---

In a world where the roles of servants and maids seem exhausting for everyone involved, it can be observed how the male and female attendants thrive amidst the chaos.

The overworked servants handle the constant grind of maintaining the mansion, but they still endure the petty territorial disputes among their ranks. They live in a society of their own hierarchy.

On the other hand, male attendants enjoy a slightly more relaxed life. Gathered in groups, these men, often of noble lineage, engage in spirited banter, undoubtedly more competitive than that of the predominantly common-servant population.

I had a mind to poke fun at Sion, one of the territorial attendants.

“I didn’t bother you up until now because you seemed dirty—”

But now, why should I hold back?

With Shione backing me up, who honestly had more impressive achievements than our brother-in-law, I figured it was time for me to break free from my past as a slave and directly receive my knighthood by Ainel.

If Sion has been eavesdropping, he should know that his previous treatment of me will only allow me to be rude here and still get away with it.

So I dragged my sluggish words along and asked Bronte.

“Bronte, who is this person…?”

An expression to show I don’t know you.

Even in such a context where we obviously know each other, it was a very petty and childish response.

What we had to focus on was the fact that such words could actually be understood properly.

“Oh ho ho… I’m Kenen Pallet. You can just call me Kenen.”

Despite trying to gain a little political advantage over me, once I realized he wasn’t even worth knowing the name of, he responded with an awkward smile as if he had been scratched by my words.

“It’s surprising you didn’t know Kenen’s name. Still, Ray has been at the Count’s House for quite some time.”

“Well… it’s simply because, unlike Bronte, I’ve never exchanged names before. Additionally, I’ve spent more time on the battlefield with Princess Shione than sitting around handling tasks for my family. You understand that, don’t you, Bronte?”

“True, I wouldn’t have had the chance to talk to Ray if I hadn’t been shadowing Siabel. But you must have met Sion at the Academy… didn’t you run into Kenen?”

Bronte really was good at following along.

Kenen must have felt proud holding the title of a personal attendant, leveraging the status he earned through Sion, so he probably thought he dared to irritate me.

Yet, after struggling for that title—

“Unfortunately, I haven’t met you at the Academy. When I saw Sion with Princess Shione, you were always absent.”

Being a personal attendant is more about assisting and attending to Sion’s needs. If you can’t even support Sion effectively, what’s the point?

“Ah… Kenen…”

Bronte glanced over at Kenen, who had the unadaptable snobbish air about him. There’s nothing missing from that bulky physique, resembling a bear. Additionally, today his well-groomed mustache seemed overly sharpened, giving off an additional touch of intimidation.

That muscleman looked somewhat popular among the attendants, yet under Bronte’s cold gaze, I could see Kenen flinch.

“Kenen, I’m a bit disappointed. Isn’t it our duty to assist and serve?”

“That’s…”

“I understood Princess Shione has had quite a few meetings. So I find it strange that Ray hasn’t seen Kenen. Isn’t that right?”

“Indeed, Bronte.”

Just as I figured, Bronte was sharp.

In my opinion, he might seem unlikable, but he puts in the effort, waking up early every day to groom his mustache well; he takes good care of himself.

Seeing Kenen with his usual staring expression suddenly looking meek, and noticing he couldn’t say a word, there seemed to be some sort of gap between them, even though they moved together.

“Recently, the Knights’ Order appears to be busy… What brings you here today?”

“I came to see the head maid. It’s about time Princess Shione should be assigned her new personal attendant.”

“Oh.”

If they plan to feed him, ignoring him according to their standards makes the situation a bit worse.

Not to mention, as Bronte and I lead the conversation while thoroughly sidelining Kenen, I could see his expression souring even more.

Kenen, who couldn’t leave the scene but was busy eavesdropping, I turned my attention back to the main topic.

“Do you happen to know a maid named Herrel? I heard she used to be Princess Shione’s nanny. Princess Shione suggested that it might be good to have a maid with a personality similar to Herrel’s.”

Since I had received the whole story about Herrel from Shione, who mentioned she had been isolated due to bullying, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to probe further into how the head maid might have exploited this.

“For the understanding of our Shione, I can endure this hassle.”

I’m already looking forward to her achieving even greater heights once she’s fully on track.

“Oh, as for Herrel… I don’t know too much since I haven’t been too involved with her—”

As I suspected, Bronte seemed to have some knowledge about Herrel.

However, as if he sensed something from me, he tactfully shifted my interest away.

“Kenen might know quite a bit. He talked about Herrel on a previous occasion. If you want, I could fill you in on what I know.”

“Really? In that case, I’ll make time later.”

Kenen didn’t seem too keen about hearing Herrel’s name again, unlike Bronte.

Honestly speaking, given that he bore the burden of being responsible for Shione when everyone else bailed on her, it was a strange reaction to avoid being grateful towards someone who stepped in for him.

“I think it would be wise for Kenen to have a private conversation with me later.”

Kenen Pallet.

After discussing some matters with the cooperative Bronte and digging into the head maid’s details, it wouldn’t hurt to create some intersections with him.

*

It had been a while since I saw the head maid, Kelsy Arnin. With raven-black hair and sharp eyes, the striking woman showed a hint of surprise when I arrived at her office but welcomed me inside.

Skillfully seating me, she prepared tea and snacks before sitting down across from me.

“It’s been a while, Ray. After becoming the Deputy Commander of the Knights’ Order, I imagine you’ve been quite busy. You must have a reason for visiting.”

Despite her preparing such a hospitable setting with tea and treats, her demeanor suggested I should cut to the chase quickly.

Thinking back, the head maid had always given off this sense of business since our first meeting. Unlike other attendants, she didn’t engage in small talk and preferred essential conversations only.

While I appreciated this attitude previously, this time, I needed her to open up a bit more so I could gather information. Nonetheless, her firm intention to avoid idle chatter was clear, so I leisurely enjoyed my tea first.

“We were attendants once, but now I’m the Deputy Commander of the Special Task Force—so there’s no need for me to feel pressured.”

I had nothing to lose here. I wasn’t her subordinate anymore, and as the expectedly rising Deputy Commander of the Knights, I didn’t need to get swept up in her rhythm.

Unlike Princess Shione, who loved sweet tea, I savored the bitter yet refreshing flavor of my brew. Once the head maid lifted her cup, it was my turn to speak.

“Since I’m now the Deputy Commander, it’s time to select Shione’s next personal attendant. She directly expressed her wish for me to choose the successor, so I’m here to convey that message.”

With a nod indicating understanding, Kelsy raised her teacup.

“Particularly, Princess Shione desires a personal attendant similar to my predecessor, Herrel, who used to be her nanny.”

As the teacup touched her lips, her unwavering gaze remained on me, showing that she was attentive to my words.

“It should be easier for you to distinguish someone with a similar nature to Herrel, unlike me, right?”

The mention of Herrel’s name caused a slight ripple of reaction in her eyes, indicating her unwillingness to remain associated with Herrel any longer, just as I had deduced.

“Given that Bronte and Kenen plan to speak about Herrel, if you assist, we can expedite the process.”

Oddly enough, as I mentioned those two names, Kelsy’s gaze grew only sharper upon me.

“…I wouldn’t want to burden those two who are already busy. I’ll assist for the time being.”

Including those two turned out to be a solid choice.

 

---