Chapter 28

"Good job, good boy."

Gardener Ratts patted the horse's neck as it approached him, checking on the horse's condition. Since he had let it run a bit today, he was being thorough with the health check. The Turkis family carriage was a pair, and there were two horses in the stable, but their care was mainly Ratts' responsibility.

"Ratts?"

Ratts turned at the sound of his name to see Maïna standing there in her pajamas. Seeing her, Ratts sighed deeply.

"What are you wearing...?"

"What's wrong with it?"

Maïna puffed out her cheeks. It was clearly not an appropriate outfit to be in front of a man. What would the other men say if they saw her? Ratts thought Maïna should have a bit more modesty, especially since she was so cute.

"Ah, maybe..."

Maïna smiled slyly. Ratts narrowed his eyes, sensing something was off.

"Are you captivated by my charm?"

"It's about having some modesty."

Ratts averted his gaze as Maïna wriggled her body. Maïna's appearance was not inferior to the other maids. However, there was a reason for Ratts' lack of reaction.

Ratts and Maïna had grown up together since childhood. Ratts had no parents. When he was still young, he survived an accident that claimed the lives of his parents during a trip. It was Maïna's parents, friends of his father, who saved him. They took in the homeless Ratts and raised him like a brother to Maïna. Ratts, in turn, understood the love of Maïna's parents and became an apprentice to her father, who was a court gardener, leading to his current position.

Ratts felt it would be wrong to see Maïna, whom he had grown up with like a sister, as a woman. Ideally, he wanted to maintain a brotherly distance.

"Here, you'll catch a cold if you stay outside in that outfit for too long."

Ratts subtly showed his concern, but Maïna puffed out her cheeks again.

"Mmm... I don't think it's that bad."

Maïna emphasized her chest with her arms. The thin fabric of her pajamas made the gesture quite dangerous. Ratts' heart skipped a beat, and his gaze wandered. Maïna was indeed cute, and that was what troubled the young Ratts.

(You should be a bit more considerate...)

Ratts sighed deeply in his heart.

"But, it can't be helped, I guess."

Ignoring Ratts' thoughts, Maïna blurted out:

"Ratts, you like big chests, don't you?"

"Wha—!?"

Ratts couldn't help but sputter, and Maïna smiled mischievously.

"I know. You always sneak peeks at Misha's chest, don't you?"

"I don't look!"

Ratts blushed and denied it, but Maïna moved closer. The fresh scent of her bath tickled his nose. Misha's chest was indeed large, and it was understandable for a man's gaze to wander. According to Maïna, Misha had an excellent figure and was famous among the maids as the "Perfect Body of Filfarria" and the "Untouchable of the Maid World." Misha herself seemed completely unaware of this.

Ratts tried to back away, but Maïna closed the distance.

"Your face is red, Ratts?"

"Y-You...!"

Ratts couldn't say it was because Maïna was too close. He tried to create some distance, but then he remembered he was cleaning the stable. He stopped his hand mid-air, not wanting to dirty Maïna, who had just bathed. Taking advantage of this, Maïna moved even closer.

"Are you thinking about Misha's—"

"It's mine, isn't it?"

Suddenly, Misha's drawn-out voice came from the side.

"A, Misha—"

Seizing the opportunity, Ratts turned to Misha, losing his words. Misha, who had just come out of the bath, was still blushing. She was wearing a negligee with a cardigan over it, leaving her chest largely exposed. The well-shaped chest was pushing against the thin fabric.

"What's the matter, Ratts?"

Misha tilted her head with a relaxed smile, but Ratts was transfixed by her appearance. Maïna, with a mischievous smile, glared at Ratts and said:

"Ratts is really interested in Misha's chest, you know."

"Wha—!?"

Ratts almost shouted but quickly swallowed his words.

"Oh my..."

Misha, sounding troubled, covered her chest with her cardigan. However, the tight fit made her chest look even more alluring, though she didn't seem to notice.

"That's not good, Ratts. It's embarrassing to be stared at like that."

Misha's drawn-out voice, now sounding more sweet than relaxed, hit Ratts' eardrums.

"Hmm... It's okay, Ratts. It's fine to look sometimes."

"That's not what I meant—"

Misha responded with a troubled voice to Maïna's words. Ratts had reached his limit.

"I'm going to bed! G-Good night!"

Before his rationality snapped, Ratts, his face red, ran away.

"Wait, Ratts!"

Maïna called out, but he kept running. Maïna stuck out her tongue, realizing she had gone too far.

"He's just shy..."

"It seems I intruded..."

Misha apologized, looking a bit guilty. Maïna reassured her, "Don't worry, don't worry," and they walked together to their rooms.