Miss had been trembling in my arms for quite some time.

I didn't know what had frightened her so much, but she remained in my embrace, not letting go until her ragged breathing calmed down.

"Ricardo..."

"Yes."

"Ricardooo...."

My hands wandered aimlessly.

"Umm..."

I wasn't sure where to place them while holding her.

I hesitated, wondering whether I should pat her back for comfort or wrap my arms around her waist.

Merely patting her back felt insufficient, but embracing her waist made my heart race too much.

I thought I was a butler who excelled at everything, but moments like these made me realize I still had a long way to go.

"It's alright."

My wandering, directionless hands finally found their way and embraced Miss's back firmly.

I smiled gently while murmuring words of comfort to her, telling her "it's okay" as I patted her back.

"Everything will be fine."

Though I didn't know what had happened, I embraced Miss with reassuring words that everything would be alright.

"Whatever it is..."

I would be by Miss's side.

"I'll always be by your side, Miss."

There was no need to worry.

*

In the late hours before dawn.

Olivia lay wide awake, clutching the edge of her blanket and blinking her eyes.

-Blink, blink.

She wasn't sleepy.

The blue window that had suddenly appeared had chased away her drowsiness, which showed no signs of returning. Olivia, whose favorite hobby in the world was sleeping, tossed and turned with wide eyes as sleep eluded her.

"I can't fall asleep..."

Sleep wouldn't come whether she turned toward the window or the opposite direction toward the door. Feeling uneasy, Olivia clutched the edge of her blanket tightly.

One fortunate thing was that she wasn't alone in the room.

If she had been alone, she would have been scared of ghosts appearing. Thankfully, Ricardo had remained in the room, waiting until she fell asleep.

Olivia looked at Ricardo, who was nodding off with his legs crossed, and felt apologetic.

"..."

Even though she had told him he could leave, Ricardo, who had insisted on staying until she fell asleep, was now dozing off in the chair.

-You can go.

-No, I won't.

-Why?

-Because I can't sleep when I'm bored.

-I'm not bored, so go to your room and sleep.

-It seems like you want to see ghosts by yourself. I can't allow you to have fun without me.

-That's not true. And I don't like ghosts because they're scary.

He was such a worrisome butler.

Quite strange in many ways.

A playful butler, but there probably wasn't anyone else who worried about her this much.

Olivia knew that Ricardo's grumbling came from a place of concern.

Anyone who wasn't a fool would understand that much.

Olivia smiled apologetically as she stared at Ricardo. Despite it not being cold, Ricardo sat in the chair without a blanket, arms crossed, dozing off.

"Ricardo, are you asleep...?"

"..."

"I guess he is."

Olivia removed her blanket with trembling hands. She moved carefully toward Ricardo, trying to cover his shoulders with the blanket.

Not wanting to wake the dozing Ricardo, she quietly crawled across the bed, gripping the sheets to pull herself forward, moving slowly toward him.

She reached out to cover him with the blanket.

"Ricardo, you'll catch a cold."

"..."

"Take this blanket."

Her arms were too short.

Hmm...

Olivia stretched her arm again with determination to cover Ricardo. The winter blanket felt unusually heavy, and Olivia sensed something wasn't right.

What had started as a kind gesture was turning into a workout, causing Olivia to furrow her brow as she began to exert herself.

"Hnnngh...!"

What had she been doing while others were growing up? Olivia bit her lip with a strained expression as she looked at her weak arms that couldn't reach Ricardo's shoulders.

"Hnnnnnngh!"

Strange sounds escaped Olivia's mouth as she tried not to wake Ricardo while covering him.

"Heeeeengh!"

With wide eyes,

Olivia tried to lift the blanket.

Strangely, the blanket seemed heavier than usual, which made Olivia tilt her head in confusion.

As if someone was holding onto it.

Even though she wasn't athletic, it didn't make sense that she couldn't lift a single blanket. Olivia stared thoughtfully at the immovable blanket, and suddenly her eyes began to tremble rapidly at the sight of a black silhouette moving on the bed.

"What is that...?"

A large creature moving gradually in the direction of her feet. As the black creature moved, the blanket was slowly being pulled along with it.

Olivia murmured quietly with a trembling heart.

"A ghost...?"

Now she remembered why she had called for Ricardo.

She had momentarily forgotten because of the sudden blue window, but now the memory returned, and Olivia looked at the dark space in front of the bed with trembling eyes.

-Wriggle.

Olivia gulped and gripped the edge of the blanket tightly. Even if it was a ghost, she couldn't let it take her blanket, so she held on.

"This is mine..."

Wriggle...

"Eek...!"

Thinking this creature was beyond what she could handle, Olivia decided to give up cleanly. She had tried to use force, but she might fall off the bed if she kept resisting.

"Ricardo..."

