“And so, we’ll have Lene serve as our lecturer on the fundamentals of service.”
“Hello, I am Lene, I look forward to working with you all.”
A couple of days before the Founder’s Festival, we invited Lene to come with us to the Order’s meeting hall. The commoner stood beside her and introduced her as a matter of course, but I hadn’t heard anything about this.
“Wait a second, commoner, who gave you the permission to use my personal maid like this?”
Lene was ultimately my personal maid. While I understood that Lene and the commoner got along quite well, this was an entirely separate matter. Good relationships could only be sustained by healthy boundaries. Lines must be drawn and kept, that was where etiquette stemmed.
“Nah, I was the one who asked her.”
“Rodd-sama…”
According to Rodd-sama, he had been searching for an instructor to drill the members of the Order on cooking and customer service. The commoner caught wind of that and introduced him to Lene, so in the end, it was the commoner who had overstepped her boundaries. As previously stated, I was Lene’s employer and by extension, so was my father. Should one want to enlist Lene’s help, by proper protocol they needed to go through me.
“In that case… I suppose it can’t be helped.”
That said, I couldn’t just say that to Rodd-sama. I would need to have a stern word with the commoner about this later, but right now, it would be best that I back down.
“I’ll leave it to you, then, Lene.”
“Okay.”
At the commoner’s prompt, Lene stepped forward.
“Before I teach you all how to cook and serve, I have one request.”
“Hm? What’s that?”
Yuu-sama urged her to continue.
“In the presence of royalty and nobility, I am but a mere commoner. I understand that there are commoners among the ranks of the Order as well, but even they have made it past the rigorous selection exams… I believe there may be many present who are reluctant to request instruction from someone like me.”
What Lene said was entirely sensible. I could not comment on how the commoners felt, but the majority of nobles felt pride in their societal status. Requesting instruction from a commoner would normally be unthinkable. While I was perhaps an exception as I trusted Lene, the others―especially the royalty―should feel that reluctance.
“… What about it?”
Sein-sama responded with a question. Though it may not have been his intent, as he constantly maintained a stern gaze, even mundane statements came off intimidating. Despite that, Lene was unfazed.
“I am fully aware that this is rude, but if I am to offer my instruction, I must ask that we temporarily set aside the division between royalty, nobility, and commoners. One cannot serve properly if one remains fixated on their social status.”
“Hm. That’s fine by me. The rest of you are good with that too, yeah?”
Betraying my expectations, Rodd-sama very simply accepted. I was surprised to find that neither Yuu-sama nor Sein-sama had taken much issue with it either. Could it be? Was the difference in their social standing so large that they couldn’t grasp the significance of what it meant to be taught by a commoner? I hadn’t let it show, but deep down I had been concerned that Lene might receive the punishment for lèse-majesté, but perhaps she would be fine after all.
But then―
“Thank you. Then, for the short time between now and the Founder’s Festival, I will have you all refer to me as your teacher.”
Just as the relief was starting to set in, Lene said something inconceivable. As though it weren’t already ridiculous enough to have a commoner instruct a noble, on top of that, she wanted to be addressed as a teacher? Convinced that, this time, she had gone too far, I tried to rebuke her before she incurred royal wrath. Please, let me make it in time…!
“Lene, don’t you think you’re taking things a bit―”
“That’s Lene-sensei to you.”
Lene shot down my desperate attempt to patch things over and interrupted me. F-Fool! Just settle down and listen to what I have to say!
“Wh-Wha…”
“Claire-sama, I ask that you address me properly. Okay in three, two…”
“Gh…”
“Gahaha! That’s quite the sight. Come on Claire, just do it for her.”
As I stood at a complete loss for words, Rodd-sama gave a bemused laugh from the bottom of his heart. Hm… perhaps if we took this angle things could still be recovered.
I felt my heart throbbing as I pretended to comply with Lene’s demand. If it meant keeping her safe, this was nothing to me.
“Grh… Lene… Sensei.”
“I can’t hear you.”
Lene? I think it’s best that you don’t push it, you understand?
“You…!”
“Fufu… Claire, that’s no good, you know?”
Yuu-sama gave me a gentle warning just before I let my true intentions spill.
“… Lene-sensei.”
“Well done, Claire-sama. Please maintain that tone moving forward.”
“Lene, I’ll remember this…”
My frustrations aside, it seemed I no longer needed to worry that Lene might be charged for lèse-majesté.
“So, Lene-sensei, where should we start?”
Misha addressed Lene as a teacher as if it were the most natural thing. She had always preferred function over form and was now a commoner herself. She held no reservations requesting instruction from Lene.
“First I must impart the proper mindset. What do you believe lies at the core of the Way of the Maid?”
“Th-The Way of the Maid…?”
