episode_0483

About two hours had passed since I had spent some deep time with Ethan, from late evening until dawn.

After making sure that he was completely asleep while lying naked next to me, I slowly got up and carefully picked up the clothes that had fallen on the floor.

‘I worked so hard, I probably won’t wake up until tomorrow afternoon.’

Since Ethan was in charge of waking up, there was no need for another maid to come wake him up.

Besides, Isabel and Katarina already know that Ethan and I are having secret meetings like this. They probably won’t bother to interfere with my time with him.

‘…Should I stop now?’

In fact, if I was going to quit, now was my last chance.

This morning, I just did my usual maid duties and tore up the letter inside the maid dress I was wearing and threw it away.

If I stay at Blackwood Manor like that, I’ll be happy for a year or so until I graduate from the academy… .

‘… This won’t work after all.’

I couldn’t help but feel sick at the thought of Ethan whispering sweet nothings to another woman as his wife.

I wasn’t the type of person who cared much about whether or not a man had a harem, but for some reason, I didn’t want to see Ethan do that.

Maybe it was because of the unicorn-like personality I had since my previous life. Anyway, I couldn’t spend the rest of my life feeling depressed just to be happy for a year or so.

Even if Ethan truly loves only me and looks down on his wife like a stone… if he thinks about his successor, he needs to have at least one child.

I absolutely cannot tolerate the feeling of having something ‘mine’ taken away by ‘someone else’. However, since I cannot stop it with my status, I ask that you at least do it in a way that I cannot see.

With that in mind, I quietly placed the letter I had prepared on Ethan’s desk, put on my maid outfit, and walked to my room.

‘First, I need to change my clothes and pack my bags.’

I intentionally prepared only the bare minimum so as not to cause any inconvenience. Four daggers, including the most recently acquired ‘Silent Dagger’, a box of gold coins, a few sets of clothing, and some dry goods.

Once we get out of Blackwood Estate, let’s just get the rest from the local area. If possible, we should be able to catch wild monsters, kill them, and cook them for food.

Her clothes were also black, not maid uniforms. She changed into pants to make it easier to do physical activities, and quietly left the waiting room.

I probably won’t be detected, since the Silent Dagger has a stealth effect. If you have the intuition of a Sword Master, you might be able to sense my stealth, but… Harold is probably asleep in bed right now.

I thought that even a master level person wouldn’t be able to detect my presence while I was sleeping, so I cautiously walked down the stairs one step at a time.

“… … .”

3rd floor. The left hallway of the mansion where the Blackwood Manor’s maids’ waiting rooms are gathered.

I knew the location of the waiting room that Isabel and Katharina were using, so I quietly approached them and slipped the two letters I had written to them under the crack in the door.

This way, I could either read it when I wake up tomorrow morning, or leave it for a while and read it in the evening. It didn’t matter when, because by then I’d be a long way from Blackwood Manor.

With that thought in mind, I walked downstairs one step at a time again, and the moment I entered the stairs that gave me a view of the first floor lobby.

“… … ?”

My body froze at the ominous sensation of something brushing the back of my neck.

‘…what?’

I don’t know why, but I feel like I’m feeling a very tense atmosphere.

There was a strange feeling that I shouldn’t go downstairs, but I couldn’t stop there. I had done too much to go back now.

In the first place, I had done all sorts of things with Ethan, using the excuse that this was the last time, so even if I went back, there was no way I could maintain the same relationship as before. If Ethan were to use today’s incident as an excuse to ask me for my body every day at the academy… To be honest, I had no reason to refuse.

The moment I thought that I could easily avoid people like security guards or duty butlers wandering around with the stealth technique of the ‘Silent Dagger’, I took a few more steps.

-Just a little, just a little.

“… Who is the maid coming downstairs in the middle of the night?”

“… … ?!”

It was the moment when my mind suddenly snapped to the sound of the familiar voice of the Sword Master in my ear.

‘Crazy, why is that kid on the first floor…?!’

Isn’t it time to be sleeping now?

Do you get shorter sleep times when you become a Sword Master? Or did you just happen to be awake today?

‘Oh, no. It’s not like I’ve been caught yet… .’

As I was climbing the stairs backwards, thinking that I should use the entrance on the opposite side of the main entrance, I heard Harold’s voice calling me again from the lobby.

“Don’t turn back and come down. Or are you planning on making me go up?”

“… … .”

Shit, I’m screwed.

I knew that if I delayed any longer, he would really come up to me and ask me what I was doing, so I had no choice but to start walking again and go down to the first floor lobby, where I saw Harold sitting at a small round table on one side of the lobby, watching me come down the stairs.

“Can’t sleep? What’s going on at this hour? Hmm?”

“… … .”

“Was that the maid who came down to the first floor you? More importantly, your outfit isn’t a maid outfit. And that luggage is… .”