So Olivia called out to Ricardo with a trembling voice. Though she called him with a small, frightened whimper, Ricardo didn't wake up.

-Wriggle...

It moves slowly.

Slowly onto the bed.

Olivia began a staring contest with the black object before her, suppressing her pounding heart and clenching her fist, ready to wake Ricardo at any moment.

The black object slowly began to reveal itself on the bed.

Moving its massive body, the object gradually appeared on the bed, causing Olivia to gulp and clench her fist.

-A bear?

Seeing the familiar creature placing its front paws on the bed and wiggling its behind, Olivia shouted with an annoyed voice.

"Eeek, you little bear!"

-Bear?!

Olivia was irritated.

She had been so scared thinking it was a ghost, but it turned out to be Gomtang trying to bite the blanket.

Olivia threw a pillow at Gomtang with an annoyed voice, and Gomtang started chewing on it with a pleased smile.

"...Huh?"

Olivia, who had suddenly lost her pillow.

She stared blankly at the tearing pillow with a gloomy expression and a sense of emptiness.

And then.

"Pff... Bwahaha! What are you doing!"

The butler's voice, filled with laughter, slowly reached her ears.

"Ahaha... Oh, my stomach hurts."

Ricardo was looking at her with clear eyes. With eyes that showed no signs of drowsiness or fatigue, he rested his chin on his hand and spoke to her with a smile.

"Were you that scared of Gomtang?"

"Eeek! Don't tease me!"

"Bwahaha! Calling Gomtang a ghost...!"

Olivia pouted her lips and said to Ricardo.

"Why weren't you sleeping?"

"Just because."

"Why?"

"How could I sleep with the most beautiful person in the world in front of me? I was just pretending to sleep."

"I am pretty beautiful."

"I know. And it seems you have a kind heart too, trying to cover me with a blanket."

"That's right. I am quite kind."

Olivia looked at Ricardo with a pleased smile. Then, arranging her hair that was fluttering by the window, she said to Ricardo.

"Were you really not sleeping?"

"No."

"Whyyy?"

"I told you. I wasn't sleeping because I was watching."

Ricardo is indeed strange.

Not sleeping just to watch.

Giving up delicious things.

Not making unpleasant faces even when she throws tantrums. Ricardo is truly strange.

Olivia smiled broadly at Ricardo. Seeing Olivia suddenly smiling, Ricardo furrowed his brows and asked, "Are you flirting?"

"Why are you smiling like that?"

"Just because. Ricardo is ugly."

"I think I have a fairly handsome face."

"Ricardo has such strong self-esteem."

"It's not strong self-esteem; I'm genuinely handsome."

Looking at Ricardo's smiling face made her feel a little less scared.

About ghosts.

And about the story the blue window would show.

Olivia smiled and moved closer to Ricardo despite her reluctance to sleep. Or rather, she moved away a bit to make room for Ricardo to lie down.

Though her crawling with immobile legs looked somewhat awkward, Ricardo didn't laugh at this comical sight.

Olivia patted the empty space beside her on the bed and said:

"Ricardo, lie down."

"What?"

"Lie down. I don't have a pillow."

"Ah..."

Ricardo's face suddenly fell.

Though it was dark and she couldn't see Ricardo's face clearly, she could tell he was feeling embarrassed.

Ricardo was shy, after all.

"Lie down!"

Olivia urged Ricardo. Lie down, she said. She wanted to let Ricardo rest after all his trouble because of her, and at the same time, she wanted to alleviate her fear of ghosts appearing.

Above all.

-Would you like to view?

Olivia specially offered Ricardo the spot next to her because having him nearby would make her less afraid.

Ricardo let out a deep sigh and slowly climbed onto the bed, lying down.

"It's been a while since we lay down together."

"It has."

"You used to complain that I smelled of sweat back then."

"You don't smell now."

With a 'click,' the light of the stand lamp turned on. Ricardo opened a storybook with a small smile.

"Ta-da!"

"Oh...!"

"A brand new release."

Leaning on Ricardo's shoulder, Olivia said with a serious expression:

"I can't understand a word of what's written."

"..."

"Is this ancient language?"

"..."

Ricardo disliked Olivia.

*

As the darkness that had arrived passed.

Olivia leaned on Ricardo's shoulder and slowly closed her eyes.

Now she would have to see it.

Ricardo must be sleepy too.

She couldn't avoid it forever.

Olivia slowly closed her eyes and said in her heart:

'I'll view it.'

And then.

-Blame me, Miss.

She could see Ricardo covered in blood. Unlike now, he had long tied-up hair and tired eyes, and in front of him...

-No...! It wasn't your fault! So... so...!

She saw herself standing there, crying.

Ricardo wore a bitter smile.

And as always,

He was looking at her with a smile.

-So, Miss, you become the hero.