I Possessed As A Childcare Extra Chapter 20

I lifted my head with a face ready to burst into tears. Narkis firmly shut it down.

“It won’t happen.”

A life guarantee from the heir of the Grand Duchy.

But it was too early to be moved. This childcare-novel older brother was less reliable than even the escorts. When a critical moment came, of course he’d save the young lady, not me.

“Really? You promise?”

“…Yeah.”

Pretending to be excited, I covered my mouth with both hands.

Even hearing it was nice. You’ve grown, our little psycho.

“I really trust only you, young master.”

Even if you abandon me, I won’t get mad! Because of course you will!

But since dying is bad, I should put the young lady up as collateral.

“If you abandon me, Lady Edel will be so—”

I was starting my ambitious speech when Narkis—

“…Ahem.”

—cleared his throat. His gloved hand fiddled with his lips.

This is the most important part, why isn’t he focusing?

“Young master? Did you hear me?”

I lowered my head to follow Narkis’s downward gaze.

“If you abandon me, Lady Edel will—!”

His red eyes shifted sideways.

“…I get it, so just finish talking.”

Did he just avoid my gaze?

It shocked me, but I backed off for now.

You heard it, right? If you let me die, the young lady will never forgive you. Got it?

“Listen carefully.”

No, you listen carefully!

“This part is important.”

I was important too, but he clearly hadn’t listened. Still, I had no choice but to move on.

“If someone tells you to do something—”

Tells me? Like what?

No way—

“Say you’ll do it.”

“Poisoning! Gasp—what? Say I’ll do it?”

I spoke my thoughts out loud and recoiled. Narkis asked again:

“Poisoning?”

“Isn’t that usually what they tell you to do?”

“No. Why would they?”

So stubborn.

Narkis sighed, closed his eyes, and rubbed his brow. Was he angry?

“If they tell you to find something out, or bring something, just say okay on the spot.”

He paused, then continued.

“You never know what they’ll do if you refuse.”

A chill ran down my spine. What do you mean, ‘what they’ll do’?

“And then come straight to me. Don’t go anywhere else.”

Narkis opened his eyes and looked at me.

“Can you do that?”

My terrified face reflected in his clear red eyes.

“You have to.”

It was an order, but it sounded a bit like a plea.

“I can’t promise I’ll always be watching you.”

In a council meeting where the head of the house was absent, the heir paying attention to a maid was absurd.

And Narkis wasn’t trying to protect me.

“As long as you’re within my sight… Annie, I’ll look only at you.”

Narkis, who needed to protect the young lady through me, was pleading.

Don’t be scared—just succeed.

“So.”

As he opened his mouth, a hint of anxiety flashed in his eyes.

Was he… worried about my reaction? Why would the young master ever worry about me?

Shoving aside the weird feeling, I raised my fingers and listed things out.

“Stick close to the young lady, don’t speak first unless someone asks, even if I’m called out I should say I don’t know anything, and if someone orders me to do something I should pretend I’ll do it… and then report to you?”

“…If you can’t handle it, you can just…”

“Well, I’m not gonna die then! I’ll do it! Leave it to me!”

Wink!

“……”

Ah… it slipped out before I realized.

Sorry, Narkis. It wasn’t on purpose. Really.

“……”

The atmosphere froze. He took that one little wink way too seriously…

I calmly bowed toward Narkis, who had completely lost composure.

“…I swear I had no intention of flirting with you, young master. Please believe me…”

“Flirting?”

Then came the familiar scoff.

“It was funny.”

Just funny, right? Because your voice sounds murderous.

Slowly, I raised my forehead to peek at him.

His white-gloved hand was covering almost half his face. But…

“Young master…? You’re not mad, right…?”

My trembling voice asked.

Is it that hard to hold it in until your face turns bright red? I said I was sorry…

“I’m going to get mad, so just leave.”

Narkis stood up from the sofa and strode to the window.

Then—
Swish! —the curtains.
Clatter! —the window.
Whoosh! —the freezing wind.

Oh no. He’s really mad…

“Your compensation will come after the council.”

Facing the fierce northern wind, Narkis spoke to me with his back still turned.

“If you do your job properly, you’ll get it.”

“Huh?”

Wasn’t that compensation for my emotional suffering?

“Is that a problem?”

Narkis shot back sharply.

You were all tender and emotional just a moment ago. How do you flip moods like a coin over one wink?

“No, sir… Rest well, young master…”

I guess people can flip moods. Sorry for doing something stupid…

I bowed and stepped back out of the room. The new page, Oliver, opened the door for me.

“Please have a good day, Miss Annie.”

