About a month had passed since the day Seraphine and Ethan said they would enroll me in the academy.

Although it was only a month, quite a lot had happened during that time.

For example, Ethan and I briefly visited the Imperial Palace after slaying the King Serpent and returned (I had to hide my identity since my status hadn’t been determined yet), and in the process, a considerable amount of money was given not only to Ethan but also to me as a reward.

…And as the reward came in, my status as an exclusive maid also became time-limited. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

It was inevitable. The amount I received for slaying the King Serpent was so large that it basically settled all of Lilith’s remaining debt.

The reward money given to me, who had no noble status and belonged to the Blackwood family, naturally had to be delivered through the Blackwood family. So, in the process, even though I didn’t want it, it was automatically used to pay off the remaining debt.

When I subjugated the Hooked Tusk, it was only thanks to the goodwill of Sir Blacksong that the money could come to me. Normally, though, when money comes to a debt maid, it’s natural to start by paying off the existing debt first.

As a result, the period of my contract is now just over two weeks.

During these two weeks, I had to negotiate somehow. I wanted Ethan to take me as his exclusive maid so I could enroll with him in the academy together.

So now, about three years after I started working as Ethan’s exclusive maid, I was putting my heart and soul into my exclusive maid activities more actively than ever since taking on this position.

Somehow, I needed to convince Ethan to rehire me as his exclusive maid.

 

“Have you finished your meal, young master?”

“Ah, yes.”

“You have a sword sparring session with the master in the afternoon, right? I will prepare the training clothes for you to change into in advance.”

“…Are you going to accompany me to today’s training too?”

“Yes, because that’s the duty of an exclusive maid.”

“You’ve never really come to watch until now, but you’ve been coming diligently lately. It’s really hot these days…”

“That’s because you, young master, never told me that I could come and watch until now.”

“…I didn’t particularly tell you to come and watch lately either.”

“…But as the young master’s exclusive maid, I think it’s understood for me to be on standby in case you face any inconvenience. Don’t you think so, young master?”

 

Ethan gave me a dumbfounded look at my textbook-like answer.

I know. I know how brazen I’m being in front of Ethan.

Still, just to secure the position of Ethan’s exclusive maid, I could be even more brazen than this. That’s because it was a position I absolutely needed to enroll in the academy with an ambiguous status like a viscount.

 

“Excuse me, young master, is it rude of me to observe your sword sparring?”

“N-no, I didn’t mean it was rude; I just meant that you seem to be working too hard lately.”

“Shouldn’t I naturally put in my best effort when it comes to work? I must do so to  serve as the young master’s exclusive maid even after entering the academy…”

“I-I’ll go change into my training clothes before it’s late! Maid, go to the training ground first and wait for me there!”

 

…These days, whenever I mention being his exclusive maid at the academy, he always avoids mentioning it like this.

If it were Ethan from the original game, he would have commanded me to follow him without hesitation rather than hesitating at such a proposal.

It was fortunate that he didn’t grow up to be a lout pig with only lust left, but it was still a bit regrettable that he lacked courage to this extent. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

Still, the position of Ethan’s exclusive maid was an important position that I absolutely couldn’t give up, so these days, I would stick with Ethan as much as possible and somehow appeal my competence as an exclusive maid.

Of course, just because I’ve been working hard recently doesn’t mean I’ve been sloppy with my work before. I had never gone against Ethan’s mood as an exclusive maid, and I had never missed a single mandatory duty and had faithfully carried them all out.

It’s just that I’ve been working even harder lately because that alone seems insufficient to be rehired.

In fact, excluding the time to change clothes, take a bath, and sleep, I was practically glued to Ethan for 16-17 hours out of 24 hours a day.

Among them, observing Ethan and Harold’s daily sword sparring was also added to my duties.

 

Clang! Clang!

“Ugh, hah…!”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

“Ackk, uwah…!”

Thud!

“Ugh, aaahhh…!”

 

Ethan, who gripped the wooden sword in both hands and swung it, was hit on the wrist by Harold’s blow and dropped the sword he was holding.

Unlike Harold, who swung his sword calmly without a word, Ethan collapsed on the floor with a very exhausted look.

Dittmeyer, who was watching the match, raised his hand and temporarily stopped the sparring.

 

“The master is victorious! We will take a short break!”

“…I’ll give you five minutes; pick up your sword again.”

“Haaaa, yes, yes…”

 

Ethan painfully grabbed his hurt wrist and got up, and the family’s healer immediately ran to him and cast a healing spell.

