CHAPTER 44: 憧 — WISTERIA WITHOUT SHADE [2]

"What?! Veronica sent an invitation to him?"

That evening, Orion Valentine, the duke of Valentine dukedome, was shocked by the sudden news. Orion looked up at his butler, who had dropped a bomb shell on him, still holding the unfinished papers.

"Yes, my lord. Apparently, she wished to meet the young master."

"Did you find the reason for this sudden invitation?"

"Yes, as you know, the young master had recently injured himself in that attack which happened on Eclipse, I believe, Lady Veronica must have been wanting to know the status of her youngest brother’s health."

"Ah...that news slipped my mind." Orion’s mouth hung open. Maintaining his posture, he asked dryly, "How is he doing?"

"He is doing brilliantly, my lord. After his acceptance in Eclipse as a research scholar, his reputation had slightly increased among his peers, though there were few..."

The butler continued with the same tone as he proudly declared the young master’s achievements.

"Alright, you could stop. That would be enough."

Orion, raising a hand, stopped his butler.

"My apologies."

Duke Orion’s mind shifted towards his youngest son.

’Leon... so you finally understood.’

That child never really cared about studies; he has never truly bothered to ask his father to teach him anything.

Since birth, he has never taken any interest. That was the reason why Orion had abandoned him.

He thought that, by doing so, Leon would work harder to prove his worth to him, to gain attention, to gain a slightest bit of longing... and it did work out that way he wanted it to be.

Leon started proving his worth. He achieved what Rowan, his eldest son, could never do.

Being selected as a research scholar was a huge deal after all.

But after Leon had achieved all that, Orion didn’t praise him. He feared that he would go back to his initial stage again. To be worthless again.

So, he treated him the way Leon was always used to.

Orion put down the pen and questioned.

"What’s the status of Leon’s finances?"

"I apologised, I have not checked it yet. Just give me a few minutes."

To his words, Orion thought for a bit before ordering.

"Don’t bother, just increase his weekly finances to 20000 gold coins, let others not see him the way they used to."

Orion coldly declared.

"As a Valentine, he must work his way out, the only thing we could help him with was money."

There was a reason why Orion was that strict on Leon. As compared to his other two siblings, he was weak, extremely weak... and to overcome it, there was only one thing he could do, which he was extremely familiar with:

To treat a worthless person as worthless.

Because that was how Orion’s own father did it to him.

"That would be a wonderful present, my lord. This would make the young master work even harder."

"Also, don’t let the duchess find out about it," Orion warned.

The butler bowed, the expression on his face shifted, as his sharp gaze fell on Orion.

"That goes without saying. Leave everything to me, my lord."

— — —

Leon furrowed his eyebrows. Right now, he was in a staring contest with his maid.

It would take at least three hours by carriage. To kill the awkward silence, Leon had, on a whim, suggested a staring game.

He half-expected Myra to shake her head and lecture him about dignity or wasting time. Instead, she simply said, "As you wish, young master."

And now she was cooking him alive. Because who ever blinked first, would have to tell the other their secret.

"..."

"..."

Her calm, unblinking eyes looked less like a maid and more like a hawk dissecting its prey.

’What kind of maid takes this seriously?’ Leon thought, forcing his eyes wider.

In the whole process, Leon overlooked one crucial point. That the person sitting in front of him was not a regular maid. No. She was one of the Elite companions of Veronica.

A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.

"..."

"..."

Myra didn’t even flinch.

Leon’s lips twitched.

’This is bad. Why does it feel like I just handed her the knife and told her to stab me?’

The most he despised in the world was to lose in a game.

Leon’s eyes were starting to burn.

’Should I blink? I want to—’

His vision blurred, but he refused to blink. He could feel Myra staring into his very soul.

’Why is she good at this?’

"...."

"...."

Seconds stretched into minutes. The carriage jolted, but neither of them moved. Leon’s throat dried. He was losing.

Then finally, Myra’s lashes quivered, and she blinked.

"Heh. I won." Leon sneered, finally blinking his eyes several times.

Myra exhaled through her nose, the corners of her lips twitching as if she wanted to scoff.

"...You must remain insufferable before meeting her."

"...wait, what?" Leon blinked at her words.

"It is as I said, young master, congrats on winning," she lifted her arm in a ’hurray!’ position, before adding, "I always knew you had it in you."

Leon felt a vein popping on his forehead.

’She played me. Very well...’

With a smug expression, he leaned back with his arm crossed.

"Now then, as a rule, you must tell me one of your secrets."

For a moment, Myra stayed silent.

She looked out the carriage window as if debating whether this was beneath her. Then, with a perfectly straight face, she said.

"...I once poisoned an entire banquet hall."

Leon froze.

"...I’m sorry, what?"

She tilted her head, recalling fondly.

"They were all corrupt nobles. The way their bodies twitched on the floor... ah, it was beautiful. Like fish flopping out of water."

Leon’s smile died.

"That’s not the kind of secret I was expecting."

Myra, however, wore the faintest, almost girlish smile like she was remembering her first love, her eyes shimmered as if she was mocking Leon for never asking her to play the game.

"...I still remember the smell of the wine." Said Myra.

Leon pinched the bridge of his nose.

Leon was expecting her to admit she wet the bed once or something... not confess a massacre.

’Haah.. the first thing I will ask Veronica about, was her choice of making her my maid.’

"Forget it," he muttered, "let’s never play ever again."

Myra sat straighter, her expression changed back to maid-like.

"Understood, young master. But for the record... if you blinked first, I would’ve made you tell me when you stopped wetting the bed."

Leon almost choked on his own breath, but he didn’t let it show on his face. Looking back, he replied.

"Depends. Do you mean physically, or emotionally?"

Myra froze.

"Pfffttt..."

Then a sharp snort slipped out before she could stop it.

"K–khh—hah—hahahaha—!"

Leon just stared at her. The one who once poisoned the banquet hall was laughing.

It was his first time seeing her in that mood.

"First time I’ve seen you laugh," he muttered.

Myra wiped the corner of her eye, still chuckling, her voice became lighter than usual.

"Strange right? I’d nearly forgotten I was capable of it."