episode_0044

Three days after receiving a letter from Ser Blacksong requesting a visit.

On the afternoon of that day, the carriage carrying me and Edan, who had set the date for the territory patrol, was moving towards the territorial guard outside Blackwood Manor at a reasonably fast pace.

An outing during work due to Edan’s whim.

Since becoming a full-time maid, it was practically my first outing outside the manor.

Of course, despite it being a rare outing, I didn’t feel excited or refreshed. Instead, a strange sense of unease was slowly creeping up inside me.

“I can’t figure out what this kid is up to.”

Edan, with the excuse of patrolling the territory as the heir of the Blackwood family, was taking me to the territorial guard. While it might have been a common courtesy among noble families, it was still an inexplicable situation for Edan to venture outside the manor for such a reason.

Especially after seeing the letter from the territorial guard chief, Ser Blacksong.

“There’s definitely some ulterior motive.”

Not knowing what that motive was, I couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.

Could it be that after starting etiquette lessons, he was actually making preparations to succeed the Blackwood territory?

There was also a possibility that I was overreacting and overly sensitive to Edan’s actions.

Considering the discrepancies between the original plot and the Edan sitting beside me, they were similar yet slightly different characters.

While the fundamental essence ingrained in their souls might be the same for both Edan and Hyun-dan, it was too early to let my guard down.

It felt somewhat odd to be surprised by their actions differing from the original storyline.

Unable to guess the purpose behind it, I kept my gaze fixed on Edan, quietly observing his profile.

As Edan’s eyes, which had been looking outside the carriage window, turned and met mine, an awkward silence ensued.

“….”

“…Maid?”

“Yes.”

“Do you… have something to say?”

“No, I don’t.”

“O-Okay…”

With an awkward expression, Edan averted his gaze back outside the window.

For some reason, there was definitely something significant about this reaction.

…Could it be related to my visit request from Ser?

Various speculations, whether misunderstandings or truths, swirled in my head when suddenly, from the seat on the right, Edan asked the coachman in a slightly louder voice.

“Butler, how much longer until we arrive?”

“We should arrive in about 10 minutes, Master Edan.”

“Alright. Once we arrive, you can park the carriage and take a break, Butler. The maid and I will attend to matters and return shortly.”

“Understood, Master Edan.”

Due to overhearing our conversation, Dieter, who had inadvertently taken over driving the carriage, responded to Edan’s words.

Upon hearing the butler’s final words, Edan once again gazed out the window, his expression quietly lost in thought.

But indeed, perhaps because it was the carriage Edan was riding in, it seemed to sway less than the baggage cart I had borrowed from the stable master last time.

Certainly, even in a medieval fantasy setting, with enough money, most inconveniences could be resolved.

“Come to think of it, it wouldn’t hurt to learn how to drive a carriage if the opportunity arises.”

If I were to become an adventurer in the future, living a nomadic life rather than settling in one place might be the path I would take.

Especially if my ability to use magic were to be revealed for some reason due to being a commoner, it could cause various headaches. Therefore, having a means of escape at any time along with the basics of living might be essential.

Or in case I have to flee from Blackwood Manor due to unavoidable circumstances, it could serve as a means of transportation to evade pursuit.

“When the opportunity arises, I should ask Dietmayer to teach me how to drive a carriage.”

One could simply say that making excuses is a necessary etiquette to learn for future encounters with nobility.

With Edan leading the way, the carriage carrying the three individuals had entered the Blackwood Territory Guard Post before they knew it.

Guided by the sentry guarding the entrance of the guard post, they proceeded into the guard post compound.

“Hello, Lord Edan Richard Blackwood! Thank you sincerely for gracing us with your presence in this humble place!”

“Thank you!!!”

Soldiers greeted us with an air of determination as we entered the guard post compound.

Stepping down from the carriage, Edan calmly responded to the soldier who greeted him first with a respectful tone.

“Right. Before patrolling, I would like to have a word with Sergeant Ser. Could you guide me to his location?”

“Yes! Since Sergeant Ser has been eagerly awaiting your visit, I will lead the way!”

Following the guidance of the FM soldier, we entered the building and made our way to the second-floor corridor of the two-story guard post building.

Next to the stairs leading up to the second floor, we were directed to a room labeled Security Office and proceeded there.

“Sergeant Ser is waiting inside the room!”

“Alright, thank you.”

“It’s an honor!”

…The ordinary soldiers of the Blackwood Territory Guard Post must all be like this.

