“…I shall take my leave, my lord.”

“We’ll meet again next time. Miss Lilith Rosewood.”

“…Yes.”

 

Along with a creak, the door to the study room of the Blackwood manor closed carefully. 

With that, the view of the departing maid disappeared, making Harold Richard Blackwood quietly lost in thought.

 

“……”

 

No matter how he thought about it, she was a strange woman.

At a glance, she just looked like a maid with a cute appearance, but she showed a completely different demeanor and conduct, as if someone else was inside her.

She had been a suspicious woman in many ways ever since she helped retrieve Thanasia’s stolen necklace by speaking up at the disciplinary committee meeting.

That suspicion was further heightened by the monster extermination incident in the commercial district three days ago.

Through the Q&A session he just had with her in private, Harold could somewhat evaluate this person named Lilith Rosewood.

Unlike ordinary civilians who would be scared and run away from a huge monster, her bold personality allows her to risk her life resolutely.

Even in an emergency, she can calmly identify the enemy before her and find their weaknesses with composure.

She has a strange character as she might not hesitate to sacrifice herself for the sake of others.

That was Harold’s straightforward assessment of Lilith Rosewood, who had just left the study. 

 

“It might have been better to raise her as a knight rather than just a maid.”

 

She was a commoner girl who was sold off due to debt, so Melissa probably hired her as a servant without much thought to fill the shortage in the estate. 

Her judgment wasn’t wrong by any means.

Most debt-dependent commoner girls had a predetermined fate when they arrived somewhere. Probably anyone other than Melissa would have made a similar judgment.

In fact, Lilith Rosewood’s appearance itself was optimized for hospitality in many ways. 

Since Harold had already sworn not to love any woman other than Thanasia, he didn’t feel any particular excitement.

Still, objectively speaking from a man’s perspective, she owned a considerably attractive appearance.

Perhaps if she had more skill, instead of being sold off as a debt maid, she could have easily married into some remote noble family by enchanting them.

That a woman with such potential became a servant of the Blackwood family must have been a mere coincidence.

 

…But.

 

“She resembles her.”

 

She was just a mere commoner maid, yet he felt as if he was facing someone he had dearly missed and parted with long ago.

A woman who doesn’t care about her own safety or status and stands against injustice and danger.

Harold had known only one such woman for a very long time.

He’d loved her for a very long time.

 

“Thanasia…”

 

Harold muttered quietly as he looked at the framed portrait of a woman on his desk. 

Thanasia Louise Bracewell.

The second daughter of the remote Bracewell Marquis family, which only had farmlands and undeveloped forests.

Also, she is Harold’s late wife, whom he has loved for so long and still cannot forget.

 

“I thought I had no more lingering attachments since it’s been so long.”

 

Yet the fact that the most beautiful period of Thanasia’s life came to mind when he saw someone who resembled her meant that his heart still harbored some feelings.

Perhaps it felt even more so because that girl had helped retrieve the necklace holding memories of Thanasia.

 

“So there was a reason why Ethan was obedient to her.”

 

Maybe that girl could take Thanasia’s place as Ethan’s mother figure.

Of course, he couldn’t ask for too much of a mere maid, but she could at least help comfort Ethan, who had started going astray after losing his mother.

He had already confirmed through Melissa’s report that there was no flaw in her ability as a maid.

He had also witnessed firsthand her loyalty to Ethan and tight-lipped nature during the previous incident.

He noticed her keen observation and memory recall regarding Thanasia’s necklace at a single glance.

Although it may not be necessary, she also seemed to have the ability to protect his son if needed.

After going through these thoughts in his mind, Harold nodded and made a decision.

 

“While she may be too young to attend directly to Ethan…she still seems to be the best choice.”

 

It was the moment when an exclusive maid was appointed to assist his only son, Ethan Richard Blackwood, who had just recently woken up from a long curse and recovered.

“Ugh, I’m dying…”

 

The next day, after returning to my duties at the Blackwood estate.

After being released from the etiquette training room on the basement floor for three hours, I rubbed my aching legs and painstakingly made my way upstairs.

 

“I expected a lecture, but isn’t making me kneel for three straight hours while ranting a bit too much…”

 

After about an hour, I could barely remember what Melissa said. Most of it was just repeated, anyway.

