***Chapter 283 Dozing II***

“As I have mentioned, it is like building blocks; you simply need to stack each task in your mind one by one. If you estimate the time required for Ojou-sama, Krische-sama, and Kreschenta-sama’s works for the day, then the time of their return and when to take care of them is just another block.”

Not just getting through the day's work, but holding the entire day in the palm of your hand.

Elvena used to think of a servant as merely a chore-doer. But after watching her, she changed her perspective.

Of course, she must be special.

Describing her as smart or clever was insufficient.

Krische’s words that Bery could do anything are true, and she had everything from managing the Christand family's accounts to knowing each individual's schedule in her head, and she had the time to do the housework of the large mansion with ease.

That princess's unusually high opinion of the servants must be because she has seen her way as a servant, not just a ‘chore-doer’.

Elvena genuinely believed she could do anything.

More than anything, her approach to work was fundamentally different from Elvena’s.

She didn't think of work as simply ‘a task to be completed’.

Before being a servant, she was Bery Argan, and she chose to be a servant as Berry Argan.

Not because she was given the role, but by her own will.

The fundamental difference between Elvena and her was there.

She had placed herself as a servant at the Christand household of her own will.

That's where she was meant to be.

――She thought of being a servant as just the means.

Usually, it was a position taken by daughters of noble families before marriage, a place to learn etiquette, a place to meet potential partners.

Women who spend their whole lives as servants simply didn't have any connection to that sort of thing, and most likely their goal is to marry into some family.

Even Elvena before coming here was not much different.

She thought she would either catch the eye of a guest or be thrown out once she lost her youth, and if she was lucky, she would gain her freedom and find another job.

Eventually, someday――that's the way servants spend their days, thinking this way.

It was comfortable for Elvena, but that was simply because she was that kind of slovenly person.

It was around that time that she realized that even the way she worked could change with a single will, and began to feel more than comfortable in her current environment.

Selene was serious but sloppy. She piled up books she had finished reading on her desk to put them away, but she rarely returned them to their original shelves, and if left alone, the books she had finished reading would pile up endlessly.

Krische was pathologically neat and meticulous. She couldn't stand it if things didn't meet her ‘Bery standard’, and if she was slow to act, Krische would end up cleaning everything herself.

Crescenta is surprisingly the laziest. Rather, she seems to find a moderately slovenly atmosphere relaxing and liked it, and she was only meticulous when she complained to Bery.

They each have different preferences for tea, and there were subtle differences of preference between Krische and Kreschenta as well.

Both of them like their tea sweet with lots of honey and milk, but Krische, who seems to prefer Bery tea, often drinks it straight to match her.

Apparently, drinking it straight was the way of a splendid lady to her.

When served milk tea without asking, she showed slight dissatisfaction, so it was best to ask before making her tea――whereas Kreschenta always drinks it with milk.

Her favorite was not milk tea, but honey milk (plus tea). When guests come over, the most important job of an attendant was to casually recommend milk tea to them.

Even when cleaning or drinking tea, think about the person you’re serving.

Just thinking about these little details for each person made things slightly more fun.

Surely, she also found such things simply delightful.

Of course, it must be because there was a reason called love――but she wonders what the difference between Bery and herself is.

Love, she thought, was probably something like that.

Rejoicing in someone’s small happiness from the heart.

Mixing someone else’s heart into your own.

She loves her sister.

She loves her three masters.

She also loves her coworker who was kind to her, and her sister's best friend too.

Where exactly was the boundary of love?

Where was that line drawn?

How should one prove it?

The more she thought about it, the less she understood.

If someone said it was kissing, or skin contact, Elvena could have done that with any of them.

Like a casual gesture of affection.

If someone said saving one of them required her life, Elvena would willingly offer her life.

Like taking care of them.

Surely, there was something inside her that could be called love, but she didn’t know how to express it.

Maybe if she was as straightforward as Krische, she would have been happier.

Elvena was bound by her knowledge of normality and common sense.

How wonderful it would be if she could truly believe that kissing was an expression of love.

She bared her inner self without any hesitation.

It's so foolish, yet so beautiful, Elvena thought.

To Elvena, who couldn’t take a step forward, she was dazzling――surely that must be why Bery and the others love her.

"Elvena-sama, would you like to take a break?"

As she was drying laundry, a lively voice called out.

She turned around to see her cute colleague with her black hair tied up.

"Anne-sama, have you finished cleaning?"

"Yes. Actually, I was baking cookies in my free time..."

She went to ‘Fufun’ looking somewhat confident.

Elvena gave a wry smile.

