episode_0017

When I first heard that I would become a maid, I knew nothing. At that time, I didn’t even know what a maid was, and I just nodded because it was what my father said when he returned with a happy face.

Later, my mother told me that the job of being a maid was to gain social experience by being a conversation partner for high-ranking noble ladies and by listening to light requests from people in other families, and it was only then that I learned what a maid was.

Of course, if I just became a maid without any preparation, it would be a disgrace to my family’s name, so I had to undergo two years of harsh… … . I received an education.

Now that I think about it, it wasn’t that harsh. It was just that the child who had grown up like a flower in a greenhouse felt that way when he started to change all his bad habits after hearing bitter criticism.

So when I turned 10, I met the person I would serve for the first time.

“Charlotte, this is the child who will be your dedicated maid from today.”

The young lady called Charlotte was a very beautiful person. She was someone who made me wonder if she was a human being like me, or a princess from a fairy tale.

Her lustrous red hair was like the finest silk, and her red eyes shined beautifully as if they had been crafted from high-purity jewels by the kingdom’s best craftsmen over a long period of time.

And on the contrary, her skin was as white and flawless as the morning sunlight, making the red color of her eyes and hair stand out even more.

I felt myself losing consciousness for a moment at the sight of such a beautiful sight, and only then did I come back to my senses when I saw the young lady looking at me, holding both ends of her skirt and lowering my head as I had learned at home.

“It is called Sera Petra. Miss.”

Did he not like my greeting? Lady Charlotte just looked at me quietly despite my greeting. Feeling my mouth becoming dry, I slowly raised my head and looked at the young lady.

Looking at the young lady’s face with her eyes wide open as if startled, I wondered if this really looked like a person – and while thinking the same thing, I called out to the young lady.

“Lady?”

The young lady then blinked her eyes a few times and accepted my greeting with a fresh smile.

“I’m sorry, I was so happy that I had a dedicated maid that I was lost for a moment. My name is Charlotte La Rochelle.”

That smile was so beautiful that I blinked blankly, then smiled broadly and lowered my head.

“Ah, yes! Thank you for your continued support!”

“Hehe, yes. Please take care of me too.”

The young lady only smiled once, but I felt that the place she was standing in was different from mine.

But, why? Strangely enough, the feeling wasn’t that bad.

So, I became her maid. And I feel truly fortunate to have become her maid. Even now, yes. Even now.

“It is not good for a maid to leave before her master. ”

The lady taught me a lot.

“This is advice for Sarah, who became my first maid.”

for me.

“Lady! Look at this flower here! I brought it for you!”

“This flower… … . It was my mother’s favorite flower… … .”

“Ah. that… … .”

When you make a big mistake, when you make an irreversible mistake. The lady smiled and said it was okay.

“It’s okay. I will tell my mother well.”

“But… … . I did something wrong… … .”

“Sera, you picked this flower for me, right? Hehe, I don’t want to let such a kind-hearted maid get scolded because it makes me feel uncomfortable.”

for me.

The lady scolded the hostess on my behalf. From that day on, I promised myself that I would at least not cause trouble to the young lady, and I changed everything from the way I spoke to the way I behaved.

I studied and learned how to serve my master by bowing to the servants who had worked longer than me. Just like that, time passed again.

“Sera. Since you served as a maid under Charles for four years, you must have a certain level of aesthetic sense. So, let’s pick out the decorations for this banquet. This is an opportunity for you who have worked under Charles for a long time.”

“Yes, I understand.”

What color would you like? Red? yellow? green? If it were a banquet for a young lady, I would have chosen red without hesitation, but today is a banquet for the master, not the young lady.

It’s not red, right?

After reducing and reducing and reducing, the colors that remained in the end were, ironically, green and red.

What would be better? I thought about it for a while, but in the end I couldn’t come up with a suitable answer. I wasn’t sure. I remembered the mistake I made last time and couldn’t decide if this was right.

What if I make another mistake? If I fail this time, I will definitely be kicked out. no. The lady will protect you. How can you be sure of that? Because I am the young lady’s first maid.

“Ah.”

If you don’t know, just ask the lady. The tea you like, the flowers you can and cannot pick, the foods you like, she knows everything.

I went straight to the banquet hall and looked for the young lady.

The young lady was looking around the banquet hall from the top of the stairs, and she looked so beautiful looking around under the bright chandelier.

“Lady.”

“Huh? What’s going on, Sarah?”

I showed the green and red decorations to the young lady and asked her which decoration suited her better.

However, the young lady did not give me the answer I wanted.

“Which color do you think Sarah likes better?”

Rather, he created a new question for me. To give me courage. The look in his eyes was full of faith that I would be able to choose well. I wasn’t sure, but I desperately racked my brain.

