episode_0012

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have anything for you to do.”

What would have happened if the other maids had heard this sound?

– Wow, amazing! They say there’s such a sweet job?

– Unbelievable. A personal maid who doesn’t have to do anything. I’m envious.

– I’ll do that! I really have confidence in doing absolutely nothing!

Even within the busy mansion, where the maids’ tasks were piling up, anyone would have welcomed even a slight reduction in workload. They would have readily accepted without hesitation and made such remarks, given the opportunity to not work at all.

Getting paid as they did. Doing hardly any work. Additionally, leaving an unpleasant young master alone was a fair situation.

They would have willingly accepted, their smiles reaching their ears.

However, Camilla couldn’t do that.

“You were released due to lack of evidence?”

“Yes, yes…”

“It could really be like that. There’s also a possibility that other maids did as your sister or mother said. But I don’t believe it. In my mind, you are still being pointed out as the culprit.”

Claire’s chilling voice still lingered.

“So, I’ll keep an eye on you. I will thoroughly check how well you look after Caesarean, without missing a single thing. Got it?”

A clear warning.

If the same thing happens again, she won’t let it go like this time. It was a strong recommendation that it should not continue under any circumstances.

Therefore, this situation should not continue. Absolutely, it must not continue.

As a maid, and especially as Caesarean’s personal maid, she had to do her job properly.

“Y-you were cleaning just now. There’s plenty for you to do… right?”

Camilla spoke, soaked in fear and trembling.

At this, Caesarean took the mop back without changing his expression.

“I said it’s not necessary.”

Surely not.

It can’t be.

Filled with anxiety, Camilla tried to take the mop from Caesarean again.

“What are you doing? Let go.”

“Cleaning isn’t something nobles should do. It’s something I, like a young master’s maid, should do…”

“Hmph.”

After Caesarean let out a sigh, he repeated that statement.

“That’s not necessary. I can do everything myself, so why should I borrow your hands?”

Camilla’s heart sank.

It won’t work. If things continue like this, I’ll be driven out. If rumors spread that the mistress left her maid to handle all the dirty work, there will be no turning back.

There’s no other way.

-Thud!

“Young master, I’m sorry. I was wrong!”

She should have kneeled down.

***

[1. (Pushing Camilla away) You’re talking nonsense. I’ve been eating meals worse than the rags you give me! Do you think an apology like that will solve anything?!]

[2. (Not handing over the rag) Leave. I will never forgive what you did.]

[3. (With a sullen response) What?]

As soon as Camilla knelt and admitted her mistake, a new dialogue window popped up.

The third option seemed different from the second, following a previous branch well. Still, there was no need for a sullen response.

“What? Where did you go wrong by coming here?”

“You, young master…”

“If you came to say such foolish things, just leave. You’re disturbing the cleaning.”

I don’t want to hear that. You just need to make a dead trigger.

As she turned away, Camilla grabbed my sleeve and pleaded.

No, more precisely…

“I was, I was wrong!!”

She confessed.

-Ding!

[1. What are you admitting to?]

[2. (Kicking Camilla) Stop bothering me and get out!]

A second choice. If I keep pressing here, I might be able to get Camilla’s confession.

I deliberately set the bathwater to cold, put medicine in the food, and even managed everything I’ve done so far. I could get her to confess to all of it.

But I’m not Carsein, am I?

Mixing up the options led to a good line.

“What are you admitting to? If you’re going to talk nonsense, just leave since you’re bothering me.”

She must know this. She showered with the cold water she received, hand-washed laundry in the winter, and ate heavily salted food.

Then why pretend not to know?

“It’s because of things like this.”

I shifted my gaze toward the sound of approaching footsteps.

“I’ve brought your meal, young master.”

Right on cue, Hanna appeared with the meal.

Hanna fixed her gaze on Camilla while holding the tray. Then, as if seizing an opportunity, she smirked and quickly changed her expression.

“Why are you kneeling, Camilla?”

“Huh? I, um, well…”

▶ Hanna Emma has arrived. How will you respond?

[ 1. I must have done something wrong to be kneeling. ]

[ 2. Shouldn’t you kneel alongside me, Emma? ]

[ 3. I wonder about that too. ]

[ 4. I don’t know either. Ask her yourself. ]

Today, Hanna personally brought the meal instead of the other maids. Therefore, I deliberately didn’t press Camilla for answers.

If this conversation had progressed even slightly and been overheard, it might have led to a bad ending.

“The dangerous scene has passed.”

First, the options appeared.

I could respond immediately, but I’ll wait one turn here.

Until that line comes up.

“Are you scolding Camilla, young master? Or suspecting her as the culprit and locking her up in solitary confinement is already unjust…!”