I, who quietly approached Ethan, carefully wiped the sweat beading on his forehead with a handkerchief.

 

“……”

“……”

 

At first, when I held out the handkerchief, Ethan was puzzled, not knowing what I was doing, but now, after about ten days of my actions, he accepted it without a word.

It was important to do some favor work like this, even if it was little by little.

At least, even if Ethan doesn’t feel the need to take me to the academy as his exclusive maid, he should know that I’m useful as an exclusive maid so that he has at least a little desire to keep me as his exclusive maid.

…In fact, I already knew that there was a much easier way than doing this bothersome favor work.

Using this body, which is Lilith’s most notable advantage, to stimulate and seduce the male instinct.

Of course, I would never use this method.

 

‘Even if it’s Ethan, that’s a bit too much.’

 

It’s not that I particularly dislike the thought because he’s Ethan. Rather, I even thought that it might be better if it’s Ethan. (T/N: Pause???)

The current Ethan is completely different from the repulsive Ethan I saw in the game, and he’s undoubtedly quite good-looking and has a nice personality.

It’s just that, separate from that, it’s unavoidable that I don’t want to be held by a man.

Above all, it felt like all the efforts I had made so far to avoid a future where I would be dominated by a man would be in vain.

Chewing garlic in the kitchen in the middle of the night, getting in a dogfight with the likes of Ariana and Alicia, and even risking my life in battle against monsters like the Hooked Tusk. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

How should I put it, carelessly handling my body now for no particular reason was a course of action that didn’t align with me at all.

 

‘Of course, whether I do such a thing with Ethan or not, the future I have already changed will continue to flow…’

 

The unbelievable growth I achieved as Lilith by saving Lizzy, who should have died…

…and Ethan’s change that made him unrecognizable, although I don’t know where the influence came from.

Thinking about those things, I often have thoughts these days that it might be okay to be used by Ethan in exchange for being protected after enrolling in the academy. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

Of course, no matter what, that’s too much of a prostitute-like idea, so I discarded it all not long after thinking about it.

…And for some reason, it seemed like Ethan wouldn’t like it very much if I acted that way, either.

If Ethan had even the slightest such feelings for me, he would have had countless opportunities to use his position and power to pounce on me long ago.

The fact that he hasn’t done that until now means that the current Ethan doesn’t have much interest in my body.

 

“Begin sparring!”

 

Meanwhile, Ethan and Harold’s sword training resumed immediately after the break.

As expected, Ethan was knocked down by Harold’s sword again without being able to land a proper attack.

 

Thud!

“Aaaahhh…!”

 

It seems like he’s already fallen about 18 times just during today’s training.

Seeing him fall without being able to land a decent attack made me feel strangely sorry for him.

…But it’s not like I could particularly say anything about Ethan because it was impossible for a fair match to take place against Harold, a sword master, in the first place.

What I should recognize is that Ethan is incredibly skilled for his age among his peers. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

The mere fact that he can hold out for 10 or 20 minutes in a match against Sword Master Harold is already an unbelievable feat.

It’s gotten to the point where I think Ethan might be even stronger than the protagonist at this point.

 

“Hah, hah, hah…”

“…Let’s end today’s training here.”

 

While I was having such thoughts and observing the two exchanging swords, Ethan and Harold’s sword sparring finally came to an end.

I quietly wiped his face, which was drenched in sweat from hours of training.

 

“Good work, Young Master.”

“Yeah… Thanks, Maid…”

 

…Come to think of it, it was the same feeling I had when I first observed Ethan receiving sword lessons from Harold.

Until then, I never imagined that Ethan would be able to grow up so properly.

Ethan must have also worked tirelessly, which I couldn’t help but feel every time I observed his training these days. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

What exactly made Ethan pull himself together like this was still difficult to guess.

 

“Since you seem to have sweated a lot, I will prepare your bath right away. I will prepare the clothes for you to change into now, and the training clothes will be washed…”

 

In the same way, I was going to take care of Ethan all day today and somehow make him reconsider rehiring me as his exclusive maid. 

But my plan was easily thwarted by Harold’s sudden call.

 

“…Lilith.”

“Yes, master?”

“After you finish preparing Ethan’s bath, come up to my office immediately.”

“…Pardon?”

“There’s something I need to tell you regarding your recent work attitude.”

“…I understand, master.”

 

…What?

Did I do something wrong?