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“…I can’t trouble the busy two. I’ll help for a while.”

Kelsy began to gauge the cold, weighed-down atmosphere.

She seemed to be trying to figure out what I knew by looking at my face.

Sorry, but what could she possibly read from me, someone who remains unshaken even when an orc throws a goblin at my feet?

In the end, Kelsy, pretending to be at ease, started a conversation about the aroma of the tea. After wasting some time, she finally brought up Herrel.

“Princess Shione mentioned she wants a maid like Herrel. However… before we get into that story, can I ask if Princess Shione really said that?”

How far did you hear?

The Head Maid spoke that line so smoothly.

I nodded, striking a confident pose as if there was no need to ask.

“Of course. Princess Shione remembered her maid who used to support her and mentioned she’d like another maid with a similar appearance and personality.”

“Hmm….”

“Thus, while Princess Shione is training with her bow, I plan to use this time to consult with you, Head Maid. All I know about my predecessor is the small notebook you provided.”

The Head Maid let out a small sigh, stealing glances in my direction.

She had heard how Herrel was treated and what the last words were that Shione had thrown at her.

What I had to do was to stay with the Head Maid as long as possible, searching for a noble with whom she might still have some connection.

On the other hand, Kelsy must be feeling a bit uneasy right now.

‘If Shione suddenly mentioned Herrel’s name—’

Why is that name coming up now?

Could she be trying to tighten the noose, having realized something?

Moreover, with that innocent expression that didn’t seem to suit her, thinking was not going to be easy for her.

“Well, she certainly was capable in her tasks. Based on my memories, it seems Princess Shione requested someone like Herrel. However… things have become complicated.”

“Complicated, you say?”

“Yes, although Maid Herrel was excellent at her work, she also had quite a prickly personality.”

And then, Kelsy Arnin, appearing to have found her breakthrough, began speaking ill of Herrel, who had vanished, leaving behind only a small notebook and a forgotten past in the Count’s House.

“Her dismissal and exit were all due to her abrasive nature.”

“…That’s news to me.”

“Herrel was isolated due to her colleagues’ gossip. She unleashed all that stress onto Princess Shione with verbal abuse. That’s a serious crime, and she was expelled dishonorably from the Count’s House.”

Her path was clearly to incite distaste for Herrel.

“I wonder how deep the wounds inflicted upon Princess Shione were. Wouldn’t it be quite rude for a maid like Herrel to linger near Princess Shione and evoke her memory?”

Additionally, Kelsy was subtly shifting the request from Shione.

“However, while we may not have someone as skilled as Herrel in our Count’s House, I do have a few individuals that I personally trained and cultivated. I think it would be best for them to accompany Princess Shione and await her evaluation.”

She firmly expressed her opinions.

Kelsy Arnin, regaining that cautious look she had when Herrel’s name first came up.

Thinking she had set the mood, she took a sip of tea and paused in conversation.

As the clinking sound of the teacup returning to its place echoed, I could catch her final sentence.

“Shouldn’t it be best to proceed with this while Princess Shione and Ray are busy with the expedition and welcoming the Princess?”

Getting a chance to assign someone and letting Shione pick a maid she likes is a clean idea, without a doubt.

It’s just that I can see Kelsy’s intentions behind it.

‘In the end, she wants to stick her own people in there.’

Emphasizing the ones she had personally trained hinted at her intention to leverage her amassed trust over her long period serving as the Head Maid. But my ears received it slightly differently.

‘You’re planning to plant eyes and ears, huh?’

Truthfully, that’s what we’ve been doing all along. Serving our employer from the side, reporting talks related to them to the upper management, and getting fiercely scolded whenever a mistake happens.

I, too, have reported on Shione’s health or major schedule items to the Head Maid several times. The Kelsy in front of me is also entrusted with sorting this out and reporting it to the Head of the Family.

If she embeds the people she raised in Shione’s circle, she could always scoop up hot, juicy intel about her.

Having overheard Kelsy’s plans, it’s hard not to suspect her of trying to uncover why Herrel’s name even surfaced, almost as if she was trying to buy time with every one of her thoughts.

“That’s a good idea. However, I’d like to read the evaluations of those trained by you, Head Maid.”

And so, I brought up the evaluations.

“I want to compare them and keep someone worthwhile close to Princess Shione.”

Even if the evaluations are written objectively, they would inevitably be tinged with the Head Maid’s subjectivity.