“… … .”

“… Let’s sit down for now. I think we need to talk a little.”

He must have guessed what I was going to do from the way I was dressed and the bag I was carrying.

Realizing that it was virtually impossible to escape Harold’s guard here, I sat down quietly across from him and watched him quietly.

“I heard footsteps and thought it was one of the maids trying to run away, but I never thought it would be you.”

“… Sorry, I’m sorry.”

“… You don’t need to be so scared. If it was really one of the debt maids who tried to run away, of course they would have been punished, but didn’t you pay off all the debts you owed years ago? Isn’t it natural for an employee who doesn’t like the working environment to quit?”

“… … .”

“But at least give me a chance to convince you. Then forgive me for trying to quit without telling me. What do you think?”

“… Yes, Master.”

In reality, Harold was forcing a choice that left only one option, so I had no choice but to agree.

“… Hmm.”

“… … .”

“First of all, I’m asking just in case… .”

“Yes… … .”

“Do you think my son is a bad boy?”

“… Oh, no. That’s not it.”

I actually didn’t think so, but even if I did, I would have to answer no here.

Because I knew better than anyone that insulting Ethan in front of Harold was tantamount to attempting suicide.

“Then, you can’t have rational feelings for Ethan, so what?”

“… No, that’s not it either.”

“If not, have you ever felt uncomfortable in bed?”

“… … Oh, no. That’s not it at all.”

“… … .”

Harold, who was standing in front of me, testing my thoughts one by one as if he were asking me twenty questions.

There was little change in his expression, but I could definitely sense that something was bothering him from his reaction, so I just waited nervously for Harold’s next words.

“Then I just can’t understand. Why did you suddenly change your mind and want to leave?”

“… … .”

“If the reason you want to leave is a legitimate one that I can understand, I won’t stop you. However, if the reason is not a legitimate one that I can understand… You’ll have to carry your luggage back upstairs.”

… If I go back upstairs in vain like this, I will never have another chance to escape the Blackwood family.

In response to Harold’s question, which was effectively a lifetime offer, I took a gamble and confessed why I was leaving the mansion.

“… Because I don’t want to be robbed.”

“… … What does it mean?”

“I don’t want to lose Master Ethan to another woman.”

“It’s hard to understand just by hearing it like that. Can you explain the reason a little more?”

“… As you may already know, my master, I am a fake noble of commoner origin. I know better than anyone that my title of Rosewood Baroness Youngae is just a fake status created by the consideration of the princess and my master.”

“… Yeah. I know that too.”

“And Lord Ethan is the only son who will lead the Blackwood family, so he must have a lover of a suitable rank. Of course, I don’t think that will diminish the love Lord Ethan gives me, but I am so jealous that I can’t bear to watch Lord Ethan show me affection for another woman.”

“… Ethan’s lover. I guess there was someone you suspected.”

“… … Yes.”

“… … .”

Harold looks at me with his chin held high, a thoughtful expression on his face as he listens to what I say. Perhaps he is thinking of Queen Rainie, Ethan’s fiancée.

Of course, I couldn’t break off my engagement with the queen of the neighboring country just to take me as my wife. It was obvious to everyone that Queen Raini was a figure with higher power than me, both politically and economically.

‘… Still, this isn’t enough.’

If Harold loved Ethan the most in the world, he wouldn’t care about my wishes and would force me to stay by Ethan’s side.

At this point, my escape was practically a doddle when I was caught by him just before I left.

“Hmm, is that so.”

“… … .”

“Then I guess there’s nothing I can do. If you think like that, it means Ethan doesn’t trust you enough.”

“… … Yes?”

“By the way, I didn’t know that Ethan would be looking at another woman while leaving you. If what you said is true, then maybe it would be a good idea to keep your distance for a while. I also felt her absence more when I was away from Thanasia.”

…Huh?

I have a feeling that this atmosphere isn’t that bad.

“Ethan is a young man in his prime, so he must have been looking away for a moment. That must be why you thought that way.”

“… … .”

“If that’s the reason you’re quitting your job, I won’t stop you.”

“… Is that true, Master?”

“I am no longer your master. Call me Duke of Blackwood.”

… As soon as I heard Harold’s words, which were effectively a declaration of retirement, I had a gut feeling that this was my last chance, so I immediately stood up and bowed my head to him.

“Thank you for your help, Duke Blackwood.”

“… Yeah. It’s dark at night, so be careful of monsters and bandits. With your skills, there probably won’t be any problems. ”

“Thank you for your concern until the end.”

“Okay, bye.”

I opened the door to Blackwood Manor and walked outside, receiving an unexpected farewell from an unexpected person.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

-Squeak.

“… I believe we will see each other again soon, Miss Rosewood.”

As Lilith walked out of the mansion, the Duke of Blackwood was left alone in the lobby, muttering quietly to himself.