Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Let's Woo the Maids First (2)
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The two maids entered the bathhouse to prepare Sien's bathwater.
*Crack, drip.*
One began cracking her neck joints, while the other started loosening her waist and shoulders.
“Phew, let's stretch while we fill the bath.”
“Good idea.”
Their exposed arm muscles resembled those of a horse.
Though Sien didn't know it yet, the two maids of the Northern Spire were known as the spire's Cerberus.
They had been demoted to this menial post in the Northern Spire—under Hanjik-Matthias—for resisting the injustices oppressing the maids within the estate, but their strength was formidable.
*Gurgle—.*
At last, the warm bathwater for Sien was filling up.
As they went about their tasks quite professionally, one maid continued.
“Hey, don't my muscles look bigger?”
“Oh, drool's coming out of my mouth.”
“Watch the tears, snot, and drool. You'll lose muscle.”
Even with their master present, their only interest was muscles. Their liege, so fragile she seemed to shatter at a touch, held no appeal for them. Far more important was growing stronger.
“Hmm, you have to do about five hundred lifts to call yourself a maid.”
“Did you see the magazine *Health Beauty*? They had a special on pine resin powder this time.”
“Oh, really?”
The maids let out simultaneous heavy sighs that seemed to shake the earth.
And with a *splish-splash*, as the bath filled completely, one maid whispered tonelessly.
“I just want to get some protein.”
The magical powder that made muscles bulge: protein.
They felt they could sell their souls for it. Of course, for mere spire maids, obtaining protein was a distant dream.
They sighed again in unison and rose to their feet.
Time to stop talking muscles and go attend to Baby Master.
***
The maids had prepared the bath in no time.
I was already ready to win them over, grinning with my tiny rabbit-like teeth.
“Is something the matter?”
“Nope!”
Hearing their curt voices, I smirked inwardly.
The pine resin powder they had was rumored to substitute for the magical muscle supplement, protein.
‘And I overheard them in the bath—they want protein!’
They wanted protein.
Protein was practically steroid-level with no side effects. A cheat drug for building muscle.
Unfortunately, it was terribly expensive, and the fruits for its raw material were hard to obtain. The underpaid Northern Spire maids surely had never touched protein powder.
‘I don't have protein, but I do have palm fruits instead.’
Palm fruits, the raw material for protein powder.
Even ground and eaten raw, palm fruits produced effects similar to protein. So prices must have skyrocketed by now—.
‘But Dad planted a ton for me to eat!’
Luckily, Dad had planted palms in the front yard before prices rose. For his sickly, frail me, he'd bought every health supplement under the sun, learned their benefits, and flexed his farmer's talents.
I rolled my eyes around and beamed.
‘I was worried how to win over these muscle-loving maids, but here's the answer!’
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Muscles for muscles!
I was certain protein would charm the maids.
“We'll help you change right away.”
“. . .Wait!”
With arms spread wide, I looked up at the maid about to dress me.
She flinched at my sparkling, little-star eyes.
“Yes?”
“Muscles, cool?”
“. . .Ah, thank you.”
A proud smile flickered on her lips for a second.
“But, in my old village, there's muscle-maker stuff?”
“Is that so? Exercise builds muscle. They must have had equipment.”
Her tone was still aloof and dry.
Watching them fetch my clothes, I extended my arms to the sides and said lightly.
“Nope. Like medicine. Powder!”
“Powder . . . ?”
“Yeah. Palm fruit powder. Heard of it?”
I grinned at the maid.
The two exchanged glances, blinking rapidly.
The hand gripping the clothes hanger twitched slightly.
‘Did it work?’
My tiny heart thumped.
***
It was when Matthias, Sien's father and the duke's firstborn heir, returned to the Northern Spire after hearing hints about heir education.
From afar, the spire resembled a crown of thorns.
Thinking Sien was inside made a moonlit smile grace his impassive face.
‘The condition here's bad for Sien to live in. Better handle things quickly and move her.’
Passing the spire's door, he entered the large room where Sien stayed and beheld a strange sight.
