Boredom.
Dullness.
Tedium.
A complicated feeling that could be one of the three—or all of them.
And the reason for it was none other than Ershi, the house owner, who had once again left the house today.
Not that she would ever admit it.
“You said you would be back soon…”
Outside the window, the sky gradually turned orange as the day began to set.
To be fair, she did mention that she might be a little late, but Serena had already expected that Ershi wouldn’t make it back today.
That wasn’t really the problem—she wasn’t lonely without her, after all.
But promising something with a smiling face and then not keeping it?
That was infuriating.
And that’s what was making her feel so restless.
Anyway, that was that.
“Hmph.
Whatever.
She can come back or not.”
Sitting on Ershi’s bed, Serena hugged a pumpkin doll tightly, her face turning sullen.
Her expression was so blatantly sulky that anyone could tell she was upset.
That was why Mari, who had been secretly peeking at her from outside the room, noticed it immediately.
“Miss Serena must be feeling really lonely without the Master.”
“Really?
She always acts like she finds her annoying.”
“She’s just embarrassed.
She’s still young, after all.”
Rin recalled the disgusted face Serena always made whenever Ershi hugged her, but he decided to let it slide.
“Should we try to cheer her up?”
“Just leave her be.
She told us she didn’t need us, didn’t she?
Maybe she just likes being alone.”
As Eddy pointed out, the three of them had originally tried to keep Serena entertained (with Mari leading the charge) by asking if she needed anything.
But all they got in return was a cold rejection—telling them to leave.
Not that they were all that hurt by it, except for one person.
Still, until their employer returned, they had to keep working for her.
Not that slacking off like this was the worst thing in the world.
“Let’s just wait for the Master to come back.
We should learn how to take breaks once in a while.”
“You always think like that, Rin.”
And so, the long and tedious wait continued.
Then, after a while, Eddy, who had stepped out for a bit, came running back in a hurry.
“The Master is on her way back!
Go tell the young lady!”
“Wait, really?!”
Hearing that, Mari excitedly flung open the door and rushed in.
Serena, startled by the sudden intrusion, shot her a glare.
“Miss Serena!
The Master is coming back!”
At those words, Serena’s expression instantly softened.
She quickly grabbed her doll, hopped off the bed, and bolted outside.
If she had a tail, she would have been wagging it like an excited puppy greeting its owner.
Regardless, Serena ran with all her might toward the mansion’s front entrance on her short legs.
And just as she arrived, the door opened.
And there she was—Ershi had finally returned.
But—
“O-Oh… Serena…?”
“Ğ|?!”
Serena let out a short, startled scream and backed away.
It was unmistakably Ershi—her appearance, her voice—there was no doubt about it.
And yet, her face was visibly gaunt, her eyes unfocused, radiating an eerie, unsettling aura that instinctively triggered a sense of fear in anyone who looked at her.
To make things worse, she was staggering forward like a walking corpse.
“Hold on, come here for a sec…
I feel like I’ll die if I don’t have Serena’s scent…”
“W-What does that even mean?!”
“Ughhh…”
Muttering incomprehensibly, Ershi took a few more steps before collapsing right in front of Serena.
“Master!”
“W-What’s going on?!”
“Hey!
Go get the butler, now!”
Fortunately, the servants quickly carried Ershi to her room.
But even as the sky darkened, she remained unconscious.
A weight pressed down on her body.
Not burdensome, but rather warm.
That warmth was what finally brought her back to consciousness.
Slowly, she checked what was on top of her.
It was none other than Serena.
She had fallen asleep, resting her head on Ershi’s stomach as if using it as a pillow.
If she was going to sleep, she might as well lie down properly instead of sitting on a chair with her bottom still stuck to it.
“Were you watching over me?”
“Mmmnya…”
Her tiny mouth moved as if she was smacking her lips—it was impossibly cute.
For a brief moment, Ershi was tempted to sneak a finger into her mouth just to see what would happen, but before she could, Orde walked into the room.
Tch.
Too bad.
“You’re awake.
We were worried since you collapsed the moment you arrived.”
Orde’s voice was notably quiet—probably to avoid waking Serena.
Naturally, Ershi had to keep her own voice down as well.
“Yeah.
I guess even I can’t handle seven mana potions at once.”
“You drank seven of them…?
It’s a miracle you only passed out.”
“Tell me about it.”
Her stomach had churned so violently that she nearly blacked out mid-flight.
If she had fainted midair, she probably would’ve fallen to her death.
Definitely not trying that again.
With a silent thanks for still being alive, Ershi gazed out the window—the same one she had flown in from.
By now, the sky was pitch black.
Countless tiny stars and a large full moon hung above.
The sun had still been up when she passed out, so just how long had she been asleep?
“Miss Serena was very worried about you.
She even refused to eat and stayed by your side until just now.”
“Seriously…
Who is she even trying to protect?”
For someone so tiny, she sure was stubborn.
