Chapter 6

“Ugh, I’m so tense—”

Standing in front of the banquet hall, Lilian glanced back at Catherine, who was watching her. Despite the wide maid skirt she wore, her waist was strikingly slim without a corset.

The attendant’s name call echoed out. This was so loud that hearing her own name called like that made Lilian’s face flush slightly, but Catherine remained stern as she continued to gaze at her.

“Young Lady.”

“….”

Since Lilian didn’t say anything or move, Catherine quietly continued calling her.

“It’s your turn to enter.”

“Yeah.”

As the calm voice of the maid, who seemed devoid of expressive muscles, resonated, Lilian gradually started correcting herself to resemble her original ‘Lilian’ as if under a spell. Although she had tried to maintain a certain grace during the entrance ceremony, Catherine’s composed and beautiful tone tickled her ears, compelling her to enhance her demeanor even more.

Slowly, she adjusted her posture to fit that of the nobility. She straightened her back, fixing her gaze straight ahead. Her steps were neither wobbly nor overly exaggerated—just refined enough to be elegant without appearing cheap. And then, the unique expression of Lilian, cold yet arrogant, formed on her face.

Without looking in the mirror, she had to believe that she was perfectly ‘Lilian’ right now. Before stepping into the banquet hall, she peeked back and found Catherine slightly parted her lips, looking at her. What’s this, nervousness? Such thoughts crossed Lilian’s mind as she called out to Catherine.

“Catherine, you should come with me.”

“…Yes.”

Though the response was a tad delayed, Catherine nodded slowly and followed Lilian into the banquet hall. Inside, a multitude of nobles had already gathered. All eyes, male and female alike, began to beam toward Lilian, but now fully transformed into ‘Lilian’, she greeted their gazes haughtily.

Gradually, the nobles’ stares began to wane. Watching this unfold, Lilian inwardly smiled. It wasn’t a big deal. That’s genuinely what she thought.

At least, until Yulia approached.

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Right after the meeting between Lilian and Prince Bellus, dance music started flowing in the banquet hall. They would probably go out to dance. I quietly stepped back, watching the two move towards the bright chandelier, playfully bickering.

Lilian danced surprisingly well. Her grace was not exactly ladylike, but she showcased quite a bit of skill. What kind of life had she lived? How had she come to inhabit the body of a noble lady?

Well, pondering like this wouldn’t get me anywhere. Watching Lilian gently grab Prince Bellus’s hand with her fingertips while dancing, I slowly made my way out of the banquet hall.

Stepping into the quiet corridor, I started walking towards the outside. It was calm out there. It felt like all sounds and echoes were confined within the banquet hall, as no noises traveled in the corridor. As a well-trained maid, I made my way outside without making a sound.

…Huh!

While walking outside, a thin, delicate female voice reached my ears from a distance. Who was that? Curious, I approached the source of the sound slowly. There were two people by that sound. One was a familiar face. Golden hair fluttered like the night sky. I flung away the hand that grabbed me.

“Stop it!”

“…Huh? You little commoner dare to—!”

Hmm, I probably heard that right — it seemed like a conversation where the situation clearly outlined the events. A drunken nobleman was harassing Yulia. Judging by his face, he didn’t seem to be from a particularly significant family. But he was good enough to get into the academy.

Perhaps a Marquess from the kingdom? I quietly mulled over this while sneakily slipping behind them. Naturally, I had no intention of stepping into the fray. Even if I was a maid from the Marquis of Portus, they were nobles with a title, and I was ultimately a commoner. Unless I possessed some capability like Yulia, I was just a capable but ordinary person.

Without anyone noticing, I climbed lightly onto a tree above them and dropped down right onto the man.

“Gah?!”

“Eek?!”

“…Hmm.”

Confirming the man was unconscious, I grabbed Yulia’s hand. Although I had disguised it as an accident to knock him out, it was uncertain how long he would remain asleep since I hadn’t taken proper precautions.

“For now, let’s get away.”

“Huh? Ah, okay.”

Yulia glanced at me curiously, perhaps noticing my strangely calm demeanor. As I exited the garden, I gently let go of her hand and spoke up.

“Is there something you want to say?”

“Huh? Ah… you said Catherine, right?”

“Yes, Young Lady Yulia.”

“Oh, ‘Young Lady?’ Hehe. Didn’t I say? I’m just a commoner.”

“But you possess Divine Power. So at the very least, you should be above Count.”

Given the recent situation in the Church and the imperial court, aiming for a Marquis rank was not out of reach. Of course, it would depend on who this young lady married.

The House of Portus couldn’t aim for that, as she was the only heir. The remaining candidates were the four Grand Dukes and the imperial family, but the four Grand Dukes weren’t particularly proactive in such affairs. Those who dominated the four corners of the kingdom tended to avoid major conflicts with the Church.

Considering the imperial family, who had lost their credibility after a series of recent wars, they would surely be keen on acquiring a ‘Saint’. However, while they might consider a second prince, they wouldn’t offer up the crown prince. A commoner couldn’t possibly become an empress.

As I glanced at the young lady, who would likely become a sacrifice in political maneuvers, she looked confused, tilting her head in innocence.

“Still… I’m a commoner for now. I’d prefer you to speak without restraint.”

“My actions as your maid would influence your reputation, Young Lady. Please refrain from such remarks.”

“…Then how about only when it’s just the two of us?”

This girl really didn’t give up. I couldn’t help but nod. After all, it was unlikely I’d have many chances to be alone with her after today. As I nodded, Yulia’s face began to brighten.

“…Great!”

Is that really a good thing? I glanced at her bouncing around excitedly before turning my back. The dance music would likely be ending soon. By the way, why was this young lady outside and not dancing? I briefly questioned myself, but her following silhouette quickly erased that thought.

“…Don’t follow me.”

“Huh? Why—”

“It would create unsavory gossip if the two of us entered together.”

Gossip about commoners getting too cozy, and while Yulia might not care much, my reputation would certainly reflect on Lilian. As her maid, I couldn’t tarnish her reputation with such associations. Firmly, I shut her down, and Yulia pouted.

“…Tch.”

“If it’s that serious, you go in first.”

“Huh? No, it’s fine.”

Waving her head in refusal, Yulia slightly halted her steps. What was this? Wasn’t she trying to enter together? Despite knowing her little, my curiosity grew.

I didn’t need to worry about it. After briefly deliberating, I stepped back into the banquet hall. As I subtly blended into the background and moved next to Lilian, she looked at me with a startled expression.

“…Catherine? Where did you go?”

“Just took a little walk.”

“A walk?”

“Yes.”

Nodding, Lilian looked at me for a moment before nodding back.

“Okay. Well, nothing much happened, right?”

“…Nothing much, indeed.”

There was something, but when I mentioned meeting Yulia, Lilian looked even more surprised. Thankfully, we were in a corner, so others didn’t see her shocked expression. Watching Lilian’s eyes go wide like saucers, I quietly admonished her.

“Young Lady, your decorum.”

“Is decorum really that important?”

While I wanted to scold the maid who was droning on about decorum obliviously, there were too many eyes around. With a sigh, I stood and headed towards my room, with Catherine closely following and keeping my outfit in check.

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