NOVEL WEB Chapter 7: Heart to Heart
"My lady.. would you please speak to me?"
Larc could hear the concerned voice of his colleague, Milin, from the other side of the door. Right after the debacle at the courtyard, Milin came running towards the unresponsive Juliette and took her inside the palace to rest.
Since then, Juliette hadn't said a word to anyone. Even after the Duke came to her, she only laid on her bed with a blanket over her.
Everyone in the Carmine household knew that only one person could get to the young lady when she was like this. Unfortunately, Larc wasn't able to come to her side at that time because the king had summoned him for questioning. He had wanted to rush to Juliette during this time, but the King's will is absolute, especially for a servant.
Nearing the door, Larc knocked lightly.
"My lady, Larc here."
Normally, the young lady would scramble to finish whatever she was doing and meet him at the door. And yet, the only thing he could hear this time was the light clacking of heels.
The one who opened the door was lady Juliette's personal handmaiden, Milin. She had a very displeased look on her face as she received Larc.
"Took you long enough." Her voice sounding cold and indifferent.
"Apologies, I was caught up with the King, how is lady Juliette?'
"I'm not the one you need to apologize to, you know? The young mistress is fine, there are no bodily harm to her, the only problem is that she won't speak to anyone. Just what have you guys done this time to warrant this?"
"If I must say, I believe that this one messed up"
"That doesn't really answer my question, you know?"
In response Larc only looked down dejectedly.
Seeing the look of the young man, Milin judged that it would be a waste of time to continue pestering him. She sighed as she stepped aside to open a path.
"Then, don't keep the young mistress waiting."
"Thank you."
With that, Larc entered the room as Milin exited.
The room the young lady was staying at was a guest room of the royal palace. Needless to say, it was luxurious. It wouldn't lose even to the own room of the young lady.
The room had white walls lined with beautiful paintings, while the furniture that littered the inside were ornately designed that exuded an aura of extravagance. The bed that lady Juliette laid on was big enough to easily fit 4 people.
Hearing the door closed, Larc walked towards the side of the bed.
Silence creeped inside the room as the butler stood beside the bed the lady rested on.
"...te me.. nt you.."
The first to break the silence was the young lady's quiet mumbles.
Hearing this, Larc smiled as he sat himself beside the bed.
"My lady, if you want me to understand, you have to speak up, you know?"
His voice carried an aura of care and compassion that caressed Juliette's very core. Even under the cover of her blanket, she knew that she was turning red.
"... I said.. you.. hate me.. don't you?"
She managed to squeeze out a soft response as she was desperately trying to keep herself from crying.
He lightly pat the head of the young lady that was covered in blanket.
The action of Larc, that under normal circumstances would be seen as impertinent for a servant, greatly surprised Juliette as she turned even redder than before.
"My lady, I don't hate you, you know that."
Hearing the kind, soft voice of her butler, the young lady meekly peeked out of her blanket.
".. No.. I.. *hic* know that *hic* you hate me.. now *hic*"
Seeing the figure of Larc sitting beside her bed, she once again covered her face. The tears that lady Juliette had desperately tried to hold back, broke out and trickled down her face.
As she continued sobbing, she squeezed a few words here and there.
"*Hic* I'm.. *sob* sorryyy.. uuuuuh *hic* Please.. don't *hic* hate me.. Larc *sob*"
"I-I don't.. *hic* know what I'm *sob* gonna do.. if *hic* you start hating.. *hic* me.."
"P-please.. *hic* don't.. hate *sob* me.. don't leave.. me.. *hic* please.."
As she continued crying her heart out, Larc felt a sharp stinging pain in his chest. He knew full well what caused this reaction from the young lady. It was because he had shown her a side of him that was supposed to be reserved for his enemies, and that greatly hurt her.
For Larc, the young lady was not only his saviour and benefactor, she was also his most important person. He had long realized this, and pledged himself to never let any harm befall her. He would gladly and surely lay down his life for her, and yet, at this time, it was he who hurt her.
