This scoundrel sometimes acted like a master in front of me. It was different from when the maid taught me something, mostly because it seemed he only did it to tease me. "Learned how to say hello, didn't you? How about we do it again? Even a dog can return kindness, but it doesn't seem like Miss Daisy even has the capacity of a dog."
I grit my teeth and looked at him, responding, "Thank you." Either way, it was true that Rue helped me.
Lou's smile deepened after receiving my greeting. "Thank you? If you're grateful, you'll have to pay for it." Pay for it? I looked at him with wary eyes.
"Don't do such ignorant things when you're not able to clean up properly from now on, don't pretend there's no tomorrow, always use your head before your body, and let me know first if you have to dispose of a body. Easy, right?" Did Rue want to be a teacher in addition to a gardener and cook? "What is your answer?"
Why should I do that? As soon as I tried to answer, the deep smell of earth from the envelope penetrated the tip of my nose. In my head, I imagined Rue coming and going from town in just half a day. Back on his back, he would return to the residence and start cooking with the fresh ingredients. Then my plans to answer him calmed down. As expected, Rue is strange. He is passionate about the strangest things. I can't believe he went out of town to get fresh ingredients. When I whispered softly that I understood, Rue closed his eyes again with a satisfied face.
"By the way, are you an aristocrat?"
"Eh?"
"Is Mr. Rue an aristocrat?"
"I wonder why you think that."
With his eyes closed, he composed his words in a slow voice, as if speaking in a dream. "Although, of course, I am elegant, dignified, wealthy, affectionate, handsome, fit, friendly, smart and self-aware. There's no reason why I wouldn't look like an aristocrat."
You really are very self-aware. "I guess half of that is correct. Besides, you helped me and that maid."
"How cute."
"What? What did you just say?"
"No, I mean talking for a long time. Please continue talking like that. Don't cut yourself off in the middle of a sentence like an idiot."
It was incredible. An idiot... Yes, well, it couldn't be helped if I looked like that. But I guess it was because he didn't know how terrible I felt for talking so much because of him. Of course you don't know because I've never said it. I don't want to tell you in the future either!
"Rejected."
"You're like a frog." Rue snorted while shaking his head coldly. "Do you want to know how I got you out?"
"Yes."
"If you're curious, make the flowers bloom. It's quite easy. It's a cheap offer, isn't it?"
What do you mean by "easy"? "It's taking too long! It hasn't sprouted yet."
"Did you think it would sprout if you just stuck the seeds in the dirt and never looked at them again?"
"If they needed so much attention, how is it possible the weeds by the side of the road grow so fast?"
"Why don't you experiment yourself without asking me? You never know, maybe if you give the plant a name while you pass by, leaves might sprout."
"I'm thinking of removing the weeds."
"On the subject of not being able to name the plant, seriously, weed? You can't name a plant like that, okay, Miss Daisy?" Rue, who opened his eyes again, looked at me sweetly. "If you fill the wooden sign, I'll answer that question. What was it? Am I an aristocrat? It's not a difficult question to answer. If you don't even like that, remove all the signs and pots. What's the point if you're forced to raise it? There's nothing stupider than stressing over a few flowers. Right?"
Rue seemed to be under a great illusion. Do you think I'll give up in a fit of rage if you say something like that? As soon as I reached the Weatherwood mansion, I stormed off without looking back. After putting the ingredients in the kitchen, I grabbed a pen and went straight back to the front door. And I crouched on the stairs with my pot in hand. Looking at the empty sign made my head feel empty. Don't bother. It's not a big deal to name it. You decided on Daisy's name in 10 seconds. You can do this the same way. A name that would sound like a pot name to anyone. There was no such thing....
"Then let's name it whatever." But how could I invent a name so randomly? It wasn't like that. Names were not random. They had meanings and were a symbol of affection. Furthermore, from the moment affection began, responsibility became inevitable. What's more, the owner of the name was a plant that I would grow and care for myself. Can I be totally responsible for it if I only live three years? This plant would die if I didn't take care of it. If I was lucky, another maid would continue to raise it, but even if it was just a little grass, I couldn't leave behind a life that I raised. "Ah..." Naming, what a bothersome price.
