Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Return to the Mansion (2)
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Not long after I returned to the Blackwood mansion, a small commotion broke out inside the estate.
>It wasn't a figure of speech; it was literally a small commotion.
>Unlike the lukewarm reactions from the other servants, only Isabel and Katarina were making a huge fuss.
"Lilith! Are you okay now? Does it still hurt?!"
"L-Lilith! H-How's the wound...?"
"...Please don't use honorifics with me."
>After whispering a warning to Katarina, who was treating me like her employer in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear,
>I deliberately acted calm and nonchalant to reassure the two of them that nothing was wrong.
"It wasn't a big injury, so don't worry. Why make such a fuss over something like this?"
"Wh-What do you mean 'not a big injury'? The priest even said your life was in danger!"
"But I'm up and perfectly fine now, aren't I? Thanks to the power of modern medicine... er, modern theology."
"L-Lilith... Even so, saying it like that is a bit... I'm starting to get scared of you, Lilith..."
>...Maybe it would've been better to pretend I was a little scared, like an 18-year-old high school girl.
>From Isabel and Katarina's perspective, my actions must have looked incredibly reckless in every way.
>I had staked my life on it to some extent, but the result was that I'd recovered perfectly like this.
>And considering the various rewards I'd gained from leveling up, it had been a gamble worth taking.
"Don't make such a big deal out of it, Isabel. You too, Senior Katarina. I just got injured, lay in bed for a day, and came back. It's not worth this much..."
"...What are you talking about, Lilith?"
"Huh?"
"'Just a day'? Do you even know it's been three days since you collapsed?"
"Uh...?"
>Uh... three days?
>Not one day?
>Just in case Isabel was exaggerating to scare me, I glanced at Katarina, but she only nodded in agreement with Isabel's words.
"I-It really has been three days... Our little vacation in the commercial district among ourselves was three days ago..."
"That security captain carried you all the way to the church. Even the coachman was shocked..."
"......"
>What? It really was three days?
>That was how long it took me to recover from my injuries?
>Of course, I'd gone in a bit aggressively aiming for 'revival from combat incapacitation,' but being out for three whole days was completely unexpected.
'I thought I'd recover after lying down for just a day at most...'
>I'd already figured this world differed somewhat from the basic systems in Luminor Academy, but I hadn't expected the recovery time to differ this much.
>That meant the battle I'd fought yesterday—no, three days ago—wasn't safe at all.
>It wasn't just a simple gamble on mutual destruction followed by church recovery and revival. I could have just died alongside that level 10 monster without anyone batting an eye.
>Realizing that sent chills running through my entire body, a strange tension beginning to circulate.
>Reality, which I'd been viewing a bit too complacently until just now, felt like it was closing in right in front of me.
'I can't treat this world like it operates purely on game systems...'
>Maybe, deep down, I'd been holding onto some sense of leeway myself.
>A vague expectation that even if I messed up somehow, things would work out afterward.
>But Isabel's words about waking up after three days were enough to jolt me back to awareness about death.
>I resolved right then never to throw my life into battle again.
>...Above all, it was the moment I realized, in many ways, that there were people in this world who would genuinely grieve my death.
"Lilith... Never do anything that dangerous again... Sniff..."
"M-Me too... I don't want Lilith to suddenly disappear one day... You're my benefactor..."
>Isabel and Katarina pleaded with me, eyes glistening with tears.
>At the very least, these two would be deeply hurt if I vanished someday.
>I wasn't making any grand vow to live for their sake, but there was no need to throw my life away either.
"Got it. I won't do anything dangerous anymore."
>I gently patted the shoulders of the two, who were so terrified and saddened it was hard to tell who had nearly died, offering careful comfort.
>Just then, a voice calling my name came from right next to my face.
"...Miss Lilith."
"Eek?!"
>The low voice came from so close it felt like it was right in my ear, making my body jolt in surprise.
>When I turned my gaze, a young butler stood there, staring at me impassively despite my reaction.
"......"
>His face looked familiar, but who was he again...?
"Dietmeyer Collin Evercroft."
"S-Sorry."
>Right. Now that he said it, I remembered. I'd forgotten his ridiculously long name.
>Dietmeyer Collin... whatever-the-rest-is, the young butler who served as head butler for the Blackwood family in Luminor Academy.
>He'd rise to head butler in about four years, so for now, he was probably an under-butler.
>...But why was this guy, who had some rank even among the servants, suddenly seeking me out?
"D-Dietmeyer...? What brings you to me...?"
"The master is calling for you. He said to come to his study as soon as you returned."
"The master...? Oh, yes?"
>Wait. Dietmeyer's master is Lilith's master, which means Harold himself summoned me directly.
>...Had the time finally come?