Yes, that’s exactly what I was waiting for.

“You’re being too harsh. Are you going to oppress innocent maids like this again?”

“Are you going to report to Mother? Go ahead.”

“What did you say? Young master, can you really be so brazen?”

“Of course. I didn’t oppress anyone. I was just cleaning my room myself. I’m telling you, I didn’t order anyone; I cleaned it myself.”

“Well, then why was Camilla kneeling…?”

As Emma looked bewildered when I showed her the cloth in my hand, I immediately chose an option.

[ 4. I don’t know either. Ask her yourself. ]

“Do I look like I know? Ask her yourself. She suddenly came in 30 minutes earlier than usual and started doing this. What do I know?”

Now it’s time for a counterattack.

“But why do you think I scolded Camilla? This is a very unfair situation for me, you know?”

“…”

“Ugh. I never claimed to be the culprit, yet here I am, turning into a terrible mistress who scolds her innocent maid while she’s just cleaning the room,” Emma asked Camilla with a glance.

“Is what the young master said true?”

Camilla’s head nodded slightly after a brief silence.

Emma’s expression hardened in an instant.

This isn’t right.

How did it come to this?

Such thoughts surged through Emma’s mind.

She uttered words she didn’t really want to admit.

“I made a mistake. It seems I misunderstood.”

The distorted expression softened a bit. But was that all there was to an apology? I can’t just stop here.

“Misunderstanding? Oh, so you think it’s just a simple misunderstanding.”

It had clearly crossed the line of mere misunderstanding.

Jumping to conclusions and passing judgment arbitrarily.

Considering cause and effect, it was a situation where an innocent person almost got blamed.

That can’t be called a misunderstanding.

Emma herself seemed to realize that but couldn’t argue back.

“…I’m sorry.”

Before the word “sorry” came out, a resentful sound escaped as if her pride was hurt.

But so what? What Carsein suffered was more than that, wasn’t it?

“Is that all?”

“Lord Carsein, I have certainly apologized for my mistake.”

“So, is that the end? Nothing more?”

“What are you saying…”

“Emma, when you entered my room, it seemed like you didn’t even bow. Is my sight deceiving me?”

“…!”

“Tsk tsk. If the maidservants are like this, no wonder such things enter my meals, right?”

I chuckled, as if fully aware of the situation at the Duke’s table earlier.

So hurry up and apologize again.

Sincerely.

To ensure nothing like this happens at my meal again.

One word forced these three sentences.

The Bagrandt family is a name that commands respect across the Peselos Empire.

Even though they only have one son. They were not subjects for suspicion or targets for sneaking around.

Karsein’s meal was seasoned perfectly for the main dish. The incident even managed to create a neat harmony, pointing out that it was you who disrupted the current hierarchy.

There’s no way to refute that. Eventually, Emma bows her head.

“I apologize, Lord Karsein. Please forgive my impertinence and suspicion.”

For now, this should do.

She must seek forgiveness from a commoner rather than a noble and lowering herself to bow, she would have to swallow her pride completely.

This incident will probably be deeply engraved in Emma’s mind as an unforgettable scene. She’ll seek revenge someday.

She was one of the villainous characters who tormented Karsein relentlessly even within the game.

But it’s okay.

I see through that already.

Through dozens, hundreds of trials and errors.

***

Emma left with a bitter expression. But, I’m not alone in this room yet.

Camilla is still here.

She was trembling, kneeling in that state.

“Sir… You… already know, don’t you?”

“What?”

“My actions towards you…”

I can’t just leave her like this.

I wiped my hands on a dry towel and sat at the table.

“Camilla, how long does it usually take to clean my room?”

“Um? Well… usually about an hour, sir.”

“And including bathroom cleaning and bed making?”

“Bathroom cleaning doesn’t take much time except when refilling water after you use it… and bed making takes about 5 minutes, so it’s the same… I guess.”

“Then wash that mop and sit here for 30 minutes before leaving.”

“S-Sir…!”

Camilla jumps up, visibly anxious.

I throw a direct question at her.

“You’re anxious because of Claire, right? Isn’t that so?”

“T-That’s…!”

“No need to make excuses. After all, you were suspected because of Claire. As long as you keep the time, it shouldn’t matter, right?”

“…”

As if she knows everything, Camilla starts to fidget.

“What should I… do? Please let me do something.”

So, the real purpose of her fear finally comes out.

Claire might not have known how she was being pressured, but I can guess now.

“It must be the work of a maid.”

If I don’t do something, Claire will likely threaten to kick Camilla out if this happens again.

I have to handle this myself.

First, let’s calm down the anxiety.

“Pretend to work quietly and then leave. That way, we can avoid Claire’s suspicion.”