Still, knowing that Serena had stayed by her side for her sake—it was both touching and reassuring.
At least the affection she had given wasn’t in vain.
She had no experience raising a child, so she often questioned whether she was doing things right.
But seeing this, she felt like she might be on the right path after all.
Growl.
Just as I was gently stroking Serena’s head, my stomach let out a poorly timed grumble, completely disregarding the mood.
Well, I did end up throwing up because of those mana potions, so it was completely empty.
In the quiet of the night, my stomach’s complaint was obviously loud enough for Orde to hear.
He pointed to my desk.
There sat a large tray covered with a lid.
“I’ve prepared a meal for you, Master.
Since I assumed your stomach wouldn’t be in the best condition, it’s just soup and bread.
But if you need anything else, I can make it for you.”
“No, that’s fine.
I’m not that hungry anyway.”
Besides, eating something like dessert late at night would just make me gain weight.
Before eating, I should move Serena to her room first.
Orde offered to take care of it, but I insisted on doing it myself.
She had stayed by my side, so it was only right that I return the favor.
Holding Serena in a princess carry, I made my way toward her room.
“Honestly, if I kidnapped her like this, she wouldn’t even notice.”
Since I was walking while carrying her, my movements naturally caused a bit of rocking, and I was worried that she might wake up.
But it seemed I was worrying for nothing.
If anything, she looked even more comfortable, as if she thought of me as a moving cradle.
Seriously, how could someone look this cute while sleeping?
Sure, I might be biased, but anyone who saw Serena sleeping like an angel would undoubtedly think the same as me.
To think that this little one would grow taller than me one day, become even prettier, and eventually marry some prince…
The thought alone made me picture a future where I clung to her, refusing to let her go.
Ugh, how embarrassing.
Maybe because it was late at night, my mind was filled with all sorts of random thoughts.
By the time I reached Serena’s room, I carefully stepped inside.
This used to be my mother and father’s bedroom.
Now, it belonged to just one person.
At first, I worried that the space would feel too big and empty for her, but fortunately, she didn’t seem to mind.
Honestly, I had considered using the same room as her, but moving everything over would have been a hassle—Orde shot down the idea immediately.
Tch.
“Alright, if you’re going to sleep, sleep comfortably.”
Serena showed no reaction, her face peaceful, as if she were having a pleasant dream.
Hopefully, I was in that dream, too.
Before leaving, I took the liberty of pressing a light kiss to her forehead, then quietly returned to my own room.
After that, I ate the soup and bread Orde had prepared, regaining some energy.
Then, I decided to take care of the work I had missed while I was unconscious.
Since I had already rested, my mind was clear, and Orde, looking exhausted, had been sent to bed first.
“Apologies, Master.
This old man seems to be causing you unnecessary trouble.”
“Oh, come on.
Do I look like the type to be bothered by something like this?”
After a polite farewell, Orde left, and I was alone.
I picked up my pen.
The only sounds in the quiet room were the scratching of my pen on paper and the ticking of the clock.
With the moonlight serving as my lamp, time passed swiftly as I focused.
Before I knew it, my work was done, and as I stretched, a bit of fatigue finally caught up to me.
Still, I wasn’t sleepy.
What should I do now?
Maybe take a walk outside for some fresh air?
“…Huh?
What’s that?”
As I pondered, my eyes wandered around the room and landed on something under the bed—something I hadn’t noticed before.
Curious, I bent down and pulled it out.
It was the pumpkin doll I had bought for Serena.
Ever since I gave it to her, she had barely let it leave her side.
Looks like she had been holding onto it even while taking care of me.
“Lucky you, huh?
My Serena adores you so much.”
Thinking about it, she might actually like this doll more than she likes me.
Was it petty to feel jealous?
Probably.
But imagine having your favorite person stolen away by some ugly-looking thing.
Wouldn’t that be frustrating?
“Well, I have nothing else to do anyway.
I might as well sneak it back into her room.”
It would be amusing to see her panic in the morning when she realized her beloved doll was missing…
But in the end, I decided to return it.
She was probably still sleeping soundly.
Thinking that, I carefully opened the door to her room.
And then—
“…!”
Our eyes met.
She was standing right by the door.
My heart nearly dropped.
Why wasn’t she asleep?!
“Mine.”
“Huh?”
“Give me back my doll.”
Ah…
She must have woken up and come looking for it.
Was it really that important to her?
Children’s tastes were so hard to understand sometimes.
Still, I handed it over to her since she was holding out her arms like she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“Alright, I’ll be going now.
Try to get some sleep soon.”
With my business concluded, I turned to leave, intending to step outside the mansion for a bit of air.
But then—
I felt a small hand grab onto the hem of my clothes.
“…Where are you going?”
“Huh?
Just out for some fresh air.”
“Don’t go.
Stay with me.”
“…What?”
Was she still half-asleep?
The unexpected request caught me off guard.
And, against my better judgment, my heart pounded loud enough that even I could hear it.