Feeling how suggestive her current position with Haruki looked, Sayo's face turned as red as a ripe apple. But at the same time, her heart was touched. In her whole life, she had never met a noble like Haruki—someone who would stand up for a mere maid, let alone apologize just because she got a little scared.
"Young Master, you've misunderstood. I wasn't bullied... I just ran into Tatsumi today..."
She then told Haruki everything—how she met Tatsumi, and how he had asked her to spy on Haruki and report back to Night Raid.
Sayo had originally planned to keep it to herself because she was afraid Haruki might lash out and harm Tatsumi.
But from her perspective, Tatsumi and the others in Night Raid clearly had their sights set on Haruki. If she kept quiet, Haruki might unknowingly get hurt—and that was something Sayo couldn't accept.
Earlier, seeing how much Haruki cared about her, then comparing that with how Tatsumi had tried to manipulate her with threats, it became obvious who truly had her best interests at heart. So she chose not to hide anything anymore.
"Silly girl. Is that what had you so down all day?"
Haruki lightly tapped her on the head and spoke softly, his gesture affectionate.
After hearing her out, Haruki realized he had misunderstood—no one had bullied her. The girl had simply been worried about him.
As for Tatsumi and Night Raid wanting to keep tabs on him, Haruki could understand. In his view, it was human nature. People always wanted to control the unknown, especially when facing someone or something they couldn't defeat. It was just a way to ease their own anxiety.
"Huh? Isn't this serious?"
Sayo blinked in confusion at Haruki's nonchalant reaction.
"Don't worry. No matter what they try, they won't be able to harm me. What surprises me more... is that you actually turned down Tatsumi. Aren't you two childhood friends?"
That was what truly caught Haruki off guard—Sayo had refused Tatsumi's request. Even he hadn't realized just how much he meant to her.
"Uh... well..."
Sayo's face flushed deeper, and she became tongue-tied again. As a traditionally raised girl, there was no way she could just blurt out something like "I like you."
"Do you like me?"
Haruki pressed her again, refusing to let it go.
Of course, Haruki had already sensed how she felt. Having been surrounded by so many women, he was no stranger to reading emotions. It wasn't hard to see the admiration in Sayo's eyes.
Hearing his question, Sayo was so embarrassed she buried her head into Haruki's chest. But her twitching ears, visible even as she hid, betrayed her anticipation—she wanted to hear his response.
"Hey, if you don't answer, I'll take that as a 'no.'"
Seeing how adorably flustered she looked, Haruki couldn't help teasing her.
"Ah, no! I..."
Flustered by the thought of being misunderstood, Sayo quickly lifted her head from his chest. But halfway through her protest, she caught the playful glint in Haruki's eyes. She wasn't stupid—she immediately realized he'd just been teasing her.
"Meanie... Young Master, how could you say that? You know exactly how I feel."
She spoke with shy frustration, her voice full of bashful charm.
"How would I know if you don't say it? Come on, tell me."
Haruki, seeing her blushing and pouting like that, felt his curiosity deepen. His voice carried a rare roguish tone.
But in the eyes of a girl in love, that wasn't rudeness—it was affection.
"I... You... You already know... but I won't deny it. That's right. I like you, Young Master."
Though still hesitant, Sayo finally spoke her heart. And it was precisely her shy, faltering confession that stirred something inside Haruki—his desire slowly flaring.
"Sayo..."
Haruki murmured her name softly.
"Yes, Young Master? What's wrong?"
She looked up, puzzled—only to meet a gaze so intense and hungry it made her heart skip a beat.
She hadn't seen that look before, but instinct told her what it meant. Her cheeks, which had just started to cool, turned bright red once more.
Even so, she didn't try to run. Sayo, with her naturally gentle and devoted heart, had already accepted being Haruki's woman. She wouldn't—couldn't—refuse him now.
"Sayo... I'll stay here tonight."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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