Chapter 86

Before Mary was born, Addy was supposed to serve the two sons of the Albert family.

It was only natural, given that his family had served the Alberts for generations, and by the time he was old enough to understand, he was already determined to follow in his father's and brother's footsteps.

However, the two sons of the Albert family were two years older than Addy. Moreover, their older brother was already by their side. All three of them, despite their young age, began to show signs of intelligence, and the two sons were already being praised by those around them, who smiled and spoke of their promising futures with respect.

It would have been unreasonable to expect Addy not to feel inferior. Especially for the young Addy, who was just about to turn five, his seven-year-old brothers seemed like accomplished adults.

He could read and write, and he could understand books that were more difficult than those read by children his age. Still, the two-year age gap was insurmountable for the young Addy, and he felt anxious every time he couldn't keep up with their conversations or had to ask for help. He even thought he was troubling them.

When people around him said, "When you grow up, a two-year difference won't matter," the young Addy could only think that 'growing up' was a distant future.

This frustration turned into anxiety, which then led to pessimism. He worried that he would never catch up to his brothers and would always be a burden to them.

"Maybe they'll say I'm not needed anymore..."

This was Addy's frequent refrain at the time. Incidentally, if you told the current Addy this, he would turn bright red, scream, and run away, which would only add to the amusement of those around him. In any case, it was a story that would make others laugh, but the young Addy was genuinely troubled and pained by it.

In the midst of this, when the composed Caila called him over and said, "I have something to talk about," Addy's face turned pale, thinking it was finally happening. He had tried his best, reading many books and doing everything he could to serve the Albert family like his father and stand alongside the two sons like his brother. But if it still wasn't enough, his vision blurred with a sense of failure, though a part of him also felt a resignation.

Would he be assigned a different job, or sent to serve another family...? Such thoughts crossed his mind. Incidentally, if you mentioned this to Addy, he would respond with a dejected, "I really thought that!"

Caila, however, smiled softly and gently stroked his rusty-colored hair with her slender, flexible fingers.

"Addy, I have a request for you."

"Yes."

"I know you've been trying hard to catch up with the three of them. But from now on, I want you to do a different job."

"...Yes."

So, it was true, Addy thought. Despite his best efforts, he still wasn't good enough to serve the Albert family. The feeling of inadequacy, though he didn't know the word, weighed heavily on his chest.

Caila, seeing this, smiled softly and gently stroked his rusty-colored hair, then tenderly wiped away the tears that were welling up in his eyes.

"Addy, from now on, I want you to live for this child."

At the sound of Caila's gentle voice, Addy nodded, though it was a struggle to lift his head. "This child" must be a young lady from another family, he thought. The Albert family had a long history, and their family tree was vast, with many relatives of his age. He wondered if he would be serving one of their children, and he slowly raised his head, though the "child" still hadn't appeared.

Caila was smiling. There was no one next to her or behind her. She gently placed her left hand on her abdomen, a serene smile on her face as if watching over her child.

...Her hand, on her abdomen. The moment Addy saw this, his rusty-colored eyes widened.

Hadn't the lady been choosing looser clothing recently?

Hadn't the master been overly concerned about the lady's health, fussing over cushions and knee pads?

Hadn't an unfamiliar doctor been coming and going, yet the lady and the master seemed happy...?

Come to think of it, when one of the maids asked the unfamiliar doctor, "What's going on?" the lady had smiled happily and replied, "It's fine, I'll tell you later."

Putting all this together, seeing Caila smile in a dress with a loose fit around her abdomen, a thought formed in Addy's mind...

"Congratulations!"

And he bowed his head.

From then on, Addy's life became a whirlwind. He continued his studies to serve the Albert family's sons, but when it became clear that Caila had given birth to a young lady at a summer retreat, the direction of his studies changed. After all, he would be serving the Albert family's young lady. His job was to support her in becoming a fine lady, which meant he needed to be well-versed in the manners and etiquette of noble young ladies. He learned how to brew tea, how to host and manage tea parties, how to choose dresses, and even the language of flowers to avoid confusion when giving them.

Though he didn't realize it, Addy already had the intelligence needed to serve the Albert family. With a clear goal in mind, his rate of learning was astounding to those around him.

About a year after this change in Addy's life, the day came when Caila, who had been living at the summer retreat to raise the child, returned to the mansion. Of course, she would be bringing the young lady with her. The entire mansion was abuzz with anticipation from early morning, and the two sons, who were Mary's older brothers, were pacing back and forth between the entrance and their rooms. Addy, too, was more agitated than anyone else, pacing the spacious entrance hall like a dog, trying to regain his composure whenever someone passed by.

--- Those who had been with the family for a long time and knew the story would say, "Anyone who saw him would snap back to reality."

Finally, the sound of a carriage slowly pulling up was heard. Unable to contain his excitement, Addy rushed out of the entrance to see a high-quality carriage typical of the Albert family. A maid serving Caila appeared from the opened door, preparing a step and extending her hand into the carriage.

Caila emerged, supported by the maid. Seeing her, the waiting husband and children ran to her. Addy, who had rushed out of the mansion, was so overwhelmed that he didn't know what to do, but then he met Caila's eyes. She smiled warmly and slowly walked over, gently swaying the bundle in her arms.

"Addy, it's been a while."

"Welcome back, Lady."