“I… … . I like red… … .”

Is the color red really correct? Isn’t there a banquet for the young lady today?

“No, green looks better.”

The young lady smiled at those words.

“I like the red color better, but this time, how about decorating it the way Sarah wanted? My mother entrusted the job to Sarah, not me. Isn’t that right?”

“As I wish… … ? Can I make that choice… … ?”

The lady smiled and gave me courage, and I achieved success after coming to the mansion. I remembered the things I accomplished with the help of the young lady and received praise for.

okay. you can do it. Let’s decorate with green. I can do it.

“Please just leave it to me… … !”

You can do it right?

“Green… … . If you’re serious about choosing this color, I’m really disappointed. I thought my sense of aesthetics would have developed under Charles, but nothing has improved at all. If it’s that way――”

Again, it failed. I failed, I failed, I failed, I failed, I failed, I failed.

I wish I had just listened to the young lady. What was I thinking? It would have been fine if I had just followed the lady’s wishes.

I was so sad and sad that I went to see the young lady. I don’t even know what I’m thinking right now. I just wanted to be by the young lady’s side.

Is that really true?

“I went there――”

When I entered the lady’s room, there was someone other than me on the balcony. Who is it? A gust of wind blew the curtains slightly open, and I realized it was Mel standing there.

I remember it. Mel was the maid who taught me how to serve my master, how to speak, and how to behave.

“Mel?”

“Hello.”

Why are you there? That’s my place. I should be there. I should always stand behind her.

“Why are you here… … .”

Did you abandon me? no. That can’t be possible. I am your first maid――what about me? Am I going to fail no matter what I do and go down the wrong path no matter what I choose?

no. no.

“I called you. Because I want to drink black tea.”

Ah, yes. That’s it. Since I wasn’t around, I just ordered someone else to do it. As expected, I have to be by her side. Miss, you can’t do it without me.

I had mixed emotions, not sure if I was happy or confused, but I pretended to maintain my composure on the outside and approached the young lady’s side.

Then, I frowned as the scent of Darjeeling tickled my nose.

“Mel, is this black tea Darjeeling?”

“Yes.”

Darjeeling? The lady likes Ceylon tea more. Are you trying to take the back seat from the young lady and my standing seat because you don’t even know such basic things? Do not be ridiculous.

The sadness of failure went nowhere, and hatred and anger toward Mel boiled up inside me.

“Don’t you know that you prefer Ceylon tea, not Darjeeling?”

Cruelly, it was the young lady who answered my angry question, not Mel.

“What does that mean, Sarah?”

“Yes?”

“I never said I prefer Ceylon tea?”

The lady herself said that Ceylon tea is better than Darjeeling… … ? Why are you pretending not to know?

Is that really true? Is my memory wrong? Did I do something wrong again?

“But, but then you told me that you like Ceylon tea… … .”

“That’s strange? At that time, I said I wanted to drink Ceylon tea, but I never said I liked Ceylon tea. You must have heard wrong.”

Of course, I was wrong. no. no. I definitely heard that at the time… … .

“But, but… … .”

Is your memory really correct? You’re wrong every time. This time, you disobeyed the young lady and put up green decorations and got scolded. Don’t you remember when she scolded me for picking a flower because I was alone in my thoughts?

And she’s always right. The lady is not wrong. You always teach me and say good things for me. therefore… … . It’s me who’s wrong.

“Sorry… … . do. I guess I misunderstood… … .”

I started to lose faith in myself more and more. I was vaguely aware that something was strange, but did I know? You might have known. But now I don’t mind things like that. I didn’t trust myself anymore. And, the lady is always right.

The lady knew everything. When I asked about the decorations for this banquet, you definitely said they would be red. However, because I did not believe that and made the choice of my own will, I ended up making a mistake.

“Sera.”

“Huh, ah. Yes.”

“You don’t look good, is there something wrong?”

“… … no. It’s nothing.”

When I said that, the young lady stood up and hugged me tightly. The warmth of a very warm person that I have never felt since I left home and started living here.

“Oh, lady?”

“If you said it was nothing with such a sad face, did you think I wouldn’t know?”

My confused mind calmed down, and my chest, which felt like it was clogged with only negative emotions swirling around. It was as refreshing as if a hole had been opened. The scent of warm, soft skin left a mark on my empty chest, even if it was just for a moment.

“Ah… … .”

“Sera. You are my exclusive maid――I know everything about you――so――”

The young lady was clearly saying something, but her intense emotions blocked her ears, making it difficult to hear. is not it? Maybe my memory is weird.

I shed tears as I was held in her arms. I also realized that imitating someone else is not for me. I wanted to show you my true self.

But then you realize it was a bad choice… … . It was some time later.