A Nature as Generous as Her Bosom
"Five caramels and two bottles of orange juice. That comes to four thousand credits in total."
"Thank you very much~"
"Have a nice day, and please come again."
"Will do~"
I collected my purchases with a polite nod to the clerk at the Academy commissary. With a few reasonably sweet, palate-cleansing caramels and the bottles of juice neatly packed in a bag, I began making my leisurely way up the corridors and staircases toward the classroom where Cecilia was waiting.
Coming all the way out here by myself to buy snacks made me feel suspiciously like an errand boy running a bread shuttle. But when I thought about it, being a personal maid was actually far more grueling than any schoolyard lackey. An errand boy only had to fetch snacks and call it a day. In my line of work, running errands was just the baseline. I often had to personally cook Cecilia's meals, drag myself out of bed at the crack of dawn to assist with her morning bath, and attend to her every whim right up until bedtime. It truly was an exhausting profession.
"Yaaawn…"
Fortunately, Cecilia turned in early, which meant I could crawl into bed at a relatively decent hour myself. Yet even with her asleep, my chores piled up relentlessly. I had to wash her daily undergarments, scrub the used towels and linens by hand, wash every dish, and clear out the trash. Only after scrubbing the sweat from my own skin could I finally call it a night. By the time I finished, midnight was usually breathing down my neck. And since I had to be up bright and early again the next morning, fatigue inevitably crept into my bones little by little. Still, I managed at least seven hours of sleep, so it was hardly life-threatening, but…
"Miss Maid?"
"...?"
"Behind you."
"...Lady Jessica?"
As I climbed the steps toward our classroom, Jessica called out to me. Her voice hadn't immediately registered, but the moment I turned my head, my eyes landed on her distinct brunette hair and a pair of ample assets—slightly smaller than Cecilia's, perhaps, but possessing an undeniable presence all their own. There was no mistaking who she was.
...Why on earth is she stopping me, though?
"You are Her Imperial Highness's maid, correct?"
"Yes. Unworthy though I may be, I am Serena, currently serving as the Third Imperial Princess's personal maid."
"I knew it. Your hair color is quite unique, so I had a hunch, but I am glad to see I was right."
"Um... if I may be so bold, might I ask why you called out to me?"
Her approach had come completely out of nowhere. As a rule, most students rarely deigned to speak to the imperial princess's maid; they preferred to observe me from a cautious distance. Yet the one striking up a conversation right now was Jessica, a daughter of one of the realm's foremost ducal houses and one of the most prominent figures among the freshmen, second only to royalty itself. I couldn't fathom why she was reaching out to me so suddenly.
My first thought was that she might be trying to initiate contact with Cecilia, much like Elisabeth had. But that suspicion was probably just lingering paranoia from the count's son who had accosted Cecilia on matriculation day. Whatever her true motives, considering who stood before me, I needed to tread far more carefully than usual.
"I simply happened to spot Her Highness's maid walking by, so I thought I would say hello," Jessica replied softly. "Besides, you appeared to be carrying quite a heavy burden all on your own, and I grew rather concerned."
"Ah... it really isn't heavy at all. There are only two bottles of juice and a handful of caramels inside this bag."
"Oh my, is that all? From behind, it looked quite cumbersome. Seeing it from the front, it truly isn't much of a load, is it? Fufu."
...What is this?
She was speaking to me with extraordinary kindness. Or had I simply spent so much time enduring Cecilia's abrasive tongue that normal courtesy felt like saintly benevolence? The only people I had conversed with lately were Cecilia and my senior in the assassin guild, Rin, so this gentle treatment left me thoroughly bewildered. Even so, it was exceedingly rare for a high-ranking noble to speak to a lowly maid with such warmth.
Even as she looked down at me, Jessica bent her knees slightly to bring her eyes closer to my level, deliberately softening her voice into a warm, gentle lilt. It was enough to make anyone feel off-kilter.
"Were you on your way back to the classroom?"
"Yes, I was returning with some light refreshments for Her Highness to enjoy during class."
"Fufu, then we are heading in the very same direction. Since we are both going that way, would you mind terribly if I carried your bag for you?"
"Ah, Lady Jessica, there is truly no need for you to trouble yourself...! I appreciate the thought, but it really isn't heavy at all. The contents are practically weightless, so..."
"Please, think nothing of it. Lending Her Highness's maid a helping hand allows me to show a favorable side of myself to the princess, does it not?"
"Ah, well..."
...How am I supposed to answer that?
The bag genuinely didn't weigh a thing. More importantly, despite my frail appearance, my game stats granted me an absurd amount of physical strength. In terms of raw muscle power alone, I packed far more punch than my tiny frame suggested. But the person offering to carry it was a duke's daughter. Continually refusing a lady of the high nobility when she insisted on doing a favor was a terrible idea. And while she was famous for her gentle disposition, she was still Jessica of House Rami, one of the three great ducal houses of the Empire.
No matter how I handled this, rumors were bound to sprout. Even if Jessica had no hidden agenda, the students watching us right now and the passersby glancing in our direction would inevitably churn out gossip.
