Chapter 39
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Maid and Mage (2)
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Lunchtime.
I levitated a tray holding a sandwich with telekinesis magic as I stood before Senior Estelle's room, where she was currently serving her confinement.
Knock knock. As I rapped on the door, I heard a bustle from inside, and soon it swung open.
"Ah, lunch already... Huh? L-Lu, Lunaris?!"
Senior Estelle, who had opened the door, went wide-eyed at the sight of me in my maid outfit.
She blinked repeatedly in shock before suddenly bursting into laughter with a loud Pfft!
"...Isn't that a bit too obvious?"
"Ahaha...! S-Sorry! Sorry. I know I shouldn't say this, but... Lunaris, you know this look is ridiculously cute on you? Ahahahaha!!"
I flicked at the frills on my maid outfit and clicked my tongue.
"I wasn't really aiming for cute."
I brushed past her with a displeased expression and stepped inside the room.
Senior Estelle giggled at my reaction before starting to gather up the papers scattered on the floor.
Now that I looked, a good number of the papers that had densely covered the walls and floor had already been peeled off.
"Cleaning up?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
She glanced at me and shrugged.
"They stripped me of my top honors, scholarships, everything. Starting next semester, I'll be in Edelweiss Hall, and I can't exactly plaster the walls there with this stuff, right?"
Edelweiss Hall was the lowest-grade dormitory among those for students.
The rooms were small, and more importantly, you'd be sharing space with other students. There would definitely be restrictions on how you could use the room.
"Still, doesn't it feel like a waste ripping them all down like this?"
"Eh~ Not really?"
Senior Estelle shook her head with a refreshed expression, as if it truly didn't bother her.
"If anything, this is a good chance to clear it all out. Feels great. Honestly, I should've done it ages ago."
Even as she said that, her hands peeled the papers off with surprising care.
She fussed over them meticulously, looking so stubborn and reluctant that I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Then just rip them off already. Why bother peeling them so delicately one by one?"
"Can't do that. These blueprints, circuit diagrams, and exam notes—I need to bundle them up and sell them to underclassmen. Of course..."
Senior Estelle's gaze shifted to a paper on her desk with a pledge written on it.
'I can do it!'
Her eyes ignited with fury as she glared at the note.
"...Stuff like this that won't sell is a different story."
-Rip!
The papers and pledges that had bound Senior Estelle were mercilessly torn apart.
I couldn't help but giggle at the sight.
Her heart probably wasn't fully sorted out yet. Her feelings must still be a tangled mess.
But watching her shake it off like this, she seemed better off than I'd thought.
This was Senior Estelle, after all. She'd bounce back to normal soon enough and drag me around everywhere again.
"This is gonna take forever to peel off. Eat lunch first, then finish up."
As I set the tray I'd been levitating onto the desk with telekinesis, Senior Estelle's eyes sparkled.
"Perfect timing, I was starving. Thanks~ You're the only one I can count on, Lunaris."
She grabbed the potato salad sandwich with a bright smile and took a massive bite.
Nom nom.
Her expression, as she chewed, gradually stiffened into something subtle.
The corners of her mouth drooped, and she peered inside the sandwich with a bewildered look.
"...Lunaris."
"Yeah?"
"Did you... make this by any chance?"
I averted my gaze, feeling a pang of guilt.
"Well... I didn't make it myself... I just helped a little...?"
Senior Estelle set the sandwich back down and forced it down with an awkward smile.
"The potato salad inside... has a really unique flavor."
"..."
"It's like... kinda dry and crumbly, but also kinda mushy... Anyway, something's off."
"..."
"Potatoes don't usually have such a strong personality."
Senior Estelle looked at me seriously once more.
"Lunaris, you should never cook again."
"...Just eat it. Think of it as part of your punishment."
*
A lazy afternoon with a gentle spring breeze blowing.
As summer approached, the sunlight beat down more harshly than usual.
On days like this, I should be taking a tempo nap on the rooftop of the magic building, sleeping soundly in my room, dozing in the Ghost Story Research Club's sub-room—or basically, just napping.
"Ugh..."
Here I was, standing ramrod straight in the middle of the lounge, teapot in hand. What the hell was I even doing?
"Lunaris, your cup's empty."
This was all because of Senior Miriel, lounging on the long sofa all by herself and enjoying her tea time.
"Why don't you pour me another?"
She elegantly propped her chin on her hand and nudged her teacup toward me.
The refined Hehe smile floating over her face was infuriatingly smug.
"...Senior, no afternoon classes today?"
"Lunaris, didn't you know? Enjoying tea time is part of the Political Science Department's curriculum."
"...When did Linea Hall turn into a classroom?"
I was shocked enough by the four-day-a-week lecture schedule, but remote work(?) activated too? Even black companies in 21st-century Korea couldn't dream of this.
No way... Was this why the genre was fantasy...!
"Normally, we'd have tea time in the lecture halls at the Government Hall. But..."
Senior Miriel trailed off, scanning me up and down—specifically my maid outfit—with a sly smile.
