‘Why did it end up like this again?’

Yerpi looked back and forth between Dante, nestled in her arms, and Raymond, who was glaring intently at the child.

Dante’s clinginess was understandable.

After all, he was a child who had only recently escaped abuse, and she was still the only person he trusted and followed.

What Yerpi couldn’t understand, however, was Raymond’s attitude.

At first, she had thought their encounters were merely coincidental. But as they kept happening more frequently, she realized that couldn’t be true.

Raymond had been more furious than anyone about the abuse Dante suffered, and he had done his best to root out those who held ill will toward the boy.

Even in their conversations, she could subtly sense his affection for the child.

He had even allowed her to take full responsibility for Dante’s care. Yet now that it had happened, Raymond seemed uneasy about how close Dante and Yerpi had become.

She was the only one left feeling awkward in the middle of it all. She tried exchanging glances to find a way out, but the nearby maids, equally helpless, could only offer awkward smiles.

Just as things were becoming confusing, Dante burrowed deeper into Yerpi’s arms.

Since opening up emotionally, Dante’s whining had grown more pronounced each day.

Yet even compared to children his age, this was a natural phenomenon.

Yerpi, who considered the child’s neediness justified, finally chose to stand up.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

Four maids followed behind Yerpi as she turned, carrying Dante.

Glancing back briefly under the weight of someone’s gaze, she saw Raymond standing there, looking flustered. This startled Yerpi once more.

‘Why?’

Even after arriving at the bedroom, Raymond’s expression lingered stubbornly in her mind.

Dante didn’t fall asleep until late at night, after dinner. She quietly stepped out of the bedroom and opened the door leading to the reception room.

There, the maids had already taken their places.

“Thank you for your hard work, Lady Yerpi.”

Pepe stood up and gently draped a shawl over Yerpi’s shoulders.

Erca poured a fragrant tea, and Marian arranged a seat for Yerpi.

Soon after, Snoel brought in sweets and placed them on the table.

Though they had only recently become Yerpi’s maids, they worked together seamlessly.

They weren’t merely well-coordinated in front of Yerpi; each maid knew her boundaries, respected others’ opinions, and showed consideration—only such individuals had been selected.

Since the maids arrived, Yerpi had gained a small new routine: a tea time before bed, where she and her maids would gather in the reception room to chat.

Their conversations usually revolved around the day’s events, and as they sat around the table, the maids would chime in with lively discussions.

Pepe, who always worried about Dante, brought up the boy sleeping in the adjacent room.

“Is the young master sleeping soundly?”

“He fell into such a deep sleep from running around all day, he wouldn’t even wake up if someone carried him away.”

“That’s a relief.”

All the maids, Pepe included, sighed in relief. Yerpi was the only one who could confirm Dante was asleep.

Though he had brightened considerably, the scars of abuse still haunted the boy, making him fear the coming of the next day.

At first, she had thought it was just insomnia, hard to understand, but that wasn’t it.

‘I’m too happy today, so I’m afraid tomorrow will come.’

The boy had been forcing himself to stay awake, terrified that the dreamlike moments would vanish like bubbles.

Seeing Dante still frightened when darkness fell made her feel both sorrow and anger.

But she couldn’t change the child’s past.

Every night, Yerpi soothed the boy to sleep.

Since the child refused to sleep if even a maid entered, she always stayed by his side alone, and over time, she had become quite skilled at putting him to bed.

Most of tonight’s conversation centered on Dante.

What the child liked, what he disliked—Yerpi and her maids were taking time to get to know the boy better.

They were deep in conversation when suddenly Erca mentioned what had happened in the garden earlier that day.

“But why does His Grace keep coming by? Every time he shows up, he just glares and doesn’t do anything…”

“Erca, shh!”

Marian quickly hushed Erca, alarmed by her bluntness.

Erca, hailing from the domain of summer, was a bright and diligent maid, but her fiery temper occasionally led to verbal slips.

Marian, from the domain of autumn, was always the one to gently rein her in.

