Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: A Will Dwells in the Sword (3)
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Three days after I received the letter from Ser Blacksong requesting a visit, in the afternoon.
The carriage carrying me and Ethan, who had scheduled a visit to the territory guard post, was heading toward the guard station outside Blackwood Manor at a steady clip.
Ethan's whim had somehow turned into an outing during work hours.
Ever since becoming his exclusive maid, this was practically my first time leaving the manor.
Of course, the fresh air didn't exactly lift my spirits or anything. Instead, a strange unease was creeping up in my chest.
'What the hell is this kid up to?'
Ethan, the heir to the Blackwood Family, using the excuse of patrolling the territory to drag me along to the guard post.
For a typical noble family's young master, it would've been routine. Nothing suspicious there.
But this chubby Ethan moving his butt outside the manor for something so trivial? No matter how I sliced it, it didn't add up.
Especially right after that letter from Ser Blacksong, the guard post's security captain, landed in my lap.
'He's definitely got an ulterior motive.'
I just couldn't pin down what it was, and that kept the anxiety gnawing at me.
Was he actually preparing in earnest to inherit the Blackwood territory now that etiquette lessons had kicked in?
Maybe I was overreacting, reading too much into his actions.
The Ethan from the original plot and the one sitting next to me now were similar yet subtly different.
Of course, the core soul lodged in there was the same for both, so dropping my guard was out of the question.
Getting surprised every time he deviated from the script felt a bit off, too.
Unable to guess his true aim, I fixed my gaze on Ethan, quietly observing his profile.
His eyes, which had been staring out the carriage window, suddenly turned inward—and met mine.
"……."
"…Maid?"
"Yes."
"Uh… Do you have something to say?"
"No, I don't."
"R-Right…."
And with an awkward expression, he turned his gaze back out the window.
No clue why, but his reaction confirmed something was definitely up.
…Could it have something to do with me getting that visit request from Ser?
Various guesses—some wild, some plausible—were swirling chaotically in my head when Ethan spoke up louder from his seat, addressing the driver's perch.
"Deputy Butler, how much longer until we arrive?"
"About ten minutes, Young Master Ethan."
"Got it. Once we're there, just park the carriage and take a break. The maid and I will handle our business and head back."
"Understood, Young Master."
Ditmeyer—who'd ended up driving on short notice after overhearing our chat—responded to Ethan.
Hearing the deputy butler's final words, Ethan let his eyes drift back outside, sinking into a thoughtful silence.
Though, gotta say, riding in Ethan's carriage made a world of difference from that rickety old wagon the coachman beat us with last time. Way less bumpy.
Even in a medieval fantasy world, money smoothed out most inconveniences.
'Might be worth learning to drive a carriage if the chance comes up.'
If I ended up as an adventurer later, I'd be living a nomadic life, not settling down anywhere.
Especially with my magic-using commoner status—if that ever got exposed for whatever reason—it'd spell headaches galore. Having a mobile escape with living quarters sounded essential.
Or if I ever had to bolt from Blackwood Manor under dire circumstances, it'd serve as a way to evade pursuit.
'Yeah, later I'll ask Ditmeyer to teach me how. Excuse can be "refining my skills to better serve the young master someday."'
As Ethan's exclusive maid's request, the deputy butler wouldn't dream of refusing.
Lost in those thoughts, the carriage soon entered the Blackwood territory guard post with the three of us aboard.
We followed the sentry at the gate's directions into the grounds.
"Greetings, Young Master Ethan Richard Blackwood! We are deeply grateful that you've graced our humble post with your presence!"
"““Thank you!!!””"
The soldiers greeted us entering the grounds with razor-sharp discipline.
Ethan stepped down from the carriage and replied calmly to the lead soldier among them.
"Right. Before the patrol, I'd like to speak with Captain Ser first. Could you show me where he is?"
"Yes! Captain Ser has been awaiting your visit, so I'll guide you there!"
Following the model soldier's lead, we entered the building—a two-story structure—and headed up to the second-floor hallway.
We were ushered right next to the stairs, into a room labeled "Security Division Office."
