RBD 4

Chapter 4

“My Lady, wear this!”

I hurriedly took off my cardigan and pushed it toward Cecilia. Cecilia stared blankly down at my shabby cardigan.

“…Why are you giving this to me?”
“The person who cried in the backyard today. Let’s just say it was me, not you.”

Answering like that, I bundled the cardigan into Cecilia’s arms.

“Look! My skirt is purple, too. If you’re wearing my clothes, no one will think the Young Lady was the one crying.”

Whew, for some reason I really wanted to wear this purple skirt today. Isn’t it such a relief? Meanwhile, Cecilia’s expression became incredibly strange.

What, why, what.

Do you have a better solution?

I boldly met Cecilia’s gaze.

“I also have blonde hair and green eyes, right? If you wear my clothes, from a distance, people won’t be able to tell easily if it’s me or you.”
“But you don’t even belong to the annex staff.”
“They’ll just think I went there on an errand. If anyone asks me, I’ll say I went to the annex to deliver something.”
“But you haven’t even been crying…”
“I can just start crying now!”

I rubbed my eyes with all my might. Then, I tried my best to think of the saddest thoughts possible.

Sad thoughts, sad thoughts…

Mom’s treatment costs.

The transportation costs of going back and forth to the hospital.

Even the living expenses we’ll need while she gets treated.

Ha, it feels so hopeless.

Then, my nose began to sting, and a few tears actually trickled out. I quickly looked at Cecilia.

“How is it? With this, won’t people believe it a little?”
“Forget it. You don’t have to go that far…”

Cecilia now looked clearly flustered. But I pushed her firmly.

“No, put it on!”

If someone catches her having cried, she’ll think I’m the one who spread the rumor!

“Even if it’s not for that reason. The weather is quite cold. The sun will set soon… it would be a big problem if you caught a cold.”“……”

At those words, her blue-green eyes held a complex light. Fidgeting with the hem of the cardigan for no reason, Cecilia suddenly asked me:

“Why are you going this far for me?”

Because I don’t want to earn the Female Lead’s resentment…

But since I couldn’t say that so bluntly, I gave a reasonably vague answer.

“There doesn’t have to be a grand reason for one person to help another, does there?”
“……”

For a moment, Cecilia faltered.

“Of course, my Lady is a noble person, and I am just a mere commoner.”

Lightly shrugging my shoulders, I quickly draped the cardigan over Cecilia.

“If you were shedding tears to this extent, it must be because your heart is very burdened.”

“That’s…”

“I think even the Young Lady needs time to cry comfortably once in a while.”

Hmm, was that a decent enough answer to take the protagonist’s side? I am peeking at Cecilia’s face. Her expression was… mysterious. I couldn’t tell if she was in a good mood or a bad one. It seemed best to make my escape at this point.

“Then, may I take my leave? I have to get back to cleaning soon.”

I added cautiously. Cecilia suddenly stared at me intently.

“You, are you a maid of the Trangsie Barony?”

Now why is she asking that? I suppressed my curiosity and bowed my head politely.

“Yes, that is correct, my Lady.”

“Fine, I understand. You may go.”

Nodding, Cecilia turned sharply and walked away toward the other side of the backyard. Left alone, I let out a sigh of relief.

Phew, I really thought I was going to die.

Still, I ran into the literal protagonist of this world. If it ended like this, I’d say I held my own.

But, isn’t this a bit strange?

I slightly furrowed my brows. From what I heard, didn’t the Lucert family all go out for a hot spring bath together? Why was Cecilia left behind all alone?

The time when the sun was slowly setting.

I was heading home with a bright smile, clutching a heavy basket dearly. Oh, what’s in the basket? They gave me some leftover food ingredients from the kitchen today.

It was a reasonably okay day.

Of course, when I ran into the original female lead, I thought my heart was going to drop! But it seems I got away safely without getting on her bad side.

I have to be careful never to run into her again.

With my mind made up, I opened the front door energetically.

“Mom, I’m ho—”

At that same moment, I dropped the basket in my arms.

“Cough, cough-cough!!”

Bent over, my mom was coughing violently. The sound of the cough scratching her throat was not normal at all.

“Mom!!”

Startled enough to faint, I rushed over to her.

“Cough! …Haa, my daughter is home?”

Mom tried to smile with a pale face. But that was only for a moment.

“How was your day… cough!”

Another fit of intense coughing broke out. Hurriedly supporting her, I asked with a tearful face.

“Why, what’s wrong? Since when has your cough been this bad?!”

“No, ahem, it’s just a cold.”

Barely calmed down, Mom looked at me with a face flushed bright red. Then she grinned at me as if it were nothing.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing big.”

…She’s struggling this much, there’s no way it’s just a cold. Biting my lower lip, my gaze landed on a cup on the table. Those dried leaves inside the cup were…

Herbs used to stop coughing.

Had she been just picking herbs and brewing them as a temporary fix until now? Without saying a single word to me about being sick?

“Mom, have you seen a doctor?”

“A doctor? Do you even know how much a consultation fee is?”

Mom answered dismissively. Irritated, I raised my voice.

“Is the consultation fee what matters right now? If you’re sick, you have to see a doctor first…!”

“Enough, enough. I’ll get better if I rest. By the way, what’s that? What’s with the basket?”

Waving her hand, Mom quickly changed the subject.

“……”

Instead of answering, I glared at her disapprovingly. Then Mom gave me a sly smile.

“Daughter, so you’re not going to tell me what it is?”

“…I got some potatoes and meat today. They said there were ingredients left over.”

In the end, I replied with a grumpy voice. Mom spoke to me affectionately again.

“Really? Then how about meat and potato stew for dinner? Mom will make it for you.”

“Forget it, I’ll prepare it today. A sick person doing what…”

“Look at her. I haven’t aged so much that I’d make my daughter cook after she’s been working all day.”

Mom teased me playfully. For a moment, I felt a lump in my throat. Even though she was suffering so much from coughing just now. Because I could feel her kindness—how she tried her best to act okay so I wouldn’t worry.

I’m going to make Mom better, no matter what.

I clenched my fists with a determined look. But that was only for a moment.

…So, how am I supposed to earn the money for the doctor?

A maid’s wages won’t even come close. I struggled to swallow the sigh rising to my throat.

The next day.

Right after I arrived at work, bolt-from-the-blue news was delivered to me.