HSTYM 05

Maybe that was really what would have happened.

She would have stood in front of the door until enough time had passed, then gone home and told her father that she had not been able to see the Young Master.

It was kind of him to come out himself so that such a situation would not happen, but when she saw his handsome face with his nose wrinkled playfully, she became annoyed.

Either way, he was the one who had brought Herace here today to use her as his plaything. In other words, he was also the reason she had been hesitating in front of the door.

Herace had been caught looking frightened just moments ago, so she opened her mouth in a stern voice, determined not to let him look down on the little pride she had left.

“I was just about to go inside.”

“Oh, is that so?”

The corners of Xenon’s lips rose crookedly, creating a strange sneer.

“Well, that doesn’t matter. What matters is the game you’re going to show me today.”

“A game?”

“I told you that watching children cry and scream wasn’t fun, right? Then bring me something more interesting.”

“What…?”

“If the games you bring me aren’t fun, I’ll go back to the game I was playing before.”

As he spoke, Xenon suddenly smiled ominously, as if he had just thought of something amusing.

“And this time, you have to join in too.”

“Why me?”

“You lived quietly and did everything I told you, but you still failed to entertain me.”

“This is ridiculous…”

It was ridiculous, but at least inside Lambert Mansion, Xenon’s word was law.

If Xenon wanted to, he could call the children together right now and do something absurd like last time. And none of the adults in this house would stop his behavior simply because Herace was only a servant.

In fact, it was strange that he was being this fickle at all. From what Herace had heard, Xenon Lianeric was almost obsessively firm once he made a decision.

Anyway, Herace had to pay the price for coming here again, even after criticizing this stubborn way of playing.

After all, she had come here in the first place to make him stop doing such things.

She crossed her arms and raised her chin.

“Fine.”

“Then shall I hear what kind of game a person who isn’t an animal plays?”

As he said this, Xenon grabbed Herace’s arm and led her into the room.

Inside, tea was steaming on the table along with some snacks, as if a maid had prepared them.

Throughout the carriage ride here, Herace had been thinking about how to deal with Xenon.

Unfortunately, Herace had been born an only child, and after possessing the body of an only child, she did not really know how to play with children her age.

Things like soccer or basketball, which boys around his age might enjoy, required too many people. And although Xenon looked perfectly healthy on the outside, he was apparently someone who had been given only a few years to live. Such activities did not seem suitable for him.

Herace thought she needed to learn more about Xenon first.

“What do you like, Young Master?”

“Everything.”

“What do you dislike?”

“That too. Everything.”

He’s just playing with words.

It was a failure.

Herace frowned and decided to start by talking about herself.

“I hate embroidery. And tea ceremonies too. I’m terribly bad at both. So let’s leave those two out.”

“Do whatever you want.”

“How about reading a book, for the sake of your health? I’ll read it to you.”

“What book?”

Herace had heard from her father that Xenon was quite good at reading.

Although he did not show it because he was wary of his uncle, Marquis Velks, she had also heard that he liked studying and had a high level of knowledge.

Of course, Herace could not say that her own grades were good. They were slightly better than a complete mess.

So she was not suggesting that they study something boring simply because they were supposed to play.

What Herace had in mind was One Thousand and One Nights.

Maybe Xenon would become interested if she told him some classic stories that did not exist in this world.

She knew many stories, including the story of a king who had been betrayed by his wife and killed a new woman every day, but could not kill his new wife for a thousand nights because he was too interested in the stories she told him.

Just as the clever Scheherazade had survived the evil tyrant, perhaps poor Herace could also survive the wicked Xenon.

Maybe Herace was the one who had really believed in fairy tales.

She sat in a chair, picked up a random book she had brought, and began telling a story she had known in the world before she possessed this body.

“And so Cinderella… lived happily ever after…!”

“……”

Herace watched Xenon’s reaction and, with a troubled expression, brought up the next story.

This isn’t working.

In One Thousand and One Nights, the tyrant had been moved to tears and stayed awake because the stories were so interesting…

This is probably hopeless.

“The next title is The Little Prince.”

“All the stories you tell are similar. Shall I guess what happens just by looking at the title? This time, it’s about a young prince marrying a rich queen.”

“You’re completely wrong. Just be quiet and listen.”

“You said Kongjwi and Patjwi wasn’t like that either, but it was similar. More importantly, how can someone’s name be Bean?”

It was not just a little hopeless.

This is a complete disaster.

Herace shook her head and closed the book.

Xenon sat with one arm draped over the back of his chair in a rude, relaxed posture and sneered.

“Why? Keep going.”

“No. Let’s move on to the next game. From now on, we’re going to draw pictures.”

