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Shione’s maid, Herrel, was being thoroughly investigated by Ray.

But really, finding her standing within the narrow confines of the servants’ communication wasn’t that hard. During a break, Ray easily managed to gather the information he needed.

Thus, he could finally share what he had seen so far during the tea time that Shione had prepared.

“Lady Herrel is treated like a ghost among our attendants.”

“…I see.”

Shione lightly nodded her head.

This part was as expected. Hadn’t she heard that Herrel had been ostracized by her peers during the last ordeal? Since it was something she had already heard, the shock wasn’t as great.

“Do you know why?”

“It seems it has been like this for quite a while, with a mix of various reasons. From what I’ve heard, there was an incident in the past where Lady Herrel had a disagreement with other attendants.”

“Disagreement, huh? That’s the first I’m hearing of that.”

“It seems some ignorant servants insulted a noble, and Lady Herrel reprimanded them.”

“……”

Though they referred to a noble, there was no mistaking who they meant.

Herrel must have been trying to defend herself, after all. However, to them, her reprimands were likely just background noise. It was only now that she realized what kind of treatment a servant would receive in their society without the backing of a proper master.

Ray watched Shione, who was lost in thought for a moment.

“If you are sociable, you’ll receive sympathy, but if you annoy them even slightly, you become prey,” he thought.

Since they couldn’t fight outright, their method of torment was meticulously indirect.

Still, unlike Shione, who had no standing in the Count’s household, Siabel and Sion’s attendants, praised for their swordsmanship and divine power, were often supported by their masters whenever unfairness arose. Meanwhile, the only one who backed Shione, Herrel, still received no such help.

Given the accumulation of information over a long time, they must have confirmed that Shione would not stand up for Herrel, hence their actions.

“And there’s one more crucial matter.”

After meeting with the head maid, Herrel realized it.

“Moreover, the head maid, who is supposed to maintain neutrality and mediate the discord among the attendants, also doesn’t seem to show mercy towards Lady Herrel.”

“The head maid? The one appointed by my mother shouldn’t be showing favoritism or discrimination.”

“After the meeting with the head maid, I saw Herrel. She wasn’t like that before. She looked as if she had lost her spirit, and when she spotted me, she forced a smile while gripping her left wrist.”

“……”

“She mentioned that getting close to her now might cause trouble in the future.”

The head maid had either been turning a blind eye or openly disregarding and insulting Herrel.

A servant of the Count’s household and a young lady’s maid. It wasn’t an easy position to obtain, yet she was not being treated as she should be.

The reason was simple.

“The influence and power of a servant come from their noble master.”

Because Shione Shianella had lived a pitiful life until now.

Each day confined to her room, doing nothing; devoid of any social activity, with no inherited talent for swordsmanship, nor any effort to change that, or even a hint of trying to defend her only ally. Always maintaining an attitude of indifference.

Shione Shianella was that kind of person.

“Her gaze has changed, though.”

Recently, her eyes had undergone a 180-degree transformation, as if a turning point had occurred within her.

“Princess Shione.”

Ray, after glaring coldly at Shione, opened his mouth.

“How about you protect Lady Herrel yourself?”

“That’s what I suppose. But first, I need to meet with the head maid and a few others.”

The matter of their relationship probably meant he was including both himself and Herrel.

However, to solve this ordeal decisively, they needed to explore various possibilities.

Shione’s bond with Herrel was already a broken connection. Now, she was aware of the distance between reality and that broken relationship, allowing her to accept the painful reality that had befallen Herrel, albeit from a step back.

Shione thought for a moment, arms crossed, before continuing.

“Have Herrel brought to my room.”

“Understood.”

Just before Ray opened the door to call for Herrel, Shione’s voice came from behind.

“And I hope you continue to cooperate well.”

“Of course—”

“Ray, you’re exceptional. Unlike other men, your logical judgment is naturally sharper.”

“I… what do you mean…?”

“Just as I said. You mentioned you hail not from the Aisiliah Kingdom but from ‘Korea,’ right?”

As Ray’s reaction started to become increasingly chilly, Shione wore a relaxed smile.

With a mischievous grin comparable to her sister’s, her gentle voice cast an enchanting spell.

“It’s a little heartbreaking to face those cold eyes from you as my husband.”

“Eh? Wife, you say?”

“We’ll discuss details later. For now, it’s about Herrel.”

As Ray momentarily gazed blankly into space, he eventually exchanged glances with Shione.

The flames of their glances clashed harshly in mid-air until the spark eventually fizzled out.