‘Wait, what's going on?’
Matthias paused before entering the spire's large room with Sien and the maids.
‘What are those maids doing to Sien?’
Inside the room, the maids clutched Sien's plump, bun-like hands like talismans.
They looked thrilled. Puzzled, Matthias clenched and unclenched his fist.
‘Not assassins. No chance of infiltration yet. Everyone's still watching.’
He concealed his presence and slipped quietly into the shadows.
The two maids and Sien were oblivious to Matthias's arrival, chattering excitedly.
Sien was the most thrilled. Through the slightly ajar door, she declared sternly.
“Okay, repeat after me!”
“Uh, what should we repeat?”
Hearing the innocently flowing voice, Matthias narrowed his eyes.
Most Northern Spire maids were ex-knights.
Focused solely on feats of strength, they were quite pure.
And their pure gazes . . . were ones Matthias knew well.
‘Right, the eyes enchanted by Sien.’
He hadn't expected the maids to be won over so quickly.
Did she have some secret he didn't know?
Holding his breath, Matthias quietly spied on the two maids and Sien. Sien puffed her chest and led.
“Sien is noble!”
“N-Noble?”
The maid blinked, tilting her head. Sien sighed deeply.
“Noble, no, n-no, ear—!”
The other maid clapped once and shouted.
“Sien is noble!”
The first maid blinked and shouted too.
“Sien is noble!”
Sien grinned like a little devil, making a flower bud pose. The maids flanking her grinned broadly.
‘The maids are already all on Sien's side. With eyes, they know cuteness.’
As Matthias calculated when to enter, sizing them up—
“Great. Then I'll tell you where palm fruits grow.”
Palm fruits? He halted at the odd words. Those were what Matthias fed Sien daily for her health. And—.
“Smart girl, Sien.”
Realizing the whole story, he decided to enter.
Until he saw Sien's round eyes sparkle—he'd planned to go right in.
“Really?”
“Thank you, Sien!”
“Yeah. But play with me.”
“Y-Yes!”
The maids nodded at Sien, utterly enchanted.
Had she found playmates first?
Sien seemed to be adapting to the estate in her normal, cute way.
His daughter was irresistibly lovable, as expected. Matthias chuckled lowly and finally entered.
“Sien.”
Striding over, he stroked her round forehead.
The round forehead only he could touch.
None of the maids praising her nobility could lay a hand on Sien.
Feeling a twinge of pride, he bowed his head to her and asked.
“Sien, made friends with the maid sisters?”
“Mmm!”
Emphasizing, he said.
“Still, sleep with Dad tonight?”
“Yeah! Every night together.”
Matthias smiled contentedly.
Hugging her tight, the five-year-old's soft, baby-flesh scent wafted from her tiny body.
She was the lovable daughter he'd lead to the most beautiful place and protect forever.
The muscle maids watched the father-daughter scene, jaws dropping.
Duke Matthias's heir had such a side!
They must have died and gone to hell.
Matthias shot the maids a cold glance.
It meant: keep his identity secret.
***
Meanwhile, hugged in Dad's arms, I giggled.
‘Such innocent maids!’
Operation Maid Charm: total success.
Lucky break.
The little village where Dad and I lived was full of palm fruits, the raw material for protein powder.
Our yard overflowed with them, end of story.
‘Explained what they look like, and their eyes sparkled.’
Doling them out bit by bit, they grabbed my hands and hugged tight.
Push and pull were key in relationships.
‘Gotta think more about what schemes this villain family is plotting, what the young masters are like—but in Dad's arms, I'm sleepy.’
A penalty from God for my past-life memories surfaced amid my fuzzing mind.
‘Humans with special past memories threaten the world, so the penalty's unavoidable.’
I had a tinier body than other babies, underdeveloped growth, and a mind that blanked into real babyhood.
No helping it.
Like a tiny golden hamster, I curled up and mumbled.
“Dad, palm fruits?”
“Yeah. You need them.”
“Mmm.”
“When Sien sleeps, I'll bring them right away.”
