ISDM 15

Chapter 15

Late afternoon.
The private lounge for Winterwald staff.
It was a brief rest period for the mansion’s maids.

“How did it look?”
The head maid, Gemma, sipped her chamomile tea and asked.

“Um, well… how should I put it…”
The maid Kate answered.

“Just like my first impression… she was like a small, insignificant pebble lying randomly by a stream.”

The head maid pursed her lips in a faintly sharp smile.

“You mean… round, cute, and somehow sparkling in a way that makes you want to stroke her?”

Kate nodded vigorously. She wasn’t very good with words and often caused misunderstandings, but fortunately, the head maid always understood her perfectly.

“Do you really think Master raised Maid Lilirin as a foster daughter? Truly?”
“Well…”
“I heard you also saw the video recording, didn’t you?”

Pretending otherwise, Lilirin and Theo were a hot topic among the mansion’s staff.

Recalling a previous memory, the head maid narrowed her eyes faintly.

“Yes. It was astonishing… That Master, raising a child… It would be less shocking than the sun rising in the west—or even disappearing entirely. Above all, Master’s appearance in the video was different, which felt somewhat strange.”

The head maid melted a chocolate cube into warm milk, with Kate assisting beside her.

“So it’s possible to change one’s appearance like that. So that pink in Master’s hair… that’s why…”
“Shh. Kate, never speak of the appearance-changing magic tool. If the Magic Tower hears about it, even our Master won’t escape questioning. It’s an extremely precious magical item.”
“I’m sorry… Should I cut off my finger for breaking the rules?”
“I told you, we’re not a gang.”

The two of them sipped their tea again.

At that moment, another maid quietly opening a bag of marshmallows added her voice.

“But if you look closely, Maid Lilirin does resemble Master a little.”
“Oh, dear God. Aisa, maybe get her some glasses? They’re covered under welfare benefits.”
“No, I mean… her actions and speech patterns. She… smells like Master, somehow.”

Aisa recalled a scene from today in the dining hall.

“I swear, Theo Balt, if you keep being picky with tomatoes, I’ll roar at you! Look! You left it all! Pat your bottom!”
“Phew!”

And she remembered Calec, who was working a little farther away.

“I swear, Ruska Higgins, if you keep writing documents like this, I’ll… cut off your neck. Look at this. Do you think numbers are a joke? Neck… cut?”
“Phew!”
“Is he crazy?”
“No, it seems the most important word in the middle was left silent.”

“Hmm… her speech does resemble his a bit.”
“Especially her way of insisting on not leaving out a single word.”
“Come to think of it, during today’s post-meal tea time…”

Kate, who had been quietly listening, recalled the earlier snack time.
Calec had a habit of looking out the window while sipping brandy or strong tea after meals—a habit unchanged from five years ago.
The only difference today was that a pink head peeked in beside him.

“Phew.”
“Haah.”

Crossing their legs, sipping brandy and fruit tea, the adult and child… no, the mother and child.
At the end, Theo also barely crossed his short legs, sipping his milk.

Aisa said,
“Hmm. My maid’s intuition says that Master really did raise Maid Lilirin with great care.”

In fact, except for Calec, everyone implicitly acknowledged this.

“So if Master regains his memory… will Maid Lilirin be recognized as a noblewoman?”

The head maid’s eyes narrowed as she carefully floated a marshmallow on top of hot chocolate.

“Well, it could happen… But! Even so, we cannot neglect training the new staff. A maid must always devote herself to the tasks before her, don’t you agree?”
“That’s true.”
“Then we’ll think about the future when the time comes. For now, focus thoroughly on training the juniors, as always! Understood?”
“Of course, Head Maid.”

Kate smiled, showing her crooked teeth.
“You know we’re not that easy to handle.”

The staff of Winterwald took great pride in the name.
Pleasing the Master could be a bit challenging, but work is naturally a bit difficult.
In return, they were rewarded with generous salaries and various benefits far beyond imagining.
Wearing the maids’ uniforms with the snowflake emblem outside attracted envious looks. It was an excellent job where they could enjoy both honor and pride. Loyalty, loyalty.

“We’ll make sure they experience all flavors—spicy, bitter, sweet, sour.”

The maids rolled up their sleeves and smiled mischievously.
Clack. Finally, the hot chocolate they had all worked together on was complete.

“Um…”
The small owner of the hot chocolate, who had been rolling her eyes, spoke softly.

“What is it, Maid Lilirin?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to discuss that when I’m not around…?”
Lilirin, who had been sitting on the head maid’s lap, asked smartly.

