Chapter 35
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Maid (2)
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“...”
Rose had been busy gazing around with an ecstatic expression ever since they arrived. She seemed so absorbed that she hadn't even heard my question.
“Madam.”
“Ah?”
Rose finally snapped out of it and turned to look at me. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement.
“Did you call for me?”
“What do you think? From your perspective.”
“Oh, here?”
Rose glanced around once more, then clamped her lips shut as if she had no idea what to say.
“It's... too, too wonderful.”
Finally, she pulled her hand away from her mouth and murmured softly.
“The room is spacious, and all the equipment is brand new. Having my own lab has been a lifelong dream... It feels like a dream come true. I never imagined it would actually happen.”
She seemed to choke up midway through, but Rose quickly composed herself. Then she bowed deeply to me.
“Thank you, Your Excellency. I truly mean it from the bottom of my heart.”
“You like it?”
“Like it? I'm... so, so happy.”
Rose's eyes quivered with emotion. Her hands were clasped tightly together, trembling slightly.
Seeing how much she loved it put my mind at ease.
“Good work, Andersen.”
“No trouble at all.”
Andersen stood off to the side, watching Rose and me with a grin plastered on his face.
“With the generous budget you gave me, spending it was quite the pleasure.”
“Anyone hearing that would think I'd been stingy with your research funds.”
“Not at all... Ahem.”
He scratched his head sheepishly and added,
“I figured it would take longer, but the items arrived right on schedule, so we wrapped up quickly.”
“Hm.”
“It seems Your Excellency placed the orders well in advance. Am I correct?”
I'd prepared everything in advance starting from the day Rose arrived at the castle. Andersen's guess was spot on.
“Can't afford any delays in the timeline.”
“Of course. That must be it.”
Andersen kept grinning ear to ear. He looked like he was itching to speak but holding himself back.
“What's so funny?”
“If I told you, you'd boot me out, so I'll keep quiet.”
“...”
Something about his attitude grated on me, but with the lab setup not fully complete, I let it slide.
Andersen, who had been glancing around warily for any sign of rebuke,
“Ahem, then I'll go wrap things up...”
Flashed that knowing smile of his and slipped away. Then, as if on cue, he latched onto Rose and began explaining the lab's interior.
“Have you seen this circuit before?”
“Huh? First time. Haven't seen it at the Academy either. Is it a recent release?”
“Exactly. Your Excellency must have cleared out every shop in the kingdom. This thing boosts mana efficiency dramatically...”
No subtle glances or lingering touches between them. Just a heated discussion on magic studies.
Perhaps because of my prior warning, Andersen didn't try luring Rose in as his disciple. He simply explained the lab's layout and functions in a straightforward manner.
Yet that very sight irritated me to no end. Another man standing next to Rose—it was simply unpleasant to look at, for reasons I couldn't quite pin down.
'Hoo.'
This won't do. Was I unconsciously acting like Dane from the novel?
It was merely concern that Rose might tumble into the ruinous pit of becoming Andersen's disciple.
Yes, that's all it was.
I shook my head sharply and left the room. Then I settled into my office and tackled the stack of documents on my desk.
Rustle.
Tucked beneath the pile was a single sheet of paper that caught my eye.
'The prisoner on basement level two has escaped... I have committed a grave offense... I will take responsibility and step down...'
It was a letter of apology penned by the prison guard.
The handwriting wobbled messily at the ends, as if his hand had been shaking. A prisoner escape was serious business, yet the tone was excessively obsequious.
'Because I killed the stablemaster right in front of him.'
Since I'd orchestrated the incident myself, I simply dismissed him without further punishment. And left the guard position vacant.
There were no prisoners left to watch. I planned to kill them all from here on out, so no new ones would arrive anyway.
Still, Helena's total silence right after the escape the very next day nagged at me.
'It's almost been three full days.'
Doubts were starting to creep in about whether she'd really returned to the guild.
I shoved the question to the back of my mind and busily scratched away with my quill when,
Clatter, clatter.
The sound of a servant pushing a cart down the corridor reached my ears. Normally, I'd have ignored it.
“...”
I picked up on it acutely because the accompanying footsteps— which should have been there—were all but absent.
Either the cart-pusher was deliberately muffling their steps, or...
Knock knock.
Someone rapped on the office door.
“Your Excellency, I've brought tea.”