Whether he had gathered his thoughts or simply needed more time, Ray bowed his head first and bid farewell.

“…We’ll meet again.”

Shione rolled on the bed, recalling Ray’s completely bewildered face.

That was the best reaction ever.

*

“Princess Shione, it’s Lady Herrel. You called for me?”

As soon as Herrel entered the room, she remarked on the state of the disheveled bedclothes.

“You’ve made a mess again? I’ll tidy it up right away.”

Herrel smiled brightly while diligently straightening the bed.

Yet, she couldn’t help but notice the scattered parts, as if she were a mother cleaning her child’s room.

Shione momentarily looked at her with nostalgia before wiping the emotions from her face.

“Herrel, I heard you were summoned by the head maid.”

The head maid. Herel’s movements stopped for an instant at that single word.

“Was there nothing wrong?”

However, Herrel still replied with the same smile on the surface.

“Of course there was nothing wrong! There aren’t many attendants as skilled as I am, you know? I just shared some tea with the head maid.”

But Herrel was oblivious to how keenly Shione’s observational skills excelled beyond what she knew.

Shione had already spotted the faint bruise on Herrel’s wrist as she tidied up.

“Herrel, can I take a closer look at that left wrist?”

“…The wrist?”

“Just a moment, please.”

Startled by Shione’s unusual cold demeanor, Herrel flustered.

Not wasting the opportunity, Shione lifted Herrel’s sleeve to check her wrist.

The handprint left behind was fresh enough that when Shione’s hand grasped it, Herrel flinched.

“Did the head maid do this?”

At Shione’s question, Herrel gently released Shione’s hand.

“Ah, the head maid tried to catch me as I was about to fall. It’s nothing serious.”

Shione stared at Herrel. In return, Herrel maintained an unwavering gaze.

It was Shione who broke the silence first.

“…Be careful.”

“You’re worried for me? Then I’ll have to be more cautious around my feet.”

After temporarily returning to their usual selves.

When Herrel completed the cleaning, Shione spoke again.

“Oh, and Herrel. Can you prepare a neat outfit?”

“A neat outfit?”

“I’m going to the garden to see the flowers.”

“Oh! I’ll get that ready for you!”

Shione’s eyes followed Herrel’s back as she prepared her clothes and finally received the command to rest for a moment before heading out.

With a crooked smile, Shione changed into her outfit.

There was someone to visit and confirm whether they were a demon or not.

*

Herrel looked exactly like her former self.

From overly pretending to be nonchalant if hiding something, to how she cleaned everything, from the bed first to finally the wardrobe. It was undeniable that Herrel was not a demon.

At this point, the potential demons could be Ainel Shianella, Diolia, and perhaps the head maid, who had been mentioned quite significantly in this conversation.

Among them, Shione planned to visit the head maid first.

“Everyone seems to avoid my gaze.”

Well, those attendants had seen her dreadful self so many times. Just a few days ago, they must have witnessed that same figure.

Every member of the family still likely thought of her as the unruly Shione Shianella. After all, she hadn’t even picked up a bow in recent memory. The way they looked at her wouldn’t change.

Her image transformation had started entirely thanks to Ray and the knights from the training hall.

“…The unruly princess of the Count’s household, Shione.”

It was a term that now only served to remind her of a time she absolutely did not want to return to.

Having returned to the past this way, she had no intention of staying long. Enjoying herself was the attitude of a true elite, wasn’t it?

With a smirk, Shione arrived in front of a certain room.

“This should be the head maid’s office.”

The head maid’s office.

It was a position that managed all the attendants within the family and had several subordinates to oversee the basic servants.

Unlike other attendants, she had her own office, indicating the significant power she held among the servants.

Most of the tasks in the mansion passed through her hands, so she wasn’t usually treated poorly.

“Head maid, are you there?”

Shione burst in without knocking.

“Princess Shione…?”

Why, what? Am I the second daughter of the Count? Shouldn’t the head maid be displeased that I’ve come to see her?

Ignoring the flustered expression on the head maid, Shione walked slowly to the chair in front of her.

Bang! Clack, clack.

The loud sound of the door slamming shut followed by her confident stride as she sat down casually, crossing her legs—a natural posture for a seasoned troublemaker, making Shione suppress a chuckle before maintaining her composure.

“Head maid, let’s have a talk.”

“Right now?”

“Yeah. You got a problem with that?”

I’m the daughter of the Count’s household, you know?

“N-No, of course not.”

From now on, the head maid would have to deal with the most unruly princess of the Count’s household.

 

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