When Marion looked troubled, the butler said he had a good idea and led her to Raul's study.
"Would you help tidy up the study until the Master returns?"
From that day on, Marion took charge of tasks such as cleaning Raul's study and sorting letters.
It was not a difficult task for Marion, who had honed her skills to become a private tutor at a vocational school.
It was nothing but wiping the dust off the books and properly organizing the ones that were stuck in the wrong places.
Still, Marion did her best because it was more comforting than doing nothing.
While staying here, Marion unintentionally overheard the conversation between the employees.
"It is rare to find a man as handsome as our Lord, so I don't know why he doesn't have a girlfriend."
"How lucky would the woman be to date my lord?"
Marion's spring flushed slightly at the employee's laughter and conversation.
'Right, Raul wasn't the evil moneylender I thought he was.'
He was a philanthropist who built a hospital and an orphanage in District 8, which even the Emperor didn't care about, and he was her benefactor.
'I was so foolish.'
Marion felt nothing but shame for having misunderstood Raul based solely on the bad things her father told her.
Moreover, Raul was a real adult.
'Even though I did something bad, he didn't scold me.
Raul spoke kindly to her as she cried.
'Right, you did a good job.'
He was a man who was completely incomprehensible.
Because he gave her a room, treated her, and even gave her money to start anew, even though she had tried to kill him.
"I don't deserve such kindness."
Marion sighed and discovered a small gap between the bookshelves.
"What went in between these?"
Marion, having put down the dustpan, was able to find the envelope stuck in the narrow space.
"Is it a letter that hasn't been classified yet?"
Marion roughly dusted it off, brought it to the letter box, and opened the envelope. She was startled to find a letter written in a very familiar handwriting inside.
"This is a thank-you letter I sent to my guardian."
All five letters she had sent over the past five years were here.
“...Why is this here?”
Marion was confused when the butler came to the office. Holding the letter, she asked.
"Is His Excellency the Marquis my guardian?"
“I don’t know anything.”
The butler tried to avoid answering, as if he were in a difficult position, but everything was already revealed in his expression.
"So, the people who saved me and sponsored me are all His Excellency the Marquis."
As Marion spoke in a trembling voice, the butler took a step closer and spoke.
"My Lord saved several children, including the young lady."
At the butler's words, Marion burst into tears. She felt so sorry and ashamed that she had no face to show the Marquis.
To think that the man she hated to death was actually the only person in the world who shared warmth with her.
***
After a long two months, Raul was finally able to return home. Because the Urcheka Empire had achieved a brilliant victory. He felt incredibly relieved.
Although the arm that was hit by the arrow was painful and uncomfortable.
He also had to have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor, but since he was not feeling well, he first sent a letter to ask for his understanding.
"Butler! Bring me some alcohol."
When Raul returned home, he plopped down on the sofa and let out a loud shout.
"Sir, I am glad you returned safely."
The butler, who had brought the liquor Raul liked, greeted him with an indifferent expression.
"Butler, can't you see the bandage on my arm?"
As Raul grumbled for no reason, the wrinkled butler replied.
"Do you think this is the first or second time I've seen you get hurt, my lord? This is actually pretty good."
"I really can't handle a butler. Right, was everything alright?"
"I have taken care of all the tasks you ordered, and nothing unusual is happening at home..."
As the butler trailed off, Raul tilted his head. Why would someone who always handled his assigned tasks so neatly stop speaking?
Just then, a strange shadow fell over the drawing room, and someone bowed their head to him.
Raul frowned upon confirming that it was Marion.
"Why are you still here?"
Marion approached him, completely unconcerned by Raul's cold reaction.
"Butler, could you bring me some bandages?"
“Yes, Miss.”
"Hey, butler."
Raum was extremely flustered as he watched the two people talking without him.
Because he naturally assumed Marion had left.
"Marquis, please put your leg here."
Raul frowned deeply as he watched Marion pull the stool closer and offer it.
"Little one, answer my question first."
"Didn't you clearly tell me that I could stay?"
"... That."
Raul stammered at Marion's question.
It was that day two months ago. The situation was unavoidable. He couldn't just drive her out onto the street in the middle of the night when she had nowhere to go.
'But that doesn't mean you can stay here forever, does it?'
Just as Raul tilted his head, the butler appeared holding a wooden box containing bandages and medicine, and Marion took a seat next to Raul.
Raul waved his hand dismissively when he realized she was trying to treat him.
"This much gets better if I have a drink and take a nap."
"If your wound gets infected, you'll suffer."
Marion, ignoring Raul's words, removed the bandage. Then, she soaked a cloth in the liquor Raul was about to drink and disinfected the wound.
"... Ugh."
Raul let out a small sound at the stinging sensation, and Marion sprinkled powder on the wound and skillfully wrapped it with a bandage.
'Looks like you learned this at school, too.'
Raul wore a peculiar expression as he looked down at Marion's long eyelashes.
Marion, who had focused solely on tying the knot, bowed politely when she finished the work and left the drawing room.
"I really don't know what's going on."
Raul, looking as if possessed by a ghost, gulped down the remaining alcohol.
***
When the next morning came, Raul hurriedly rang the bell to look for the butler.
"Sir, have you woken up? Here is a letter you must read urgently. Since your arm is uncomfortable, I will open the envelope for you."
Raul, having checked the contents of the letter the butler had unfolded for him, replied irritably.
"Send a reply saying I will go to Zone 1 in three days."
He shouted that he was fine, but the arm struck by the arrow hurt as if it were being torn off. It was certainly impossible to get on a carriage and move immediately in this condition.
“I will do as you command.”
"And you know what? Why is that little kid still at my house?"
“Ah. That’s it.”
The elderly butler hesitated to answer.
“What do you mean?”
"Because she found out that you are her patron."
"Old man! Are you seriously going senile?"
When Raul shouted, thinking the butler had told him, the butler shook his head.
"I didn't say a single word. It was only because the young lady, who was tidying up the study, discovered a bundle of letters."
"...Ah."
Raul had sponsored several children so far, but this was the first time he had received a thank-you letter. So, he kept the letters Marion sent instead of throwing them away.
'When I received that letter, I felt like an ordinary human being, even if only for a moment.'
And he liked the fact that he could give someone a life different from his own, which had suffered from abuse and neglect during childhood.
He considered it fortunate that he possessed such an ability.
However, when Marion said she knew that, he thought it would have been better to throw away the letter after all.
'I don't want to hear useless things.'
Because the good deeds Raul performed were not intended to be seen by others.
Raul let out a sigh and opened his mouth.
"So what! Is she saying she's going to repay her benefactor?"
"It seems likely. During the past two months that she was away, the Young Lady did a lot of work here and there."
Raul sighed even more deeply at the butler's words, who had been watching his reaction.
"Find a house where the little one can work right now."
"All right."
After the butler left, what Raul had feared quickly became a reality.
He asked for a cup of tea, but Marion appeared instead of the employee.
"I never hired you."
A cold voice flowed from Raul's mouth as he saw her.
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