“Drawing. That sounds really fun.”

His mocking voice remained the same.

Even so, Herace snorted.

As if I’m going to make him do some fancy aristocratic drawing competition.

“Is anyone there? We’re going to draw together, so please prepare some art supplies.”

At Herace’s command, the maids quickly prepared the supplies.

Xenon looked down at the neatly woven canvas and paints with a bored expression.

“What kind of game is this?”

“We’re going to draw each other’s faces.”

“Portraits? That’s so boring I could yawn.”

“It’s not a portrait. We’re going to draw each other as differently as possible.”

It was a game she had often played with the classmate sitting beside her during evening self-study back in school.

They would cover their sketchbooks with their arms and draw each other’s faces as ridiculously as possible.

Then, when they revealed the drawings at the same time, they would burst out laughing at the exaggerated cheekbones, noses that looked like they had been pressed down, and overly thick lips.

Herace looked at Xenon with a slightly tense expression.

His black hair was as dark as the night sky. Thick eyelashes cast shadows over his pale blue-gray eyes. He had a high nose and red lips.

Honestly, there was nothing about Xenon Lianeric’s face that she could make fun of.

But she was determined to draw him as foolishly as possible and make him laugh.

The easels were arranged facing each other so that they could not peek at each other’s drawings.

“Do you understand? Draw each other as differently as possible. You have one hour.”

Without answering, Xenon lazily picked up his palette and began painting without even making a sketch first.

Meanwhile, Herace was doing fairly well.

She had originally been unable to draw anything except stick figures, but after spending Viscount Lorca’s precious money on lessons, she had managed to develop a decent amount of skill.

Herace did her best to make Xenon look ugly.

At first, she had been worried because she did not know how to ruin such a beautiful face while still making it recognizable.

But once she started drawing, it was easier than she expected.

In fact, thinking about Xenon’s reaction when he saw it made her remember her old school days, and she began to enjoy herself.

She occasionally noticed Xenon looking at her disapprovingly while she giggled to herself, but the two of them finished their drawings within an hour.

Herace had been pressed for time and had not even finished coloring hers.

She hugged the canvas covered in her messy drawing and approached Xenon.

Xenon had already finished his drawing ten minutes earlier. He did not seem to care whether she peeked at it or not.

He was simply looking somewhere else as if he found this time boring.

Herace quietly approached and looked at his canvas.

Oh my goodness.

There was an incredibly beautiful woman drawn there.

She had not realized it because the entire drawing was done in black and white, but the person smiling with her lips slightly pouted inside the canvas was Herace.

She did not know exactly what he had changed, but the coy smile was so charming that it immediately caught her attention.

Staring blankly at the picture, Herace opened her mouth.

“Uh… But why didn’t you draw me differently?”

“What?”

“I told you to draw me as differently as possible.”

“I did.”

“What?”

Herace had not understood him at first, but her expression slowly hardened.

If this is the opposite, then what does he think my face actually looks like?

It was a little embarrassing to admit, but the Herace Lorca whose body she had possessed was quite—no, very—no, extremely cute.

She had soft, light-colored golden hair that looked fluffy to the touch, gentle hazelnut-colored eyes, cute aegyo-sal that rose when she smiled, and small, plump lips.

She had never lost anything in life because of her face. If anything, her appearance had always benefited her.

And he drew me like this and says it’s the opposite?

“Show me what you drew.”

Although she had tried her hardest to make him look ugly, she absolutely did not want to show it.

If Xenon’s picture was supposed to be the opposite of how Herace actually looked, then Herace’s picture was nothing more than a praise of Xenon’s beauty.

This little brat…!

“No!”

“Why?”

Herace backed away with her face bright red, hiding her canvas behind her.

Xenon seemed to understand the situation and slightly raised the corner of his mouth.

“Why are you acting like that?”

“N-nothing. Let’s stop this game.”

“It’s definitely not nothing.”

As if he had finally regained his interest, Xenon fixed his gaze on Herace and stood up.

Every time he took a step toward her, Herace stepped backward.

Then she suddenly thought about it.

Why am I the one hiding my picture like this?

Xenon was the one who had teased her first even though they were supposed to draw each other differently!

Herace gritted her teeth and shoved the canvas into Xenon’s arms.

“If you’re so curious, then look! I’m leaving!”

Damn that arrogant Young Master.

Whether he had only a few years left to live or not, with a personality like that, he should just play by himself and live by himself.

What do I care what he does with his life?

Herace glared at him, genuinely angry.

Xenon opened his eyes wide, seemingly surprised.

But before he could say anything to her, Herace left Lambert Mansion without even saying goodbye.