 

<How can you in your right mind, as a mere girl, charge at a dangerous monster like a Hooked Tusk?! What happened to all the lessons on being a prim and proper lady that I drilled into you until my mouth went dry?!>

<Furthermore, isn’t protecting your own body the bare minimum for a servant of the Blackwood family?! You’re disqualified as both a maid and a lady! Grrrrr!!!>

 

At least last time, there were four of us listening together, so her attention was somewhat divided.

Now, though, listening to that dragon’s roar of a voice alone for three hours really drained all my energy.

My legs were aching quite a bit from kneeling for so long.

 

“If I was just going to be given a curfew, then a lecture wasn’t necessary…”

 

Even in this world where double or triple punishments are typical, wasn’t this too much?

The outing was only possible thanks to Head Maid Melissa’s leniency, so the curfew was understandable.

When I think about it, this punishment was the default for a debt maid like Lilith.

If I had actually gotten into an accident outside, it would have been troublesome for the head maid who granted me the outing permission.

She must have been shaken when she heard I was taken to the church.

…Still, a three-hour lecture marathon did seem a bit excessive.

 

“With that ridiculous stamina, doesn’t she ever tire of constantly spouting it out?”

 

The silver lining was that I raised my level to level 5 before the curfew was imposed. 

It’s a pity I couldn’t reach level 6, but I’ll get another chance someday.

Even if I weren’t a debt maid and had the freedom to go out during holidays, gaining five levels in such a short time would probably have been impossible.  

As Lilith, without any basic magic and having to just physically attack, it would have taken forever to defeat a single slime.

 

“In that sense, I guess it’s still quite fortunate…”  

“…What is fortunate?”

“Uwaaah!!”

 

The deep voice beside my face made me instinctively jolt backward in surprise.

There stood the young butler, his expression completely unchanged as he looked at me.  

 

“……”  

 

Ah, crap. I forgot his name again.

I remember it was Collin something, but not the rest…

 

“Dittmeyer Collin Evercroft.”

“My apologies…”

 

Even though he’s a butler, why does a mere servant have a middle name?

It’s already hard enough to remember his name, and the short middle name makes me think about the most useless part.

 

“……”  

 

Dittmeyer, the butler, made a strange expression as if he didn’t know whether to accept my apology.

Thinking he might be annoyed that I forgot his name twice, I looked at where his eyes were directed and saw his pupils slightly aimed below my face.

As I reflexively moved my hands to cover my chest, he hurriedly averted his gaze upwards, pretending he didn’t see anything.

 

‘Yeah, he is a man after all.’  

 

As I mentioned before, the only man in this estate who didn’t look at me with lecherous eyes was Harold.

With his expressionless face, this butler also seemed unable to easily ignore Lilith’s chest.

As a fellow man, I understand. Instinctual urges can’t be helped.

 

“Miss Lilith Rosewood.”  

“Yes?”

 

The butler, who had allowed his gaze to linger on my chest, calmly met my eyes again and called my name as if nothing had happened.

I didn’t point out his wandering eyes and simply responded.

 

“There is a message from the master.”

“…Huh?” 

 

Didn’t he summon me just yesterday, too…again?

No, why would Harold take an interest in a mere maid two days in a row in the first place?

 

An uneasy feeling sent a chill down my spine, and that ominous feeling didn’t take long to become a reality.

 

“Wh-What is the message…?”

“Starting tomorrow, Miss Lilith Rosewood’s position will be changed from the current junior maid.”

 

…Don’t tell me.

 

“In the master’s judgment, he believes there is a position more suited for Miss Lilith than that of a junior maid…”

 

No, it couldn’t be. Surely not.

 

“Please perform your assigned duties until today, and starting tomorrow, you will be leaving the junior maid position to…”

 

No, no way. Not that.

Stop beating around the bush, Dittmeyer, you bastard.

 

“…be appointed as the exclusive maid to the young master, Ethan Richard Blackwood.”

 

Ah.

Shit.

 

Is this a joke? It has to be a joke, right?

 

“Congratulations, Miss Lilith Rosewood.”

“……”

 

Shut the fuck up, you oblivious asshole.