episode_0039

Since the Edan attempted murder incident… it has been about a month.

I don’t know how to put it… but these days, I’ve been experiencing the most peaceful days I’ve had so far.

Edan’s changed attitude played a significant role in this turn of events.

If we were to look at the most noticeable change… could it be that he’s become a bit more subdued?

Whether it’s because the fear of me flipping out and trying to kill him that day was deeply ingrained in him or not, ever since then, Edan hasn’t played any annoying pranks on me or called me every hour.

“They say manners are the best weapon against crazy bastards, but really….”

Could it be that the experience of almost getting killed instilled some manners even in that piglet?

Maybe I have a knack for parenting?

…I’ve entertained that thought before, but it was probably wishful thinking. Even if I did have a knack, I have no intention of using it.

As I’ve said many times, I was determined not to care about how that brat turned out, no matter what.

It would be great if he grew up quickly and left for the academy. As long as he didn’t bother me, that was enough.

Since the incessant harassment from Hyudan disappeared, my workload noticeably decreased.

Cleaning the bedding in the morning and evening, tidying up the room, gathering the laundry for the laundry maid, who would return it once it was dry.

The rest of the time was mostly free time.

“It’s so damn comfortable, seriously.”

After regaining memories from my past life, I could count on one hand the number of times I worked so leisurely.

Back when I was a lowly maid with always pending tasks, and even after becoming a personal maid, I would often wake up from nightmares.

But now, things were different.

Throughout the day, the only times I encountered Hyudan were during the morning wake-up and the three meal times.

Of course, the daily struggle of dealing with that filthy brat remained, but it was bearable.

For someone like me, who had faced death due to past sexual harassment incidents, getting upset over such trivial matters was a thing of the past.

-Tsk!

“Lowly, lowly….”

…Well, to be honest, it was still quite unbearable to watch.

It was more like my threshold for discomfort had risen, making it relatively tolerable, but objectively speaking, Hyudan’s beastly table manners hadn’t improved at all.

Well, it was natural that his behavior towards me had changed, but his actions within the mansion remained the same.

The etiquette training by the head maid continued as harshly as ever.

For a noble family of this scale, it would be standard to have private tutors coming in on different days, but naturally, there was never a private tutor visiting the mansion to teach Edan.

And asking my father, Harold, for swordsmanship lessons was out of the question.

Hyudan was still Hyudan, just without the nonsense he used to spew at me; his manners at the dining table, akin to a wild animal, remained unchanged.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering why Edan, a scion of the Blackwood Ducal Family, is learning swordsmanship instead of magic, it’s because the Blackwood lineage’s magic specializes in enhancing physical abilities.

As mentioned before, swordsmanship in this world signifies something on a completely different level compared to the original world.

In essence, when one reaches the pinnacle of swordsmanship, the power they wield is almost indistinguishable from magic.

They possess boundless potential, capable of leveling small hills into plains, splitting massive glaciers in half, or even cleaving the earth itself.

Of course, while there are other weapons besides swords that have appropriate power inflation, it was inevitable that the protagonist’s main weapon being a sword would lead to an overwhelming focus on swordsmanship.

Furthermore, the Hymdan Blackwood family excelled in magic that pushed their physical abilities to the limit, specializing more in wielding weapons rather than conventional elemental magic.

To properly utilize the family’s bloodline magic, it was customary to build a foundation in swordsmanship from a young age, whether one liked it or not.

“Currently, that tradition has been broken due to the idiotic Hymdan and his son Harold.”

Perhaps this was set up early in the game to make Hymdan an initial antagonist.

If Hymdan had properly learned Harold’s swordsmanship lessons and mastered the family magic, someone like the protagonist who just entered the academy wouldn’t stand a chance.

In a world where reaching the level of a Sword Master in just “swordsmanship” alone could flatten a hill into a plain, what if such a Sword Master could also wield “body enhancement magic”?

There were valid reasons why the Blackwood family received a noble title from the empire.

Looking back now, Eiria and Alicia surviving that day was practically a miracle in itself.

Considering the opponent was an ordinary person, Harold restrained himself as much as possible; if he had struck with full force, internal organs would have burst from the first punch.

Certainly, Luminaire Academy wasn’t a gory game, so they probably didn’t depict such realistic scenes, but Harold, by not breaking a bone or burying a face in, showed considerable restraint.

Anyway, to inherit the Blackwood family, mastering swordsmanship and being able to handle body enhancement magic were necessary, not to mention shedding some of that bulky flesh through exercise or something.

