The elegant and luxurious atmosphere of the Valaxar’s study.
Unlike other knights who came to rest after a month of campaign, he immediately entered the study with the Knight Commander of Valaxar.
“All right. What’s the situation?”
In response to his question, the Knight Commander bowed his head and replied.
“The education is proceeding without any trouble. She shows outstanding talent in subjects such as history, mathematics, and especially in martial arts, displaying genius in magic.”
“Just get to the point. Can she defeat the Knights of Valaxar?”
The Duke interrupted the Chamberlain’s words, seemingly disinterested.
And to his words, the Knight Commander replied with great confusion.
“Your Grace… The Lady is not even 9 years old yet.”
“If she’s of Valaxar’s lineage, shouldn’t she show that level of talent?”
The Knight Commander remained silent, unsure of how to respond.
Though he usually spoke eloquently, there was a particularly… or rather, excessively strict aspect when it came to matters concerning the Lady.
However, to expect a child of barely ten years old to defeat knights trained for decades was an impossible feat, even if they were naturally gifted in swordsmanship.
“Judging by the way she shattered the statue, it seems she still has strength left. In that case, it should be quite possible. Am I wrong, Knight Commander?”
“…No, Your Grace.”
The Duke sighed as if in pity, tapping his desk with his finger, lost in thought.
After a while, a chilly smile appeared on the Duke’s lips.
“It seems she’s losing sight of her position lately and becoming lax. It wouldn’t hurt to remind her of her place.”
“Of course.”
“Come to think of it, isn’t the position of the Lady’s personal maid currently vacant?”
At the Duke’s sardonic remark, the Knight Commander’s body trembled.
Indeed, it had been a long time since a personal maid had been assigned to the Lady.
Ever since the last personal maid was found dead behind the mansion, no one volunteered for the position of the Lady’s personal maid.
Even after that, all servants treated the Lady as if she were a ghost.
There had been not a single good outcome from associating with her.
Adrielle held the second highest power in the mansion after the Duke, but ironically, she was also the child everyone feared.
“It seems my daughter lacks any help. Inform the steward to assign a maid to her.”
While it might seem like a warm remark worrying about his daughter, the Duke’s words were never about the Lady.
He must have known the words of the previous personal maid to the Lady.
It was simply an intention to once again disappoint the Lady, nothing more and nothing less.
It was a considerable sadism, but the steward didn’t dare to refuse the Lord’s command.
Partly because he also didn’t like the Lady.
‘Poor maid who will be sacrificed.’
The Knight Commander expressed deep condolences inwardly to the nameless maid who would be sacrificed and bowed his head to his Lord.
***
Bright morning came to the Duke’s mansion.
Though there were no chirping birds, the bright sunlight and pleasant sound of the gentle wind indicated the beginning of a pleasant day.
Of course, my mood was quite the opposite.
“What’s this?”
I gripped the scroll with trembling hands.
[Name: Alice]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 15]
[Rank: Strength (B), Speed (A), Intelligence (C-), Dexterity (A+), Magic (D), Charm (F)]
There wasn’t much change.
My abilities, compiled over five days of small adventures.
I think this is enough ability to live in a fantasy world.
Especially, I felt proud whenever I looked at my speed and dexterity.
But…
“Why did my intelligence drop?”
I looked at the scroll with a bewildered look.
After being punished by the maid, my legs were too itchy, so I checked the scroll to see if there was anything wrong with my abilities, but fortunately, there were no significant changes physically.
But the problem was that my intelligence inexplicably dropped.
“No, even understanding C is difficult, but what does minus mean?”
Due to poverty in my childhood, I couldn’t attend school, but I don’t think my intelligence is bad.
I managed to study on my own from time to time and even passed the high school equivalency exam.
Of course, I couldn’t afford to go to college because I didn’t have money.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been doing maid work for nearly a month that my intelligence has decreased..?
‘Maybe it’ll change later.’
It must be a temporary error or something like that.
I pushed aside the uncomfortable feeling and took something out of my back pocket.
