After dinner, the task of washing the dishes naturally fell to me, as it had since lunch the day before.

It wasn’t that everyone decided to make me do it simply because of my experience as a maid. Rather, I was the only one here capable of using cleaning magic.

Ethan’s magic mostly focused on physical enhancement, Agnes was too occupied with learning combat spells to bother with utility magic, and for a royal, using something as basic as cleaning magic would be considered disgraceful.

As for Colt, being of commoner origin, she couldn’t use magic at all. Even though her status as a royal palace knight meant she was treated with more respect than a viscount’s daughter, that didn’t mean she inherited the noble bloodline necessary to wield magic.

Thus, with my large mana pool, I was left to take care of the dishes with cleaning magic, and before long, night fell.

We set up two tents—one for the men and one for the women—and lit a campfire. The last task before bed was to decide the watch schedule for the night, ensuring that one of us would stay awake to guard the camp until morning.

“With four of us standing watch, excluding His Highness, we could switch every two hours. Personally, I was thinking of taking the second shift,” I suggested.

“No, ensuring the safety of distinguished guests during a camp like this is also my duty. You all should sleep until morning,” Colt insisted.

“Really? But you’ll be driving the carriage tomorrow as well, won’t you? Isn’t it too much for you to do both?” I asked.

“A royal knight can go three days without sleep and still function without issue.”

“That makes me nervous. What if you fall asleep at the reins and drive us off a cliff?” Agnes interjected bluntly.

“......”

“I don’t think we need to take it to such an extreme, but I’d also feel better if the driver had enough rest,” Ethan agreed.

“Understood. Lady Rosewood has claimed the second shift, so I’ll take the third...”

“I think it would be better if you, Colt, took the first shift,” I interrupted. “The first or last shift will give you the longest possible rest, and as the driver, you deserve that consideration.”

“I agree with Lilith. You’ve already driven us for two days straight; you should rest as much as possible. Take either the first or the last watch,” Ethan added.

“...I’ll take the first watch then,” Colt said.

“Hm, but why is it that I’m automatically excluded from the watch?” Prince Antonio chimed in. “I could stand watch too. How about we adjust the schedule so that I take a one-and-a-half-hour shift?”

“Are you sure about that? Do you know the procedures for standing watch?” I asked.

“I simply need to stay awake, listen, and alert the others if something suspicious approaches, be it a person or a monster. While I may not be as skilled in combat as you all, I can certainly handle that much,” Antonio replied confidently.

“In that case, it might be best if you take the last watch, Your Highness. While monsters can attack at any time, at least we won’t have to worry about bandits after dawn.”

“Very well, I’ll take the last watch. But out of curiosity, Lady Agnes, which shift will you be taking?”

“I think it’s best if Lady Blaze takes the fourth watch. I’ll take the third. Does anyone object?” Ethan proposed.

As Ethan looked around for objections, Agnes raised her hand with a displeased expression on her face.

“I’ll take the third shift.”

“Then I’ll take the fourth and switch with Lady Agnes,” Antonio offered.

“Ethan, will you take the final shift?” I asked.

“Of course. So, Lady Blaze will take the third...”

“Forget it! If you’re going to keep changing things around, just leave it as it was!” Agnes snapped.

“Then I’ll switch with Lilith during the third shift...” Ethan started again.

Thus, after Agnes's annoyance and Antonio’s insistence, we finally agreed on a watch schedule. The banter between the two helped create a bit of a lively atmosphere as the night set in, giving the journey a more adventurous feeling.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

About an hour had passed since everyone, except for Colt, had gone into their tents to sleep.

I had been tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep, and eventually, I got up from my sleeping bag about thirty minutes before the shift change.

‘I can’t sleep...’

Because I had taken a nap during the day while in the carriage, it was difficult to get back to sleep. Years of maid work had trained my body to function with only the minimum amount of sleep. Forcing myself to sleep more than I needed was almost impossible now.

And honestly, the palace carriage’s suspension was so smooth that it had lulled me to sleep without any effort. Ethan had also insisted that I lean on him whenever I started to doze off, so I had napped comfortably against his shoulder.

Since I was already awake, I decided to get up early and head outside the tent. If I offered to switch shifts early, it might be a pleasant surprise for Colt.