".. My lady"
He called out to the sobbing lady inside the blanket.
"My lady, I am extremely thankful of you, you saved me, clothed me, fed me, gave me a name. It is because of you that I am here right now."
Hearing her Butler's response, Juliette burst out from her blanket and clasped Larc's arm.
"Laaarc *sob* Please don't.. "sob* say goodbye! Please!.. *sob* I can't.. I can't lose you uhuuuu *sob* don't leave me!"
Hearing his charge plead to him while bawling her eyes out pulled yet another string in his heart. He held the hands of the young lady that was clinging to him,
"I'm not finished, my lady."
He said so as he closed their distance.
"Everything I am now, I am because of you, my lady. You are my most important person in this whole world, you are my everything. Therefore, I could never leave you, I will never leave you. And under no circumstance, will I ever hate you."
Hearing, Juliette could no longer contain herself.
"Uwaaaaaah!!"
She suddenly jumped at Larc and hugged him with all her might. In any normal setting, this would be seen as a great scandal, an engaged woman hugging a servant, but fortunately for the two of them, they were currently alone in this room.
"I'm sorryyyy.. I.. selfishly picked a fight with princess.. uhuuuuu.. I was.. I won't.. do it again..."
"My lady, this is unbecoming"
"I don't care huuu.. Laarc"
[.. In the end, I still am weak to this girl huh.]
Larc sighed as he place his hand on the back of this sobbing girl.
"Very well, my lady. Do as you please"
Juliette looked up to him as he gently pat her back,
"Let's.. just stay like this for a while.. please?"
"As you wish, my lady."
Time passed by just like that, with a young girl clinging to a young man, around them was a fluffy atmosphere building up. After a while, lady Juliette finally let go. She stayed on the bed as Larc moved to the side table to retrieve a towel.
"You cried quite a lot, lady Juliette. Here you can wipe your face with this."
".. we are alone.. right now.. you know?"
Bewildered by the young Lady's statement, Larc tilted his head as he handed the towel to her.
"Indeed we are, my lady. Is something the matter?"
"..all me.. liette.."
"My lady? I'm afraid I can't hear you"
"I said.. call me Juliette.. whenever we're alone.. I want you to call me Juliette.."
Seeing the young lady acting meekly while fidgeting around, Larc once again sighed as he gave a small smile.
[This girl is too spoiled.. well, I think it's fine if it's just the two of us.]
Larc contemplated for a bit before facing the puffy eyes of the young lady that looked at him with anticipation.
"Very well, Juliette. I shall address you as such whenever the two of us are alone."
In response, Juliette's face lit up. She once again pounced on Larc and hugged him with such force. Larc responded by placing his hand on her back and caressing it.
[This too is fine. With this, we've grown even closer.. Aaah, I want to push him down.. I want him.. I want him so bad.. but I must not, I have to endure. Surely Jorgé-nii's plan will work, and once that happens, I'll have him all to myself, all to myself.. Until then, I have to endure.]
Juliette thought to herself as she closed her eyes and basked in Larc's warmth.
+++
A few more minutes passed before a knock came to the door.
"Juliette, it's me, Mama. Are you okay now? Papa already finished his discussion with the King and told us to get ready to depart."
The atmosphere they were building was suddenly broken by the call of the Duchess.
Larc quickly separated from the young lady, causing her to pout. In response, Larc pat her head once more, while whispering "Wait a little, Juliette"
Hearing this, Juliette showed a genuine smile that seemed to say "ehehehe".
He walked towards the door and opened it to welcome the arrival of the Duchess.
Larc bowed as the figure of the Duchess followed by Milin entered the room.
She walked straight to Juliette and sat on the bedside.
"You seem okay now, Juliette.. perhaps a little too okay, did something happen?"
It was quite apparent from the look and face of young lady that she was very much happy. Even moreso than the time before the Prince's debut.
"Ah, I'm fine, Mama. I was just feeling a bit under the weather, but I'm okay now.."
"Did something happen?"
