Chapter 80

Since getting married, Mary and Addy’s life had not changed dramatically; they remained the same as ever, "the eccentric young lady and the impolite servant to her master." They had been together since Mary was born, always by each other's side, closer than anyone else. This relationship was built over time. It was impossible for them to suddenly revert to a fresh, new atmosphere, and neither of them desired such a change.

Still, there were some changes. Recently, their teatime in the garden after dinner had moved to Addy’s room. The content of their conversations remained the same, however. They would talk about how Alicia had sneaked up from behind and pounced, or how the ink on a letter from Parfait had smudged and become unreadable—typical, moodless chatter.

"It’s a bit chilly tonight, isn’t it?"

Mary, who was sipping the tea Addy had made, gazed out the window. Addy followed her gaze and nodded in agreement. The wind was particularly cold tonight, and it was getting dark earlier than usual. The heavy darkness, devoid of moon or stars, suggested that thick clouds covered the sky.

"It might rain," Addy said.

"Should we have the bed warmed up?"

After a while of such trivial conversation, Mary stood up, saying, "Well, I’ll head back to my room now." It was time to return home—though it was just to the adjacent building. Addy stood up as well, of course, to see her off. But tonight, he looked somewhat tense and called out to her, "Miss..."

"Tomorrow is a day off, so why don’t you stay a bit longer?" Addy suggested.

"I have a book I’m reading, and I want to finish it tonight... Oh, speaking of books, the one I lent you the other day..."

As she spoke, Mary turned to look at the bookshelf... and was suddenly grabbed by the arm.

She let out a small cry, having been forcefully pulled and pushed against the bookshelf. The roughness of the action made her wonder what was going on, and she was about to complain when she saw Addy standing in front of her, and she caught her breath. His hand was hot, and his right arm was in her line of sight because he had placed it right next to her face, as if blocking her escape. Trapped between the bookshelf and Addy, Mary looked up at him with a puzzled expression.

"Addy..."

"Miss..."

Cornered by the bookshelf, with no place to run, and under his gaze, Mary took a small breath and smiled softly, as if responding to his red eyes.

"I told you to hide any suspicious books, didn’t I?"

"I’m sorry! I forgot to hide one! So, don’t turn around, don’t look at the bookshelf, and please follow my guidance and move forward slowly."

"Really, you always surprise me," Mary muttered as she was guided away from the bookshelf. She reached for the door, intending to return to her room... but a much larger hand covered hers, making her fingers twitch. Then, Addy’s arm wrapped around her waist from behind, hugging her tightly. His body pressed against her back, and his breath tickled her ear. The warmth of his embrace made her body, which had felt cold just moments ago, suddenly heat up.

"W-What... Is there something else suspicious in here?"

"There’s nothing more suspicious in this room than me."

His whisper in her ear made Mary’s body tremble with the sweetness and ticklishness of his voice. She had heard this voice since birth, but tonight it seemed to ignite a new heat in her heart. She narrowed her eyes, feeling as if she might melt.

"Please don’t go."

"Addy..."

"Please stay in my room. ...Sleep in my arms tonight."

Hearing this, Mary’s heart raced, and her body grew even hotter. She wasn’t naive enough not to understand the meaning of his words. She had thought about it before and had even prepared herself for it. But as it approached, anxiety and fear increased, and Addy’s pleading, feverish voice tightened her chest. Because he cared for her, he was asking for her permission. But tonight, she almost wished he would just take her without asking.

"Miss..."

Addy hugged her tightly, seeking an answer, and Mary closed her eyes.

"...I can’t, I have to go back to my room first."

She was worried, she explained, about the maid waiting in her room. The maid would help her change, prepare her bath, and get her ready for bed. She would be waiting to warm the room until Mary returned. If Mary didn’t return, the maid would worry and even start searching for her. ...Of course, if she returned in the morning, the maid would probably just say, "You were with Addy, right?" But still, "I have to go back first," Mary insisted. Addy sighed slightly, about to release her, but then he asked, "Just once?"

"Just once, go back to your room... and then?"

"Addy, it’s going to be cold tonight."

"Yes, it is."

"...It’s too cold to sleep alone."

With that, Mary slipped out of Addy’s arms and left the room. The lack of their usual goodnight greeting or discussion of the next day’s plans... it was clear what she meant.

The cool night breeze felt refreshing against her heated skin, and by the time Mary returned to her room, her racing heart had calmed down.

"The maid will warm your bed while you take a bath."

As the maid prepared for her bath, Mary hesitated and said, "Um... the bed doesn’t need to be warmed."

"Why not? You’ll catch a cold," the maid replied.

"It’s fine... really."

Mary turned away, trying to hide her embarrassment, and the maid tilted her head in confusion. Sensing there was a reason, the maid bowed respectfully and led Mary to the bathroom. Of course, as the daughter of the Albert family, Mary didn’t have towels, pajamas, or even undergarments, so the maid glanced at the items she was holding and asked again.

"Um... do you have something else?"

"Something else? Undergarments, perhaps. Of course, we have them, but is there a problem with these? They might make you cold."

"Why are you so worried about my stomach... Anyway, I need something cuter... and, I’m going out, so please prepare a coat."

"Going out... another pajama party with Lady Alicia?"

