episode_0025

“Of course, Captain.”

She replied immediately without a second’s delay.

The moment you hesitate, you’ll feel like you’re lying, and more than anything, you really aren’t lying.

Adelaide’s rough mercenary life may have made her look dirty and covered her face with all sorts of knife marks, but fundamentally, she has a pretty appearance.

So, even though she received numerous dashes when she was young, her angry father killed the men who approached her.

Continuously brainwashed and suppressed, Adelaide herself might never realize how pretty she is.

Knowing this background, from the moment she was captured, I’ve been gently scratching away at that suppressed femininity.

Mercenary Captain Adelaide is cruel and ruthless, but the female Adelaide is a kind of gamble that might be better.

Until yesterday, I thought my judgment was completely wrong.

Seeing this dinner invitation and such questions, it seems to have some effect after all.

Indeed, there’s no one who dislikes Nadena.

“Hmm, yes… If anyone’s outside, tell them to come in!”

At Adelaide’s call, one of her subordinates entered.

“Go and call the Second-in-Command.”

Shortly after, a small woman with a frighteningly similar gaze to Adelaide entered.

Really, her impression is filthy.

“You called for me, Captain?”

“From today, you will be my maid.”

“Pardon?”

The Second-in-Command looked back and forth between Adelaide and me with eyes that seemed to ask what crazy talk this was.

“When you say ‘maid,’ do you mean someone who combs your hair every morning, helps you wash up, and serves you during meals?”

“It also includes assisting with grooming tasks such as dressing and nail care.”

The Second-in-Command, who had been silently observing Adelaide, suddenly leaped across the table and grabbed me by the collar.

“What the!?”

“You potion-selling swindler! You’ve given the Captain poison disguised as a potion!”

“What nonsense is this?!”

“The Captain wouldn’t bother with maids or grooming! You scoundrel! What kind of heinous drug have you injected into the Captain!”

With an incredible strength that was unbelievable coming from her small stature, the Second-in-Command vigorously shook me back and forth.

“Return our leader right now! Our leader is definitely not that kind of person! Give us back our leader!”

* * * * *

When the potion shop owner suggested that if the maid were to dress up, she would look prettier, Adelheid almost blurted out in response, “Do you really think so?” But with extreme patience, she restrained herself and subtly probed the 2nd Division Commander’s intentions.

The 2nd Division Commander, the only woman in the mercenary unit, was a subordinate with unwavering loyalty who would sacrifice her life for Adelheid.

If the 2nd Division Commander said she would become a maid, it would be true, but if she showed any other reaction, it would be taken as a joke.

However, even Adelheid did not expect such fervor from her.

Watching the 2nd Division Commander shaking the potion shop owner, Adelheid had to hide her lipstick deeper in her pocket.

* * * * *

“Stop.”

As Adelheid spoke, the 2nd Division Commander immediately let go and stepped back.

“Stop it, 2nd Division Commander.”

“But, leader…”

“I was just joking. I deliberately did that to show that we don’t need such things in our mercenary unit when he asked me if I also needed a maid.”

“Oh, I see. I thought you had taken some terrible medicine and gone mad. I’m sorry.”

“Just go.”

“Yes, leader.”

As the 2nd Division Commander, who passed by me, bowed deeply with a terrifying look in his eyes, he warned me, “If you play tricks on the leader, you’ll be the first one to get your belly kicked.”

“I didn’t play any tricks.”

“We’ve heard rumors that you’ve been throwing yourself at the leader since yesterday. The leader has no interest in men. So if you interfere…”

The 2nd Division Commander made a cutting gesture across his throat.

Why is this woman acting like this?

“Go and do your work.”

When Adelheid spoke again, the 2nd Division Commander continued to glare at me until he left the restaurant.

She’s crazy. Is everyone here just a bunch of lunatics?

After the 2nd Division Commander left, Adelheid looked at me and spoke.

“Have you seen. I don’t need anything like a maid.”

“Oh, yes….”

This is strange. It’s not working.

I can’t tell if the original knowledge is wrong or if it’s been distorted since I possessed it.

“I, too, cannot tolerate your strange babbling when my subordinates are present. Be careful with your words when they are around.”

“Yes….”

What nonsense is that?

So, does this mean it’s okay to do this when we’re alone?

It’s really out of control.

“By the way, when will the potion be completed?”

After pondering for a moment at Adelheid’s question, I replied.

“There are some deficiencies in the facilities, so it seems it will take a full month. Just as I mentioned before, the potion made at that time was also rushed and incomplete.”

“I see. Well, a month isn’t a long time. But….”

As Adelheid spoke, she gave me a sinister look, as if concocting something wicked.

