episode_0053

Upon receiving Ethan’s summons from Dietmayer, I immediately ascended to the 4th floor of Blackwood Manor.

Standing in front of Ethan’s door, I signaled my arrival with three knocks, informing the room’s occupant of my presence.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

“Young master, it’s Rilis.”

“…Come in, maid.”

After a brief silence, I opened the door and stepped inside, taking in the sight of Ethan’s room at a glance.

There was a time when this room seemed like a mess every time I entered.

These days, whether in the morning or evening, it felt quite organized.

Moreover, the room’s occupant, who now gave off a completely different vibe, was seated at the table, waiting for me.

With slightly disheveled hair against an otherwise neat appearance and eyes that seemed a bit tired with faint dark circles underneath.

His arms and legs had slimmed down and toned up compared to before, and his belly had significantly receded.

The transformed nobleman, looking more dignified than before, directed his gaze towards me as I entered.

Meeting Ethan’s eyes, I lightly tugged on my maid skirt, inclined my head slightly, and offered a maid’s greeting.

“You called for me, young master.”

“…Yes, maid.”

As our eyes met, Ethan seemed to avert his gaze cautiously, subtly shifting his head to the side.

Observing his profile, it was evident how he had lost weight and gained muscle compared to before.

To someone unfamiliar, it would be hard to recognize him as Ethan.

Especially for me, who knew Ethan from before, his transformation felt even more alien.

Having witnessed his weight loss and muscle gain while moving around the manor, his current appearance had become somewhat familiar, but still…

“Maid, shall we sit and talk? It might take a while.”

“If the maid is uncomfortable, we can just stand and talk.”

Ethan’s suggestion to sit at the same table made me hesitate slightly.

Of course, I no longer viewed Ethan as a potential harasser like before; it was just a momentary thought.

Well, Ethan had changed in many ways compared to before.

I concluded in my mind that Ethan wouldn’t try any strange antics against Rilis at this point.

Nodding my head, I quietly took a seat opposite Ethan at the table.

“Understood.”

Originally, Ethan showing a sinister side towards Rilis stemmed from her being the most ‘vulnerable’ individual in her position.

Being the head maid and closest to Rilis, it made sense, and the other maids around Rilis were all formidable, making it difficult for young Ethan to approach her easily.

Even using the same motivation, Katarina, who was the weakest link in the food chain, might have been uncertain, but probably, in the original game, Katarina would have been sent to Silverwood Territory by turning the tables on Aeliana Alicia’s crime.

In many ways, the environment seemed conducive to making Rilis an easy target.

“On the contrary, there is probably no reason for him to bother a commoner like me and tarnish his reputation.”

With such a serious appearance, at a glance, he could easily seduce not only the other maids in the manor but also pretty lower-class noble ladies.

Having shed some weight as a nobleman, Harold and Tanashia’s genes were evident on his face.

From a man’s perspective, he was objectively handsome, but how would women feel about him?

There was no reason to forcibly cover up a maid who clearly disliked herself. In fact, such concerns had now lost their significance.

“Now that Ethan is sincerely engaging, there’s no way I can win.”

Rilis, with trained combat muscles, at Attack 13 and Defense 19, seemed unbeatable.

If Ethan had only wielded a sword in the mansion yard with Harold, Harold knew better than anyone how to ‘become stronger’ in this world as a nobleman.

Since Ethan could handle a sword to some extent, Harold would take him behind Blackwood Mansion every day after rain to hunt the naturally multiplying monsters called “slimes” for firsthand combat experience and leveling up.

Of course, Harold probably didn’t grasp the concept of experience points. He simply remembered from his own experiences what made one stronger and taught it to his child.

As Ethan’s exclusive maid, I often watched him hunt on those mountainside excursions, estimating the number of monsters he caught and roughly gauging his current level.

“He must be at least Level 7 or 8 by now. Plus, being able to use both the sword and body enhancement magic makes him substantially stronger.”

At this point, my vigilance was practically meaningless. If he were to truly attack me, I would inevitably fall victim, despite my precautions.

Using Mana Blast might offer some resistance, but casting such a grand spell in this mansion would only lead to inevitable destruction.

It was more prudent to ease my mind and pray that he wouldn’t resort to such actions.

“……”

“……”

Ethan called me over only to avoid my gaze without saying a word.

Is confusing people a genetic trait?

For a moment, I almost felt a pang of familiarity with his behavior, so similar to his father’s. Fortunately, before any words escaped my lips, Ethan finally spoke up.

“…Maid.”

“Yes, Master.”

“On the sixth day of this week, in the afternoon… do you happen to have time?”

“…Excuse me?”

What nonsense is this all of a sudden?

Where in the world does a master ask his exclusive maid if she has time?

The position of an exclusive maid doesn’t allow for setting holidays or rest times independently, and even if there were other commitments, they should naturally align with the master’s schedule.