"You've grown so much... Oh, Mary's awake. She was sleeping just a moment ago, but maybe she heard your voice."

The bundle in Caila's arms stirred, and a soft, curious sound could be heard. Caila smiled gently and slowly squatted down for their first meeting.

"Here, Mary, this is Addy."

Caila gently swayed the baby in her arms. Addy, hesitantly peering in, met the eyes of a lovely baby with large, expressive eyes. Despite her young age, she had a well-defined, beautiful face, with long lashes that fluttered with each blink. Her soft, silver hair, just beginning to grow, curled like an angel in a painting. After a moment, she looked at Addy and let out a high-pitched, childlike laugh.

"Oh, Mary, you like Addy, don't you?"

Caila smiled, turning to Addy. His rusty-colored eyes sparkled, and his cheeks were flushed with excitement at meeting the young lady he would serve for life. He slowly looked at Mary and, in a respectful and dignified manner, bowed his head, as befitting someone who served the Albert family. Though his movements were slightly awkward, they were still those of a servant.

"Nice to meet you, my..."

He started to say, but then hesitated. He needed to stop using childish words. He was going to protect this lovely young lady. He had to let go of the weakness that had been holding him back and become strong...

Thinking this, Addy looked back at Mary in Caila's arms. Her beautiful, inherited eyes gazed at him expectantly. In response, Addy slowly opened his mouth.

"Nice to meet you, my lady!"

---

"That's how it was. The Addy at that time was really adorable."

Caila smiled as she recounted the story, and Alicia, who was listening, responded with a dreamy look, "That's wonderful." Mary, sitting next to her, didn't say anything, but her relaxed smile showed that she was thoroughly enjoying the story. On the other hand, Addy, sitting next to Mary, was far from enjoying it. He covered his face with his hands, his ears as red as his brown hair, embarrassed by the story but unable to run away because the storyteller was Caila. To make matters worse, Caila occasionally asked him questions, forcing him to recount his feelings at the time. The only one who seemed to understand was Patrick, who patted Addy's shoulder.

"It was really funny after that. The boys didn't know how to handle a little girl, so they kept trying to make Mary happy and ended up making her cry all the time."

No matter how excellent the sons of a noble family might be, they were still just young boys. They could handle a girl their own age, but a toddler was a different story. They would show her frogs they caught from the pond and make her cry, give her bugs as presents and make her cry, show her a magnificent horse and make her cry, read her war stories and make her cry...

After about a year of this, they realized that Mary was a different kind of creature and started relying on Addy. Unaware of their feelings, the young Mary followed Addy around.

"Frogs and bugs won't make her happy. She's a girl, so you should give her ribbons and flowers."

And so, when Addy returned the frog to the pond and offered her a flower from nearby, Mary's tears stopped as if by magic. She sniffled and took the flower from Addy, and when he tied her loosening ribbon, her tear-streaked eyes narrowed in happiness.

Mary is a girl. She preferred ribbons and flowers to frogs and bugs, and small animals like cats and rabbits to majestic horses. She loved fairy tales about princesses and princes, and when her beautiful dress was praised as "princess-like," she would laugh with delight.

"Addy taught the boys, and it was like a role reversal. Especially on Mary's birthday..."

Caila smiled, remembering. Mary, sitting next to her, nudged Addy with her elbow, clearly enjoying the story. Knowing that he had understood and cared for her more than anyone else even before she could remember, any woman would be happy. Addy, nudged by the elbow, was visibly uncomfortable and, perhaps to cover it up, reached for Patrick's teacup and said, "I'll pour the tea."

Of course, his face was red, and his hands were shaking, but he managed to pour the tea without spilling a drop, a testament to his training as a servant of the Albert family. Mary smiled lovingly and playfully peered at his face.

"It was love at first sight."

At Mary's happy words, Addy, already red, coughed and said, "It wasn't love at first sight."

"From the moment you were in Lady's womb, you were the most important person in my life."

Before I even saw you, he said clearly. Mary's cheeks turned pink.

"Even before I saw you," Addy repeated, and Mary blushed even more. Alicia and Caila exchanged happy glances, and Patrick, unable to fully join in the mood, drank his tea in one gulp.

---

"Addy, Parfait is here."

"Parfait? Did he have an appointment?"

"No, he didn't. But he's here."

"...?"

"Come on, go to the entrance and greet him. He'll cry if you keep him waiting."

"(´；ω；)... "

"Wow, he's here."

"Good afternoon, Parfait."

"(´；ω；)!!"

"I see, so that's why you came."

"(´；ω；)――――!――!"

"Yes, it's really a wonderful story. You're right."

"(´；∀；)――!――!"

"(Parfait isn't saying anything... How is this conversation even happening...)"

"((´；ω；))――!!"

"Yes, you're absolutely right. Addy, don't you think so too?"

"I don't understand. Don't ask me."

"(´；ω；)――――!"

"So, what are you trying to say..."

――――is.

"Huh?"

"(´；ω；)――!"

――The Albert family――is―――.

"Huh? Huh??"

"(｀；ω；)――――!"

―'The Albert Family's Young Lady Wishes for Decline' is now available!―

"Stop it! Don't talk to me directly in my head!"

...

"(｀；ω；)――!"

――Family... Give me some korokke, please!―

---

"((｀；ω；)))――!!"

―For more details, see the activity report on 2015/4/5!―

"Stop it! Don't talk to me directly in my head!"