>I'd figured timing-wise it was about right. Not long after Ethan awoke from the curse, Lilith was assigned as his exclusive maid.
>And being assigned as his exclusive maid meant my future of being 'tutored' by that pig was drawing near.
>A bad premonition from the butler's message sent tension prickling all over my body.
"Miss Lilith."
"Y-Yes...?"
"The master is calling for you. As soon as you return, to his study..."
"Ah, I got it. I heard you..."
"You stayed still after hearing, so I thought you hadn't."
>Damn, what a prickly way to put it.
>Unable to help it, I followed the butler—who seemed like some emotional center had collapsed—and headed to Harold's study on the third floor.
>Determined to somehow prevent the future where I became Ethan's exclusive maid.
>...Honestly, I wasn't confident I'd succeed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Third floor. In front of Harold's study.
"...Hoo."
-Knock, knock, knock.
>After exhaling once to ease my tension, I knocked three times on the door to Harold's study.
>I waited quietly in front of the door until I heard permission to enter from inside.
'I can sense his presence, so he's definitely inside.'
>Given Harold's personality, he might just be too focused on work to hear the knock.
>So now I just stood there like a statue, calmly passing the time.
>Harold was the type who only cared about territory matters or his son—nothing else.
>Deep down, I half-hoped he'd forget my knock and not call me in.
>That way, the process of me becoming Ethan's exclusive maid might fizzle out, and someone else would take the spot before I knew it...
"...Come in."
'Shit.'
>Of course, the wishes of a Luck 1 Lilith like me wouldn't go that smoothly.
>With the heart of a lamb led to slaughter, I quietly opened the door and entered the study.
>There sat Harold at his desk, buried under stacks of documents as usual.
"Lower maid Lilith Rosewood reporting. I was told to visit you upon returning to the mansion."
"Lilith...? Ah, the maid who exterminated the monster in the commercial district three days ago."
"Yes."
"...The monster in the commercial district was three days ago, so why visit my study so late?"
"Pardon?"
"I distinctly remember instructing the other servants to tell you to come straight to my study upon returning."
>...What the hell is this guy saying?
>I'd brushed off my reunion with Isabel and Katarina and come straight up, but now he was calling it late?
>Wondering if he was teasing me, I glanced at his eyes, but there was no joking glint there.
>Harold wasn't the humorous type capable of jokes in the first place.
'If not that... ah.'
>Thankfully, having wasted 500 hours on the Lilith route in my past life, I had Harold's character down perfectly.
>Thinking this was probably it, I carefully broached the subject without offending him.
"My apologies. Due to my frail constitution, I ended up imposing on the church for three whole days."
"...Three days? Is that true?"
"Yes. I even spoke with the church priest before leaving today."
>As I said that, a conversation I'd had that day with the young priestess at the church flashed through my mind.
'S-Sister?! Are you really going back like this?! Why not stay and monitor your condition until evening? There's a carriage to the Blackwood mansion in the evening anyway, so you could go together then...'
'I'm fine. It doesn't hurt much, and I wasn't badly injured to begin with.'
'Not badly injured...? W-Wait, Sister...!'
>I'd hurried away, sensing I'd get roped into a boring afternoon service if I stayed longer.
>The Aurelia Church had basic services lasting a horrific two hours.
>Who knew that priestess had been genuinely worried about me.
>Another name added to the 'people I need to apologize to next time' list.
"If needed, you could send a letter to the Aurelia Church's priestess to confirm..."
"No need. It's a hassle, and I'll take your word for it."
"...Thank you."
>As expected, Harold was hearing for the first time that I'd woken up after three days.
>He'd probably assumed in his head I'd be back to work after a day.
>I'd nearly been branded a disobedient servant for ignoring orders for two days due to his arbitrary misunderstanding.
'Can't let my guard down even for a second. Father and son are cut from the same cloth...'
>Without past-life knowledge, I'd have fumbled there, piling up more misunderstandings.
>Recalling Harold's total disinterest in others had been a godsend.
"Master. So, why did you summon me?"
"...Ah, right. I nearly forgot what I needed to say because of the misunderstanding."
>As I spoke to Harold, who had abruptly resumed his paperwork with me standing there, he seemed to remember and recalled why he'd called me.
>Meeting my eyes with his weary gaze, he explained the reason.
"About the Hookerni that escaped from the monster sealing scroll three days ago, which you slew."
"......Yes."
"I reviewed Sir Ser Blackson's report on it, but something felt off."
>......Ah.
>No way.
"You nearly died facing the Hookerni, didn't you?"
"......Yes."
"Even ignoring Sir Ser's advice to retreat and throwing yourself in until the end."
"......That's correct."
"I'm curious why you made that judgment. Mind telling me?"
>......I'm screwed.
>How the hell do I explain this...?