# Chapter 25. Make a Wish (1)
“Good morning, Young Master! Young Lady!”
“Haha! The weather is just perfect today, isn’t it? Days like this are ideal for lovers to go on a date!”
“Tsk~ I used to have passionate times with my husband too… but no, my words aren’t directed at you two~”
Today, for some reason, more servants have been coming up to talk to me.
Normally, they’d either feel awkward around me or worry about finding fault with something, but now they all wear mischievous smiles as they chatter on about things that have nothing to do with me, which is extremely uncomfortable.
Even when I tell them to back off or scold them to focus on their work, they all look at me with knowing grins, gaze deeply, and then leave with a chuckle, as if they know everything.
No matter what, I’m the noble, and they’re the employees of the house—I can’t believe discipline has gotten this lax.
And it’s all because of this.
“Young Master?”
“…Sigh.”
My eyes are currently focused on the cause of this situation.
To be precise, it’s the intertwined fingers between me and Ria.
—
—
“Your hand… is that it?”
“Yes…”
Unbelievably, the Young Lady’s wish was nothing major.
Or is it that… it actually is?
It was nothing more than a request for me to hold her hand all day.
“Ria, though this is awkward to say, I suffer from hyperhidrosis, so holding hands might be uncomfortable.”
“It’s fine.”
“Actually, I tend to sweat a lot with my hands—”
“It’s fine.”
“Th…That…”
“It’s fine.”
And so, I ended up intertwining fingers with Ria for the entire day.
Though I didn’t particularly want to due to embarrassment, I considered how she had eagerly taken on her first divine training and that she’ll likely be important for my future plans. It seemed okay to grant such a small wish.
But when I woke up this morning, Ria was already waiting in front of my door, which was slightly eerie.
With her silent yet intense stare targeted at my hands, I had no choice but to offer my hand, which she quickly grabbed with a bright smile as she hooked our fingers.
The surrounding maids looked surprised, but she didn’t seem to care, walking with even more enthusiasm than usual as we headed toward the dining room together.
“Come in~ Did you sleep well… my goodness!”
“Hmm?”
Our parents, who had already been waiting in the dining room, saw us walking in holding hands and looked both surprised and pleased.
Mother’s face was all lit up, obviously plotting how to further tease us, while Father looked slightly stunned as to why his son and daughter-in-law seemed to have such a good relationship.
Who wouldn’t be delighted to witness the affection between their children? But getting this kind of attention right in front of me is rather embarrassing.
“What’s this~ Why are you, Rab, walking around holding the Young Lady’s hand today?”
“It’s nothing significant, just my promise to fulfill her small wish for today.”
“Promises are good~ like holding hands, kissing, and having children—”
“Let’s eat.”
Sighing, I took my seat, and the waiting maids began bringing out dishes one by one.
The food still looks delicious.
Trying to release my hand to eat with utensils, I realized Ria had firmly grabbed my hand the moment it was about to let go. Her sightless eyes turned toward me.
“Young Master? Why are you letting go?”
“Uh, don’t we need to eat…?”
“Never mind. I can feed you~”
“Excuse me?”
Since she was holding my right hand, I couldn’t eat with my dominant arm. And then she said she would feed me.
Is this right?
“Young Master, A~”
“Ria, I should eat with my own hands during meals…”
“A~”
“It’s kind of inappropriate in front of my parents…”
“A~”
“…A…”
I ended up eating the soup she offered me without realizing, overwhelmed by her insistence.
What a dream-like situation for men—being fed the words “A~”—if the friends from my past life had found out, they would probably have buried me alive on the back mountain.
Of course, I’m a man too, so I can’t say I dislike this situation.
“Rab? Now that Aya fed you, you should feed her too, right~”
That person… really says whatever comes to mind because it’s none of her business.
“…!”
“Sparkle sparkle!”
“…Urgh!”
Next to me, Ria was looking up at me with adorable kitty eyes as I already had the spoon in my left hand, serving up the soup.
Now I’ve become an xgod who can’t even control my own body properly, moving before the master does.
“My left hand isn’t very steady… so please eat carefully.”
