Maid Recruitment Test (5)
First... let's confirm how much more help Seres can give me before deciding whether to kick her out.
That was the conclusion I'd reached while continuing to practice my sword forms, lost in thought.
This mansion's reins were firmly in my hands anyway.
Above all—and I kept reminding myself of this over and over—I had to drive these Calamities out of the Layton Ducal House without ever provoking them, no matter what.
Yeah, no need to rush. For some reason, she's keeping me in the superior position.
I gripped the wooden sword tighter and swung it again.
Basic thrusts flowing into the Layton family's signature defenses and counters.
And perhaps noticing my shift in attitude...
The moment I shook off my doubts and started swinging in earnest, Seres intervened more aggressively, as if she'd been waiting for it.
She approached at the perfect, flawless timing, like she'd read my intentions completely.
She pressed down on my tense shoulders, refining my sword path to be even more precise and clean.
Thanks to her, my body was learning a perfect balance I'd never felt before.
Time flew by unnoticed as I swung away, and before I knew it, the sun was dipping toward the west.
I set the wooden sword back on its rack, panting, and stared at Seres, who hadn't budged an inch from her spot.
Yeah... come to think of it, even if her true nature is that of a madwoman, she's not corrupted like in the original story.
No matter how closely I examined the aura emanating from her, there wasn't a trace of the black demonic energy unique to corruption.
So for now, I'd keep her around, take what I needed, then ditch her with some convenient excuse.
With that shameless self-justification complete, I headed back to my room with her, who had been waiting quietly in the corner of the training grounds.
I washed up simply and collapsed onto the soft bed, glaring at the ceiling as my sore muscles throbbed.
I'd fallen for Seres's unexpected competence, and Erinea too.
But the Princess of the Ruined Kingdom and that blood-mad vampire... tomorrow, no matter what it takes, I'll drive them out.
I vowed it with all my heart, no excuses this time, and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning.
"Mm... who's there?"
I slowly opened my eyes to a faint, unfamiliar presence by my bedside.
Through my still-sleepy, blurry vision, the first thing that came into focus was strawberry-cream colored hair.
Below it, emerald eyes—the symbol of the Rosvent imperial family—curved in a gentle smile.
"Good morning, Young Master. I hope you slept peacefully through the night."
"...Reniel?"
Reniel Rosvent, the Wandering Calamity who had burned a third of the continent, the Princess of the Ruined Kingdom.
She stood there in a pristine maid outfit, without a single wrinkle.
She greeted me with a silver tray holding a steaming washcloth and morning tea.
Was this a dream?
That was my first thought—the scene before me was just that surreal.
Of course, I'd known the next morning part would feature Reniel.
But I hadn't expected her to greet me like this first thing in the morning...
Anyway, fully awake now, I rubbed my forehead and slowly sat up.
The moment I did, Reniel sprang into action, bustling around the room and constantly announcing her presence.
Bang! Thud!
She flung the windows open wide enough to shatter them—that was standard.
Her skirt rustled noisily with every step.
When tidying the table, she made the dishes clatter on purpose.
Soon, she started humming a tune, muttering to herself like she wanted everyone to hear.
"Oh my, feel this bedsheet material. The finest silk? As expected of the great Layton Ducal House—no item is wasted, not even the smallest one."
Exaggerated praise poured out nonstop amid the whooshing of her duster sweeping away dust.
"Heavens, and this decorative sword on the wall. A masterpiece imbued with the family's glory. To serve in such a great house—I'm truly fortunate!"
"......"
I stared at her busy back, half-dazed.
Where Seres and Erinea obsessed over erasing their presence to match the test's intent, Reniel was broadcasting hers to the whole neighborhood.
And her antics continued even at breakfast.
When I picked up my knife to cut the steak, she subtly pulled my plate closer.
Sauce on my mouth? She was there with a napkin before I could blink.
And through it all, her face never lost its bright, joyful glow.
Afterward, she beamed compliments at the baker's bread crust and gasped dramatically at the garden view through the dining room window.
No way... is that really the mad princess who torched the continent?
I couldn't help doubting it—the princess who'd nearly escaped her kingdom's doom looked utterly different.