Pondering this thought, I pushed open the door of the Security Office, which was made of sliding doors, and turned left.

A middle-aged knight with dark brown hair, who immediately acknowledged mine and Edan’s arrival, stood up from his seat and offered a welcoming greeting.

“I apologize for having you come to such a humble place, Lord Edan.”

“No need to apologize. It’s not even an hour’s ride by carriage.”

“It’s been a while, Sir Blacksong.”

“Yes, it has been a while, Miss Lillis.”

Leading us inside with a subtly kind smile directed towards us, Sergeant Blacksong guided us further inward.

And behind Sergeant Blacksong, a soldier with short turquoise hair observed me with a peculiar expression.

Not quite understanding the slightly awkward atmosphere, I decided to usher Edan inside first and closed the door behind him, then followed suit into the Security Office.

“….”

A moment of silence.

Realizing that I wasn’t in a position to speak first, I quietly waited for one of the two men to break the silence.

Before long, Edan spoke up and called out the name of the Chief of Security Knights.

“I heard that Sergeant Blacksong requested the attendance of my personal maid. Is that true?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“The contents of the letter didn’t specify the purpose of summoning the maid, making it difficult to discern. Was it something sensitive enough that it shouldn’t reach others’ ears?”

“Not exactly. …However, I refrained from detailing it further out of concern that it might tarnish Miss Lillis’s reputation. I apologize if this has caused any discomfort to Lord Edan.”

“….”

Edan fell silent after Sergeant’s composed response, his demeanor noticeably more polished than before, a stark contrast to how he used to be, leaving me with a distinct impression of seeing someone entirely different.

“…I really can’t seem to adapt to this place no matter how much I look at it.

Well, Edan is Edan, and what’s important to me right now is the reason why Ser called for me.

Just now, I cautiously asked about the content in English that I didn’t understand from his mouth.

“Sir Ser Blacksong, if it’s not too much trouble, may I ask you a question?”

“Yes. Go ahead, Miss Lillis Rosewood.”

“I’m concerned that there might be a flaw in my achievements that I couldn’t write about in the letter. What does it mean that it’s related to last year’s incident with Galgomni? Does it refer to something related to him?”

“I’m glad you catch on quickly. The reason I invited you today without any reservations is precisely because of that.”

…I see.

Well, even if I was out of sorts, it’s rather strange to hope to get away with insulting the head of the Yeongji Guard like that.

I should have sent an apology letter at least when I had the chance.

Thinking that an apology made face-to-face would be more sincere, I kept postponing it, and it seems it has come back to haunt me as a result.

As a knight of the Blackwood family, that alone practically put me on par with minor nobility.

In reality, what I did that day was no different from the behavior of an arrogant commoner woman arguing with a noble.

“I am infinitely sorry for what happened that day, Sir Ser Blacksong.”

“…What do you mean, Miss Lillis?”

“Even though there were no consequences that day, yelling and cursing at the head of the Yeongji Guard is unforgivable. I should have apologized first, but by making you contact me first, I have no words…”

“Oh, no, Miss Lillis. I didn’t call you to apologize to you. As I mentioned in the letter, I am grateful to you for that day, and I did not call you to apologize for such a trivial reason.”

“…What?”

Desperately bowing my head to make amends and speak words of apology to avoid harboring resentment, the response I received from Ser was completely unexpected.

His following words were enough to justify why he had summoned me all the way to the Yeongji Guard.

“The reason I invited you today is that we needed your testimony for the report on the events of that day.”

“Testimony?”

“At our Yeongji Guard, we compile and record the events of the past year every fifth month. We don’t record every little dispute between residents or minor tasks like slime extermination, but what you did against Galgomni is too significant to overlook.”

“…I see.”

“Originally, I was going to witness and document your actions that day along with the testimonies of your fellow ladies. There was no need to bother you all the way here, but…”

He awkwardly trailed off, shifting his gaze to the soldier with teal hair standing to his right.

The female soldier with a calm gaze fixed her eyes on me as if it were her turn to speak.

“I cannot agree with this.”

“…What?”

“As a regular woman who hasn’t even received proper training, I cannot accept the record that you, Miss Lillis, defeated a dangerous monster like Galgomni.”

“…”

“Therefore, I request a correction through testimony. The incident of defeating Galgomni in the commercial district was not your achievement but Commander Ser’s achievement.”

…No.

What do they want from me?.”