Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Approaching Summer
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"It's hot out."
"It's almost summer, isn't it?"
"You're right."
Perhaps because summer was gradually approaching, the days were getting warmer and warmer.
Honestly, I liked the warmth, but I hated the heat.
"Hmm..."
"Why are you looking at me like that, Young Lady?"
"Do you like it hot, Lize? Or cold?"
"I prefer it warm."
"I see."
Hmm... that's a shame.
If Lize had said she liked it cooler, I was planning to help with some magic.
Since Lize seemed fine with it, I decided to just keep myself comfortable alone.
[Low-tier Magic: Gentle Breeze]
With a light flick of my finger, a small magic circle appeared, and a soft wind began to blow.
It wasn't a difficult spell.
Something as minor as a bit of warmth could be handled with a single spell like this, so enduring it wasn't an issue.
Of course, if it got even hotter, a mere breeze wouldn't cut it.
"Whew... nice and cool."
Anyway, the weather was gradually warming up, starting to feel downright hot.
It had been some time since spring began, after all.
"Aren't you hot just wearing that maid uniform all day, Lize? I wonder about it every year."
"It's not that hot. And I don't move around a lot in my work anyway."
"Even so, doesn't it feel hot?"
Regardless of activity level, it seemed like it would be.
Of course, if Lize said she was fine, then it probably wasn't a big deal.
Personally, I'd thought about making the maid uniforms thinner and shorter.
Of course, that would turn it into full-on maid cosplay territory.
"Hehe."
"...You're laughing strangely."
"Am I?"
I had no idea.
Anyway, summer was steadily approaching.
It seemed like I could start wearing thinner clothes soon.
Not quite miniskirt levels, but better than dragging out long skirts.
"Lize, prepare some thinner pajamas for me to sleep in tonight. Not the full summer ones yet."
"Understood."
I could keep the magic on now, but it would be a hassle during sleep.
Better to just wear lighter clothes cleanly.
Anyway, I stayed cool while reviewing business-related documents.
Lize, naturally, stood by my side, resting comfortably in place.
Personally, I'd always wanted her to sit and relax, but she refused, saying it wasn't proper for a servant to just stand idly by.
I couldn't do anything about it.
"Hmm... Lize, could you grab one of the documents from the drawer for me?"
"Yes."
"The one in the second drawer, marked in red."
"Got it."
For now, I pressed on with work.
It might seem odd for me, who would enter the Academy next year, to be looking over business papers, but honestly, this was more important than the Academy.
"Hmm... Preparing a summer travel package to the Northern Region sounds good..."
There were talks from the Magic Tower that this summer would be hotter, and indeed, more nobles had been heading north for trips lately.
I thought it might be a good time to develop a proper product.
We'd maintained decent relations with the north before, and they were good customers for my business too.
"Hehe..."
I could already feel the money rolling in.
My mouth was starting to curl up just thinking about it.
"Hehehehe..."
"...Young Lady, don't laugh like that outside."
"Huh?"
"You looked incredibly suspicious."
Why...
*
"Hmm... Isn't this earring pretty?"
"It would suit you well, Young Lady."
"Hmm..."
Her reaction seemed lukewarm, so it was probably just so-so.
Well, I was just asking anyway.
"Let's look at something else then."
With that, I started browsing other accessories.
Usually, my shopping ended with clothes, but this time I came to buy accessories for once.
Not for any special reason—just needed to stock up on trendy ones.
Even if I didn't attend social gatherings for underage nobles, keeping up with fashion in accessories was basic.
When meeting people for business, trendy ones were obviously better than outdated styles.
"Hmm... Earrings are meh, honestly... Should I get a necklace instead?"
"That sounds good too."
"Lize, aren't you being too half-hearted? Put some real enthusiasm into it."
"...You don't need that kind of adornment to be plenty pretty already..."
"So?"
"...And I'm not really into accessories... so I don't think my advice matters much..."
"Hmm..."
Fair enough.
She was right.
Even as the daughter of a baron's family, hers wasn't in a great financial spot.
Plus, as my exclusive maid, she didn't earn a ton, certainly not enough to splurge on expensive luxuries.
"Hmm... In that case, let's do it this time."
"Pardon?"
It wasn't a big deal—just that I was always grateful to Lize.
Of course, someone as pretty as Lize wouldn't transform dramatically with a few accessories.
But she'd always helped me out, and next year we'd enter the Academy together.
"This time, I'll get you a necklace or... hmm... earrings?"
I could buy more than one, but given Lize's personality...
She'd probably refuse anything burdensome, so I settled on just one for now.
"What do you think?"
"...There's no need to go this far..."
"I want to. And I'll pick something for Mother too, so okay?"
With Lize's temperament, she'd never accept a straight-up gift... absolutely never.
So I deliberately brought up Rozalin.
Only after that did I get her reluctant acceptance.
It felt like I was forcing it... well.
"Which one suits you, Lize..."
"Something modest is fine for me..."
"No way."
I had zero intention of getting her anything cheap or average.
At least a proper one.
I could afford that much for Lize.
"Necklace it is. Earrings require pierced ears, and rings get in the way while working, right?"
I had my reasons for deciding.
A necklace could be worn without issue.
She worked at the mansion and, as a maid, wearing flashy things openly would look odd.
One that could be tucked under clothes would be perfect, I thought.
"Hmm... Blue... Isn't this pretty?"
"...Yes."
Had Lize finally given up?
She started responding better to my questions.
When I pulled out a pretty blue necklace, she seemed honestly pleased.
"Don't you prefer red, Lize?"
"I do... but something too flashy might stand out."
"Yeah... makes sense. Should I get a smaller one then...?"
"...Get whatever you like, Young Lady."
"Huh? Really?"
I'd thought she didn't like me buying whatever I wanted.
But now she was okay with it.
What was this...
Of course, for me, hearing that was music to my ears.
I'd wanted to do it my way from the start.
"Then, Lize, how about this? Red gem, but small. Not too flashy, right?"
"...It's pretty."
"Right?"
It was pretty enough that both Lize and I could agree on it.
The chain was sleek silver, ending in a small teardrop-shaped red gem.
Simple overall, but that made the gem stand out nicely.
I could confidently say it was better than the blue one I'd picked earlier.
"This one it is."
"Yes."
Somehow, we decided faster than expected.
It matched Lize's favorite color perfectly, and the necklace itself was undeniably pretty.
No choice but to go with it.
I'd put it on her later.
*
"Earrings?"
"Yes, I ended up buying them on a whim, but they seem perfect for Mother."
Back at the mansion with Lize, during tea time with Rozalin, I brought it up.
Well, I'd bought them.
"The emerald caught my eye. It matches your eyes so well... so I just got it."
It really was an impulse buy.
It reminded me so much of Rozalin.
The green evoked her image, so I snatched it up.
It suited her and looked just like her.
I figured any earrings would look good on Rozalin anyway.
"What do you think?"
"Such pretty earrings."
"Right? I bought them the moment I saw how beautiful they were. They have to suit you perfectly."
"Hehe, I never knew our Camellia would think of something like this."
True, I never bought things on my own before.
No wonder Rozalin was delighted.
If I'd known she'd love it this much, I should've gifted her more often...
"Such a lovely gift, thank you. I never expected something like this from you... I'm so happy."
"...I'll give you more like this from time to time."
Her joy was overwhelming me instead.
I'd rarely gifted before, so I hadn't realized, but Rozalin seemed to love presents more than I'd thought. It was surprising.
Of course, anyone would be happy to receive a gift.