The duke has disappeared, and my duties as a maid have officially come to an end.
As a result, I began to perform miscellaneous tasks required to manage the villa, just like the other maids.
The amount of labor itself has increased.
However, regular maids tend to work all at once, so they have decent breaks in between.
Compared to the mental exhaustion of being next to the duke all day, this is significantly more comfortable.
No, it had to be comfortable.
“Ah, this is comfortable. A rich family’s sofa is the best. Hey? Maid lady? Oh, or should I say, madam? Anyway, I have something I want to order.”
“……”
The hero, Leopard.
Because this guy invaded the villa, I’ve had quite the headache.
It seems the butler opened the door for him, and he was already inside playing with Tia. I thought telling him the duke had left would make him leave quickly.
But what do you know?
He said he knew everything and just lay down completely.
“Why won’t you come when I call? Does this house not treat its guests well?”
“Julia! Go out quickly!”
“But you know him! We can’t just go out! Hurry!”
“Considering you called me madam, you’re clearly calling me!”
“Hah……”
In the end, I was forced to step out to entertain the guest—or rather, the troublesome guest.
The butler left saying he had urgent business, so I was the only one left to deal with Leopard.
Thanks to that, it seemed I would end up working just like a maid even after the duke had left.
“Get me some ice cream. My head is hot and I need something to cool down.”
“Hah. I’ll bring it right away…”
“No. You stay here and let someone else bring it.”
“……”
I wondered why this guy was acting this way.
It seemed he intended to boss me around like a personal maid, despite being a guest.
Noticing Leopard’s mood seemed quite off, it felt troubling.
Of course, it was common for this guy to be angry for no reason, so I decided to let it slide.
“Everyone’s busy and can’t help you. If you wait a moment, I’ll bring it over quickly. Got it?”
“Bring it quickly……”
“Got it.”
I managed to persuade Leopard and escape.
I thought I could take a breather under the pretense of getting the ice cream.
With him throwing such a tantrum, it felt like I was taking care of a big baby.
This isn’t a kindergarten.
Sighs kept escaping me.
“I’ve got it. Your favorite vanilla ice cream. Right?”
“Yeah…… But what’s that?”
“Huh? Ah?”
Leopard pointed at the inside of the cart I had brought.
Bending slightly to look, I noticed there was a teapot and teacups.
Without realizing it, I brewed black tea.
The duke usually has tea at this time, so…
Somehow, my daily routine seemed completely aligned with the duke’s.
“Here. Eat.”
“What’s that?”
“Black tea. Do you want to drink it? They say it tastes good with ice cream…”
I hadn’t tasted it myself, but since the duke enjoyed it, I said so.
Then Leopard’s expression crumpled unexpectedly.
I instinctively shrank back, startled.
“That guy…… No. Is it Schwarz’s hobby?”
“What do you mean?”
“Black tea. Did you brew it for that reason?”
“Yeah. I unconsciously brewed it out of habit.”
“Ugh……”
“S-Sorry. I’ll clean it up right away.”
“No. It’s fine, so don’t clean it.”
Realizing this wasn’t normal, I instinctively began to clear the cart, but Leopard grabbed my wrist and stopped me.
What happened for him to be in such a bad mood?
Leopard often looks grumpy, but I had never seen him this upset before.
I had trouble understanding how someone who usually had that silly grin managed to take the Demon King’s head.
Now, I felt like I could vaguely understand.
Perhaps this was the face Leopard made when he was truly angry.
It was a little, no, very fierce.
“Give me a teacup. I’ll have some too.”
“Okay……”
With a flurry, I poured tea into the cup, unable to avoid looking at Leopard.
His clenched fist was trembling slightly.
His legs were shaking a lot too.
It felt like standing before a volcano about to erupt, so I became cautious about every move I made.
“This tea is delicious. It’s really good. Exceedingly good.”
“……”
Leopard took a sip of tea and nodded.
He was clearly praising it, but his rough tone made it hardly sound like a compliment.
It’s amazing how someone can look angry while saying something tastes good…
What a fascinating guy.
“Black tea. From today on, brew it for me.”
“What? Why should I?”
“Because I’ll be visiting every day. And since I like sweet things, add a little more sugar. Change it to my taste from now on. Got it?”
“Got it……”
I reluctantly agreed.
What I had dreaded turned into reality.
Saying he would visit every day…
I had no idea what kind of situation he came from, but dealing with this frustrated guy, or rather, this girl, every day was going to be exhausting.
My head began to pound.
