Chapter 135:
"The medicine Crassida Orlin gave Penelois-nim contained poison. It's a very poor quality one, too......"
"I knew it. Because she's not a woman who will give me medicine with a good intention."
"How you use this fact is up to you, Penelois-nim."
Sarah smiled leisurely and looked at Penelois. The future Empress in front of her would probably do a great job. Penelois, who knew nothing, seemed nervous.
"So can I go and say goodbye to Claude-nim now? I also want to say goodbye to the cute Elexa-nim."
"Ah, of course. Elexa looks disappointed, too."
Penelois stood up in shock when she realized that she had taken away a lot of Sarah's time. Even so, Elexa was also anxious because Sarah, the only adult he knew in the mansion, was leaving far away. Although Claude was there, his face turned white with tension when he heard that Benjamin would be next to him until Sarah returned.
"I'll have to come back soon, even for Elexa-nim."
Sarah said as she stepped out of Penelois' room.
"......"
At those words, Penelois looked at her with a slightly strange expression. Then, with a cautious gesture, she approached Sarah and whispered in a small voice.
"But wouldn't it be better to take it easy and come back?"
"What? Why?"
"It's just that, it's your chance to spend time with the Duke-nim, isn't it?"
"Oh my."
Sarah's eyes widened at Penelois' words. Penelois smiled slightly as she saw Sarah stop her steps, covering her mouth with her hand.
"I watched everything from the window earlier. Countess Millen-nim, are you interested in Duke Ambrosia-nim?"
"Ah, that......"
Penelois laughed aloud as she saw Sarah, who had a big and overwhelming presence like Mount Tai a while ago, rolled her eyes around in embarrassment. Sarah's shy face looked so different from her elegant gesture from before. The red blush that crept up her white skin made her look more lovely.
"The only weapon I have is that I'm quick-witted. It was raised very sharply to survive."
"......"
"It looks like what I'm saying is correct."
Penelois said with a pleasant smile. She thought that Sarah's face, looking at Duke Ethan Ambrosia, resembled herself the day she fell in love. Sarah hurriedly grabbed her hem and opened her mouth.
"It's a secret, a secret!"
"Don't worry. Countess Millen-nim is my benefactor, so I'll do my best to help."
Sarah was visibly relieved at Penelois' words. Then, in a subdued voice, she asked.
"But how did you know? Was it too obvious?"
"Countess Millen-nim never takes your eyes off of Young Lord Ambrosia when you're with him, don't you?"
Sarah nodded her head calmly and answered.
"That's right."
"But Duke-nim is the only one that you give more attention than Young Lord Ambrosia."
"Ah......"
Penelois smiled softly at Sarah, who opened her lips slightly and admired her. The gaze was like a way of representing the mind, so it stayed more on the side where the mind went. When she was with Claude, she could see Sarah's eyes that were looking for the child quickly while looking elsewhere, and when Sarah was with Ethan, Penelois could see that she kept looking at him while trying to look at the child.
'It may not be love, but she keeps looking at him lovingly.'
She made a bet and got it right. Sarah's bewildered figure made Penelois freshly aware of her, and then she felt as cute as she was back then.
"So how are you going to sedu...... No, how are you going to win Duke-nim's heart?"
"I don't know......"
Lost in thought, Sarah moved more slowly than before. With every step she took, it seemed that her troubles were dripping out.
"Looking from the window, it seemed that there were a lot of ladies who were interested in Duke-nim."
"Really?"
Sarah raised her head at Penelois' words.
"Yes, it looked like a lot."
"Ah, really. I know he's all handsome......"
"Duke Ambrosia-nim is gorgeous."
"That's all? He's good, he has good manners, he's so thoughtful when he's kind."
Sarah pouted her lips and said dissatisfiedly, but in the end, she was tired because Ethan was so good and perfect. All the way to Claude's room, Penelois thought, listening to Sarah talking about Ethan's beauty. What magic did Ethan Ambrosia do to Sarah?
'It was scary.'
From Sarah's words, Ethan also sounds like a very sweet and attentive person to her. Penelois, who had met Ethan for a brief moment, had nothing to agree with Sarah's words other than the Duke's perfect appearance. It was Ethan who thoroughly distinguished even the favors entangled with complicated interests under his cool and indifferent eyes. It was even more so because Eleon showed a nervous expression saying that Ambrosia's favor came at a price.
'It's like she's describing someone else.'
When you fall in love, you have fantasies about that person. Penelois smiled, thinking so.
"Nanny!"
From afar, Claude ran over to this side, calling Sarah with a bright face.
"Heaven, Claude-nim! What are you going to do if you fall?!"
"You're too late!"
Looking at Claude hugging Sarah as hard as he could, Penelois thought. With Claude so happy and obedient to Sarah like that, the Duke of Ambrosia didn't seem to mind either. She had such a strange feeling.
"Our Claude-nim is the cutest baby in the world. Having to leave Claude-nim behind...... I'm so sad, what should I do?"
"I'm not a baby! I'm all grown up."
"How can I go without my baby? Ah, that's so sad."
"I'm not a baby!"
Sarah hugged Claude and sadly rubbed her cheek against the child's cheek. She hadn't felt this touch in a while. She was already upset just imagining it.
"Don't be so sad without me. Got it?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine!"
"Listen carefully to Benjamin."
"I don't like that!"
"Then make sure that Benjamin listens well to Claude-nim."
"I like that!"
Sarah and Claude looked at each other and grinned.
"Belluna will be with you, so don't worry too much. Veron and Ronda are here, too."
"Still, I like Nanny the most. So you have to come back quickly."
"I'll do my best."
As Sarah and Claude bid farewell to each other, Benjamin looked at them with a crooked face.
"Master, there is a signal from Belluna. Now is the time to go."
It was better to hurry than to keep seeing this, but it didn't work for Sarah and Claude, who both liked each other so much.
"I know, but Claude-nim is so cute that I can't walk. What should I do?"
"......Haa."
Benjamin bowed his head, sighed deeply, and found Elexa lingering next to him.
'What's wrong with him too?'
He was like a dog whimpered and looked at Sarah. Judging by the way Penelois glanced at Elexa and gave him a glance, it seemed he wanted to say goodbye to Sarah. Benjamin sighed quietly as he looked at Elexa, who was timid, unlike the ferocious Claude.
"You can go and say goodbye."
He patted Elexa on the back and pushed him.
"......!"
Elexa, who suddenly ran towards Sarah and Claude, could not even scream and opened his eyes.
"Oh my, does Elexa-nim want a hug too?"
Sarah smiled at Elexa as he approached her and stretched out her other arm that wasn't holding Claude.
"......Can we do that?"
Elexa asked, looking carefully at Penelois. As Penelois smiled and nodded her head, a red blush appeared on Elexa's pale cheeks. Elexa then approached Sarah's outstretched hand. Then Sarah used her strength and embraced Elexa at once.
"Woahh!"
Claude exclaimed pleasantly when he was held in Sarah's arms at the same time as Elexa. Claude and Elexa looked at each other in Sarah's arms, grinned, and placed their heads on her shoulders in unison.
"Heok."
Sarah's heart, who was holding a kitten and a puppy in her arms at the same time, pounded so hard.