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Chapter 05
A New Maid
“Mm…? Where… am I…?”
When I opened my eyes, the first thing that came into view was a delicate lace curtain draped over a canopy bed.
At the edge of my vision, sunlight swayed gently.
(…Um, what happened again?)
A faint, clean scent of fresh linen tickled my nose, mixed with the subtle sweetness of medicinal herbs.
Not fully grasping the situation, I turned my head slightly. A soft pillow supported it firmly, and the blanket wrapped around my body was thick and plush—nothing like that thin cloth I had been using before.
“Oh, you’re awake, Princess Lilybell.”
A gentle voice reached my ears, and I slowly blinked.
When I turned toward it, an unfamiliar maid stood there, watching me with a reserved smile.
(Huh… who is she?)
Confusion tightened my chest. My heart was pounding so fast it almost hurt.
(Could it be that Lilybell… was bad with maids?)
That was the only explanation that made sense. It felt as though her past memories were forcing this reaction on me.
There was no mockery in the maid’s face—no cold gaze, no look of contempt.
And yet, my body flinched, and my voice caught in my throat.
Watching others’ expressions must have been a habit by now.
As I hurriedly tried to sit up without saying a word, another maid rushed over at once.
“Princess Lilybell, your complexion is terribly poor. Please don’t strain yourself… do lie back down.”
“I’ve brought some water. Are you feeling thirsty?”
As she spoke, the first maid tilted a water pitcher and poured clear water into a silver cup.
“Ah… th-thank you…?”
My voice came out hoarse.
Still confused, I accepted the cup and took a sip as suggested. The cool freshness soothed my throat, and I let out a small sigh of relief.
(The water… tastes good.)
Back at the detached palace, the maids had never shown me this kind of care—not even once.
Meals were brought half-cold and tossed down carelessly. During dressing, they would deliberately tighten things until it hurt.
Even when I fell ill, I was barely attended to, and being left alone like last time was considered normal. They said they didn’t want to catch my sickness.
“Have you calmed down a little? I apologize if we startled you, Princess Lilybell.”
“N-no, not at all…”
I shook my head frantically at the maid who bowed to me.
My thoughts were finally starting to clear.
I couldn’t remember everything from yesterday, but I vaguely recalled my brother coming to the detached palace and saying something like, ‘For now, we’ll move her to another room.’
So this must be the room he’d meant. Yes.
(These maids must be people my brother arranged. That’s why they’re being so kind.)
The realization made my chest feel restless.
I wasn’t used to being treated gently. That unfamiliarity made this situation oddly uncomfortable.
“…Princess Lilybell?”
Before I knew it, both maids were peering down at me with worried expressions.
Panicking, I forced a smile and shook my head lightly.
“It’s n-nothing! I’ve just never been given such cold, delicious water before!”
“Eh…?”
One of the maids’ well-composed expressions crumpled.
Ah—I might have said something unnecessary in my haste.
“…Well, I’m glad to hear that.”
“What were the previous attendants even thinking?! It’s awful—absolutely awful—for the princess to be treated like that!”
“Berné, watch your words.”
The older-seeming maid gently reprimanded the young one, who looked visibly upset.
“I apologize for the unpleasantness, Princess Lilybell. Your fever appears to have gone down, but Prince Luke instructed us to have you rest properly.”
“Princess Lilybell, please feel free to order us to do anything you need!”
The maids smiled in relief and, leaving my overwhelmed self behind, quickly resumed tending to me.
They brought a meal, and I was given something called bread porridge.
“…It’s delicious.”
Warm, with a faint sweetness.
I didn’t even know how long it had been since I’d last eaten, and my sense of hunger had dulled—but after the first spoonful, my stomach let out a loud growl.
“Please eat slowly.”
After that, the two of them introduced themselves.
The maid with soft chestnut-brown hair tied into twin braids was named Berné. She was the adorable one who had been bristling with anger earlier.
She looked to be about fifteen, maybe younger—a straightforward girl whose earnestness shone through. Her smile was bright and sincere.
“From tomorrow onward, I’ll inform the kitchen to prepare foods that are easier on your digestion.”
The other maid, Rosarina, had pale blonde hair tied neatly back. Despite her youth, her calm demeanor and refined speech gave her an air of elegance, as though she had been raised in a noble household.
She was the one who had looked puzzled when I mentioned the cold water.
Surrounded by an atmosphere so different from the maids who had once served me, I still felt slightly at a loss.
“Princess Lilybell, next we shall help you change.”
At Rosarina’s words, I looked down at myself.
Now that I was full, the stickiness of my body began to bother me. I had been bedridden with a fever for quite some time, and I didn’t recall being wiped down even once.
“I’ll prepare the bath right away!”
With that, Berné cheerfully hurried off toward the bathing room.