Dad said purely. I flashed a big grin and whispered.
“Yeah! Put in pocket. Then Sien sleep, night-night, Dad.”
Yawning softly, I buried my face in his chest. Sweet scent. Dad's usual smell.
Kind Dad like an honest country farmer.
Cool Dad whispering lullabies in my ear every day.
Such a good, pure man as the devilish Mirmod heir. Must've been tough while in Mirmod—my eyes nearly teared up.
“Yeah. Sleep well.”
“Dad tomorrow play?”
“Just—.”
Listening to Dad's whispers as a lullaby, I closed my eyes tight.
“Sweet dreams, Sien.”
That night, I really had sweet dreams.
My dream featured Dad's birthday a few months back.
I'd picked little wildflowers and given them to him; he beamed, carrying them preciously.
‘Because it's a gift from my Sien, I'll treasure it.’
Dad carried those wildflowers until they crumbled, long past his birthday. I remembered him casually bragging to villagers: my daughter gave it to me.
A loving, warm family unimaginable in my past life.
Even in the dream, I thought:
To protect Dad, my one and only precious family, I'd do anything.
***
Next day. The palm fruits Dad brought worked wonders.
“Ate the palm fruit powder, woke at four a.m., did five hours of blanket laundry—body feels great.”
“I did a hundred pull-ups this morning. Finally feeling the power surge.”
I gaped like a fish, unsure what to say.
‘These sisters are monsters?’
Scary. Never underestimate. The thought flashed.
Time to gather intel. I quickly mumbled.
“Hey, kids getting education with me? Kinda, bad?”
If bad, reform them nicely. I smirked inwardly at the maid sisters.
At my probing question, the maids—who'd pocketed bribes, palm fruits—froze.
“B-Bad . . . ?”
“Yeah!”
As if I'd asked something forbidden.
“Why not tell?”
I urged them hastily.
Already captives of palm fruits, the maids rolled their eyes, then muttered sincerely.
“Hmm . . . who to say . . . Wears a mask, few words—might be hard to befriend.”
They hesitated naming names. I tilted my head.
‘Was there a masked young master in the original [Melodia's Life]?’
“Why? If I talk, he'll answer!”
“Not easy to approach . . .”
“Why?”
“. . .Hmm.”
“W-Well . . .”
Seeing the two exchange glances, I blinked and tilted my head.
What was wrong with the kid getting education with me?
***
From today, education in the estate.
Calming my slight tremors, I donned colorful toddler clothes and stepped out.
To avoid getting lost, gripping the maids' hands—like honey buns—in mine, off I went!
“The duchess gets reports on bloodline education—do well!”
“You'll do great, Sien!”
The maid sisters started trusting me weirdly.
Palm fruits rule! I nodded proudly.
Instead of carriage, walking in morning air, the estate garden finally appeared.
“Cross this garden, and you're at the education room.”
“Oh, pretty garden!”
“Want to stroll? Time to spare.”
“Yeah! Garden!”
Nice weather—no need to rush to lessons.
Warm sun, cool breeze.
Pleasant day with green leaves rustling.
Holding the two maids' hands side by side, entering the estate garden, I witnessed something odd.
‘Why so many kids in the garden? Look about ten, four-five years older than me.’
All nobly dressed young lords and ladies. About five.
Duke's maids and servants watched from afar.
I eyed them curiously, but muscle maids admired their own arms, too busy tending me to explain.
So I asked first.
“Who those kids?”
“Oh, daughters and sons of family retainers. They visit for tours sometimes.”
“Oh.”
I'd always loved cute kids back home. Rare in our village. But . . . !
‘Getting tangled with them could bring trouble to Dad.’
Mirmod young nobles must be vicious.
Curiosity curbed, I decided to pass by.
The muscle maid sisters watched my inching steps proudly. Clutching my pretty dressed hem, I happily strolled the grass.
Slowly padding over grass.
Suddenly, odd whispers reached my ears—I halted.
“That famous one, heard?”
“Ugly compared to Uriel.”
“Must be from that infamous villainess's bloodline.”