“A~”
I barely managed to feed Ria the soup with my unfamiliar left hand.
Still, seeing her smile so happily indicated she found it delicious, which reassured me that I did the right thing.
Alright. What’s the point of being shy when it’s important to make such a cute person happy?
“You two! Try this pasta now! Both of you eat from the ends of the pasta and then smooch at the end~!”
Ah, madam, stop already.
—
—
After the arduous breakfast came to an end.
“…Are you flaunting this in front of me on purpose?”
“No, it’s not like that. Please stop casting magic.”
Even during the magic lecture with Rahel, our hands remained firmly intertwined.
Thanks to this, Rahel, who was supposedly our magic tutor, seemed quite bothered by our display and kept glaring at us with displeasure.
“Jealous that I don’t have a boyfriend… is, well… not dignified…”
“This girl?”
Lately, it seems Rahel and Ria get along well.
Apparently, they meet a few times while living in the same mansion. Rahel, who initially seemed afraid of Ria when they first met, now interacts with her as though they are rival friends.
“Alright, alright! That’s all for today’s magic lesson!”
“What? It’s much shorter than usual! If you neglect your duties as a tutor after receiving payment—”
“Should I continue teaching while looking at your disgraceful behavior?”
Hmm… That is a point.
“Understood. Then, let’s end the lesson here.”
“While I’m at it, I’ll also go conduct some personal research. Oh! And there’s special homework for you all to complete by the next session!”
“So narrow-minded. With that attitude, no man will ever come for you in a few years.”
Yes, understood.
“…Young Master? It seems your dialogue has swapped with your thoughts?”
“Huh! I didn’t mean to say that!”
“Extra homework.”
“Shit.”
Shit.
—
—
Because the lecture ended early, leaving me with nothing else to do, I followed Ria’s suggestion and we had a small picnic in the small hill at the back of the mansion.
“…The view is nice here.”
“Have you ever been here, Young Master?”
“Eh? Oh, it’s just… I came here when I was really young, so I don’t really remember…”
I almost said something suspicious.
If someone realized that I’ve lived here for over a decade and never once visited the hill right behind the mansion, they might not suspect anything bad, but they might still find it strange.
Fortunately, Ria naturally went along with my explanation, saying “Oh, I see.”
“Should we lay the blanket here?”
“Yes! The sun is perfect, and the breeze is refreshing. It makes the mood great!”
We spread the blanket we received from the staff, sat down side by side.
“By the way, when should we release our hands?”
“It’s for a whole day. It won’t end until midnight.”
“Wow, Cinderella this is not…”
At midnight, just like how Cinderella’s magic dissipated, ours would release as magically as well.
Though it was embarrassing all day, I felt a tightening in my chest as I thought about the moment quickly approaching.
Thinking about how all the warmth, the sensation, and maybe even the shiver of Ria’s hand will disappear the moment I let go, I suddenly felt a little regretful.
“…Young Master.”
“Yes?”
Ria gently called my name as I was lost in thought.
“Thank you.”
“…Suddenly?”
“Not suddenly. It’s a phrase I can never say enough.”
Hiccup—
Pressure on my hand increased. Ria must have squeezed it slightly.
“When we first met, you said something to me, didn’t you? That I was no more than just an ornament for you.”
“…That’s right.”
Even though it was said for her sake, it’s still the kind of thing a despicable person would say.
There’s no one who would admire someone who treats others as objects.
“At first, it was okay. As someone who had lived a life like a doll, the role of an ornament was rather more than I deserved. There was nothing I was good at, nothing I knew how to do—only my face.”
“I was scared when I came to this mansion. Would Young Master ever hit me? Would he curse me for being stupid? Would I be bullied by everyone in the house?”
“But now… every day is filled with happiness.”
“Having meals with Mother and Father is happiness.”
“Exchanging kind greetings with the maids is happiness.”
“Arguing with Rahel is happiness.”
“Chatting late into the night with Bell is also happiness.”
“And now.”
“Now, spending time with Young Master fills me with happiness.”
“Which is why, Young Master, would you please repeat it?”
“Do you still believe that I don’t deserve your heart?”