Why are you giving me that look again?

“Now what? I have no one to do the maid’s work, and your plan has gone up in smoke.”

I met Adelheid’s gaze without saying a word.

Not to stall for time.

The words were so absurd that I couldn’t think of a response.

It sounds as if I proposed such a thing just to make Adelheid look pretty, doesn’t it?

But I can’t just keep my mouth shut.

Anyway, let’s see this through to the end.

“Well, even without a maid, the master is beautiful in his own right. Just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean you have to wear a dress and style your hair.”

“Is that so. Of course, that could be the case. Are there women like that around you?”

“Women around me?”

I don’t know why the conversation is heading in this direction, but since the atmosphere is fine for now, should I continue?

“Yes, there is. A brave and resolute girl like the master. She has no interest in dressing up, but despite that, she’s very attractive.”

“A girl?”

“Oh, I mean, she’s like a younger sister to me. Don’t misunderstand. And even without a maid, you can adorn yourself.”

When Adelheid sent a questioning gaze, she added further explanation.

“For example, putting on makeup, spraying perfume, or buying and wearing pretty clothes are things that can be done even without a maid.”

“I see. But I’ve lived my whole life like this. I don’t know how to adorn myself. Perhaps I will continue to live like this in the future.”

What’s with all this talk…? Hmmm… Where should I look….

* * * * *

After the 2nd Division Commander left, Adelheid worried slightly.

It was because she had a feeling that after being treated so harshly, the owner of the potion shop would no longer speak to her.

She also wanted to hear words like “You look pretty as you are now.”

So when Adelheid had subordinates around, she subtly cautioned them to be careful about what they said.

In other words, it was a signal that she would tolerate some things when only the two of them were present.

It is uncertain whether the owner of the potion shop noticed this.

Therefore, Adelheid subtly steered the conversation.

Fortunately, it seemed that the owner of the potion shop didn’t notice anything and was foolishly being led along.

He seems a bit dim-witted. Easy to handle.

* * * * *

She realized.

Adelheid wanted to continue talking about this topic with me.

Right. I thought it failed, but it’s gradually sinking in.

“Oh, I see. Then what should I do? You’re already pretty enough, but if you adorn yourself, you’ll become even more beautiful.”

Alright, Jack. You pitiful NPC. Let’s think this through.

He has no intelligence, cheats, or abilities.

All he has is the original knowledge and potion-making methods, but he has successfully overcome many crises until now.

Considering how Adelheid came out like that, Nadenade seems to have accepted it, and she seems to have some affection for me.

A woman wouldn’t lead a conversation first if she didn’t have some affection.

This is an opportunity.

After thinking for a moment, I made a reckless proposal.

“Then, how about I serve as the commander’s attendant while I’m staying here?”

* * * * *

The 2nd Division Commander, leaving the restaurant, stood in front of the door without leaving immediately.

“Why aren’t you leaving?”

“Shut up! Be quiet!”

The deputy commander, who fiercely responded to the subordinate guarding the door, leaned in with an aggressive posture.

From inside, he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of nonsense that potion shop owner might be whispering to the commander.

Judging from the words of the maidservant, it was clear that the man had definitely been buttering up the commander.

The deputy commander finished his external duties and finally returned to the encampment around lunchtime today.

As soon as he returned, he heard that they had captured the owner of a small, nameless potion shop in a nearby village.

The man had not only shown no fear in front of the commander but also attempted some lowly flattery.

Upon hearing this, the deputy commander immediately wanted to grab and kill the potion shop owner.

However, the commander had separate plans, so if anyone dared to touch the man they had kidnapped, the commander would surely not stay silent.

After the deputy members all surrounded him, the potion shop owner managed to escape a fatal disaster brought on by the furious deputy commander.

But the deputy commander could not completely suppress his anger.

How dare such a base merchant show such behavior to our esteemed mercenary commander.

Our commander has absolutely no interest in men.

So there is no sympathy among the numerous subordinates.

He was born to become a mercenary commander.

He is so magnificent and truly respectable.

If the commander were to ask me to die in his place, I would die right here and now.

“Ugh… Commander…”

As if becoming a hydrangea, the deputy commander leaned against the door, murmuring to himself.

The guards looked at him with pitiful eyes.

“Please go back, Deputy Commander. There’s a patrol duty.”

“Don’t interfere! I’ll handle my own affairs!”

“If you don’t interfere, won’t you be like this all night?”

Since it wasn’t a wrong statement, the deputy commander glared at his subordinate as if to devour him, then briskly walked down the hallway.

In doing so, he missed the crazy proposal to become the beloved commander’s servant.