After hesitating a dozen times while sitting, I finally filled the sign. "Rue." I'm sure this name would be less burdensome. When the name was finally decided, the moon had already set high in the sky. When I stood up blankly and returned to the kitchen, I smelled a delicious aroma that stimulated my nose.
When I had almost finished cooking, Rue, standing in front of the fire, stirred the ladle in the stew with one hand on his waist. Perhaps due to his great height, he kept his head deeply bowed. Then came the hunger I had forgotten. After putting the pot on the kitchen table, I said to the back of his head, "Say hello to my pot."
Rue, who looked at the pot, smiled as if it were ridiculous and looked back at the stew. But I did not shut up. "Do you like it?"
He replied, stroking the pan with a squeak. "The name? Not bad. Rue must mean a lot to its master. You must not have heard me correctly. There is no news of any outbreak yet; I don't like it. I just have to wait for you with an open mind." I smiled pleasantly and looked at the back of human Rue's head.
And I realized something new. It wasn't hard to talk a lot when I was bothering human Rue. Rather, I wanted to bother him more, so my tongue craved to speak. Rue, who took off his apron after turning the ladle, looked at me and asked, "Well, do you like hugging and kissing Rue?"
What? "When did I say such a thing?"
Rue replied with a beautiful smile that confused the viewer. "You just licked your lips a while ago after saying Rue."
"This crazy guy..." I can't. Don't fall for his language game. He was provoking me. I could tell by the slight smile on his face. His eyes were full of mischief and waiting for me to go crazy. I crossed my arms and smiled quietly to show that his comment hadn't affected me. At the same time, a pair of green eyes suddenly appeared. The maid was passing through the kitchen. She alternated between Rue and me with eyes narrowed and wide. "...Internal relationships are prohibited, Miss Daisy, Mr. Rue."
Goosebumps rose on my back. "It's a misunderstanding!"
"We'll see if it's a misunderstanding or not. Be careful in the future, Miss Daisy. If you get caught, your pay will be cut." The maid warned somberly and disappeared into the darkness again.
After the shrill sound of shoes disappeared, Rue, who had taken off his apron ignoring everything, whispered as he passed me. His fresh scent drifted through the space filled with the smell of stew. "I know how much you love Rue. But you'd better be careful, Miss Daisy, as the person involved seems to be concerned. Just stroke it for now. Otherwise, it will be a farce."
Was this crazy guy talking about himself? He was definitely talking about himself! "How do you know what Rue thinks?"
"First of all, I am also 'Rue'. Us two 'Rues' can communicate with each other." A long finger snapped and touched the sign that said "Rue". "But this time you didn't ignore my proposal. Good job. Do I have to keep throwing bait like that? Maybe it's because you're like a frog, but you're quite demanding."
"Just keep your word." Rue, who tilted his head with a face asking what the promise was, let out a late exclamation. "...Ah, you asked me if I was an aristocrat, didn't you? I don't have a title or anything, and I don't have any relatives who have a title. Of course, I have a lot of money. Even if someone has a lot of money, not everyone is an aristocrat..."
You're not an aristocrat? "So how did you stop Baron Fedegail?" Even if he's an absolutely greedy bastard, he's still an aristocrat. An aristocrat's pride used to be through the roof. How shattered must he have been for such a man to be hurt by a maid? One or two words could never reconcile him. As expected, did he threaten him? Or shut his mouth with money?
Rue's advice came from the kitchen hallway. "Boil it for another five minutes and then eat it. If it's not seasoned enough, you can add more salt." Five minutes. Salt. The chef's precautions should not filter from one ear to the other. I stopped my reflection and stood in front of the fire, looking at the boiling stew. "It looks delicious." Fresh stew made with fresh ingredients. The day's exhaustion vanished in an instant.