episode_0047

The first one to come up with the idea of renovating the bathtub was Helena.

Struggling with the fact that she had to be apart from Amelia for 6 out of 7 days, Helena decided to renovate the bathtub.

It was a bathtub that Helena had renovated to fill her own bathtub with the water Amelia had been soaking in for a long time. Of course, Helena couldn’t do it alone, so she made a deal with Lily.

Lily, feeling sorry for Helena, negotiated to take only 1/5 of the water from Amelia’s bathtub instead of half.

Helena decided to use Amelia’s bathwater for her own bath, while Lily planned to use it as drinking water.

After some time, Amelia came out of the bathtub and started cleaning up. Amelia was draining the bathwater to refill it for Lily. However, instead of being discarded, the bathwater from Amelia’s tub was being transferred to Helena’s bathroom.

Unaware of this, Amelia finished her bath and came out, wrapping her hair in a towel and wearing pajamas, looking beautiful.

Lily swallowed nervously as she watched Amelia’s chest move without resistance to dry her hair, as she didn’t have a corset.

“Lily, I’m done with my bath. Oh, should I help you with yours?”

“Oh, it’s okay. I’m just resting for now.”

Although Lily wanted to receive help with her bath from Amelia, she declined as she needed to check on the bathtub and contact Helena.

Upon entering the bathroom, Lily immediately contacted Helena.

“How was it? Did you arrive safely?”

“Yes, thanks to you, Lily.”

“Thank goodness.”

While the two were discussing the bathtub, something caught Lily’s eye.

“What’s that…?”

Helena, noticing Lily’s reaction, turned on the surveillance magic she had installed in the bathroom and looked where Lily was looking.

“Oh…!”

There was a strand of blonde hair, different from Amelia’s long, straight hair, at the end of the bathtub.

The important point was that despite Amelia having long, smooth hair, the hair in the bathtub was different in length and slightly curly.

For some reason, Amelia definitely did not have underarm hair.

Lily and Helena immediately realized what that hair was.

At that moment, Helena’s reddish mana, symbolizing her, appeared in the bathroom and latched onto the hair, while Lily released her black mana to block Helena’s mana.

The clash of the two mana.

“Lily, you spend 6 days a week with your mom. But what about me? What about me? So, can you let me have this?”

“Oh, Helena. Isn’t giving you the bathwater enough?”

“Can I be satisfied with that?”

“Of course not, but I’m not willing to give this up either.”

“Fine… Let’s give it a try?”

“You’ve never beaten me before.”

“But I’ll win this time!”

And so, their fight began.

The black and reddish mana clashed as they fought to claim Amelia’s hair.

However, since Lily was in the bathroom and Helena was not, their fight ended quickly.

Lily quickly ran towards where Amelia’s hair was and grabbed it before Helena could control her mana towards Lily’s hand.

“What!?”

Helena tried to control her mana towards Lily’s hand, but Lily put the hair in her mouth, ending the fight.

“That’s too much…”

Helena felt defeated and gloomy, to which Lily said, “Next time, if you see it first, I’ll give it to you. I promise.”

“Is that really…?”

“Yeah, I promise.”

With the fight over, Lily carefully pulled out the fur of Amelia from her mouth and gingerly placed it into a vial she had.

==

It was only natural that Lily was assigned to Class A.

Her life at the academy was much less eventful than when she was with her family.

Waking up in the same bed as Lily, giving her a kiss to wake her up, bathing together, and getting ready for the academy.

Lily wore her maid uniform to school, holding hands with me as we walked to the academy.

Perhaps due to our relationship or Lily’s impact in the training hall, we became quite famous at the academy.

Every time Lily and I walked to school, I could feel the stares around us. Lily seemed to notice it too, sticking closer to me as we walked.

While I didn’t mind it, I couldn’t help but worry about what trouble Lily might get into. Would she end up with no friends until she graduated from the academy?

Upon arriving at Class A after entering the academy, we had to part ways. Maids and servants were not allowed in. Lily always had a sad expression when we had to separate.