In the face of such an unsettling term, I unwittingly repeated her words. When I did that, Lene’s face lit up with an euphoria that she had never shown me before.
“That’s right, what I will be teaching everyone today is the Way of the Maid.”
Though her face showed a gentle smile, I could tell that something was off. Putting it simply, I felt scared. Even Relaire shrank in size and quivered atop of the commoner’s head.
“Listen up. The Way of the Maid is very deep. Normally, it would be impossible for such a thing to be mastered over the course of a mere week.”
“No, we don’t intend to master it―”
“HOW-EV-ER!”
Lene cut me off from what I was about to say. The passion that filled her words increased as she spoke.
“I want to convey the splendor that can be found within Devotion and Altruism. It is with that sole desire that I stand before you today.”
I felt as though I saw something hovering behind Lene, to me it appeared as though she had been possessed.
“Yes. Devotion and Altruism… These tenants are core to the Way of the Maid. Those gathered here today may not be familiar, but these concepts will be what lead us to world peace itself.”
Things had gotten so far out of hand that I could no longer stop her, my only option was to listen to Lene’s words.
◆◇◆◇◆
Lene-sensei’s sermon lasted for longer than an hour. To be able to receive such valuable words, how blessed I truly was … Something felt off to me, but it must have been my imagination.
“―And so, I’d like to move on and from the introduction and give everyone the chance to take their first steps in the Way of the Maid.”
“Yes, Lene-sensei.”
“That’s a good response, Claire-sama. First, let’s review. What are the core tenants of the Way of the Maid?”
“Devotion and Altruism, Lene-sensei.”
“Exactly right. Very well done.”
“Thank you, Lene-sensei.”
That’s right, Devotion and Altruism. The very concepts that will lead us to world peace. How had I not realized their value until now?
“In that case, Rodd-sama, what is basic and fundamental in the Way of the Maid?”
“That would be the greeting, Lene-sama.”
“Very good. Shall we give it a try? Let’s say it in unison.”
“““““Welcome home, Master.”””””
“You’re too quiet!”
“““““Welcome home, Master!!!”””””
“Yes, like that. It appears that you’re all starting to understand, I’m very happy as your teacher.”
Hearing those words from Lene-sensei, I felt a sense of happiness wash over me.
“Uhm, Lene?”
“That’s Lene-sensei to you.”
The commoner nervously called out to Lene-sensei and Lene-sensei corrected her in a resolute tone.
“Lene-sensei, don’t you think that things might’ve taken a strange turn?”
“Not at all. I purely wish that everyone here would come to appreciate the brilliance of the Way of the Maid.”
“I, I see…”
“Yes. Alright, Rei-chan, repeat after me. Welcome home, Master.”
“W-Welcome home, Master.”
It looks like the commoner had come around as well. Wonderful, let us both master the Way of the Maid together.
“The core of the Way of the Maid is?”
“““““Devotion and Altruism!!!”””””
“The proper greeting?”
“““““Welcome home, Master.”””””
Yes… In hindsight, it became very clear that something had gone very wrong.
◆◇◆◇◆
“… That was absolutely terrifying.”
Shortly after we had left the Order’s meeting hall, it became clear to me that something had taken hold of me. Devotion and altruism be damned. By the time I had returned to my room, I was back to my normal self.
“My apologies. I let myself get swept up in my passion…”
As though the fearsome instructor I had just seen was all a lie, the current Lene appeared so calm and gentle as she smiled. In spite of that, I remained afraid of her. That should speak to the depths of the insanity that I had just witnessed. Even Relaire appeared listless atop of the commoner’s head. I had been curious for some time now, but could she actually understand the human language?
“I don’t even have the energy to be angry… Lene, I had no idea you had such a side to yourself.”
“Yes, well, it’s not a persona that I often get to show.”
“If possible, I’d rather never see it again.”
I felt as though I may be unable to trust ever again. Completely spent, I collapsed onto my bed.
“That’s no good, Claire-sama. You must bathe and change.”
“… But I’m tired.”
“No, please get up.”
“Mrgh…”
“Get up!”
“Yes! Lene-sensei… Ah.”
Just now, I reflexively… My body trembled in shame.
“… An unexpected side effect.”
“Shouldn’t this be categorized as a psychological scar!?”
As the commoner’s words were too saccharine for me to accept, I corrected her as my memories taunted me.
“I just want to forget everything that has happened today.”
“You shouldn’t say something like that~”
This was after the two of them had already left the room. Despite what Catherine said, I still remained completely unaware.
―Even though there wasn’t a single memory that would have been better off forgotten.
Translator Comment: Truly, the Way of the Maid will one day bring about world peace! Bless Lene-sensei for opening my eyes to the light.