Calm and gentle by nature, Marian was a big-sister figure beloved by many servants.

Seeing her maids getting along, Yerpi reassured them.

“No, it’s fine. Actually, I was curious about that too.”

It was true. Just moments ago, Raymond’s face hadn’t left her thoughts.

Encouraged by the lady’s support and Marian’s warning glance, Erca clapped her hands excitedly.

“See? I knew Lady Yerpi would be curious too!”

“To be honest, I’ve been thinking the same. It’s almost as if His Grace already knows exactly where Lady Yerpi and the young master are.”

“Exactly. He suddenly appeared in the garden again today. I didn’t show it, but how surprised do you think I was?”

Erca and Pepe continued the conversation.

Meanwhile, Snoel, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up.

“What if he’s coming on purpose?”

“On purpose?”

All the maids, except Snoel, turned to her in unison. Yerpi, too, found herself drawn to the words of the winter-land maid.

“Yes. Because he’s had no opportunity to grow close to the young master.”

Now that she thought about it, that actually made a lot of sense.

‘Now that I hear it, it sounds right.’

Certainly, Raymond and Dante had never had a chance to bond.

But then again, why come all the way just to glare at the boy without a single warm word?

As Yerpi kept replaying the troubling scene, one conclusion came to mind.

‘Could it be… he’s shy?’

He wasn’t used to being close to children, and besides, there was clearly a gap between Raymond and Dante.

So even if he wanted to grow closer, he might not know how to approach easily.

People often fell silent and stiffened when awkward—perhaps her guess wasn’t far off.

Then… maybe she could become the bridge connecting the two?

The next day, filled with hope, she awoke.

It was late afternoon, the sun beginning to set.

True to form, Raymond hovered near the place where Yerpi and Dante spent their time, confirming Yerpi’s suspicion beyond doubt.

Yerpi set Dante down on the grass and stood facing Raymond.

Seizing the moment when Raymond, surprised by her quick response, fell silent, Yerpi made the first move.

“Shall we have a brief talk?”

Dante, who had been clinging tightly to the lady, suddenly found himself separated and began hopping at her feet, signaling he wanted to be picked up again.

Just as Yerpi, feeling pity, was about to lift the child once more, Raymond answered.

“All right. I happened to have something to say as well. Let’s go.”

His words completely captured Yerpi’s attention.

“Would you wait here for a moment? I’ll be right back.”

Leaving Dante in Pepe’s care, Yerpi had no choice but to step away from the garden, her expression apologetic.

The boy’s voice calling after her as she walked—how heart-wrenching it sounded. She hadn’t meant for this, yet her heart felt uneasy.

‘But it’s the kind of conversation that would be too awkward to have in front of him.’

The two stopped in a nearby garden, away from the main courtyard.

The warm sunlight bathed both the garden and courtyard alike, and the surrounding scenery appeared utterly peaceful.

‘Now that I think of it, it’s been a while since I’ve spoken with him alone.’

Lately, she had been with Dante all day long, tending to him.

Even their monthly communion, which she was supposed to have with Raymond once every fortnight, had to take place in front of Dante.

Otherwise, the boy would cry uncontrollably, making it impossible to find a private moment.

Still, today required some distance.

But perhaps because of that—

After a month apart, the distance between her and Raymond felt even greater than before.

‘I thought we’d grown a little closer.’

Memories of their conversation while looking at paintings came to mind. It had been brief, but it left a strong impression.

She had been too focused on Dante. But then again, they weren’t close enough for her to even wonder about such things—this line of thought now seemed foolish.

It was then that Raymond finally broke the silence.

“You speak first.”

“What?”

“You said you had something to say to me.”

He was right. She had left Dante behind and moved to this spot precisely because she needed to ask something.

Yerpi was serious, and Raymond’s eyes held a hint of expectation.

“Would you… like to grow closer to Dante?”

If that was truly the case, she would help him.

Before Yerpi, who spoke with such sincerity, Raymond momentarily lost his words.