“Like that, huh? So you’re really thinking about Masha and the Camberlan Family, Ximo.” Xiliya smiled faintly, but the smile looked more intimidating than anything.
“No, Young Miss, I…”
Xiliya’s anger came on suddenly, startling even the two bratty kids nearby.
Malisi, who had originally planned to throw a tantrum and wait for Masha to come dispense justice, gave up at the sight and grabbed the little boy before heading back.
“Fine! Then we’ll go play somewhere else!”
“Come back.”
But before they could take more than a few steps, Xiliya called them back—she could easily see through the kids’ intentions.
After all, she couldn’t guard this place forever. Malisi probably planned to sneak back after she left, right?
Sure enough, beating up these two brats wouldn’t solve anything. Fortunately, she had anticipated this and prepared a backup plan.
“I think there’s a place even more fun than the Rear Garden,” Xiliya said mysteriously, pulling out a jingling keychain. “Malisi, don’t you think this is a great opportunity?”
The brats’ eyes lit up immediately. She recognized the keychain in Xiliya’s hand—it was Masha’s, and it included the key to the study.
“See,” Xiliya coaxed slowly, “Auntie Masha is talking with someone right now, isn’t she? She won’t be back in the study for a while.”
“That means now’s the perfect chance for you to play in the study, right?”
“But… Mom doesn’t let me play in the study…” Malisi’s voice held a hint of hesitation.
“Oh, well, never mind then,” Xiliya pretended to put the keys away. “The Rear Garden only has flowers anyway. You can play here if you want.”
Malisi couldn’t resist the temptation in the end. She snatched the study key from Xiliya’s hand and ran off.
Watching their retreating backs, Ximo knew Masha’s study was doomed.
Xiliya’s move was clever indeed. While normal people were still using strict defenses against bratty kids, Xiliya had already mastered diverting the conflict.
Hand figures? Pfft, those are boring. This is your mom’s phone—did you want to play in my room or with your mom’s phone?
“Alright, let’s head out.”
Xiliya clapped her hands and turned back, only to see Ximo still standing motionless amid the flowers.
“Ximo?”
“Mm, Master, coming right away…”
Though she said that, Ximo remained standing there with her hands behind her back, showing no sign of moving.
Xiliya sensed something off. She frowned, strode forward, and yanked Ximo’s hand from behind her back.
“What’s this?” Xiliya’s expression darkened at the large bunch of jasmine flowers in Ximo’s hand.
Malisi was too unreliable as a brat, so while Xiliya had been talking to her earlier, Ximo had secretly picked the flowers herself to get the job done.
“I-I thought these jasmine flowers were pretty and wanted to make a flower crown for you, Master…”
There was no helping it—Ximo had steeled herself for a harsh scolding from Xiliya. Getting chewed out by Xiliya was better than the punishment for failing the task… right?
Ximo wasn’t even sure. She had seen the look in Xiliya’s eyes earlier, like she wanted to eat the kids alive. Ximo was actually terrified Xiliya might eat her too.
Xiliya looked at the bald patch where Ximo had stripped the flowers and sighed softly. This little maid was really clumsy; she had only picked from one spot.
“With your clumsy hands, you think you can make a flower crown?”
To Ximo’s surprise, Xiliya didn’t get angry. She just patted her head, leaving Ximo—who had braced herself mentally—with the feeling of punching cotton.
That wasn’t right. Xiliya had been overly nice to her lately… Could it be that the Young Miss had some particularly tough task lined up for her afterward and was fattening her up now?
Like the New Year’s pig that got a few good meals before the end to put on weight. Ximo hadn’t forgotten what Xiliya had drilled into her: she was the Young Miss’s tool right now.
Ximo picked up a soft twig nearby and started weaving the flower crown, though she worried she wouldn’t manage it and Xiliya would see through her lie.
She remembered the steps for making a flower crown, but in her previous life, she had never succeeded once. Clumsy otakus were like that.
But as she followed the steps from memory, Ximo discovered her hands were surprisingly deft now. In just a few moves, she finished the crown.
“Not bad,” Xiliya said, a bit surprised herself. “Let’s go.”
Before leaving, Xiliya glanced back at the sea of jasmine flowers. The bald spot from Ximo’s picking was a bit obvious, but she wasn’t angry.
In her previous life, she had just returned from visiting her mother’s grave when she saw these jasmine flowers ruined by the two brats. Masha had only mildly scolded Malisi a couple of times before letting it go, which was why she had been so furious.
Now that it was the little maid who did it, and for making a flower crown, she’d let it slide.
…
The Camberlan Family Cemetery was in the suburbs. By the time the two arrived by carriage, a light snow had begun to fall.
Though it was snowing, the weather remained clear. White flakes drifted onto the bluestone path ahead, adding a touch of solemn serenity to the dark-toned cemetery.
They had just stepped into the cemetery when an unexpected figure approached.
“Greetings, Young Miss, and good morning, Ximo.”
Annaer’s eyes flashed with surprise before she quickly curtsied properly. To be honest, this was Ximo’s first time seeing Annaer without her maid outfit, but even without it, Annaer’s demeanor remained impeccable.
“You’re off today, Annaer? And we’re outside—no need to bow to me.”
“Young Miss, my role as a Camberlan Family maid holds true anywhere.”
“You’re here to visit your mother?”
“Yes, it’s my day off, so I came to tend to Mother’s grave.”
Once Annaer passed them, Ximo couldn’t help asking curiously, “Is Lady Annaer’s mother from the Camberlan Family?”
She had noticed the sign at the cemetery entrance before they entered. This was the Camberlan Family Cemetery, so normally only Camberlan Family members were buried here.
“No,” Xiliya explained. “But Annaer does have deep ties to the Camberlan Family.”
“Annaer’s mother was once a maid in the Camberlan household. Annaer was born here and inherited her mother’s work when she grew up.”
“Because Annaer’s mother served the Camberlan Family for many years, and Annaer is now a maid here too, her mother was buried here after she passed.”
“When I was little… Annaer wasn’t yet the head maid. She was about my current age back then. I remember she served as Mother’s personal maid for a time.”
As she spoke, a trace of nostalgia flickered in Xiliya’s eyes.