If Bery Argan was a boss she respected, Anne Giterns was an enjoyable colleague.

She was a little quick to jump to conclusions, prone to make small mistakes, and always getting scolded by someone.

She was full of flaws, the complete opposite of Berry, who was flawless――but strangely enough, her just being there brightened up the atmosphere.

Better than others, but at the bare minimum.

She was an odd presence in the Christand house, which could be described as a gathering of perfectionists.

"Fufu, then I'll prepare the tea... in Anne-sama’s room is it?"

"Yes, please wait. It will be ready right away."

There was a bed, a writing desk, a closet, and a chest of drawers.

The only other thing was a small table and two chairs for tea.

Basically, Elvena’s and Arne’s rooms were the same, except for the bookshelf.

Since she was helping out with magical weapons, that was where her interests lay.

In Elvena's room, there were stacks of parchment on top of the chest of drawers, with the main points copied from magic-related books or notes written on them.

Buying books was expensive, but working for the queen allowed her to borrow such books from the royal library, and that was enough for her entertainment.

She never bought books for herself to keep at hand.

Unlike Elvena, Anne's room was well-equipped with bookshelves, lined with beautifully bound books that had been spent on a large part of her salary.

Collections of fairy tales from all over the world, past and present, and anthologies of poems by poets.

She seemed to prefer stories over academic texts.

This too might be a reflection of her personality.

She said she read her purchased books repeatedly, finding something new each time.

Elvena had seen her turning over the worn-out pages and shedding tears countless times.

She repeated the stories locked away there, tracing them lovingly with her eyes.

As for the two princesses, they would flip through books quickly, memorizing them easily.

Berry was similar, after reading a book the first time, she would pick out the main points and memorize them as if it were a matter of course.

Selene was like Elvena, and would write down the important parts on a separate piece of parchment.

They treat books as mere knowledge, but she was a little different.

She surely loved books themselves.

That was her mysterious charm.

Elvena thought that she probably sees the world differently.

"...I was wondering, is there something written in it?"

She asked Anne while munching on a cookie that seemed to be made from dried Rakula.

Stacks of parchment piled up on the writing desk――the number had increased considerably since the other day.

"Yes. Actually, Elvena-sama, I was wondering if you could take a quick look at them..."

“Me?”

"Yes. Actually, I was thinking of sending a letter to my father... I, well, before I knew it, it wasn't really a letter anymore."

Anne said bashfully.

‘How Anne-like’, thought Elvena, chuckling.

“I don’t mind, but will I be of any help? Bery-sama is more knowledgeable about such things…”

“No, um… Argan-sama is very busy, and I wouldn’t want to burden her with extra work…”

Anne continued, saying it wasn't anything formal.

“...I wish to serve the Christand family for the rest of my life. So I decided to write to my father about it... just to convey my feelings.”

“...For the rest of your life.”

Yes, Anne nodded, clasping her arms to her chest.

“Argan-sama once told me Life is like a river’s flow. Even without deciding anything or accomplishing anything... just drifting through each day, you can keep flowing.”

Anne smiled softly, squinting her eyes.

"In life, the things people can choose are probably trivial. Whether I choose or not may not make much difference. I'm still very happy, and I don't need to give an answer, but... I've been thinking a lot since my beloved Gallen-sama passed away."

He was Krische’s step-grandfather, who passed away last year.

Elvena didn't have many opportunities to meet him, but she knows that he was a man of great character who was respected by many, and that Anne also had deep affection for him.

She was even more depressed than Krische, who loved him as a grandfather, at one point, and despite her false cheerfulness, she seemed to have been carrying that feeling for a long time.

The stack of parchments there must be there to help her sort out those feelings.

"Gallen-sama said I reminded him of Lady Cliché’s mother, despite my clumsiness… He was delighted that someone like me was in this serious, competent household... His words’ true meaning might elude me, but I was glad he said that I could be here as myself.”

She closed her eyes as if recalling something precious.

“Gallen-sama always thought of Krische-sama and the household... It's presumptuous, but if I can help even a little, I would like to, so I decided to write to my father.”

Christand household was a special place, Elvena thought.

Everyone there was impressive, each with a clear sense of purpose.

"...Anne-sama is a splendid person."

"N-no, that kind of. Those words were also only me repeating others, and even though I say big things, I always end up making mistakes...Elvena-sama is the splendid one. Elvena-sama doesn't make mistakes like me, and learns all sorts of things quickly, and can do anything with ease..."

"Fufu, that's just a small thing... To borrow Anne's words, I'm just living my life by inertia."

Without making a decision, caught in the middle of something.