-Slide.

“Lady Rosewood? Out for some fresh air?” Colt asked as I stepped out.

Realizing she was politely inquiring whether I needed to relieve myself, I shook my head.

“No, I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d relieve you early.”

“There’s no need to trouble yourself, my lady. I’m quite used to standing watch.”

“It’s really no trouble. My years as a personal maid have trained me to wake up early and sleep late. I don’t need much rest.”

“...I see.”

“You should get some sleep, Colt. I’ll take the watch for two hours and then switch with Ethan.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I prefer to fulfill my duty,” she replied.

I didn’t press the issue. There are all kinds of people in the world, and some can’t rest if they don’t stick to their own sense of duty. For someone like Colt, who held firm to her principles, there was no need to force her to rest early.

At least with someone to talk to, the time would pass more quickly.

“How long have you served as a knight in the royal palace?” I asked.

“Please, when it’s just us, feel free to speak casually, Lady Rosewood,” Colt offered.

“I’m more comfortable with formal speech, honestly.”

“...Very well. I’ve served as a knight for three years now. I joined the royal guard straight after graduating from the academy.”

“So, you were a fourth-year student three years ago... That makes you about five years ahead of me?”

“By that logic, perhaps, but there’s no need to dwell on seniority.”

“I wasn’t really dwelling on it. It’s just that you seem to be about the same age and surname as someone I know, so it caught my attention.”

“......”

Colt’s interest was clearly piqued. I had suspected from the beginning, and now I was fairly certain—she was related to Natalie.

“You’re Natalie’s sister, aren’t you?”

“Are you a friend of hers, Lady Rosewood?”

“Not quite a friend, more of an acquaintance. We’ve met at a few social gatherings, but we’ve never had a conversation just the two of us.”

“I see.”

As soon as I mentioned Natalie, Colt’s demeanor became a bit more guarded. It seemed my hunch had been correct—she was indeed Natalie’s older sister.

“I don’t know her very well, but would you like me to tell you a little about how she’s doing at the academy?” I asked.

“...Please do, Lady Rosewood.”

“To be honest, I’ve only seen her during combined swordsmanship classes. Last semester, she sparred with Ethan...”

We spent about thirty minutes talking about Natalie. Colt’s expressions shifted with each story I told—pride when I mentioned how often Natalie managed to win a round against the Hero, satisfaction when I told her that Natalie’s group won last year’s hunting festival, and utter despair when I shared the story of Natalie getting drunk on a single cocktail and causing a scene.

“Haa... So she’s causing trouble even outside the academy... I warned her not to drink in public...”

The way Colt’s emotions played so clearly on her face reminded me of Natalie, just a more mature version of her. If I had to describe Colt, I’d say she was Natalie but taller and slightly more responsible.

In a good way, Colt was more disciplined, whereas Natalie could be impulsive—what some might call a "muscle-brain."

“At least it ended well. Ever since that incident was recorded in the magic crystal, I’ve heard Natalie is so terrified of repeating it that she’s practically sworn off alcohol.”

“That’s a relief. When I saw her last, she didn’t mention anything about making such a mistake...”

“She’s probably too embarrassed to talk about it. But please, don’t tell her I told you.”

While I wasn’t interested in her romantically anymore, I didn’t want to get on the bad side of a character I used to like.

Nodding gratefully, Colt stood up after we had chatted for about thirty minutes.

“I’ll take my leave now. Thank you for telling me about my sister, Lady Rosewood.”

“Of course, Colt. Get some rest.”

“If anything suspicious happens during the watch, don’t hesitate to wake me. As a royal knight, I’m always ready to—"

Jingle.

“......”

“......”

Jingle jingle jingle.

The sudden sound of a bell ringing in the middle of the night cut her off.

Since whoever was approaching didn’t seem to be hiding their presence, it was more likely a monster than a bandit.

“I think that sword of yours might be needed sooner than you expected,” I said.

“...It seems so,” Colt agreed, drawing her sword.

As she prepared, I stood up from the campfire and strapped on the dagger I had hung by my side.

If this was a surprise encounter with a monster, I was more than ready to handle it.

In fact, I welcomed it—an unexpected opportunity for some experience points was never unwelcome.