"...Would it be acceptable if we carried it together, then?" I proposed, trying to strike a middle ground. "I would feel far too guilty leaving the entire burden to you, my lady. Perhaps we could each take one handle?"
It was hardly a brilliant compromise, but sharing the load felt far less scandalous than simply dumping the bag into the hands of a highborn lady.
"Fufu, that sounds lovely. Though since you are so small, Miss Maid, I suppose I will have to lower my arm a bit as we walk."
"Ah, I can raise mine instead! My apologies."
"There is no need to apologize. If anything, it makes you look quite adorable."
"Uh... thank you?"
Perhaps I truly had grown too accustomed to Cecilia's haughty, demanding demeanor. Adapting to Jessica's soft, benevolent tone toward a subordinate was genuinely difficult; in fact, I almost wished she would just speak to me roughly like Cecilia did. When a superior perched high above your station treats you with exaggerated care, hangs on your every word, offers explanations with buttery sweetness, and tries to help with every mundane chore, it doesn't feel pleasant—it feels suffocating.
Burdened by this awkward arrangement, I walked alongside Jessica toward the classroom, the two of us jointly holding a ridiculously light paper bag. She chatted amiably along the way, but none of it was suspicious or prying, so I answered as plainly as possible. Unlike that boorish young count from matriculation day who had blatantly pushed an agenda, she merely brought up harmless topics related to the Academy. In fact, giving her the cold shoulder would have been far ruder. If I made a careless misstep while dealing with a duke's daughter, the political fallout would land squarely on Cecilia's shoulders.
"Do you attend to Her Highness entirely by yourself, Miss Maid? That must be dreadfully difficult. You truly are remarkable."
"Ah, not at all! Even though I am on my own, it isn't nearly as hard as it seems. During the day, I simply accompany Her Highness around the Academy grounds. And compared to the maids who manage sprawling country estates, cleaning a relatively compact dormitory room is hardly a challenge."
"Even so, it remains impressive. Handling such a wide variety of tasks all alone is no small feat, is it?"
"W-well... I suppose that might be true. Yes, hearing you put it that way, perhaps it is, my lady."
"Fufu. I had assumed you were merely an adorable little maid, but it turns out you are far more capable than I imagined."
"Thank you...?"
...Seriously, why is she being this nice to me?
Treating a servant the way Jessica was treating me went entirely against common aristocratic sense. A maid wasn't some prestigious station; she was just a domestic laborer, a menial worker. Even if I served an imperial princess, the social divide was vast. It seemed the rumors regarding Jessica—that her gentle disposition matched her generous bosom—were entirely true.
Then again, a certain someone I knew, whose bosom was considerably more generous than Jessica's, didn't possess an ounce of gentleness in her entire body.
"Here we are."
"...Thank you very much. For your help, I mean..."
Naturally, part of her behavior was likely an attempt to curry favor with Cecilia, but I still bowed and offered my gratitude before stepping into the room. If I failed to show basic courtesy here, it could blow back on me in unpleasant ways later.
"Your Highness? I brought the caramels. Ah, and the orange juice you requested as well."
"You took far too long," came the sharp reply from by the window. "I do not recall giving you permission to dawdle so leisurely on your way back..."
Cecilia turned her head toward me as she spoke, but before her gaze could settle on my face, it snapped to the figure standing right beside me.
Her eyes locked onto Jessica, who was still holding one side of the feather-light bag containing the snacks.
"......"
Naturally, words failed me. I simply stood frozen in place, clutching my side of the bag while staring helplessly at Cecilia.
"What is the meaning of this?" Cecilia asked, her voice dropping to a frigid chill.
"I happened to see your maid leaving the commissary all alone, Your Highness," Jessica answered smoothly. "I grew worried, so I accompanied her back."
"...And you expect me to believe that?"
"It is the absolute truth. When one sees a maid carrying such a parcel by herself, does it not naturally evoke an urge to assist? Her wrists are so terribly thin they hardly fill out the cuffs of her uniform, and she appears so frail. I merely wished to lend a hand as she climbed all the way up to the fourth floor, Your Highness."
"......"
While Cecilia leveled her incredulous question with visible disdain, Jessica responded with absolute, effortless serenity. Did she find that answer displeasing? Because the more Jessica spoke, the more Cecilia's expression twisted, as if she had just bitten into something foul, before her glare shifted directly onto me.
Hey, don't look at me like that! What was I supposed to do?
When a duke's daughter steps up and insists on helping, how could a mere commoner refuse? I might serve an imperial princess, but that didn't make me royalty. At the end of the day, I was just a common maid.
"Tsk... Enough. Return to your seat."
"Of course, Your Highness. May the remainder of your day be filled with good health and peace."
"...Tsk."
With that, the conversation abruptly died, and Jessica gracefully returned to her desk. Which, of course, sat directly in front of Cecilia's.
"...You."
"...Yes?"
"You had best look forward to what awaits you once we return to the dormitory. Do you understand?"
"...Yeees."
This is so completely unfair…
If I had committed any crime at all, it was simply choosing to start the game with a body so small and fragile that it provoked people's protective instincts.
"Keep your answers brief."
"...Yes."
Seriously... this is completely, utterly unfair.