I would hug her, send her off to Class A, and then head to the lounge where the maids and servants gathered.

Upon opening the door to the lounge, I saw many maids, servants, and attendants.

Each group was relaxing in their own way, reading books, drinking tea, or chatting with each other.

It was clear that there were divisions even in the lounge.

There were the maids and attendants, and then there were the servants. The atmosphere suggested that the maids and attendants somewhat looked down on the servants.

Perhaps it was due to the class difference. The maids and attendants were usually from poor or fallen noble families, while the servants were mostly commoners.

The atmosphere in the lounge was not peaceful due to this class difference.

Of course, I didn’t approach anyone. No one paid attention to me because of Lily’s veil.

So, I spent my time reading a book or contemplating the future while Lily was in class.

As usual, I avoided people and sat at my usual table in the corner, reading a book.

During my time there, a maid-like girl sat in front of me.

I vaguely remembered seeing her a few times. Despite being a maid, she was one of the few maids who didn’t join the group and was alone like me.

Did she feel a sense of camaraderie with me, being alone?

She cautiously handed me a cookie without saying a word.

At that moment, I was able to get a closer look at her.

She had golden hair similar to mine but even shinier, reaching her shoulders in a short bob with bangs covering one eye. The exposed eye sparkled like a jewel.

Even with one eye covered, her beauty was striking.

I didn’t ponder for long why she couldn’t join the maid group.

Despite her short hair covering her head, her long pointed ear peeked through. The tip of her ear was slightly rounded.

“A half-elf?”

It was then that I understood why she couldn’t join the maid group. While this world was accepting of different races, there was still some discrimination against half-elves, similar to homosexuality.

Perhaps the maid group, realizing she was a half-elf, had ignored her.

Having lived in this world for almost five years, I still didn’t fully understand it.

As she handed me the cookie, fidgeting nervously and twiddling her fingers, she looked so pitiful.

I accepted the cookie from her. The elf girl’s expression brightened the moment I took the cookie. Then, with a look of anticipation, she looked at me.

However, I had been warned by Lily several times. Never eat food given by others.

After the assassination attempt by Gashin, Lily, who became even more obsessed with me, continued to emphasize that. Remembering it vividly, I spoke up.

“I’m sorry. My master told me never to eat food given by others.”

“Oh… Yes, of course!”

“I appreciate the gesture. By the way, what’s your name?”

“Um, my name is Mari.”

“Nice to meet you, Mari. I’m Amelia.”

“Hello…”

“Who is your master, Mari?”

“I… My master is Charlotte.”

And so, I chatted with Mari, a half-elf, and as she approached me with her head, she asked cautiously,

“Um… What kind of half-elf are you, Amelia…?”

Huh?

“A half-elf?”

“…Yes! The magic veiled on you is an illusion, right?”

Is this illusion magic useful? Lily said it didn’t have much effect on elves. Aren’t elves supposed to see everything?

Could it be that she can even detect illusion magic? Or is Mari unexpectedly a skilled magician? Come to think of it, I remember hearing that elves are exceptionally skilled in magic.

Oh, does she think I used illusion magic because she’s a half-elf like her? Or an elf?

I shook my head in denial.

“I’m not a half-elf, I’m just a regular human.”

“Whaaaat!? But you’re so pretty!?”

Despite speaking very softly, Mari’s reaction made it seem like she heard it very loudly. I smiled quietly.

“Thank you for the compliment. But, Mari, you’re beautiful too, you know?”

“Oh, no, not at all!”

I wanted to talk more with the adorable Mari, but it was time for Lily’s lesson to end, so I got up and bid Mari farewell.

“It’s time for my master’s lesson to end, so I should go first.”

“Oh…! Oh, wait, I just realized, I have to go too!”

It seems that Mari’s master, Charlotte, is also in the combat field, just like Lily, as their lessons end at the same time.

So, Mari and I walked to attend to our respective masters, both heading towards Class A.

It turns out Mari’s master, Charlotte, was also in Class A. What a coincidence.