Chapter 42

“…..”

It’s embarrassing. I felt like curling up and hiding in a mouse hole, my legs crossed modestly as I looked at whoever opened the carriage door. Half pity, half disbelief, I locked eyes with the princess, and she quietly spoke.

“Just come out.”

“No way.”

“What do you mean, no way?”

“…I didn’t tell the Young Lady.”

“I know that too.”

The princess added, looking at me, “She said you couldn’t come because you were sick.” The way she looked at my cheek felt a bit prickly, so I averted my gaze, prompting a small sigh from her.

“Charles Garington. I’ve heard a lot about his hot-headed nature, but I didn’t think he would go so far as to strike a delicate woman.”

“Delicate…?”

“You’re delicate enough, in my opinion. Setting aside your actual strength.”

Well, that’s true. My lanky limbs looked too weak to even hold a sword, and my slender waist seemed like it would snap if poked. But inside, there lurked a monster capable of taking down ruffians and facing off against even decent knight squads while wielding a sword that weighs nearly 5 kg with both hands.

In fact, the princess must believe in my strength to drag me around like this. Rattle, rattle, the pace of the carriage matched the speed of the princess’s horse. Now that I think about it, why was the princess here doing this while most people were enjoying a cozy journey in their carriages?

“If I said I’m here to help the Student Council, would you buy that?”

“Buy it or not, that’s the truth, isn’t it?”

“True enough.”

Nodding, the princess subtly looked at me. Regarding her inscrutable gaze, I tilted my head.

“I thought you would follow. I never envisioned you would be in such a spectacular position.”

“…”

I had almost forgotten. For her to bring that back up. With my mouth tightly shut, the princess chuckled and grabbed my hand. Holding the reins with one hand and reaching out with the other… She must have some skill in horseback riding.

“For now, I’ll hide you in the carriage I was riding.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re quite shameless in times like this. You never say you want to go back.”

“That’s because I don’t plan on going back.”

If I left things as they were, who knows what trouble Lilian might cause? The moment I mentioned Charles’s name, I could still picture the expression Lilian had shown me. It was the same expression she used to have only when she was really angry back in the day, and that image came rushing back to me.

With Lilian involved and the princess getting heated, Charles Garington’s life was unlikely to be smooth sailing from here on out. From what I’ve seen of the princess, she might just kick him out of Apatem Academy, but even that could be enough to twist life into a mess.

Of course, if Lilian lent a hand, things would get even tougher. I never thought a single slap could ruin someone’s life like that. As those thoughts crossed my mind, I subtly took the princess’s hand. She pulled me in with strength. Following her lead, I mounted the horse and settled in behind her.

“You ride surprisingly well.”

“I have experience.”

“Does the House of Portus lend horses to their maids?”

“I’m not just any maid.”

Technically, I learned to ride under the pretext of guarding the Young Lady. I quickly closed the door of the cargo carriage while getting used to a proper posture in the saddle. With that, the horse began to distance itself from the carriage. The princess sped up, heading toward the magnificent carriage at the front.

“…Your Highness, could that be…?”

“Don’t look at it that way.”

How would she notice my gaze if it was behind her? I mused as I casually replied.

“You can’t see it, can you?”

“…I can feel it.”

How can she say that about my expression when I’m as stoic as a rock? Looking at the princess’s nape, which had flushed red out of irritation, suggested she hadn’t adorned the carriage just for the fun of it. I opened the running princess’s carriage door and hopped inside. The wide-eyed look she gave me was one of surprise.

“Couldn’t you just slow down a bit instead of jumping in like that?”

“If I get spotted by others, it would be troublesome.”

“You could just say I’m a maid I brought with me.”

“…Hmm.”

Is that it? When I tilted my head, the princess let out a small sigh.

“Don’t do anything dangerous moving forward. You may be skilled, but you’re not invulnerable.”

“Well, true.”

Getting hit hurts, and a cut could very well mean death. Not to mention falling off would likely cause me great injury as well. But this level of movement wasn’t all that dangerous. After all, I’m not a regular person. It was more like being a stunt double.

Just like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible does his own stunts, so do I. Well, I’m not filming a movie, but I inevitably had to execute the necessary movements.

I noticed the princess’s brow furrow slightly as she pondered my lackadaisical response, but realizing further comments would bear little fruit, she closed her mouth. Somehow, she seemed dissatisfied, but I couldn’t humor her frustrations.

Why can’t the people around me stand idly by while I’m getting into danger? They’re nobles, and I’m a commoner. Of course, I don’t think being a noble makes one superior to a commoner. I have a modern mindset, and I know nobles can get hurt too.

Hmm, I digress a bit. I just wanted to mention that ordinary nobles in this world usually don’t care about commoners. But isn’t it strange? The nobles around me worry about me. Both Lilian and the princess. It seems odd to say it’s because Lilian became ‘possessed’, as ‘the Young Lady’ also used to worry about me all the time.

Catherine reminded me of a wildcat, and I suddenly recalled the Young Lady’s smile, vibrant as a peony. She used to say that if left alone, I’d probably die somewhere like a wildcat. I missed her so much that I kept my mouth shut tight.

Worry has a way of tugging at a person’s heartstrings. Both the princess and Lilian carried their worries. Yet, the Young Lady’s concern was special to me. The only one who didn’t worry about her family worried the most for her little maid, ‘Catherine’.

At first, I was an awkward maid, but even as I grew more reliable each passing day, she always fretted. Wouldn’t I get hurt outside? Would I make a mistake at work? Wouldn’t my coworkers come to see me with disdain? Every time I received her worry, something warm and intense bloomed in my heart.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

“…Well, I guess I was thinking how peculiar worry can be.”

“Wanting to care about those close to you is a good thing. I, too, always worry about you.”

“I always appreciate that.”

It is somewhat strange for someone of royal stature to worry about a common maid. I thought that as I stared blankly at the ceiling. The vast ceiling of the carriage seemed enormous. My world felt like the ceiling of this grand carriage, while the princess’s world was the blue sky above.

That blue sky seemed so ample, even letting a common maid like me have room to worry. I stared blankly at the princess lost in thought. Speaking of which, I was confessed to by the princess. I nodded at the sudden realization that swept aside all previous thoughts.

Hmm, right. If it’s someone you like, it’s natural to worry a bit. No matter what world you’re in, feelings lead to natural compassion. A beautiful, wealthy princess like her saying she likes me… And now that same princess was approaching me. As her face neared unexpectedly, I squeezed my eyes shut, and she placed her hand to my forehead and asked, looking flustered.

“Are you really okay? You seem to have a fever.”

“Yes?”

A fever? Oh… Now that I think of it, my head does feel a bit dizzy. I checked my forehead, but I couldn’t tell if it was a fever or just my imagination. As I was lost in thought, the princess reappeared, holding a small thermometer.

Where did she even get that?

“Put this in your mouth.”

“Yes ma’am.”

After placing the thermometer in my mouth, I felt the temperature steadily rising. When it approached 38 degrees, the princess exclaimed, “Oh dear!”

“Shouldn’t we head back?”

“Honestly, I’ll feel better if I rest a bit.”

“Let me restate that. Once we arrive in the city, we should see a doctor.”

“Again, I say, resting will suffice.”

With her insistence, I let out a small sigh and reclined on the carriage seat, following her orders. Unlike the cargo carriage, the luxurious seating in this one felt quite comfortable. As I lay there, my eyelids began to grow heavy.

“Get some rest. You’ll wake up when we arrive.”

With that final soft remark from the princess, I slowly surrendered my body to sleep.