“Yeees, thank you…”

I bowed like some office worker I’d never been, then trudged back toward the young lady’s room.

Should’ve said it was payment from the start, not compensation. So basically, if I want money I need to run errands. Am I Lady Edel’s maid or Narkis’s lackey?

Grumbling, I opened the door to find—

“Welcome back, Miss Annie.”

Cecile waiting with a bright smile.

“Where have you been, leaving all these books so lonely?”

“W-wait, Cecile! There’s a story behind it! Please listen!”

 

 

 

****

 

 

The young lady’s adjacent room was incomparable to the one I had shared with Holly—far more luxurious.

Cramming myself alone into a corner of the wide bed made me feel gloomy.

If our workplaces don’t overlap, I won’t get to see her anymore, right? Holly… I miss you…

After falling asleep wiping away tears, the next day came.

“I am Holly Carter, now the young lady’s exclusive maid.”

Holly greeted the young lady clearly and firmly. With her were the upstairs maids, Raina and Lindsay.

Ines had announced it during morning assembly, and the timing and lineup were uncanny.

It had to be Narkis’s doing. There was enough reason—this happened right after he saw me walking around with a laundry basket.

Raina didn’t like me, but she kept work and personal feelings separate.

Lindsay was the quiet, work-focused type.

And Holly, who now had to treat me as her superior, chirped, “Whatever, I don’t care! As long as I get to work with Miss Annie, I’m happy anywhere!” and practically puckered her lips at me.

Thanks to her, I had no real conflict with the maids and managed to get by alright.

“Holly.”

“Yeees?”

“Do you by any chance know how to train your cheeks to take hits?”

Holly, who had been polishing a decoration next to me while I wrestled with ‘Elegant Backstabbing While Sipping Tea’, instantly stiffened.

“Annie, self-harm is not allowed.”

“That’s not it…”

I sighed for the umpteenth time.

“I just might get slapped soon.”

“And why would Miss Annie ever get slapped?”

“The council meeting is coming up.”

“What does that have to do with it? Are you planning a love affair scandal with the nobles or something?”

Laughing lightly, Holly suddenly turned serious again.

“Annie, nobles are absolutely off-limits! Got it?”

She only said this because the young lady wasn’t here. I let out a hollow laugh.

“A love affair, seriously.”

“I said, got it?!”

“Okay, okay.”

“If you get tangled up wrong, we’re the ones who die!”

“I knooow, I know.”

But Holly, you don’t understand what a protagonist’s maid goes through.

Should I… slap my own cheek multiple times?

While I seriously mulled over the idea, Aeon departed for the imperial palace.

And so, one evening a week before the council—

“This castle hasn’t changed at all.”

The former Grand Duchess, Freda Hilstern, visited the estate without a single word of notice.

“Still as gloomy and depressing as a fog bank… right?”

In the central hall, Freda murmured in a sing-song voice, flanked by the people of her faction.

“Yes, Lady Freda.”

When a maid agreed, Freda cackled.

“Running your mouth when you’ve never even been here. You grow more wicked by the day. You should become an actress.”

Even from several steps away, my knees were shaking.

As expected of the former Grand Duchess. Her personality was no better than the Tricen brutes.

“Did you receive the master’s permission to enter?”

Right after butler Rupert asked, she let out an irritated snort.

“The butler is my welcoming party?”

Since she was talking nonsense, she clearly hadn’t gotten permission.

“Is this how you treat a vassal who has come to attend the council?”

“Vassal? The Marquess of Hilstern already stated he will not attend this year either!”

Ever since Freda was kicked out, the Marquess never showed his face.

“Time does pass, I suppose.”

Freda muttered coldly as she stepped closer to Rupert, one foot at a time.

“But it’s too early for you to lose your senses, isn’t it? Though it is about time your body started sagging.”

The granddaughter inside me screamed. Don’t bully our grandpa!

“Look carefully. Standing before you—am I not a Hilstern?”

Even though I could only see below his waist, I could tell Rupert had frozen stiff. What if he collapses?

“I’ve come to exercise my rights, so don’t be stingy and…”

Freda shoved her heavy fur mantle onto Rupert and then snapped:

“Move.”

He staggered back. I heard her satisfied snickering.

“Let me see my daughter’s face.”

What daughter? You don’t have one here! I was about to scoff when a cold wave ran down my spine.

Right before me, the young lady Edel’s small shoulders were trembling violently. I told you we shouldn’t come…!

When Edel heard that Freda had arrived, she hesitated about going to greet her. Naturally, Cecile and I opposed it.

There was nothing good in meeting Freda. No—she should avoid her at all costs.

According to the servants’ grapevine, Freda and Aeon had been in a contract marriage.