"Captain Ser is waiting inside!"
"Thanks for your trouble."
"It's an honor!"
…Are all the regular soldiers at the Blackwood territory guard post like this?
With that thought, I slid open the sliding door to the Security Division office.
A middle-aged knight with dark brown hair immediately spotted us and rose from his seat with a welcoming greeting.
"Forgive us for having you come to such a modest place, Young Master Ethan."
"No need to apologize. It's less than an hour by carriage."
"It's been a while, Sir Ser Blacksong."
"Yes, it has, Miss Lilith."
Ser Blacksong ushered us in with an oddly kindly smile.
And behind him, a turquoise short-haired soldier eyed me with a peculiar expression.
Whatever awkward vibe hung in the air, I let Ethan enter first.
Then I followed, closing the door behind me as I stepped into the office.
"……."
A brief silence.
I knew better than to speak first given my station, so I waited quietly for one of the two men to break it.
It didn't take long. Ethan spoke up, calling the security captain's name.
"I heard you summoned my exclusive maid, Sir Ser Blacksong. Is that true?"
"Yes, it is."
"The letter was worded so vaguely I couldn't tell why you called for her. Was it something so sensitive it couldn't reach other ears?"
"Not at all. …I simply worried that detailing it might tarnish Miss Lilith's achievements, so I omitted specifics. If that's caused you any discomfort, Young Master Ethan, I apologize."
"……."
Ethan fell quiet at Ser's composed reply.
Compared to before, his manners were so polished it still felt like dealing with someone else entirely.
…Seriously, I can't get used to it no matter how many times I see it.
Whatever. Ethan was Ethan, and right now, what mattered was why Ser had summoned me.
On that cryptic remark, I ventured a cautious question.
"Sir Ser Blacksong, if it's not too rude, may I ask one question?"
"Of course. Go ahead, Miss Lilith Rosewood."
"What did you mean by worrying it might tarnish my achievements, so you left it out of the letter? Does 'achievements' refer to last year's hookerni incident?"
"Quick on the uptake—fortunate. The reason I presumptuously invited you here today is precisely that."
"……."
Figured as much.
Even amid the chaos back then, unloading insults on the territory guard's security captain and expecting to get away scot-free would've been the real oddity.
I should've sent an apology letter when I had the chance.
I'd put it off thinking a face-to-face apology would ring truer, and now karma had come full circle.
A knight from a house like Blackwood held near-noble status in practice.
What I'd done that day was no different from some uppity commoner picking a fight with a noble.
"Regarding what happened that day, I am truly sorry, Sir Ser Blacksong."
"…What do you mean, Miss Lilith?"
"Even if things were hectic, yelling and cursing at the security captain of the territory guard is unforgivable. I should've apologized first instead of making you reach out. I have no excuse…."
"No, Miss Lilith, that's not why I called you. As I said in the letter, I'm grateful for what you did that day. I'm not summoning you over something so trivial to extract an apology."
"……Yes?"
I'd bowed my head desperately to avoid earning enmity, but his response was the polar opposite.
His next words fully explained why he'd brought me all the way to the guard post.
"I invited you today because I need your testimony for the incident report on that event."
"Testimony?"
"Our territory guard compiles records every year around the fifth month, summarizing the past year's events. We skip minor squabbles between residents or slime hunts, but the hookerni you took down? That's too big to ignore."
"…Yeah, fair enough."
"Normally, I'd have recorded it based on what I witnessed of your prowess that day and the testimonies from your fellow maids. No need to bother you by calling you here…."
He trailed off awkwardly, glancing at the turquoise-haired soldier to his right.
The calm-eyed female soldier locked eyes with me as if it were her cue.
"I can't accept it."
"…Pardon?"
"I can't accept this record claiming an ordinary woman like Miss Lilith, untrained in combat, slew a dangerous monster like a hookerni."
"……."
"Thus, I request a correction via testimony. The Commercial District's hookerni subjugation was Captain Ser's achievement, not yours."
…Excuse me?
What do you want me to do about it?