Reincarnated As The Only Son (18 years old) Of The Arrogant And Wicked Marquis Family. - Chapter 41: Luna, Misunderstandings, and Uncertain Feelings.

Luna, Misunderstandings, and Uncertain Feelings.

“Um, don’t you think of me as a handyman? I feel like you consult me about various things every time we meet.”

“W-Well, I don’t think of you as a handyman…”

The next day during lunch break,

I sat down in the reading area of the library, and Luna stared at me with piercing eyes.

“Why do you come to me with so many consultations?”

“Um… Do I have to say it? It’s embarrassing for someone older like me…”

“You’re good at evading, so I assume it’s just an excuse.”

Luna reached out to pick up a book. With that gesture, she conveyed the message, “If you think I see you as a handyman, I’ll just read instead,” leaving me with no escape.

Suppressing my embarrassment, I explained the reason.

“…It’s not an excuse. Luna, you are more knowledgeable than anyone else, and you give me solid advice. I rely on you, so I consult you.”

“I see…”

“Yeah.”

“If you think that way… then it’s fine.”

While looking out the window, Luna responded indifferently, but her hand placed on the book was fidgeting.

She must have felt embarrassed as well.

“…So, it’s about your attendant, right? The consultation.”

“I-I was thinking if you could help me decipher the words I can’t read….”

“Understood. Then, I’ll start with Shea-san’s.”

Nodding with a slight smile, Luna urged me to continue to the main topic.

“Thank you. So, it’s about Shea. I want to help her fix her habit of holding back.”

“Please go on.”

“Since we had some free time yesterday, we talked about her future. If she gets recommended to the royal palace, what would she do? The possibility is quite high.”

“I see. So, regardless of whether she gets recommended or not, she said she wants to serve as your attendant. Is that right? She said that?”

“D-Do you even know that?”

“I have plenty of factors to make judgments.”

“W-wow…”

Indeed, it’s Luna. The consultation smoothly progresses without starting from scratch.

“If she made that judgment, then I don’t think there’s a problem.”

“Nah, there is a problem. It doesn’t make sense for her not to serve at the royal palace, right? She could have a stable life, gain prestige, and even approach influential people who visit the palace. It’s not a place where just anyone can serve.”

“I can’t say you’re wrong.”

Beret didn’t notice the significant meaning behind the naturally spoken “there is” in response.

“But Shea is willing to serve me here, rejecting all those benefits. And she said she’ll do it until I find a marriage partner. If she does that, she might miss her own chance of getting married, right? Shea.”

“That’s also a possibility. Exclusive attendants usually can’t form romantic relationships.”

“Exactly! If that happens, it would be like I’m ruining Shea’s life…”

“You don’t want that.”

“Yeah. I’ve relied on her so much that I want her to be happy, and I know many good things about her.”

“…”

“It’s hard to say. There’s hesitation. I don’t want her to end up on this path because of consideration or being mindful. I really don’t.”

To only enjoy the sweet nectar and then abandon her in the end. He didn’t want such a future.

Although Shea wasn’t related by blood, he saw her as family.

“So, this leads to the consultation about wanting her to fix her habit of holding back. If she didn’t hesitate, she wouldn’t refuse the recommendation to the royal palace, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I have one question. What are the reasons for your judgment of ‘hard to say,’ ‘hesitation,’ and ‘being mindful’?”

“…Um, it’s embarrassing to say this myself, but she seems to want to serve me even in the future, saying things like ‘There’s no one more wonderful than Beret-sama,’ or something like that… right?”

“That’s truly embarrassing to say.”

“D-Don’t tease me…”

The deadpan response without any expression was, in a sense, the most effective retort.

Clearing his throat and adjusting his feelings, he began to explain again.

“Shea is only 16 years old, and she’s smart. That’s why I can only think she’s saying it out of consideration for me. Sorry for the blunt words, but it’s clear that her perspective has become narrow.”

“If you continue to meet new people, you’ll find someone even more wonderful than you. The theory is that it doesn’t match the benefits of serving at the royal palace, and she’s being considerate.”

“Yeah, exactly!”

Luna verbalized all his feelings.

Just as he nodded in agreement, she said something unexpected.

“I don’t think she would become like that in front of you.”

“Huh?”

“Shea-san is an excellent attendant. She probably understands the benefits of serving at the royal palace better than anyone else.”

“Well… yeah.”

“To put it simply, if she can serve at the royal palace, it will elevate your and the Marquis’s impression among the royal family. There is a process of being trained as an exclusive attendant, you see.”

Luna didn’t know much about Shea, but she saw through everything.

She knew many good things about Beret from their interactions.

“Furthermore, depending on Shea-san’s efforts, the Marquis’s family may establish a strong connection with the royal family. Handing over an attendant is a kind of bridge.”

“…”

“And yet, Shea-san is rejecting such an opportunity. To put it in harsher words for clarity, she’s trying to waste the best way she can repay you as an attendant.”

He hadn’t even considered such benefits. Thanks to Luna’s wisdom, he became aware of them.

“In that case, there’s no way she would refuse… right? Shea…”

“If that’s the case, she genuinely wants to serve you. If she’s being considerate, I believe she would accept the recommendation to the royal palace.”

Luna presented a counter-argument, leaving no room for rebuttal.

“S-So, when Shea was talking, it wasn’t just about her position as an attendant or being considerate? Something like ‘more wonderful than you’… including that?”

“I can only explain it that way.”

“…”

“Beret Stanford.”

“Y-Yes.”

Caught off guard by the sudden use of his name, he replied as if he was being interviewed.

“To you, she may seem weak, hesitant, and inclined to self-sacrifice, but in reality, she’s a girl who can express her opinions firmly to ensure she has no regrets in her own life.”

“…”

“And it’s such a pity for Shea-san. She didn’t realize the best approach she could take as an attendant.”

“Ah, I-I mean… that’s…”

“It’s not just an ‘ah, I mean…’ It’s a pity. I think it’s a misunderstanding that comes with being an attendant, but if I were in Shea’-sans position, I would be crying.”

Luna’s drowsy eyes sharpened, as if she was defending Shea.

And she secretly clenched the feather-shaped bookmark in her pocket.

There was a sense of frustration building up inside.

There was someone who had expressed their feelings alone—knowing that fact.

She was trying to somehow dispel that frustration.

“But, blaming her so much here would also be a pity. Shall we change the topic to the matter of deciphering the skillful handwriting that you can’t read?”

“Ah, thank you. Then, let’s move on to the next topic…”

Luna still didn’t know. That this, too, would become a topic that adds to the frustration.