I hadn't ordered any tea. Moreover, the voice from beyond the door sounded familiar.
“Come in.”
I swept the papers off my desk as I replied. A hunch told me I wouldn't have time to review them soon.
And sure enough.
Clatter, clatter.
The maid wheeling in the cart was a face I knew.
“Master.”
Her bright golden hair was neatly pinned up and veiled, and Helena—dressed in maid attire—stood before my desk.
“Long time no see.”
Helena smiled, her eyes crinkling and accentuating the beauty mark beside them.
“You've arrived.”
After only seeing her in filthy rags, this look felt refreshingly novel. The loose-fitting maid outfit even made her seem somewhat prim.
Though her plain clothes only made her striking features stand out more.
'No wonder things had been so quiet.'
She'd slipped into the castle ages ago and had been passing as a servant. Clever move. The fact that Selma hadn't sniffed her out and tossed her yet meant she was mimicking an ordinary maid quite convincingly.
“How did you get in?”
“They posted a new job notice recently. Looking for diligent maids, so I thought, 'That's perfect for me!' and applied on the spot.”
To ensure seamless service for Rose, they'd recently hired more maids.
That aside.
“Diligent?”
“I carried out Master's orders with such diligence. Isn't that right?”
Helena pursed her plump lips and chirped playfully.
“The interview was a breeze too. They hired me right away—must've been my honest face.”
“Nonsense.”
Bill and Selma only hired those with recommendations, and even then, they monitored them closely during probation.
To guard against spies from other families.
Dozens had been weeded out that way. The current staff were the finest, rigorously vetted by Bill and Selma themselves.
“Ah, boring.”
Not getting the reaction she'd hoped for, Helena let out a pouty sigh.
“Master, can't you at least fake a 'Really?' expression? Hitting me with 'nonsense' right off the bat is just mean.”
“Explain yourself properly.”
“Well, even if it wasn't recent, Schmichael Castle always has job postings up. Seems they cycle through staff pretty often.”
Helena tacked on a barbed little comment before continuing.
“Truth is, I swiped the recommendation letter from some woman who was bringing one. Now they call me Rune around here.”
“And the real Rune?”
“Hmm, who knows what happened to her. Anyway, she's not here. And she never will be.”
Helena beamed innocently, utterly devoid of guilt. As if she couldn't care less about some random woman whose letter got snatched and who might've met a bad end.
“...”
I stared at her steadily, betraying no emotion.
I could see her subtly probing my reaction. Testing the limits—how far could she push before I snapped?
'She's putting me to the test.'
Reproaching her for killing in cold blood would be pointless. To Helena, people were mere tools for achieving her goals.
Truth be told, I had no desire to scold her. I'd hired her precisely for that ruthless boldness.
My subordinates scramble desperately for the key to the lock. Helena? She just smashes it to pieces.
“Understood.”
I nodded, satisfied that I'd chosen well.
“What, no anger?”
Helena leaned forward on the desk, drawing closer. Her eyes sparkled with eager anticipation.
“I figured you'd lose it over me killing an innocent. That's what knights do, right? Pontificate about honor and fair fights.”
“People die all the time. Guilty or innocent.”
Helena's eyes darted quickly across the desk. Good thing I'd cleared the papers beforehand.
“Besides, if we're assigning blame, it falls on me for not spelling out the acceptable boundaries clearly.”
“...Heh.”
Like a child discovering a fascinating new toy, her gaze brimmed with intrigue and delight as it fixed persistently on me.
“Actually, I didn't kill her.”
At last, Helena's lips parted slowly to reveal the truth.
“Didn't force the letter from her either. The real Rune—this Rune—didn't want to work here anyway.”
“No threats?”
“Nope. Just asked for the letter, and she handed it over. Then I told her to go wherever she pleased.”
Helena leaned in closer with a cheeky smile.
“So, how about it, Master?”
Even the chaste maid's uniform took on a dangerously seductive air around her.
“Did I do good?”
Here was the cat dragging in a mouse unbidden, purring expectantly for praise and pets.
“Hm.”
I felt no particular relief that she hadn't killed anyone. Merely resolved to issue clearer instructions in the future.
I had no use for solutions obtained through methods I didn't approve.
“Well done.”
For the moment, I offered the scrap of praise she craved. After all, the right treats were how you trained a cat.