Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Aeria, Judgment (2)
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And so, the next day at dawn.
"....."
Thanks to several days of dawn shifts, my eyes fluttered open on their own, and I quietly sat up in bed.
The wake-up time that had come so naturally was rendered meaningless now, since starting this dawn, I no longer needed to head to the kitchen early.
Of course, there was no need to chew through hundreds of garlic cloves while prepping vegetables either.
After Aeria and Alicia had received their punishment (as Harold so graciously called his beatings), my and Katarina's schedules had been slightly adjusted.
For starters, the moment everything was wrapped up, Head Maid Melissa had sincerely apologized to both me and Katarina.
She apologized for me shouldering most of the kitchen duties alone over the past few days, and for not uncovering Aeria's theft of Thanacia's necklace a year earlier.
"I'm truly sorry for not exposing this incident sooner and putting you both through that. Especially you, Katarina Lane—I've made you suffer for over a year."
"No, Head Maid. The truth has come out properly now, so I think that's more than enough good fortune for me."
"M-Me too.... J-Just having the false accusation lifted is enough to make me happy...."
I didn't feel like she needed to apologize just because she was the head maid—she couldn't possibly keep tabs on every little thing among the junior maids.
Still, since she was the highest-ranking person in our line of work, I reluctantly accepted it.
Katarina seemed thrilled just to have the false charge lifted from her name.
She'd even shown up out of the blue at mine and Isabel's room last night, bowing so deeply that I nearly jumped out of my skin.
"Th-thank you so much for what you did today, Miss Lilith! I-I'll follow you for life from now on! If any bothersome tasks come your way, just hand them all to me! I'll handle everything alone..."
"...Enough already, get up. You're making this weird all of a sudden. Isabel's just in the bathroom right now, but if she saw this, what would she think?"
"B-But... When I think of the wrong I did to you, Miss Lilith, I feel too ashamed to even lift my head..."
"I said get up!"
Honestly, it was a bit over-the-top loyalty that bordered on uncomfortable.
She seemed good-hearted at her core, but aside from that, she was just so fragile and naive.
Someone like Katarina, voluntarily crawling at my feet like this, couldn't help but make me wary.
'No wonder she got used by Aeria and Alicia for a whole year with a personality like that...'
It would be perfect if Katarina had a personality just like Isabel's—close enough for friendly girl talk, casual banter, and comfortable distance.
Of course, that was impossible now, since I'd lied to her that I was some noble lady.
Still, with me watching out for her so she didn't get dragged into anything weird for the next seven years or so, fragile little Katarina probably wouldn't suffer any more wrongful treatment like last time.
...Really, no matter how I spun it, I felt like I was turning into her nanny instead of a maid.
But becoming Ethan's exclusive maid would have been worse, so being Katarina's nanny was still the lesser evil.
Of course, there was no guarantee that taking one role meant avoiding the other.
Speaking of which, I suppose I should mention Ethan too.
As expected, I'd thanked him for testifying on my behalf yesterday.
He might look like a thirteen-year-old brat on the outside, but the fact remained that his testimony had pulled me back from the brink.
No matter how much I'd despised him in my past life, I wasn't shameless enough to accept his help and then pretend it didn't happen.
Skipping the thank-you out of some petty prejudice would have hurt my pride more.
"Thank you sincerely for testifying for me in this matter, Young Master Ethan."
"Huh? Yeah?"
"Yes. Thanks to your words, I was able to avert the punishment that nearly came down on me."
"Cool. So, can I go to the kitchen today too?"
"...I can't decide where you go, of course, but even if you head to the kitchen this dawn, I won't be there."
"Why?"
"Head Maid Melissa said she'd take responsibility for this incident and handle the dawn kitchen duties alone..."
"...Oh?"
"Her cooking skills are probably better than mine anyway, so if you want, you could still visit."
"Nah, forget it. Then I just won't go."
...What was with that unsettling response?
It made it sound like he'd only come to the kitchen because of me, not because he was hungry.
The positive feelings I'd started to have toward Ethan evaporated in an instant at that creepy reply.
Get a grip, Lilith. Sure, he'd helped this time, but that didn't change the fact that this was the same Ethan who'd torment and train Lilith in Luminor Academy.
Flip the wrong switch somewhere, and the Lilith torment route could kick off anytime, anywhere.
As long as this Lilith character's looks stayed the same, there was no telling when she'd catch Ethan's twisted interest again.
Even if I died and turned to dust, I wouldn't end up in an Ethan training ending.
In any case, the long, grueling day that had started with a dawn brawl finally came to an end.
Less than six hours after lying down, my eyes snapped open again at four in the morning—that was my current situation.
An extremely early hour when most of the mansion's servants were still asleep.
With all that had happened, my body felt extra fatigued today, but since I was already awake, I forced myself out of bed.
"Lilith... Is it time to clock in already...?"
"No. Isabel, sleep more. It's only four in the morning."
"Mmm...? What about you, Lilith...?"
"I've got somewhere to be for a bit."
"But didn't you switch to six o'clock shifts too...? You're still heading out...?"
...Well, my shift had changed to six o'clock.
Though in a way, I was heading out for something even more important.
"Yeah. If the top bunk's uncomfortable, come down to my spot and sleep."
"Mmm..."
After confirming Isabel had quietly climbed down the ladder and snuggled into my blanket, I changed into my maid uniform and stepped out of the room.
Instead of heading straight to the kitchen like before, I made my way to the back gate where the Blackwood Family carriages were stored.