But aside from her cheerfulness, the constant rustling beside me and nonstop chatter while working was getting on my nerves.
It was the same when I returned to the study for paperwork.
The moment I started puzzling over tax issues...
Reniel, organizing the bookshelf nearby, nearly dropped a book every five minutes or brushed my shoulder with her feather duster.
"Ah! Sorry. I thought I was being careful..."
"......"
I didn't respond.
Instead, I was genuinely thrilled.
Perfect. This time, I can really kick her out.
Repeating such blatantly annoying behavior in the third test, where she should blend into my shadow.
I'd endure it until afternoon, then disqualify her cleanly for disrupting my focus.
After lunch, as I sat in the study handling afternoon tasks...
I paused my pen and tilted my head.
...Huh?
A strange change was creeping over my body.
Normally, by now, chronic fatigue and back/neck pain would hit hard.
Especially after yesterday's intense sword training—the muscle soreness had lingered until morning.
But now, my body felt as light as a feather.
The crushing fatigue was gone, and my mind was crystal clear.
What the...?
Wondering if Reniel had done something, I kept her by my side all afternoon under pretenses like territory inspections and extra work.
The results were shocking.
Far from accumulating fatigue, every breath seemed to restore my stamina and fill me with vitality.
I leaned on the stair railing, pretending to stretch, and glanced back at Reniel trailing me cheerfully.
She flashed a sunny smile, curtsied lightly with her skirt hem when our eyes met.
And in that moment—whether accident or intentional—I spotted a faint emerald mana rising from her right fingertip.
I didn't know the exact spell.
But it was clear: the continent's greatest magical prodigy was passively channeling ultra-high-level wide-area recovery magic toward me with every breath.
She'd hidden the mana waves so perfectly that even I, the target, only noticed after half a day.
Which meant her constant chatter and rustling were likely cover—preparations to mask the spell's flow and casting.
...This is insane.
The fatigue and scars from over a decade rolling to prevent the world's end.
Stuff I'd thought untreatable, hadn't even considered treating...
And she eased it overnight, just like that?
No matter how annoying, once I'd tasted this sweet recovery, I could never bring myself to chase her away.
This isn't hiring a maid—it's keeping a walking top-grade potion at my side.
Whatever. Bottom line: with all the rolling ahead, I couldn't ditch her.
...Let's just say I couldn't find an excuse. She's new at this—totally plausible, yeah.
The second night of the maid selection test.
When everyone in the ducal house was deep in sleep.
Seres moved silently down the quiet hallway, devoid of people or presences.
Blue moonlight streamed through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the white streaks in her black hair.
And from the opposite end of the hall her footsteps headed toward...
As if they'd secretly agreed to meet here at this hour...
Erinea approached with soundless steps.
True to her fame as the greatest assassin and archer, she disturbed neither footsteps nor air currents—perfect stealth.
Eventually, they stopped in the hallway's center, where moonlight draped most brilliantly over the window frame.
Without a word, their glaring contest began.
Then, both spoke at once.
"How about curbing your clingy advances on Lord Theron, you vulgar, elf?"
"Stick to hunting Sword Masters—your fated prey—and stop lingering by Young Master's side when you can't grasp your place?"
Two voices sharp as blades.
Seres reacted first.
"I have a vague idea why you've come here. Not that I'm yielding."
Her hand slipped to the sword hilt hidden in her skirt.
"That's my line, you lunatic Sword Saint. I don't know how you tamed the power of Genesis, but to borrow Khan's power too? You must've been desperate."
Erinea summoned a bow and arrow of blue mana, plus a spirit, ready to fight.
"That's what I want to say. Why does an elf like you have the power of Genesis?"
"...Who knows? Why should I tell you?"
Just as a fight seemed imminent...
From the hallway's end, near the stairs to the lower floor, came the faint glow of a lantern and a knight's patrolling footsteps.
At the presence, both withdrew their auras instantly, without a trace.
"...Tch. Mind your boundaries before a leash goes on."
"That's my line. You've meddled enough with Young Master's sword lessons—back off."
They exchanged one final glare laced with killing intent.
Then turned without regret, vanishing soundlessly into the shadows they'd emerged from.