“Aerial.”
“Julia.”
“That’s right. Sorry, Julia. But by any chance…”
“……?”
Leopard cautiously started to speak, trailing off.
He kept opening and closing his lips but couldn’t continue.
It was driving me crazy.
“But by any chance. What?”
“Ha. Never mind.”
“What? Why are you so deflated? Huh?”
“Nothing at all…”
Why was he acting like this for real?
Leopard’s state today was very strange.
I even wondered if he was feeling unwell.
“What on earth is it? Huh? Why did you…”
“Mommy!”
With a bang, the reception room door burst open, and a loud voice made me freeze momentarily.
Right now, facing Tia was slightly awkward.
“Whoa, what’s wrong? Should I go somewhere else since we have a guest?”
“Huh? It’s still Sister Leo.”
“Tia, would you like to eat ice cream with me?”
“I want to eat! Yay!”
“……”
Tia darted over and plopped down next to Leopard in a flash.
Leopard, as if he never had a grumpy expression, was grinning stupidly and handing her a spoon.
Tia’s eyes widened as she took the spoon and a blush appeared on her face.
Seeing that face, no one could help but think she’s adorable.
Such a cute little thing…
Thanks to her, the awkward and intense atmosphere eased up quite a bit.
“Tia.”
“Huh? Do you want some too, Mommy?”
“Ah, no. You eat a lot.”
I tried to smile back at Tia’s bright smile while stuttering.
I almost asked if she overheard anything earlier while I was outside the kitchen this morning, but I held it back.
No matter how I looked at it, that wasn’t likely.
Tia wouldn’t be able to pull off such a nonchalant act.
Then what was that sound?
I must have misheard the sound of wind.
What a relief.
“Hehe. Mommy won’t let me eat ice cream.”
“Sister is the best, right?”
“Huh! I wish Sister Leo would come every day!”
“……”
What a ridiculous thing to say.
Instead of helping Mommy…
Still, watching Leopard petting Tia’s head and showering her affection made my heart uneasy.
Perhaps it was actually the duke or the hero who played with Tia when she felt lonely and bored…
At first, I hated the idea of those two approaching her, but now, thinking back, I felt grateful.
Of course, I would never outwardly express my gratitude…
“Julia.”
“Yes?”
“Have you thought about taking my last name?”
“……?”
Leopard, who had been gently stroking Tia’s horns, lowered his voice and asked.
A last name.
What on earth was he talking about all of a sudden?
“Don’t you want my last name, Prauda?”
“Are you doing this again? I clearly said I wouldn’t marry you…”
“This isn’t about marriage. It doesn’t matter if you’re formally my daughter or sister. You and Tia would definitely gain more benefits socially with my last name. It would definitely be advantageous for you. What do you think?”
“……”
His expression was no longer playful.
Leopard was speaking seriously.
The hero’s last name, Prauda.
Having that name would definitely help me.
If it were Leopard, he likely wouldn’t demand anything too severe from me.
It was a very tempting proposal.
“Really, thank you. Julia Prauda. That’s a really pretty name.”
“So then……!”
“But I’ll decline. For now, being affiliated with Dragania seems sufficient as a protective barrier for me and Tia.”
“……”
Leopard’s mouth shut tight.
Of course, my reason for declining wasn’t limited to that.
Tia was being chased by the church as a seed of disaster.
I was in the same situation.
Meanwhile, Leopard was on a mission from the church to find the Holy Maiden.
If I were to take the hero’s last name, I would likely stand out and be quickly discovered.
Also, if that were to happen, the repercussions would fall directly on the hero.
Even though I was already in his debt, I couldn’t impose any more trouble.
So I had to refuse.
Though I was embarrassed, I couldn’t bring myself to explain the real reason.
“I see…… Under the protection of Dragania, you are satisfied, huh……”
“Sister Leo?”
“……”
Leopard’s face gradually darkened.
It sent a shiver down my spine.
Noticing this, Tia worriedly took Leopard’s hand.
At that, Leopard flinched, trembled slightly, and stood up suddenly.
“I’ll be leaving now.”
“What? Already? You were acting like you would stay all day.”
“Sister Leo, are you really leaving without playing with Tia?”
“I’m sorry. Something urgent came up…”
Before I could even grab my coat for him, Leopard picked up his outer garment and took quick strides out of the reception room.
His face looked composed as he passed by.
It seemed like a face that had reached a determination after much thought.
“Why is he acting like that…?”
An unease washed over me.
It felt ominous that something big was about to happen soon.