"Oh, nothing Mama. I'm just happy, ehehe.."
The Duchess tilted her head as she tried to discern her daughter's unusually happy atmosphere.
[It's probably that boy, haaah.. Juliette, what am I gonna do about you.]
The duchess glanced at the young man standing beside the door before addressing her daughter once again. By now, everyone in the household of House Carmine were keenly aware about the feelings the young lady held for her servant, but none dared to reprimand her for it, lest they be subjected to her tantrums and sulking.
They had thought that once Juliette married into the royal family, she would gradually lose interest in this young man. Little did they know that they had failed to ascertain just how deeply the young Lady's feeling for Larc ran.
"Well, if you're fine now, then all is well. Can you Fix up your things up? We will be departing for the estate soon. Milin? If you may."
Following the duchess's command, Milin immediately began fixing up the young Lady's things.
"Then, I'll await for you downstairs, Juliette. Don't take long, okay?"
"Okay, Mama."
With that, the duchess turned around and began walking towards the exit. But before she got out, Juliette suddenly called out to her.
"Ah! Mama, please wait!"
Startled by her daughter's sudden outburst, the duchess quickly looked back at the young lady with concern.
"W-what is it? Is something wrong?? What happened??"
"Ah, no Mama. I just remembered something"
Hearing her daughter's response, the duchess sighed in exasperation.
"Haah, don't surprise me like that. Well? What is it?"
Juliette propped herself up and sat on the bedside before addressing the Duchess.
"Mama, I.. I have a request."
Seeing her daughter with a conflicted look on her face, the Duchess sat beside her and held her hand.
"What is it, Juliette?"
"Mama.. I, I don't want to throw a ball for my debut."
The duchess was visibly bewildered by the sudden request of her daughter. She couldn't make sense why Juliette would not want a ball.
For young lords and ladies in high society, balls are a way to make connections, as well as build relationships between one another. So it was very peculiar for a daughter of one of the most prominent houses in the kingdom to not want a debut.
"Juliette, I'm afraid that your request is a bit unreasonable. Balls are very important, you know?"
"..Please, Mama. I already have multiple connections, as well as a.. fiancé. So I think a ball would be a waste of time."
[Tsk. Just calling that thing my fiancé is already this vexing.]
Juliette clicked her tongue inside her head. She said the latter part of her remark with much contempt. The mere mention of the Prince being her fiancé was enough to solicit an emotion of pure hatred and disgust.
The Duchess, that failed to notice her daughter's vexation inside her mind, sighed in exasperation as she rubbed her forehead.
"Then, what do you want if not for a ball?"
"Mama, I want to go back to our territory and spend time with Jorgé-nii, for a bit. Just before I enroll into the Academy."
Seeing her daughter plead to her with upturned eyes, the duchess had no choice but to give in. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she was very much weak for her daughter.
"Haah.. fine, I'll talk to your father."
"Really?? Oh thank you, Mama!"
Hearing her mother agree to her, Juliette showed a dazzling smile as she hugged her.
"Ahh, don't get your hopes up, Juliette. The final decision will still come from your father"
"Yes, but I'm sure that you can convince Papa, Mama. So thank you!"
"Haaah, this child."
As the two hugged each other, Juliette lightly glanced at Larc, who was standing near the door, and showed a mischievous grin.
[I can't wait.. I can't wait.. If everything works out, I'll have some alone time with Larc. Aaaah, Larc, I like you.. I like you so much.. you're the only one for me.. that prince is just a bug that's waiting to be squished. Please forgive me for letting that thing touch me..]
The very dangerous thoughts of Juliette were, fortunately, kept as thoughts. She couldn't explain just how much she hated the guts of the thing that was trying to take her away from her special someone.
[Haah, I hope Papa agrees. If he doesn't, I'll force him to]
She thought to herself as she continued hugging the unaware duchess.
In the end, at the cost of a furious King and a passed out royalty, the very turbulent Prince's debut that were littered with many complications, finally ended in relative peace.