. I’m a bit sad to part like this. I’ll go see Ludwig fall asleep. Will that work?”
It wasn’t a bad condition for Ludwig either. No, rather, it was a level that could be welcomed with open arms.
If it was like before, I would have rejected it straight away and went to sleep. He would have done it even if he didn’t want to bother her.
But unlike back then, since we’re lovers now, wouldn’t it be okay to be a bit childish?
“I’ll tell you in advance, I don’t intend to go to sleep peacefully. Emilia.”
“How long are you going to hold out?”
“At least to the point where Emilia regrets putting up this condition?”
“Foot, please bear with me until I regret it. I also want to talk to Ludwig a bit more before going back.”
A tense fight between them continued, and eventually Ludwig got up from his seat and lay down on the bed.
Emilia cautiously climbed onto the other side of the bed and sat next to him.
As soon as I thought he was playing a child for the first time, a strange feeling of satisfaction began to fill my heart.
“Shall I sing a song to say goodbye?”
“There must be some good songs.”
“This is a song my mother sang to me when I was little. Doesn’t everyone have a memory like that at least once?”
Is it natural to sing to a sleeping child in any era and in any house?
He also had a memory of falling asleep listening to Diana’s song when he was young, so I sympathized with him.
Emilia nodded her head a little to mean a favor, clearing her throat with a smile full of maternal love.
Soon, her mouth opened, and a soft voice began to fill the room.
His singing skills are not exceptional, but maybe it is because his basic voice is sweet.
Ludwig listened to her song while keeping his eyelids erect that seemed to close at any moment.
‘It’s difficult.’
What if she had been tone deaf?
If that were the case, at least I wouldn’t fall asleep listening to a lullaby.
Making such an unlikely assumption, Ludwig surrendered himself to a slowly sinking consciousness.
“Emilia.”
“Yes, I am here.”
Her voice faded away as Souma pulled herself deeper and deeper into the water.
Ludwig quietly recites her name, wondering if she had already returned.
Responding as if to reassure him, Emilia came even closer to him and held his hand.
“Even if I fall asleep, just a little more… … .”
“… … .”
Emilia calmly listened to his voice, which was gradually getting muffled.
And soon the voice cuts off, and she smiles softly as his eyelids are completely closed.
After sweeping his flowing hair and watching him fall asleep, he belatedly answered his words.
“Don’t worry. tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. Now I will always be here.”
As his last request before falling asleep, I stayed by his side for a little longer.
While making fun plans inside.
Ludwig would never know that a mischievous smile had crossed her lips.