"How could I resist such a delightful event?"
Ohohoho!
Her haughty laugh was straight out of a villainess playbook.
"What are you dawdling for? Pour the tea already. My arm's getting tired."
"Urk...!"
As I grimaced and silently filled her cup, Senior Miriel's laughter grew even louder.
"Oh my, your hands are shaking. What if you spill?"
"Just drink it. One drop won't even show."
"Don't you know? One drop of this is worth a gold bar."
...Huh?
"D-Don't lie."
"Hehe. Does it seem like I'm lying? This tea's rumored to boost your mana capacity, so the Mage Tower charges a fortune for it."
"...For real?"
"Yep. So be careful not to drop that teapot in your hands~"
"..."
"Of course, I won't make you pay if you mess up, so relax."
If buying my goodwill cost just one teapot, it was a steal, she said, as she wet her lips with the tea.
"Mm—not bad."
I couldn't tell if that was her verdict on the tea or on me in the maid outfit.
Probably both.
*
...I'm dying.
I'm seriously going to die.
Being a maid is a truly extreme job.
It drains you physically and mentally.
"Miss Lunaris, how was your day?"
I was slumped over the break room table, forehead planted on it, groaning like a dying animal, when Odette, seated across from me, elegantly sipped her tea and asked.
As if that was even a question.
"Exhausted... I wanna quit already..."
"It's only been one day. You have to tough it out until the week after next."
"...You're kidding, right?"
Odette gazed at me with a faint smile instead of answering.
Her silent affirmation made me shudder.
"Do you understand our maids' hardships now?"
"Y-Yeah... I didn't want to know, but..."
Odette chuckled softly at my whining and set down her teacup.
"It goes without saying, Miss Lunaris."
"What... What else do you want me to do...?"
"Thank you for looking after Linea Hall and the maids in my absence."
Her sudden gratitude made me slowly lift my head.
"...Thanks my foot. I'm one of the culprits who trashed Linea Hall."
"Without you, the damage would've been far worse."
Feeling awkwardly embarrassed, I scratched my head vigorously.
Straight talk like that was somehow embarrassing.
"If you're really grateful, shorten my punishment. Like, by a week?"
Odette smiled sweetly but shook her head firmly.
"Absolutely not, Miss."
*
After the short break, Odette assigned me the final task of the day.
-Please clean this room.
I arrived at an unusually large and quiet room on the top floor of Linea Hall.
The moment I stepped inside, I tilted my head.
"...Is there even anything to clean?"
It already looked spotless.
What, did they want even invisible dust gone?
I glanced around half-heartedly.
Now that I noticed, this wasn't just any fancy room.
Every piece of furniture was sleek and refined. Must've cost a fortune...
My wandering gaze locked onto the massive bed in the center of the room.
...It exuded an extraordinary aura at first glance.
"Whoa..."
I approached the bed as if drawn to it and placed my hand on the sheets.
The plush softness transmitting through my fingertips made my face melt into a relaxed Hee~
This... is insane.
A softness transcending reality... So fluffy it's deadly...!
I flopped onto the bed and buried my face in it.
"Ah... This is happiness."
The fatigue melted away like snow in sunlight.
Heaven... isn't far away... This is heaven...
I'd thought my bed back home was top-tier imperial quality.
But this was on another level entirely.
There really is heaven beyond heaven.
Maybe just five minutes...
"...Gah. No. Snap out of it."
I bolted upright and slapped my cheeks with my palms.
Get it together. I'm here to clean. Even if there's nothing to clean.
I straightened the rumpled bedding and looked around again.
Suddenly, a small decorative item on the desk caught my eye.
...Wait. That crest engraved on it... I've seen it somewhere before. Where...?
Rummaging through distant memories, a recollection surfaced.
It looked just like the seal on the Imperial Mage Corps recommendation letter I'd burned.
Hold on. Does that mean this room belongs to...
Someone from the imperial family...?
Right then, the door burst open.
"Haaah... So tired..."
I whipped my head toward the drowsy voice.
My eyes met those of the female student who had entered casually.
"Ah, still not done clea—"
She cut off mid-sigh with a start.
"...Wait, Lunaris?"
I stared at her blankly.
Subtle golden blonde hair and mysterious violet eyes.
A striking impression that stuck in my memory.
"Ah, the girl from the interview waiting room."
Hold on. The owner of this room...
The puzzle pieces clicked together in my mind.
Same year as me.
Appearance described in the original novel.
Imperial seal.
And above all, sheets boasting unreal fluffiness.
"...Princess Celestina?"
"Why are you here...? Oh, right, volunteer service starting today... Wait! More importantly, you knew who I was? Since when?!"
I bowed slightly, trying to play it cool.
"Sorry for the delay, Your Highness. I'm finished, so I'll be going now."
The moment I turned to leave—
"W-Wait a second!"
The princess suddenly grabbed my wrist.
I stopped and stared down at her hand gripping my arm.
Stronger grip than expected.
"Um... Lunaris."
"..."
"Just for a moment, really quick... Could we talk?"