Chapter 89

# 89

|

Nabia smiled slightly, now understanding a bit why they reacted so intensely.

"Yes, he definitely said that."

"Oh my..."

"Hmm."

As they were reacting as if it was unexpected, Minerva, who had left her seat temporarily to make the medicine, arrived.

"Today is really a feast!"

The retainers of Esselred had developed the habit of making and eating meals casually over time.

The mansion was always in a depressed atmosphere, and without servants, it naturally became like that.

"Miss Nabia, the atmosphere really warms up with you here."

Nabia found it difficult to understand what she meant.

'Why does the atmosphere warm up just because I'm here?'

She could understand if they said she was making a mess of the place.

"That's true. Really."

But Schleman also agreed.

Minerva, who was standing beside her, nodded her head.

Charlotte glanced at Nabia, who was standing there with an incomprehensible expression, and said,

"You may pretend otherwise, but you are a kind person."

'No way.'

Kind? Nabia couldn't relate to that at all.

She was just a pragmatic person.

Margaret chuckled.

"That's exactly like the lord."

When Lark was mentioned, Nabia thought, 'Of course,' and didn't take it seriously.

'He was just saying it.'

Instead of engaging in such meaningless talk, Nabia said they should finish setting the table.

"I'll bring this to the duke."

"It's too heavy for you to carry alone. I'll go with you."

Nabia looked at the tray filled with thick slices of marinated and roasted pork, salad with lemon dressing, and a richly cooked stew.

Indeed, it would be difficult for an eight-year-old to carry.

"Please, Miss Margaret."

Nabia wasn't the type to insist on impossible tasks.

"Hehe, shall we go up?"

They arrived at the third floor.

Knocking was Nabia's job, not Margaret's, who was holding the tray.

Knock knock.

Lark's room could actually be entered without knocking.

Nabia, unaware of this unconventional practice, was about to call out to Lark to inform him of her business.

However, Margaret opened the door abruptly with a shadow.

"Lord, it's time to eat."

Nabia looked up at Margaret in shock.

'Is this okay?'

A voice came from inside.

"Why are you suddenly doing things you don't usually do? If I don't eat, just take it away."

Margaret approached him with a look that said, 'Whether you like it or not,' and said,

"Miss Nabia made it."

"Again..."

Lark, who had been studying magic with a quill in hand, writing ancient scripts, looked up.

At that moment, Margaret's expression changed to one of surprise.

"Oh?"

She finally realized something she had missed last time.

"When did you cut your hair? Goodness, it looks much better short."

"It happened."

"Did Miss Nabia do it?"

This question wasn't directed at Lark.

Lark, puzzled, followed Margaret's gaze.

Nabia was entering with small, neat steps.

"Oh, yes. It just happened..."

"Goodness. You did your hair and cooked. Don't you think Miss Nabia's efforts are commendable?"

Lark rolled his eyes and looked at the food Margaret was holding.

It was clear that these dishes required a lot of effort for an eight-year-old to prepare.

"Useless work."

At this, Nabia lowered her gaze awkwardly.

'I did it on a whim again.'

People should eat, and there were no servants here.

Nabia didn't expect Lark to be pleased; she just hoped he would eat.

It was the only way she could repay him for saving her life repeatedly.

'Wanting something in return is the problem.'

Nabia reflected on her mistake. She had no right to expect anything.

"I'm sorry."

Nabia wanted to take the food back.

But Margaret sighed and placed the tray on the table.

Nabia quickly approached Margaret.

"Miss Margaret, I'll take this."

"Miss Nabia spent hours preparing this for you. She marinated the meat and seasoned it just right."

Lark frowned at Nabia's apology, and his expression darkened even more when he heard about her efforts.

"Why did you do something I didn't ask for?"

He was someone who didn't need to eat.

Someone who didn't need such effort.

'You can't even take care of yourself, so why are you doing this for someone like me?'

He sighed deeply when he saw Nabia standing there, looking like she was being punished.

'Damn it.'

He kept cursing himself inwardly as he looked at Nabia's wooden expression.

He had made another mistake.

Clatter.

He decided it would be better to just eat and stuffed the food into his mouth.

"Duke."

Nabia was about to say it was okay if he didn't force himself to eat but closed her mouth.

She was worried that even this might be presumptuous.

Lark, almost as if he were drinking, said,

"It's bland."

Margaret countered,

"No way. The seasoning was just right."

"Are you kidding me? This is too salty."

"Lord."

"Too bland, too salty, and some parts are just right. What a mess."

Nabia, listening to his harsh criticism, resolved to check the seasoning next time.

Lark finished his meal in no time.

Despite his constant complaints about the taste, he had cleaned his plate.

Margaret narrowed her eyes and asked,

"The food was definitely delicious. Are you just nitpicking now?"

"No, I'm serious. Don't make a child cook. Just hire a chef."

Margaret, hearing this, realized why Lark had complained about the perfectly good food.

'He just doesn't want to make the servants do the work.'

Nabia already looked as if she thought her cooking was the worst in the world.

Margaret looked at her lord with a sympathetic gaze and inwardly sighed.

Lark, noticing her gaze, raised an eyebrow.

"What's with that disrespectful look?"

"Nothing. It's impressive that you finished everything, even though there was a lot."

Margaret picked up the empty plates, which he had cleared in less than five minutes.

"Come, Miss Nabia. Let's go have a delicious meal that suits our taste."

Nabia was nervous about Margaret's sarcastic tone.

'Is this okay?'

Before leaving the bedroom, she bowed to Lark and closed the door.

The child pretended to be calm, but her dejected expression was clear.

"Damn... What did I do wrong again? Damn it!"

His quill snapped in half again.

* * *

"Lord seems to want to treat Miss Nabia."

"Huh?"

Nabia, on her way down to the dining room, was puzzled by Margaret's words and raised an eyebrow.

"Even though he said that, suggesting to hire a chef is quite unusual. Lord doesn't keep servants he uses regularly in the house."

Nabia was quite aware of the isolation here. She had thought the lack of servants was due to financial issues.

But it was Lark's decision, not a financial problem?

"He always says the world is full of traitors and yesterday's ally can become today's enemy. How cynical."

Nabia closed her mouth in surprise.

'He thinks exactly like me.'

Of course, she thought this way because she was a time traveler, but why did Lark think like this?

'Did Theorban do something really bad to make him feel this way?'

Well,

He had swindled the young head of the family and taken over the family business, so he must have done all sorts of dirty deeds.

Still, the idea that he wanted to treat her remained confusing.

'Really?'