“And so, we’ll have Lene serve as our lecturer on the fundamentals of service.”
“Hello, I am Lene, I look forward to working with you all.”
A couple of days before the Founder’s Festival, we invited Lene to come with us to the Order’s meeting hall. The commoner stood beside her and introduced her as a matter of course, but I hadn’t heard anything about this.
“Wait a second, commoner, who gave you the permission to use my personal maid like this?”
Lene was ultimately my personal maid. While I understood that Lene and the commoner got along quite well, this was an entirely separate matter. Good relationships could only be sustained by healthy boundaries. Lines must be drawn and kept, that was where etiquette stemmed.
“Nah, I was the one who asked her.”
“Rodd-sama…”
According to Rodd-sama, he had been searching for an instructor to drill the members of the Order on cooking and customer service. The commoner caught wind of that and introduced him to Lene, so in the end, it was the commoner who had overstepped her boundaries. As previously stated, I was Lene’s employer and by extension, so was my father. Should one want to enlist Lene’s help, by proper protocol they needed to go through me.
“In that case… I suppose it can’t be helped.”
That said, I couldn’t just say that to Rodd-sama. I would need to have a stern word with the commoner about this later, but right now, it would be best that I back down.
“I’ll leave it to you, then, Lene.”
“Okay.”
At the commoner’s prompt, Lene stepped forward.
“Before I teach you all how to cook and serve, I have one request.”
“Hm? What’s that?”
Yuu-sama urged her to continue.
“In the presence of royalty and nobility, I am but a mere commoner. I understand that there are commoners among the ranks of the Order as well, but even they have made it past the rigorous selection exams… I believe there may be many present who are reluctant to request instruction from someone like me.”
What Lene said was entirely sensible. I could not comment on how the commoners felt, but the majority of nobles felt pride in their societal status. Requesting instruction from a commoner would normally be unthinkable. While I was perhaps an exception as I trusted Lene, the others―especially the royalty―should feel that reluctance.
“… What about it?”
Sein-sama responded with a question. Though it may not have been his intent, as he constantly maintained a stern gaze, even mundane statements came off intimidating. Despite that, Lene was unfazed.
“I am fully aware that this is rude, but if I am to offer my instruction, I must ask that we temporarily set aside the division between royalty, nobility, and commoners. One cannot serve properly if one remains fixated on their social status.”
“Hm. That’s fine by me. The rest of you are good with that too, yeah?”
Betraying my expectations, Rodd-sama very simply accepted. I was surprised to find that neither Yuu-sama nor Sein-sama had taken much issue with it either. Could it be? Was the difference in their social standing so large that they couldn’t grasp the significance of what it meant to be taught by a commoner? I hadn’t let it show, but deep down I had been concerned that Lene might receive the punishment for lèse-majesté, but perhaps she would be fine after all.
But then―
“Thank you. Then, for the short time between now and the Founder’s Festival, I will have you all refer to me as your teacher.”
Just as the relief was starting to set in, Lene said something inconceivable. As though it weren’t already ridiculous enough to have a commoner instruct a noble, on top of that, she wanted to be addressed as a teacher? Convinced that, this time, she had gone too far, I tried to rebuke her before she incurred royal wrath. Please, let me make it in time…!
“Lene, don’t you think you’re taking things a bit―”
“That’s Lene-sensei to you.”
Lene shot down my desperate attempt to patch things over and interrupted me. F-Fool! Just settle down and listen to what I have to say!
“Wh-Wha…”
“Claire-sama, I ask that you address me properly. Okay in three, two…”
“Gh…”
“Gahaha! That’s quite the sight. Come on Claire, just do it for her.”
As I stood at a complete loss for words, Rodd-sama gave a bemused laugh from the bottom of his heart. Hm… perhaps if we took this angle things could still be recovered.
I felt my heart throbbing as I pretended to comply with Lene’s demand. If it meant keeping her safe, this was nothing to me.
“Grh… Lene… Sensei.”
“I can’t hear you.”
Lene? I think it’s best that you don’t push it, you understand?
“You…!”
“Fufu… Claire, that’s no good, you know?”
Yuu-sama gave me a gentle warning just before I let my true intentions spill.
“… Lene-sensei.”
“Well done, Claire-sama. Please maintain that tone moving forward.”
“Lene, I’ll remember this…”
My frustrations aside, it seemed I no longer needed to worry that Lene might be charged for lèse-majesté.
“So, Lene-sensei, where should we start?”
Misha addressed Lene as a teacher as if it were the most natural thing. She had always preferred function over form and was now a commoner herself. She held no reservations requesting instruction from Lene.
“First I must impart the proper mindset. What do you believe lies at the core of the Way of the Maid?”
“Th-The Way of the Maid…?”