It was something I picked up from the maid’s office earlier.
A silver case adorned with fancy decorations.
The ointment inside seemed quite expensive just by looking at it.
Thanks to that ointment, my wounds healed a lot, but I felt uneasy because I didn’t know the source.
“Who could have given this…?”
There weren’t many people in the mansion who would show me such kindness.
At best, it would be the Stewardess or Senior Lani.
Since the Stewardess stayed with me in the office all the time, it couldn’t be her… So, did Senior Lani leave it behind?
Senior Lani was a noble’s child, so she could have such luxury items.
However, considering Senior’s personality, she would usually give it to me directly, so why did she leave it at the door?
…Or could it be?
Another character popped into my mind, but I immediately shook my head with a wry smile.
‘What a ridiculous thought.’
That person wouldn’t give anything to me.
It would be more realistic to think that a passing magpie dropped it.
I took a deep breath and stood up in front of the full-length mirror.
I undressed and slowly changed into the maid uniform hanging in the closet.
I had to ask for help before because I had no idea how to dress, but now I was familiar enough to do it myself.
“I have been slackening off…”
Clear traces of punishment were visible on my calves.
There were bruises crossing my calves vividly.
It was a bit uncomfortable, but it didn’t interfere with my daily life, so it was okay.
Thanks to the stewardess, at least I could keep myself together properly.
I don’t care anymore.
Whether it’s an accident or not, I’ll just do my job.
After giving myself a light slap on the cheek a few times, I regained my energy.
With a bright smile, I left the room.
The empty hallway greeted me silently.
I woke up an hour earlier than the maids’ wake-up time, so they were probably still asleep.
I started dealing with the troublesome cleaning tasks before the seniors woke up.
Since I caused trouble not only for the stewardess but also for other seniors, I had to do something like this.
As I was clearing the dust off the corridor and window sills, Senior Lani came out of the room with a light yawn.
“Good morning, Senior Lani.”
Senior Lani glanced at my face and trembled for a moment, but she quickly hid her surprise and gave me a shallow smile.
“…Yeah. Hello. Did you clean the hallway all by yourself?”
“I woke up early. I just did it because I was bored.”
“I see. You’ve worked hard.”
Senior Lani seemed to hesitate as if she had something to say, but in the end, she didn’t say it and came closer to me, patting my shoulder.
“I’ll go first. Make sure you come for the morning roll call on time.”
“Oh, right. Thank you for the medicine, Senior.”
“Huh? Medicine?”
“Uh… um… nothing.”
Wasn’t it something Senior Lani gave me?
…Then who could have given it to me?
“…Okay. See you later.”
With a brief farewell, she left.
If it was usual, we would have had some ordinary conversation.
But now, I felt like she was avoiding me.
Of course, it was natural.
There was nothing surprising.
After all, I openly slandered the owner of the mansion, so it would be difficult for her to look at me favourably.
But it was okay.
I was confident that if I continued to show a good side, I would eventually be able to go back to the way it was before.
Before I knew it, it was time for the morning roll call under the supervision of the stewardess, and the seniors started coming out of their rooms one by one.
Since there was nothing good to be noticed right now, I followed them like a mouse.
When we arrived at the first-floor corridor, about twenty maids, including me, were gathered to receive the morning roll call.
And in the middle stood the stewardess.
It wasn’t certain, but her expression didn’t look good.
“…There’s an order from His Grace.”
Her voice sank even lower, as if there was something unpleasant.
Others around her started to feel her mood and began to watch her carefully.
“What’s going on?”
It was Senior Lani who asked a question in the deeply sunk atmosphere.
As Senior Lani asked the question, the stewardess closed her eyes and, with a short sigh, answered.
“His Grace has requested to fill the position of the Lady’s personal maid.”
“..Excuse me?”
Senior Lani’s calm black eyes began to tremble.
Was it only her?
All the other seniors around were looking at the stewardess with faces of disbelief.
“So, it seems one of us should be chosen as the Lady’s personal maid.”
With her’s words, the faces of everyone around were filled with horror.