Unable to decide how she should be, and unable to decide what she wanted to do.

To Elvena, they shone as brightly as the morning sun.

How she wanted to live, how she wanted to be.

Perhaps they didn’t realize how amazing it was to be able to decide this with a single will.

There were countless people in the world, and most of them were probably unaware that they were spending their days by inertia, just like Elvena.

Beyond the comfortable drowsiness, beyond the eyelids.

They probably didn’t know how far the gap was.

Whenever she saw people like them, she always found herself envious.

‘Was it really okay for me to stay this way?’, she wondered

"Listening to such stories from you, Anne-sama, makes me reflect on myself... about how I should proceed from here."

"Elvena-sama, you think about such things as well?"

"Yes... Just like you, Anne-sama, I am very happy now. But when I think about the future, I always feel uncertain."

She felt like she couldn't stay like this forever.

But when she thought about changing today, it didn’t seem necessary to rush.

However, if she continues thinking this way, she is sure she'll never change.

The Elvena from next year, the year after, even ten years from now, would surely be thinking the same thing.

It's pointless to expect her to decide tomorrow.

Because whether it’s tomorrow or the day after, it's 'the Elvena of this moment' who has to choose and decide.

She quietly laughed and looked at Anne.

"But thanks to Anne, I feel like I've gained a little courage."

"Courage..."

Elvena nodded and stood up, reaching for the parchment on her writing desk.

Then, sitting down again, she told Anne that she would read it.

"Y-yes... Thank you."

"But don't get your hopes up too much. I'm not qualified to judge the quality of the lett――"

As she spoke, she dropped her eyes to the parchment.

Prologue――Anne of the Giterns family becomes a royal servant.

Arc 1――Ideals and reality. And the eternal goal, meeting the great servant.

Arc 2――The royal power struggle and the noble princesses of the falcon.

Arc 3――

"...I-I see, so it's divided into chapters..."

"Yes, well... I wanted to write about a lot of things and it ended up getting quite long, so I thought I'd make a table of contents as well..."

Anne covered her cheeks with both hands in embarrassment, and Elvena smiled stiffly..

The contents of the parchment were far removed from what a letter should be.

It took Elvena two days to return it.

It was filled with really roundabout passages that were hard to evaluate, and most of it seemed unnecessary, but Elvena wondered for a long time whether she should point it out or not.

The main story was about 10 pages long, but the total length was over 400 pages.

It would be extremely rude to say that 390 pages were unnecessary.

If she pointed out one thing, it would inevitably lead to pointing out more than ninety percent of it.

In the end, she decided to limit her comments to simple corrections.

Even the descriptions of herself, which were only spoken of casually as a colleague, made Elvena blush as she read it――her appearance, personality, trivial habits, and even catchphrases were written in detail, with personal opinions added.

It was easy to imagine Bery, who seemed surprisingly shy, being speechless when she saw it, and in that respect it was safe to say that Anne's consideration had saved Bery.

However, it’s probably her nature.

Just from seeing how she views the people around her, one could glimpse her character, and it's not a bad thing.

It’s because she genuinely respects and loves those around her that she could write such things without any hesitation.

Respect and affection were visible in every word, and even someone who didn’t know her, would be able to guess her personality if they read it.

――Although Her Majesty usually pretends to be a cynic, is a very kind person, identical to Krische-sama in personality.

The way Anne could speak such words so casually was what made her a woman.

The way others see things, the way she sees the world――whether intentionally or not, she interpreted all the complexities of the world simply and took them seriously.

The reason why she is loved by those around her could be seen in ‘That letter’, and she was sure her father would understand that too.

So, it should be fine as it was.

That's what she thought when she heard the story and looked at the letter.

Her head was filled with vague, drowsy feelings.

Even so, she thought she should try to express them.

In her letter, Anne had praised Elvena's good points and the things she admired――whether or not that was correct was a different matter, and no matter what, Elvena thought that the Elvena she imagined was not the only correct one.

Everyone sees and feels things differently.

Yet Elvena was always concerned only with herself, unconcerned with how others saw her or what they thought.

She was worried that she might cause trouble for her sister, but she knew that she wouldn't dislike her like that.

Her sister was always clear-minded, and would give her some kind of answer.

She didn't mind being told that she was only a little sister to her.

Elvena was happy, and her feelings wouldn't change.

She just wanted to make her various emotions clear.

"...? It's just Mia here today, huh"

"Uh, yeah, Commander Sandika was accompanying her, so she wanted to stay and train."

The day before a holiday――usually at dusk, the two who have finished their training come to the royal territory to pick her up.

