I could not believe it.

I had been leaning against this cold wall for thirty minutes now. Why? Because a mischievous boy whose hobby it was to make people’s lives incredibly difficult, had decided that after bawling like a toddler for who knows how long, he should curl himself up and fall asleep on top of the closest living being he could find.

How could he do this? How could he fall asleep on me?! I felt like an idiot. The maids who had been passing by us were giggling away, saying things like “I knew the young masters were close, but I never imagined seeing such a public display of affection,” along with some other absurd statements. I held my tongue, as Max looked quite peaceful sleeping away after that outburst.

“Ha…” I sighed while looking down at him.

I could not help but feel a bit sorry for making him cry so hard. I did not think that news of my departure would upset him to this degree. I would have been a bit kinder with my words had I known he would react this way.

I carefully leaned his weight on my chest and firmly held his legs around my torso. I was worried my knees would buckle as I tried to stand up, but I managed to lift us both in one piece.

A maid was passing by. She was already looking my way, so I mouthed the words “where is his room” to her. She immediately understood and gestured “follow me” with her hands. Impressive. All of Count Alistair’s maids have proven to be quite quick-witted during my time here.

From the northernmost point of the mansion, through hallways with colourful windows resembling that of churches, the three of us traversed through a maze of beautiful passages until we stopped in front of an ebony door.

The sun did not reach this side of the mansion. I presumed it was the west wing.

“You may go now,” I whispered to the maid. She gave me a little bow and walked away. Tap, tap, tap. I waited in silence. She was gone.

I turned to the open door and walked into the dimly lit space. I had expected a room that matched Max’s bubbly personality, but to my surprise, it was quite the ordinary room. The white walls and bare shelves made it look even more depressing than my own.

I leaned over his bed and gently laid him down. His face greeted my own as I stood back up. The sight of his swollen eyes washed a wave of guilt over me.

After quietly preparing Max for bed and tucking him in, I left the room and closed the door behind me.

“Test.”

I had stayed silent for so long; I had nearly forgotten what I sounded like.

I stretched my right arm perpendicular to my body and held it there with my left. I felt a tiny crack in my shoulder, and then sudden relief.

Carrying another human being for so long is quite hard! I wonder how the male leads do it…

I pondered some more about the different types of carrying techniques as I made my way to the maids’ quarters. This was in hopes of finding that little girl, Octavia. Or, at least someone who knew more about her. I needed something… anything that would give me a hint as to why the duke’s people would target her in such a violent manner.

I swung around a corner. Not entirely certain of where the maids gathered during midday, I made the logical choice of following the scent of cooking. Lunch would be served soon.

The flooring had become a bit rickety in this area. I attempted to avoid tripping on any uneven surfaces. I was at the second-last step of the wooden stairwell when I was reminded of my role in this world. A mere side character. My ankle rolled, and in seconds I was falling down the stairs.

Though I tried my best to hold onto the railing, the floor beneath me had magically vanished, and my body was on track to flattening an oblivious maid at the bottom of the stairwell.

“Look out!” I cried in panic.