The elegant and luxurious atmosphere of the Valaxar’s study.
Unlike other knights who came to rest after a month of campaign, he immediately entered the study with the Knight Commander of Valaxar.
“All right. What’s the situation?”
In response to his question, the Knight Commander bowed his head and replied.
“The education is proceeding without any trouble. She shows outstanding talent in subjects such as history, mathematics, and especially in martial arts, displaying genius in magic.”
“Just get to the point. Can she defeat the Knights of Valaxar?”
The Duke interrupted the Chamberlain’s words, seemingly disinterested.
And to his words, the Knight Commander replied with great confusion.
“Your Grace… The Lady is not even 9 years old yet.”
“If she’s of Valaxar’s lineage, shouldn’t she show that level of talent?”
The Knight Commander remained silent, unsure of how to respond.
Though he usually spoke eloquently, there was a particularly… or rather, excessively strict aspect when it came to matters concerning the Lady.
However, to expect a child of barely ten years old to defeat knights trained for decades was an impossible feat, even if they were naturally gifted in swordsmanship.
“Judging by the way she shattered the statue, it seems she still has strength left. In that case, it should be quite possible. Am I wrong, Knight Commander?”
“…No, Your Grace.”
The Duke sighed as if in pity, tapping his desk with his finger, lost in thought.
After a while, a chilly smile appeared on the Duke’s lips.
“It seems she’s losing sight of her position lately and becoming lax. It wouldn’t hurt to remind her of her place.”
“Of course.”
“Come to think of it, isn’t the position of the Lady’s personal maid currently vacant?”
At the Duke’s sardonic remark, the Knight Commander’s body trembled.
Indeed, it had been a long time since a personal maid had been assigned to the Lady.
Ever since the last personal maid was found dead behind the mansion, no one volunteered for the position of the Lady’s personal maid.
Even after that, all servants treated the Lady as if she were a ghost.
There had been not a single good outcome from associating with her.
Adrielle held the second highest power in the mansion after the Duke, but ironically, she was also the child everyone feared.
“It seems my daughter lacks any help. Inform the steward to assign a maid to her.”
While it might seem like a warm remark worrying about his daughter, the Duke’s words were never about the Lady.
He must have known the words of the previous personal maid to the Lady.
It was simply an intention to once again disappoint the Lady, nothing more and nothing less.
It was a considerable sadism, but the steward didn’t dare to refuse the Lord’s command.
Partly because he also didn’t like the Lady.
‘Poor maid who will be sacrificed.’
The Knight Commander expressed deep condolences inwardly to the nameless maid who would be sacrificed and bowed his head to his Lord.
***
Bright morning came to the Duke’s mansion.
Though there were no chirping birds, the bright sunlight and pleasant sound of the gentle wind indicated the beginning of a pleasant day.
Of course, my mood was quite the opposite.
“What’s this?”
I gripped the scroll with trembling hands.
[Name: Alice]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 15]
[Rank: Strength (B), Speed (A), Intelligence (C-), Dexterity (A+), Magic (D), Charm (F)]
There wasn’t much change.
My abilities, compiled over five days of small adventures.
I think this is enough ability to live in a fantasy world.
Especially, I felt proud whenever I looked at my speed and dexterity.
But…
“Why did my intelligence drop?”
I looked at the scroll with a bewildered look.
After being punished by the maid, my legs were too itchy, so I checked the scroll to see if there was anything wrong with my abilities, but fortunately, there were no significant changes physically.
But the problem was that my intelligence inexplicably dropped.
“No, even understanding C is difficult, but what does minus mean?”
Due to poverty in my childhood, I couldn’t attend school, but I don’t think my intelligence is bad.
I managed to study on my own from time to time and even passed the high school equivalency exam.
Of course, I couldn’t afford to go to college because I didn’t have money.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been doing maid work for nearly a month that my intelligence has decreased..?
‘Maybe it’ll change later.’
It must be a temporary error or something like that.
I pushed aside the uncomfortable feeling and took something out of my back pocket.
