Chapter 26
Judith rolled around on the bed in a truly ridiculous manner.
“Ma, Master.”
She should have stayed still, but she’d tried to get up for no reason, and now she was squirming like an overturned turtle. Silence descended on the room.
Master looked down at the wriggling woman, his tone thick with disbelief.
“…What exactly are you doing?”
“We, well….”
Wrapped in the duvet like a burrito, Judith whimpered.
“I drank way too much. When I overindulge, my body loses all its strength.”
This was the reason she hadn’t stood up earlier when seeing Hyude out. Once she passed her limit, her limbs simply refused to obey. She had collapsed onto the bed in a state of exhaustion, only to find that getting back up was an impossible task.
The more she struggled, the more the duvet coiled around her, deepening her humiliation.
Master emanated a terrifying aura, yet he couldn’t hide the bewilderment in his voice.
“Ha. Why on earth did you drink so much with a man you just met?”
“Just met? We’re colleagues.”
“Colleagues?”
“Isn’t making a living off the Mayous Ducal Mansion the definition of colleagues? I’m always working alone, and since I found someone in a similar position, we clicked. I had a few drinks. But could you please help me up?”
“Working alone? Didn’t you work with me?”
“That’s a business relationship, not a colleague relationship. Anyway, will you help me?”
“Ha, unbelievable. Your business partner is quite hurt. Then, was coming into the Mayous Ducal Mansion together also just a business relationship?”
“Ah, enough!”
Judith shrieked.
“If you don’t want to help me, at least get this damn duvet off me! It keeps wrapping around my body and I feel like I’m going to throw up!”
At that, Master exclaimed in horror.
“Don’t you dare throw up on someone else’s bed!”
“What are you talking about? Worry about your own business partner instead of someone else’s bed!”
“Ha, seriously….”
Master strode over and began to peel the duvet off her.
‘Oh? Oh, my….’
Every time his hand brushed against her skin, a strange jolt passed through her. Judith remained sprawled on the mattress while he worked with careful, controlled movements to free her.
“Ahaha.”
Her loungewear was thin, and Judith, unable to bear the awkwardness, laughed.
“This is a funny picture, isn’t it? On someone else’s bed….”
“…….”
She had spoken to break the tension, but the air only grew heavier. As he unwrapped the final layer, he sighed, his displeasure palpable.
“Judith, I told you to wear a shawl.”
“What kind of shawl would I wear in this heat?”
“And you drank with a man alone in an outfit like this….”
“I didn’t start out intending to drink, okay? We were talking, we clicked, so we had a glass or two.”
“Isn’t it even worse if you intended to drink from the start?”
“Ah, your nagging is insane! I’m an adult, you know?”
“You haven’t even been an adult for that long. Since when did you start drinking?”
“Today is, like, the second time?”
“And you drank alone in a confined space with a man without even knowing your own limit?”
The duvet finally fell away.
“Whew….”
Master sighed and flopped onto the bed, his energy seemingly drained. A moment of silence passed. Judith watched him from where she lay.
“Master.”
“……Yes.”
“Will you lie down next to me?”
“Pardon?”
“No, we need to talk at the same eye level, but I can’t get my body to move right now.”
Master’s mask stared down at her, as if wondering what nonsense she was spewing. She scratched her cheek sheepishly.
“No, it’s just… you looked like you were in a bad mood.”
“……What?”
“I can just feel these things. You looked incredibly displeased from the moment you walked in. Is something the matter?”
Master didn’t answer. Judith smiled faintly.
“You don’t have to tell me, of course, but if you’re alone, I think you’ll just end up feeling worse…. So, let’s just talk about trivial things before you go.”
Master remained silent. Seeing that he didn’t seem to hate the idea, Judith reached out and tugged on his arm. He gave in, pretending to be unwilling, and lay down beside her.
“Judith.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t drink anymore. Especially not with that doctor named Hyude.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ll end up asking men to lie down on beds next to you like this. Any man would obviously misunderstand.”
“Hey, I don’t do this with just any man. You’re a business partner I’ve known for a long time, and you looked particularly upset, so I was giving you a special service.”
“……Is that what you call asking someone to lie on a bed?”
“Does it come off that way? Well, I do feel a bit sorry for Young Duke Mayous.”
She chuckled.
“Since it looks like I’m secretly inviting a man over to lie in my bed….”
At that, Master let out a short laugh. Judith tapped his arm, smiling.
“See?”
“Yes?”
“You’re smiling now. Doesn’t it feel better to talk about nothing with someone?”
“……Ah.”
Master groaned. Then, he muttered bitterly.
“I suppose so, Judith.”
His voice was infinitely sunken.
“To tell you the truth, until a moment ago, I thought I wouldn’t be able to smile again, but I’ve already done so.”
What kind of expression was he making behind that mask? Judith wondered, blinking slowly.
“Perhaps unconsciously, I knew that if I were with you, Judith….”
After a long silence, he continued.
“……I knew that would happen, and I must have come to you without realizing it.”
Judith smiled. She hadn’t told him, but she, too, often felt low. Every time that happened, she wondered how nice it would be if someone could just lie beside her and share their warmth. There were times she had prayed for someone to help carry the crushing weight of the coming day.
When Hyude had mentioned his seven younger siblings, she had felt a sudden, sharp loneliness, realizing she didn’t even have one person to answer to. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but she felt deeply sentimental that night.
They shared long, pointless conversations—repeating how absurd the situation would be if the owner of the room saw them. Master had chimed in, saying, ‘Certainly, it would be a situation one could never imagine.’
As they spoke, Judith drifted off. When she opened her eyes at dawn, Master was gone, and the duvet was tucked carefully around her.
“Oh, my god.”
She blinked, coming to her senses.
“I forgot to ask him to look into House Shoden.”
That was the very reason she wanted to see him!
“Well, is it all right?”
Judith tilted her head as she struggled to pull herself up.
“He did say Hyude would deliver a letter today, right?”
* * *
That morning, Hyude woke up early to buy medicinal herbs and deliver Judith’s letters.
Having lived as a diligent commoner, the concept of having a servant run such errands never crossed his mind. The recipients were families where Judith had worked as a tutor; upon receiving her letters, they were overjoyed.
“That teacher was so incredibly diligent. And she taught so well, too.”
“Our child was lost, but she was a teacher who knew exactly how to comfort and guide them.”
“It’s such a shame she quit. It’s hard to find someone like her again….”
Judith’s reputation among the parents was impeccable. Hearing such praise made Hyude feel a strange sense of pride. He felt as if they were already becoming close. She was intelligent, warm, pretty, and kind—it seemed she would have been good at anything she did. One parent even treated him to a snack in thanks for the delivery.
‘As expected, Judith is a good person.’
Delivering the letters didn’t feel like a chore; it felt like encountering traces of Judith everywhere.
And the last letter was….
‘The Gray Information Guild? Did she work in a place like this, too?’
Hyude walked into a rather dilapidated alleyway without much thought. Having only ever frequented the Medical Academy, this was his first visit to an information guild.
‘An information guild? I suppose it’s a place that sells information?’
He had heard they existed, but what kind of information did people buy? Anything they were curious about, he guessed.
‘Ah.’
Hyude’s eyes widened.
‘Then maybe I should ask for information on how to win the heart of a woman I’m interested in?’