Come Back Sweet Home

『Lilith has reached Level 11!』

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

The morning after encountering bandits during night watch while camping, where Ethan and I worked together to eliminate them.

Fortunately, the sudden midnight ambush seemed to be a one-time occurrence, as I didn’t wake up again to kill more bandits and clean up corpses.

…Even for someone like me, killing people wasn’t something I could brush off easily, so my sleep was a bit restless. Though fatigue eventually won out, and I managed to get some rest.

Killing monsters was one thing, but this was my first time taking a human life. Even if these guys were practically monsters wearing human skin, a human is still a human.

Fortunately, it wasn’t all bad news. The battle with the bandits had filled the last bit of my experience bar, resulting in a level-up.

Too tired to check last night, I confirmed it in the morning-my status window showed I’d reached Level 11, with various stats also seeing slight improvements.

『Name: Lilith Rosewood

Title: Ethan Richard Blackwood’s Exclusive Maid

Current Level: 10 → 11

Attack: 28 → 31

Defense: 41 → 45

Intelligence: 31 → 34

Charm: 89 → 98

Luck: 9 → 10

Current HP: 113 / 113 → 124 / 124

Current MP: 2033 / 2033 → 2236 / 2236』

The experience gained from the evaluation match with Luke alone was substantial-around 1,000 points-so I was already close to the next level-up.

The fight with the bandits last night had pushed me over the edge.

Thanks to those bandits, I could finally say goodbye to my cursed single-digit Luck stat. Though it still wasn’t anything to brag about.

For some reason, my title had also changed from “Brave Exclusive Maid” to “Ethan Richard Blackwood’s Exclusive Maid.”

…Well, that’s probably just temporary.

It’s not like it’s inaccurate-I *am* Ethan’s exclusive maid right now. Once I graduate from the academy and become independent, the title will likely change again.

As for Ethan, who fought alongside me last night and even helped clean up the bodies…

“Young Master, aren’t you tired? It doesn’t seem like you slept at all after switching shifts with me.”

“…I’m fine. I slept well before my shift, so I’m not too tired.”

“I see… Well, if you say so…”

He was sitting by the campfire with noticeably darker eye bags and a weary expression.

Understandable. It wasn’t the kind of event anyone could just shrug off.

For Ethan, last night was likely his first time killing someone too. And judging by his state, he must’ve stayed on guard duty even during Isabelle’s shift.

After what happened, leaving Isabelle alone on watch-even in the morning-must’ve felt too risky.

A reasonable decision. I probably would’ve done the same if I’d been in his shoes.

To let Ethan rest, we needed to return to the mansion as soon as possible.

“Let’s just grab a quick bite and head out, Young Master Ethan. A proper meal and rest can wait until we’re back at Blackwood Mansion.”

“…Yeah, let’s do that.”

A simple sandwich with cured ham between toasted bread and a cup of warm milk-a modest but heartfelt meal-helped restore some energy.

The final leg of the journey, which felt much longer than usual, ended with me driving the carriage.

…Camping on the road is *not* easy.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

“Welcome back, Young Master Ethan. And Miss Lilith and Miss Isabelle.”

Dietmeier, who had come out to greet Ethan as soon as we arrived, made unpacking effortless.

The luggage was a bit too much for just Isabelle and me to handle, but as head butler, he had already arranged for help. Thanks to that, we only needed to hand over the items one by one, cutting our workload in half.

Most of the mansion’s staff were the same as when we left, making it feel like a homecoming. But the few unfamiliar faces among them reminded me that four months had indeed passed.

While Isabelle and I continued unpacking with the other servants, Dietmeier exchanged greetings with Ethan.

“Have you been well, Young Master Ethan?”

“Yes, I’ve been fine. Any issues at the mansion?”

“Nothing worth noting, sir. Though there’s quite a bit of paperwork awaiting the master’s signature upon his return.”

“Set aside anything I can sign in his stead. I’ll take a look before Father returns.”

“Understood, Young Master.”

Even in small details like his speech, Ethan was starting to resemble Harold. Dietmeier then asked another question about the journey.

“No incidents on the way back, I hope?”

“Incidents… Not really.”

Well, there *was* an incident.

The bandit attack during our overnight stay definitely qualified as noteworthy.

Even if we handled it cleanly with no casualties and erased all traces, the fact remained that we had been in danger.

But Ethan seemed intent on keeping that part quiet, so I only mentioned the camping part to Dietmeier.

“My inexperience with driving the carriage forced Young Master Ethan to endure an uncomfortable night’s sleep.”

“That’s fine, Lilith.”

“As the Young Master said, that’s nothing to worry about, Miss Lilith. For your first proper carriage drive, making it all the way from the Island of Knowledge is impressive enough.”

“I owe it all to the head butler’s teachings.”

“You must be tired from driving, Miss Lilith. You should rest early today. It’s a celebratory day, after all-you and Isabelle may use the grand bath later. Once the Young Master has had time to recover, of course.”

“…Thank you, Head Butler.”

…Is this really Dietmeier? Was he always this kind?

Before the academy, just seeing his face used to annoy me. But after all the troublesome people I’ve met there, maybe he’s not so bad in comparison.

A lot had happened. Exhausting things, but also many gains.

“Master Harold once spent weeks camping in the freezing Silverwood during wartime. A night or two outdoors is nothing for the Young Master at his age.”

“Hmm, true.”

“And unless you ran into bandits or something, I wouldn’t call it much of an incident. Hahaha.”

“…Y-yeah.”

“Right…”

He seemed to be joking, but Ethan and I-who *had* actually encountered bandits-couldn’t react naturally.

Isabelle, unaware of the attack, laughed along, breaking the awkwardness. The sudden appearance of a pink-haired, elegant maid helped even more.

“Miss Lilith! Isabelle!”

“Senior Katarina!”

The two hugged tightly, clearly overjoyed to see each other again. The sight of two pretty girls embracing was heartwarming regardless of gender.

…Though I hesitated to join in, feeling a bit shy.

“It’s been a while, Senior Katarina.”

“Did you enjoy the academy, Miss Lilith?”

“Yes, it was fun. A lot happened. You seem much brighter too, Senior.”

“I couldn’t rely on you and Isabelle forever, after all.”

Katarina had changed noticeably since our tearful farewell months ago. It was hard to believe this was the same girl who trembled in fear when I raised my voice in the kitchen prep room.

I’d been worried about her, but she seemed to have grown well in my absence.

“Want to gather in your room later and catch up? I brought some snacks and tea as gifts.”

“I’d love that, Miss Lilith!”

“You can just call me Lilith, you know.”

…Seems the “Miss” habit hasn’t changed despite her growth.

Still, she was clearly more confident than before. I wasn’t sure what caused the change, though.

Many things had changed at Blackwood Mansion, but one thing was certain the moment I stepped inside:

No place felt as comfortable to me as this one.