“That won’t do.”
The head maid’s expression was solemn.
“You’re already part of us. Leaving you out during tea time wouldn’t be right, would it?”
“Heh.”

Late afternoon. The maids’ lounge.

“Shall I pour more milk? Marshmallows? No sour flavor… bring dried oranges!”
“Yes!”

The new maid Lilirin spent a peaceful afternoon surrounded by rough but kind senior maids.

After the lazy time passed, a staff member from the annex approached, signaling the end of the break.

“Head Maid, we may need to tidy the west annex this afternoon.”
“Huh? What’s the matter all of a sudden?”
“Duke Elisa’s late predecessor and her husband will return slightly earlier than planned.”

The head maid gently patted Lilirin’s head, who was suddenly ducking, and spoke calmly.
“Oh my. I thought they were enjoying a trip outside the capital and would return only on the day before the parade.”
“Seems like last night’s rain changed their schedule. Above all, Lord Blaine…”

The staff member glanced at Lilirin’s pink crown of hair and continued,
“He’s in quite a hurry. They’ll probably arrive within two days.”

“Ah-ha.”

The head maid quickly assessed the teacups and tapped the table.
“Break’s over. Everyone, move.”
“Yes, yes.”

The maids rose in unison.
Lilirin, who had been sitting obediently like a doll, jumped down and hurried along.
“Yes, yes.”

Of course, she didn’t get far before the head maid caught her by the back of the neck.
“Yes, yes?”
“Maid Lilirin, finish your hot chocolate before moving.”
“Yes… But after finishing, what should I do?”

Sparkle sparkle.
“Just go upstairs to the bedroom to rest…”
Sparkle sparkle sparkle.
Please. Give me a mission too.
I don’t want the bedroom. I want to play. Include me.

“Hmph.”

Though impossible, it felt like the child’s thoughts echoed like hallucinations.
The head maid groaned at Lilirin’s expression, as if she were anticipating a fun game.

“There’s no helping it.”
“Then let’s check the cleaning both inside and outside the mansion!”

It was a chance for Lilirin to get familiar with the mansion while playing.
“Oh, but I still don’t really know where anything is.”
“Right, I haven’t given you the mansion guide yet. Here it is.”
“Oh! A map!”
“Ask if you don’t know anything.”

Though handed over, they didn’t expect her to understand everything.
If she ran over to ask, they would explain in excessive detail.

“New staff should work roughly! Lazily, haphazardly! Only check with your eyes!”
“Yes, yes!”

Excited by the thought of running around the mansion, the child shouted.

‘Hmm, backyard cleaning status –300 points.’
I marked it down with a stern face.
‘Lobby +100 points.’

If anyone thought I would play around innocently, they were mistaken.

‘Overall. Tried only where visible. Three stars.’

I was a responsible child.
After inspecting the mansion with a hawk’s eye, I walked down the corridor step by step.
Perhaps because of the head maid’s words, everyone seemed unsurprised no matter where I appeared. They only smiled when I bowed while passing by.

‘Everyone is so kind, pretending not to care.’

Giving me hot chocolate, letting me join during break, even helping Theo nap in the lounge.

‘And…’
I recalled the conversation among the maids.
I couldn’t help but giggle.
“Ah~ Am I really that similar to Dad~”

Actually, without the appearance-changing magical tool, my looks were completely different from my father’s.
Still, being told I resembled him was satisfying.
‘I must keep the appearance-changing tool well.’

I thought of the ear cuff safely kept in my personal safe along with a ring.
‘As the maids said, if the Magic Tower finds out, Dad could be in trouble. Since the Tower master is gone, they’re more sensitive about magical tools and magic leaks now…’

The Empire’s Tower master had died several years ago.
He had sacrificed himself while suppressing a massive magical explosion during a labyrinth raid. Without him, the Empire would have suffered catastrophic damage.
‘He was skilled in magic and a good person—truly a hero.’

Ah, why do good people die young? I hope he’s happy in heaven.

I quietly mourned as I climbed the stairs.

After a while, my steps stopped upon reaching my destination.
I peeked my head around the corner.

‘Hmm. Nobody’s here. Good.’

It was the direction of Dad’s office.
Earlier, I had pretended to check the mansion outside and approached a tree in front of the building to figure out when the office would be empty.
Now was the perfect opportunity.

Dad wasn’t there, and the aides guarding the front weren’t either.

I looked around cautiously and slipped into the office.