Since Ethan posed a foolish question first, it was my turn to respond with utmost common sense.

“I am your exclusive maid, so my time is essentially yours.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. I was wondering if you might have other plans scheduled.”

“What plans could a debt-ridden maid, unable to leave the mansion grounds on her own, possibly have?”

“You have many friendly colleagues among the maids. I was just wondering if you might have made plans with them.”

Well, it was a well-known fact among most servants that I got along well with Isabelle and Katarina.

So, Ethan bringing up that point wasn’t particularly strange.

The issue was why he kept focusing on that aspect and watching my reactions.

Even if I had plans with Isabelle or Katarina, what difference would it make? Ultimately, he knew he had to prioritize his own orders as the master.

The diligent noble, who received academic lectures and etiquette training that changed weekly, was well-versed even in such basic knowledge.

“I’m not sure why you keep asking…”

Since there were no set plans, and even if there were, it had to be a firm “no” given the current situation.

It was hard to expect a favorable outcome when a noble made the maid-in-chief wary.

“No, Your Grace.”

“Really? You’re not just saying that to avoid my scrutiny?”

“If you think I am indeed being cautious around Your Grace, shouldn’t you just graciously accept that I am not?”

“…Sorry. I’ll be more careful.”

Feeling frustrated, a word slipped out unexpectedly, but fortunately, it didn’t seem to trigger any negative response.

Well, he had heard worse before without getting upset to this extent.

If it were about Luminoir Academy’s judgment, maybe, but at least with Ethan in front of me, that seemed to be the case.

“Why did you ask about my weekend schedule, Your Grace?”

“…I received an invitation from the palace.”

“Oh…”

The palace… So that must be it, an invitation from the palace at this time would likely be for that.

“If it’s an invitation from the palace around this time, it must be for the Third Princess’s birthday celebration.”

“You knew?”

“I just happened to find out.”

Technically, it was because the Third Princess was one of the heroines of Luminoir Academy in his original world.

And the Emperor was known for hosting receptions for noble families on his children’s birthdays.

Considering Ethan’s status and similar age to the Third Princess, receiving an invitation from the palace for her birthday wasn’t unusual.

“Perhaps even the original game’s Ethan received such invitations occasionally.”

Ethan of Luminoir Academy was undoubtedly a nobleman by birth.

Though unpopular due to his draining appearance and hygiene, he was aware of his unattractiveness and often avoided such events.

Of course, that was simply the behavior of Ethan Richard Blackwood in the original world.

But the current Ethan Richard Blackwood, following a different path from his past, might make a different decision.

The current Ethan probably had some confidence in his appearance, had matured through proper etiquette training, and was gradually involving himself in estate management alongside Harold.

Thus, Ethan asking me if I had plans on the sixth day held no special significance.

“It probably means ‘Do you have an external commitment on the sixth day, so clear your maid’s schedule and accompany me.’”

Having grasped his likely intention, it was time to move swiftly to the point.

As I, the chief maid, couldn’t skip Ethan’s external event as an excuse.

With the intention to quickly conclude today’s discussion, I subtly broached the topic he wanted to discuss.

“Is the reception scheduled for this week’s sixth day?”

“…Yes. That’s why I wanted to ask if the maid would join me.”

“Understood. I didn’t have any prior commitments anyway, so I will ensure that day is free for you, Your Grace.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Initially, it was strange to be summoned for such trivial matters. It is only natural for a full-time maid to accompany their master outside; it is even considered an essential duty.

Moreover, judging by Eden’s recent activities, there will likely be an increase in such external events in the future.

To clarify that there was no need to consult me for every little thing, I firmly supplemented my previous response to Eden with an explanation.

“From the start, there is no need to ask a full-time maid about such minor matters. After all, accompanying the young master to external events is part of the full-time maid’s role.”

“…Huh?”

“If you have finished conveying your message to me, I will return to my waiting room.”

Thinking I had wrapped up the conversation, as I moved to get up from my seat,

Eden suddenly grabbed my hand as he rose urgently from the table.

“W-wait, Maid!”

“Do you still have something to discuss?”

“It’s not that, but I thought the maid might have misunderstood and was leaving…”

“Pardon?”

“…Did I understand correctly? The maid is supposed to attend the banquet with me, right?”

Why does he keep asking the obvious questions repeatedly?

I’ve been serving as a full-time maid at Blackwood Manor for over two years; surely he should understand this much.

It’s not uncommon for nobles to bring their personal attendants to social gatherings.

Implying the needlessness of further explanation, I nodded emphatically once.

“Of course, I understand perfectly.”

“…Oh, okay then. You can go, understood, huh.”

“I will return to the waiting room. See you at dinner time, Young Master.”

“Yeah. Rest up inside, Maid.”

After concluding the somewhat trivial conversation with Eden,

I promptly returned to my waiting room and rested until dinner time.

…It was three days later that I came to understand the meaning behind Eden’s suggestion to “attend the event together.”