In the face of such an unsettling term, I unwittingly repeated her words. When I did that, Lene’s face lit up with an euphoria that she had never shown me before.
“That’s right, what I will be teaching everyone today is the Way of the Maid.”
Though her face showed a gentle smile, I could tell that something was off. Putting it simply, I felt scared. Even Relaire shrank in size and quivered atop of the commoner’s head.
“Listen up. The Way of the Maid is very deep. Normally, it would be impossible for such a thing to be mastered over the course of a mere week.”
“No, we don’t intend to master it―”
“HOW-EV-ER!”
Lene cut me off from what I was about to say. The passion that filled her words increased as she spoke.
“I want to convey the splendor that can be found within Devotion and Altruism. It is with that sole desire that I stand before you today.”
I felt as though I saw something hovering behind Lene, to me it appeared as though she had been possessed.
“Yes. Devotion and Altruism… These tenants are core to the Way of the Maid. Those gathered here today may not be familiar, but these concepts will be what lead us to world peace itself.”
Things had gotten so far out of hand that I could no longer stop her, my only option was to listen to Lene’s words.
◆◇◆◇◆
Lene-sensei’s sermon lasted for longer than an hour. To be able to receive such valuable words, how blessed I truly was … Something felt off to me, but it must have been my imagination.
“―And so, I’d like to move on and from the introduction and give everyone the chance to take their first steps in the Way of the Maid.”
“Yes, Lene-sensei.”
“That’s a good response, Claire-sama. First, let’s review. What are the core tenants of the Way of the Maid?”
“Devotion and Altruism, Lene-sensei.”
“Exactly right. Very well done.”
“Thank you, Lene-sensei.”
That’s right, Devotion and Altruism. The very concepts that will lead us to world peace. How had I not realized their value until now?
“In that case, Rodd-sama, what is basic and fundamental in the Way of the Maid?”
“That would be the greeting, Lene-sama.”
“Very good. Shall we give it a try? Let’s say it in unison.”
“““““Welcome home, Master.”””””
“You’re too quiet!”
“““““Welcome home, Master!!!”””””
“Yes, like that. It appears that you’re all starting to understand, I’m very happy as your teacher.”
Hearing those words from Lene-sensei, I felt a sense of happiness wash over me.
“Uhm, Lene?”
“That’s Lene-sensei to you.”
The commoner nervously called out to Lene-sensei and Lene-sensei corrected her in a resolute tone.
“Lene-sensei, don’t you think that things might’ve taken a strange turn?”
“Not at all. I purely wish that everyone here would come to appreciate the brilliance of the Way of the Maid.”
“I, I see…”
“Yes. Alright, Rei-chan, repeat after me. Welcome home, Master.”
“W-Welcome home, Master.”
It looks like the commoner had come around as well. Wonderful, let us both master the Way of the Maid together.
“The core of the Way of the Maid is?”
“““““Devotion and Altruism!!!”””””
“The proper greeting?”
“““““Welcome home, Master.”””””
Yes… In hindsight, it became very clear that something had gone very wrong.
◆◇◆◇◆
“… That was absolutely terrifying.”
Shortly after we had left the Order’s meeting hall, it became clear to me that something had taken hold of me. Devotion and altruism be damned. By the time I had returned to my room, I was back to my normal self.
“My apologies. I let myself get swept up in my passion…”
As though the fearsome instructor I had just seen was all a lie, the current Lene appeared so calm and gentle as she smiled. In spite of that, I remained afraid of her. That should speak to the depths of the insanity that I had just witnessed. Even Relaire appeared listless atop of the commoner’s head. I had been curious for some time now, but could she actually understand the human language?
“I don’t even have the energy to be angry… Lene, I had no idea you had such a side to yourself.”
“Yes, well, it’s not a persona that I often get to show.”
“If possible, I’d rather never see it again.”
I felt as though I may be unable to trust ever again. Completely spent, I collapsed onto my bed.
“That’s no good, Claire-sama. You must bathe and change.”
“… But I’m tired.”
“No, please get up.”
“Mrgh…”
“Get up!”
“Yes! Lene-sensei… Ah.”
Just now, I reflexively… My body trembled in shame.
“… An unexpected side effect.”
“Shouldn’t this be categorized as a psychological scar!?”
As the commoner’s words were too saccharine for me to accept, I corrected her as my memories taunted me.
“I just want to forget everything that has happened today.”
“You shouldn’t say something like that~”
This was after the two of them had already left the room. Despite what Catherine said, I still remained completely unaware.
―Even though there wasn’t a single memory that would have been better off forgotten.
Translator Comment: Truly, the Way of the Maid will one day bring about world peace! Bless Lene-sensei for opening my eyes to the light.