Toward the prisoner transport cart that would carry Aeria and Alicia, whose punishments for the theft had been decided overnight.
I just couldn't resist rubbing it in one last time.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Finding Aeria and Alicia in the mansion's back garden wasn't hard.
The prisoner transport cart, with its iron bars exposed outward, was unmistakably eye-catching in every way.
It was rarely occupied, but today, the two were cozied up inside like old pals.
A coachman had the horses hitched, likely aiming to finish the transport before the mansion's guests woke.
Perfect timing, I thought, so I approached and greeted him casually.
"Good morning. Tough working this early."
"You're a maid, right? What do you need?"
"Just checking— are you about to start the prisoner transport now?"
"Hmm, that's not something I should tell just anyone..."
"It's fine. I know who those two in the back are. They were my seniors."
"I see..."
The coachman averted his eyes, looking troubled after hearing me.
He probably thought I'd beg to let them go or something equally awkward.
Of course, that wasn't my plan at all. If anything, I just wanted them gone from my sight right now.
But sending them off without a word felt too unsatisfying, no matter how I looked at it.
After all the crap Aeria had done—and tried to do—to me.
I had to air out all my grudges on their way out, nice and clean.
"If it's okay, could you delay departure by just three minutes?"
"...Three minutes?"
"I know they're guilty and being taken away, but as a fellow maid, I want to say goodbye. I won't ask for anything tricky like letting them go, sir."
"Hmm..."
"Is that no good...?"
I clasped my hands and pleaded as earnestly as I could, and the coachman cracked a sly smile.
He nodded right away, granting my request.
"...We'll leave two minutes from now, so wrap it up quick if you've got words for them."
"Thank you, coachman sir!"
Times like this made me glad for Lilith's looks.
After thanking him, I hurried to the back of the cart, peering through the bars.
I gave a light greeting to the two, awaiting their punishment in miserable states inside.
"Sleep well last night, seniors?"
"...Huh?"
"...L-Lilith?"
They were draped in threadbare rags barely qualifying as clothes, wrists shackled to the cart—utterly pathetic.
The blue bruises on their arms and calves were clear reminders of Harold's violence in the etiquette classroom yesterday.
They'd really been beaten like dogs in the dog days of summer.
They'd stolen Thanacia's necklace and shamelessly tried to pin it on someone else, so it was only fitting.
My original plan was just to flash a smug smile at my departing seniors in their wretched state and rub it in a bit, but seeing them like this almost made me, the victim, feel sorry.
"C-Come to save us?"
"Pardon?"
"Y-You think this punishment's too harsh too, right? Yeah?"
"I-I swear I won't dump work on you anymore, Lilith! P-Please, just talk them into giving us a break this once! Please!"
What the hell were these crazies babbling about?
Sure, I'd earned a sliver of Harold's trust yesterday, but that didn't mean he'd listen to me.
Besides, even if I could, I'd never planned to help them. Why would I?
"W-We just swiped a necklace! Not like we're going to Silverwood! That's where snow piles up to your calves year-round, and dangerous monsters are everywhere...!"
"I-I didn't deserve this much from the start! She stole the necklace—why am I getting the same punishment!!"
What? Silverwood?
I'd figured they'd just get sold off as debt slaves to some decent city. Harold must've been seriously pissed.
Silverwood meant they were basically written out of the story now.
Two prime-age maids guilty of crime, carted off to the northern territories.
I could imagine exactly what they'd be used for up there without needing to see it.
"What? Bitch? You were all for it when we came along, you slut!"
"If I'd known it was the master's late wife's necklace, I never would've done this crazy shit, you mangy mutt!"
"You fucking whore!"
"Aaaah!!"
I'd only poked my face in to say bye, and suddenly they were clawing at each other's hair, fighting among themselves.
They were doomed to self-destruct even without me rubbing it in.
Well, three days together had built some camaraderie, however thin.
For their long journey, I offered some "advice."
"No fighting now, seniors. To survive in Silverwood Territory, you'll need to lean on each other or you'll break."
"What...?"
"W-Wait... You're not here to save us...?"
"Save you? No idea what you mean, but the only thing I can offer is advice."
"Advice...?"
"......"
The two stared at me tensely, waiting for my next words.
I smiled and shared what I knew.
"Silverwood Territory is cold year-round, but the northern frontier is so brutal even ordinary folk can't enter."
"...I-I know that much."
"So what...?"
"Which is why there aren't even proper brothels or whorehouses near the northern frontier. No girl's heading that far to sell herself anyway. It's a shame, with all those soldiers slaving away in such a harsh outpost."
"...Brothels? N-No way..."
"Th-That can't be...? No...?"
"And with such beautiful seniors like you heading all the way to Silverwood's northern frontier, it'll be wonderful comfort for those soldiers always stuck with the dirty work!"
"......"
"......"
They went slack-jawed and pale as ghosts the moment I said it.
I enjoyed their expressions until the coachman's voice called from the front.
"Miss! Done saying your goodbyes?!"
"Yes, you can go now!"
"Alright!"
"Drive safe!"
The crack of the reins on the horses' backs, and their transport cart rolled off.
Just before it left, the two inside called my name, pleading something, but I didn't really listen.
We'd never cross paths again anyway, and if we did, their minds would probably be shattered by then.
I just waved goodbye without a hint of regret until their cart vanished over the horizon.
For sacrificing two hours of sleep, the payoff was refreshingly, excessively satisfying.