Judging by the piglet currently devouring in front of me, it seemed unlikely that such a future would come.

– Snort!

“Gobble, gobble.”

“… ”

I had never seen someone grab a piece of steak with their hands and tear into it with their teeth like that before.

They hadn’t kept the fork and knife for later use.

As I watched the piglet eating its meal, Edan’s gaze suddenly shifted towards me, standing beside him.

Silently meeting the eyes of the maid assigned to watch over him, I waited, expecting him to ask for something like water. However, Edan simply stared at me without saying a word.

He began to alternately glance between the steak in his hand and my face, looking somewhat ominous.

“…Edan?”

“… ”

“If you need something, please tell me…”

“…Do maids like meat?”

“…What?”

What a random question.

“I mean, meat. Do maids like it?”

“…I don’t dislike it.”

Who in the world doesn’t like meat?

It’s not the 21st century, and there can’t be any vegans in a medieval fantasy world.

Responding to a rather foolish question with an obvious answer, Edan smiled slightly, his expression tinged with happiness.

That unpleasant feeling soon turned into reality.

– Sizzle!

“Maid, over here!”

“…Yes?”

“Here, take this!”

“……”

A disgusted expression as he prodded the meat he had been touching, biting, and sucking on with his mouth and hands, pushing it towards me with a fork.

Initially thinking that he was done with his meal due to feeling full, I naturally responded accordingly.

“If you have finished your meal, you can leave it on the table and get up, Lord Edan. The remaining food will be taken care of by me or another maid…”

“That’s not it!”

“Pardon?”

“This, for the maid to eat!”

“……Pardon?”

…What the hell is this nonsense?

Thinking I might have misheard, I met Hyundan’s eyes and asked again, but it seemed like this kid still didn’t understand what he was saying.

“Lord Edan, as a servant, I cannot dine with you. Please focus on your meal without worrying about me.”

“I said eat! Maids like meat!”

“No, I cannot eat it. It is absurd for a servant of the Blackwood family to snatch and eat the master’s meal…”

“I’m offering it! Eat it!”

…Ah, damn it.

He seemed calm for a while, but now he’s causing a scene again.

I wanted to curse him right to his face, but unfortunately, there were other servants in the dining room besides me.

I couldn’t afford to cause a disturbance like last time in Edan’s room.

“Damn, how should I react to this?”

Naturally, accepting what Edan was offering would lead to several problems.

Eating before the employer finishes their meal and putting food in your mouth during the employer’s mealtime was already a big issue.

Not to mention, refusing was considered disobedience, so technically, eating seemed like the lesser evil, but…

…Honestly, it was just downright disgusting from a hygiene standpoint.

“How do I even stomach these filthy meat chunks covered in his greasy fingerprints and saliva?”

Putting that repulsive piece of meat in my mouth felt like I could catch a disease instantly.

Refusing every time this piglet acted up like this and cursing at him wasn’t an option either…

“…Wait a minute.”

If Hyundan has become slightly more aware because of the previous incident, maybe I could somehow smooth things over this time too?

Unable to muster the courage to eat the steak with teeth marks right in front of me, I quietly called Hyundan’s name.

Perhaps to try that disciplinary method from last time once more.

“Edan, please listen for a moment.”

“I said eat! I told you I like it!”

“Can you lend me your ear for a moment?”

“Huh?”

Hyundan sat still, looking puzzled, showing me his ear.

I gently brought my face close to his ear and whispered softly, almost inaudibly to others, “I said I won’t eat it, Edan, you little brat.”

“…What?”

“Who do you think should eat this piece of meat covered in your saliva and handprints? Where did you learn such beastly table manners?”

“….!”

“Please, finish your own food. And when you eat, stop biting into it, smearing it with your hands, and making those noises. It’s nauseating just to watch. If you don’t even know these basic manners, then go receive some etiquette training from the head maid.”

“….”

Startled momentarily by my words, Hyumdahn seemed to wear a worried expression before quickly shifting to gaze at me with an anxious look.

And I, as if nothing had happened, maintained a poker face and continued the conversation with the brat.

“Have you regained your appetite now, Lord Edan?”

“……”

Quietly nodding, Hyumdahn calmly shoved the remaining food into his mouth.

Though the taste was still unappetizing, it didn’t matter anymore.

As long as I could prevent that messy lump of meat from entering my mouth, the rest didn’t really matter.

…I can’t let my guard down for even a moment with that damn bastard.