It was something I picked up from the maid’s office earlier.
A silver case adorned with fancy decorations.
The ointment inside seemed quite expensive just by looking at it.
Thanks to that ointment, my wounds healed a lot, but I felt uneasy because I didn’t know the source.
“Who could have given this…?”
There weren’t many people in the mansion who would show me such kindness.
At best, it would be the Stewardess or Senior Lani.
Since the Stewardess stayed with me in the office all the time, it couldn’t be her… So, did Senior Lani leave it behind?
Senior Lani was a noble’s child, so she could have such luxury items.
However, considering Senior’s personality, she would usually give it to me directly, so why did she leave it at the door?
…Or could it be?
Another character popped into my mind, but I immediately shook my head with a wry smile.
‘What a ridiculous thought.’
That person wouldn’t give anything to me.
It would be more realistic to think that a passing magpie dropped it.
I took a deep breath and stood up in front of the full-length mirror.
I undressed and slowly changed into the maid uniform hanging in the closet.
I had to ask for help before because I had no idea how to dress, but now I was familiar enough to do it myself.
“I have been slackening off…”
Clear traces of punishment were visible on my calves.
There were bruises crossing my calves vividly.
It was a bit uncomfortable, but it didn’t interfere with my daily life, so it was okay.
Thanks to the stewardess, at least I could keep myself together properly.
I don’t care anymore.
Whether it’s an accident or not, I’ll just do my job.
After giving myself a light slap on the cheek a few times, I regained my energy.
With a bright smile, I left the room.
The empty hallway greeted me silently.
I woke up an hour earlier than the maids’ wake-up time, so they were probably still asleep.
I started dealing with the troublesome cleaning tasks before the seniors woke up.
Since I caused trouble not only for the stewardess but also for other seniors, I had to do something like this.
As I was clearing the dust off the corridor and window sills, Senior Lani came out of the room with a light yawn.
“Good morning, Senior Lani.”
Senior Lani glanced at my face and trembled for a moment, but she quickly hid her surprise and gave me a shallow smile.
“…Yeah. Hello. Did you clean the hallway all by yourself?”
“I woke up early. I just did it because I was bored.”
“I see. You’ve worked hard.”
Senior Lani seemed to hesitate as if she had something to say, but in the end, she didn’t say it and came closer to me, patting my shoulder.
“I’ll go first. Make sure you come for the morning roll call on time.”
“Oh, right. Thank you for the medicine, Senior.”
“Huh? Medicine?”
“Uh… um… nothing.”
Wasn’t it something Senior Lani gave me?
…Then who could have given it to me?
“…Okay. See you later.”
With a brief farewell, she left.
If it was usual, we would have had some ordinary conversation.
But now, I felt like she was avoiding me.
Of course, it was natural.
There was nothing surprising.
After all, I openly slandered the owner of the mansion, so it would be difficult for her to look at me favourably.
But it was okay.
I was confident that if I continued to show a good side, I would eventually be able to go back to the way it was before.
Before I knew it, it was time for the morning roll call under the supervision of the stewardess, and the seniors started coming out of their rooms one by one.
Since there was nothing good to be noticed right now, I followed them like a mouse.
When we arrived at the first-floor corridor, about twenty maids, including me, were gathered to receive the morning roll call.
And in the middle stood the stewardess.
It wasn’t certain, but her expression didn’t look good.
“…There’s an order from His Grace.”
Her voice sank even lower, as if there was something unpleasant.
Others around her started to feel her mood and began to watch her carefully.
“What’s going on?”
It was Senior Lani who asked a question in the deeply sunk atmosphere.
As Senior Lani asked the question, the stewardess closed her eyes and, with a short sigh, answered.
“His Grace has requested to fill the position of the Lady’s personal maid.”
“..Excuse me?”
Senior Lani’s calm black eyes began to tremble.
Was it only her?
All the other seniors around were looking at the stewardess with faces of disbelief.
“So, it seems one of us should be chosen as the Lady’s personal maid.”
With her’s words, the faces of everyone around were filled with horror.