Knowing there’s a history of mistreatment against our Shione and her former maid, I can’t have her entrusting someone who would eagerly report every conversation they overheard to Kelsy.

“I’ll bring the evaluations. Please wait just a moment.”

The Head Maid soon headed towards what seemed like a safe in the corner of the room.

As she infused mana into it, magic sparked, and the previously locked drawer opened, revealing a multitude of paper files.

Enhancing my vision through magic to peer more clearly at the safe’s contents, I was able to glimpse numerous evaluations and personal documents of the Head Maid.

‘Could my evaluation be in there?’

To be honest, I was slightly curious about how I was assessed.

Other than Bronte, I don’t have many relationships, but given that I took care of Shione, who everyone avoided, I wouldn’t be surprised if I got a decent evaluation.

‘Let’s keep that in mind.’

It was clear that extraordinary magic lay within, so there was a chance some evidence could pop out of there.

Finding the noble behind the Head Maid is also something Diolia has expressed intentions to help with.

‘Herrel’s evaluations are a bit harsh.’

Herrel, who had been wronged, must be drowning in huge criticism in her records.

Behind that miserable assessment filled with far more faults than merits, I slowly read through the evaluations of those Kelsy said she had trained, ultimately making a decision.

“It doesn’t seem we need many people.”

After all, even if a new attendant were to be assigned, I won’t be distancing myself from Princess Shione, so there’s no need for Kelsy to assign several people to her.

“This one person is enough.”

It seemed like I could extract pretty interesting information just with the name written there.

*

After finishing my conversation with the Head Maid, I headed directly to Princess Shione’s room.

Before getting caught up in managing the Knights’ Order and preparing for the Princess’s welcoming ceremony, I had heard my days of rest due to the Academy were quickly dwindling as I wanted to relax.

So today, too, I was to spend time in her room with a few overdue books and some sweet snacks.

When I entered her room, I was met with a rather startling sight.

“You’re later than I thought.”

Princess Shione was quietly gazing down at the specially processed arrows I had packed in the morning, the air around her heavy.

She turned her body towards me, scattering sharply focused, icy glances in my direction.

I felt a shiver, wondering if I might get pierced by an arrow at this rate.

“…I ended up talking quite a bit with the Head Maid. By the way, why are you holding arrows?”

“Oh, this? I was just seeing if I could use the magic in the arrowheads by myself.”

“Oh. Have you made any progress?”

“Not really? I don’t know much about magic!”

Cheerfully exclaimed Princess Shione tossed the arrow aside.

The arrow, infused with mana, automatically found its way back to the quiver and halted its movement.

“Ray? Did you learn anything?”

“Well, I mean, with a brief chat, I can’t really know that much, can I?”

If my brief chat yielded some knowledge, I should rather be living off as a detective.

“Still, I did catch a chance. If luck holds, I might grab something.”

Even so, who am I?

The top output from a slave background, now the Deputy Commander of a special mission team supported by the head of the Count’s House.

I have indeed gotten my hands on a potentially beneficial card.

“A chance, you say?”

“Someone who was in the Count’s House back when Herrel was still there will be assigned temporarily as Princess Shione’s attendant. She seems to have caught the Head Maid’s eye and apparently knows a thing or two—”

The most critical point.

“Even though she’s received the Head Maid’s favor, she doesn’t seem to be someone who’s without weaknesses.”

Kelsy’s eyes and ears might actually end up spilling information for the sake of me and Shione.

“So… I’ll be getting a temporary maid assigned to me?”

“Yes, that’s correct. If everything goes well and if Shione likes her, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make her a permanent maid.”

“…”

“Since there are also things worth transferring over, it might not be a bother if I share some updates.”

Although Shione initially looked pleased by what I had achieved, she quickly grew pensive.

“So… is this maid…?”

The subtly shifting atmosphere of Shione.

“…Is she a woman?”

“Uh?”

“Hurry up and tell me.”

“…I heard she’s a woman from the Baron Family.”

“…”

Princess Shione is currently engulfed in rage…!

“Oh, really?”

With a threatening motion, she stuffed a cookie from her room into her mouth.

Crunch, crunch.

The sound of the cookies screaming as they crumbled echoed through the room as I sighed in front of the envious Princess Shione.

After hearing it all, Shione clearly looked like she was about to lash out at the blanket thanks to her bottled-up feelings.

 

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