"It’s fine, I’ve told her to limit it to once a month. She was just here recently. No, it’s... I’m staying somewhere."

"Where?"

"...In Addy’s room."

Mary’s face turned bright red as she said this, and the maid’s eyes widened in surprise...

"Seventy-seven!"

She called out and ran to the other maids nearby.

"Seventy-seven!"

"...S-Seventy-seven!?"

"Seventy-seven!"

The maids, who seemed to be far from normal human beings, let alone servants of the Albert family, repeated the code, and one of them ran off as if delivering a message. A few seconds later, Mary, who had finally come to her senses, chased after the maid, but the "Seventy-seven!" calls from all over the mansion made her collapse to her knees. The Albert family’s servants were known for their unparalleled communication skills.

...Oh, this is no good.

Hearing the distant "Seventy-seven!" calls, Mary gave up and stood up, resigned.

"Since that’s the case, you don’t need to wake me up in the morning."

Mary said this dismissively, and the maid nodded, replying, "Understood." Her voice and expression were filled with joy, as if celebrating the long-awaited union of the two people she had been watching over. Mary, however, was too embarrassed to be openly congratulated and pouted.

"You’re so happy, you must hate waking me up, right?"

After bathing, Mary, with the maid’s farewell of "Seventy-seven, have a good night!" and her own exasperated response of "Seventy-seven, I’m going! This makes me sound like Seventy-seven, what is this!?", put on her coat and headed to the adjacent building.

At the familiar door, she took a deep breath and knocked slowly. A few seconds later, Addy appeared and naturally invited her in. It was their usual routine, but it felt unusually awkward, and they avoided each other’s gaze. Their conversation was disjointed and didn’t make much sense.

Suddenly, Mary remembered something and looked up at Addy.

"Addy, before I came here..."

"What is it?"

"...Seventy-seven."

"It’s fine. It’s already spread throughout the dorm, and probably even to my room."

"Your communication skills are so reliable, it’s almost tear-jerking."

"I was wondering why the numbers in the seventies were missing, but now I know it’s not a missing number, it’s related to me..."

They both sighed, looking into the distance. The "Seventy-seven" code was probably still spreading among the staff, and by morning, everyone would know. Of course, it was important information for them as servants, but...

"It’s embarrassing. How will I face everyone tomorrow?"

"Don’t worry. They’re already tired of the topic and have moved on to something else."

"I always think, isn’t the way they treat me a bit strange? I’m the important daughter of the Albert family!"

"Cal down, calm down."

Addy gently stroked Mary’s hair and slowly hugged her. She found herself in his arms, and though she wondered when it had happened, she didn’t push him away or try to escape. Instead, she leaned her forehead against his chest, and he tightened his embrace. Mary sighed contentedly and then looked up at Addy.

"Addy, what should we do now? I don’t know how to get to the bed from here."

"Don’t worry, I’ll guide you."

"Really?"

"Yes, that’s what I’m here for."

"Then, I’ll leave it to you."

They exchanged such a mundane conversation as they slowly made their way to the bed.

The night was sweet, but...

"Wait! I’m still a bit scared! Let’s postpone it for a rainy day!"

"It’s only a light rain, so we’ll proceed!"

"It’s okay. If it hurts, raise your right hand."

"Only a fool would trust those words, based on my past life’s memories!"

Despite the sweet moments, their night was filled with such awkward and humorous exchanges, typical of them.

The next morning, Mary woke up and realized she was naked. She wrapped herself in the nearby blanket and looked around. Her gaze fell on the neatly folded pajamas at the edge of the bed. He’s already up... she thought absently when Addy appeared from the kitchen, already dressed.

"Good morning, Miss. I’m making tea, so please wait a moment."

"You’re already dressed."

Mary, still in her pajamas, got back into bed. "It’s a shame," she muttered, and Addy, holding a teacup on a tray, tilted his head in confusion.

"What’s a shame?"

"I wanted to be close to you when I woke up."

"But since you’ve prepared it, I suppose I should get up."

She took a sip of the tea, and the warm steam and slight sweetness filled her mouth. As she sipped the tea and thought about the day ahead, she suddenly looked up and shivered. Addy was there, but in pajamas. Just a moment ago, he had been in his usual servant attire. But now...

"Addy... when did you change?"

"I have no idea. It seems humans can do anything if they try."

"The power of love is great, isn’t it?"

"To be honest, I don’t even remember taking off my shirt."

"Maybe you were wearing something underneath."

Mary laughed, and Addy chuckled, "Not likely," but he pulled at his chest to check and froze.

"I see, that’s why I don’t remember taking off my shirt. I didn’t take it off."

"Go change, quickly."

Mary sighed, and as she sipped her tea, Addy left to change. When he returned, he was in pajamas. Mary let out a small "Oh" and smiled at his straightforwardness. She teased him about changing, and he blushed and climbed onto the bed. He took the cup from her and placed it on the bedside table, then caressed her cheek.

Sweeter than the tea, the moment was incredibly sweet.

As she was gently pushed down, Mary’s body, with no reason to resist, returned to the bed. She lay on her back, and Addy’s body covered hers.

"It’s a day off today, let’s stay like this a bit longer."

"Good idea, Miss."

They laughed and snuggled under the covers, enjoying each other’s warmth.