Meiana replied without hesitation, almost instantaneously.
“I didn’t know the Count would come. If you’d said from the beginning that you’d go with us, I would naturally have prepared fruits for your share, Count. And a handkerchief, of course.”
Sedilroy’s eyes turned to the rag atop the basket. He had already discerned it wasn’t a handkerchief from its material and shape, but what exactly was that cloth meant for? Curiosity arose.
He spoke.
“Did I not say that you are the first maid like this I have met?”
“Yes, you did.”
“What does that mean?”
Meiana stared at Sedilroy with eyes that seemed to say, ‘Why should I know?’
Sedilroy continued.
“It means that any other maid would naturally have attended to me.”
“I didn’t look at you because I didn’t know that, Count.”
“So?”
“If you reach the age of seven, then I will willingly prioritize caring for you, Count. Understood?”
If it had been an ordinary count, no, even someone of lesser noble rank, they certainly wouldn’t have tolerated Meiana’s attitude.
Meiana knew this as well. Yet the reason she didn’t cower or flinch in front of Sedilroy was simple.
An adult should not precede a child!
At least in care!
That was Meiana’s belief. To her, small animals like puppies or cats, and children were all the same.
They needed to be cared for and loved and attended to. And yet if some grown adult intervenes and demands care for himself?
That would deserve a spanking. Meiana thought.
She spoke.
“To me, the princess is the priority, Count. Even if His Majesty goes on a royal journey, that won’t change. Understand?”
Sedilroy looked at Meiana with a stupefied expression again.
On what confidence was she so defiant? He could fire Meiana at any time, no matter how well she took care of Ariante, no matter how good a person she was to Ariante.
Meiana could not be unaware of that. And yet her attitude remained the same. As if she was Ariante’s mother…
“Why do you look at me like that?”
Meiana asked. While petting Ariante’s head who was munching on a cherry, Sedilroy responded.
“I thought I picked a remarkably good person.”
After finishing the fruit, Ariante said she was refreshed and pestered Meiana to play. While Sedilroy sat in the shade of a tree, Meiana fully demonstrated her skill, honed by caring for the puppies she raised, playing with Ariante for quite some time.
“I’m sleepy.”
On the way back, after taking only a few steps while holding hands, Ariante rubbed her eyes and said.
She yawned, almost collapsing onto the edge of Meiana’s skirt, and seemed ready to fall asleep on the side of the road.
“Shall I carry you, princess?”
“Mm…”
Half-closed-eyed Ariante stretched out her arms. Just as Meiana was about to hold Ariante and sling the basket on her arm, Sedilroy abruptly extended his hand to carry the basket.
“I’ll hold this.”
“Will you do that?”
Meiana swiftly picked up Ariante, who had already started to doze off. Then, as if just remembering, she spoke to Sedilroy.
“Thank you, Count.”
“We’re almost at the mansion, why not thank me after you’ve put her down?”
Sedilroy joked. Meiana chuckled.
“You said the same last time.”
“Last time?”
“Yes, when you came to see the princess. ‘I was just about to leave, should I have said my farewells after leaving?'”
“So, don’t you feel your greetings are always a beat late? The other servants get up as soon as they see my shadow.”
Meiana retorted.
If I had done chores like washing bottles or wiping windows, I would have jumped up at the slightest sound of your hair falling, ready to greet you, Count.
“Ah, so all of this is because of Ariante?”
As if she had heard her name even in her sleep, Ariante twitched and mumbled. Meianna patted Ariante’s back and glared at Sedilroi.
“Be quiet. The princess will wake up.”
“You’re the only one who looks at me like that. Even His Majesty the King doesn’t look at me that way. Or did you forget that I’m a count?”
“I don’t have the same magnanimity as His Majesty. If my audacity offends you, I’ll be careful to maintain a respectful attitude from now on.”
Not a single word wasted, Sedilroi thought. But why? Meianna’s attitude didn’t bother him at all. In fact, it was a bit amusing to see her speak so bluntly.
Sedilroi spoke.
“Do as you wish.”
Meianna looked at him as if amused.
“Does that mean it’s okay to be audacious?”
“Take it as you will.”
Meianna laughed in a refreshing voice. Sedilroi, who had been wearing a faint smile, suddenly thought about the fact that he wouldn’t be engaging in these petty arguments for a while if he went back to the capital.
At that moment, a faint shadow crossed his expression. Counting the days in his mind, Sedilroi sighed briefly.
Meianna asked,
“Why is that?”
“I almost forgot. I have to go back to the capital tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
Sedilroi nodded.
“I’ll leave at dawn. It’ll take about a fortnight.”
“Then have dinner with the princess tonight.”
“With Ariante?”
Meianna looked at him as if it was obvious.
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
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