Even though the house was in a first-class city with good security, it was a rule that servants who work for the queen should not go out alone.

She bowed to the familiar gatekeepers of the royal territory and went outside, and asked Mia, who looked a little sour.

"Is something wrong?"

"Hmm, nothing really, but... uuh"

‘Ah, uuh,’ she said, blushing and muttering.

Smiling wryly, Elvena suggested they talk at home, to which Mia nodded.

On the royal territory side, there were mansions of high-ranking nobles, and beyond them were apartment buildings.

Although they were called apartments, they were not shabby,; noble children and merchants from the provinces used them as secondary residences in the capital, and they were beautiful houses made of transmuted stone.

One of the rooms on the second floor was Mia and their room.

Both Mia and Kahlua were satisfied with their tea as long as they could drink it, so they basically left the water in the pot.

Rather than going through the trouble of replacing the water each time, they preferred to be served quickly.

The tea leaves and other luxury items they had received from the mansion were luxurious, and they felt bad about treating them so roughly, so after pouring hot water into the teapot, they replaced the contents with fresh water.

Then they poured the tea into cups.

They didn't really have a habit of using milk in this house.

‘Thank you’, she said, and Elvena smiled as she faced him.

She also sipped her tea and asked.

“So, what happened?”

“Um, well… I’m thinking about renting a place by myself soon.”

“By yourself…?”

Elvena furrowed her brows, and Mia nodded.

“Well, the reward money from the last war resolved a lot of financial issues, and both Kalua and I have plenty of money now… We’re also getting paid well…”

“Did you have a fight with Nee-san?”

"It's not like... I... it's just... normal..."

Mia looked away, as if she was having trouble saying something, and Elvena tilted her head.

“But this is quite sudden. It’s true that we don’t need to worry about money anymore, but having it isn’t a problem…”

Noticing Mia’s blushing face, she recalled the earlier conversation.

Mia was of that age――a lovely woman.

Putting aside the noble society, she was over twenty.

In a village, she would normally be married by now.

Though she had been numb to such talk, living in the Christand household, it wouldn't be strange if she had feelings for someone.

“Is there someone you like?”

"!..."

Seeing Mia blushing, Elvena nodded in understanding.

She was a good person, diligent, lovely——similar to Arne, with the difference being the environment.

She was in the military, surrounded by men.

Although she didn't realize it, Mia was naturally popular among the members.

It wasn’t unusual for her to develop such feelings.

"I-I don't know... but maybe it is. ... I-I-I mean... I was fine with it before... how can I put it?"

"I see. Hehe, so you're in love."

"Uhh..."

It is natural for Mia to feel such feelings.

It's a good thing, Elvena thought.

No one would reject a confession from someone like Mia.

She was devoted to her work as if it were her lover, and showed no interest in romance.

If she chose someone, they wouldn’t be a bad person.

She felt sad that this happy doze would change form, but――that must be how it was.

Elvena had only just made up her mind.

The time of gentle doze doesn't last forever.

She couldn’t bask in it forever.

"I can't believe I'm hearing such a story from you, Mia... is it someone I know?"

She said it out loud, thinking to support her.

“Someone you know… or rather…”

"I'm back!"

The moment Mia heard those words from the front door, her shoulders jumped and her face turned bright red.

Then, saying she forgot something, she went outside as if swapping places with Kalua.

Elvena was stunned. Kalua looked exasperated and untied her hair.

"...Hmm, did I make her angry after all? Elvena, did Mia say something?"

"No-nothing..."

"She said she was going to pick up Elvena again today, and went home first... I wonder what it was."

Her sister folded her arms and tilted her head to the side, thinking deeply, while Elvena was stunned.

She finally understood who Mia was talking about and looked up at her sister.

"...What's wrong?"

"...No, I was just a little surprised."

Her sister laughed and patted Elvena on the head.

Elvena checked the sensation as usual, then lowered her eyes and smiled as usual.

"Are you hurt today?"

"No problem. It was only a minor injury."

"That's the best thing. How's your stomach?"

"Empty-dumpy. Fufu, I'd like some Elvena’s tea first."

"Yes."

She poured tea and put in honey.

This was how it was, she thought.

Time flows slowly while immersed in drowsiness.

No matter how slowly it feels, it's a certainty.

"If the two of you are fighting, then guess I need to help both of you make up."

"Thanks. But it's Mia, so don't worry too much about it. It's Elvena's bad habit to overthink things."

The words she was about to say remained behind her eyelids.

"Right. ...It's a bad habit."

Remaining hazy and vague, in a doze.